Automation of ore -> ingots using Applied Energistics and Thermal Expansion

[Gaming Lexus]

Hi everyone,

This is my first question asked on this forum so please take it easy on me if I omit something!

I know someone will have asked this question of Google previously but I can't find an answer for the life of me.

My goal is to automate the ore to ingot process from my ME network using Thermal Expansion machines. I want a bunch of specified ores to be automatically turned into ingots upon entry into the ME network with a caveat that one stack (64 ore) should always remain in the ME network. This is so that I can do whatever I please, on demand, with the ore for whatever purpose arises.

I have created the system of my choice as shown in the screenshots but I cannot work out how to create an instruction to always leave 64 of the ore in the ME network. I believe that ME Level Emitters can be used to control how many items are sent to a machine, but I kind of want the opposite: I want all items sent to the machine (in my case, an Induction Smelter) to be turned into ingots with 64 ore always left behind in the ME network.



To explain the system (screenshots) I have tested in creative so far:
1x precision export bus continually filling one of the Induction Smelter input slots with sand.
2x hoppers connected to 2x precision export buses to input defined ores into the Induction Smelter. I have used two export buses as it is only possible to specify eight ores per bus and I will probably be specifying more than this to be autosmelted into ingots.
1x basic import bus which transfers the output and secondary output back into the ME network when the process is complete.

This is currently working exactly the way I want it to except not being able to control 64 ore blocks being left in the ME network unsmelted.

Is there a way I can achieve this using purely Applied Energistics and Thermal Expansion items?

I am using FTB Monster v1.1.1 MC v1.6.4

Many thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

 

[epidemia78]

Golems and item translocators, yes. But Ive never been able to do this sort of thing with AE alone. But with a set of level emitters you could get close to the same result. If you set all of your ores to an export bus and use a level emitter to turn it off when you have 64 of each ingot.

 

[ratchet freak]

you need a level emitter and redstone controlled export bus per ore

that is a lot of channels.

 

[epidemia78]

If a translocator can pull items out of an ME interface, then this might be a lot easier to do than I thought.

 

[MacAisling]

Level emitters look at the # of a specified item in me storage & emit or stop emitting a redstone signal when the # is either > or < . They will do what you want, BUT you need a separate pair of emitter + export bus for each item. You would point the emitter at the export bus & set the bus to respond to a redstone signal.

 

[Gaming Lexus]

Thank you both for your quick response!

Golems and item translocators, yes. But Ive never been able to do this sort of thing with AE alone. But with a set of level emitters you could get close to the same result. If you set all of your ores to an export bus and use a level emitter to turn it off when you have 64 of each ingot.

Hmm, Not really sure how to implement Golems or translocators yet so may have to do some research.

Yes, I've worked out how to do this and control the amount of ingots made but then this causes problems like I had last night. I was making power armour which is massively iron intensive. I had >1000 iron ore and usually just smelted on demand but due to the armour I was making, meant I had to wait for ages for all the ore to smelt to ingots. It would be really handy if there was a way that all ores that are input into my ME network from a quarry then immediately enetered an automated smelting process leaving my just 64 of each ore as backup for me to do as I choose.

Edit 1: Obviously I could just store those 64 of each ore in a backup inventory but ideally I'd like them to remain in the ME network.

you need a level emitter and redstone controlled export bus per ore

that is a lot of channels.

I had a little tinker with a level emitter controlling an export bus but couldn't get it to work. I would have persevered to get it to work as I expected it would but quickly realised that I would need an emitter for each ore which would be too vast (space wise) for my situation.

 

[ratchet freak]

you need a redstone card in the export bus and point the emitter to the bus

 

[Golrith]

Not an expert on AE2, but couldn't you get the export bus to always keep a stack of each ore, but set the bus to a higher priority then the ore processing chain. I believe I saw DW20 do something like that with an upgrade card for inventory management/stock levels.

 

[epidemia78]

I tested the translocator theory of mine in creative and it works great and is very easy to set up.

When you right click a translocator with a diamond nugget, it gets that blue color which means its in regulate mode which is what you want here. Its then just a matter of having your ores get stored somewhere since the translocator cant seem to pull directly out of an ME interface when its in regulate mode. I just used a storage bus and a chest. All but 64 of each gets pulled into the second chest or into a pulverizer or what have you.

 

[Gaming Lexus]

Not an expert on AE2, but couldn't you get the export bus to always keep a stack of each ore, but set the bus to a higher priority then the ore processing chain. I believe I saw DW20 do something like that with an upgrade card for inventory management/stock levels.

I don't think this is possible as the export bus isn't an 'inventory'. There is no option to set priority with an export bus using the GUI's spanner similar to that of an ME chest, drive or storage bus. The export bus does not contain an inventory; it just puts a shadow in the interface of the item that you want to control.

I am not stressing this with any degree of certainty however as I really am just a FTB noob trying to learn new stuff!

I tested the translocator theory of mine in creative and it works great and is very easy to set up.

When you right click a translocator with a diamond nugget, it gets that blue color which means its in regulate mode which is what you want here. Its then just a matter of having your ores get stored somewhere since the translocator cant seem to pull directly out of an ME interface when its in regulate mode. I just used a storage bus and a chest. All but 64 of each gets pulled into the second chest or into a pulverizer or what have you.

Thank you for taking the time to try and test this for me. I have just tried to replicate what you have done but can't see the translocator in my NEI so not sure if it's included in the version of FTB Monster that I am using on my server

 

[Golrith]

I don't think this is possible as the export bus isn't an 'inventory'. There is no option to set priority with an export bus using the GUI's spanner similar to that of an ME chest, drive or storage bus. The export bus does not contain an inventory; it just puts a shadow in the interface of the item that you want to control.

I am not stressing this with any degree of certainty however as I really am just a FTB noob trying to learn new stuff!

Used the wrong terminology, ME Interface is the block you want:
http://ae-mod.info/ME-Interface/

See what that offers.

 

[dylanpiera]

May i ask a quick question,

Why would you want to leave 1 stack of ores all the time
why not smelt it all?