Hypercubes are a transdimensional storage mechanism for bulky items, currently only steel. It works by literally unphasing the steel from this precise reality, and sticking it into a sidereal reality (not as far away as an alternate timeline or reality, but just under the surface). See: Stargate SG-1's Arthur's Device (http://stargate.wikia.com/wiki/Arthur's_Mantle) for complete technical specifications.
Hypercubes were expressly engineered with Stargate transport (https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=6636.0) in mind. No longer will your colonists have to spend 20 days lugging 5000 steel to desperate people on far away worlds! Now, they can do so in just a few hours.
The interdimensional grid lattice is organized and maintained by complex nanites, and requires a well-rounded specialist to construct at the Smithing bench (currently: Construction (8), Crafting (5), and Research (5)). Typically, in a colony of 15 individuals, only 1 will have these traits, if trained well.
Before: 20,000 units of Steel
(http://i.imgur.com/9d5PwOuh.png) (http://i.imgur.com/9d5PwOu.png)
After: 40 units of Steel Hypercubes
(http://i.imgur.com/iP8E4tYh.png) (http://i.imgur.com/iP8E4tY.png)
It takes quite a bit of time to construct a hypercube, determined by the individual's crafting skill (because it is a work of advanced scientific art!). At level 5, it takes roughly 12-15 hours to build one. However, because of a superior GUI, even your colonists with ... greatly reduced mental capacity can rephase a hypercube into this reality, without even needing to do research! They just need access to a smithing bench.
It is *not* profitable to trade hypercubes (obviously), yet, sometimes a very few Bulk Goods traders will have 1 or 3. It is a quick, yet horribly expensive, way to accrue 500+ units of steel.
Hypercubes for other bulky resources, such as timber, plasteel, and others are planned, but will each require additional research by the colonies.
I could *really* use some help in getting this tied with the research requirements. If you want to create a building to manufacture hypercubes, please, be my guest!
Works with both A10 and A11.
Download (https://www.dropbox.com/s/09t7qe26z8odjjt/Hypercubes-0.9.zip?dl=0)(Dropbox)
You have a very serious competition (https://ludeon.com/forums/index.php?topic=7380.0) for this, mate.
Aside from the Stargate cosplay, sell me the idea how this could become the logistic solution every hoarder needs :)
Also, the steel becomes unsellable at this point as seen from 19800 -> 350 pcs in the inventory sidebar.
Also is the steel available to builders when in this form, based on the above I would say it is not, can we reverse this easily?
Hmm, I see a way for this to become viable.
If the market value of the "compressed" box is higher than it's content + original cost of the box, then maybe you can market this as bulk trading or something.
The only way I can see the Deep Storage Unit from MD2 can be beaten is if they made a similar thing but cheaper or deeper (holds more item), without losing it's convenience.
So there are two recipes: One to make hypercubes and one to unpack them. It takes a serious pro to make them, and a long time, but anyone can unpack them. What I do is forbid all of the hypercubes, then I place the buildings I want, then I unforbid one or more hypercubes. Your lowly grunt who wants to craft will then proceed to unfolding the unforbidden cubes, and the material is instantly assigned to the objects needing construction. The remaining metal can be made into another hypercube later.
Here's a screenshot:
(https://photos-3.dropbox.com/t/2/AADECPgDQ7lJrw4O6uCmi-egVuDEo8wJnFAlqHInI5IMKg/12/24778865/png/32x32/1/_/1/2/Screenshot%202015-07-06%2008.33.56.png/CPGw6AsgASACIAMgBCAFIAYgBygBKAI/BbyFOTNx6zQXWKi9xcbIa-721FxK9dAAd60egRh0Wc0?size=800x600&size_mode=2) (https://www.dropbox.com/s/4odz5nzuuyl7geg/Screenshot%202015-07-06%2008.33.56.png?dl=0)
does it work for alpha 11b?
Yea this seems a bit moot with the Deep Storage Unit in another mod that already exists. :P Considering it allows you to put everything in one stack rather than craft it into something that requires micromanaging your colony further.
This mod is very cool and all... but WHAT exactly is going on in that room that's full of cryopods in your screenshots?