1. Read the active key hint
Open the build interface and check the selection or Marquee hint shown by your current version. Early Access builds and guides disagree on the default shortcut.
Reusable factory modules
Sandustry Blueprint Guide: Copy, Save and Paste
Blueprints turn a tested factory module into a repeatable building block. The safe workflow is select → copy → save the clipboard selection → test one paste before scaling it across the map.
Control warning: the official wiki documents an older Marquee workflow using Shift to select and C while dragging to copy, while launch-week builds and player guides show newer selection/copy prompts. Follow the control hint visible in your build instead of memorizing one key.
How to create a Sandustry blueprint
2. Select a clean module
Drag around the machines and solid player-built blocks you want to reuse. Leave temporary piles and unintended terrain outside the box.
3. Copy the selection
Use the copy action displayed by the current selection tool. Keep the clipboard selection active until you have tested a paste.
4. Save it as a Blueprint
Open Building, then the Blueprint section, and save the current clipboard selection with a name that describes its input and output.
5. Paste into clear space
Preview the module in an empty area, verify orientation and reconnect inputs only after the structure is placed correctly.
What the selection may leave behind
The official Marquee reference says the tool selects player-built solid blocks and excludes pipes. Verify every pipe, launcher and connection in the paste preview. A blueprint that restores the shell but not the transport network can look complete while receiving no input.
Use names that make failures obvious
- Input → process → output: for example, “Wet Sand → 1 Shaker → Gold Drop.”
- Version: add the month or patch when a recipe or machine behavior is likely to change.
- External connections: note whether Water, power, belts or a Collector must be added after pasting.
- Test status: keep “draft” in the name until one pasted copy has completed a full cycle.
Why a pasted blueprint does not run
- The paste intersects terrain or another player-built block.
- A pipe or other excluded connection was not copied.
- The module has structure but no live input, output buffer or Collector.
- The source design depended on nearby gravity, liquid level or terrain that was outside the selection.
Start with a proven module such as the first Gold factory. If the copied machine produces only Residue, use the Shaker checklist.
Sources checked
- Official Sandustry Wiki: Marquee controls and selection limits
- Current Sandustry Steam Community guides
- Official Steam listing and Early Access status
Controls are version-sensitive. This page deliberately points to the live UI when published instructions conflict.