Manufacturing: Difference between revisions

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All manufacturing jobs require a blueprint. These come in two forms: originals (BPOs) with infinite runs and copies (BPCs) that can only be run a limited number of times. For most blueprints, a single run of a blueprint will produce a single item, but there are some exceptions including ammo, which produces 100 ammo per run. BPCs are produced through copying (T1) and invention (T2).

T1 BPOs are seeded by various NPC traders, with costs varying from 100,000 to 72 billion ISK.

==== Selecting a Blueprint ====

T1 BPOs are seeded by various NPC traders, with costs varying from 100,000 to 72 billion ISK. This can be a significant cost, especially to new players. Also significant is the amount of research time that may be spent on the blueprint. Selecting a good one versus a bad one is important!

A good blueprint will have these characteristics:

* '''Inexpensive Materials''' - The material cost should be such that you can reasonably expect to manufacture a decent number of items, and you won't be bankrupt if you lose them while trying to sell them. There isn't a rule on how much cost is too much, but if you need a number then keep the cost of an item below 1% of your net worth. This will not be a problem for players with a large wallet, but can be an issue for new players starting out in manufacturing. The [http://zofu.no-ip.de/bpo BPO Research Calculator] provides an estimate of the material cost, which typically makes up the bulk of T1 manufacturing cost. Instructions for using this site will be given below.

* '''Good Profit Margins''' - The difference between the selling price and the cost to manufacture should be worthwhile. Be sure to compare the absolute profit (ISK) and percent profit (% of selling price) and make sure both are worth your time. What makes it worth your time? It is up to the individual, but strive for at least 10% per item. Profits of 80% have been witnessed by players as young as 2 months to EVE, but they are rare and tend to disappear. Note that [[Skills:Production#Production Efficiency|Production Efficiency]] has a large impact on profit margins. If you are considering manufacturing as a career, spend the time and train it to V as soon as possible.

* '''Good Transaction Volume''' - If you find an item that is extremely profitable but is only sold once per week, then it has poor transaction volume. There is no guarantee that you can capture all (or even most) of the sales of a particular item! To check the volume of an item, use the Market window. If you choose an item, click on the Price History tab. If it shows a graph, you can see daily sales volume by clicking the Show Table button in the bottom of the window. This will show you how many of an item were sold each day in the region over the last 3 months (default).

There are many items that do meet all three requirements. Finding them is a matter of a lot of research time looking for items that meet your criteria. Typically it is easiest to search through the market tab looking for items with sufficient volume, then go to the BPO research calculator to compare the prices to selling volumes. Once you choose a blueprint, the BPO Research Calculator will also tell you what faction sells the BPOs you have chosen.

==== Reducing the Cost of a Blueprint ====

Blueprints have a "Bill of Materials": this is a list of the materials and skills that a single run of the blueprint requires. Most simple blueprints require Industry 1 to run, although more advanced blueprints will require more advanced skills, probably increasing the total cost of owning the blueprint.

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* Material Level

: New BPOs will always use 10% or 25% more material than ideal, independent of character skill. The level of material waste is controlled by the Material Efficiency (ME) level, and can be reduced by performing Material Research at a laboratory slot. With no skills, blueprints will have an additional 20% material waste, which is reduced with the Production Efficiency skill.

: Material level research in public stations are extremely hard to find, and most stations have a queue of two weeks or more to do research. The University provides a [[Using the Uni POS for research|service to research BPOs]] for students who have the [Θ] Theta or Sophomore [[titles]].

: You may want to check the Contracts market for BPOs that are already researched if getting ME research completed is taking too long. While these BPOs are generally marked up 10x the normal purchase price (or much more!) the extra cost can usually be recouped in the time it would take to research the BPO yourself. Remember that while you are researching, the BPO is unavailable for use. A BPO in hand can be immediately used to generate revenue.

* Productivity Level

: As with ME, the amount of time needed to produce the item will take x% longer than ideal. The level of time waste is controlled by the PE level, and performing Time Efficiency Research at a laboratory slot will reduce the wasted time during manufacture.

: Productivity level research in public stations is generally available with no wait time, although you may have to travel a few systems to find them.

Both forms of research are subject to fairly severe stacking penalties, so while a few levels of research are almost mandatory on most blueprints, it becomes much less worthwhile after that. The lowest ME level that results in a BPO with zero wasted units of materials ("Ideal ME") is determined by the material with the highest unit quantity. For 10% wastage BPOs, Perfect ME = quantity/5.5. For 25% wastage BPOs, Perfect ME = quantity/2.5. Free research slots in public stations are extremely hard to find, and most stations have a queue of two weeks or more to do research. The University provides a [[Using the Uni POS for research|service to research BPOs]] for students who have the [Θ] Theta or Sophomore [[titles]].

Both forms of research are subject to fairly severe stacking penalties, so while a few levels of research are almost mandatory on most blueprints, it becomes much less worthwhile after that. The lowest ME level that results in a BPO with zero wasted units of materials ("Ideal ME") is determined by the material with the highest unit quantity. For 10% wastage BPOs, Perfect ME = quantity/5.5. For 25% wastage BPOs, Perfect ME = quantity/2.5.

This site [http://zofu.no-ip.de/bpo BPO Research Calculator] provides an easy way of finding out the optimal ME and PE research level.

This site [http://zofu.no-ip.de/bpo BPO Research Calculator] provides an easy way of finding out the optimal ME and PE research level. To use it, you first must search for a particular item. For example: 1MN Microwarpdrive I. After you search, select the correct blueprint from the search results. You can select your skill level (Metallurgy, Research, and Industry), and then Submit. The website will then generate tables to show you various ME and PE levels effect on the estimated manufacturing cost and production time. If you wish to see a particular ME or PE level, you can enter it into the relevant field and resubmit.

T1 BPCs are produced by copying (running a copy job on) T1 BPOs. The resulting BPCs will inherit the Material and Productivity levels of the respective BPO, but cannot be researched further. Public copy slots are also hard to find, and the University provides a [[BPO Copying Service|BPO copying service]].

==== Blueprint Copying ====

T1 Blueprint Copies (BPCs) are produced by copying (running a copy job on) T1 BPOs. The resulting BPCs will inherit the Material and Productivity levels of the respective BPO, but cannot be researched further. Public copy slots are also hard to find, and the University provides a [[BPO Copying Service|BPO copying service]]. BPCs are required for T2 manufacturing.

=== Running Jobs ===

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 All manufacturing jobs require a blueprint. These come in two forms: originals (BPOs) with infinite runs and copies (BPCs) that can only be run a limited number of times. For most blueprints, a single run of a blueprint will produce a single item, but there are some exceptions including ammo, which produces 100 ammo per run. BPCs are produced through copying (T1) and invention (T2).
-T1 BPOs are seeded by various NPC traders, with costs varying from 100,000 to 72 billion ISK.
+==== Selecting a Blueprint ====
+T1 BPOs are seeded by various NPC traders, with costs varying from 100,000 to 72 billion ISK. This can be a significant cost, especially to new players. Also significant is the amount of research time that may be spent on the blueprint. Selecting a good one versus a bad one is important!
+A good blueprint will have these characteristics:
+* '''Inexpensive Materials''' - The material cost should be such that you can reasonably expect to manufacture a decent number of items, and you won't be bankrupt if you lose them while trying to sell them. There isn't a rule on how much cost is too much, but if you need a number then keep the cost of an item below 1% of your net worth. This will not be a problem for players with a large wallet, but can be an issue for new players starting out in manufacturing. The [http://zofu.no-ip.de/bpo BPO Research Calculator] provides an estimate of the material cost, which typically makes up the bulk of T1 manufacturing cost. Instructions for using this site will be given below.
+* '''Good Profit Margins''' - The difference between the selling price and the cost to manufacture should be worthwhile. Be sure to compare the absolute profit (ISK) and percent profit (% of selling price) and make sure both are worth your time. What makes it worth your time? It is up to the individual, but strive for at least 10% per item. Profits of 80% have been witnessed by players as young as 2 months to EVE, but they are rare and tend to disappear. Note that [[Skills:Production#Production Efficiency|Production Efficiency]] has a large impact on profit margins. If you are considering manufacturing as a career, spend the time and train it to V as soon as possible.
+* '''Good Transaction Volume''' - If you find an item that is extremely profitable but is only sold once per week, then it has poor transaction volume. There is no guarantee that you can capture all (or even most) of the sales of a particular item! To check the volume of an item, use the Market window. If you choose an item, click on the Price History tab. If it shows a graph, you can see daily sales volume by clicking the Show Table button in the bottom of the window. This will show you how many of an item were sold each day in the region over the last 3 months (default).
+There are many items that do meet all three requirements. Finding them is a matter of a lot of research time looking for items that meet your criteria. Typically it is easiest to search through the market tab looking for items with sufficient volume, then go to the BPO research calculator to compare the prices to selling volumes. Once you choose a blueprint, the BPO Research Calculator will also tell you what faction sells the BPOs you have chosen.
+==== Reducing the Cost of a Blueprint ====
 Blueprints have a "Bill of Materials": this is a list of the materials and skills that a single run of the blueprint requires. Most simple blueprints require Industry 1 to run, although more advanced blueprints will require more advanced skills, probably increasing the total cost of owning the blueprint.
@@ Line 75: / Line 84: @@
 * Material Level
 : New BPOs will always use 10% or 25% more material than ideal, independent of character skill. The level of material waste is controlled by the Material Efficiency (ME) level, and can be reduced by performing Material Research at a laboratory slot. With no skills, blueprints will have an additional 20% material waste, which is reduced with the Production Efficiency skill.
+: Material level research in public stations are extremely hard to find, and most stations have a queue of two weeks or more to do research. The University provides a [[Using the Uni POS for research|service to research BPOs]] for students who have the [Θ] Theta or Sophomore [[titles]].
+: You may want to check the Contracts market for BPOs that are already researched if getting ME research completed is taking too long. While these BPOs are generally marked up 10x the normal purchase price (or much more!) the extra cost can usually be recouped in the time it would take to research the BPO yourself. Remember that while you are researching, the BPO is unavailable for use. A BPO in hand can be immediately used to generate revenue.
 * Productivity Level
 : As with ME, the amount of time needed to produce the item will take x% longer than ideal. The level of time waste is controlled by the PE level, and performing Time Efficiency Research at a laboratory slot will reduce the wasted time during manufacture.
+: Productivity level research in public stations is generally available with no wait time, although you may have to travel a few systems to find them.
-Both forms of research are subject to fairly severe stacking penalties, so while a few levels of research are almost mandatory on most blueprints, it becomes much less worthwhile after that. The lowest ME level that results in a BPO with zero wasted units of materials ("Ideal ME") is determined by the material with the highest unit quantity. For 10% wastage BPOs, Perfect ME = quantity/5.5. For 25% wastage BPOs, Perfect ME = quantity/2.5. Free research slots in public stations are extremely hard to find, and most stations have a queue of two weeks or more to do research. The University provides a [[Using the Uni POS for research|service to research BPOs]] for students who have the [Θ] Theta or Sophomore [[titles]].
+Both forms of research are subject to fairly severe stacking penalties, so while a few levels of research are almost mandatory on most blueprints, it becomes much less worthwhile after that. The lowest ME level that results in a BPO with zero wasted units of materials ("Ideal ME") is determined by the material with the highest unit quantity. For 10% wastage BPOs, Perfect ME = quantity/5.5. For 25% wastage BPOs, Perfect ME = quantity/2.5.
-This site [http://zofu.no-ip.de/bpo BPO Research Calculator] provides an easy way of finding out the optimal ME and PE research level.
+This site [http://zofu.no-ip.de/bpo BPO Research Calculator] provides an easy way of finding out the optimal ME and PE research level. To use it, you first must search for a particular item. For example: 1MN Microwarpdrive I. After you search, select the correct blueprint from the search results. You can select your skill level (Metallurgy, Research, and Industry), and then Submit. The website will then generate tables to show you various ME and PE levels effect on the estimated manufacturing cost and production time. If you wish to see a particular ME or PE level, you can enter it into the relevant field and resubmit.
-T1 BPCs are produced by copying (running a copy job on) T1 BPOs. The resulting BPCs will inherit the Material and Productivity levels of the respective BPO, but cannot be researched further. Public copy slots are also hard to find, and the University provides a [[BPO Copying Service|BPO copying service]].
+==== Blueprint Copying ====
+T1 Blueprint Copies (BPCs) are produced by copying (running a copy job on) T1 BPOs. The resulting BPCs will inherit the Material and Productivity levels of the respective BPO, but cannot be researched further. Public copy slots are also hard to find, and the University provides a [[BPO Copying Service|BPO copying service]]. BPCs are required for T2 manufacturing.
 === Running Jobs ===