What do the buttons on the research screen represent?

[ifandbut]

The buttons on the research screen, the four right below the current bytes bar. What do they represent? When I click them they appear to change research categories but I dont know what the difference is between categories.

Also, what is the deal with the lines on the research station? There seems to be two of them and a "charge bar".

[Nake]

If you refer to the 4 arrows they represent the same as the arrows on your keyboard, you can use wasd or the arrows to move. As for the tiers, some that are more difficult to manufacture and cost more research points and are larger, they are supposed to be the best things.

In the research station never pay attention, I just turn it on and let it investigate, but if you go to the center of a planet you will get something very special to investigate

[Mharr]

The categories are basically size of item. Blueprints for the Backpack, Small, Medium and Large printers.

[Zarinthal]

exactly, the button for each menu page of the research catalog is the symbol of the printer that makes everything on that page. it also gives the recipe readout for each item on the right side

[indiv]

Originally posted by Mharr:

The categories are basically size of item. Blueprints for the Backpack, Small, Medium and Large printers.

Yep yep. The "tabs" along the top are these in order and arrow buttons in the popup or wasd will scroll around within each.

[ifandbut]

Ah ok. I never made the connection between the tech and the printer you need to use for the blueprint.