The Ultimate Guide to PneumaticCraft

PneumaticCraft is a unique mod that uses pressure inside machines to power and craft items, rather than relying on electricity. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything from your first compressed iron ingots to advanced drone programming and pneumatic armor. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to master the mod, this tutorial covers all the essential mechanics and systems you need to know.

Getting Started: Compressed Iron Ingots

The first thing you’ll need to make in PneumaticCraft is compressed iron ingots. While there are easier methods later on, the quickest way to start is by using TNT to compress regular iron ingots. This method works at approximately 80% efficiency, meaning you’ll lose about 2 ingots for every 10 you compress.

Simply throw your iron ingots on the ground, place a piece of TNT with flint and steel, and ignite it. After the explosion, you’ll have compressed iron ingots instead of regular ones.

Creating Pressure: Your First Compressor

Manual Compressor

The easiest way to generate pressure is with a manual compressor. You’ll need:

Compressed iron gears

A stone base

A pressure tube

The manual compressor generates 0.4 out of 5 bar of pressure. Pressure is measured in “bar” in PneumaticCraft. You can manually pump this machine by hand to increase pressure, though this is obviously not practical for large-scale operations.

Air Compressor

The air compressor uses flammable blocks like coal to generate pressure automatically. As pressure increases, the pressure gauge will rise. You can add upgrades to control its behavior with redstone.

The air compressor requires:

Reinforced bricks (made from reinforced stone and compressed iron)

Advanced Air Compressor

Later in the mod, you can craft an advanced air compressor that generates up to 20 bar of pressure instead of 5. However, it includes a temperature gauge that you must monitor to prevent overheating.

Liquid Compressor

The liquid compressor uses various fuels to generate pressure:

Liquid steam

Plastic

Lithium

Lava (early game)

Crude oil (mid game)

LPG (late game, most efficient)

An advanced version exists that reaches 20 bar and includes temperature management.

Thermal Compressor

The thermal compressor generates up to 10 bar of pressure by using temperature differences. You need opposite hot and cold blocks on each side (north/south and east/west). For example, you could use lava on one side and ice on the other.

As pressure increases, it will eventually enter the red zone, which causes the machine to explode. To prevent this, use a security upgrade.

Security Upgrades

A security upgrade automatically releases excess pressure when it reaches dangerous levels. It requires:

A safety tube module (made with a pressure tube and pressure gauge)

The pressure gauge needs compressed iron, obsidian, and lapis lazuli.

Speed and Volume Upgrades

Speed upgrades increase how quickly your compressor generates pressure and reaches the target bar level. Volume upgrades increase the internal air capacity, meaning you need more air being pressurized to reach the same pressure level.

Be careful not to add too many speed upgrades, as they can cause pressure to rise faster than your security upgrade can handle, resulting in an explosion.

Other Compressor Types

Additional compressor options include:

Flux Compressor: Uses Redstone Flux (electricity from other mods)

Electrostatic Compressor: Uses lightning strikes (rarely used)

Creative Compressor: Available in creative mode for testing

Pressure Chambers: Crafting with Pressure

Once you have compressed air and compressed iron ingots, you’ll want to build a pressure chamber. This multi-block structure allows you to craft items using pressure as a power source.

Building a Pressure Chamber

You can make a pressure chamber in three sizes: 3×3, 4×4, or 5×5. The basic structure consists of:

Pressure chamber walls (the main structure)

Pressure chamber glass (optional, for visibility)

A pressure chamber valve (where you input pressure)

Glass can be placed anywhere except on the edges. You can use regular glass or pressure chamber glass as needed.

Connecting Pressure to Your Chamber

Connect your pressure source (like an air compressor) to the valve using pressure tubes. Once you have sufficient pressure, the chamber is ready to craft.

Adding Input and Output Interfaces

To actually use your pressure chamber, you’ll need pressure chamber interfaces. These allow you to input and output items. Place them on opposite sides of the chamber.

You’ll also need:

A pneumatic wrench (to configure the interfaces)

Cabling or pipes from another mod (like Mekanism) to move items in and out

Chests or other inventory blocks

Pneumatic Wrench and Charging Station

The pneumatic wrench requires:

An air canister

A pressure tube

Compressed iron ingots

Create a charging station to fill the wrench with pressure. The charging station also needs pressure tubes connected to your compressor.

Configuring Interfaces for Import/Export

Use the pneumatic wrench to rotate interfaces between “importing items” and “exporting items.” You may need to rotate from different sides if you encounter issues. Once configured correctly:

Import interfaces pull items from chests into the pressure chamber

Export interfaces push crafted items from the pressure chamber into chests

Checking Pressure Requirements

To see how much pressure a recipe needs, click on a pressure chamber wall with your wrench and press “U” to check in JEI (Just Enough Items). Different recipes require different pressure levels. For example, crafting compressed iron ingots requires 3 bar, while compressing diamonds requires 4 bar.

Oil Drilling and Crude Oil

Finding and Extracting Oil

Oil can be found naturally in your world. You can find more oil by digging deeper. PneumaticCraft is smart enough to recognize oil from other mods as well.

To set up an oil drilling operation:

Find an oil pocket

Place a gas lift directly above it

Connect pressure tubes from your compressor to the gas lift

As pressure builds, crude oil will fill the gas lift

Transporting Oil with Liquid Hoppers

To move oil away from the drilling site, use a liquid hopper. Place it facing the block you want to extract from. You can use the pneumatic wrench to change which direction it pulls. Pair it with a fluid tank to store large amounts of crude oil.

Oil Refinery: Processing Crude Oil

Crude oil can be processed in an oil refinery into more useful fuels. The refinery breaks down crude oil into:

Diesel (requires further processing)

Kerosene (can be made into gasoline)

Gasoline (can be made into LPG)

LPG (can be made into molten plastic)

Building the Oil Refinery

To construct an oil refinery:

Place the refinery controller (the main block)

Add a liquid hopper to input crude oil

Place four refinery outputs on top of the controller

Add thermal lagging to the outputs (made from wool and glass) to prevent heat loss

Use a vortex tube and heat sink for heating

Connect a pressure source to the vortex tube

Thermal Lagging and Heat Management

Thermal lagging prevents heat from escaping the refinery. You can shift-click wool and glass onto the outputs to apply it. If you left-click normally, you’ll target the output block; if you shift-click, you’ll target the lagging itself for removal.

Using a Vortex Tube for Heating

The vortex tube creates hot and cold sides. Rotate it so the hot side faces the refinery controller and the cold side faces a heat sink. The pressure from your compressor powers the vortex tube and drives the temperature difference.

Extracting Refined Fuels

The refinery produces four different fuels in the following order from bottom to top:

Bottom: Diesel

Third: Gasoline

Second: Kerosene

Top: LPG

Connect mechanical cables or other fluid pipes from each output to transport the refined products.

Thermopneumatic Processing: Making Plastic

To create molten plastic (which solidifies into plastic sheets), you’ll use the Thermopneumatic Processing Plant. This machine combines LPG with heat and coal to produce molten plastic.

Heat Pipes and Heat Distribution

Heat pipes are incredibly useful for transferring heat without losing any. They’re made from compressed iron and allow you to distribute heat from your vortex tube to multiple machines efficiently. This means you can power your refinery, processing plant, and other heat-requiring machines all from a single heat source.

Processing LPG into Plastic

Once your refinery is producing LPG:

Input the LPG into the Thermopneumatic Processing Plant

Add coal (must be individual coal items, not coal blocks)

Connect heat pipes from your vortex tube

Apply thermal lagging to prevent heat loss

As the machine heats up and processes, it produces molten plastic

Cooling Molten Plastic into Sheets

Molten plastic must be cooled to become usable plastic sheets. You can:

Place a heat frame on top of a chest containing molten plastic buckets

Connect the cold side of your vortex tube to the heat frame

As the molten plastic cools, it solidifies into plastic sheets

PCBs: Printed Circuit Boards

Introduction to PCBs

Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are essential components in PneumaticCraft. They’re used in advanced machines, drones, armor, and more. Creating PCBs is a multi-step process, but each step is straightforward.

Step 1: The Amadron Tablet and Trading

The Amadron Tablet is a remarkable trading device. First, you’ll need to purchase a PCB blueprint from it using emeralds. Here’s how:

Charge the tablet in a charging station with pressure

Shift right-click a chest to mark it as your trading inventory

Open the tablet interface and browse available trades

Add a PCB blueprint to your order (costs 8 emeralds)

Place the order, and a drone will deliver your blueprint

Step 2: Creating Empty PCBs

In a pressure chamber, craft empty PCBs using:

Plastic sheets

Gold or copper nuggets

Two redstone torches

Requires 1.5 bar of pressure

Note: If using pipes from other mods like Mekanism, they may input one item at a time, so patience is required.

Step 3: UV Light Box Processing

The UV light box exposes empty PCBs to sunlight to activate them. Requirements:

Must be exposed to the sky (direct sunlight)

Requires at least 1 bar of pressure

Speed upgrades significantly reduce processing time

Success chance increases gradually; aim for 80-100% before extraction

Step 4: Etching Tank

The etching tank requires etching fluid, which is created in a pressure chamber using:

A bucket of molten plastic

Two rotten flesh

Two spider eyes

Two gunpowder

Once the etching fluid is ready, bucket it into the etching tank and place your UV-exposed PCBs inside. The etching progress will increase over time.

Step 5: Assembling Finished PCBs

After etching, you’ll get an unassembled PCB. Craft it together with:

Transistors (made in a pressure chamber with plastic sheet, redstone, and nuggets)

Capacitors (made in a pressure chamber with plastic sheet, slime ball, and gold nuggets)

The result is a finished PCB, which is used in advanced machines, drones, armor, and more.

Assembly Lines: Automated Crafting

Assembly lines are where PneumaticCraft gets truly powerful. They can automatically craft advanced items using various tools. While they might look complicated, they’re actually straightforward once you understand the basic components.

Core Components

An assembly line consists of:

Assembly Controller: The brain of the operation; requires 5 bar of pressure and contains the program

Import Arm: Pulls ingredients from adjacent inventories onto the assembly platform

Assembly Platform: The workstation where items are crafted

Assembly Drill/Laser: Tools that perform the actual crafting operations

Export Arm: Pushes finished items into adjacent inventories

Setting Up an Assembly Line

To create an assembly line:

Place the assembly controller with pressure tubes for power

Add speed and security upgrades to the controller for faster operation

Insert an assembly program (purchased from the Amadron) into the controller’s program slot

Place an import arm next to the controller to pull ingredients

Place an assembly platform in front of the controller

Place the required tools (drill and/or laser) next to the platform

Place an export arm to push finished items out

Connect input chests with ingredients and output chests for products

Assembly Line Restrictions

Important notes about assembly line placement:

All horizontal parts (import arm, platform, drill, laser, export arm) must touch the controller

Import and export arms can reach diagonally to nearby blocks

Drills and lasers cannot place diagonally; they must be directly adjacent

The arms will automatically detect compatible items and operate the correct tools

Viewing Available Recipes

To see what an assembly machine can craft:

Click on a drill or laser in JEI

Press “U” to see uses

Click on “Assembly Controller”

All compatible recipes will be displayed

Drones: Autonomous Robots

Drones are one of the most exciting features in PneumaticCraft. These autonomous robots can be programmed to perform virtually any task. You can create anything from simple guard drones to complex automated systems.

Pre-Built Drone Types

If you don’t want to program, you can use simpler drones:

Guard Drone: Defends an area when placed on an inventory with a weapon

Harvesting Drone: Harvests and replants crops automatically

Collector Drone: Collects items within a local area

Logistics Drone: Transports items between inventories

Drone Upgrades

Drones can be upgraded in the charging station with up to 9 upgrade slots. Common upgrades include:

Speed Upgrades: Make the drone fly faster

Volume Upgrade: Increase carrying capacity

Armor Upgrades: Protect against damage (15 upgrades = full iron armor)

Mini Gun Upgrade: Adds a ranged weapon (requires ammo)

Item Life Upgrade: Increases health

Security Upgrade: Protection from electrical damage and fluid navigation

Range Upgrade: Extends how far the drone can travel

Muffler Upgrade: Reduces noise

Standby Upgrade: Saves air when idle

Automatic Charging

Drones automatically return to charging stations when they run low on pressure. They search within approximately 80 blocks for a station with available pressure, so you don’t need to manually manage refueling.

Programming Drones: The Basics

To program a drone, you’ll use a programmer device. Programming might look overwhelming, but it’s actually quite intuitive once you understand the system.

Programmer Interface

The programmer works with puzzle pieces:

Drag puzzle pieces onto the canvas to build your program

Connect pieces by snapping them together where they fit

Use the “Difficulty” setting to show only beginner, intermediate, or advanced pieces

Once complete, select your drone and export the program

The system consumes puzzle pieces from adjacent inventories when exporting

Essential Program Pieces

For a basic mob farm program:

Start: Where every program begins

Import from Inventory: Pulls items from a designated location

Entity Attack: Attacks mobs in a specified area

Pick Up Items: Collects items from the ground

Export to Inventory: Deposits items into a container

Area Cards: Defines the region where actions occur

GPS Tools: Marks specific locations or areas

Example: Creating a Mob Farm Drone

Here’s a simple mob farm program breakdown:

Start: Begin the program

Import from Inventory: Get a sword from a designated chest

Entity Attack: Attack all mobs within a marked area

Pick Up Items: Collect any dropped items from that area

Export to Inventory: Store collected items in a nearby chest

Using GPS Tools and Area Cards

GPS Tools and Area Cards help define locations and regions:

Shift right-click a GPS Tool on a block to mark that location

Left-click the piece in your program to use that saved location

Area Cards can be rectangular boxes, cylinders, or other shapes

Right-click the area card to preview the selected region

Adding Item Filters

Item filters prevent your drone from dumping unneeded items. For example, if you don’t want the drone exporting its own weapon, add an item filter to only export mob drops like string and spider eyes.

Exporting and Running the Program

Once your program is complete:

Drag your drone into the export slot

Click “Export Program”

The system consumes puzzle pieces and loads the program into the drone

Take the drone to the charging station for pressure and upgrades

Place it down to activate the program

Advanced Program Pieces

As you get more comfortable, explore advanced pieces like:

Dig Area/Harvest: Mine blocks or harvest crops

Place Block: Place blocks in the world

Right Click: Interact with blocks (chests, furnaces, etc.)

Go to Location: Make the drone travel to specific coordinates

Edit Redstone: Activate redstone devices

Conditions: Add logic gates and conditional statements

Text Filters: Filter entities by type or other attributes

Pneumatic Armor

Pneumatic Armor is a full suit of wearable equipment that provides protection and special abilities through pneumatic pressure. It works similarly to drones and can be upgraded extensively.

Components

The pneumatic armor consists of four pieces:

Pneumatic Helmet

Pneumatic Chest Plate

Pneumatic Leggings

Pneumatic Boots

Each piece can be charged independently in a charging station.

Available Upgrades

The helmet offers numerous upgrades:

Speed Upgrades

Block Tracker (finds specific block types)

Item Life Upgrade

Night Vision

Range Upgrades

Scuba (underwater breathing)

Creative Supply (for testing)

Item Search

Armor Upgrades

Radiation Shielding

Hacking Upgrades (for blocks and entities)

Gilded and Security Upgrades

Getting Started with Armor

To use pneumatic armor:

Craft each piece of armor

Place each piece in a charging station to fill with pressure

Click the manage upgrades button to add upgrades

Put the armor on like normal Minecraft armor

Return to charging stations periodically to refill pressure

Additional PneumaticCraft Features

Beyond what we’ve covered, PneumaticCraft contains many other exciting features:

Air Cannons: Shoot projectiles using pressure

Vortex Cannons: Launch items or entities

Micro Missiles: Guided weapons for drones

Aphorism Tiles: Decorative and functional blocks

Pressurized Mob Spawner: Spawn mobs without light level requirements (requires spawner core)

Advanced Pressure Tubes: Support up to 20 bar pressure

Smart Displays: Show text and numbers with custom scaling

Summary and Next Steps

You’ve now learned the fundamentals of PneumaticCraft, from creating your first compressed iron through building complex automation with assembly lines and drones. The mod progresses naturally from simple pressure generation to advanced autonomous systems, with each new system opening possibilities for automation.

PneumaticCraft is incredibly deep, and there’s always more to discover. Take what you’ve learned here and start with one system at a time. Build a pressure chamber, then an oil refinery, then experiment with drones. The best way to master PneumaticCraft is through hands-on experimentation.

Keep an eye out for mods that integrate well with PneumaticCraft, such as Mekanism for pipes and conduits, or modpacks like ATM 9 that include comprehensive upgrade options for armor and other equipment.

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