Editing Buildings

The '''Buildings''' of Zero-K are the backbone of your strategy. Build [[Metal Extractor|Metal Extractors]] and [[Energy]] producers to propel your economy, build Factories and [[Caretaker]]s to produce an army, build defensive and intel structures to protect yourself from your opponents' armies, and build superweapons to end the game in spectacular fashion.

Properties shared by most or all buildings in Zero-K include:
* They cost the same amount of [[Metal]] and [[Energy]].
* Once a [[#Placing Nanoframes|nanoframe]] is placed, the ground beneath the building cannot be [[terraform]]ed until the building is destroyed.

== Building placement and construction ==
After selecting a building from the build menu, instead of simply left-clicking to place it, some modifiers can be used during building placement for additional control.

=== Command queuing ===
The normal command queuing options apply:
* Hold {{key press|Shift}} to append orders to the end of the queue.
* Hold {{key press|Space}} to insert orders at the front of the queue. This will come before the current task if there is one.
* Hold {{key combo|Shift|Space}} to insert orders between existing orders. The order will try to be inserted between two nearby orders such that the constructor will minimize the added movement distance.

=== Build Facing ===
When placing factories or other structures, their orientation can be selected by clicking and dragging, rotated in 90 degree steps using {{key press|[}} and {{key press|]}}, or rotated clockwise in 90 degree steps by pressing the {{key press|R}} key.

=== Terraforming ===
{{See|Terraform#Level{{!}}Level Commands}}
[[Terraform#Terraform Types|Terraforming]] can be queued before construction to put a structure on a spire or in a hole. There are various ways to issue this command depending on your advanced settings in [[Ingame Menu#Interface|<samp>Interface</samp>]] &rarr; [[Ingame Menu#Building Placement|<samp>Building Placement</samp>]].

Height selection mode can be entered as follows:
* By holding {{key press|Alt}} and using the mouse wheel during structure placement.
* By pressing {{key press|B}} during structure placement. Press {{key press|C}} or {{key press|V}} to adjust the height.
* If you have enabled '''Terraform by holding mouse click''' in your settings, by holding down the '''left mouse button''' during placement (keeping the cursor stationary). Once the terraform mode has been entered, the mouse can be moved up and down to adjust the elevation. Another left click finalizes the command.

After choosing the terraform height, click to place the structure as usual to issue the terraform and construction command. Structure terraform does not support multiple structure placement, but it does support queuing and insertion with {{key press|Space}} and {{key press|Shift}}.

An existing building can be surrounded by a terraformed wall by selecting the terraform command from the Special tab (hotkeys {{key press|V}}, then {{key press|X}}), then holding down {{key press|Ctrl}} and clicking on the building. Release {{key press|Ctrl}} and move the mouse upwards to set the height of the wall.

=== Line and Rectangular Grid ===
* Hold {{key press|Shift}} while dragging the mouse to place a line of structures. 
* Hold {{key combo|Shift|Ctrl}} to drag a line of structures in the 4 cardinal directions. If holding the mouse over a building, it will surround that building with the selected structure.
* Hold {{key combo|Shift|Alt}} to drag a rectangular grid of structures.
* Hold {{key combo|Shift|Ctrl|Alt}} to drag a hollow box of structures.

The spacing between the individual buildings can be adjusted by pressing {{key press|X}} or {{key press|Z}}.

=== Surrounding an existing building ===
By holding {{key combo|Ctrl|Shift}} during placement, an existing building can be surrounded with the selected building. For example, a fragile and expensive [[Fusion Reactor]] can be surrounded by sturdy and cheap [[Solar Collector]]s by first building the Fusion Reactor, then selecting the Solar Collector from the build menu, holding down {{key combo|Ctrl|Shift}} and clicking on the Fusion Reactor.

=== Placing Nanoframes ===
Holding {{key press|Q}} while placing structures will place only the framework (''nanoframe''), which will let the structure be completed later. This is often used when there are [[Caretaker]]s nearby that can finish the construction on their own.

=== Metal Extractors ===
There is a specialized [[Area Mex Command]] to place Metal Extractors in an area and optionally surround them with power generators at the same time.


{{Navbox buildings}}