Hi guys,
Just bought this game and have been working through the Megabase play through from Katherine of Sky. I've decided to build from scratch and then create my own blueprints from what I build based on her constructions.
I'm having a bit of trouble juggling the blueprints when I go to use them. They always seem to go back into my inventory for example. I want to just select a blueprint from <b>, place it, then it to disappear when I hit <q> - but I'm clearly missing something in the fundamentals of using blueprints!
Also I have downloaded the alphabet blueprints so I can label stuff that I'm constructing as she does - but shift-scroll wheel isn't scrolling through the blueprints. I'm having to open the blueprint book and select them individually which is somewhat annoying!
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
How to use/manage blueprints properly??
Re: How to use/manage blueprints properly??
I think you should use a Blueprint book. With it you can use your mousewheel to scroll through the blueprints in it.
If you want to remove them permanently you can use the red trashcan button in the blueprint itself to delete it.
If you want to remove them permanently you can use the red trashcan button in the blueprint itself to delete it.
Re: How to use/manage blueprints properly??
I have been using the book. If I select a blueprint from the book, place it, then hit <q> it drops a copy of the blueprint into the inventory tab.
Also, I can't seem to delete blank blueprints from the inventory tab. I have two blank ones in there that I can't figure out how to get rid of!
Also, I can't seem to delete blank blueprints from the inventory tab. I have two blank ones in there that I can't figure out how to get rid of!
Re: How to use/manage blueprints properly??
Have a blueprint book with blueprints of the most commonly used things and a blank blueprint to copypaste things in the toolbar, don't pull stuff from the global library all the time.
Re: How to use/manage blueprints properly??
Cheers, I'll see if that makes a difference. I've moved most of them into books, but didn't test that theory.
On a side note I discovered that you can't get rid of a blank blueprint off the inventory, you have to select something, save it, open it, then delete :/
On a side note I discovered that you can't get rid of a blank blueprint off the inventory, you have to select something, save it, open it, then delete :/
Re: How to use/manage blueprints properly??
things used on the belt will go to the backpack unless you setup preferences.
to do that, simply middle mouse click on the item when its on your toolbar. it will turn the square blue. and leave an item ghost of what you have preferred as seen here:
to do that, simply middle mouse click on the item when its on your toolbar. it will turn the square blue. and leave an item ghost of what you have preferred as seen here:
Re: How to use/manage blueprints properly??
I too find the blueprint managing extremely counterintuituve. Consider the blueprint library like an inventory. Whenever you click on a blueprint there, a blueprint item is created, with a copy of the blueprint you have clicked on in your library. And this blueprint will be like considered as grabbed in your hand.
Once you're done with it, it will always end in your inventory, except if you place it first in your toolbelt, and lock it (like any other object). Then ot will always go back at that place.
I whish blueprints didn't work that way, but unfortunately, they do.
Once you're done with it, it will always end in your inventory, except if you place it first in your toolbelt, and lock it (like any other object). Then ot will always go back at that place.
I whish blueprints didn't work that way, but unfortunately, they do.
Koub - Please consider English is not my native language.
Re: How to use/manage blueprints properly??
I use books for grouping blueprints that have the same "theme", so I have a book for mining rigs, another for train stations, other for belts, smelters and so on. So I press 'B', ctrl-F for search the book I need and use it, at any given time I have several books in my inventory, when I'm done I just delete them, if I made a new blueprint I export it to the library and drop it into a book.
Is really cumbersome, there's a lot of clicking and "editing" a blueprint is a pain. I wish everything stayed in the blueprint library so I don't have to be constantly cleaning up my inventory.
Is really cumbersome, there's a lot of clicking and "editing" a blueprint is a pain. I wish everything stayed in the blueprint library so I don't have to be constantly cleaning up my inventory.
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Re: How to use/manage blueprints properly??
I agree with OP, the mechanics of using blueprints are messy. I have been thinking of solutions for a while.
A possible fix would be:
- When you hit Q on a blueprint or book, it should just close it and return it to where you grabbed it from. NOT make extra copies. If you grabbed it from a book, the library, the belt or your backpack... That is where it should go.
- If you drag it to the belt, backpack, a book or the library, that is when it should make a copy, unless it already exists at destination.
- If you copy a blank blueprint to your belt and middle click it blue, it should become like New Blueprint in your library, and give you a fresh new blueprint every time you grab it.
- If you have a blueprint open or grabbed, if you hit the delete button it should do just that, delete it, in one click.
- If you scroll-zoom with a blueprint in hand, the blueprint should soon in synch with the map and NOT lose it's current position. Currently if you zoom you have to reposition the blueprint... Annoying.
Those things should about fix the current blueprint functionality.
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Additionally blueprints need an engancement/addition: "Overall Plan blueprints".
- Plan blueprints are a layout of blueprints instead of a layout of items. So, while a regular smelter blueprint shows where to place furnaces and tracks to make a smelter, a Plan blueprint could show where to place 6 smelter blueprints to make a smelter arrays. In code it would contain 6 items and their relative positions, and the ID of the blueprints that specify each item. On the ground they render their component regular blueprints at the correct positions. This might require that when placing a regular blueprint the game mark (maybe invisibly) the top left corner where the blueprint is placed with the blueprint ID so that when you create a plan blueprint it correctly identifies it's component blueprints and relative positions.
- When placed, plan blueprints show in a different color. Also, they should NOT be seen by construction robots, they are just a plan, not something to build "now".
- There should be a planner tool or a new way to use the construction planner (pressing Ctrl maybe) so that you can select a portion of a placed Plan blueprint and convert it into a ready to build regular blueprint (regular blueprint color and visible to robots for construction).
- It should be possible to zoom out much further than we do now (without loosing positioning) so that a plan blueprint can be used to hold a set of blueprints, like the various blueprints typically grouped to make Military science, or even something as large as a whole base.
A possible fix would be:
- When you hit Q on a blueprint or book, it should just close it and return it to where you grabbed it from. NOT make extra copies. If you grabbed it from a book, the library, the belt or your backpack... That is where it should go.
- If you drag it to the belt, backpack, a book or the library, that is when it should make a copy, unless it already exists at destination.
- If you copy a blank blueprint to your belt and middle click it blue, it should become like New Blueprint in your library, and give you a fresh new blueprint every time you grab it.
- If you have a blueprint open or grabbed, if you hit the delete button it should do just that, delete it, in one click.
- If you scroll-zoom with a blueprint in hand, the blueprint should soon in synch with the map and NOT lose it's current position. Currently if you zoom you have to reposition the blueprint... Annoying.
Those things should about fix the current blueprint functionality.
------
Additionally blueprints need an engancement/addition: "Overall Plan blueprints".
- Plan blueprints are a layout of blueprints instead of a layout of items. So, while a regular smelter blueprint shows where to place furnaces and tracks to make a smelter, a Plan blueprint could show where to place 6 smelter blueprints to make a smelter arrays. In code it would contain 6 items and their relative positions, and the ID of the blueprints that specify each item. On the ground they render their component regular blueprints at the correct positions. This might require that when placing a regular blueprint the game mark (maybe invisibly) the top left corner where the blueprint is placed with the blueprint ID so that when you create a plan blueprint it correctly identifies it's component blueprints and relative positions.
- When placed, plan blueprints show in a different color. Also, they should NOT be seen by construction robots, they are just a plan, not something to build "now".
- There should be a planner tool or a new way to use the construction planner (pressing Ctrl maybe) so that you can select a portion of a placed Plan blueprint and convert it into a ready to build regular blueprint (regular blueprint color and visible to robots for construction).
- It should be possible to zoom out much further than we do now (without loosing positioning) so that a plan blueprint can be used to hold a set of blueprints, like the various blueprints typically grouped to make Military science, or even something as large as a whole base.
Re: How to use/manage blueprints properly??
Some great ideas here - hopefully someone can make a mod out of it? 
I've figured it out, thanks for the input. It's just cumbersome and clunky. Even the left/right click configurations are weird. All good though......better than not having access to blueprints at all!!
I've figured it out, thanks for the input. It's just cumbersome and clunky. Even the left/right click configurations are weird. All good though......better than not having access to blueprints at all!!
Re: How to use/manage blueprints properly??
Workarounds for the bad parts.
To delete a blank blueprint, you have to take it and mark some random stuff on the map to fill it. Then you will have to reopen it and are now able to delete it.
To access a blueprint more easily, dont use it from the library, instead have it in your inventory or toolbar all the time. And use Books for common stuff, because they are harder to confuse with bare blueprints that are mainly used for temporary stuff.
You can easily scroll thru the blueprint book. It scrolls alphabetically, so group stuff alphabetically. And using the scrolling method doesnt create a dupe in your inventory.
And the worst part is updating your books. That is on you i think.
My method is that i take whatever blueprint i want to add, and go in the library with it on my cursor and dump it in a book there. Then i remove the same book from my toolbar, and drag a new copy from the library. This way my library is always up to date. And the library is less prone to accidental deletion, albeit more fatal if.
Hopefully they do something about it in their GUI redesign.
Make use of single blueprints for anything. Even if that means you have to delete a bunch minutes later. Just be sure that you dont accidentally delete something important. Thats why i keep the important stuff in books AND in the toolbar. Single Blueprints look different and are in the main inventory only. Makes accidents very rare.
To delete a blank blueprint, you have to take it and mark some random stuff on the map to fill it. Then you will have to reopen it and are now able to delete it.
To access a blueprint more easily, dont use it from the library, instead have it in your inventory or toolbar all the time. And use Books for common stuff, because they are harder to confuse with bare blueprints that are mainly used for temporary stuff.
You can easily scroll thru the blueprint book. It scrolls alphabetically, so group stuff alphabetically. And using the scrolling method doesnt create a dupe in your inventory.
And the worst part is updating your books. That is on you i think.
My method is that i take whatever blueprint i want to add, and go in the library with it on my cursor and dump it in a book there. Then i remove the same book from my toolbar, and drag a new copy from the library. This way my library is always up to date. And the library is less prone to accidental deletion, albeit more fatal if.
Hopefully they do something about it in their GUI redesign.
Make use of single blueprints for anything. Even if that means you have to delete a bunch minutes later. Just be sure that you dont accidentally delete something important. Thats why i keep the important stuff in books AND in the toolbar. Single Blueprints look different and are in the main inventory only. Makes accidents very rare.
Re: How to use/manage blueprints properly??
Somehow I made 3 forks of the same book. 
I am doomed now!
Don't do it guys!
@down
Thanks!
I am doomed now!
Don't do it guys!
@down
Thanks!
Last edited by Mgis09 on Tue Mar 17, 2020 9:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: How to use/manage blueprints properly??
Nice necro ...