Blueprints are currently pointless, or nearly so.

[superchimp]

Given that any production line of any size will require a ton of lego brick building blocks (most of which waste space) it seems to me that with the size constraint being so limited on blueprints makes them of very little use. Am I missing something?

[SysGhost]

I find it very useful.I make factory-modules used to build larger factories where all the belt, wiring, foundations and small details are all in place as I want it.
Just spawn in a bunch of those modules and a larger factory is made in no time flat.

I also makes train tracks supports, roads and other repeatable stuff with it. saves a ton of time where one need to make the same things thousands of times over.

[Vectorspace]

This video from ImKibitz does a good job demoing an effective use for blueprints: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wfdS2TJpis

He had a production line that took him 4 hours to build normally, which he deleted and then rebuilt using blueprints in a fraction of the time.

[PlebNC (UK)]

As the devs have stated, the purpose of blueprints isn't to make an entire factory with them, but to create modular chunks you can combine together to make setting up a factory exactly how you want faster and less fiddly.

[kLuns]

Think inside the box, that's what you're missing.

[Man's Best Friend]

Yes, you're missing many things. Blueprints are super useful for putting down things that you do a lot. Like dropping whole arrays of smelters. Sure, every time you tap a new resource node you could manually build a whole new building for it, individually place all the smelters, individually align all the splitters, mergers, attach all the belts, hook up all the wiring...
OR
You could design a block of 20 smelters in a prefabricated building once, drop that down, connect two belts, and one wire, and move on. Blueprints won't build factories for you, but they will improve how quickly you can build certain parts. Especially parts that are used frequently. The theoretical block of smelters I mentioned won't process a full 780 belt of iron, but it doesn't have to on its own. The point is that I can one click build a whole array of buildings, and save a ton of time doing something that wasn't going to be a bespoke design anyway. Worst case scenario I have to add 6 more smelters. I could even make a second blueprint to do just that. All I need to do then is connect a few internal bits, and off I go.

[SourHammer]

I can set up a 1000 screws a min with a few clicks now

[ShadowMystic]

Originally posted by HTTP Error 418: I'm a teapot:

Yes, you're missing many things. Blueprints are super useful for putting down things that you do a lot. Like dropping whole arrays of smelters. Sure, every time you tap a new resource node you could manually build a whole new building for it, individually place all the smelters, individually align all the splitters, mergers, attach all the belts, hook up all the wiring...
OR
You could design a block of 20 smelters in a prefabricated building once, drop that down, connect two belts, and one wire, and move on. Blueprints won't build factories for you, but they will improve how quickly you can build certain parts. Especially parts that are used frequently. The theoretical block of smelters I mentioned won't process a full 780 belt of iron, but it doesn't have to on its own. The point is that I can one click build a whole array of buildings, and save a ton of time doing something that wasn't going to be a bespoke design anyway. Worst case scenario I have to add 6 more smelters. I could even make a second blueprint to do just that. All I need to do then is connect a few internal bits, and off I go.

Basically this^, OP. Blueprints save you from the repetitive tedium of belts, alignment, power, etc.

With blueprints I can now, with one click, build :
- a raised version of stackable conveyors or hypertypes. I always hated the unused 2-3 at the bottom of a stack.
- a bus tower with conveyors, hypertubes, and power ready to be connect.
- various generic production lines ready to be 'wired' into a bigger production setup i.e. 1-8 constructors, 5x smelters, 6 foundries fed from a floor below, an assembler/manfacturer module that's easy to paste in a row
- 3x refineries or coal power with all the pipes and belts aligned


This doesn't even mention the time sink that is 'decorations' that I mostly avoided because I have better things to do.

[superchimp]

Thanks for the replies all. I may have to give blueprints another look. Still would like more space to play with though. :)

[SourHammer]

Another blue print I use alot is my 4x4 concrete foundation. Saves a ton of time when laying foundations.

[dendriti]

Blueprints really really help with refineries. You can split them into two. I do the 3x refinery+output in the first blueprint, then the input manifolds on the second blueprint. Saves hours over a playthrough.

[evilauthor]

Originally posted by dendriti:

Blueprints really really help with refineries. You can split them into two. I do the 3x refinery+output in the first blueprint, then the input manifolds on the second blueprint. Saves hours over a playthrough.

Refineries actually fit inside the Blueprint Machine thingy? I'm building a new Turbofuel refinery next to an oil geyser, and there's no way seven Refineries and three Assemblers are going to fit inside the Blueprint Cube.

Anyway, I've only created a couple of Blueprints that I like so far. One is a module for turning Iron Ingots into Reinforced Iron Plate (I called it the "RIP Module"). The other is a spiral stair case made from catwalk stairs wrapped around a concrete column which is greatly helpful when I want vertical mobility anywhere as its useful both in a factory and for scaling cliffs in the wilderness.

[Remnar]

I agree that the blueprint device is too small. Also, you need 8 or more different belt configurations to make it useful to build a factory. The only thing I've seen that make it useful is for creative reasons. You shouldn't have to use tricks and other bull sh!t to try to fit what you want to do within it. That's just unacceptable.

The only reason it' so restrictive is that it seems the devs are lazy and have an attitude towards the players that we are lazy if we use blueprints. I've heard enough dumb sh!t excuses from them on why they don't do something. Sure it's their game and they can choose what to add or not add; but the excuses are lame.

[StillNinja]

Originally posted by SourHammer:

Another blue print I use alot is my 4x4 concrete foundation. Saves a ton of time when laying foundations.

Or you could use zooping, select the foundation block for building, hit R to change build mode to zoop, build up to 10 foundations in a line in 2 clicks. Works with ramps too.
Unless you're making multiple floors then it isn't a time saver.

[Mihle]

Originally posted by ShadowMystic:

- various generic production lines ready to be 'wired' into a bigger production setup i.e. 1-8 constructors, 5x smelters, 6 foundries fed from a floor below, an assembler/manfacturer module that's easy to paste in a row

As someone that don't want to have stuff feed from bellow, I can't fit that many foundries in one blueprint on one level, and also fit all the manifolds.

I have "solved" this by having the inputs, the most complex part, in the middle. And then the manifold for the output isn't in the blueprint at all, I have a seperate blueprint with 3 connected mergers.

It still makes it a lot faster to build things tho.

I would prefer if blueprints were 5x5, because then I didn't have to split it up that way.

If you agree that it should be s little larger, here is a post on Satisfactory QA:
https://questions.satisfactorygame.com/post/637551eaca608e0803525116

[dendriti]

Originally posted by evilauthor:

Originally posted by dendriti:

Blueprints really really help with refineries. You can split them into two. I do the 3x refinery+output in the first blueprint, then the input manifolds on the second blueprint. Saves hours over a playthrough.

Refineries actually fit inside the Blueprint Machine thingy? I'm building a new Turbofuel refinery next to an oil geyser, and there's no way seven Refineries and three Assemblers are going to fit inside the Blueprint Cube.

Try it and see. You can place 3 refineries inside a blueprint. You can also place 3 assemblers in another blueprint.

Then you can build those blueprints next to each other and connect them.

I banged up a huge rubber computer factory the other day in about 20 minutes instead of a couple hours that way.