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Applied Energistics 2

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Gavin Lambert edited this page Feb 9, 2021 · 2 revisions

Version 1.2.0 of the mod (now renamed to "Storage for ComputerCraft") adds experimental support for Applied Energistics 2, including support for .

Note that AE2 has a much smaller API since it has much fewer features than Refined Storage. (Or at least, fewer crafting-related features.)

Getting Started

Craft an "ME Peripheral" block and place it either directly next to a computer or turtle, or connected via a Wired Modem to one. Also connect this block to your AE network via cable.

Note that due to the flexibility and power of lua coding, each peripheral block and each computer connected to it will draw a hefty chunk of extra RF/t energy on your storage system. Additionally, while the block uses no channels with no computers connected, each connected computer requires 8 dedicated channels (one entire regular cable, or quarter of a dense cable). So it’s not for the early-game. (If you want to rebalance this, there are settings available in the server config file.)

Within your lua program, simply call APIs from ae2 directly — this API automatically becomes available once you reboot a computer that has an RS peripheral connected. (If you break/replace the peripheral, reboot the computer again.)

You do not need to explicitly peripheral.wrap the peripheral when there’s only one attached to the computer. If you have more than one attached (e.g. for subnetworks) then you should explicitly wrap all of them to ensure that you’re accessing the right ones — the global ae2 could be either of them, and it could change over time.

API common notes

Almost all API methods will return either a single value on success (or partial success); on failure they return two values — the first is nil and the second is a string with a human-readable error message. You can ignore the second return value if you wish, but it may be useful to log it to help track down problems.

A few APIs may return nil (also with a nil error string) to indicate that no match was found (e.g. no crafting pattern exists for the specified item). Others may return an empty table in this case.

The most common error message is "not connected", which most methods will return if the peripheral block is not connected to an active ME network, or the network is out of power.

The descriptions of the APIs below will not explicitly call out that they can also return a nil error. Just remember that it’s always possible.

In addition, some APIs may throw an error if you attempt to call them with an item or fluid name that doesn’t exist in Minecraft at all (perhaps from a typo or due to a mod not being installed).

Table structures

Item descriptions

The bare minimum when supplying an item description as a parameter is the minecraft item id:

{name="minecraft:stone"}

In some cases you may need to also specify NBT values, e.g:

{name="computercraft:disk",nbt="543569198bcc713dabcbc4f9b5bf0715"}

It’s never necessary to provide any other values as a parameter, but more information is provided when receiving an item as a return value (either from a pattern or from storage). This can include the count of the item as well as decoding some properties from the NBT, such as damage and enchantments. It’s best to go look at specific items in your own storage system to figure out what values are returned.

Note that the NBT values are hashes of the actual data, and cannot be used to reconstruct the contents, to avoid breaking the progression systems of other mods that may rely on the actual values not being directly available to the player. These are the same values provided by ComputerCraft for regular inventories, so you can use them for comparison.

However on items with complex tags it’s possible for what is actually the same item with the same data to produce multiple different NBT hashes, so it can’t always be relied on. But then, AE2 can also have trouble dealing with items with these complex tags as well.

Some server config options are available that allow providing more reversible encodings of the data, which can sometimes help with these issues. But they have a higher risk of breaking mod progression and it’s not recommended to enable them. They might even be removed in a future mod version.

Fluid descriptions

Fluid descriptions are essentially the same as item descriptions, except that instead of a count of items they have an amount of fluid (measured in milli-Buckets or mB as usual). It’s also a lot rarer for NBT values to be required, although not impossible.

Crafting patterns

A crafting pattern will tell you if it is a processing pattern or not, along with its inputs and outputs.

Crafting tasks

The stack contains the item (and count) or fluid (and amount) that was requested to craft.

The steps contains a list of the components going into the craft (including the final product at the end).

Direction values

For the APIs that accept a direction parameter, the following values are supported:

  • string: one of "down"/"up"/"north"/"south"/"west"/"east"

  • number: 0-5, where 0 is "down"

If the direction is not specified, then "down" is the default.

(Note that the relative-to-computer/turtle directions left/right/front/back/top/bottom are not supported, since the peripheral block doesn’t face any particular direction.)

Available API methods

Informational

ae2.isConnected()

Whether the ME network is currently connected. This is the only API that will not return nil if the network is disconnected.

  • Returns: boolean true if the network is connected; false otherwise.

  • Since: 1.2.0

ae2.getEnergyUsage()

Gets the energy usage of this network.

  • Returns: number The RF/t energy usage of this network.

  • Since: 1.2.0

ae2.getEnergyStorage()

Gets the energy storage this network.

  • Returns: number The RF/t energy storage of this network.

  • Since: 1.2.0

ae2.getInventory()

Gets information about all items and fluids stored in the network, also including indications as to which are craftable or have crafting already in progress.

This is the most recommended way to query the contents — unlike with RS, the other queries of individual item types are slightly less efficient.

  • Returns: table An array of tables that contain either an item description or fluid description along with a few additional values to indicate crafting status.

  • Since: 1.2.0

ae2.getItems([item])

Gets information about all items stored in the network, or all items matching a specific item name.

item

Optional

table

The item description of an item (only the name is used).

ae2.getFluids([fluid])

Gets information about all fluids stored in the network, or all fluids matching a specific fluid name.

fluid

Optional

table

The fluid description of a fluid (only the name is used).

ae2.getItem(item[, compareNBT[, evenIfZero]])

Gets information about a particular item stored in the network.

item

Required

table

The item description of the item.

compareNBT

Optional

boolean

If false, tries to find any matching item regardless of NBT; if true or omitted, won’t find items with different NBT

evenIfZero

Optional

boolean

If true, returns item information (with zero count) when there is no such item instead

  • Returns: table The item description of the first matching item found, or an empty table if there was no such item.

  • Since: 1.2.0

ae2.getFluid(fluid[, compareNBT[, evenIfZero]])

Gets information about a particular fluid stored in the network.

fluid

Required

table

The fluid description of the fluid.

compareNBT

Optional

boolean

If false, tries to find any matching fluid regardless of NBT; if true or omitted, won’t find fluids with different NBT

evenIfZero

Optional

boolean

If true, returns fluid information (with zero amount) when there is no such fluid instead

  • Returns: table The fluid description of the first matching fluid found, or an empty table if there was no such fluid.

  • Since: 1.2.0

Auto-Crafting

ae2.getCraftingCPUs()

Gets a list of crafting CPUs on the network. Each one provides a description of its storage, number of coprocessors, and if it has a custom name (via inscriber).

  • Returns: table An array of CPU descriptions.

  • Since: 1.2.0

ae2.getPatterns(item)

Gets all crafting patterns with the specified output item.

item

Required

table

The item description of an item (only the name is used).

ae2.scheduleTask(item[, count[, canSchedule[, cpu]]])

Schedules an item crafting task.

item

Required

table

The item description of the output item.

count

Optional

number

The number of items to craft. If omitted, it will use the count in item; if that is omitted too, it will make 1.

canSchedule

Optional

boolean

If false, it will report the crafting task but not actually start it; if true or omitted, it will be started.

cpu

Optional

string

The custom name of the CPU to use. If omitted, it will select a CPU automatically.

  • Returns: table The crafting task (even if not scheduled), or nil if crafting is not possible (e.g. some inputs are missing)

  • Since: 1.2.0

Transfer

ae2.extractItem(item[, count[, direction]])

Extracts items from the storage network and inserts them into an inventory adjacent to the ME Peripheral block.

Note that it may extract fewer items than requested if the network is getting empty or the target inventory is getting full.

item

Required

table

The item description of item to be extracted.

count

Optional

number

The number of items to transfer. If omitted, the count in item will be used; if that is omitted, it will transfer 1 item.

direction

Optional

direction

The direction of the target inventory from the peripheral.

  • Returns: number The number of items successfully transferred (or 0 if no items could be transferred).

  • Since: 1.2.0

ae2.extractFluid(fluid[, amount[, direction]])

Extracts fluid from the storage network and inserts it into a tank adjacent to the ME Peripheral block.

Note that it may extract a smaller amount than requested if the network is getting empty or the target tank is getting full.

fluid

Required

table

The fluid description of fluid to be extracted.

amount

Optional

number

The amount of fluid to transfer (in mB). If omitted, the amount in fluid will be used; if that is omitted, it will transfer 1000 mB (one bucket).

direction

Optional

direction

The direction of the target tank from the peripheral.

  • Returns: number The amount of fluid successfully transferred (or 0 if no fluid could be transferred).

  • Since: 1.2.0

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