Modulus: Factory Automation News

[p]We’ve made a terminology update across Modulus: Factory Automation for copyright reasons and to ensure naming consistency throughout the game.[/p][h3]Updated Terms[/h3]

• [p]Droid to Android[/p]
• [p]Hyperdroid to Hyperbot[/p]
• [p]Droid Core to Advanced Core[/p]
• [p]Mech Core to Superior Core[/p]

[h3]Additional Changes[/h3]

• [p]Updated all related building names (e.g. Droid Assembly to Android Assembly, Droid Core Facility to Advanced Core Facility)[/p]
• [p]Updated references in the Tech Tree and tutorials[/p]
• [p]Updated two achievements referencing Droid and Hyperdroid[/p]

[p]This is a naming update only and does not affect gameplay or functionality.[/p][p]If you encounter any remaining instances of the previous terminology, please let us know so we can address them.

Many thanks![/p][p]-Team Happy Volcano[/p]

[p]Hey Module Makers![/p][p]If you've been following along with our Modulus Academy video series, you'll know that Creative Director David has been dropping some seriously useful tips for getting the most out of your factory. Whether you missed an episode or just want a handy written reference, here's a rundown of everything covered so far.
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h2]Episode 1 | Operator Efficiency [/h2][p]The first episode laid the groundwork with one of the most fundamental concepts in Modulus: identifying and eliminating bottlenecks.[/p][p]David walked through a basic production line, four miners feeding a furnace, a cutter, and an assembler, to demonstrate a common pitfall. The miners produce 60 polyrock per minute, the furnace processes that into 15 cubes, the cutter slices each cube into 4 pieces (60 pieces per minute total), and it all looks great... until it hits the assembler. The assembler can only take in 15 pieces per minute on each input, meaning it consumes just 30 of the 60 pieces being produced. Half your output is going to waste.[/p][p]The fix? Double up your assemblers. By running two assemblers in parallel, you consume all 60 pieces per minute and jump from 15 modules per minute to 30, using exactly the same upstream resources.[/p][p]David also showed a smarter, more space-efficient alternative: using two furnaces feeding an assembler to first create a larger intermediate module, then cutting that bigger module into four pieces. The result is 60 final pieces per minute in a much more compact footprint.
The lesson here is that the order of operations matters. Thinking carefully about which step comes first can unlock serious efficiency gains without needing more floor space.
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h2]Episode 2 | Building Ratios[/h2][p]Episode two stepped up in complexity, moving from individual production lines to efficiently supplying an entire building, in this case, the Basic Blue Pigment Refinery.[/p][p]The key insight is that a well-run building should never be waiting on modules, and no module you produce should go to waste. To achieve that, you need to match your production ratios to what the building actually requires.[/p][p]David's process breaks down into a few steps:[/p][p]Check the module requirements. The refinery needs three different modules, one of them required 32 times, the other two 16 times each. That's a 2 : 1 : 1 ratio.[/p][p]Match your production to that ratio. Since each module is 64 voxels (one full cube's worth), you allocate two cubes of production to the first module and one cube each to the others. This gives you 30 per minute of the first module, and 15 per minute of each of the others, a perfect 2 : 1 : 1 match.[/p][p]Set your crane ratios correctly. Cranes always operate at 15 deliveries per minute, so delivering 30 per minute requires two cranes, and 15 per minute requires one. If your crane ratios are off, the building will sit idle waiting for the slower module to catch up, even if the other modules are fully stocked. Getting this right means all modules are delivered and consumed simultaneously.[/p][p]Don't forget production-phase resources. Once the building is fully constructed and begins producing, it may require additional resources. In the refinery example, that's blue hexa crystals. The same crane ratio logic applies, match the crane count to your production rate so nothing clogs up or falls behind.[/p][p]When everything is dialled in, the refinery produces a clean 15 blue pigment per minute. As David points out, 15 is the magic number in Modulus, everything in the game works in multiples of it.
[/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][h2]Episode 3 | Paint Efficiency[/h2][p]The most recent episode tackles a resource that players often burn through without realising: paint.[/p][p]David opened with an honest admission, the example setup he built was deliberately inefficient to illustrate the problem. Building the modules for the Droid Assembly using three separate painters results in 45 paint consumed per minute to produce 45 modules. It works, but it's wasteful, especially as your factory scales.[/p][p]The core problem is a common instinct: make your shapes first, then paint the individual pieces. This means you're running paint through the machine multiple times across multiple parts.[/p][p]The smarter approach is to paint earlier in the process, before you cut and assemble. By painting the raw cube blue at the start of the production chain, every piece cut from it is already the right colour. You don't need additional painters downstream. The result in David's improved setup: the same 45 modules per minute, but using only 15 paint per minute, a threefold saving.[/p][p]For more advanced factories, David shared an even more efficient technique: combine multiple furnace outputs into one large block, paint that block once, then cut it down into smaller pieces. Because paint in Modulus coats an entire object regardless of its size in a single application, painting at the largest possible volume before cutting gives you the best paint-per-piece ratio you can achieve.[/p][p]The takeaway: always ask yourself where in the order of operations you can apply paint to cover the most surface for the least cost.
[/p][p]That's the full Modulus Academy catch-up! Make sure you're following us on Steam so you don't miss the next episode. See you on the factory floor.

- Team Happy Volcano[/p]

[p]Thanks to everyone jumping into Modulus: Factory Automation and sharing feedback with us. This first patch focuses on fixing early issues, improving stability, and polishing the overall experience.
[/p][h3]Functionality / Crash Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed an issue where the game could get stuck on the loading screen while loading a save[/p]
• [p]Fixed a null reference error when closing the module viewer after opening it via the progression UI[/p]
• [p]Fixed Advanced Stamper configurations flipping and producing incorrect output[/p]
• [p]Fixed freighters not refilling cargo correctly when receiving a new resource[/p]
• [p]Fixed camera jumping to a random position after locating a Freight Hub and panning[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where pasting a configuration for an advanced operator would unlink the Supply Tank[/p]
• [p]Fixed toolbar not updating the correct keybind after reassignment[/p]
• [p]Fixed inability to assign Shift + Left Mouse Button as a keybinding[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where pressing ESC would assign a keybind when closing the overlapping input popup[/p]
• [p]Fixed an error caused by auto-complete on the Lumite Reactor
  [/p]

[h3]UI Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed red building modules not appearing in the progression UI after being unlocked[/p]
• [p]Fixed missing blue charge requirement indicators in Overclock Station and Red Processing Plant UI[/p]
• [p]Fixed Overclock building popup showing req/min over module amounts[/p]
• [p]Fixed incorrect save name shown on the loading screen[/p]
• [p]Fixed black bars appearing in the progression UI[/p]
• [p]Fixed multiple building UI popups appearing when activating the GNN Gate[/p]
• [p]Fixed missing rank requirement display when skipping the Monument unlock cutscene[/p]
• [p]Fixed Yellow Charge unlock popup not appearing after unlocking the GNN Gate[/p]
• [p]Fixed Blue Charge unlock popup appearing incorrectly after unlocking the GNN Data Mine[/p]
• [p]Fixed toolbar keybind display not updating correctly[/p]
• [p]Fixed Shift and Ctrl keybind UI display limitations[/p]

[h3]
Visual / VFX Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed freighters not always displaying hologram VFX when passing through buildings[/p]
• [p]Fixed missing thruster VFX for the GNN Ship in the ending cutscene[/p]
• [p]Fixed Overclock Station VFX issues[/p]
• [p]Fixed Stamper MK1 and MK2 interior computer lights not functioning correctly[/p]
• [p]Fixed visible red boundary boxes on decorations such as Trees, Golden Statues, and Solar Flowers[/p]
• [p]Fixed conveyor tool not highlighting belts when hovering[/p]
• [p]Fixed missing notification highlights for newly unlocked items[/p]
• [p]Fixed pixelation issues in the Happy Volcano logo animation[/p]

[h3]
Localisation / Text Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed debug text appearing for “Produces” in the Basic Core Facility tech tree node[/p]
• [p]Fixed punctuation error in the Mission Successful popup[/p]
• [p]Fixed Freight Hub UI scaling issues in French, Portuguese, Polish, and Russian[/p]
• [p]Fixed Simplified Chinese displaying incorrect Japanese characters[/p]

[h3]
DLC Fixes[/h3]

• [p]Fixed missing updated trail texture for DLC drone in the main menu[/p]
• [p]Fixed incorrect “Supporter Edition” tag shown instead of “Deluxe Edition”[/p]

[h3]
Quality of Life & Design Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Removed final four Crimsonite Printer nodes from the Tech Tree[/p]
• [p]Removed “beta” label from Creative Mode[/p]
• [p]Removed drone speed as a bottleneck[/p]
• [p]Added number icons (5–0) to the Icon Block[/p]
• [p]Added missing icons to the Icon Block cosmetic[/p]
• [p]Added estimated output display per Harvester Pad[/p]
• [p]Added crane ratio information to building UI[/p]
• [p]Added faster camera movement when holding Shift[/p]
• [p]Added GDPR disclaimer modal on the start screen[/p]
• [p]Improved breadcrumb UI[/p]
• [p]Improved loading screen visual feedback[/p]
• [p]Added trading cards
  [/p]

[h3]Performance Improvements[/h3]

• [p]Improved performance by replacing building and platform stickers from Sprite Renderer to Mesh Renderer[/p]

[p]
Thanks again for all your feedback and support. We’ll keep listening and improving as more players jump in.[/p]

And we are starting off strong with 3 bundles with some amazing factory, automation and logistic games! We are releasing with a launch discount and if you own one of theese games you can get a double discount on top!

Each one will include Modulus and....

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The Cut, Paint & Assemble Bundle which includes...

shapez 2

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2162800/shapez_2/

Dive into a factory-building game with the focus on just that – building huge space factories! Design sprawling multi-level factories and satisfying production lines without limits. Tackle progressively challenging automation goals at your own pace, without the threat of enemies.

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The Foundation Modulus Bundle which includes...

Foundation

https://store.steampowered.com/app/690830/Foundation/

Foundation is a grid-less, laidback medieval city-building game with a focus on organic development, monument construction and resource management.

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The Farmer Was Replaced X Modulus Bundle which includes....

The Farmer Was Replaced

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2060160/The_Farmer_Was_Replaced/

Program and optimize a drone to automate a farm and watch it do the work for you. Collect resources to unlock better technology and become the most efficient farmer in the world. Improve your problem solving and coding skills.

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If you already own any of these 3 games, you’ll still be able to take advantage of the bundle. Instead of buying the full bundle, however, you’ll be given the option to complete the set and receive a 10% bundle discount on the other games, which will stack with any other discounts that are available on the games at the time (including our 10% launch discount!)

Thank you for all who's supported us by grabbing one of theese bundles!

See you on the factory floor
— Team Happy Volcano

[h3]After years of development, iteration, and collaboration with our community, Modulus: Factory Automation is now available on Steam.[/h3][p]Right from the word go, your feedback has helped shape every part of this experience. We set out to create a factory automation game that feels both deeply strategic and creatively relaxing; a place where efficiency and beauty can exist side by side. With your help we are so proud to launch the game today!
[/p][h2]Watch the Launch Trailer[/h2][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h2]Buy Now[/h2][p]You can start building your factory today:

[dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][h2]Thank You[/h2][p]A release like this is never the work of a single group.[/p][p]Thank you to our developers, artists, designers, audio queen, QA, publishing partners, platform teams, playtesters, creators, press, and most importantly, our community.[/p][p]Your feedback, bug reports, encouragement, and incredible creations have shaped Modulus into what it is today.[/p][p]From us to you THANK YOU![/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][h2]Community Content[/h2][p]To celebrate the launch our publishing partners, Kwalee, have put together a schedule of a whole bunch of Modulus streams over the next seven days. We will be dropping daily schedules of what is on and when, on our socials channels so make sure you're following us.

For now though, you can check out the full week's schedule below: Full Schedule Here[/p][h2]
The Screenshot Contest is BACK[/h2][p]Upload the best screenshot of your factory to Steam, in the first two weeks after release, for a chance to be featured in-game and entered into a Modulus merch bundle draw.[/p][p]
Thank you as always for your ongoing support Module Makers.[/p][p]We can’t wait to see the factories you build.[/p][p]See you on the factory floor. [/p][p]- A very excited Team Happy Volcano[/p][p]

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