Possible good idea with Redpower covers?

[AngryHermit]

Just a thought I had, but what if you could put covers on (in the same block area) as the ic2 cables? Granted its just a cosmetic thing, but you'd be able to hide wires better in tight spaces without having this 'bump' on the floor, ceiling, wall, whatever.

Think being able to put covers over all cable would be a great idea, but then modders would have to get together to get it to work.

 

[Vauthil]

IC2 cables technically take up the entire block they're in, from the perspective of a microblock structure. It would be... problematic.

The current IC2-approved way of masking cables is to encase them with Construction Foam using a CF Sprayer, which then makes them part of the floor/wall/whatever structure. I'll admit I didn't touch CF myself until I figured I'd try it out because I'm missing RP2 basalt.

 

[Celestialphoenix]

From Eloraam's homepage; though it would be possible to make microblocks work with other mod items (pipes/wires), making the pipes/wires function with microblocks is a whole new story- tubes were build from the ground up to work with the blocks, so any new mod items will have to go through the same rewrite.

(basically unless you're a coding genius, its not going to be possible)

There is a cheaty way to do it- put 4 covers and cover strips around the outside will kinda have the effect your looking for, but it'll take up the 8 adjacent blocks.
Normally when I run a cable through a wall/floor, I just put a transformer there to fill the hole. (depends on your build style; it can look good in a modern industrial base)

 

[AngryHermit]

Yea I know about the construction foam, but its just not the same when you have wood around it.

Mostly just spit-balling an idea here. Maybe one day.

 

[Vauthil]

A very maybe and a far away day, barring some new era of inter-mod cooperation and harmony. I'll check back after Mojang gets the Mod API in...

 

[Celestialphoenix]

Actually all being said- I did build an IC2 Powergrid with tubes;
An auto charging station for energy crystals, with a retiever/filter setup.
An MFE under each machine with the tube network connected in the bottom.
MFE logic set to 'emit redstone when full' to keep your advanced machines running.
(You need 1 crystal for each machine, + 2 for retriever/filter and a few sitting charged and ready to go)

I had charging bench installed; there's an mk3 just to the left there. The timer is on a 1 minute count.

Once you've got it set up, adding more machines is very easy. Just remember to stick another energy crystal in the charger.

This will also work with TE redstone cells for MJ (deployer/block breaker needed on each end), RP Bluetric batteries, Lava buckets with geothermals/magmatic engines ect...

 

[zemerick]

A much more likely and simple solution would probably be for IC2 to create its own version of facades. With BC being open source, they even have a bit of a start on that end.

Again though, we're probably talking about a fair ways in the future if ever.

 

[AngryHermit]

Holy crap Celestial... Think you could do like a 'simple' version of it?

And something I just thought of while farting around with addons for all these mods was that possibly someone could make an ic2 addon that makes wires that can use the covers? Like you'd take a normal glass fiber cable, stick it in the crafting table, and it would change it to "glass fiber cable 'x'" or something. Then again, I'm not a coder, so don't know if there's a bridge that would need to be crossed to make it work because I have a feeling its not that simple.

 

[Vauthil]

Holy crap Celestial... Think you could do like a 'simple' version of it?

And something I just thought of while farting around with addons for all these mods was that possibly someone could make an ic2 addon that makes wires that can use the covers? Like you'd take a normal glass fiber cable, stick it in the crafting table, and it would change it to "glass fiber cable 'x'" or something. Then again, I'm not a coder, so don't know if there's a bridge that would need to be crossed to make it work because I have a feeling its not that simple.

zemerick's suggestion got me thinking on what could be done for an "IC2 facades" addon, at the least.... would have to investigate IC2 stuff to speak more to that one...

 

[Celestialphoenix]

Holy crap Celestial... Think you could do like a 'simple' version of it?

And something I just thought of while farting around with addons for all these mods was that possibly someone could make an ic2 addon that makes wires that can use the covers? Like you'd take a normal glass fiber cable, stick it in the crafting table, and it would change it to "glass fiber cable 'x'" or something. Then again, I'm not a coder, so don't know if there's a bridge that would need to be crossed to make it work because I have a feeling its not that simple.

Until there's IC2 'facades' this is the simple version. -though my build also has 3 other tube networks so it looks over complex; I'll highlight the powergrid for you;

Doesnt look too bad now...

The MFE's are optional, I used them to keep the machines running and fill the hole in the floor (mostly for filling the hole.)

You could use Re-Batteries and tube it straight into the bottom of the machine (not sure if it'll keep an advanced machine going)- a batbox might do it. (This will save a lot of diamonds)

If you have a lot of lava, a geothermal under each machine and lava buckets (or cells if you have spare tin and no retriever), or golden waterproof pipes with BC façades.
(Geothermal is a fairly solid option, nether pumping or melting netherrack in a magma crucible)

 

[AngryHermit]

Interesting. Thanks for the info and tips.

 

[malfunctionMC]

Actually all being said- I did build an IC2 Powergrid with tubes;
An auto charging station for energy crystals, with a retiever/filter setup.
An MFE under each machine with the tube network connected in the bottom.
MFE logic set to 'emit redstone when full' to keep your advanced machines running.
(You need 1 crystal for each machine, + 2 for retriever/filter and a few sitting charged and ready to go)

I had charging bench installed; there's an mk3 just to the left there. The timer is on a 1 minute count.

Once you've got it set up, adding more machines is very easy. Just remember to stick another energy crystal in the charger.

This will also work with TE redstone cells for MJ (deployer/block breaker needed on each end), RP Bluetric batteries, Lava buckets with geothermals/magmatic engines ect...

not sure the TE version would work... while you could deploy the empty, unless you collect it with a wrench, you just get an empty storage cell.

 

[Celestialphoenix]

Cant remember off the top of my head, if its right click to pick it up then wrench+deployer and transposer, if not then you're right on that one.