Processing module

A Processing module is a station Module that converts space scrap into wares. Unlike Production modules (which consume input wares from supply chains), processing modules consume physical recyclable objects — scrap cubes, derelict ship hulls — towed to the module by a Ship and processed at a designated furnace position.

Stations with processing modules are recycling facilities (Station.isrecyclingfacility=true). Vanilla typically has at least one such station per faction; the Scavenger faction’s economy revolves around them.

Inheritance: component → destructible → module → processingmodule. The datatype adds furnace position and recipe accessors.

Properties

Processing-module-specific

Property	Type	Description
.furnacestartpos	position	Position on the module near which an object should be before <process_recyclable_object> can run
.products	warelist	All produced wares (the recycling outputs)
.resources	warelist	All resource wares — but for recycling, the actual inputs are recyclables, not wares
.resources.{ware}.primary	bool	Primary resource (for processing modules that also accept ware inputs)
.resources.{ware}.secondary	bool	Secondary resource

Inherited

Property	Source	Description
.numdocks.{docksize}	module	Connected docks
.haswalkableroom	module	Walkable interior
.hull	destructible	Damage state

Recyclable objects

Recyclables are objects in space the player or NPCs can tow to a furnace. Vanilla seeds them via setup_gamestarts.xml:1774 (macro.recyclable_gen_m_scrapcube_01_macro) and similar.

Class membership: .isclass.recyclable. The recyclables drift in space and have a value when fed to a processing module.

Actions

Check if an object can be processed

<can_process_recyclable_object
    module="$ProcessingModule"
    object="$ScrapCube"
    result="$canDo"
    trade="$scrapoffer"/>

Pattern from vanilla notifications.xml:4057. $canDo returns true/false; $scrapoffer returns the buy offer the module is making for this object.

Process a recyclable

<process_recyclable_object
    module="$ProcessingModule"
    object="$ScrapCube"
    trade="$scrapoffer"/>

Pattern from notifications.xml:4067. The module consumes the object, distributes wares, credits the player (or owner).

Player towed a recyclable to a furnace

<event_player_towed_recyclable_near_furnace/>

Vanilla notifications.xml:3993, 4030. The event fires when the player drags a recyclable within furnacestartpos proximity.

Events

Event	When	Notes
event_player_towed_recyclable_near_furnace	Player approached a furnace with a recyclable in tow	event.param/event.param2 describe the object and module
event_player_recyclable_processing_started	Processing began	Fires after process_recyclable_object
event_player_recyclable_processed	Processing complete	Final
event_player_interaction param2="'recyclable_near_furnace'"	Player triggered the interaction prompt	Vanilla notifications.xml:4051

These are player-specific events. NPC recycling happens silently engine-side; only player-driven processing fires these.

Common patterns

”Find recycling facilities in player space”

<find_station_by_true_owner name="$Stations"
    space="player.galaxy"
    multiple="true"/>

<create_list name="$Recyclers"/>

<do_for_each name="$s" in="$Stations">
    <do_if value="$s.isrecyclingfacility">
        <append_to_list name="$Recyclers" exact="$s"/>
    </do_if>
</do_for_each>

<write_to_logbook
    text="'Recycling facilities in galaxy: '
        + $Recyclers.count"/>

.isrecyclingfacility is the station-side flag (parallel to .istradestation, .isshipyard).

”Get the furnace position for towing”

<do_for_each name="$mod" in="$Station.modules">
    <do_if value="$mod.isclass.processingmodule">
        <set_value name="$FurnacePos"
            exact="$mod.furnacestartpos"/>
        <write_to_logbook
            text="'Furnace at: ' + $FurnacePos"/>
    </do_if>
</do_for_each>

Common gotchas

• ⚠ Inputs are physical objects, not cargo wares. Don’t expect Station.cargo.{ware.recyclable} — the input is a runtime object in space, towed to the module.
• ⚠ .furnacestartpos is the trigger position, not the docking position. The object must be NEAR this position for process_recyclable_object to succeed. The acceptance radius is engine-defined.
• ⚠ .isrecyclingfacility is on the station, NOT on the processing module. The flag is true when the station has at least one processing module.
• ⚠ Vanilla recycling event family is player-only. NPC recycling doesn’t fire event_player_recyclable_processed. To observe NPC recycling, watch event_object_destroyed on class.recyclable objects.
• ⚠ .products may differ from a normal production module’s products. Processing recipes typically output scrap-derived wares (refined metals, allagraphene in X4 9.0+). Check by ware.
• ⚠ Memory note for X4 9.0: Allagraphene chains and nividium mining are anticipated additions when 9.0 ships. Mods that touch processing-recipes should keep this in mind.
• ⚠ Filter out processing modules in your “find normal production stations” filter. Add not .isrecyclingfacility to the canonical Production factory exclusion idiom if you don’t want recyclers to slip in.

Examples

Example 1: Detect when player processes scrap

<cue name="WatchPlayerRecycle" instantiate="true">
    <conditions>
        <event_player_recyclable_processed/>
    </conditions>
    <actions>
        <write_to_logbook
            text="'Player processed scrap at '
                + event.param.knownname"/>
    </actions>
</cue>

Example 2: Compute total recycling output of player-owned recyclers

<find_station_by_true_owner name="$Recyclers"
    space="player.galaxy"
    faction="faction.player"
    multiple="true"/>

<set_value name="$TotalOutput" exact="0"/>

<do_for_each name="$s" in="$Recyclers">
    <do_if value="$s.isrecyclingfacility">
        <do_for_each name="$mod" in="$s.modules">
            <do_if value="$mod.isclass.processingmodule">
                <do_for_each name="$product"
                    in="$mod.products.list">
                    <set_value name="$TotalOutput"
                        operation="add"
                        exact="$s.cargo.{$product}.amount"/>
                </do_for_each>
            </do_if>
        </do_for_each>
    </do_if>
</do_for_each>

<write_to_logbook
    text="'Player recycler stock: ' + $TotalOutput"/>

Architectural context

• Recyclable spawn locations: Architectural overview Recyclable seeding — setup_gamestarts.xml:1774 spawns scrap cubes in certain sectors at game start.
• Scavenger economy: Architectural overview Pirate / Scavenger economy — how recycling drives the Riptide-faction supply chain.
• X4 9.0 chain additions: Architectural overview Allagraphene chains — anticipated 9.0 processing expansion.

Related

• Module — parent abstraction.
• Production module — companion that consumes wares (vs recyclables).
• Station — host; .isrecyclingfacility is the discriminator.
• Ship — what tows recyclables to the furnace.
• Ware — outputs (refined metals, etc.).

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Pattern — module that consumes runtime objects, not wares

Processing module is the only module type whose input is physical objects in space, not stocked cargo wares. The furnacestartpos + process_recyclable_object flow is unique. Same pattern as Build modules consuming “construction sites” (not wares).