TL;DR
- Customize hologram colors to black or white for better visibility of connection nodes
- Use Ctrl for World Grid alignment and H-key for precise hologram positioning
- Implement logistics floors to hide power lines and maintain factory aesthetics
- Master selective dismantle tools for efficient factory redesigns
- Avoid rat-tail factories by planning scalable production lines from the start
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Satisfactory reimagines the traditional 4X genre through its unique industrial approach, transforming the classic ‘Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate’ formula into ‘Explore, Exploit, Expand, Excel’ for corporate efficiency. This shift emphasizes systematic factory development over territorial conquest.
Factory expansion consumes approximately 85% of your playtime, making building proficiency essential for progression. While general guides provide foundation knowledge, specialized building techniques dramatically improve efficiency and organization.
Building holograms appear as translucent blue projections by default, but strategic color changes significantly enhance both accessibility and functionality. Switching to neutral tones like black or white creates higher contrast against the vibrant green and orange input/output indicators, making port alignment unmistakable when connecting smelters to constructors and assemblers. This simple adjustment prevents costly misalignments that can disrupt entire production chains.
Ground-level construction benefits immensely from the Ctrl key’s World Grid locking feature, ensuring consistent alignment across different map regions. For precision placement in confined spaces, the H-key hologram locking system becomes indispensable. This allows you to freeze even unbuildable projections, then use arrow keys for millimeter-perfect positioning before finalizing construction.
Concrete foundations serve as your primary building canvas, with a consistent material cost structure regardless of dimensions or customization. Each slab requires exactly 5 concrete units plus 2 iron plates (or equivalent customizer materials), making the standard 4m foundation the most resource-efficient choice for large-scale construction projects.
Many beginners hesitate to use foundations early, but they’re crucial for organized factory layouts. Pro tip: Start with foundations immediately rather than building directly on terrain – this prevents alignment issues later and creates perfect grids for machine placement.
Common foundation mistake: Players often build elaborate custom patterns early game when resources are scarce. Instead, focus on functional 4m grid layouts initially, reserving decorative variations for later when material production is established.
Power infrastructure presents the most challenging visual element in factory design, often creating chaotic webs that obscure production lines. The key insight: power cables possess clipping properties allowing them to penetrate floors and ceilings without collision detection.
Advanced players implement logistics floors – dedicated sub-levels housing all cabling and conveyor systems. By mounting wall outlets on the ceiling of these hidden floors, you can route power vertically through your factory floor, completely concealing the visual clutter while maintaining full functionality.
Alternative approach: ceiling-mounted power distribution keeps cables visible but organized overhead, preventing ground-level entanglement. This method works particularly well in multi-story factories where vertical space utilization is critical.
Power line optimization tip: Plan your electrical grid before building production lines. This prevents the common pitfall of retrofitting power solutions into cramped spaces.
Factory refinement requires extensive dismantling – often matching construction efforts in scale. While Ctrl-click selection handles bulk removal, the Selective Multi-Select Dismantle tool (default mouse thumb button) revolutionizes selective deletion workflows.
This specialized tool enables targeted removal of specific component types across your entire factory. Instead of precision-clicking individual power lines or support beams, you can sweep your cursor to isolate and remove only specified elements, saving hours during factory overhauls.
Production line efficiency gets a massive boost from the middle-mouse-button copy function. This feature duplicates not just building types but also their specific configurations – ideal for creating uniform sign lighting arrays or identical machine setups without repetitive menu navigation.
The community’s ‘rat-tail factory’ pattern – linear machine chains stretching endlessly – represents the most common scalability mistake. For example, Rocky Desert’s dual pure iron nodes should feed multiple parallel production lines rather than single sequences.
Advanced planning: Anticipate Mk3 miners producing 240 ore/minute, requiring 8 smelters per node, then multiple constructors for plates, rods, and screws, eventually feeding assemblers for reinforced plates and modular frames. Proper scaling demands either multiple standard machines or overclocked units operating at 250% capacity.
Factory redesign timeline: Expect to spend 2-4 hours completely overhauling a medium-sized factory using these advanced dismantling and building techniques.
Action Checklist
- Change hologram colors to black/white for better connection visibility
- Implement World Grid alignment (Ctrl) for all foundation placement
- Create logistics floor for hidden power line routing
- Practice selective dismantle tool on power line clusters
- Design parallel production lines instead of linear rat-tail layouts
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » 10 Satisfactory Building Tips To Maximize Efficiency Master Satisfactory factory building with expert tips on hologram placement, power management, and efficient dismantling techniques