README.txt

The problem:
============

When mining or farming you can build up a pile of items.  But you don't want to
spend a lot of time walking back to your house to sort them into chests.

The other problem is with all your sorted chests you don't want to have to walk
back to the house to pick up those items you need for building in a remote area.

Thus the Item Selector/Sorter was born.

The solution:
============

The Item Selector/Sorter, takes your various mining, and farming materials and
sorts them into bins.  Then using command blocks you can remotely select items
you want and it will dispense them to you.

Notes:
 - CHUNK LOADERS (See below)! For the drop off system just putting an item will 
   act as a chunk loader.  Also the hopper clocks should keep the sorter up and
   running.  However, do your self a favour.  Place the sorter in the spawn 
   chunks or move the spawn over top of it.
 - NO DOORS!  The selection house control rooms have no doors.  After their 
   programmed you shouldn't need to go in there.  But the reason for no doors is
   villagers.   I had villagers in the area and they seem to love to run in there
   and never leave.  Just break the wall or the glass on top to get in.  Then
   replace the blocks.
 - Originally I tried using a really compact sorter.  But then the selection
   part became a problem with cross talk.  Not to mention some items like wool
   would cause sorters beside to activate and empty their contents.
 - It's surrounded by bedrock so it can't be entered in adventure/survival mode
   unless by administrator.  * You may need to modify the TP command block
 - There should be enough light generated in the housing to stop MOB spawning,
   or so I hope.
 - The inside should be completely navigable in adventure/survival mode. You 
   might get lost though.
 - There is signs on each block/area explaining what it's doing.
 - Try to use it for raw items!  If you try to have a spot for every item in 
   minecraft the system will be huge.  Try to stick to rare, or raw items.
   If you need sticks, you can always request the wood and make it.
 - There's a set of chests lining the back wall (File BL) for the items not 
   covered by the sorting system.  You could redirect it as the final hopper is
   right at the bedrock wall.
   11 double chests.  54 slots per double chests.  594 slots total.  Then the
   backup of hoppers transporting to the chests.
   
   Should been enough for overflow... sorting will stop working if you overflow
   past that.

Block Legend:

   Yellow Clay: Message system (Hopper empty/loading), Ladder
   Purple Clay: Selection System
   Red Clay...: Sorting System
   Grey Clay..: Hopper Clock (one at the beginning of each row to power 
                              selection system)

Delivery System and the Chunk Loading Problem:
==============================================

Initially I designed the system to use minecarts to pickup/deliver the items.
However, even though I've included the designs, I've abandoned all hope of using
minecarts.  When chunks are unloaded minecarts freeze and wait for a player to
enter the zone before resuming.   So if your sorting station is under the spawn
blocks and your selection system is 1000 blocks away.   There's going to be a few
100 unloaded chunks between you and the sorting/selection system.

The way around this is to create chunk loaders, by using pistons, or hopper clocks
between the corners to create a 5 by 5 loaded area around the carts.  500MB of ram
later... it's just not worth it.

Best way is to use hoppers and droppers.   Create a hopper and dropper tower from
the selection house to the item sorter.  Hoppers will partly load the chunks as
the items pass through them.  Solving the minecart problem.

Ref: Minecraft Piston Creation #29: Self Loading Minecart Track
     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj2A1uzwj_4


Some Assembly Required!
=======================

I tried to make the Item Selector/Sorter modular so you could infinitely expand
it.  

The layout of the files:

+----+ +----+ +----+
| FL | | FC | | FR |
+----+ +----+ +----+

+----+ +----+ +----+
| CL | | CC | | CR |
+----+ +----+ +----+

+----+ +----+ +----+
| BL | | BC | | BR |
+----+ +----+ +----+

To make bigger:
===============

Expand by adding more xC columns in the middle, or Cx rows.

Example:

+----+ +----+ +----+ +----+
| FL | | FC | | FC | | FR |
+----+ +----+ +----+ +----+

+----+ +----+ +----+ +----+
| CL | | CC | | CC | | CR |
+----+ +----+ +----+ +----+

+----+ +----+ +----+ +----+
| CL | | CC | | CC | | CR |
+----+ +----+ +----+ +----+

+----+ +----+ +----+ +----+
| BL | | BC | | BC | | BR |
+----+ +----+ +----+ +----+


Manually setting up each module:
================================

Each module needs to be setup to accept items.  

  - Each module has 8 command blocks with a code item001.  This needs to be 
    replaced with the item tag (like Glass, or Dirt)
  - Replace bedrock items from selection hopper (place 18-1-1-1-1) with items to
    be selected (might not be 18 for things like eggs)
 
  * I used bedrock for any placeholder items since you wouldn't be sorting
    bedrock.
    
Automatically setting up the modules:
=====================================

I've included a MCEdit filter script ItemSorter.py which creates a 10 x 20 sorter 
If you wish to customize it, it should be pretty self explanatory.  Just modify
the bunch of CentreBlock and CentreLeft entries.

By default I have a role of 20 as "Open" for manually configuration on already 
placed sorters.

My suggestion is create this block in an empty world.  Then cut/paste as a file
to the world you want.  That way you can move it around in the import selection
process.

Files:
======

├── LICENSE
├── MCEdit-filters
│   ├── ItemSorter.py             # Sample script to create 20 x 10 sorter
│   └── ReplaceSorter.py          # Script to replace items in hopper
├── MCEdit-schematics
│   ├── ItemSorter-BL.schematic   # Modules Back Left
│   ├── ItemSorter-BC.schematic   # Modules Back Centre
│   ├── ItemSorter-BR.schematic   # Modules Back Right
│   ├── ItemSorter-CL.schematic   # Modules Centre Left
│   ├── ItemSorter-CC.schematic   # Modules Centre Centre
│   ├── ItemSorter-CR.schematic   # Modules Centre Right
│   ├── ItemSorter-FL.schematic   # Modules Front Left
│   ├── ItemSorter-FC.schematic   # Modules Front Centre
│   ├── ItemSorter-FR.schematic   # Modules Front Right
│   ├── ItemSorter-Exploded.schematic         # Exploded version of the modules above
│   ├── ItemSorter-SampleSorterTop.schematic  # Sample top for the 10 x 20 sorter
│   ├── Sample-Sorter-Hopper.schematic        # Sample 10 x 20 sorter (with hopper sub-station) - Used in 
│   ├── Sample-Sorter-Minecart.schematic      # Abandoned Minecart Design
│   ├── SelectionHouse-Hopper-Lrg.schematic   # Sample Selection House 20 x 3 deep selection
│   ├── SelectionHouse-Hopper-Sml.schematic   # Sample Selection House 20 x 1 deep selection
│   ├── SelectionHouse-Minecart-Lrg.schematic # Abandoned Minecart Design
│   ├── SelectionHouse-Minecart-Sml.schematic # Abandoned Minecart Design
│   ├── SubStation-Hopper.schematic           # Hopper based Selection Sub-Station
│   └── SubStation-Minecart.schematic         # Abandoned Minecart Design
└── Worlds
    ├── ItemSorter                            # Flat world with working system
    ├── Sample ItemSorter Hopper              # Sample world with hopper system
    └── Sample ItemSorter World               # Abandoned Minecart Design (should work but quarky)

Troubleshooting:
================

 - Bunch of items are not counting when I push a button.
 	- Verify the names are correct.  The button score and the item sorter 
 	  need to match exact.
 	- Check the hopper clocks.  There's a hopper clock for each row in 
 	  the sorter.  Sometimes on cut/paste the hopper clock get's more than
 	  one item in it.  Thus stopping the clock and the selection system
        - No items in the item sorter.  The score should be removed if 
          the chests becomes empty.   Stopping the selection system.
  - Items don't arrive
        - check you or I haven't run the hopper line over a lit red stone torch.        
          I've done this several times.
  - Get some items from the current and previous selection.
  	- check for lag on the hopper towers.  I should have set the repeaters
  	  to 4 ticks but it may not be enough in some situations.
  	- check I/you didn't run the hopper lines over one of the dropper tower 
  	  torches!  I've done this twice already!
   - I don't get 20 items like select.  I only get 19.
   	- It happens sometimes.  My theory, hoppers drop items at ~2.5/s.  It's 
   	  that approximate part that can give you one less item.


TODO:
=====

1.  Need overflow clock on the sending stations. (Rail house and selection house)
2.  Replace world clock with pulse length extender?
3.  Hoppers into Station causes blocks arriving message to repeat for each item (item gap because of tower)
4.  Add command block custom name to sub-station.
5.  Need Light to say station is selected!
6.  Additional Stations
	- Castle Style.  (10 x 10 x 10 x 10, 2 levels high, with crafting centre/court yard?
	- Sand Castle/Temple?
7.  In Sample world add Check Points (activator and full/empty sensor)
8.  Villagers still got back in the circuit area.
9.  Need a rewards module.  If play dumps in items it counts and give L report?
	- How to sense item is of value?

10.  Pulse to bunch up items before sub-station flawed!  when full it stops sending items.
       Needs a logic gate there somewhere.  When both per-hoppers have item... send items.


Frequent Cut/Pasted commands:
=============================

Station Selection:
/scoreboard objectives remove Station
/scoreboard objectives add Station dummy
/scoreboard players set @a Station 0
/scoreboard objectives setdisplay sidebar Station

Item Selection:
/scoreboard players set @p CyanWool 20