Using Modules

## What are modules

Modules are 4D alien-tech boxes. They contain a large factory machine inside a 4D container (a bit like the TARDIS in Doctor Who), they only take up less than a metre of floor space, but inside is a complex machine/factory that produces a wide variety of products.

## General usage

Each module works the same, even though they perform different actions. They have a small display on the front which shows it's current status, also a panel below that with it's unique name, which you can give it such as "Drinking water maker"

Pressing E when looking at a module will do a split-screen of your inventory contents and the contents of the module, so that you can transfer items between them.

Pressing F when looking at a module will bring up it's control panel, Here you can switch the module on and off, select what you'd like to manufacture (most modules will make several different items), on the right side you can choose how many you'd like to make, either "infinite" will just keep making things as long as you keep feeding it what it needs, but if you select a number it will make that amount and then shut down.

## Heater Module

This is basically a fancy oven, it can gently warm a chicken egg to incubate it, you can cook bread and cake on higher temperatures, the heater will select the correct temperature for you

## Smelter Module

Smelters are are more powerful version of the heater module, it gets so hot it can melt ore into molten metals.

## Metal casting module

A general purpose casting machine to take in molten metals and cast them into ingots for use in further construction and manufacturing.

## Electrolytic Separator module

These modules use electricity to atomically split chemicals into smaller parts, for instance you may know water is H2O, this machine will split the H2O into 2x Hydrogen and 1xOxygen atom, if you use dirty water they'll be a little stone waste too. Using the above selected as the 'recipe' for this machine you can make Oxygen for your colonists and Hydrogen for your jetpack or to generate power using a gas turbine generator

## Chemical Processor module

Another work-horse module, it mixes, heats and cools chemicals together to transform them into other chemicals, cleaning water, mixing up some acid, so many uses.

## Granulator module

This grinds bulky materials down and even down into fine powders, a popular use would be to grind wheat into flour.

## Mixer module

Mixes both wet and dry materials into something more useful, like making bread dough or mixing wort, which can then be fermented into space beer.

## Fermenter module

Fermenting space beer is the primary use for this module, but there are other uses too.. probably.

## Press module

You can use this to compress or compact items, or to squeeze oils or juices out of an item

## 3D Printer module

The first 3D printers were limited to mainly use plastics, but things have improved, this 3D printer can use stone and metals too, to construct a wide variety of items.

## Basic Constructor module

The main purpose is to take in raw and processed materials and construct them into and end-product.

## Refinery module

Refines solids and liquids down into a more pure form. You end up with less stuff, but it's more more concentrated.

## Gas Refinery module

This will separate gases as well as make them more potent. The main use is probably to take in natural gas and split it into Methane, Ethane and Butane.

## Steam cracker module

This uses super-heated steam to crack chemicals and gases.

## Alloy Mixer module

Mixes molten ores together to them be sent to a casting machine, so for instance molten iron and coal to make molten steel and the steel ingots and steel screws, very handy for construction.

## Seed Extractor module

Rather than keep buying seeds from the aliens, you can place a harvested item such as a tomato in here, you'll loose the tomato, but gain the seeds, so no more trips the the farming supplies store!

## Composter module

Only really one purpose, turns biomass into compost, so wasted food that has rotted into biomass can be re-cycled into compost to grow more food.

## Sawmill module

Logs of lumber can be useful, but sawing them into planks not only increases their value, but makes useful items too.

## Liquefier module

Turns solids into liquids using extreme pressure and heat.

## Cryo-Freezer module

The opposite of the liquefier, turns gases into liquid and liquids into solids.