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Why 1+1 = 2?

Disclaimer

This subchapter may not explain the code logic 1:1, it only gives you a rough idea on how it works.

The Compression Card & Decompression Module is mandatory for the network when autocrafting. It enables the network to do compression/decompression, otherwise your Bulk Cells are just a fancy infinite chest

Compressing/Up Crafting

It has been mentioned before that Bulk Cells can compress items automatically.

With the analogy of having to make patterns to craft nuggets to ingots, then ingots to blocks, then blocks to 1x blocks etc. this can add up a lot in a pattern provider.

Instead, we can use Compression Card inside bulk cells to enable compression. This will allow the network to automatically make a ghost-pattern that handles all compression. Yes, everything. From as small as nuggets, up to 9x variants of compressed block (if possible).

Decompressing/Down Crafting

Borrowing the previous analogy, we also want to down craft those 1x blocks back into blocks and smaller. The bulk cells also handle decompressing similar to compressing.

For example crafting 9 iron blocks but we only have 3x compressed iron blocks

The system also makes a ghost-pattern that handles crafting 3x iron into 2x, 2x into 1x until it reaches the desired amount from the system.

This is what I meant

Even though the system has enough iron ingots (in form of a compressed blocks), when we request 128 Iron Bars the system needs to decompress the 5x compressed iron block into ingots. We do not have any patterns related to this decompression. Hence the name, Ghost Patterns.

But WHEN does it do the compression/decompression?

Generally it happens when the network interacts with item amounts. This includes, but not limited to:

  1. Items entering and leaving the network
  2. Crafting Requests from automation/player-requests for certain compressed item variants
  3. You, the player, directly taking out/dumping items in the Terminal

For regular players (meaning Me, & YOU), you don’t need to really worry about all of this. Don’t sweat it :)

If you insert/extract items within the network, it will always get unified with other compressed variants (when possible). Then the system will show the highest compressed form possible in the network (here, it’s 1 9x iron & 3 5x iron)

Regarding Energy Usage

It is also worth noting that every item/gas/fluid/etc. movement inside an AE2 network requires energy and it’s relative to the amounts moved per tick. Compressing/Decompressing is no exception. In rare cases, you will stumble upon not enough network buffer when doing any item compression, oftentimes resulting in a failed Crafting Request.

Applied Energistics 2 | CurseForge MEGA Cells | CurseForge