Setting up a planetary colony: Difference between revisions

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==== Place the Command Center ====

Once you are in the planet view, you can drag and zoom to see the planet from different angles. In the top-left corner are two tabs. "Build" and Scan". The scanning will be explained in [[Identifying valuable planets]]. To set up your colony you can use [[Setting up a planetary colony#Templates|templates]] or go building-by-building.

Once you are in the planet view, you can drag and zoom to see the planet from different angles. In the top-left corner are two tabs. "Build" and Scan". The scanning will be explained in [[Planetary Industry#Planet Scanning|Planet Scanning]] and [[Identifying valuable planets]]. To set up your colony you can use [[Setting up a planetary colony#Templates|templates]] or go building-by-building.

The location of the [[Planetary buildings#Command Centers|Command Center]] is not relevant. In most cases it will not be connected to the rest of the colony and usually not used to export products from the planet. Your [[Planetary buildings#Command Centers|Command Center]] provides Powergrid and CPU to your entire colony. This limits how many buildings you can put in a colony. Everything takes a certain amount of CPU and Powergrid, including the links between the buildings. The [[Planetary buildings#Command Centers|Command Center]] itself does not need to be connected by a link for this. However, if you double-click anywhere on the planet it will center the view on the [[Planetary buildings#Command Centers|Command Center]], so having it close to the rest of the colony might make navigating back there easier.

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===== Placing the [[Planetary buildings#Extractor Control Units|Extractor Control Unit]] =====

Scan the planet for resources you want to extract as explained in the [[Identifying valuable planets]] article. Select the ECU from the build menu and place the Unit with the darkened circle over the spot, where you want to extract. After hitting submit you could start setting down [[Planetary buildings#Extractor Heads|Extractor Heads]], but it might be better to build the rest of the colony first and see how much "fitting"-space is left to place extractors.

Scan the planet for resources you want to extract as explained in the [[Planetary Industry#Planet Scanning|Planet Scanning]] and the [[Identifying valuable planets]] article. Select the ECU from the build menu and place the Unit with the darkened circle over the spot, where you want to extract. After hitting submit you could start setting down [[Planetary buildings#Extractor Heads|Extractor Heads]], but it might be better to build the rest of the colony first and see how much "fitting"-space is left to place extractors.

===== Building a buffer storage =====

[[File:ECU and Storage.png|left|thumb]]

Extractors do have a lot of variance in the amount of resources extracted in a given time. All Factories process a static amount of resources per time. Even though the factories have one cycle of storage build in, this is usually not enough to compensate for the difference in the extracted resources. To buffer the spikes in extraction some kind of storage should always be connected an extractor. If at any time this storage is full no new products can be delivered to it and the goods would be lost. If fitting permits it is good practice to separate this buffer storage room from the final extracted product. A [[Planetary buildings#Storage Facilities|Storage Facility]] is the best option in most cases. A [[Planetary buildings#Launchpad|Launchpad]] provides decent storage for buffer and extraction if it has to be shared. The [[Planetary buildings#Command Centers|Command Center]] would be the worst option as it provides very little room.

===== Linking the buildings =====

Once you built the storage you need to connect the buildings with [[Planetary buildings#Planetary Links|Links]] to be able to transport resources from one to another. {{button|CTRL}} - {{button|LMB}} the [[Planetary buildings#Extractor Control Units|Extractor]], then release {{button|CTRL}} and click your buffer storage.

Once you built the storage you need to connect the buildings with [[Planetary buildings#Planetary Links|Links]] to be able to transport resources from one to another. {{button|CTRL}}+{{button|LMB}} the [[Planetary buildings#Extractor Control Units|Extractor]], then release {{button|CTRL}} and click your buffer storage. {{clear}}

===== Start extracting =====

[[File:Extraction program window.png|left|thumb]]

To open the extraction program window either double-click the ECU, or select it and click the first icon [[File:Install Extraction Program.png|frameless]]. In the upper right corner of the extraction program window we can select which of the avaible resources will be extracted. One Extractor Unit can only extract one type of resource at a time. While a resource is selected the scanner automatically shows the heatmap for that resouce.

Below the Resource selection is the duration slider. This determines how long the the extractor runs before it stops and has to be started again. The longer the runtime the less resources are extracted per hour. The duration also changes the radius of the heads and the individual cycle time that define how often resources are delivered.

Extractor Heads can be created and deleted by clicking on the dots on the left hand side. They can also be created and deleted by {{button|CTRL}}+{{button|LMB}} on the planet inside the Extractors radius while the Program Window is open. Drag and drop the heads in a position where the heatmap promises good results. Overlapping heads result in a penalty for both heads and should be avoided.

The lower right corner of the programmer window shows the amount of resources that can be expected to be extracted. The numbers change in realtime with the movement of the heads. Once you are happy with the placement of the heeads hit "Start extraction" and submit to start the process.

===== Routing the resources =====

The red circle around the extractor indicates a possible problem with the building. Usually this means that resources are either not delivered to or from the building. If you followed the instruction above the extracted resources are not yet routed to be delivered to the buffer storage. For this we need to select the extractor again and use the [[File:Extractor routing.png|frameless]] routing tab. Here the resources can be selected with a double click that takes us directly to routing without having to select and hit "create routing". While the cursor is changed it expects us to select a destination. This can also be done by a double click on the destination or by clicking the destination facility once and hitting "create route".{{clear}}

=== Step 2.2: Import resources ===

== Your First Colony ==

If you want smooth processing without waste, if you have excess of one resource/product building up, or need to store your output for later pickup you will need storage. For storage, you can use (in order of capacity) a Planetary Command Center (500 m3), Launch Pad (10,000 m3), or Storage Facility (12,000 m3).

Once you have a sense of the basics, you can start thinking about tailoring your setup to your needs, setting up longer production chains on one planet (or multiple planets), etc., which you can find more information on at the [[Colony Management]] page.

~~== Your First Colony ==~~

''This pictorial guide will show you step-by-step how to set up a basic colony for producing P1 products from locally extracted R0 raw materials.''

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 ==== Place the Command Center ====
-Once you are in the planet view, you can drag and zoom to see the planet from different angles. In the top-left corner are two tabs. "Build" and Scan". The scanning will be explained in [[Identifying valuable planets]]. To set up your colony you can use [[Setting up a planetary colony#Templates|templates]] or go building-by-building.
+Once you are in the planet view, you can drag and zoom to see the planet from different angles. In the top-left corner are two tabs. "Build" and Scan". The scanning will be explained in [[Planetary Industry#Planet Scanning|Planet Scanning]] and [[Identifying valuable planets]]. To set up your colony you can use [[Setting up a planetary colony#Templates|templates]] or go building-by-building.
 The location of the [[Planetary buildings#Command Centers|Command Center]] is not relevant. In most cases it will not be connected to the rest of the colony and usually not used to export products from the planet. Your [[Planetary buildings#Command Centers|Command Center]] provides Powergrid and CPU to your entire colony. This limits how many buildings you can put in a colony. Everything takes a certain amount of CPU and Powergrid, including the links between the buildings. The [[Planetary buildings#Command Centers|Command Center]] itself does not need to be connected by a link for this. However, if you double-click anywhere on the planet it will center the view on the [[Planetary buildings#Command Centers|Command Center]], so having it close to the rest of the colony might make navigating back there easier.
@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 ===== Placing the [[Planetary buildings#Extractor Control Units|Extractor Control Unit]] =====
-Scan the planet for resources you want to extract  as explained in the [[Identifying valuable planets]] article. Select the ECU from the build menu and place the Unit with the darkened circle over the spot, where you want to extract. After hitting submit you could start setting down [[Planetary buildings#Extractor Heads|Extractor Heads]], but it might be better to build the rest of the colony first and see how much "fitting"-space is left to place extractors.
+Scan the planet for resources you want to extract  as explained in the [[Planetary Industry#Planet Scanning|Planet Scanning]] and the [[Identifying valuable planets]] article. Select the ECU from the build menu and place the Unit with the darkened circle over the spot, where you want to extract. After hitting submit you could start setting down [[Planetary buildings#Extractor Heads|Extractor Heads]], but it might be better to build the rest of the colony first and see how much "fitting"-space is left to place extractors.
 ===== Building a buffer storage =====
+[[File:ECU and Storage.png|left|thumb]]
 Extractors do have a lot of variance in the amount of resources extracted in a given time. All Factories process a static amount of resources per time. Even though the factories have one cycle of storage build in, this is usually not enough to compensate for the difference in the extracted resources. To buffer the spikes in extraction some kind of storage should always be connected an extractor. If at any time this storage is full no new products can be delivered to it and the goods would be lost. If fitting permits it is good practice to separate this buffer storage room from the final extracted product. A [[Planetary buildings#Storage Facilities|Storage Facility]] is the best option in most cases. A [[Planetary buildings#Launchpad|Launchpad]] provides decent storage for buffer and extraction if it has to be shared. The [[Planetary buildings#Command Centers|Command Center]] would be the worst option as it provides very little room.
 ===== Linking the buildings =====
-Once you built the storage you need to connect the buildings with [[Planetary buildings#Planetary Links|Links]] to be able to transport resources from one to another. {{button|CTRL}} - {{button|LMB}} the [[Planetary buildings#Extractor Control Units|Extractor]], then release {{button|CTRL}} and click your buffer storage.
+Once you built the storage you need to connect the buildings with [[Planetary buildings#Planetary Links|Links]] to be able to transport resources from one to another. {{button|CTRL}}+{{button|LMB}} the [[Planetary buildings#Extractor Control Units|Extractor]], then release {{button|CTRL}} and click your buffer storage. {{clear}}
+===== Start extracting =====
+[[File:Extraction program window.png|left|thumb]]
+To open the extraction program window either double-click the ECU, or select it and click the first icon [[File:Install Extraction Program.png|frameless]]. In the upper right corner of the extraction program window we can select which of the avaible resources will be extracted. One Extractor Unit can only extract one type of resource at a time. While a resource is selected the scanner automatically shows the heatmap for that resouce.
+Below the Resource selection is the duration slider. This determines how long the the extractor runs before it stops and has to be started again. The longer the runtime the less resources are extracted per hour. The duration also changes the radius of the heads and the individual cycle time that define how often resources are delivered.
+Extractor Heads can be created and deleted by clicking on the dots on the left hand side. They can also be created and deleted by {{button|CTRL}}+{{button|LMB}} on the planet inside the Extractors radius while the Program Window is open. Drag and drop the heads in a position where the heatmap promises good results. Overlapping heads result in a penalty for both heads and should be avoided.
+The lower right corner of the programmer window shows the amount of resources that can be expected to be extracted. The numbers change in realtime with the movement of the heads. Once you are happy with the placement of the heeads hit "Start extraction" and submit to start the process.
+===== Routing the resources =====
+The red circle around the extractor indicates a possible problem with the building. Usually this means that resources are either not delivered to or from the building. If you followed the instruction above the extracted resources are not yet routed to be delivered to the buffer storage. For this we need to select the extractor again and use the [[File:Extractor routing.png|frameless]] routing tab. Here the resources can be selected with a double click that takes us directly to routing without having to select and hit "create routing". While the cursor is changed it expects us to select a destination. This can also be done by a double click on the destination or by clicking the destination facility once and hitting "create route".{{clear}}
 === Step 2.2: Import resources ===
 {{Work in progress}}
+== Your First Colony ==
 If you want smooth processing without waste, if you have excess of one resource/product building up, or need to store your output for later pickup you will need storage.  For storage, you can use (in order of capacity) a Planetary Command Center (500 m3), Launch Pad (10,000 m3), or Storage Facility (12,000 m3).
 Once you have a sense of the basics, you can start thinking about tailoring your setup to your needs, setting up longer production chains on one planet (or multiple planets), etc., which you can find more information on at the [[Colony Management]] page.
-== Your First Colony ==
 ''This pictorial guide will show you step-by-step how to set up a basic colony for producing P1 products from locally extracted R0 raw materials.''