Stone Processing

Stone Processing - getting more from Stone.

Vanilla - No - Mods.

Reap some reward for all that rock you are carting around.
Alter the definition of Stone to include traces of other Ores & setup the Refinery to process it all.

Space Engineers v1.189 effects on this process are noted in the guide below.

Overview

Stone Processing in Space Engineers



The amount of stone collected during mining activity can get a bit ovewhelming.
And IRL Stone is not just Stone, right?
It has always seemed a little wierd to me that in SE, Stone is just Stone.

This is what I did to test a simple system for the processing of stone.
I'm not saying it is the only or the best, but just what I did.
And I thought I'd put it up here for the information of anyone interested, and who might want to try something similar.
Lots of everyone playing SE already have their ways of handling Stone, just maybe this guide will help some SE newcomers handle the Stone thing...

It was built in and for Creative mode, tested OK in Survival.

I altered the Stone "blueprint" to include traces of other Ores within the Stone.
I created a Local mod for this, and left the vanilla files untouched.

The process works to refine Stone into Gravel (the normal product of this process) and other Ores.
The remaining Gravel is dumped (I have no need for it) and these other Ores are further refined into Ingots.

* This would probably work in conjunction with one of those 'duster' mods, for the environmentally conscious.
* Gravel does (or did have) some use in creation of Reactor components.

Definition File

The blueprint for Stone is found within the blueprints.sbc file:
EG - C:\Steam\steamapps\common\SpaceEngineers\Content\Data\blueprints.sbc

I created mod folders, myOreProcessing\Data in the Space Engineers Mods folder:
Result = C:\Users\glenn\AppData\Roaming\SpaceEngineers\Mods\myOreProcessing\Data

Copy blueprints.sbc into the Data folder.
Open the file in a text editor, and locate:

<Blueprint>
      <Id>
        <TypeId>BlueprintDefinition</TypeId>
        <SubtypeId>StoneOreToIngot</SubtypeId>
      </Id>
      <DisplayName>DisplayName_Item_Gravel</DisplayName>
      <Icon>Textures\GUI\Icons\ingot\gravel_ingot.dds</Icon>
      <Prerequisites>
        <Item Amount="1" TypeId="Ore" SubtypeId="Stone" />
      </Prerequisites>
      <Result Amount="0.9" TypeId="Ingot" SubtypeId="Stone" />
      <BaseProductionTimeInSeconds>0.1</BaseProductionTimeInSeconds>
    </Blueprint>

This defines the vanilla composition of Stone.
Stone is Stone and can be refined to Gravel, an Ingot.

I substituted the code above with:

<Blueprint>
      <Id>
        <TypeId>BlueprintDefinition</TypeId>
        <SubtypeId>StoneOreToIngot</SubtypeId>
      </Id>
      <DisplayName>DisplayName_Item_Gravel</DisplayName>
      <Icon>Textures\GUI\Icons\ingot\gravel_ingot.dds</Icon>
      <Prerequisites>
        <Item Amount="1" TypeId="Ore" SubtypeId="Stone" />
      </Prerequisites>
      <Results>
		<Item Amount="0.0475" TypeId="Ingot" SubtypeId="Stone" />
		<Item Amount="0.0056" TypeId="Ore" SubtypeId="Iron" />
                <Item Amount="0.0031" TypeId="Ore" SubtypeId="Silicon" />
		<Item Amount="0.0040" TypeId="Ore" SubtypeId="Nickel" />
		<Item Amount="0.0022" TypeId="Ore" SubtypeId="Cobalt" />
		<Item Amount="0.0014" TypeId="Ore" SubtypeId="Silver" />
		<Item Amount="0.0011" TypeId="Ore" SubtypeId="Gold" />
		<Item Amount="0.0018" TypeId="Ore" SubtypeId="Magnesium" />
		<Item Amount="0.0002" TypeId="Ore" SubtypeId="Uranium" />
		<Item Amount="0.0005" TypeId="Ore" SubtypeId="Platinum" />		
		<Item Amount="0.0027" TypeId="Ore" SubtypeId="Ice" />
      </Results>  
      <BaseProductionTimeInSeconds>0.1</BaseProductionTimeInSeconds>
    </Blueprint>

Now Stone is more than Stone.
It has other stuff in it.

This is how it was:

This is how it is:
.
UPDATE: In the code above, swap out the line

<Item Amount="0.0475" TypeId="Ingot" SubtypeId="Stone" />

for

<Item Amount="0.0475" TypeId="Ore" SubtypeId="Stone" />

to have Stone re-processed and further refined without production of any Gravel.
Stone will be cycled out of, and back to the Refinery many times until it is all consumed.
Be aware this will increase the total process time for each input, considerably.

NOTE: The just released Space Engineers v1.189 makes changes to Stone, giving ingots of stone(gravel), iron, nickel & silicon from stone processing. The recent Blueprints.sbc file can be edited similar to above.

Components

Collector x 1
Refinery x 1
Conveyor Sorter x 5
Small Cargo Container x 1
Connector x 1
Small Reactor x 1
O2H2 Generator x 1
Oxygen Tank x 1

* In this test system, Power, Yield & Speed modules are fitted to the Refinery.

Process

Collector:
Stone is dropped into the Collector. (Shift+F10 to spawn Stone)
I use 1 Collector here to test the workings of the system, but on a ship/station
these inputs could easily come in via an array of Collectors or Drills, or a Connector.

Refinery:
The Refinery automatically pulls in Ores from any connected inventories. (here, the Collector)
The Refinery has 2 inventories;
(1) Ores for processing - all Ores including Stone, Scrap Metal; and
(2) Materials Processed - normally, all Ingots, Silicone Wafers, Magnesium Powder & Gravel.

*Ice is defined as an Ore, however a Refinery does not process ice, and does not pull it in from any connected inventory.

On "first pass" through the Refinery, Stone occupies a place in Inventory(1) - Ores for processing,
and is processed into Gravel and the other Ores - ores as defined in the blueprints.sbc file.
The Gravel and other Ores are moved to Inventory(2) - materials processed.
It would be normal when refining Stone, to see Gravel in this inventory, Gravel is an Ingot.
However to find the other Ores here is not normal.
Without further intervention, the other Ores will not be processed to Ingots at this point.
They need to be removed from the Refinery and returned back, to Inventory(1) - Ores for processing.

Sorter 1:
Drain All - On
Whitelisted - Ore, Ingots
Pulls Ores and Ingots from the Refinery, sending them to the Small Cargo Container.

Small Cargo Container:
Stores Ores and Ingots from the Refinery.
Other Ores refined from Stone will appear only to pass through the Small Cargo Container.
A ship system might use a Large or Small Cargo Container here, with conveyors off to other storage or Assemblers etc..

* During testing I found another Cargo Container connected to this system, was pulling Ores from the Small Cargo Container before Sorter 2(below) could pull them and return them to the Refinery.

Sorter 2:
Drain All - On
Whitelisted - Ore
Pulls ores from the Small Cargo Container, returning them to the Refinery.

The Ores go to the Refinery's Inventory(1) - Ores for processing.
They are subsequently processed and the Ingots produced are moved to Inventory(2) - Materials processed.

* The Refinery will by default process all Stone before the other Ores, but Stone can be moved
in the Inventory(1) queue to override this sequence.

Sorter 3:
Drain All - On
Whitelisted - Gravel
Pulls Gravel from the Small Cargo Container, sending it to the Connector.

Connector:
Throw Out - On
Collect All - On
Ejects Gravel to space.

* Tweak the world setting Max. Objects if you're concerned about the amount of gravel to space.
* The Connector could be replaced with a Cargo Container if you had a need to store it.
* Gravel does (or did have) some use in creation of Reactor components.

A further 2 sorters are included here to feed other systems, however these are not required
for my system to just process Stone.

Sorter 4:
Drain All - On
Whitelisted - Uranium Ingots
Pulls Uranium Ingots from the Small Cargo Container, sending them to the Small Reactor.

Sorter 5:
Drain All - On
Whitelisted - Ice
Pulls Ice from the Small Cargo Container, sending it to the O2/H2 Generator.

NOTE: An additonal Refinery could be installed to share the workload in this process. Try sending ores from the Refinery already installed, for re-processing by the second Refinery after Sorter 2.
This leaves the first refinery to process the stone to gravel & others ores, and the second refinery to process the other ores to Ingots.

Further...

With a Programmable Block and script, the Refinery and Sorters turn on/off as required.
Tested OK in Survival.

NOTE: With Space Engineers v1.189 the script for my PB above is broken, however the Re-Processing as set out above is working fine.

* Ice is defined as an Ore, however a Refinery does not process ice, and does not pull it in from any connected inventory. With the system above, Ice alone dropped into the Collector remained there, not triggering the Refinery startup. When another ore was added to the Collector, triggering the Refinery startup, the Ice passed through the Refinery to the Small Cargo Container, and hence onto the O2H2 Generator. A workaround would be to use Conveyors to route the Ice 'direct' from the Collector to the O2H2 Generator, and Ice refined from the Stone would still pass from the refinery, as do the other Ores.

FYI I have uploaded a blueprint for the above system: Link...

A slower process than when all are powered up 24/7, but nice if you're into flashing lights...
I use this on a ship where power consumption is an issue, & on another ship during "off-peak" periods when processing-time is not an issue. I don't play much Survival, rather build things without constraints, but even in Creative, for me, systems and ships/stations must be efficient and power and time are monitored always.

[Wimwyn]

Well then, congratulations - Because at the time that I found this I was browsing featured guides :)

[glenn52]

See note under Definition File above:

NOTE: The just released Space Engineers v1.189 makes changes to Stone, giving ingots of stone(gravel), iron, nickel & silicon from stone processing. The recent Blueprints.sbc file can be edited similar to above.

[glenn52]

The ability to process out other materials from stone was added in an update in Feb 2019, after this guide was published.
By default, processing stone will give ingots (iron, nickel, silicon) and gravel.

[Wimwyn]

at the top of the window on that link click "Pojop's Screenshots" if you want to see more, I took a couple of various stages including filling it up - for the purposes of showing you this I turned creator mode on to make it instant and fast but its not required.

[Wimwyn]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1965361618

Here's all you need.

a block to put it on,
a basic refinery
a power source
fill it up with stone

[Wimwyn]

https://spaceengineers.fandom.com/wiki/Basic_Refinery

[Wimwyn]

As far as I know you just need to put your stone in the basic refinery, having somewhere for the refined materials to go (cargo container) is handy, and of course requires power.

1 wind turbine is sufficient for the basic refinery itself. If you are adding it to an already existing base then just making sure you have adequate power should be enough - Taking into consideration that if you are using Solar Panels they don't work at night.

Pretty understandable in itself as that is how solar panels work in real life. Being part of a game I had not considered it before my entire base lost power :P

[Jakaya]

@pojop Many thanks for this detailed explanation I have built a basic refinery however it appears to not be working additional steps maybe required please provide further detail on operating a basic refinery.

Many Thanks,
Jakaya

[Wimwyn]

To process stone, just build the in-game block called "Basic Refinery". Job done.

The stone is then turned into every single material in the game, by the refinery based on the ratios predetermined by the developers.

[Jakaya]

Not enough info on how to process stone please provide further information so I can be better informed.

Many Thanks,
Jakaya