Build Utils
A Quality of Life Factorio mod that enhances the building experience with automatic ghost item management.
Overview
Build Utils provides seamless automation for managing ghost items when building in Factorio. It's designed to work with the vanilla setting "Pick ghost items if no items are available" to create a smoother, more intuitive building workflow.
Features
1. Automatic Ghost Swap on Pickup
When you pick up an item from the ground while holding its ghost in your cursor, the mod automatically swaps the ghost for the real item. This eliminates the need to manually switch items when collecting resources while building.
Example: You're placing inserters but run out. A logistic robot delivers you some from your logistic requests, and the mod instantly swaps your cursor from the ghost inserter to the real one.
2. Automatic Ghost Select on Depletion
When you run out of an item while placing it, the mod automatically selects the ghost version of that item. This allows you to continue planning your build without interruption.
Example: You're placing belts and run out. The mod automatically switches your cursor to a belt ghost so you can continue laying out your design.
Settings
Both features can be individually enabled or disabled in the mod settings (per-user runtime settings):
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Enable automatic ghost swap on pickup | Enabled | Automatically swaps ghost to real item when you pick up items from the ground |
| Enable automatic ghost select on depletion | Disabled | Automatically selects ghost when you run out of an item while building |
Installation
- Download the mod from the Factorio Mod Portal
- Place the zip file in your Factorio mods folder
- Enable the mod in-game
How It Works
The mod uses two event handlers:
on_player_main_inventory_changed: Detects when items are added to your inventory and swaps ghost items in your cursor with real items if availableon_built_entity: Detects when you place an entity and automatically selects its ghost if you run out
Use Cases
- Rapid Construction: Build continuously without worrying about running out of items
- Blueprint Implementation: Seamlessly transition between placing real items and ghosts
- Inventory Management: Pick up items from the ground without disrupting your building flow
- Construction Planning: Run out of items and keep planning without manual ghost selection
License
Mod created by Konrad Guzek. Thumbnail image & README file generated using AI.
Licensed under MIT – see the LICENSE file for details.
Compatibility
This mod is designed to enhance the vanilla building experience and should be compatible with most other mods. It specifically complements the vanilla setting "Pick ghost items if no items are available".