What's the most efficient way to transfer workers that are mining minerals to mine gas instead?
Solution 1:
I found what I think is actually the best answer while browsing the Team Liquid forums:
The most efficient way is to select any 3 workers, right click on the gas, then immediately hit C (return cargo). Workers that are holding minerals will drop off their minerals, and then proceed to gas. Meanwhile, workers without minerals will head straight for the gas!
Solution 2:
It depends on what you mean by "not lose minerals"
If you do it manually, you'll take about 2 seconds, and you can lose zero minerals.
If you don't do it manually, statistically, you'll have one who is walking to gather (A), one who is walking back with minerals in hand (B), and one who is in the middle of gathering (C). (As they spend about a third of their time on each task)
Option 1:
If you're in the middle of the battle and need the absolute most amount of time you just have them all start going to the gas:
- (A) will not lose any minerals
- (B) will lose 5 minerals (the minerals in his hands at the time)
- (C) will "lose" (on average) 2.5 minerals. (it isn't really "lost" because the next guy will get it, but you've lost the time it took for that worker to start, but not finish mining)
Option 2: If you have a brief instant of reprieve, but need to get back on the battlefield, you can save 5 minerals from option 1, by sending (B) back to the base. The quickest way to do that is by ordering "return with goods". This is better then sending them all back to the base, because only the one with minerals will run back. Immediately after issuing the "return with goods / return cargo" command, shift right click on the geyser, and that will queue a command to the geyser, which for the other two will be executed instantly. This can be done in one instant, because the return with goods command can be issued by the keyboard hand, while the mouse hand will be moving to issue the command to the geyser.
Option 3: If you have a little bit longer, select only those that are going back to mining, that way you lose no minerals at all, nor even time wasted mining.
It does depend on how urgent you need to get back to the battle, but if the battle is so important that it can't be delayed by a couple seconds, the gas can probably wait.