This page covers what the player can do with machines and blocks without Advanced Building (and additional tips and considerations when using machines).
Controls[]
Many of these can be reconfigured in the settings menu. Particularly WASD camera panning.
Mouse[]
- Left mouse button places blocks
- Right mouse button rotates the camera
- Middle mouse button changes the camera target
- WASD moves the camera
Keyboard (Building)[]
- R rotates block placement by 90 degrees
- F flips a block (reverse wheel rotation, extend piston, invert propeller lift direction)
- X deletes a block
- LCtrl + Z undoes actions
- LCtrl + Y or LCtrl + LShift + Z redoes actions
Keyboard (Other)[]
- Tab hides the UI
- Space starts and ends simulation
Interface[]
The top center section of the UI contains building tools.
- Translate Machine - Move the machine.
- Rotate Machine - Rotate the machine.
- ↺ Reset Rotation - Resets overall machine rotation.
- Set Machine On Ground - Move the machine so it rests on the ground.
- Keymapper- Opens a window for changing key mappings, block settings, and skins on a single block.
- Erase Blocks - Deletes selected blocks.
Attachment[]
The reasoning behind why blocks connect the way they do is covered in Colliders, and is useful if you intend to do more complex construction.
Placement and Primary Connection[]
Many blocks allow other blocks to be placed against all six sides. Some only allow placement on one side (e.g. wheels and grabbers) and some don't allow placement against them at all (most Weaponry, Armour, Automation, and Flight blocks).
If you can place a block against something, it will accept connections from other blocks there. Exceptions are:
- The underside of unpowered joints (
Hinge, 
Swivel Joint, Ball Joint) - The underside of Steering Hinges
- Circular Saws (though you can't normally place anything against them anyway).
- Grabbers (instead, the grabber will connect to the other block).
Grabbers will connect to anything that moves, including things that don't accept connections from other blocks (and things that don't if you set the parameter 'Grab Static').
There are blocks which can't connect to other blocks themselves:
- Remote Grenades
- Bombs
- Explosive Rockets
- Starting Blocks (duh)
Secondary Connections[]
Some blocks can connect to things along their tops in the same way they connect along their bottoms, allowing sideways reinforcement:
- Wooden blocks ( Small Wooden Block, Wooden Block, Wooden Pole, Log)
- Unpowered joints ( Hinge, Swivel Joint, Ball Joint)
- Cogs (File:PoweredCog-thumb.png PoweredCog, File:UnpoweredCog-thumb.png UnpoweredCog, Unpowered Large Cog)
- Steering Hinge
- Grabber
These top joints are usually significantly stronger than the bottom joints.
Draggable Blocks[]
There are draggable blocks which need to be dragged between two valid placement positions to be placed. These are:
Additionally, these blocks ignore collisions (except the winch, which can be sliced by a sharp block).
Placement Grid[]
Blocks will be placed on a 1 metre grid (with respect to whatever they are placed against). There are some exceptions:
- Wheels (0.5m offset)
- Circular Saws (0.225m offset)
- Wing Panels (0.227m offset on bottom only)
- Steering Blocks (0.098m offset)
Wheels (0.5m offset)
With enough obsessive placement you can achieve just about any position, but you really should use the Advanced Building toolset for that.
Hazards[]
- Most blocks (apart from some Weaponry or Armour) have a break force - they will snap off when pushed, pulled, or rotated enough. This force can come from impacts, explosions, or bad mechanical design.
- Most wood or cloth-like blocks can take hit damage from NPC melee or projectiles, and grenade explosions. Some are tougher than others.
- Almost the exact same set of blocks can take fire damage. Fire spreads rapidly and quickly degrades the break force of susceptible blocks. While it can be put out with Water Cannons, it is usually fatal to machines that rely on wooden components.
- A smaller subset of blocks can also take ice damage. This can be sustained by passing through the ice layer, which is at around 1700 metres altitude in most levels, or by approaching the Relict Frost.
- In multiplayer, machines on opposing teams can deal Tick Damage to blocks with certain weaponry (like Circular Saws and Remote Grenades). This damage type applies even to normally invincible blocks like Armor Plates and Shrapnel Cannons.
The specific details on what each block is susceptible to is outlined in the wiki block table.