Opinions on AE

[namiasdf]

So I am at the stage in my world where I am considering turning my main storage system into an AE based one. Right now its just a series of diamond pipes, though while serves me well, I can only access my stuff at one point in my base. Inconvenient.

That being said, I have a few things I'd like to hear your opinions on:

1. Storage buses. If AE can interact with any storage container, including barrels, why not just store just about every redundant item in them. Are there any disadvantages I'm missing? Memory is quite expensive (relatively) and I might as well spend as little quartz as possible on memory, since import/export buses and all the other convenient tools offered by AE are so resource intensive.

2. How big are your crafting modules? Can they be an odd number sized box? (i.e. 5x5x5.) What are your experiences using the automated AE crafting system? Things to watch out for, etc.

3. The wireless/remote AE system, what are its limitations aside from range? Though I will have a relatively robust ME cable network streaming through my base, there will undoubtedly be instances where it'd just be easier to throw one of those wireless access terminals in place of a wired terminal.

4. What is the range on the wireless systems in relation to? The main AE controller or any component in the AE network? The webpage is unclear.


Just some things I have been considering. Hopefully some of you guys are a bit more experienced than I am with AE and can offer some good insight.

 

[russjr08]

So I am at the stage in my world where I am considering turning my main storage system into an AE based one. Right now its just a series of diamond pipes, though while serves me well, I can only access my stuff at one point in my base. Inconvenient.

That being said, I have a few things I'd like to hear your opinions on:

1. Storage buses. If AE can interact with any storage container, including barrels, why not just store just about every redundant item in them. Are there any disadvantages I'm missing? Memory is quite expensive (relatively) and I might as well spend as little quartz as possible on memory, since import/export buses and all the other convenient tools offered by AE are so resource intensive.
There's nothing stopping you from using them like that. Hell I've done that before.
2. How big are your crafting modules? Can they be an odd number sized box? (i.e. 5x5x5.) What are your experiences using the automated AE crafting system? Things to watch out for, etc.
I usually go for 5x5x4
3. The wireless/remote AE system, what are its limitations aside from range? Though I will have a relatively robust ME cable network streaming through my base, there will undoubtedly be instances where it'd just be easier to throw one of those wireless access terminals in place of a wired terminal.
I don't think there is a wireless access 'terminal' block, just the remote. It takes power now and must be used in range of a wireless access point.
4. What is the range on the wireless systems in relation to? The main AE controller or any component in the AE network? The webpage is unclear.
The wireless system works by putting wireless access points around your base. Each wireless access point by default has a range of 32 blocks, but can be extended with 'wireless boosters', which provides an extra block of coverage, they stack up to 16 in the access points for 16 extra blocks of coverage.

Just some things I have been considering. Hopefully some of you guys are a bit more experienced than I am with AE and can offer some good insight.

Hopefully that clears some things up for you!

 

[Grydian2]

1. well i tried this rout and it has mixed results. Each cable and item in the AE network eats up power. So you are trading off material costs for energy costs by going the storage bus rout. Can be good or bad depending on where you are at.
2. I have used the 3 4 5 wide versions.. I found the 3x3x3 was not near enough but the 5 wide was too much. I havent found a perfect balance yet for the crafting module.
3. The main limitation is the power drain (1.5.x) The further you are away the quicker it eats power. So you are limited in how many items you can pull out the further you are away from the wireless block.
4. The range is based on your distance from the wireless block you place down in your AE system. The base I believe is 32 blocks with each upgrading adding 1? block distance. Not sure about the upgrades.

Hope this helps.. btw if you are using mfr you should use the deep storage unit and storage buses to store cobble dirt sand and gravel.. Each DSU stores 2 bil items of one type. Those four each will prevent your AE system from being overwhelmed.

 

[namiasdf]

Perfect.

Couple more things then:

1.) With the remote, if you have multiple systems, can you have a remote for each network?

Does it just access the nearest one? i.e. I have multiple networks that manage specific systems along with my main storage. When I enter the "xxxx" location, the remote will allow me to access the AE network managing xxxx. It is a universal remote, rather than a dedicated one.

2.) The remote isn't a crafting terminal, but rather a "wireless" access terminal. This means that you will still have to have crafting terminals throughout your base to access those features of AE?


Thanks for the responses though. Clears up soooooooooo much.

As an aside for anybody else as well:

1.) For the GT grinder, bottom is for cells, top is for input, side for output? Does the AE system just put the stuff in the right place or is the setup similar to the centrifuge situation, where you must insert cells from the bottom (mercury, sodium persulfate, etc.)

2.) How do interfaces work? Let's say that I wanted to send all my partial dusts into a pipe that has a chain of auto-crafting tables connected to autarchic gates, to save on AE-based components (i.e. I want to reduce the amount of EU and materials I need in terms of the AE network. For efficiency purposes, materials wise and energy wise at the expense of time.)

What I'm trying to say is, can I avoid exporting all those partial dusts into a single chest, then pumping them out via wooden pipe by sending them directly from an ME interface, into the BC pipe.

 

[gattsuru]

1. Storage buses. If AE can interact with any storage container, including barrels, why not just store just about every redundant item in them. Are there any disadvantages I'm missing? Memory is quite expensive (relatively) and I might as well spend as little quartz as possible on memory, since import/export buses and all the other convenient tools offered by AE are so resource intensive.

Obviously, you need a mod containing barrels or similar storage items, since the default chests give rather questionable returns. The costs of storage buses are non-trivial, too, especially for items that you don't have in very large numbers. Because each storage bus requires 1 Quartz, 1 Quartz Dust, and a piece of cable, it only makes sense for items that you have at least 20 stacks of. The low end block storage density of Barrels and Storage Buses is also lower, even as the high end is much higher.

Most seriously, storage buses consume more power than a part of a disk would consume. That's not a big issue if you already have boatloads of power, but can be a frustration early on.

2. How big are your crafting modules? Can they be an odd number sized box? (i.e. 5x5x5.) What are your experiences using the automated AE crafting system? Things to watch out for, etc.

I've started with a 3x3x3, so yes. They're good for handling a lot of the more time-consuming craftings, such as pistons or (with other setup) bucket-based Bog Earth. They're not without limitation, and it can get costly to put together a lot of patterns for them. You also need to be doing a lot of work in order to need more than a 3x3x3 box.

3. The wireless/remote AE system, what are its limitations aside from range? Though I will have a relatively robust ME cable network streaming through my base, there will undoubtedly be instances where it'd just be easier to throw one of those wireless access terminals in place of a wired terminal.

The Access Terminal is an item held in inventory, with all the limitations that holds -- it can run out of internal power (and consumes internal charge), and it's expensive enough that dropping it in lava is a bad day.

4. What is the range on the wireless systems in relation to? The main AE controller or any component in the AE network? The webpage is unclear.

The nearest ME Wireless Access Point.

1.) With the remote, if you have multiple systems, can you have a remote for each network?

Does it just access the nearest one?

Each remote can be linked to one and only one network at a time, and you have to manually insert it into the Network Controller to switch from one network to another (or to assign a network in the first place).

2.) The remote isn't a crafting terminal, but rather a "wireless" access terminal. This means that you will still have to have crafting terminals throughout your base to access those features of AE?

There are other ways to get some crafting functionality than Crafting Terminals, but the Remote isn't one of them.

1.) For the GT grinder, bottom is for cells, top is for input, side for output? Does the AE system just put the stuff in the right place or is the setup similar to the centrifuge situation, where you must insert cells from the bottom (mercury, sodium persulfate, etc.)

At least as of Gregtech 3.04 and AE rev11b, it'll put cells into whatever part of the device will accept them.

What I'm trying to say is, can I avoid exporting all those partial dusts into a single chest, then pumping them out via wooden pipe by sending them directly from an ME interface, into the BC pipe.

Yes. ME Interfaces are somewhat more limited in terms of control or where simultaneous imports and exports occur, but they're capable of being set to always export an item fairly reliably.

 

[namiasdf]

1. well i tried this rout and it has mixed results. Each cable and item in the AE network eats up power. So you are trading off material costs for energy costs by going the storage bus rout. Can be good or bad depending on where you are at.
2. I have used the 3 4 5 wide versions.. I found the 3x3x3 was not near enough but the 5 wide was too much. I havent found a perfect balance yet for the crafting module.
3. The main limitation is the power drain (1.5.x) The further you are away the quicker it eats power. So you are limited in how many items you can pull out the further you are away from the wireless block.
4. The range is based on your distance from the wireless block you place down in your AE system. The base I believe is 32 blocks with each upgrading adding 1? block distance. Not sure about the upgrades.

Hope this helps.. btw if you are using mfr you should use the deep storage unit and storage buses to store cobble dirt sand and gravel.. Each DSU stores 2 bil items of one type. Those four each will prevent your AE system from being overwhelmed.

Ah interesting. I'll look into DSU's.

Though I find myself recycling most of my extra stuff for my matter fabricator and to eventually play the lottery. I think I am going to have a level detector on a extra-dimensional barrel/storage bus. When its full, send the excess to the recycling station. I've been doing this at my MFR farm for inventory management. There is no reason to keep 2 billion of each item I feel. 1024 stacks is more than enough, though it couldn't hurt?

 

[russjr08]

Perfect.

Couple more things then:

1.) With the remote, if you have multiple systems, can you have a remote for each network?

Does it just access the nearest one? i.e. I have multiple networks that manage specific systems along with my main storage. When I enter the "xxxx" location, the remote will allow me to access the AE network managing xxxx. It is a universal remote, rather than a dedicated one.
... Huh. I never thought of that.. I'm sure it uses the closest.
2.) The remote isn't a crafting terminal, but rather a "wireless" access terminal. This means that you will still have to have crafting terminals throughout your base to access those features of AE?
Crafting Table / Minium Stone?

Thanks for the responses though. Clears up soooooooooo much.
No problem!
As an aside for anybody else as well:

1.) For the GT grinder, bottom is for cells, top is for input, side for output? Does the AE system just put the stuff in the right place or is the setup similar to the centrifuge situation, where you must insert cells from the bottom (mercury, sodium persulfate, etc.)
AE Has no control of that, it only follows the rules of managing the inventory as per the block defines.
2.) How do interfaces work? Let's say that I wanted to send all my partial dusts into a pipe that has a chain of auto-crafting tables connected to autarchic gates, to save on AE-based components (i.e. I want to reduce the amount of EU and materials I need in terms of the AE network. For efficiency purposes, materials wise and energy wise at the expense of time.)
ME Interfaces can input items to the network and output items. They can also be combined with crafting patterns to say craft sand by putting cobble in a pulverizer/macerator.
What I'm trying to say is, can I avoid exporting all those partial dusts into a single chest, then pumping them out via wooden pipe by sending them directly from an ME interface, into the BC pipe.

 

[namiasdf]

Obviously, you need a mod containing barrels or similar storage items, since the default chests give rather questionable returns. The costs of storage buses are non-trivial, too, especially for items that you don't have in very large numbers. Because each storage bus requires 1 Quartz, 1 Quartz Dust, and a piece of cable, it only makes sense for items that you have at least 20 stacks of. The low end block storage density of Barrels and Storage Buses is also lower, even as the high end is much higher.

Most seriously, storage buses consume more power than a part of a disk would consume. That's not a big issue if you already have boatloads of power, but can be a frustration early on.

I've started with a 3x3x3, so yes. They're good for handling a lot of the more time-consuming craftings, such as pistons or (with other setup) bucket-based Bog Earth. They're not without limitation, and it can get costly to put together a lot of patterns for them. You also need to be doing a lot of work in order to need more than a 3x3x3 box.

The Access Terminal is an item held in inventory, with all the limitations that holds -- it can run out of internal power (and consumes internal charge), and it's expensive enough that dropping it in lava is a bad day.

The nearest ME Wireless Access Point.

Yeah, my thought was to do that for all my cobble/dirt, even my Xycraft crystals (I have 70+ stacks of each). The biggest problem I am having is whether the power is really worth it, considering it doesn't "reduce" the clutter in the access terminal. It still shows up as having x number of that item in the system, despite being stored in a "vanilla" container, instead of on a disk?

What is the difference between a 3 cube and a 5 cube? Number of recipes? If so, how many approximate? I think quite long term, so over-engineering/over-building isn't that big of a deal. All my systems are "upgradable" in that their yields aren't at maximum, simply because the downstream systems can't handle the maximum output, such that I "throttle" the upstream systems.

It's this strategy that allows me to eventually upgrade my yields without doing too much more work. It also allows me to be more precise with the item flow. Sorry if I'm rambling, but hopefully these additional thoughts will help you understand how I am going to use the AE system.[DOUBLEPOST=1373417029][/DOUBLEPOST]1.) I guess what I mean for the wireless stuff, is that whether the remote is dedicated to a certain ME network or is it universal. If I have stacking, separate ME networks in the same place (say one to manage my nuclear stuff, one to manage my inventory and one to manage my ore processing), how can I discern between the three, in terms of accessing them wirelessly.

2.) I mean to ask if whether you can craft things through the wireless remote or if you still need to set up wired crafting terminals throughout your base.

 

[Saice]

I did 1 as well and it ended up being something like 200 units/t for power. But I did that becuase at the time there was a really well known issue with drives randomly vanishing.

It is much more power and space effecent to use disc instead. But there is some advantages to a storage bus system.

1) power outtage and you will still have all your items
2) If you plug and play with mods often any mod items in an AE disc can cuase issues when the mod is removed. But normally mod items in chests will just poof with no harm.
3) it can look cool

But outside of that the AE Discs and they drive holders can hold a lot more in a 1x1x1 space then a stack of chests. So it is uselly better to use the discs and maybe a few barrels or DSUs for that 8 billion cobble your hording for no good rason.

 

[namiasdf]

Yeah, the DSU, though relatively cheap, I dunno if I need the 2 billion. 1024 stacks in an extra dimensional barrel seems like a good "buffer".

I don't really play around with changing mods much, so I don't foresee that problem. Updating to 1.6 might be an issue, though I am being weary about stuff that 1.4.7 hasn't removed and updated my system accordingly. AE discs hold a ridiculous amount of stuff and I don't think I'll have a problem creating 2-4 64k discs. It's just a matter of me needing to be efficient, catering towards the needs of my base. I know that quartz is relatively scares. I've been saving up quartz over 5-6 quarries and used up half of it for my MFR tree farm alone (ugh.)

It's why initially, at least for now, I'd like to be materials efficient, AE-wise, until I can get the entire drive filled with 64k discs and stop worry about not having every slot filled with the max. (I hate this habit.)

 

[netmc]

You will need very few 64k discs. It is mainly for storing large quantities of items. Most systems require lots of different types of items. You will be better off using more 4k or 16k disks instead and attaching more disk drives.

 

[namiasdf]

Hmm, that is very true.

I am just sorta.... Something makes me....

Never mind, I see your point now. It's pretty inefficient that way. I've already made one. I wonder what I should do with it. With the advent of being able to put a storage bus ANYWHERE on my network, I'm not restricted in terms of space for those "vanilla" storage devices.

Hmmmmmmmmm.

 

[netmc]

I would probably pre-format it and use it for the items you have a lot of, but not the top tier items. Connecting a storage bus to a barrel or deep storage unit is probably the most efficient use of quartz for the high-volume items like cobble and dirt, but the 64k could be very useful for the next tier items. Maybe a dozen or so items you have thousands of, but not 10k.

You can also set the ID priorities as well for AE blocks, and store the top use items at a high priority, then when that space is filled, it will go to the next lower priority instead of filling space on a new disk. This will prevent your AE network from overfilling with cobble or sand, and give an outlet for the additional items. This can be set for turning into scrap, or voiding or whatever else without worrying about your AE network filling up. (I've seen this done, but never to needed to do it myself, so others will have to fill in the specifics.)

 

[gattsuru]

It still shows up as having x number of that item in the system, despite being stored in a "vanilla" container, instead of on a disk?

Yes. If you want to reduce the clutter, you can also set up an ME Dark Cable and redstone to detach the storage buses when not needed, however.

What is the difference between a 3 cube and a 5 cube? Number of recipes? If so, how many approximate? I think quite long term, so over-engineering/over-building isn't that big of a deal.

Each internal space on a cube must hold at least one ME Pattern Provider or ME Crafting CPU. Each Pattern Provider allows the finished ME Molecular Assembler Chamber to hold an additional 54 slots for Encoded Patterns (and you need at least one Pattern Provider, since the base number of slots is zero), while each Crafting CPU allows an additional crafting operation every three ticks (over the base rate of once every three ticks).

Note that you can break and rebuild a Molecular Assembler Chamber without losing components, and every portion of a MAC is fairly costly both in resources and in energy consumption, so it's best to start small and build up unless you have an extraordinary surfeit of materials. The base 3x3x3 cube is more than enough for most people anyway.

1.) I guess what I mean for the wireless stuff, is that whether the remote is dedicated to a certain ME network or is it universal. If I have stacking, separate ME networks in the same place (say one to manage my nuclear stuff, one to manage my inventory and one to manage my ore processing), how can I discern between the three, in terms of accessing them wirelessly.

Whichever ME Network Controller you slot the Access Terminal into, the Access Terminal will be linked to that network until you reassign it (by slotting it into another ME Network Controller. It's dedicated to one at a time, and can be somewhat time consuming to link it to a different one, especially if you hide your Network Controllers..

2.) I mean to ask if whether you can craft things through the wireless remote or if you still need to set up wired crafting terminals throughout your base.

You can order the network to craft products which have a valid Encoded Pattern on the network. That's actually possible from Access Terminals, as well. The Crafting Terminal's benefit is that it includes a workbench-equivalent crafting space that will automatically refill with similar items when possible from any attached storage.

AE discs hold a ridiculous amount of stuff and I don't think I'll have a problem creating 2-4 64k discs. It's just a matter of me needing to be efficient, catering towards the needs of my base. I know that quartz is relatively scares. I've been saving up quartz over 5-6 quarries and used up half of it for my MFR tree farm alone (ugh.)

64k cells are fairly inefficient : they can hold up to half a million of a specific item or a quarter-million of sixty different items, but they take several diamonds and 100+ quartz to do so. That makes some degree of sense if space is at an extreme premium or if you have 40+ items types you'll stack that high, but most folk only really store a few materials at such serious quantities.

16k is usually the best return on investment, and even with them you'll want to keep as many 1k cells for loose small-count items.

 

[netmc]

One other less known disk use -- You can separate the storage crystal from its housing by holding the disk in your hand and shift-right clicking. This will give you a storage crystal and a disk housing. You can then upgrade the storage crystal to the next tier and then reassemble the drive by crafting the disk housing and the storage crystal together. This way, you can upgrade your disks, and not worry about wasting the lower tier ones when your storage requirements increase.

p.s. Make sure the disk is empty before you do this. It will destroy any items stored on the disk.

 

[gusmahler]

Yeah, my thought was to do that for all my cobble/dirt, even my Xycraft crystals (I have 70+ stacks of each). The biggest problem I am having is whether the power is really worth it, considering it doesn't "reduce" the clutter in the access terminal. It still shows up as having x number of that item in the system, despite being stored in a "vanilla" container, instead of on a disk?

What is the difference between a 3 cube and a 5 cube? Number of recipes? If so, how many approximate? I think quite long term, so over-engineering/over-building isn't that big of a deal. All my systems are "upgradable" in that their yields aren't at maximum, simply because the downstream systems can't handle the maximum output, such that I "throttle" the upstream systems
When you expand the size of your cube, you can add either crafting CPUs or pattern providers. Each pattern provider gives you an additional page of patterns you can store (each page stores 54 recipes). The good news is that you can expand the size of your cube anytime. I started with a 3 x 3 x 3. Went to 3 x 3 x 4 when I needed more space and am now at 3 x 6 x 4 (I think).

It's this strategy that allows me to eventually upgrade my yields without doing too much more work. It also allows me to be more precise with the item flow. Sorry if I'm rambling, but hopefully these additional thoughts will help you understand how I am going to use the AE system.[DOUBLEPOST=1373417029][/DOUBLEPOST]
1.) I guess what I mean for the wireless stuff, is that whether the remote is dedicated to a certain ME network or is it universal. If I have stacking, separate ME networks in the same place (say one to manage my nuclear stuff, one to manage my inventory and one to manage my ore processing), how can I discern between the three, in terms of accessing them wirelessly.
Each wireless remote is only dedicated to a single ME network. So you'll need a separate remote for a second ME network. If you want to discern between two remotes, you can rename them in an anvil.

2.) I mean to ask if whether you can craft things through the wireless remote or if you still need to set up wired crafting terminals throughout your base.
You cannot craft things with the remote (except for auto-crafted stuff). My solution to that problem is to simply put recipes for nearly everything into the AE auto-crafting terminal. This way, you don't need a crafting terminal. Yeah, making a redstone torch is pretty easy, but why not just be able to select redstone torch using your remote and having them automatically be made for you? It's particularly handy because you don't need to keep sticks in AE, it'll automatically make the sticks for you before making the torch. And, of course, auto-crafting complex recipes is awesome.

 

[namiasdf]

I would probably pre-format it and use it for the items you have a lot of, but not the top tier items. Connecting a storage bus to a barrel or deep storage unit is probably the most efficient use of quartz for the high-volume items like cobble and dirt, but the 64k could be very useful for the next tier items. Maybe a dozen or so items you have thousands of, but not 10k.

You can also set the ID priorities as well for AE blocks, and store the top use items at a high priority, then when that space is filled, it will go to the next lower priority instead of filling space on a new disk. This will prevent your AE network from overfilling with cobble or sand, and give an outlet for the additional items. This can be set for turning into scrap, or voiding or whatever else without worrying about your AE network filling up. (I've seen this done, but never to needed to do it myself, so others will have to fill in the specifics.)

This is precisely one of the problems I have been trying to find a solution for. Heh.[DOUBLEPOST=1373422597][/DOUBLEPOST]

Yes. If you want to reduce the clutter, you can also set up an ME Dark Cable and redstone to detach the storage buses when not needed, however.

Each internal space on a cube must hold at least one ME Pattern Provider or ME Crafting CPU. Each Pattern Provider allows the finished ME Molecular Assembler Chamber to hold an additional 54 slots for Encoded Patterns (and you need at least one Pattern Provider, since the base number of slots is zero), while each Crafting CPU allows an additional crafting operation every three ticks (over the base rate of once every three ticks).

Note that you can break and rebuild a Molecular Assembler Chamber without losing components, and every portion of a MAC is fairly costly both in resources and in energy consumption, so it's best to start small and build up unless you have an extraordinary surfeit of materials. The base 3x3x3 cube is more than enough for most people anyway.

Whichever ME Network Controller you slot the Access Terminal into, the Access Terminal will be linked to that network until you reassign it (by slotting it into another ME Network Controller. It's dedicated to one at a time, and can be somewhat time consuming to link it to a different one, especially if you hide your Network Controllers..


You can order the network to craft products which have a valid Encoded Pattern on the network. That's actually possible from Access Terminals, as well. The Crafting Terminal's benefit is that it includes a workbench-equivalent crafting space that will automatically refill with similar items when possible from any attached storage.

64k cells are fairly inefficient : they can hold up to half a million of a specific item or a quarter-million of sixty different items, but they take several diamonds and 100+ quartz to do so. That makes some degree of sense if space is at an extreme premium or if you have 40+ items types you'll stack that high, but most folk only really store a few materials at such serious quantities.

16k is usually the best return on investment, and even with them you'll want to keep as many 1k cells for loose small-count items.

Well that 64k disc I just made makes me feel dumb. Heh.[DOUBLEPOST=1373422637][/DOUBLEPOST]

One other less known disk use -- You can separate the storage crystal from its housing by holding the disk in your hand and shift-right clicking. This will give you a storage crystal and a disk housing. You can then upgrade the storage crystal to the next tier and then reassemble the drive by crafting the disk housing and the storage crystal together. This way, you can upgrade your disks, and not worry about wasting the lower tier ones when your storage requirements increase.

p.s. Make sure the disk is empty before you do this. It will destroy any items stored on the disk.

Can I down grade my 64k storage disc? Heh...

 

[gusmahler]

2. How big are your crafting modules? Can they be an odd number sized box? (i.e. 5x5x5.) What are your experiences using the automated AE crafting system? Things to watch out for, etc.

I love auto-crafting. I lost auto-crafting one day (my AE system ran out of power). Making even simple items was such a chore. Think, for example, of something simple like an electronic circuit. To do it manually, you need to make sure you have copper cable. If you don't, you need to make a bunch out of the rubber and copper you have. Then you have to make sure you have refined iron. And you probably need to go to another barrel or chest to get your redstone. With autocrafting, I just select electronic circuit and it asks me how many I need. Awesome.

Things to watch out for with auto-crafting: Make sure you have a crafting monitor, so you know if there's a bottleneck in your system. The monitor isn't always right, but it usually is.

Another thing (and this is for down the road), is the export buses do not like when it is set to auto-craft everything that comes into it. It clogs up the system and the crafting monitor doesn't tell you what is wrong. So I just make a bunch of stuff ahead of time and have the export bus export the already made items. E.g., my fermenter receives fertilizer. But if I set it to autocraft fertilizer from the apatite in the system, it doesn't work. So I make 10 stacks of fertilizer at a time, and make more if needed.

 

[namiasdf]

Hmm.

I guess my last question is: For patterns, how can I can craft say for example... An advanced circuit? Can it use the pattern for the circuit, or does it build a circuit using the circuit pattern, then build the advanced circuit with a pattern that specifies a circuit?

I assume that to be the correct answer.[DOUBLEPOST=1373423293][/DOUBLEPOST]

I love auto-crafting. I lost auto-crafting one day (my AE system ran out of power). Making even simple items was such a chore. Think, for example, of something simple like an electronic circuit. To do it manually, you need to make sure you have copper cable. If you don't, you need to make a bunch out of the rubber and copper you have. Then you have to make sure you have refined iron. And you probably need to go to another barrel or chest to get your redstone. With autocrafting, I just select electronic circuit and it asks me how many I need. Awesome.

Things to watch out for with auto-crafting: Make sure you have a crafting monitor, so you know if there's a bottleneck in your system. The monitor isn't always right, but it usually is.

Another thing (and this is for down the road), is the export buses do not like when it is set to auto-craft everything that comes into it. It clogs up the system and the crafting monitor doesn't tell you what is wrong. So I just make a bunch of stuff ahead of time and have the export bus export the already made items. E.g., my fermenter receives fertilizer. But if I set it to autocraft fertilizer from the apatite in the system, it doesn't work. So I make 10 stacks of fertilizer at a time, and make more if needed.

Hmmm. So have things premade, I guess is what you're saying. What about for nuclear cells and combining them with coal dust, for processing purposes?

In some cases, what would be the disadvantage is just exporting to an autocrafting table and doing this that way? (Aside from needing extra import/export buses I guess).

 

[gattsuru]

Each crafting 'step' needs a separate ME Encoded Pattern and takes a Molecular Assembly Chamber action.