Create Sifting in FTB Skies 2: Aero

Create Sifting adds the Sifter to Create, a block that sifts items automatically. It is inspired by the ex nihilo sieve and works more or less like the Millstone. You can toss items on top of it or feed it automatically with hoppers, funnels or chutes.^[1]

Meshes and the brass sifter

What a sifter gives you depends on the mesh inside it. You add one by right clicking the sifter with it, and meshes also work in hand, a bit like Create's sandpaper. The mod lists string, andesite, brass and sturdy meshes, plus a zinc mesh added for modpacks. Advanced meshes only work in the brass sifter.^[1]

The brass sifter is the upgraded version. The mod describes it with an output filter, a high redstone signal that disables processing, 8x processing per cycle and a bigger output capacity, with the last two configurable. I have no pack-specific values for those settings.^[1]

Where it sits in the quest book

This pack introduces the sifter in the "Getting Started" chapter. That is chapter 4 of 31 in the book, in the group "Main Questline", and it has 57 quests.^[2]

The quest is "The Old Ways" quest, and it comes after the quest "Path of Prospecting". It asks you for a sifter and a cloth mesh, plus one more item. The quest text explains that you power sifters with cogs and use them on loose materials made by hammers, such as gravel, sand and dust.^[2]

The same quest says better meshes usually find more resources, from cloth up to diamond, but they need the sifter to run at a higher base speed. The blazing mechanical mesh works differently: it directly generates smelted metal ingots in exchange for destroying some alternate resources. The quest points you to the Sifting GuideMe for tiers and how to get each resource.^[2]

The sources don't show which quest comes after The Old Ways. The text of 36 of the chapter's 57 quests is in the quest book, so check there for what follows.^[2]

Version in this pack

The pack's mod list gives Create Sifting as version 1.21.1-2.2.2, while the jar file is named createsifter-1.21.1-2.3.0. The mod has been in the pack since 1.0.3 or earlier.^[3]

Sifting is the Create route to early resources in this pack. You find it in the "Getting Started" chapter of the quest book (chapter 4 of 31, in the Main Questline group). One quest there says you can generate resources in 3 ways and get a bonus Boost for only 1 of them. Here is the order I'd go in.^[2]

Step one: grab your Cloth Mesh

Your starter island or ship has an Aero Scoop. The quest "The Aero Scoop" quest says the Cloth Mesh is in a barrel, usually close to the Scoop. Grab it now. "The Old Ways" quest asks for a Mechanical Cloth Mesh too, so this is your first mesh for sifting.^[2]

Step two: follow the Path of Prospecting

"Path of Prospecting" quest is the sifter route. It tells you to drip a bucket's worth of water over Andesite, which forms deposits of Andesite Amalgam that you can mine for early Andesite Alloy. "The Old Ways" quest comes right after it in the chapter.^[2]

Step three: craft the Sifter

Next, make the Sifter. This is the in-pack recipe:^[4]

SifterMod recipe

Crafting Shaped

Crafting Shaped

any plank	Andesite Casing	any plank
Stick	Cogwheel	Stick
Empty slot	any stone	Empty slot

Recipe id: createsifter:crafting/sifter

Step four: power it and feed it

The Sifter is powered from the side using cogwheels. Throw or insert items at the top, wait a bit, then right-click to collect the result. Automation can also extract the outputs.^[5]

The quest says Sifters process loose materials made by hammers, such as gravel, sand and dust. "Auto-Hammers" quest covers Auto-Hammers, which pull from an inventory on one side, crush the block and push the result to an inventory on the opposite side.^[2]

Right-click the Sifter with a mesh to add it. Right-click with an empty hand to clear its inventories.^[1]

What the pack's config says

• The Sifter's stress impact is 4 (stressValues.v1.impact.sifter), and its minimum speed is 1 (Sifter.minimumSpeed).^[6]
• Its output capacity is 16 (Sifter.outputCapacity).^[6]
• Mesh durability is switched off in this pack, both by hand (Meshes.useMeshDurabilityWithHand) and in the Sifter (Meshes.useMeshDurabilityWithSifter). Both are set to false.^[6]

Better meshes later

The quest explains that better mesh tiers, from cloth up to diamond, usually find more resources but need the Sifter to run at a higher base speed. The blazing mechanical mesh works differently: it directly generates smelted metal ingots in exchange for destroying some other resources. The quest points you to the Sifting GuideMe for tiers and how to obtain each resource.^[2]

Advanced meshes only work in the Brass Sifter. In this pack it has a stress impact of 16 (stressValues.v1.impact.brass_sifter) and its output capacity is 8 ([[config:config/createsifter-server.toml#Brass Sifter.outputCapacity]]), the same as the mod default.^[1][6]

After the path you pick, iron should come easily, and "Proper Materials" quest opens up the rest of the chapter. The Old Ways is one of the quests it follows. The quest book has more quests in this chapter than are covered here, so check it for the rest.^[2]

The Sifter is the heart of this mod. You feed it items, it sifts them with a mesh, and you collect the results. It works much like a Create millstone, so if you have used one, this will feel familiar.^[1][5]

Powering and feeding the Sifter

The Sifter is powered from the side with cogwheels. Items go in at the top: you can throw them in, insert them by hand, or automate it with hoppers, funnels or chutes.^[1][5]

In this pack the Sifter has a stress impact of 4 (stressValues.v1.impact.sifter), and the Brass Sifter has 16 (stressValues.v1.impact.brass_sifter). The minimum speed the Sifter needs is set by Sifter.minimumSpeed, which is 1 here, the same as the mod default.^[6]

SifterMod recipe

Crafting Shaped

Crafting Shaped

any plank	Andesite Casing	any plank
Stick	Cogwheel	Stick
Empty slot	any stone	Empty slot

Recipe id: createsifter:crafting/sifter

This is the pack's crafting recipe for the Sifter.

Meshes

The mesh decides what a sifting recipe gives you. Right-click the Sifter with a mesh to install it. The mod ships String, Andesite, Brass and Sturdy meshes, plus a Zinc mesh added for modpacks. Meshes also work in your hand, like Create's sandpaper.^[1][5]

The Advanced versions (Advanced Brass, Advanced Sturdy and Advanced Custom) only work in the Brass Sifter. If a recipe needs it, the recipe screen shows a note that it requires the brass sifter.^[1][5]

Collecting the output

After some time, right-click the Sifter to take the result. Automation can also pull the outputs out.^[1][5]

Right-clicking with an empty hand clears the Sifter's inventories, in this order: output first, then input. Shift + right-click removes the mesh.^[1]

The Sifter's output capacity is set by Sifter.outputCapacity, which is 16 here and matches the mod default.^[6]

The Brass Sifter

The Brass Sifter is the upgraded, automation-friendly version. A high redstone signal disables processing, it has an output filter, and it has a bigger output capacity. It also processes several items per cycle.^[1]

In this pack, [[config:config/createsifter-server.toml#Brass Sifter.outputCapacity]] is 8, described in the config as the items processed per cycle. That is the mod default. The mod page says both the processing amount and the capacity are configurable.^[1][6]

Waterlogged recipes

Some recipes are waterlogged: a waterlogged Sifter can give you different output. A mesh in your hand counts as waterlogged when you are standing in a liquid block.^[1]

Recipes can also be set to require the Brass Sifter even with a normal mesh. Recipes with the same mesh and input block are merged, which makes compatibility with other mods easier.^[1]

If you write your own sifting recipes with KubeJS, the processing time is optional and defaults to 500.^[1]

Unverified The pack has a recipe removals script (kubejs/server_scripts/recipes/removals.js), but the sources here do not show its contents, so what it changes for sifting recipes is unverified.

You meet the Sifter in the Getting Started chapter of the Main Questline group, chapter 4 of 31 in the quest book. It sits on the Prospecting path, one of three ways you can start generating resources.^[2]

Choosing the Prospecting path

After "Cobble and Stone!" quest, the quest a quest in "Getting Started" explains that you can choose which method you generate resources with. You can do all 3, but you only get 1 bonus Boost, for your preferred method.^[2]

"Path of Prospecting" quest is the Create route. It uses Create sifters to potentially automate the production of resources from the essence-rich void. To start, you drip a bucket's worth of water over Andesite. That forms deposits of Andesite Amalgam, which you can mine for early Andesite Alloy.^[2]

Next comes "The Old Ways" quest, the quest that asks you for the sifter and a Mechanical Cloth Mesh. It says sifters connect to rotational power with cogs, and that they process loose materials made by hammers, such as gravel, sand and dust. You can insert items by hand or through more automated means, and extract them the same way.^[2]

Crafting the sifter

SifterMod recipe

Crafting Shaped

Crafting Shaped

any plank	Andesite Casing	any plank
Stick	Cogwheel	Stick
Empty slot	any stone	Empty slot

Recipe id: createsifter:crafting/sifter

This is the in-pack recipe for the sifter, a shaped crafting recipe.

Mesh tiers

The mesh you put in the sifter sets your tier. According to the quest, better meshes typically find more resources, running from cloth up to diamond, and the better ones need the sifter to run at a higher base speed.^[2]

The blazing mechanical mesh works differently. Instead of just picking out resources, it directly generates smelted ingots of metals, in exchange for destroying some alternate resources. The quest points you to the Sifting GuideMe for more on tiers and on how to obtain each resource.^[2]

What comes next

The Old Ways is one of three quests that lead into "Proper Materials" quest. The other two are "Clusters of Creation" quest and "Essential Waters" quest, which belong to the other two paths. Whichever path you pick, the quest says iron should then come easily enough, opening up further progression through vanilla and mods.^[2]

After Proper Materials you will also find "Auto-Hammers" quest, which covers machines that break blocks down into smaller bits without you doing it by hand. That pairs nicely with sifters, since they work on loose materials like gravel, sand and dust.^[2]

Create Sifting is built to sit on top of Create, and this pack also wires it into Farmer's Delight. Here is what the in-pack recipes and quests show.^[1][4]

Create

The Sifter is crafted from Create parts, so you need some of Create's basic components before you can sift. Along with those it uses a stick, any stone and any planks.^[4]

SifterMod recipe

Crafting Shaped

Crafting Shaped

any plank	Andesite Casing	any plank
Stick	Cogwheel	Stick
Empty slot	any stone	Empty slot

Recipe id: createsifter:crafting/sifter

Once it's placed, the quest book says you power it with rotation by connecting it to cogs. It takes items inserted by hand or by automation, and you can pull items out the same way.^[2]

Sifting also gives you Create's crushed ores. Four Raw Silver Piece combine in a shapeless craft into one Crushed Raw Silver. Four Raw Quicksilver Piece do the same to make one Crushed Raw Quicksilver.^[4]

Crushed Raw SilverMod recipe

Crafting Shapeless

• Raw Silver Piece
• Raw Silver Piece
• Raw Silver Piece
• Raw Silver Piece

Recipe id: createsifter:shapeless/raw_silver_piece

Crushed Raw QuicksilverMod recipe

Crafting Shapeless

• Raw Quicksilver Piece
• Raw Quicksilver Piece
• Raw Quicksilver Piece
• Raw Quicksilver Piece

Recipe id: createsifter:shapeless/raw_quicksilver_piece

Farmer's Delight

Two compat sifting recipes give you Farmer's Delight crops from plain Dirt. With either an Andesite Mesh or a String Mesh, the outputs are Cabbage Seeds, Rice Crops and Tomato Seeds. That makes sifting an early way to start these crops.^[4]

Cabbage Seeds, Tomato Seeds, Rice CropsMod recipe

Sifting (createsifter)

• Andesite Mesh
• Dirt

Recipe id: createsifter:sifting/compat/fd_dirt_andesite

Cabbage Seeds, Tomato Seeds, Rice CropsMod recipe

Sifting (createsifter)

• String Mesh
• Dirt

Recipe id: createsifter:sifting/compat/fd_string_dirt_string

In the quest book

The sifter is introduced by the quest "The Old Ways" quest in the "Getting Started" chapter of the Main Questline. It comes after the Path of Prospecting quest and asks you for a sifter and a cloth mesh, which comes from a different mod's namespace.^[2]

That quest also says meshes generally find more resources the higher their tier, from cloth to diamond, and that higher tiers need the sifter to run at a higher base speed. It adds that the blazing mechanical mesh works differently: it directly produces smelted metal ingots in exchange for destroying some other resources.^[2]

Most of the chapter's other quests aren't covered here. If you want the full picture, check the quest book itself.^[2]

Only one quest in the pack asks for the Sifter directly. It sits in the "Getting Started" chapter, which is chapter 4 of 31 in the book and part of the "Main Questline" group.^[2]

The Prospecting path

The sifter belongs to the Prospecting path, one of three ways the pack lets you generate resources. The path begins with "Path of Prospecting" quest. Its text says this route uses Create sifters to potentially automate resource production, and it starts by dripping a bucket's worth of water over andesite to form deposits of Andesite Amalgam. You mine those for early Andesite Alloy, and the quest's tasks ask for andesite and Andesite Alloy.^[2]

The Old Ways

"The Old Ways" quest comes straight after Path of Prospecting. Its tasks ask for the Sifter, a cloth mesh (Mechanical Cloth Mesh) and one more item that the book doesn't name.^[2]

The quest text explains how sifting works in the pack. You connect sifters to rotational power with cogs, and they process loose materials made by hammers, such as gravel, sand and dust, to pick out useful resources. Sifters take items inserted by hand or by automation, and items can be extracted the same way.^[2]

Meshes come in tiers, from cloth up to diamond. Better meshes typically find more resources but need the sifter to run at a higher base speed. The blazing mechanical mesh works differently: it directly generates smelted metal ingots in exchange for destroying some alternate resources. The quest points you to the Sifting GuideMe for more on tiers and how to obtain each resource.^[2]

What comes next

• "Stress Relief" quest follows The Old Ways (it also needs the Path Rewards Link quest). It's a one-time starter bonus for Prospecting, completed by checking the checkmark.^[2]
• "Proper Materials" quest also follows The Old Ways. It needs Clusters of Creation and Essential Waters as well, which are the end points of the other two paths. It asks for an iron ingot.^[2]

Same as in the FTB Skies 2 1.22.0 guide

Create Sifting has only a handful of options, and most of them are untouched in this pack. The one real change is mesh durability, so that's the first thing to check.^[7]

Mesh durability (changed by the pack)

The mod normally applies mesh durability only to hand sifting. This pack turns that off as well, so meshes don't wear down whether you sift by hand or with a sifter.^[1][7]

• Meshes.useMeshDurabilityWithHand is set to false in this pack.^[7]
• Meshes.useMeshDurabilityWithSifter is also set to false.^[7]

Capacity and speed (mod defaults)

• Sifter.outputCapacity is 16, the same as the mod default. It controls the sifter's output item capacity.^[7]
• [[config:config/createsifter-server.toml#Brass Sifter.outputCapacity]] is 8, also the mod default. It sets how many items the brass sifter processes per cycle.^[1][7]
• Sifter.minimumSpeed is 1, the mod default. This is the minimum speed the sifter needs to run.^[7]

Stress impact

The pack sets the stress impact of the basic sifter (stressValues.v1.impact.sifter) to 4, and the brass sifter (stressValues.v1.impact.brass_sifter) to 16. The sources don't list mod defaults for these, so I can't say whether the pack changed them.^[7]

Client visuals

Both client options are set to true in this pack: mechanicalSifterClient.v1.renderMovingMesh and mechanicalSifterClient.v1.renderSiftedBlock. The sifter renders its moving mesh and the block being sifted. If you need a few extra frames, these are the places to look.^[8]

FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.10.0 ships Create Sifting 1.21.1-2.2.2. The mod was already in the pack by FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.0.3 or earlier, so it has been part of Aero for a long time.^[3]

Create Sifting 1.21.1-2.2.2

• Bumped Mechanicals lib. That is the only entry in this version's changelog, so there are no listed gameplay changes to relearn.^[9]

Pack changelogs

There are no pack changelog entries for this mod, so I can't point you to a specific Aero release that changed its behavior.^[3]

Unverified The mod list names the jar file createsifter-1.21.1-2.3.0.jar, while the same entry lists the version as 1.21.1-2.2.2. Which of the two numbers is the real build, and what a 2.3.0 build would change, is not confirmed by the sources I have.