Transparent AE2 in FTB Evolution 2

FTB Evolution 2 1.4.0 ships version 26.1.2-1.1.1 · First seen in 1.0.2

Checked Oct 11, 2026FTB Evolution 2 1.4.0Sources: FTB Evolution 2 1.4.0 modlist.json · Modrinth

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Transparent AE2 is a mod in FTB Evolution 2 1.4.0, where it is version 26.1.2-1.1.1. Renders moving items inside AE2 networks. Works with see-through cables (like normal me cables) and also adds transparent versions of the smart or dense cables. (Summary from the mod's Modrinth page.)

Transparent AE2 guide for FTB Evolution 2

Written for FTB Evolution 2 1.1.0 · also fits 1.0.2 to 1.4.0 · updated Oct 16, 2026

Last verified for FTB Evolution 2 v1.4.0 on Oct 16, 2026 · text last changed Oct 16, 2026

Sections
6
Recipes shown
4
Items named
4

Every recipe and number here was checked against FTB Evolution 2 1.4.0, read from the running game on Oct 17, 2026.

What is Transparent AE2?

3 parts

Transparent AE2 is a purely visual add-on for Applied Energistics 2. It renders items moving through your ME network, so you can actually watch what your system is doing. This pack ships version 26.1.2-1.0.0 of it.[1][2]

The animation follows the route AE2 assigned between a machine and the controller. The real item transfer still happens instantly, and the moving item is only a visual effect.[1]

What you get

  • Moving items for imports, exports, insertions, extractions and crafting inputs across the network.[1]
  • It works with see-through cables, like normal ME glass cables.[1]
  • A reusable Cable Transparency Applicator. Use it on a smart or dense cable to show items through that cable, and use it again to remove the treatment.[1]
  • Ready-made transparent smart, dense smart and dense covered cable items.[1]

What it does not do

  • It does not change how AE2 stores, moves, crafts or secures items, and it does not slow transfers down to match the animation.[1]
  • The animated item is not a real entity, so you cannot pick it up or interact with it.[1]
  • It does not currently show fluid transfers.[1]
  • No route is shown on controllerless, booting or conflicting networks, or when every cable on the route is opaque.[1]

Performance and options

Most small setups see little impact. Very large or very busy networks need more route calculations and network traffic. The server option enableTransferPaths turns route calculation and animation packets on or off. On the client, renderTransferItems toggles the animations, itemMovementSpeed changes their speed, and maxTransfers limits how many recent animations are kept. The server and client sides can be toggled independently.[1]

How do you get started with Transparent AE2?

3 parts

Transparent AE2 is a visual add-on for your ME network. It shows items moving through your cables, and the real transfer still happens instantly. The moving item is only an effect, so nothing about how AE2 stores, moves or crafts items changes. Setup is just a few items.[1]

First: make the Cable Transparency Applicator

Start with the Cable Transparency Applicator. It is reusable: use it on a smart or dense cable to show items through that cable, and use it again on the same cable to remove the treatment.[1]

Crafting Shapeless

  • Brush
  • Quartz Glass

Recipe id: transparentae2:cable_treatment_applicator

This is the in-pack recipe for the applicator.

When you use it, the game tells you with the message "Cable made transparent". When you remove the treatment, you get "Cable transparency removed".[4]

Or craft ready-made transparent cables

If you are building a new network, you can craft transparent cables directly instead of treating them. Each of these recipes makes 8 cables.[1][3]

Crafting Shaped

Crafting Shaped
Fluix Smart CableFluix Smart CableFluix Smart Cable
Fluix Smart CableQuartz GlassFluix Smart Cable
Fluix Smart CableFluix Smart CableFluix Smart Cable

Recipe id: transparentae2:transparent_smart_cable

Makes 8 Transparent ME Smart Cables.

Crafting Shaped

Crafting Shaped
Fluix Smart Dense CableFluix Smart Dense CableFluix Smart Dense Cable
Fluix Smart Dense CableQuartz GlassFluix Smart Dense Cable
Fluix Smart Dense CableFluix Smart Dense CableFluix Smart Dense Cable

Recipe id: transparentae2:transparent_smart_dense_cable

Makes 8 Transparent ME Dense Smart Cables.

Crafting Shaped

Crafting Shaped
Fluix Covered Dense CableFluix Covered Dense CableFluix Covered Dense Cable
Fluix Covered Dense CableQuartz GlassFluix Covered Dense Cable
Fluix Covered Dense CableFluix Covered Dense CableFluix Covered Dense Cable

Recipe id: transparentae2:transparent_covered_dense_cable

Makes 8 Transparent ME Dense Covered Cables.

Check that you can see the animations

In this pack, enableTransferPaths is set to true, so the server calculates transfer paths and sends them to clients for rendering. You should not need to change anything on the server. On your own client, the mod has options for turning the animation off, changing its speed and limiting how many recent animations are kept.[1][5]

Tip: Items are shown moving through AE2 glass cables and through treated smart or dense cables. No route is shown if every cable on it is opaque, so treat at least some of the cables along the path. Routes are also not shown on controllerless, booting or conflicting networks.[1]
Watch out: The animation does not currently show fluid transfers, and it is not a real item entity, so you cannot pick it up.[1]

How does Transparent AE2 work?

5 parts

Transparent AE2 is a visual mod. It renders items moving through your ME network, so you can watch your setup work instead of guessing. The animation follows the route that AE2 assigned between a machine and the controller.[1]

Tip: The real item transfer still happens instantly. The moving item is only a visual effect: it doesn't slow item transfers down to match the animation, and it isn't a real item entity, so you can't pick it up.[1]

What you will see

  • Imported, exported, inserted, extracted and crafting-input items are shown moving through the network.[1]
  • Items are shown in AE2 glass cables and in specially treated smart or dense cables.[1]
  • The mod doesn't touch how AE2 stores, moves, crafts or secures items.[1]

Making a cable transparent

The Cable Transparency Applicator is a reusable item. Use it on a smart or dense cable and items will show through that cable. Use it on the same cable again to remove the treatment.[1]

The game confirms each use with a message. You get "Cable made transparent" when you apply it and "Cable transparency removed" when you take it off.[4]

Crafting Shapeless

  • Brush
  • Quartz Glass

Recipe id: transparentae2:cable_treatment_applicator

This is a shapeless crafting recipe that makes one applicator.

Ready-made transparent cables

If you don't want to treat cables one by one, the mod adds ready-made transparent versions: the Transparent ME Smart Cable, the Transparent ME Dense Smart Cable and the Transparent ME Dense Covered Cable. Their recipes are shown below.[1][3][4]

Crafting Shaped

Crafting Shaped
Fluix Smart CableFluix Smart CableFluix Smart Cable
Fluix Smart CableQuartz GlassFluix Smart Cable
Fluix Smart CableFluix Smart CableFluix Smart Cable

Recipe id: transparentae2:transparent_smart_cable

Shaped recipe, makes 8 Transparent ME Smart Cables.

Crafting Shaped

Crafting Shaped
Fluix Smart Dense CableFluix Smart Dense CableFluix Smart Dense Cable
Fluix Smart Dense CableQuartz GlassFluix Smart Dense Cable
Fluix Smart Dense CableFluix Smart Dense CableFluix Smart Dense Cable

Recipe id: transparentae2:transparent_smart_dense_cable

Shaped recipe, makes 8 Transparent ME Dense Smart Cables.

Crafting Shaped

Crafting Shaped
Fluix Covered Dense CableFluix Covered Dense CableFluix Covered Dense Cable
Fluix Covered Dense CableQuartz GlassFluix Covered Dense Cable
Fluix Covered Dense CableFluix Covered Dense CableFluix Covered Dense Cable

Recipe id: transparentae2:transparent_covered_dense_cable

Shaped recipe, makes 8 Transparent ME Dense Covered Cables.

When no animation appears

  • Fluid transfers are not shown at the moment.[1]
  • Routes are not shown on networks that have no controller, are still booting, or have conflicting controllers.[1]
  • No route is shown when every cable on it is an opaque cable. At least some of the cables need to be see-through.[1]

Performance and config

The server watches completed AE2 item transfers and works out their controller routes once per tick. Similar transfers are grouped together before the route goes to nearby players. The client keeps a limited number of recent animations and only renders nearby items.[1]

Small installations should see little impact. Very large or very busy ME networks, especially ones moving many different items at once, can need more route calculations and network traffic.[1]

The server switch is enableTransferPaths, which turns route calculation and animation packets on or off. This pack sets it to true, so route calculation is on by default here.[1][5]

Players can also turn off the rendering on their own client, and the server and client switches work independently. The client side also lets you change the animation speed and limit how many recent animations are kept.[1]

How do you progress through Transparent AE2?

2 parts

The recipe list for Transparent AE2 in this pack covers a tool and a handful of transparent cable types. Here is what each craft makes.[3]

The tool

The Cable Transparency Applicator is made with a shapeless crafting recipe and gives you a single applicator per craft.[3]

Crafting Shapeless

  • Brush
  • Quartz Glass

Recipe id: transparentae2:cable_treatment_applicator

Shapeless crafting, a single applicator per craft.

The transparent cables

Every transparent cable recipe in the pack is a shaped crafting recipe, and each craft makes 8 cables.[3]

Crafting Shaped

Crafting Shaped
Fluix Smart CableFluix Smart CableFluix Smart Cable
Fluix Smart CableQuartz GlassFluix Smart Cable
Fluix Smart CableFluix Smart CableFluix Smart Cable

Recipe id: transparentae2:transparent_smart_cable

Makes 8 Transparent ME Smart Cables.

Crafting Shaped

Crafting Shaped
Fluix Smart Dense CableFluix Smart Dense CableFluix Smart Dense Cable
Fluix Smart Dense CableQuartz GlassFluix Smart Dense Cable
Fluix Smart Dense CableFluix Smart Dense CableFluix Smart Dense Cable

Recipe id: transparentae2:transparent_smart_dense_cable

Makes 8 Transparent ME Dense Smart Cables.

Crafting Shaped

Crafting Shaped
Fluix Covered Dense CableFluix Covered Dense CableFluix Covered Dense Cable
Fluix Covered Dense CableQuartz GlassFluix Covered Dense Cable
Fluix Covered Dense CableFluix Covered Dense CableFluix Covered Dense Cable

Recipe id: transparentae2:transparent_covered_dense_cable

Makes 8 Transparent ME Dense Covered Cables.

The recipe blocks above show the exact in-pack crafting patterns, so check them before you gather materials.[3]

Which Transparent AE2 config options matter?

1 part

Transparent AE2 has one config option worth knowing about in this pack, and it lives in the server config file.[5]

enableTransferPaths is set to true in this pack. The file describes it as calculating AE2 item-transfer paths and sending them to clients for rendering. That is the part that makes you see items moving through your ME network.[5]

The sources here do not show the mod's default for this option, so I can't tell you whether the pack changed it.[5]

What the option affects

The animation is purely visual. The real item transfer still happens instantly, and the moving item is not slowed down to match the animation.[1]

On the performance side, the server observes completed AE2 item transfers and calculates their controller routes once per tick. Similar transfers are grouped together before the route is sent to nearby players.[1]

Tip: Routes only show up on networks that have a controller and are not booting or conflicting. They also need at least one see-through cable on the route, so an all-opaque route shows nothing.[1]

What changed in Transparent AE2 between versions?

Transparent AE2 has a very short history so far. The only mod release in the sources here is 26.1.2-1.0.0, and its changelog just says "Initial Release".[6]

FTB Evolution 2 1.1.0 ships that same version, 26.1.2-1.0.0. It was first included in FTB Evolution 2 1.0.2 or earlier, so you are not on a newer build of the mod than earlier versions of the pack had.[2]

Unverified The sources here include no pack changelog entries for this mod, so any pack-level change to it between releases is not shown. Check the pack's own changelog if you need that detail.

Sources

  1. Transparent AE2 project page (modrinth) · official mod data
  2. FTB Evolution 2 1.1.0 mod list · pack file
  3. FTB Evolution 2 1.1.0 recipe dump: recipes making Transparent AE2 items · pack recipe dump
  4. transparentae2 names, screen text and descriptions (English lang file) · official mod data
  5. FTB Evolution 2 1.1.0 config: config/transparentae2-server.toml · pack file
  6. Transparent AE2 26.1.2-1.0.0 changelog · changelog
Where this guide comes from

Written from what FTB Evolution 2 itself ships: its files and recipes, the in-game guidebooks and the mods' own pages. Every statement links to the source it came from, and the numbers are checked against the pack before publishing.

Guide last verified Oct 16, 2026.

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Version in each release

9 releases, first in 1.0.2
FTB Evolution 2VersionJarWhere it came from
1.4.0
Oct 17, 2026
26.1.2-1.1.1transparentae2-26.1.2-1.1.1.jarFrom the published release
1.3.2
Oct 16, 2026
26.1.2-1.1.1transparentae2-26.1.2-1.1.1.jarFrom the published release
1.3.1
Oct 15, 2026
26.1.2-1.1.1transparentae2-26.1.2-1.1.1.jarFrom the published release
1.3.0
Oct 14, 2026
26.1.2-1.1.0transparentae2-26.1.2-1.1.0.jarFrom the published release
1.2.2
Oct 13, 2026
26.1.2-1.1.0transparentae2-26.1.2-1.1.0.jarFrom the published release
1.2.1
Oct 12, 2026
26.1.2-1.1.0transparentae2-26.1.2-1.1.0.jarFrom the published release
1.2.0
Oct 12, 2026
26.1.2-1.1.0transparentae2-26.1.2-1.1.0.jarFrom the published release
1.1.0
Oct 10, 2026
26.1.2-1.0.0transparentae2-26.1.2-1.0.0.jarFrom the published release
1.0.2
Oct 8, 2026
26.1.2-1.0.0transparentae2-26.1.2-1.0.0.jarFrom the published release

"From pack files" means the list came from the pack's own files; "from the published release" means ForgeBase read the jars of the release itself.

Items and blocks

4 items from the 1.4.0 recipe dump.

Config options (how FTB Evolution 2 sets them)

2 settings this pack ships for the mod. We don't have the mod's own defaults to compare them against yet.

See all 2 settings →

Show settings
SettingFTB Evolution 2 value
enableTransferLogging
Log each AE2 item transfer and resolved path at DEBUG level. Requires DEBUG logging to be enabled. Disabled by default because busy networks can produce very large debug logs. Does not affect animations.
config/transparentae2-server.toml
false
enableTransferPaths
Calculate AE2 item-transfer paths and send them to clients for rendering.
config/transparentae2-server.toml
true

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