Automation activated before sensor is finished - automation is waiting for ON signal, it's intended
Hey, I was using a Resource Counter Automation (RCA) building for a badwater rig to pause when above 90% storage and it was able to send the pause to the rig before the the RCA was finished construction. Assumed this wasn't intended function. Pictures included.
Comments: 17
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22 Mar
Jcheung SystemHighlighted comment
"depth sensor bug" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2026-03-22), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion. -
17 Mar
Gin Fuyou AdminWhen you click automate on building it's actually like saying "It will work when ON signal comes"
So it waits for the signal and since sensor \ counter \ lever is not finished signal doesn't come and building is OFF. -
21 Mar
Oscar MergedAny automation buildings are not needing to be fully built to work. They work even when I place down where I want it to be built.
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21 Mar
Gin Fuyou System"BUG - Automation buildings work before they are fully constructed" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2026-03-21), including upvotes (1) and comments (1), was merged into this suggestion.
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22 Mar
Ellie Mergeddepth sensor applies its automation to connected buildings while it is in the process of being built
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27 Mar
Quax Merged(main branch, no exp. mode v. 1.00) I have a ressource counter for paper work in progress and already set the accoding paper mill to stop work workin when their is enough paper. As you can see in the screenshot, the papermill is already de-actived, althoug the sensor is just set to be build.
I did not test if this is true for other sensors or all ressources chosen of the resource counter.
Please check -
27 Mar
Gin Fuyou System"Ressource counter: already working before constrction finished" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2026-03-27), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.
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29 Mar
Qodvux MergedIf you place any automation building that sends a signal and hook an existing building up to it, the existing building is immediately paused until the automation building is finished, whether or not the signal (as currently configured) would be on or off. The target building's panel will say "Paused by automation", but this is not true since no automation is yet taking place, rather the building is paused due to there not being an automation signal yet.
This behavior means it's impossible to fully pre-configure automation unless you're fine with all affected buildings being disabled for as long as it takes to complete all related automation construction, even if that is not what the automation would currently do. Or in other words, buildings will often be paused and then resume when automation construction finishes. To circumvent this, you have to place and configure the automation building but keep the target buildings unconnected, remember to check back periodically whether the au -
29 Mar
Gin Fuyou System"Buildings are immediately paused when connected to unbuilt automation" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2026-03-29), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.
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31 Mar
QodvuxPlease don't merge requests to CHANGE a behavior into a suggestion that's marked as "done" and "not a bug". I didn't say this automation behavior was a bug, I'm saying it's badly designed and should be changed. I explained why, and I made a suggestion on how to implement it differently.
Also, the fact that several people have complained of this already should be indication that it is indeed confusing. It's not nice to brush that off as "well, that's just how devs made it, get wise". -
01 Apr
Gin Fuyou AdminI know your suggestion was not a bug report, but it addressed the same problem and I don't find your arguments compelling enough to keep 2 topics about exactly same issue.
First of all you also call it wrong, which I absolutely don't agree. Automation takes a place as soon as you clicked automate, if this design is better is debatable, but it makes good logical sense. You tell building to activate on signal and don't provide signal.
What kind of common case where you really need preconfigure automated building, but it's completed notably before logic inputs so you need to keep it working waiting for it? Definitely possible but I don't see it anywhere but niche.
That said whole topic can be reconsidered on any time, it's not me who makes final decision anyway. But automation is advanced topic so if a few players got confused by it I'd first consider explaining it better in-game rather change. -
01 Apr
QodvuxIf "done", "not a bug", a manually added "it's intended" in the title and a pinned state is not a big, fat announcement that NOTHING here is open for reconsideration, I don't know what is. If it is open, then remove the "done" tag!
A building being "paused by automation" is not the same as it being paused by the absence of an automation signal. If you don't like calling this false, it's still obviously confusing, otherwise people wouldn't be posting about it here, assuming it's a bug or unintentional. If the message said "Paused until automation construction is completed", that would at least be accurate. (But still confusing – why pause even though the user never expressed they wanted the building paused?)
There's nothing niche about configuring automation before all buildings have been built. Are you really suggesting people place them, DON'T touch the controls that pop up, wait until everything is built and only THEN start configuring? That sounds completely nonsensical to me. -
11 Apr
MikkuPlease don't pause workplaces when connecting with unfinished sensors! It means pause and then often resume after, that is not helpful and confusing.
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27 Apr
TANKHammer MergedI was messing around with logic operations and set up a NOR gate to control some pumps. I noticed that the pumps were "paused by automation" even though the gate was not built yet. Logic operators appear to still function even when they are in the blueprint phase.
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29 Apr
Gin Fuyou System"[BUG] Logic Gates activate even when not built" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2026-04-27), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.
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01 May
Tummi MergedHi I just noticed when timing my Agora with a Chronometer, that the Chronometer can already get edited and the Agora already follows the orders of the Chronometer before getting completed. I think, that with that you can already automate even if you don´t have the resources for it, but that shouldn´t work! But I really like the Automation!
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09 May
Gin Fuyou System"The Building already is automated, even if the Automation Object is not finished building." (suggested by <Hidden> on 2026-05-01), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.