Automatic retrieval into Sorting Machine

[PhilHibbs]

I have a line of three furnaces, from which I want to pull the results into a sorting machine. What's the best way of getting them out? Retrievers need a redstone pulse, so I'd have to wire them up to a Timer which I don't really want to do. Is there any other compact way of automatically pulling the results out other than to use more Sorting Machines? I don't want to use Wooden Pipes and Engines.

D'oh, I can just run three pipes into one Sorting Machine, can't I? I don't think The SM needs to be directly attached. Trying that now...

 

[trunksbomb]

The sorting machine will not act as a retriever, it can only pull from one machine at a time.

You could use a router in extraction mode with a machine filter set for furnaces only, a bandwidth upgrade and ejector upgrade to eject to an attached sorting machine. Probably the simplest method.

Or sorting machines on each furnace, as you mentioned. You don't have to use these ones to sort- you can have them pull automatically and send them to your original sorting machine so you don't to sort in three separate places.

Managers can pull automatically as well but these are not cheap at all. Upside is that you could use them for input/output.

 

[maid450]

What kind of furnaces?
TE powered furnaces can directly output to a BC Pipe without needing an engine, or, as I do in my processing system, to a relay connected to RP tubes.
You need a relay per furnace, but it is much cheaper than sorting machines

 

[Abdiel]

GregTech translocators into enderchests, use the sorter to pull from the enderchest.

(If it's TE machines, you don't need translocators, they'll eject on their own.)

 

[Archina]

Eh, I'm too into buildcraft so I'd just pump them out the back and have them all hook up to a single iron pipe, going into a diamond pipe. From there you can send certain things in certain directions. Heck, even use multiple diamond pipes if you need more options as the crafting recipe for pipes always makes 8.

 

[Poppycocks]

I'm all for the router solution, a single router can serve an arbitrarily sized battery of furnaces. Make it eject into a relay which spits items into the sorter. No strings attached, no timers, no wiring, nothing. It just works ™.

And the best part is that you can extend the system after, and it'll still work.

And in case the router can't keep up anymore, give it a speed upgrade, give it a bandwidth upgrade. Still not enough? Stick another one on another side of the relay! So easy! So scaleable!

 

[PhilHibbs]

So the Sorting Machines route would require four: one for each of the three furnaces, and one to do the sorting. Ouch. Oh well, I think I have sufficient raw materials.

What kind of pipes does a Router work with? Can I just Pneumatic Tubes to it?

I can't get it to do anything. I have tubes going from the three generators into the purple side, it's set to "Extract from west sides", but it does nothing. Is it picky about where it sends items? Does it need power?

*Edit* Ohhh, just watched a Block Spotlight. I see. Just one item eh? I want it to extract all my smelted ingots. Will an Item Filter upgrade do the trick? I don't have any of the infrastructure for making those upgrades!

*Edit* I seem to have badly misunderstood the video, I thought that he was loading it with the item to extract whereas it was actually extracting them. I think I need an Ejector upgrade which is easy.

Good grief this is complicated! I think I'll go back to 4 Sorting Machines for the sake of my sanity! I think the Router is pulling from the buffers on top of and below my furnaces and I have no idea how to make a Machine Filter!

 

[Poppycocks]

So the Sorting Machines route would require four: one for each of the three furnaces, and one to do the sorting. Ouch. Oh well, I think I have sufficient raw materials.

What kind of pipes does a Router work with? Can I just Pneumatic Tubes to it?

I can't get it to do anything. I have tubes going from the three generators into the purple side, it's set to "Extract from west sides", but it does nothing. Is it picky about where it sends items? Does it need power?

*Edit* Ohhh, just watched a Block Spotlight. I see. Just one item eh? I want it to extract all my smelted ingots. Will an Item Filter upgrade do the trick? I don't have any of the infrastructure for making those upgrades!

*Edit* I seem to have badly misunderstood the video, I thought that he was loading it with the item to extract whereas it was actually extracting them. I think I need an Ejector upgrade which is easy.

Good grief this is complicated! I think I'll go back to 4 Sorting Machines for the sake of my sanity! I think the Router is pulling from the buffers on top of and below my furnaces and I have no idea how to make a Machine Filter!

Haha Yup, you need a machine filter.

Inverium drop is diamond, 4 gold around it and 4 lead in the corners. You do have a logic matrix programer, right?

 

[PhilHibbs]

Haha Yup, you need a machine filter.

Inverium drop is diamond, 4 gold around it and 4 lead in the corners. You do have a logic matrix programer, right?

Yes, I found 4 in mini-dungeons. Thanks for the Inverium recipe. I think I'll stick with Sorting Machines for now, but the Router might find a place somewhere. Do you know if it works on Turtles?

 

[Poppycocks]

Yes, I found 4 in mini-dungeons. Thanks for the Inverium recipe.

Cool, honestly though, you'll love 'em once you learn how to use 'em all proper-like. I've got like 13 inverium drops left from what used to be a stack.

 

[zaekeon]

Use a redpower retriever, just make sure you connect the pipes to the appropriate sides of the furnace

 

[PhilHibbs]

Hm. Retriever. Pretty nice, but it needs pulsing and I was hoping to avoid that. I guess one Retriever and one Timer is cheaper than three Sorting Machines. Slightly less elegant and symmetrical though, unless someone can suggest an alternate method of pulsing the Retriever to using a Timer.

 

[Archina]

I kind of dislike timers as if you're on an SMP server, it can cause some serious lag issues. So I'd say only use that if you're on SSP.

 

[Hydra]

Hm. Retriever. Pretty nice, but it needs pulsing and I was hoping to avoid that. I guess one Retriever and one Timer is cheaper than three Sorting Machines. Slightly less elegant and symmetrical though, unless someone can suggest an alternate method of pulsing the Retriever to using a Timer.

A BC gate next to a block with "redstone off-give redstone signal" will turn itself on and off quite fast.