Streamlining Smelting with Raw Ore to Blocks – Blue Skies Add-on
Minecraft’s endless possibilities often mean juggling dozens of mods and datapacks to get the exact experience you want. If you have ever stared at a furnace waiting for raw ore blocks to transform into their smelted counterparts, you know how tedious the process can be. The Raw Ore to Blocks (ROtB) datapack already solves this beautifully for vanilla materials, and now the dedicated Blue Skies add-on extends that efficiency to one of the most enchanting dimension mods available. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about combining these two tools, from installation to the clever advancements that reward your industrial ambitions.
What Exactly Does This Add-on Do?
At its core, the Blue Skies add-on is a bridge between the main ROtB datapack and the Blue Skies mod. While ROtB lets you smelt entire raw ore blocks into their smelted block forms in a furnace or blast furnace, it only covers vanilla ores by default. This add-on injects that same logic into every raw ore block introduced by Blue Skies — think horonite, ventium, and aquite. Instead of smelting individual raw ore pieces one by one, you can toss a whole raw ore block into the furnace and get a full smelted ore block in return, saving both fuel and real-world minutes.
The Efficiency Behind the Recipes
The add-on introduces custom smelting and blasting recipes for all Blue Skies raw ore blocks. A blast furnace, naturally, doubles the speed, so you can churn through your mining haul in record time. The recipes mirror the main datapack’s philosophy: one raw ore block yields one smelted ore block, maintaining the 9:1 ratio you would get from smelting individual raw ore items. The difference is the convenience of processing in bulk. If your base is powered by hopper-fed furnace arrays, this add-on will slot in without any extra redstone tinkering.
Advancements That Reward Discovery
Minecraft thrives on small moments of progression, and this add-on delivers them through custom advancements. The first time you smelt a raw horonite block, for example, you will unlock an advancement that grants a handful of experience points. It is a subtle nudge that makes experimenting with the new recipes feel genuinely rewarding. These advancements cover every Blue Skies ore type, so completionists will have a few extra goals to chase while exploring the Everbright and Everdawn dimensions.
What You Need Before Diving In
This is not a standalone datapack. You must have both the main Raw Ore to Blocks datapack (or mod version) and the Blue Skies mod installed. The add-on merely patches the missing recipes; without the base ROtB file, the smelting logic will not exist, and without Blue Skies, there are no ores to apply it to. Load order matters slightly: ensure the main ROtB datapack loads first, then this add-on. Most launchers handle this automatically, but if you are manually placing files, keep the add-on above or after the main pack in the datapacks folder.
For those who prefer a streamlined modding experience, you can easily install this add-on via the foxygame.net launcher — a convenient, flexible, and modern Minecraft launcher where you can download mods right from the menu. It automatically resolves dependencies and keeps your modpack tidy, so you spend less time troubleshooting and more time smelting those beautiful Blue Skies blocks.
Installation Walkthrough
Getting the add-on running takes just a few steps, whether you are on a singleplayer world or a server. Here is the typical process:
- Download the main Raw Ore to Blocks datapack from its official project page (no external links, just search the name).
- Download the Blue Skies mod and its required dependencies, such as the Structure Gel API.
- Download the Raw Ore to Blocks – Blue Skies Add-on datapack.
- Place the main ROtB datapack and the add-on into your world’s
datapacksfolder. - Launch the game, open your world, and run
/reloadif it was already loaded. - Verify that the recipes appear in the recipe book by searching for a Blue Skies raw ore block.
If you are using a modded version of ROtB instead of the datapack, the process is similar — just drop the add-on datapack into the world folder and the mod will handle the rest. Always check that your Blue Skies version matches the add-on’s supported version to avoid missing recipes.
Compatibility and Future Updates
The add-on is designed to work alongside the main ROtB pack without conflicts. It does not overwrite any vanilla recipes or interfere with other datapacks that add custom smelting, as long as they do not target the same Blue Skies blocks. The creator has committed to updating the add-on whenever a major Blue Skies update drops or when the main ROtB datapack changes significantly. If you spot a new Blue Skies ore that has not been covered, reaching out on the support Discord is the best way to flag it. Community feedback often drives these quick compatibility patches.
Why This Combo Matters for Your World
Blue Skies is a mod that rewards exploration with gorgeous new dimensions, but its ore processing can feel sluggish if you are used to bulk smelting mods. Pairing it with ROtB and this add-on turns your furnace wall into an industrial powerhouse without altering the core balance. You still need to mine the ores, you still need fuel, but the time sink shrinks dramatically. It is a quality-of-life improvement that respects the vanilla smelting loop while acknowledging that your time is better spent fighting the Alchemist boss or building a starlit bridge in the Everdawn.
Whether you are a veteran modpack builder or someone dipping into Blue Skies for the first time, this add-on removes a layer of monotony. The custom advancements add a touch of guidance, and the seamless integration with ROtB means you can treat all ores — vanilla and modded — with the same efficient workflow. Install it once, and every raw ore block becomes a single furnace operation away from a gleaming stack of smelted blocks.
Final Thoughts
The Raw Ore to Blocks – Blue Skies Add-on is a small but impactful datapack that marries two excellent projects. It eliminates the friction of processing modded ores, rewards you with experience for trying new recipes, and stays true to the original ROtB vision. With straightforward installation and a clear update path, it is an easy recommendation for anyone who loves Blue Skies but hates waiting on furnaces. Grab the main ROtB file, the add-on, and let your smelting array handle the rest while you venture deeper into the skies.