I have been playing FTB for a while now and I have been really enjoying it. I think we are all familiar with the learning curve of FTB. You don't know anything at all and all of a sudden you are making complex automatic machines and factories. I have gotten far into my world and something that is holding me back is a sorting machine slash storage area. I was thinking about using Direwolf20's season 5 sorting machine but I was wondering if there was something better.
Sorting Techniques
- Thread starter Hitmaniac
- Start date
I really like RP sorting systems. Not even geting into managers (which are costly) just the plan old sorting machince and some painted tubes will do a wonderful job sorting.
No enought options in one sorting machine? Easy send all unsortable items form on machine to another via a colored tube. You can nest these as much as needed to expland your sorting sysetm to sort everything possable if need be.
No enought options in one sorting machine? Easy send all unsortable items form on machine to another via a colored tube. You can nest these as much as needed to expland your sorting sysetm to sort everything possable if need be.
I'm currently running one sorter and anything not directly tagged by it goes into my filter line (about a dozen of them so far). Items that finish processing from one of my machines and need to go to another run back to the start of the filter line also. It's kind of fun to watch items traveling both ways in the same tubes.
I'll probably replace some of the filters with more sorters once I move to my permanent location, this setup just works best as I'm adding items to the system every day and it's easy/cheap to expand.
I'll probably replace some of the filters with more sorters once I move to my permanent location, this setup just works best as I'm adding items to the system every day and it's easy/cheap to expand.
For sorting, I've been through a few different stages on the current pack:
1. My initial attempt, after going manual for a while, was to use barrels and RP tubes. This worked reasonably, but I found there was more filed under "other" than I liked. Also, it was easier to see, at a glance, where things were, but more cumbersome to wander around all of the barrels.
2. Moved to a new base, didn't bother with sorting. Base became a mess of chests.
3. Messed with managers to automate a tree farm/cooking/feeding boiler. a Bug killed the world, and I had no backups.
4. Inhabited Direwolf's world, as I didn't want to build up from scratch again. Encountered the same issue of scrap overload. Installed managers to keep the mass fab running.
5. Tempted to switch to a manager-based system, allowing multiple points of entry into the same system, and managers allow things to be pulled out automatically, as well as in.
1. My initial attempt, after going manual for a while, was to use barrels and RP tubes. This worked reasonably, but I found there was more filed under "other" than I liked. Also, it was easier to see, at a glance, where things were, but more cumbersome to wander around all of the barrels.
2. Moved to a new base, didn't bother with sorting. Base became a mess of chests.
3. Messed with managers to automate a tree farm/cooking/feeding boiler. a Bug killed the world, and I had no backups.
4. Inhabited Direwolf's world, as I didn't want to build up from scratch again. Encountered the same issue of scrap overload. Installed managers to keep the mass fab running.
5. Tempted to switch to a manager-based system, allowing multiple points of entry into the same system, and managers allow things to be pulled out automatically, as well as in.
I've been doing my sorting this way for a while:
You can see the tubes behind the chests a bit in the bottom right.. need to fix that. The iron chest in the floor is the input chest.
Basically, all items to be sorted pass through the same tube network. None of the sorting machines are colored. Rather, I just used covers to separate each sorting machine's exit tubes so there would be no crossover. Didn't have paint and didn't feel like making it, this works just as well.
At the bottom there you can see the overflow chests being stocked by routers, which is standard. I have multiple on there in case something gets stuck. The item flow goes to the chests up top first, if full then to the routers, if full then to miscellaneous, if full then to overflow miscellaneous.
And the shorter side. You can see the tube coming from the last picture, as well as room for expansion.
Each chest has a possible 40 different items that can be sorted to it per machine, and there's room for at least two machines on each chest.
And here's a view at the configuration for the sorting machine:
I used to use this sans barrel and it was nearly flawless. When I added the barrel + router combo, overflow was getting stuffed in miscellaneous chest first, then sent to routers. When I switched it, miscellaneous stuff goes to routers first, then to miscellaneous chest once the routers get backstuffed. Only workaround I've thought of is to have a sorting machine filled with things from the barrel put before the routers so they won't get stuffed.. haven't done that yet, though.
You can see the tubes behind the chests a bit in the bottom right.. need to fix that. The iron chest in the floor is the input chest.
Basically, all items to be sorted pass through the same tube network. None of the sorting machines are colored. Rather, I just used covers to separate each sorting machine's exit tubes so there would be no crossover. Didn't have paint and didn't feel like making it, this works just as well.
At the bottom there you can see the overflow chests being stocked by routers, which is standard. I have multiple on there in case something gets stuck. The item flow goes to the chests up top first, if full then to the routers, if full then to miscellaneous, if full then to overflow miscellaneous.
And the shorter side. You can see the tube coming from the last picture, as well as room for expansion.
Each chest has a possible 40 different items that can be sorted to it per machine, and there's room for at least two machines on each chest.
And here's a view at the configuration for the sorting machine:
I used to use this sans barrel and it was nearly flawless. When I added the barrel + router combo, overflow was getting stuffed in miscellaneous chest first, then sent to routers. When I switched it, miscellaneous stuff goes to routers first, then to miscellaneous chest once the routers get backstuffed. Only workaround I've thought of is to have a sorting machine filled with things from the barrel put before the routers so they won't get stuffed.. haven't done that yet, though.
You could hardly consider that as an example of a 'proper' sorting setup. It might work but that's the biggest waste of 'expensive' sorting machines I've ever seen 
You only need 1 machine for every 8 chests.
You only need 1 machine for every 8 chests.i recently built one in my base using 2 sorting machines to process anything i get out of a quarry which gets piped down redpower tubes that are grouped in to categories which then separates in to barrels. im going to be working on a separate system to add to it to send all my ores down that lead to furnaces or maceraters etc,... i have a enderchest as the input as i can use it to link to a quarry far out. but as said sorting machines from red power pretty much all you need. unless you want to go really into it have a look fro guudes sorting machine
This is only true as long as you only want 5 items in each chest. In the example above he's using sorting machines as super-sized filters. The metals chest has 22 different items being filtered into it.You could hardly consider that as an example of a 'proper' sorting setup. It might work but that's the biggest waste of 'expensive' sorting machines I've ever seen
For my part, I'm trying to work out a method of storing bulk product in barrels while keeping a few chests in my crafting area automagically stocked. It's going to take a lot of fiddling with, but RP2 machines and golems should be able to do it. I'm also building an entirely seperate sorting system in a seperate base that is going to be completely golem automated.
You could hardly consider that as an example of a 'proper' sorting setup. It might work but that's the biggest waste of 'expensive' sorting machines I've ever seen
But then you can only sort 5 items per chest.. that doesn't seem very useful given the setup I'm using. This way I can sort 40 items per chest. Try doing that with one sorting machine per chest.
Edit:
Beat me to it.
I'm using a router/barrel + sorting machine setup.
Items arrive in here from quarries/ender pouches/player input
Cobble, dirt and other misc. are redirected to lava (haven't been bothered setting up a recycling center yet)
I have a sorting system for each "wall" of barrels (Picture of storage wall at the end). Each wall is separated based on type Ie. blocks, metals, dusts etc.
Each sorting machine has a relay directly above it as a buffer. Between the relay and the router I placed one pipe so that I won't need the machine filter upgrade on the router.
Of course I have a 3 seperate lines for processing. One for macerate+smelt combo, one solely for smelting and the last solely for pulverizing/macerating.
Here's an example of how I set my sorting machines.
Lastely the finished room.
I should note that all the sorting machines are powered by a thermopile.
Oh and the diamond chest is the overflow chest for things like bees and other random things.
Items arrive in here from quarries/ender pouches/player input
Cobble, dirt and other misc. are redirected to lava (haven't been bothered setting up a recycling center yet)
Each sorting machine has a relay directly above it as a buffer. Between the relay and the router I placed one pipe so that I won't need the machine filter upgrade on the router.
I should note that all the sorting machines are powered by a thermopile.
Oh and the diamond chest is the overflow chest for things like bees and other random things.
Ah, I didn't see that you wanted 22 different metals in one chest. That explains. That setup would not work for me due to the quantity of items I have (I have over 128 stacks of iron for example). Now I understand what you want to do I think however that the topic starter wants to sort every item into a different barrel / chest though.
I have a separate 'storage' building and a separate 'workshop' building. The latter has different chests where I put anything I need for crafting. Everything else is in the storage building. I have different chests for different items and I don't want automated systems messing up the order and layout of those items.
I think however that the topic starter wants to sort every item into a different barrel / chest though.I have a separate 'storage' building and a separate 'workshop' building. The latter has different chests where I put anything I need for crafting. Everything else is in the storage building. I have different chests for different items and I don't want automated systems messing up the order and layout of those items.
im using sortingmachine->relay->router->40 barrels every 40 of the important items, and 4 or 5 chests as overflow for everything else.
Im using 2 40-barrel cells atm, but it cna be expanded as much as you want.
Routers + barrel = nice wall of easy-to-access and high-capcity storage.
Just have to order them so that the most accessed objects (like metals and redstone) and closer to you
Im using 2 40-barrel cells atm, but it cna be expanded as much as you want.
Routers + barrel = nice wall of easy-to-access and high-capcity storage.
Just have to order them so that the most accessed objects (like metals and redstone) and closer to you
Ah, I didn't see that you wanted 22 different metals in one chest. That explains. That setup would not work for me due to the quantity of items I have (I have over 128 stacks of iron for example). Now I understand what you want to do
I have a separate 'storage' building and a separate 'workshop' building. The latter has different chests where I put anything I need for crafting. Everything else is in the storage building. I have different chests for different items and I don't want automated systems messing up the order and layout of those items.
I as well have excessive amounts of material:
Yeah but all my ores go straight to my pulverizers / smelters. So with what you're showing I would end up with over 800 stacks of iron bars. Those won't fit into a diamond chest
You really are on a roll right now, aren't you?
Those 800 stacks of iron bars would go into a barrel once the ingots chest was full.Oh no, of course not. I know you're not saying I'm wrong. Just that those 800 stacks of bars would fit in the chest the same way the 400 stacks of ore do.
My ideal goal was to use managers to keep each chest stocked with a set amount of items and to be able to insert and extract, but managers are a pain to build in Survival.
My ideal goal was to use managers to keep each chest stocked with a set amount of items and to be able to insert and extract, but managers are a pain to build in Survival.
I go the factorization route + rp2 after scouring in the deep deep pits of mines/caves/dungeons for a logic matrix.
2 routers, 1 filter, pneumatic tube, enderchest, 1 crystal chest. 1a router has speed, machine filter upgrade (this goes to the barrels). 1b router also has the same but with bandwidth (this one pokes the chest and sends stuff over to 1a).
So what I have is both routers and 1 crystal chest next to each other. 1b router poking the crystal chest for any items and sending those items to the 1a router which then sends items into the specific barrel for it.
The enderchest is hooked up to the crystal chest with a filter pulling from it for mining purposes.
PS. does anyone else have oh I dunno....5-6 ID types of the same quartz crystal?
2 routers, 1 filter, pneumatic tube, enderchest, 1 crystal chest. 1a router has speed, machine filter upgrade (this goes to the barrels). 1b router also has the same but with bandwidth (this one pokes the chest and sends stuff over to 1a).
So what I have is both routers and 1 crystal chest next to each other. 1b router poking the crystal chest for any items and sending those items to the 1a router which then sends items into the specific barrel for it.
The enderchest is hooked up to the crystal chest with a filter pulling from it for mining purposes.
PS. does anyone else have oh I dunno....5-6 ID types of the same quartz crystal?
The first sorter in line has a 'trash' output and it recognizes all quartz crystals as the same. So they all get voidpiped in my setup (together with any cobble, dirt or gravel). They're so bloody annoying.
@Trunks: yeah, I want to go to managers too, but they're rather expensive and haven't come around to setting that up.
@Trunks: yeah, I want to go to managers too, but they're rather expensive and haven't come around to setting that up.
Quartz, when not mined by hand, sometimes ends up with different IDs. Shift clicking them into your inventory will fix this if you want to do it manually, or do what Hydra does.