Ars Creo

Overview

Ars Creo is a compatibility mod that connects Ars Nouveau's magical framework with Create's mechanical systems. Rather than adding dozens of new items, it focuses on making the two mods work together in meaningful ways. The centerpiece is the Starbuncle Wheel, a block that generates rotational force for Create's kinetic network using the magical energy of a Starbuncle. Beyond that, the mod enables Spell Turrets and Source Jars to function on moving Create contraptions, and it allows Ars Nouveau's Potion Jars to interact with Create's fluid piping system.

You can browse the mod's items and recipes using the tabs at the top of this page. This guide covers everything the mod adds and how to get the most out of it.

Prerequisites

Ars Creo requires both Ars Nouveau and Create to be installed. You should have a basic understanding of both mods before diving in. On the Ars Nouveau side, you'll need access to Starbuncle Charms (obtained by using a Starbuncle Shard on a wild Starbuncle) and familiarity with Spell Turrets and Source Jars. On the Create side, you'll need to understand rotational force, stress units, and how to build contraptions using Mechanical Bearings, Minecart Contraptions, or similar assemblers.

The Starbuncle Wheel

The Starbuncle Wheel is a rotational force generator for Create's kinetic system. It produces power passively with no fuel, no water flow, and no manual cranking required. An animated Starbuncle runs inside the wheel to generate rotation, making it both functional and charming to watch.

Speed and Stress

At base, the wheel produces 16 RPM. Placing a Gold Block in front of the wheel (the block it faces toward) increases the output to 24 RPM. The wheel provides 16.0 stress units (SU) of capacity, meaning it can directly power small machines without additional generators. The stress impact of the wheel itself is hidden in tooltips since it only generates force, never consumes it.

The wheel is classified as a directional kinetic block, so it outputs rotation along its facing axis. You can chain multiple Starbuncle Wheels together if you need more stress capacity for larger networks. Each wheel independently checks for a Gold Block in front of it, so you can boost them individually.

Spell Turrets on Contraptions

One of Ars Creo's most powerful features is enabling Ars Nouveau Spell Turrets to function on moving Create contraptions. Three types of turrets gain contraption behavior, each with a different firing trigger.

Basic Spell Turret

When mounted on a contraption, the Basic Spell Turret fires its spell when a player right-clicks on it. This gives you on-demand spell casting from a moving platform. The turret fires in the direction it faces, and the projectile direction rotates with the contraption's orientation.

Timer Spell Turret

The Timer Spell Turret fires automatically at its configured interval while the contraption is moving. If you set the timer to fire every 20 ticks (1 second), it will repeatedly cast its spell as the contraption travels. This is ideal for automated farming contraptions or area-of-effect spell applications.

Enchanted Spell Turret

The Enchanted Spell Turret fires its spell every time the contraption moves to a new block position. This makes it perfect for contraptions that need to affect every block they pass over, such as a harvesting or building contraption enhanced with magical spells.

Source Jars on Contraptions

Source Jars (both regular and Creative) can be placed on Create contraptions and will function as a mobile Source supply. When a contraption begins moving, any Source Jars on it register as special Source providers in the world. Turrets on the same contraption can draw from them directly, and nearby stationary blocks that need Source can also access them.

Each Source Jar on a contraption holds up to 10,000 Source. The contraption's total Source pool is the sum of all its jars. A Creative Source Jar on a contraption provides unlimited Source, so turrets will always have fuel without needing to manage jar refills. When the contraption stops moving, the Source Jars properly unregister from the Source network to avoid phantom connections.

Potion Jar Fluid Integration

Ars Creo adds a fluid capability to Ars Nouveau's Potion Jars, allowing them to interact with Create's fluid piping system. This means you can pump potions into and out of Potion Jars using Mechanical Pumps, Fluid Pipes, and other Create fluid transport blocks.

The conversion rate is 2.5 millibuckets (mB) per potion unit. When filling a jar, Create fluid is converted at 0.4 potion units per mB (the inverse). The system respects potion types: you can only add matching potion effects to a jar that already contains a specific potion. Empty jars accept any potion type. This opens up powerful automation possibilities where you can brew potions with Ars Nouveau, store them in Potion Jars, and then distribute them through Create's pipe network.

Display Link Integration

Ars Creo registers two Display Sources for Create's Display Link system, letting you show information from Ars Nouveau blocks on Create displays like Display Boards and Lecterns.

Spell Turret Display Source

Point a Display Link at any Spell Turret (Basic, Timer, Enchanted, or Rotating) to show its current spell. The display outputs the spell name and its full glyph sequence. If no spell is set, it shows "No Spell set." This is useful for labeling turrets in complex setups so you can identify what each one does at a glance.

Source Jar Display Source

Point a Display Link at a Source Jar to show its current Source amount. This lets you monitor Source levels remotely on a Display Board, which is helpful for keeping an eye on your magical infrastructure from a central control room.

Configuration

Ars Creo's config file contains three settings, all related to the Starbuncle Wheel. These are server-side configuration values found in the common config file.

All three values accept a wide range (0 to max integer/double), so you can tune the wheel to be anything from a minor supplement to a primary power source for your Create network. Increasing the stress capacity is particularly useful if you want Starbuncle Wheels to replace Water Wheels or Windmill Bearings entirely.