Can you automate AE2 Quartz Grindstone?

[Schadrach]

I know this was asked before a year or so ago, and I know the general answer involves just moving on to a macerator or pulverizer.

However, in the pack I'm playing I found a recipe for the grindstone that isn't supported by the macerator or pulverizer that would let me skip 3 steps in my ore processing chain that involve machines and requisite power and gas piping, energy production, etc.

Specifically, in Clouds of Darkness there's a grindstone recipe to turn Mekanism crystals into TE dusts (haven't checked other packs). Which changes the chain to ore->slurry->clean slurry->crystal->dust->ingot rather than ore->slurry->clean slurry->crystal->shard->clump->dirty dust->dust->ingot. Pulling out three machines and the requisite gas and power piping to make them work would be a significant improvement in both size and power on my current setup.

The space thing is getting annoying, since I need three ore processing setups in place: a Smeltery to do alloys easily, a Factorization setup just for the odd Dark Iron ore from a chest or reward bag, and a Mekanism quintupling setup for everything else.

 

[Shevron]

I usually balance my mug on my mouse button, and go do the laundry or something.

 

[Golrith]

Factorization can do it somehow. I remember an old episode with Direwolf20 where he used some newish gadget from FZ. Can't help beyond that.

 

[Someone Else 37]

Factorization can do it somehow. I remember an old episode with Direwolf20 where he used some newish gadget from FZ. Can't help beyond that.

Indeed. A while back, he found that Factorization's robotic arm thing (whatever it's called) works on the grindstone handle, and he was able to automate it by using a comparator to detect when there are items in the grindstone and turn the arm on. This was important because leaving the robotic arm on all the time would inevitably result in overtorquing the handle and breaking it once the grindstone ran out of things to grind.

That was fairly early in one of his recentish Forgecraft 2 series, by the way, although I don't remember which one.

 

[PhoenixSmith]

Indeed. A while back, he found that Factorization's robotic arm thing (whatever it's called) works on the grindstone handle, and he was able to automate it by using a comparator to detect when there are items in the grindstone and turn the arm on. This was important because leaving the robotic arm on all the time would inevitably result in overtorquing the handle and breaking it once the grindstone ran out of things to grind.

That was fairly early in one of his recentish Forgecraft 2 series, by the way, although I don't remember which one.

I wonder if it still works... Golems could not do it could they? I would assume that has already been tried...

 

[Someone Else 37]

I wonder if it still works... Golems could not do it could they? I would assume that has already been tried...

The thing is, Algorithm deliberately coded the grindstone to not work with fake players, which is why Direwolf didn't just use a turtle to avoid messing with vanilla mechanics (which, if I remember correctly, he outsourced to Soaryn). However, the FZ developer was unsatisfied with how the Forge fake players worked, so he coded his own that could not be specifically detected by the Grindstone code (since it wasn't a Forge fake player).

I just tested a golem on a grindstone handle in my custom 1.7.10 instance, and it didn't do anything at all, save walk over to the grindstone and stand next to it.

 

[PhoenixSmith]

The thing is, Algorithm deliberately coded the grindstone to not work with fake players, which is why Direwolf didn't just use a turtle to avoid messing with vanilla mechanics (which, if I remember correctly, he outsourced to Soaryn). However, the FZ developer was unsatisfied with how the Forge fake players worked, so he coded his own that could not be specifically detected by the Grindstone code (since it wasn't a Forge fake player).

I just tested a golem on a grindstone handle in my custom 1.7.10 instance, and it didn't do anything at all, save walk over to the grindstone and stand next to it.

I see... Hence why AA break the watering can? I wonder if the arm can still do it then...

 

[xTordX]

I think they found out Dire's abuse and took care of it... Anyway the video is somewhere in the first 5, on the FC series where they have a house in the desert.

 

[MajPayne21]

If the TC addon that integrates with AE2 is installed (Automagy, I think), there are some upgrades to the grindstone that specifically allow golems to use it. You need the thaumium gear, among other things.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[xTordX]

*adds mod
Thx a lot!

 

[Azzanine]

If the TC addon that integrates with AE2 is installed (Automagy, I think), there are some upgrades to the grindstone that specifically allow golems to use it. You need the thaumium gear, among other things.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

It's Thaumic Energistics, and you need a special kind of crank

 

[GreenZombie]

I do not understand AX's objection to having the grindstone automated. By his own admission it is worse than other mods pulverizers / macerators (in terms of output) and he mostly intended it to be a manual option early game before those other things became available.

That said - Autonomous Activators and other manual cranking things are only available at the same point in the progression that pulverizers etc become available, so automating the grindstone that way is not gaining any kind of advantage. You've really built a slightly less efficient pulverizer.

 

[Wilder]

I made a thread on /r/feedthebeast yesterday on this problem, you can check here:
http://www.reddit.com/r/feedthebeast/comments/2rqz5e/sfmae2_automating_the_grindstone/

A vanilla comparator system works. Put a hopper underneath the grindstone pulling out the dusts. Comparator from the grindstone itself will output a signal if there is anything in it. Extend the signal to the automatic arm of your choice.

AE2 autocrafting: use a terminal to a chest and then any transport pipe to push stuff into the grindstone as needed.

 

[asb3pe]

I usually balance my mug on my mouse button, and go do the laundry or something.

I would make Rube Goldberg proud with my "inventions" designed solely for one thing - to keep the right mouse button pressed down and centered on the AE2 Quartz Grindstone wooden crank.

Since every day my desk is a different kind of mess, every day requires a new "Rube Goldberg-esque" invention. It's kinda like a game within a game! A mini-game. Although I do admit to feelings of great happiness once I finally achieve the point in production where I no longer have to use the AE2 QG.

Today I'm using my keyboard to keep the left side of the mouse steady, I've got a case of LightScribe blank DVD on the mouse button, and my right speaker is preventing the DVD case from sliding forward and off the mouse button (which would be a disaster if it happens while I am AFK).

Ah, the joys of early-game play. LOL

I should probably also add my story about Thamcraft's Deconstruction Table (another game item designed with "manual only" in mind). Since you have to constantly press-release-press-release the mouse button, the Rube Goldberg inventions won't work (damn the mod developer for their creativity!)... but of course I still found a way. I found a freeware "mouse clicker" which I could tell it exactly where on the screen to click, and how often. Success!! LOL

Don't ever try to tell a true Minecrafter that something can't be done. And don't try to force us into manual operation either, it just isn't ever gonna work. We'll find a way, right, team?!

 

[yotus]

I should probably also add my story about Thamcraft's Deconstruction Table (another game item designed with "manual only" in mind). Since you have to constantly press-release-press-release the mouse button, the Rube Goldberg inventions won't work (damn the mod developer for their creativity!)... but of course I still found a way. I found a freeware "mouse clicker" which I could tell it exactly where on the screen to click, and how often. Success!! LOL

Well, I guess "automated" also means that you can do something else (in game, of course) while the said thing is being automated.. don't you think ?

 

[asb3pe]

Well, I guess "automated" also means that you can do something else (in game, of course) while the said thing is being automated.. don't you think ?

Fair enough. But here's the thing - the AE2 Quartz Grindstone is LITERALLY the very first machine I make when I begin a new world. It's a VERY early-game machine... and when we're in very early game, we're not automating anything yet, because we don't have any materials yet, so we're not building Redstone Comparators yet.

So we are def talking about two different kinds of "automation" here - your mid-game automation and my early-game automation. You are certainly correct, when my right mouse button is buried under some tower of stuff, it is indeed difficult to do anything else.

 

[ratchet freak]

or remap the "use" key to a button and then you just need to hold down a keyboard key which may be easier

 

[Shevron]

I would make Rube Goldberg proud with my "inventions" designed solely for one thing - to keep the right mouse button pressed down and centered on the AE2 Quartz Grindstone wooden crank.

Since every day my desk is a different kind of mess, every day requires a new "Rube Goldberg-esque" invention. It's kinda like a game within a game! A mini-game. Although I do admit to feelings of great happiness once I finally achieve the point in production where I no longer have to use the AE2 QG.

Today I'm using my keyboard to keep the left side of the mouse steady, I've got a case of LightScribe blank DVD on the mouse button, and my right speaker is preventing the DVD case from sliding forward and off the mouse button (which would be a disaster if it happens while I am AFK).

Ah, the joys of early-game play. LOL

I should probably also add my story about Thamcraft's Deconstruction Table (another game item designed with "manual only" in mind). Since you have to constantly press-release-press-release the mouse button, the Rube Goldberg inventions won't work (damn the mod developer for their creativity!)... but of course I still found a way. I found a freeware "mouse clicker" which I could tell it exactly where on the screen to click, and how often. Success!! LOL

Don't ever try to tell a true Minecrafter that something can't be done. And don't try to force us into manual operation either, it just isn't ever gonna work. We'll find a way, right, team?!

Yeah those mouse buttons are slippery bastards! Takes a lot more work and McGyver'ing than you think to keep right-click pressed while AFK.

 

[Netherus]

Yeah those mouse buttons are slippery bastards! Takes a lot more work and McGyver'ing than you think to keep right-click pressed while AFK.

You could also use a macro gaming mouse (i use the razer naga epic) or heck even a Auto Hotkey script (takes like 10 sec to figure out)

 

[ratchet freak]

You could also use a macro gaming mouse (i use the razer naga epic) or heck even a Auto Hotkey script (takes like 10 sec to figure out)

or you know just rebind the use button in controlls (default is right click) then you just need to weigh down a key rather than a mouse