Settings

Open Modeler settings and use the side navigation, or the scrolling top row on small screens. Switching sections keeps your draft; Save and Cancel stay in the footer.

• This model: Calculation, connection paths and snap grids travel with the saved model.

• This device: machine defaults, recovery settings, number formats, appearance, interaction and accessibility stay local.

• Applying defaults to existing nodes changes the model, not just your device preferences.

• Save: applies staged changes and saves other unsaved canvas work too.

• Saving follows the model’s existing local or cloud-saving choice.

• Device preferences are kept after the model save succeeds.

• Not saved: the dialog stays open with its draft ready to retry.

• Editing and closing are disabled while Save runs.

• Cancel, closing or Escape discards the draft, including staged grids and machine defaults.

• Language and theme previews revert, but earlier canvas edits remain untouched.

• Desktop file and game-data operations are immediate exceptions, not drafts.

Read-only models allow device preferences, not model settings or applying defaults to nodes. Device settings on the Production Modeler home page opens the device sections without a model: machine defaults, saves and recovery, number formats, appearance, interaction and accessibility, plus updates and data on desktop. For a shared model, use Edit a copy from Saving and sharing.

Calculation

Choose a Calculation mode:

• Manual: solve entered equalities.
• Full: also apply limits, maximize flows and honor connection priority; the default for new models.

None and Basic appear only for a model that already uses one of them.

Random recipe output offers fixed outputs or statistical expected values. Expected values are long-run averages, not guaranteed output every cycle. Fixed outputs do not override recipes or nodes that explicitly require expected values.

Set Game multipliers to match your session:

• Recipe input multiplier: scales consumption, except recipes marked exempt. Each ingredient per craft rounds up to whole items, like the game (3 at 1.5 is 5).
• Power multiplier: scales building power use.
• Space Elevator multiplier: scales output of recipes flagged for it.
• All three require positive values and default to 1.

Show invalid diagnostics marks invalid values on the canvas. Show exact connection mismatches marks solved port values that differ from their connections.

Hiding markers does not fix issues or remove them from Messages.

Connections and grids

• Path style: Curves, Direct or orthogonal 2D routing changes drawing, not wiring.
• The building grid snaps nodes; the connection grid snaps waypoints.
• Each grid has separate horizontal and vertical spacing.
• Enabling a grid affects future movement after Save.

To align existing work:

1. Set the grid spacing.
2. Choose Everything, Current container or Selected.
3. Press Apply node grid or Apply connection grid.
4. Read the updated count, then Save to keep the staged changes.

• Selected means selected nodes for the node grid, selected connections for the connection grid.
• Apply works even with interactive snapping off.

Machine defaults

The Resource nodes card at the top of this section holds Default node purity. It sets the purity a new extractor starts at, such as Pure when your save is made of pure nodes. Until you choose, extractors start at Impure, as before.

• It applies to extractors you place from now on, from the palette and from the Auto Planner.
• Extractors already on the canvas keep their purity. So do pasted ones, blueprints, sub-models and imports, which carry their own.
• An extractor that does not offer the chosen purity starts at the first one it lists.
• The list shows the purities of the loaded catalog, so the choice is unavailable until game data has loaded.
• Save the preferences to keep the choice on this device.

For machines:

1. Pick a machine group from the loaded catalog.
2. Set machine, transport capacity, limit and per-minute display.
3. Save the preferences.

Existing nodes stay unchanged unless you use Apply defaults. Choose Everything, Current container or Selected, then apply and Save. Incompatible machines, clocks or transport capacities are skipped. Check the updated and skipped counts, or Nothing to update.

Catalogs without supported groups show a notice instead of empty controls. For one existing node, use the Inspector.

Number formats

1. Choose Where the format applies, such as Machine count, Connection rate or Summary.
2. Select Fraction or Decimal.
3. Set Digits and choose Nearest, Up or Down for rounding.
4. Set tooltip formats separately, then Save.

Defaults use Decimal with Digits set to 2, and Fraction for tooltips. Formats change display, not calculation.

Saves and recovery

• Save automatically: enables autosave on this device.
• Autosave cooldown in minutes: defaults to 5, with a minimum of 1. The countdown starts with the first unsaved edit and does not restart as you keep working.
• Maximum backups: defaults to 100 retained recovery backups.
• Autosave is enabled by default but pauses while editing or saving is blocked.
• Manual saves bypass the cooldown. Remaining unsaved changes wait for a fresh cooldown after a save attempt finishes.
• Autosave follows the model’s cloud-saving choice; signing in does not enable cloud saving.
• A toast confirms a completed save and distinguishes local storage from cloud storage. Clean models do not trigger automatic saves or duplicate notifications.
• Sync blueprints with your account: on by default. Blueprints always stay on this device without a limit; while this is on and you are signed in they are mirrored to your account (50 for a free account, 2,000 for Patreon supporters) and follow you to other devices. See Blueprints in your account.
• Leaving with unsaved changes: Ask every time by default. Save automatically saves before you open another model, go back to the library or close the desktop window, and Discard changes leaves without saving. A failed automatic save still opens the dialog and keeps the model open. Closing or reloading a browser tab always shows the browser’s own warning.

Keep unsaved work open during a data lock

Missing game data can lock the model, but leaving still warns about unsaved work. A failed Save and close keeps the model open. Choose Keep editing, restore usable data, then save the model. Saving device preferences does not save a locked model.

Desktop operations are immediate

Desktop data manages model folders, files and game-data profiles. Cancel does not undo these operations. Reloading model files requires saved or discarded model changes and confirmation. Reloads discard unsaved settings drafts, so save the dialog first if you need them.

For pack changes without replacing your open graph, use the header’s Game data control. The game-data guide covers pack switching and desktop maintenance.

Updates

The desktop app only. Check for updates sets how often the app looks for a new version: every minute (the default), every 15 minutes, every hour, every 6 hours, once a day, or only when the app starts. It always checks once at startup, and Help can check at any time.

Appearance

• Language: English or Deutsch.
• Theme: Light or Dark.
• Both preview immediately and stay on this device after Save.
• Cancel or closing restores the previous appearance.
• Interface size: 80% to 150%, 100% by default. It draws the header, toolbars, panels, dialogs and the cards’ contents larger or smaller, while the canvas zoom stays separate. Applies on this device after Save.
• Larger text when zoomed out: off by default. While you are zoomed far out, each card shows only its name and main figure in text large enough to read. The cards keep their size, so connections and the layout stay where they are. Applies on this device after Save.
• Add a node by category: on by default. The node list is grouped under category headings and the categories sit in their own column. Turn it off for the flat list. Applies on this device after Save.

Interaction

• Mouse wheel: Zooms by default. Pans (Ctrl zooms) moves the canvas with the wheel like a trackpad; hold Ctrl (Cmd on a Mac) while turning it to zoom. A trackpad pinch zooms either way. Applies on this device after Save.
• Drag threshold in pixels: raise it to ignore small movements, lower it to start dragging sooner. Applies on this device after Save.
• Selection box picks: Cards it touches by default, so a box that crosses part of a card selects it. Only cards fully inside leaves out every card that reaches past the box. Applies to the right-drag and the Shift-drag box on this device after Save.
• Double-click on empty canvas: Add a node opens the palette there, as before. Zoom in doubles the zoom around the clicked point, also on a read-only model. Nothing ignores the double-click. Applies on this device after Save.
• Right-click on empty canvas: Add a node opens the palette there, as before. Nothing opens nothing and still keeps the browser’s menu away. Right-clicking a card or a connection opens its own menu either way. Applies on this device after Save.
• When a model opens: Show the last view by default. Fit everything fits every card into view whenever a model opens. Entering or leaving a container still shows that container’s saved view. Opening does not change the model: its saved view is replaced only once you pan or zoom. Applies on this device after Save.
• Undo steps: how many changes undo can take back, from 10 to 1000; 100 by default. Lowering the limit drops the oldest steps with your next change. An empty field is not saved. Applies on this device after Save.

Accessibility

• Single-character shortcuts (A, F, L, ?): on by default. Turn them off when speech input or a screen reader presses them by accident. Ctrl and Cmd shortcuts, Insert, F1 and the arrow keys keep working, and the keyboard shortcuts list marks the four as off. Applies on this device after Save.