ME Interface block (Tutorial)

[Phicksur]

Ok, I had searched these forums, and Googled everywhere else, and couldn't find a decent video of anyone explaining how the hell to use an ME Interface block from Applied Energetics. (To be frank, I didn't even know it was a placeable block until I saw a reference to it in the AE wiki as a way to interact with machines from other mods.)

So, once I learned how to use it, I made a quick video and am wondering if anyone could point out something I missed. I am still sort of confused about the boxes in the upper right & left of the interface but they didn't seem necessary to use to use the ME Interface block.

 

[Pandemoneus]

You can specify in the top left part which items should be kept in the buffer (top right part) of the interface, so you can use buildcraft pipes to pull items out of interfaces as example.

 

[Phicksur]

You can specify in the top left part which items should be kept in the buffer (top right part) of the interface, so you can use buildcraft pipes to pull items out of interfaces as example.

Let me see if I understand you correctly, please.

If I was to put a stack of 64 stone in the upper left-hand corner of an ME Interface positioned above a furnace (for example), it would automatically smelt enough cobble to keep a full stack of stone in the upper-right hand corner (without my requesting anything). As a result, any requests for stone could be taken from that area (and more cobble would be smelted as needed to accomplish whatever needed to be made)?

 

[b0bst3r]

Yes it will make whatever is in the export config if you have a recipe for it within the AE MAC/system somewhere and you run out of those items. But it's purpose is the allow other mods access to items without exposing all of your items within the AE storage system to it. So you can hook up BC pipes to the interface and just pull out whatever is in the exported items part without the need to filter the items.

 

[Phicksur]

Yes it will make whatever is in the export config if you have a recipe for it within the AE MAC/system somewhere and you run out of those items. But it's purpose is the allow other mods access to items without exposing all of your items within the AE storage system to it. So you can hook up BC pipes to the interface and just pull out whatever is in the exported items part without the need to filter the items.

Ah, thank you! That clears that up.

Now I can make an updated video with this new information.

 

[AlanEsh]

Yes it will make whatever is in the export config if you have a recipe for it within the AE MAC/system somewhere and you run out of those items. But it's purpose is the allow other mods access to items without exposing all of your items within the AE storage system to it. So you can hook up BC pipes to the interface and just pull out whatever is in the exported items part without the need to filter the items.

Aaaaah thank you for this info, I have been scratching my head on the benefits of those upper grids in the ME Interface config.
Can you please verify that I am fully understanding...

Let's say I put an ME Interface on top of a Furnace.
I add the following pattern to the ME Interface "Sand >> Glass".
I put a stack of glass in the upper right grid in the ME Interface.
When I pull glass from my network, this will auto-craft back up to 64 glass? (assuming I have sand available in network)

I'm still unsure of the practical uses for the top left grid in the ME Interface config. Is this for pulling and holding/buffering X number of items from other storage systems?

 

[Phicksur]

Let's say I put an ME Interface on top of a Furnace.
I add the following pattern to the ME Interface "Sand >> Glass".
I put a stack of glass in the upper right grid in the ME Interface.

Ok, the upper-right area is, essentially, a 'chest'.
The upper-LEFT area is a "make sure you have this many of this item made if there is space on the right"

So, items 'placed' (since it cannot actually hold items) in the upper-left hand corner will attempt to be crafted IF there is a pattern in the section below it (and adjacent to the appropriate machine) and the items will be made available in the 'chest' in the upper-right hand corner, which can be accessed by buildcraft pipes and similar connections.

 

[b0bst3r]

The item recipe does not have to be in the interface it can be in the MAC, so as long as the entire AE network has a recipe it will be crafted if it runs out.

Basically you can treat the top sections and the processing line as 2 separate jobs of the interface.

 

[Phicksur]

The item recipe does not have to be in the interface it can be in the MAC, so as long as the entire AE network has a recipe it will be crafted if it runs out.

But when I put an processing recipe (like 8 copper ingots -> 1 copper plate) into the MAC, it is red, as opposed to when I put it in the ME Interface next to the compressor.

Are you sure it will work?

 

[b0bst3r]

Yes I created a wood to plank recipe, put it in the MAC, took all my planks out of my AE system and put 64 planks in the top left side, it made the planks to put in the top right.

It's easy enough to test just do what I did above.

 

[b0bst3r]

But when I put an processing recipe (like 8 copper ingots -> 1 copper plate) into the MAC, it is red, as opposed to when I put it in the ME Interface next to the compressor.

Are you sure it will work?

Wait no you're talking about a different thing entirely, you can't take the recipe out of the ME Interface and put it in a MAC. My point was the item you're exporting that recipe can be in the MAC or the interface, the exported item is not exclusive to the Interface recipes that it's attached to.

 

[Phicksur]

Wait no you're talking about a different thing entirely, you can't take the recipe out of the ME Interface and put it in a MAC. My point was the item you're exporting that recipe can be in the MAC or the interface, the exported item is not exclusive to the Interface recipes that it's attached to.

Ah, so in addition to interfacing with machines to process items (like ores, as an example), the ME Interface can also act as a sort of stand-alone chest that always stays refreshed with items.

Can be quite useful for those pesky empty cells.

Wait, if you already have empty cells in the network (but not in the ME Interface itself), the ME Interface will pull from there first before crafting any new ones, right?

 

[b0bst3r]

Yes it will pull from all ME chests/drives and every container a ME Storage bus is connected to before it starts crafting anything.