Sorting system comparisons

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solidity

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Jul 29, 2019
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Well the problem still is 5 items in pipes is better than 500 items in pipes.

That's exactly my point. With an iron pipe, you will potentially amass an infinite amount of items in that loop. With a diamond pipe you have the option to set up a way for overflowing items to go (overflow chest, voidpipe, lava pit etc) and even use a gate to detect that overflow is happening.
 

ICountFrom0

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The downside of RP is timers, they cause lots of lag if run too fast (exspecially 0,2s, with 2sec it works fine),

You solve that by putting glowstone or lit lumar or a jack o lantern under it. This prevents lighting updates, and that's what the lag from the timer is.
 
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Freddeh

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Jul 29, 2019
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I have a question that I haven't been able to find the answer to anywhere:

Will machines with inventories (more specifically forestry machines like the fermenter or farm) work with either RP Managers or really any other system but railcraft? I'm planning on putting up a railcraft system for funneling tree farm saplings into various places but I would personally find it more fun (and more compact) to be able to use an RP or LP instead.
 

Greyed

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RP can do all of that. I think part of the reason there's such ongoing debate is because people figure out one system and they don't want to learn the others so they don't. Then when someone says RP is great because of its tubes and item sorters, everyone smiles and nods and yes that is why RP is good but this OTHER system does THIS that RP doesn't do...

RP does it all. Add in cleverly used filters and retrievers and you can run an auto-crafting system that pulls only what it needs, too, but a person has to have an understanding beyond "item sorters and tubes" to make it happen.

I think you're oversimplifying the situation a bit. Yes, RP tubes can probably do everything LP can do, but not as simply as LP does it. A state of affairs I am actually fine with since LP costs significantly more than RP.

Have I learned RP's method of sorting first hand? No. But comparing DW20's S4 SSP sorting system vs his S3 SMP sorting gives me a good idea of the relative complexity of each system. Comparing the two we get the following.

LP:
  • An input chest with a Mk2 Chassis w/Quicksort and Itemsink to provide the default route. So input also functions as overflow/unsorted chest.
  • Storage was a Mk2 Chassis w/Polymorphic Itemsinks and Provider modules. Storage is configured at the chests.
  • Processing was a Mk2 Chassis w/Itemsink and Extractor modules.
  • Autocrafting is done with a Mk2 Chassis w/Autocrafting module and Extraction module.
RP:
  • Input chest is pulled from by a sorter. Early on required a timer but that is now built into the sorter. Chest cannot be the unsorted/overflow chest.
  • Sorter had a limited number of routes as well as a limited number of items per route. Storage is configured at the front end and presume availability many colors.
  • Processing required multiple machines to dump into and extract from the machines.
  • Autocrafting has not yet been featured, though seeing the examples here it does not look particularly enjoyable.
So yes, RP can do what LP does, but the hoops the player has to go through are greater. The main power of LP is that a single pipe connection can represent multiple functions whereas RP seems to require a single connection for a single function. Also there simply is no comparison the quicksort/polymprhic method of sorting configuration. I put things here to enter the system, they will go to where I have already sorted them by simply placing in a chest. Also, LP has a priority system which overrides simple "closest inventory" which RP heavily relies upon. To me this makes LP easier to conceptualize and manage. This is why in my current world I skipped RP sorting and have simply done without until I can get my LP network up and running. A point to which I have almost arrived.

Similar, in fact, to how I decided to just skip as much of the BC liquid and power pipes as I could until I got the infrastructure built up to reliably create REConduits and Liquiducts. More expensive, takes longer to get into, but simpler in the long run to build and manage.

I don't think everyone should use LP. Use it if you want, don't use it if you don't. RP's method works for some people, great. But I do think it isn't honest to say they can do "all the same things" and leave out that the methods by which they achieve the goal differs enough that people cannot find value in using one over the other; even after looking at both.

Personally, RP to me shines at what it does which is unique in the mod sphere. Alloy wiring, gates, lights. As far as I know there are no other mods which provide those essential functions. Quite honestly if tomorrow all LP sources, archives and installs were to disappear from the world the modded Minecraft community would be poorer for it but would be able to soldier on. If the same were to happen to RP many builds would be devastated because of the exponential growth and complexity it would take to replicate the simple structures wiring and gates afford the community. That, and we'd all be back to those freakin torches everywhere. >.<
 

thatsIch

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Jul 29, 2019
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Well the problem still is 5 items in pipes is better than 500 items in pipes. I did the test in 1.2.5 and will propably test it now again (I did the test for 1.4.5, but I have no Redpower for that version). And LP badly lose to Redpower in terms of performance. I guess you won't reach the point of remarkably FPS-loss in SSP (if you do not supply Casucs with them), but if the system grew larger LP gets slower and slower, since LP was SSP only it was no big deal. The downside of RP is timers, they cause lots of lag if run too fast (exspecially 0,2s, with 2sec it works fine), but if you avoid lots of them and build compact RP is a lot faster.

Logi-Pipes improved in 1.4.5 although it still gets slower on large scale but not as much as in 1.2.5. I still doubt that it wins against Redpower in terms of performance. You have to be much more careful about what you do to avoid lag than you have to with redpower. I won't repeat what RG said, because it could basically translate into the current release of LP is shit and there was a reason why krapht trashed it, but I'm curious about Kraphts new take on LogisticPipes.

dont forget that LP is "just" an addon for BC and its BC's pipes which are *cough*
btw: I had a quarry set up about 300m away from my base and I pumped stuff out at full speed and piped them through cobblestone pipes all the way without any gold pipes. No lag at all and well for sure the performance is better from RP cause of they ways they work. their animation starts and stops every tube. you have just a single job to each tube and I'm sure elo had much better references to improve her system since she plays on forgecraft whereas krapht hasnt even updated his own version of LP 1.2.5 anymore and it had to be fan-ported and there are probably many more reasons why it has a better performance though it doesnt change the fact that items in tubes/pipes are handled better than floating items
 

Enigmius1

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Jul 29, 2019
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I think you're oversimplifying the situation a bit. Yes, RP tubes can probably do everything LP can do, but not as simply as LP does it. A state of affairs I am actually fine with since LP costs significantly more than RP.

Have I learned RP's method of sorting first hand? No. But comparing DW20's S4 SSP sorting system vs his S3 SMP sorting gives me a good idea of the relative complexity of each system. Comparing the two we get the following.

I don't want to seem overly dismissive, and I did read your entire post, but until you've actually worked with RP sorting you really can't speak to how simple it is. It's as simple or as complex as you need it to be. There are numerous different machines to choose from depending on the situation and they all work well to do what they're intended to do.
 

ShneekeyTheLost

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Has anyone played around with the Sortron yet? I think it could be used to set up a pretty good autocrafting system. Route x items to Y color with an autocrafting table setup. Granted, it would only be able to handle sixteen recipes at a time, but I'm wondering how easily that can be fixed.

Also, has anyone tried out the Crafty Turtle? I suspect it might also be able to manage a pretty good autocrafting system, if coded properly.
 

thatsIch

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Jul 29, 2019
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Has anyone played around with the Sortron yet? I think it could be used to set up a pretty good autocrafting system. Route x items to Y color with an autocrafting table setup. Granted, it would only be able to handle sixteen recipes at a time, but I'm wondering how easily that can be fixed.

Also, has anyone tried out the Crafty Turtle? I suspect it might also be able to manage a pretty good autocrafting system, if coded properly.

you can even address different sortrons with a computer through a bundled cable
 

ShneekeyTheLost

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you can even address different sortrons with a computer through a bundled cable
I believe you mean ribbon cable. Just like I/O devices, you can have multiple Sortrons hooked up to your computer via ribbon cable which will then be connected to their own independent manufacturing systems.
 

thatsIch

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I believe you mean ribbon cable. Just like I/O devices, you can have multiple Sortrons hooked up to your computer via ribbon cable which will then be connected to their own independent manufacturing systems.

oh ya sorry im not familiar with the RP2 words yet :3
I meant the blink blink cable from the RP2 Computer ^^
 

ShneekeyTheLost

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oh ya sorry im not familiar with the RP2 words yet :3
I meant the blink blink cable from the RP2 Computer ^^
Which increases, by several orders of magnitudes, the number of recipes available to a single system. Here's how I'm looking at it:

Each color for the sortron goes to an automated crafting table with a recipe plugged in. You can then make a program which tells the Sortron that you now want two of those items going to that color. The automated crafting table uses the spares to spit out something. Continue in this manner until you no longer want that item, then tell it to stop.

You could also set it up with Managers, if you could affect what a manager wants remotely. Simply tell the manager "Okay, now I want two of these items instead of one" until you have all of that combine you need.
 

FavoriteFox

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Jul 29, 2019
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I just finished my first manager based sorting system. On the left is the input of the system: an Ender chest connected to a level 0 manager. The Ender chest receives items from my quarries. Against the back wall are my inventory chest connected to level 3 managers.

I have a recycler connected to a level 1 manager that receives gravel, dirt and cobble when the inventory chests are full. The scrap goes to a mass fabricator connected to a level 0 manager so the uu matter gets sent to the corresponding inventory chest. Same principle for ore processing.

Next to my crafting table I have a large chest that is connected to a level 5 manager that keeps one or two stacks of the most commonly used materials in stock. If I take out a stack, it gets replenished in about 20 seconds. If I put the remainder back in, it disappears immediately, going back to inventory.

Everything is connected to one long pneumatic pipe. At the very end are a few overflow chests (not connected to a manager). This is important because the system jams if there's an item in the pipe that has no place to go.

Advantages:
-automatic inventory management
-elegant
-very flexible

Disadvantages:
-expensive (I used almost a stack of managers)
-you have to put real items in the managers e.g. if I want to keep two stacks of iron in my crafting chest, I have to put two stacks in the manager
-each manager has to be provided with blutricity (or touch another manager)

L7bAC.jpg
 

ShneekeyTheLost

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You seem to be splitting things up too much, unless you really have that many of every item. Looks like barrels might be a vastly cheaper way of doing things. No managers required, and you can upgrade to an absolutely insane capacity if you have Dark Iron ready.

Otherwise, I'd suggest consolidating to use fewer chests, since that would also mean fewer managers.
 

Enigmius1

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Jul 29, 2019
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You seem to be splitting things up too much, unless you really have that many of every item. Looks like barrels might be a vastly cheaper way of doing things. No managers required, and you can upgrade to an absolutely insane capacity if you have Dark Iron ready.

Otherwise, I'd suggest consolidating to use fewer chests, since that would also mean fewer managers.

Barrels would be great if they weren't so poorly implemented. I can get 64+ slots of storage out of a chest and it's not restricted to one item type. Of course you say, "Derp, that's why you upgrade it!" And I say there's no goddam way I'm building a craptastic machine and spending a diamond block so I can light a stupid fire that will let me turn 9 ingots into 4. I don't care how many barrels I upgrade later on, it's a ridiculous system.

I also can fill a gold chest with nikolite, iron, tin, copper, and all kinds of other things. If we play a tech pack like a tech pack and not like vanilla MC with macerators, it's not unreasonable to account for a tremendous volume of materials.
 

Celestialphoenix

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Tartarus.. I mean at work. Same thing really.
You seem to be splitting things up too much, unless you really have that many of every item.

2x crystal chests for every main ingot/dust/gem, each stack has its own sorting machine. Running a crystal chest of UU-> ores through this fills them kinda fast...

Barrels would be great if they weren't so poorly implemented. I can get 64+ slots of storage out of a chest and it's not restricted to one item type. Of course you say, "Derp, that's why you upgrade it!" And I say there's no goddam way I'm building a craptastic machine and spending a diamond block so I can light a stupid fire that will let me turn 9 ingots into 4. I don't care how many barrels I upgrade later on, it's a ridiculous system..

1 Diamond block makes 18 shards, one of which is needed for the wrath igniter- which can be used to make an infinite amour of dark iron (netherbrick wrath forge). So 9 iron, an enderpearl and a fraction of a diamond give you 1024 stacks of space, which is the same as 10 crystal/diamond chests. (and cheaper then the 2 I normally use)
(wrath igniter and diamond shards have a few other uses too.)

If you like one chest per item, this is an insanely cheap way of mass storage, and you get a neat display of whats inside without the entity lag from a bank of crystal chests.


Thanks to EE3, you can transmute wood->obsidian->iron->gold->diamond and iron-> enderpearl, so your forestry auto tree farms are an awesome renewable source of materials.

A lack of endepearl has always hindered my progress until now *evil laugh*
 

ShneekeyTheLost

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Barrels would be great if they weren't so poorly implemented. I can get 64+ slots of storage out of a chest and it's not restricted to one item type. Of course you say, "Derp, that's why you upgrade it!" And I say there's no goddam way I'm building a craptastic machine and spending a diamond block so I can light a stupid fire that will let me turn 9 ingots into 4. I don't care how many barrels I upgrade later on, it's a ridiculous system.

I also can fill a gold chest with nikolite, iron, tin, copper, and all kinds of other things. If we play a tech pack like a tech pack and not like vanilla MC with macerators, it's not unreasonable to account for a tremendous volume of materials.
Normally, I'd be right there with you, however... at least in this instance... Factorization has a couple of advantages.

If you are going to be splitting everything up into single item per chest, and upgrading to diamond chests... the price of three diamond upgrades is your wrath igniter for dark iron. And hey, if you've really got more than 64 stacks of iron, you can afford one to save yourself several by not needing the managers. Not to mention saving you all the power infrastructure.

I would even go so far as to say that your unique situation seems set up to be ideal for a Router, if you are really dedicating a single storage device per resource. It saves you the price and power of the sorting system, since you've already got the igniter from making barrel upgrades,

You know, if you play a tech pack like a tech pack and not like vanilla MC with macerators, it's not unreasonable to use other mods to sort things if they are more efficient at it.;)