Automating AE2 Crafting Chains with the Recursive Pattern Provider
Applied Energistics 2 is the backbone of advanced Minecraft automation, but setting up autocrafting for complex recipes can become a tedious chore. You spend hours manually creating patterns for every intermediate component, from sticks and planks to smelted ingots. The Recursive AE2 Pattern Provider mod flips this workflow on its head by automatically generating dependency patterns, so you only need to define the final recipe and let the system handle the rest. It is a game-changer for anyone who has ever stared at a wall of pattern encoders, wondering why they are still doing bookkeeping instead of building.
What Makes Recursive Pattern Generation So Powerful
At its core, this mod introduces a single, elegant mechanic: crafting an AE2 pattern together with a configured recipe item transforms it into a recursive pattern. Once placed inside a Pattern Provider, that recursive pattern will automatically create all missing sub-patterns needed for the final product. The logic drills down through ingredients of ingredients, respecting the recursion depth you set in the configuration. This means a single recursive Iron Pickaxe pattern can auto-generate patterns for sticks, iron ingots, and even the smelting step if you are using raw iron, without you ever touching a pattern encoder for those components.
Smart Dependency Handling and Recipe Discovery
The mod does not blindly create patterns for every item in the game. It checks whether an ingredient actually has a valid crafting, smelting, smithing, or stonecutting recipe before generating a pattern. This intelligent filtering prevents clutter and ensures only meaningful automation chains are built. If you set a non-crafting pattern as recursive, you need to place it in a Pattern Provider attached to a Molecular Assembler, keeping the system fully compatible with AE2's standard rules.
Key Features That Transform Your AE2 Workflow
- Automatic Pattern Generation: Smart dependencies recursively create patterns for missing crafting ingredients up to a configurable depth. The mod discovers recipes on its own, so you never have to map out every intermediate step manually.
- Per-Pattern Control: Any AE2 pattern—crafting, processing, smithing table, or stonecutting—can be made recursive by crafting it with the recipe item (default iron ingot). To remove recursion, simply craft the recursive pattern alone, reverting it to a normal pattern.
- Visual Feedback: Enhanced tooltips clearly indicate whether a pattern is recursive and provide concise usage instructions, so you always know the state of your automation setup.
- Flexible Configuration: Adjust recursion depth (-1 for unlimited, 0 to disable, positive numbers to cap), change the recipe item to anything from diamond to a calculation processor, and control whether auto-generated patterns inherit substitute settings from their parent.
How to Use the Recursive Pattern Provider
Step 1: Create Your Base Pattern
Start by encoding any pattern in an AE2 Pattern Encoding Terminal as you normally would. For example, set up an Iron Pickaxe crafting pattern that requires iron ingots and sticks.
Step 2: Make It Recursive
Take that pattern and craft it together with the configured recipe item (default iron ingot) in any crafting table. The result is a recursive pattern. To later remove recursion, simply craft the recursive pattern by itself, and it returns to a normal state.
If you are running a modpack and want to streamline the entire installation process, you can grab the Recursive AE2 Pattern Provider directly from the foxygame.net launcher. This modern launcher lets you browse and download mods right from its menu, making it incredibly convenient to keep your automation tools up to date without juggling multiple websites.
Step 3: Install in a Pattern Provider
Place the recursive pattern into any Pattern Provider connected to your ME network. The mod takes over from here.
Step 4: Watch the Magic Happen
When you request an Iron Pickaxe, the system automatically generates patterns for sticks, iron ingots, and any deeper dependencies like planks or smelted iron. You will see the intermediate steps appear in your crafting monitor without ever having encoded them yourself.
Real-World Example: Iron Pickaxe Automation
In traditional AE2, autocrafting an Iron Pickaxe forces you to manually create patterns for sticks, iron ingots (often a smelting pattern if you process raw iron), and planks if you craft sticks from logs. With the Recursive Pattern Provider, you create one recursive Iron Pickaxe pattern. The mod then auto-generates stick patterns, iron ingot patterns, and even plank patterns if needed, respecting the recursion depth you set. The entire tree builds itself in seconds, saving you from repetitive pattern encoding and letting you focus on larger factory designs.
Configuration and Customization
The mod stores its settings in config/recursiveae2patternprovider-common.toml. You can disable the entire mod with a single toggle, set the recursion depth, and define default substitute behaviors for auto-generated patterns. The recipe item is fully customizable; you might change it to a diamond or an AE2 calculation processor to gate recursive pattern creation behind a more expensive resource.
# Enable/disable the entire mod enableRecursiveAE2PatternProvider = true # Maximum recursion depth (-1 = unlimited, 0 = disabled, 1+ = limited depth) recursionDepth = -1 # Default substitute settings for auto-generated patterns defaultAllowSubstitutes = false defaultAllowFluidSubstitutes = false
Compatibility and Performance
Built for Minecraft 1.21.1 and NeoForge, the mod requires Applied Energistics 2 and integrates smoothly with Extended AE (from version 1.0.5) and Advanced AE (from 1.0.6, though not their Advanced Processing Pattern). It works on both dedicated servers and single-player worlds. Smart caching prevents duplicate pattern generation, and the mod only creates patterns when actually needed, so performance impact is minimal. Because it uses AE2’s existing pattern system, there are no compatibility headaches with other autocrafting addons.
Conclusion
The Recursive AE2 Pattern Provider turns the most tedious part of AE2 automation into a one-click affair. Instead of micromanaging dozens of intermediate patterns, you define the end goal and let the mod build the crafting tree for you. The per-pattern control, visual feedback, and deep configuration options give you precision without sacrificing convenience. Whether you are setting up a simple ore processing line or a massive autocrafting network for every item in your modpack, this tool dramatically reduces setup time and keeps your pattern inventory clean. Once you experience recursive pattern generation, you will wonder why you ever did it the old way.