The Crust 1.0 Planning Mode: Blueprints & Layouts Guide

Planning Mode Core Mechanics & 1.0–1.0.12 Controls Matrix

Introduced in Version 1.0 (September 11, 2026) and expanded through Hotfixes 1.0.7–1.0.12 (September 19, 2026), Planning Mode functions as a non-destructive blueprint staging layer for lunar crater factories and subsurface excavation networks:

Planning Feature / Control	Input / Trigger	Verified Behavior (Version 1.0 – Update 1.0.12)
Ghost Blueprint Overlay	Planning Mode Toggle	Places non-committed module footprints and conveyor segments; includes toggle tooltip (1.0.10) and audio cue (1.0.11)
Module & Storage Recipe Copy	Copy Recipe Action	Copies active recipes across planned modules (1.0) and directly across module and storage interfaces (Update 1.0.12)
Required-Resources Tracker	Live HUD Readout	Calculates total Silicon, Iron, Titanium, Aluminum, and credit build costs across all staged ghost blueprints
CPU Budget Tooltip & Bypass	Hover CPU Icon	Displays CPU load in the planning window (1.0.8); zero-CPU modules build even when base CPU is over budget (1.0.12)
Conveyor Direction Flip	V Key	Renders directional flow arrows while routing ghost belts and reverses conveyor direction on press
Sequential Belt Chaining	Left-Click Drag	Chains sequential conveyor connections without holding the Shift key (Hotfix 1.0.7)
Non-Destructive Belt Cancel	Cancel Tool	Removes only planned ghost conveyor segments without demolishing existing built modules (1.0)
Stuck-Resource Indicator	Visual Flash Alert	Flashes on Conveyor Distributors and module inputs whenever an oxide or slag lane deadlocks (1.0)

Conveyor Throughput & Blueprint Trunk Sizing (Tiers 1–5)

When designing production layouts in Planning Mode, match your ghost conveyor trunks to the 5 verified conveyor speed tiers and your generator capacity (Small Solar 30, Medium Solar 75, Large Solar 300, Fuel Generator 90, RTG 16, Fusion Reactor 600, Battery 100,000 capacity with 10 MW discharge / 50 MW charge caps):

Conveyor Tier	Throughput (Items/Min)	Credit Build Cost	Recommended Production Layout Role
Tier 1 Conveyor	60 items/min	250	Single-assembler ingredient branches and low-volume silicon wafer or microcircuit outputs
Tier 2 Conveyor	150 items/min	750	Dedicated Single Regolith Refinery branches and early Slag evacuation belts
Tier 3 Conveyor	300 items/min	1750	Mid-game Multi-Regolith Refinery oxide trunks and Smelting Furnace manifolds
Tier 4 Conveyor	450 items/min	3750	High-volume Mobile Drilling Rig regolith intakes and multi-smelter arteries
Tier 5 Conveyor	600 items/min	7750	Main crater spine feeding Cargo Docks and Large Capsules (9800-unit capacity in 1.0.12)

Underground Conveyor Rule: Underground Conveyors bridge surface and subsurface floors without an independent speed rating; they always run at the slower of the two attached belts (for example, pairing a Tier 5 surface belt at 600 items/min with a Tier 2 subsurface belt at 150 items/min caps the vertical shaft at 150 items/min).

Four-Step Production Layout Workflow in Planning Mode

1. Stage Module Footprints & Check Adjacent Belt Clearances: Lay out Single or Multi-Regolith Refineries, Smelting Furnaces, and Presses (reduced from 4 CPU to 3 CPU in Update 1.0.12). Hotfix 1.0.11 resolved a bug where conveyors misbehaved between directly adjacent modules, allowing tighter crater floor blueprints.
2. Route & Flip Conveyor Trunks with the V Key: Chain belts sequentially without holding Shift (Hotfix 1.0.7) and press V to verify arrow direction before committing credits (250 for Tier 1 up to 7750 for Tier 5). Ensure Multi-Regolith Refineries have dedicated overflow routing for Iron Oxide, Silicon Oxide, Aluminum Oxide, Titanium Oxide, and Slag so a full output slot never halts the machine.
3. Clone Recipes Across Modules and Storages: Use the 1.0.12 recipe copying interface to propagate smelter, press, and storage filter configurations across parallel assembly lines, and wire power poles using upgraded Electric Pillars (up to 6 connections and expanded radius in 1.0.12).
4. Audit the Required-Resources Tracker & Commit in Batches: Compare the tracker readout against your current reserves before activating construction queues. Hotfix 1.0.11 improved drone priority distribution during large construction queues, and Update 1.0.12 fixed a bug where disabling Planning Mode occasionally scheduled an extra module.

Related 1.0–1.0.12 Engineering Guides

• The Crust Patch Notes (1.0.6 to 1.0.12): full breakdown of the 1.0.12 recipe copy system, Press CPU reduction (4 to 3), and Large Capsule buff (9000 to 9800 units)
• The Crust Refinery & Conveyor Automation: Single vs. Multi-Regolith Refinery layouts and 60–600 items/min belt math
• The Crust Power Grid & Lunar Night Guide: sizing 100,000-unit underground Batteries (immune to Solar Flares since Hotfix 1.0.9), RTGs (16 units), and Fusion Reactors (600 units)
• The Crust 1.0 Roads & Truck Logistics Guide: pairing surface road networks with Universal Demolition credit refunds (Hotfix 1.0.6 & 1.0.12)