I have my own calculator. Dont be condescending
I literally make 418 P4 per planet per day. You wont find anyone who understands Pi markets better than me. Or how to construct factory planets.
And another piece of Advice…NEVER make your own inputs
There is NO VALUE ADDED in the process chain. You literally just pass the costs onto yourself because Pi is so production driven.
Choose a tier. And maximize your production within that tier.
Tiers are dependent upon your capital and haulage capability. No tier is more favorable than another except perhaps p3 vs p4 where finding markets and spreading your weight over the markets matters.
Especially in P4 where some markets can barely handle 400+ units a day and most p4 is worthless.
I think I made only 3 types of p4 in my entire career.
I have extensive spreadsheet calculators to determine if it was every profitable to manufacture my own inputs.
It never was.
So those calculations go unused.
All my calculators are unused now.
Pi stops being worth anything after you’re able to station trade about 2 to 3 billion isk a day.
Pi is a good lower-middle income trade…
Then Pi should be replaced by Fuel blocks
Your factory planets gives you tremendous value added advantage to fuel block production.
But that might get you to the 3-4billion isk station trading level before it too is worthless.
So fuel blocks built on the backs of your Pi factories is about the max you can squeeze out of that turnip and maybe gets you to middle class.