Modpack Assistant in FTB Evolution 2

Modpack Assistant (Modpack Assistant) is part of the pack's mod list in version 1.1.0. The pack ships version 26.1.2-1.0.8 of it (file modpackassistant-26.1.2-1.0.8.jar).^[1]

It is not a new addition: the mod was already included in version 1.0.2 or earlier, so it has been part of the pack for a while.^[1]

Unverified What Modpack Assistant actually does in this pack is not shown by the sources here, and no in-jar guidebook was found for it. This page therefore does not describe its features, items or settings.

Modpack Assistant is a utility mod, and the sources for this pack show no items to craft for it. There is no crafting order to follow here. What the pack does show is its config, which tells you what the mod's commands are allowed to do on your world.^[2]

What the config tells you before you start

Every limit in the pack's config file matches the mod's own default, so the pack has not changed any of them. Here are the ones you are most likely to run into.^[2]

• The item print, hand and copy commands are open to everyone. permissions.item_inspection_permission is 0, and 0 lets every player use them.^[2]
• The ore scan and mining simulation commands accept a radius of up to 32 chunks, set by limits.max_scan_radius. The region clear command is capped at 16 chunks by limits.max_clear_radius.^[2]
• A structure grab can capture up to 262,144 blocks, set by limits.max_grab_blocks. A single fluid drain can remove up to 250,000 blocks, set by limits.max_drain_blocks.^[2]
• Grabbed structures are saved under modpackassistant/structures in the game directory, per structures.structure_directory. The format is BOTH by default in this pack, which writes the binary NBT file and the readable SNBT text. You can override it per grab with the format argument.^[2]
• Grabs do not save entities in this pack, because structures.grab_entities is false. Air is also kept in the saved structure, because structures.grab_ignore_air is false.^[2]
• Reports are written to logs/modpackassistant, set by reports.report_directory. Showoff screenshots go to modpackassistant/showoff on the client, set by showoff.showoff_directory.^[2]

Unverified The sources here show no recipes that produce Modpack Assistant items and no quests that involve the mod, so there is no confirmed first item to make or quest chapter to follow. The command names and how to run them are not shown in the sources either.

Modpack Assistant is not a machine mod. The sources for this pack describe it through its config file, which sets limits and output folders for a set of long-running tools: a biome mapper, region clearing, fluid draining, structure grabbing, block searching, loot, mining and spawn simulators, and a showoff preview. Everything below comes from that config, so you will find limits and settings here, not machines or power.^[2]

Limits on heavy operations

Each tool has a ceiling so one command cannot overwhelm the server. In this pack every limit is left at the mod default. The options below are all in config/modpackassistant-common.toml.^[2]

• limits.max_biome_sample_radius is the largest block radius the biome mapper accepts: 10,000 (allowed range 16 to 100,000). limits.max_biome_samples is the largest sample count: 1,000,000 (range 100 to 10,000,000).^[2]
• limits.max_clear_radius is the largest chunk radius the region clear command accepts: 16 (range 0 to 64).^[2]
• limits.max_drain_blocks is the largest number of fluid blocks a single drain may remove: 250,000 (range 1 to 4,000,000).^[2]
• limits.max_scan_radius is the largest chunk radius for the ore scan and mining simulation commands: 32 (range 0 to 64).^[2]
• limits.max_locate_results caps retained block-search hits at 10,000 (range 10 to 100,000). Extra matches are still counted but not kept.^[2]
• limits.max_mining_drop_variants caps the distinct item or component variants a mining simulation keeps: 10,000 (range 10 to 100,000).^[2]
• limits.max_loot_iterations is the largest iteration count the loot simulator accepts: 1,000,000 (range 1 to 10,000,000).^[2]
• limits.max_simulated_ticks is the largest tick count the spawn simulator accepts: 432,000 (range 1 to 4,320,000).^[2]
• limits.max_structure_loot_chests is the maximum number of chest and sign pairs one structure loot test places: 256 (range 1 to 4,096).^[2]

Structure grabs

A structure grab captures a region of the world and writes it to a file. limits.max_grab_blocks limits the region to 262,144 blocks (range 1 to 4,194,304), the mod default. Every captured block is held in memory until the file is written, so raise it with care.^[2]

Grabs are written to modpackassistant/structures in the game directory, set by structures.structure_directory. The format option structures.grab_format is BOTH in this pack, and the allowed values are BOTH, NBT and SNBT. NBT is the binary file that datapacks and structure blocks load. SNBT is the same data as readable text. The format argument on a grab overrides the config value.^[2]

• structures.grab_entities is false in this pack, so entities in the region are not saved with its blocks. Players are never saved either way.^[2]
• structures.grab_ignore_air is false in this pack, so air is saved and placing the structure clears what is already there. Structure voids are always left out.^[2]

Showoff preview

The showoff preview is capped by showoff.max_showoff_blocks, the largest structure template sent to a client, counted in non-air blocks. It is 262,144 here (range 1 to 4,194,304), the mod default. Screenshots go to modpackassistant/showoff on the client, set by showoff.showoff_directory. In the preview screen you drag to rotate, right-drag to pan and scroll to zoom.^[2][3]

Scheduling, permissions and reports

• Long-running operations are split into scheduled jobs. scheduler.job_interval_ticks is the number of server ticks between jobs: 5 here, the mod default (range 1 to 100).^[2]
• permissions.item_inspection_permission sets the permission level needed for the item print, hand and copy commands. It is 0 here (range 0 to 4), which lets every player use them.^[2]
• Reports are written to logs/modpackassistant in the game directory, set by reports.report_directory.^[2]

Kill-protected entities

The mod ships an entity type tag called kill_protected. It lists the vanilla minecart, chest minecart, furnace minecart, hopper minecart, TNT minecart, command block minecart and spawner minecart. It also lists Create's contraption, stationary contraption, gantry contraption and carriage contraption, plus the aeronautics propeller bearing contraption. The Create and aeronautics entries are marked as not required, so they only matter when those mods are installed.^[4]

Modpack Assistant is a utility mod, and the sources here show no tiers or progression steps for it. What they do show is one data file, an entity type tag called kill_protected.^[4]

That tag lists the vanilla minecart, chest minecart, furnace minecart, hopper minecart, TNT minecart, command block minecart and spawner minecart. It also lists Create's contraption, stationary contraption, gantry contraption and carriage contraption, plus the Aeronautics propeller bearing contraption. All the modded entries are marked as not required, so the tag still loads if one of those mods is missing.^[4]

Unverified Any progression path or tier breakdown for Modpack Assistant would be told in the pack's quest book or set in the mod's own config, and the sources here show neither. This section therefore does not describe quest order, unlock steps or crafted tiers, and what the kill_protected tag is used for is also not shown.

Everything for Modpack Assistant lives in limits.max_scan_radius's file, config/modpackassistant-common.toml. The good news: wherever the file lists a mod default, this pack's value matches it. The pack did not change any of the numeric limits or the permission level, so what you see below is also what the mod ships with.^[2]

Structure grabs

These are the options you will touch most if you save builds as structure files. The pack sets them as follows.^[2]

• structures.grab_format is "BOTH". The allowed values are BOTH, NBT and SNBT. NBT is the binary file datapacks and structure blocks load, SNBT is the same data as readable text, and the format argument overrides the setting per grab.^[2]
• structures.grab_entities is false, so entities standing in the region are not saved with its blocks. Players are never saved either way.^[2]
• structures.grab_ignore_air is false, so air is kept in the saved structure. Turn it on if you want placing the structure to leave what is already there alone. Structure voids are always left out.^[2]
• structures.structure_directory is "modpackassistant/structures", relative to the game directory.^[2]
• limits.max_grab_blocks is 262,144 blocks, the mod default. Every captured block is held in memory until the file is written, so think twice before raising it (the allowed range goes up to 4,194,304).^[2]

Permissions

permissions.item_inspection_permission is 0, the mod default, with an allowed range of 0 to 4. It sets the permission level needed for the item print, hand and copy commands, and 0 lets every player use them. On a server you can raise it if you want to restrict those commands.^[2]

Limits on scans and simulations

These caps stop a single command from hammering the game. All of them are at the mod default in this pack.^[2]

• limits.max_scan_radius is 32, the largest chunk radius for the ore scan and mining simulation commands (range 0 to 64).^[2]
• limits.max_clear_radius is 16, the largest chunk radius for the region clear command (range 0 to 64).^[2]
• limits.max_drain_blocks is 250,000, the most fluid blocks a single drain may remove.^[2]
• limits.max_simulated_ticks is 432,000, the largest tick count the spawn simulator accepts.^[2]
• limits.max_loot_iterations is 1,000,000, the largest iteration count for the loot simulator.^[2]
• limits.max_structure_loot_chests is 256, the maximum chest and sign pairs placed by one structure loot test.^[2]
• limits.max_biome_sample_radius is 10,000 blocks and limits.max_biome_samples is 1,000,000 samples, the largest values the biome mapper accepts.^[2]
• limits.max_locate_results is 10,000 retained block-search hits. Extra matches are counted but not kept.^[2]
• limits.max_mining_drop_variants is 10,000, the maximum distinct item or component variants a mining simulation keeps.^[2]

Output folders and scheduling

• reports.report_directory is "logs/modpackassistant", relative to the game directory.^[2]
• showoff.showoff_directory is "modpackassistant/showoff" on the client, where showoff screenshots go.^[2]
• showoff.max_showoff_blocks is 262,144, the largest structure template (counted in non-air blocks) the showoff preview will send to a client.^[2]
• scheduler.job_interval_ticks is 5 server ticks between scheduled jobs of a long-running operation, the mod default (range 1 to 100).^[2]