Factorio, the much-loved game in automation management, thrives on efficiency and organization. By using blueprints—saving perfect designs of sections of your factory and then replicating them when building—you can save time building and keep consistency. The only problem comes if you need to adjust a blueprint to fit a specific location, and that is where mirroring blueprints can be helpful.
A mirrored blueprint is, in effect, only a horizontally flipped copy of it. This feature is pretty useful when building objects that have to look the same but in two opposite directions, as in the symmetrical production line or mirrored tracks. Thus, mastering the technique of adequate mirroring of blueprints can go a long way toward optimizing your factory layout and making the production process more efficient.
Techniques for Mirroring Blueprints in Factorio
While Factorio doesn't have a dedicated "mirror" function within the vanilla game, there are two primary methods for achieving a mirrored blueprint:
Here's a detailed breakdown of each method:
1. Manual Deconstruction and Reconstruction:
2. Blueprint Flipping with Mods (Advanced):
Important Considerations When Mirroring Blueprints:
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A mirrored blueprint is, in effect, only a horizontally flipped copy of it. This feature is pretty useful when building objects that have to look the same but in two opposite directions, as in the symmetrical production line or mirrored tracks. Thus, mastering the technique of adequate mirroring of blueprints can go a long way toward optimizing your factory layout and making the production process more efficient.
Techniques for Mirroring Blueprints in Factorio
While Factorio doesn't have a dedicated "mirror" function within the vanilla game, there are two primary methods for achieving a mirrored blueprint:- Manual Deconstruction and Reconstruction: This process opens the original plan before deconstructing its mirrored half then manually builds in the flipped desired orientation. This way, you have complete control of the mirroring process, but it can be very fiddly when working with large or complex plans.
- Blueprint Flipping with Mods (Advanced): There are a few mods on the Factorio mod portal that allow you to flip blueprints. Often, these mods have additional functionalities like blueprint rotation or advanced placement. While that is convenient, getting such functionalities through mods comes at the price of losing achievements, and one has to get accustomed to control for that specific mod.
Here's a detailed breakdown of each method:
1. Manual Deconstruction and Reconstruction:
- Simply place the blueprint at the desired position.
- Identify the center point where the pattern should be mirrored.
- Using the deconstruction tool, deconstruct half of the blueprint—the half that would need to be mirrored.
- After this deconstruction, manually build the mirrored half back to the other side so that it all sits into place correctly.
2. Blueprint Flipping with Mods (Advanced):
- Download and install a reputable blueprint flipping mod from the Factorio mod portal.
- Familiarize yourself with the mod's controls and functionalities.
- Select the blueprint you want to mirror in your inventory.
- Use the mod's designated hotkey or button to flip the blueprint horizontally.
- Place the mirrored blueprint in your desired location.
Important Considerations When Mirroring Blueprints:
- Asymmetrical Entities: Particular attention needs to be paid to the entities that may have an inflow and outflow direction: refineries, chemical plants, and pumpjacks. Mirroring such entities may break their functionality, and connections of these entities might need changes.
- Underground Belts and Pipes: Blueprints containing underground belts or pipes will need manual adjustment post-paste to ensure the connections come out correctly on the side pasted on.
- Blueprint Complexity: The more intricate the blueprint, the greater the time and effort required to replicate it. Simple blueprints may be economically taken apart and put back together manually to achieve fast turnaround times.
Can I mirror blueprints in vanilla Factorio?
No, vanilla Factorio does not allow for the mirroring of blueprints right out of the box. You would need to manually deconstruct and reconstruct or install a mod that will enable flipping blueprints.
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What are the advantages of using mods for blueprint mirroring?
The mods make duplicating blueprints significantly faster and less cumbersome than manual disassembly. Some mods even add rotation and ghost placement to the blueprint process.
Are there any drawbacks to using mods for blueprint mirroring?
Remember that using mods disables Factorio's achievement system. Also, new mods come with a bit of a learning curve, and some of them may yield compatibility issues with other mods.
What should I consider when choosing a blueprint-flipping mod
Get a good mod from a reputable author with a decent rating and recent updates. You may wish to even take into consideration other in-game play aspects, such as blueprint rotation and blueprint ghost placement if it helps with in-game play.
Conclusion
Mirrored blueprints can be extremely handy for further optimization of your factory layout and construction procedure in Factorio. Know the ways available and their limits, and you can adeptly customize blueprints to be in tune with your unique needs. Whether you prefer to do everything the manual way or in greater freedom, according to what mods could offer, coming to terms with the notion of mirroring your blueprints is one-way Factorio changes so that you can offer a smoother, faster experience.Host your Factorio with ScalaCube, and get the best hosting that makes your Factorio game run perfectly and accessible from any lags. Provides top performance in hosting for Minecraft servers that can quickly meet Factorio hosting needs. Our dedicated servers assure you of the best gameplay and uninterrupted multiplayer interaction between you and your friends.