That is a very difficult question to answer succinctly, so let’s tackle it as two more specific questions. Also, if you would like a visual overview check out our YouTube video:
1. What metrics can cards be separated by?
The sorting preset options include: "Harvest Mode", Rarity, Set, Name, Alphabetical, and Card Orientation (face-up, face-down, North, South). Magic-specific presets include: color, CMC, land separation, and card type. Pokémon-specific presets include Pokémon Type and Energy Separation. Additional parameters which can be included as sorting metrics are: foil / non-foil, condition (coming soon), and card price. Honestly we can program in pretty much anything you can imagine, so if we're missing something you would like, just let us know and we'll add it in!
We are currently in development of our “Advanced Sort Customization” feature, which will allow for the application of multiple criteria on the same Bin via logical AND/OR/NOT. Several other parameters are incorporated into this new update, which will enable Users to create special "Lot Creation" or "Bulk Box Builder" criteria. In this fashion, Users will be able to limit the number of cards and duplicates on a per-Bin basis, and specify things like "must contain X rares" or "must contain X holofoil cards.
2. There’s only 13 bins, so how does it sort cards into sets if I have a collection spanning 100+ sets?
This type of sorting gets done in batches (hence, the "*PhyzBatch*" physically batch-sorting cards). We have a "Set: Coarse" sorting method, whereby you put your cards from all different sets through the machine and the first 12 unique sets encountered get dropped into bin one, the next 12 unique sets go to bin two, etc.
Next, you take your output stacks (which are now composed of cards from only 12 different sets) and you run them through a "Set" sort, which separates them into their constituent sets.
From there, you can alphabetize them, color sort, card name sort, collector ID sort, or any other type of sort to get things into the order you desire.