Sorting Machine Modes

[msknight]

Hi Folks,

I'm trying to find a half-decent tutorial that explains the sorting machine modes properly, and I can't.

What I'm trying to achieve is mode 4, but I'm having problems. The tubes out of the sorting machine in order are ... red, green, yellow, unpainted.

However, when something is not assigned a colour, instead of going down the unpainted tube, it goes down the red tube.

The only way I can think of around this, is to have a colour assigned for unmatched items, and then add a separate pipe for overflow if any of the chests are full.

Can anyone help me out please?

Many thanks,

Michelle.

[DragnHntr]

Hi Folks,

I'm trying to find a half-decent tutorial that explains the sorting machine modes properly, and I can't.

What I'm trying to achieve is mode 4, but I'm having problems. The tubes out of the sorting machine in order are ... red, green, yellow, unpainted.

However, when something is not assigned a colour, instead of going down the unpainted tube, it goes down the red tube.

The only way I can think of around this, is to have a colour assigned for unmatched items, and then add a separate pipe for overflow if any of the chests are full.

Can anyone help me out please?

Many thanks,

Michelle.

You got the right idea, the last mode of the sorting machine, 5 i believe, allows you to assign a color to any items not otherwise color coded. So just make your unsorted chest that color and the unpainted the overflow.

[msknight]

Do you have any links to good instructions please?

I simplified the situation in my explanation.

If i paint the unpainted, then that removes any overflow pipe, because that pipe will then be painted. I'll have to add another pipe for overflow, which will need to be at least three, possibly four long, etc., etc., and I'm in a confined space.

If I had a good understanding of the modes, perhaps I can pick one more suited to what I'm trying to do.

[DragnHntr]

This is the video I used to learn what the modes are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_A9XJqEcg2I

The first part is about the sorting machine, he gets into the modes eventually. I didn't find most of them to be useful for the kinds of things I would actually use a sorting machine for, but that's just me.

[Greytonic]

"The Sorting Machine enables you to set up item delivery with military precision. Like the filter it can be used inline (meaning between tubes) or connected to an inventory (usually a chest or a buffer). It will tag items with a color if you select a color using the buttons below the columns. It has five modes of operation:

In "anystack sequential" mode the slider moves from column to column and waits until it can satisfy any single item in that column.

The "allstack sequential" mode moves from column to column pulling matches for all the stacks.

"Random allstack" will satisfy all items in any column.

This mode will try to satisfy any item at all, starting at the top left of an inventory.

The last mode is like the one before, but it also provides a default color for items that match no item in any column."

Boom taken straight from here http://nemesis.evalq.net/RedPower2/recipes.html

[OmegaJasam]

The default option for items in tubes is to go to the closest valid destination. You can either take advantage of this, or you can use mode 5 to paint all unsorted items and then paint the currently 'unpainted' pipe.

I would personally use mode 5 to send all unsorted items one way, and to create an overflow I would use an uncoloured pipe, with the destination chest being further away then any other chest in the system.

Alternatively I would send /all/ items to one set of storage and use a retriever to get the items I want sorted out of it.

[msknight]

Many thanks folks, that is a superb help.

[msknight]

In fact, I think I'm going to need to make a suggestion ... that a colour can be assigned to the exhaust; so that if a chest/receiver is full, it just sends it on the line just like it does the exception tag in mode 5. That'll save a chunk of extra pipework.

Anyone happen to know where I make this suggestion please?

[thebird]

The Redpower2 thread would probably be a good place to start, I don't think it has its own forum.

Link: http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/365357-123-eloraams-mods-redpower-2-prerelease-4e/