ME Interface (Applied Energistics)

The ME Interface is a block that allows an ME Metwork to interact with pipes, tubes, and machines from other mods. Additionally, the ME Interface will interact with generic inventories, such as chests.

Unlike the ME buses, the ME Interface can hold ME Formatted Patterns (see ME Blank Pattern), allowing automatic crafting using machines from other mods. For example, an ME Interface connected to an Industrial Craft 2 Macerator can be used to automatically craft Coal Dust from an ME Crafting Terminal.

Right clicking on the ME Interface with a wrench will show an arrow indicating the direction the interface will output items requested for automatic crafting. This can be used to create compact ME Interface layouts, allowing one interface to be placed next to another and preventing those items from bouncing back into the network.

As An Import/Export Bus
An ME Interface will also act like an ME Export Bus and ME Import Bus, but interacts with other mods (e.g. importing/exporting from Buildcraft pipes or RedPower 2 tubes)

To act as an import bus, the machine it is attached to must be able to automatically output (e.g. Thermal Expansion Pulverizer). Another options is to automatically pump items into the bus; this allows it to be shared by multiple machines.

To act as an export bus, the ME Interface must be configured with the items to export. Like the ME Export Bus, place up to 8 items in the left hand, "Export Config", inventory area. The ME Interface will then fill the "Exported Items" with that number of items from the network (e.g. placing 7 iron ingots in the config will place 7 iron ingots in the export inventory). These items must then be pumped from the interface (e.g. Wooden Transport Pipe plus Autarchic Gate, a Filter, etc.) from the export face (right click with a wrench to set).

Encoding Patterns for Other Machines
One powerful use of the ME Interface is enabling automatic crafting of recipes that do not use the standard crafting grid. Unlike standard crafting recipes, the ME Pattern Encoder will not automatically detect the recipe. This requires having both the raw materials and the finished product to allow encoding.


 * 1) Place the recipe in the left hand side crafting interface of the ME Pattern Encoder.  For example, to automatically macerate coal into coal dust, place 1 coal on the left side.  More complex recipes, such as those in the GregTech Assembling Machine, simply place the resources in the same way.  E.G. to assemble a Machine Block, place 8 Refined Iron Plate and 1 Machine Parts in the left hand side.
 * 2) Place the finished product in the single slot on the right hand side.  For coal dust, place a coal dust.  For a machine block, place a machine block.
 * 3) Press the descending arrow.
 * 4) Place the newly formatted pattern in the ME Interface attached to the proper machine.