Controlling the Character
Space Engineers - Alpha Tutorial 10/2013
All players start a new game as an Astronaut character equipped with a jetpack.
Views
The game has two view options available: first and third person view. The player can toggle between these two views using the “V” key (default key binding). The first-person view displays from the perspective of the astronaut character. While the third-person view allows the player to zoom-in, zoom-out and rotate the camera in any direction around the character. The game begins in third-person view.
Movement
The astronaut has two movement modes: walking (on foot) and flying (with jetpack). While on foot the player can walk, sprint, crouch, and jump. While using the jetpack, the player can move and roll in any direction. Using the jetpack consumes hydrogen, which can be replenished automatically by carrying hydrogen bottles in your character's inventory or by accessing a medical room that is attached to an oxygen generator or hydrogen tank via the conveyor network.
Accessories
The astronaut is also equipped with headlights in the front of suit which act as a flashlight for the player. Currently, using the headlights does not consume any resources either.
Toolbar
At any time, the player can open the Toolbar Config, which allows them to select Tools and Blocks and either drag them to Toolbar or right-click on them, to be equipped using the appropriate hot key.
Piloting Spacecraft
Cockpit view of Space Craft
The controls for flying a ship are the same as those for controlling the player’s jetpack. First person (cockpit) or third person (extravehicular) views are available while piloting spacecraft. In third person view, you can zoom-in, zoom-out, and rotate camera around the space craft. Only small ships will have first person perspective available. The larger ships will be locked into the third person perspective, as they do not necessarily need a "cockpit”. Instead, they are controlled using a computer screen from a control station.
The ship can have headlights installed, like that of the astronaut character. They can be switched on or off using the “L” key (default key binding).
Inertia Dampeners
Inertia dampeners allow the ship to automatically stop its motion when no input is received. Turning off dampeners allows you to fly without being slowed down from the automatic thruster balance. The indication in lower left corner displays the dampener’s current status.
Default Input bindings
Located in the game's setting menu, the player can change the keys that control their character. The game can be controlled either by keyboard & mouse, joysticks, or an Xbox One controller.
Current controls are displayed in-game by pressing the help key F1. Not all controls can be changed using the in-game options.
Movement
| |
PC |
Xbox
|
| Forward
|
W |
|
| Backward
|
S |
|
| Strafe left
|
A |
|
| Strafe right
|
D |
|
| Rotate left
|
← |
|
| Rotate right
|
→ |
|
| Rotate up
|
↑ |
|
| Rotate down
|
↓ |
|
| Roll left (ship / jetpack)
|
Q |
|
| Roll right (ship / jetpack)
|
E |
|
| Hold to sprint
|
⇧ Shift |
|
| Toggle walk
|
Caps Lock |
|
| Up / Jump
|
Space |
|
| Down / Crouch
|
C |
|
Systems / Interactions
| |
PC |
Xbox
|
| Use tool / Fire weapon
|
LMB |
|
| Secondary mode
|
RMB |
|
| Use / Interact
|
F |
|
| Helmet
|
J |
|
| Jetpack on/off
|
X |
|
| Inertia dampeners on / off
|
Z |
|
| Enable relative dampening
|
Ctrl+Z |
|
| Broadcasting
|
O |
|
| Power switch on / off
|
Y |
|
| Lights on / off
|
L |
|
| Voice chat
|
U |
|
| Chat screen
|
↵ Enter |
|
| Terminal / Inventory
|
K |
|
| Inventory
|
I |
|
| Respawn
|
← Backspace |
|
Block placement
| |
PC |
Xbox
|
| Toolbar config
|
G |
|
| Rotate block vertical +
|
Page Down |
|
| Rotate block vertical -
|
Delete |
|
| Rotate block horizontal +
|
Home |
|
| Rotate block horizontal -
|
End |
|
| Rotate block roll +
|
Insert |
|
| Rotate block roll -
|
Page Up |
|
| Repaint block
|
MMB |
|
| Reset orientation
|
T |
|
| Toggle symmetry
|
N |
|
| Symmetry setup
|
M |
|
| Cycle placement modes
|
B |
|
| Build Planner
|
MMB |
|
| Cube size toggle button
|
R |
|
Toolbars
| |
PC |
Xbox
|
| Next toolbar
|
Period |
|
| Previous toolbar
|
Comma |
|
| Next toolbar item
|
|
|
| Previous toolbar item
|
|
|
| Equip item from slot 1
|
1 |
|
| Equip item from slot 2
|
2 |
|
| Equip item from slot 3
|
3 |
|
| Equip item from slot 4
|
4 |
|
| Equip item from slot 5
|
5 |
|
| Equip item from slot 6
|
6 |
|
| Equip item from slot 7
|
7 |
|
| Equip item from slot 8
|
8 |
|
| Equip item from slot 9
|
9 |
|
| Unequip
|
0 or Tilde |
|
Miscellaneous
| |
PC |
Xbox
|
| Prev. color or camera
|
[ |
|
| Next color or camera
|
] |
|
| Scenario settings
|
U |
|
| Landing gear
|
P |
|
| Open voxel hand settings
|
K |
|
| Open control menu
|
Minus |
|
| Pause game
|
Pause |
|
| Console
|
Tilde |
|
| Help
|
F1 |
|
| Open Contract screen
|
Colon |
|
View / Camera
| |
PC |
Xbox
|
| Player control
|
F6 |
|
| Delta spectator
|
F7 |
|
| Free spectator
|
F8 |
|
| Static spectator
|
F9 |
|
| First-person / Third-person
|
V |
|
| Hold to look around
|
Alt |
|
| Zoom in third-person mode
|
Alt+Mouse wheel |
|
| Screenshot
|
F4 |
|
| Hud on / off
|
↹ Tab |
|
| Toggle signal mode
|
H |
|
General
| |
PC |
Xbox
|
| Open blueprint screen
|
F10 |
|
| Open spawn screen
|
⇧ Shift+F10 |
|
| Open admin screen
|
Alt+F10 |
|
| Cycle performance statistics
|
⇧ Shift+F11 |
|
| Open debug draw
|
Alt+F11 |
|
| Quick Load
|
F5 |
|
| Quick Save
|
⇧ Shift+F5 |
|
| Toggle statistics
|
Ctrl+H |
|
| Show players (multiplayer)
|
F3 |
|
Grids and Blueprints
| |
PC |
Xbox
|
| Create/manage blueprints
|
Ctrl+B |
|
| Change block variants
|
Mouse wheel |
|
| Move pasted object
|
Ctrl+Mouse wheel |
|
| Copy object
|
Ctrl+C |
|
| Copy object detatched
|
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+C |
|
| Paste object
|
Ctrl+V |
|
| Cut object
|
Ctrl+X |
|
| Delete object
|
Ctrl+Delete |
|
| Export model
|
Ctrl+Alt+E |
|
Color Picker
| |
PC |
Xbox
|
| Color picker
|
P |
|
| Pick color from cube into slot
|
⇧ Shift+P |
|
| Color block
|
MMB |
|
| Medium color brush
|
Ctrl+MMB |
|
| Large color brush
|
⇧ Shift+MMB |
|
| Color whole grid
|
Ctrl+⇧ Shift+MMB |
|
Voxel Hands
| |
PC |
Xbox
|
| Open voxel hand settings
|
H |
|
| Next voxel material
|
[ |
|
| Previous voxel material
|
] |
|
Spectator
| |
PC |
Xbox
|
| Move character to spectator
|
Ctrl+Space |
|
| Changes spectator speed
|
⇧ Shift+Mouse wheel |
|
Build Planner
| |
PC |
Xbox
|
| Withdraw
|
MMB |
|
| Withdraw and keep
|
Alt+Ctrl+MMB |
|
| Withdraw x10 and keep
|
Ctrl+MMB |
|
| Put to production
|
⇧ Shift+MMB |
|
| Put x10 to production
|
⇧ Shift+Ctrl+MMB
|
| Deposit all
|
Alt+MMB |
|
Chat Commands
Chat commands are case-sensitive!
General
- /save
- Saves the game. Usage: '/save' or '/save <new name>'
- /stop
- Stops the server. Usage: '/stop'
- /f
- Switches you to Faction chat channel.
- /g
- Switches you to Global chat channel.
- /w
- Switches you to Whisper chat channel with specific player. Usage: '/w <playerName>'. Surround the player name with quotation marks ("player name with spaces") if it contains spaces.
- /gps
- Adds a new GPS point from your current position. Add 'share' to share with everyone, or 'faction' to share with your faction. Anything other than 'share' or 'faction' will be regarded as name and new gps will be named in such way.
- /help
- Shows help.
- /timestamp
- Turns timestamp for chat 'on' or 'off'. Usage: '/timestamp <state>' where <state> can be 'on' or 'off'.
- /rweather
- Creates a random weather at your camera's postion.
- /smite
- Creates a lightning bolt to what you're looking at.
- /weather
- Gets or sets weather at your current position. Add a weather name to set weather.
- /weatherlist
- Lists all available weathers.
Emotes
- /facepalm
- Play emote Facepalm
- /thumb
- Play emote Thumbs Up
- /victory
- Play emote Victory
- /wave
- Play emote Wave
StylePack
- /angry
- Play emote Angry
- /assistCome
- Play emote Assist come
- /assistEnd
- Play emote Assist end
- /dance
- Play emote Dance
- /pointAggressive
- Play emote Point Aggressive
- /pointBack
- Play emote Point Back
- /pointDown
- Play emote Point Down
- /pointForward
- Play emote Point Forward
- /pointLeft
- Play emote Point Left
- /pointRight
- Play emote Point Right
Frostbite
- /cold
- Play emote Cold
- /checkwrist
- Play emote CheckWrist
SparksOfTheFuture
- /charge
- Play emote Charge
- /comeherebaby
- Play emote Come here baby
- /dancedisco1
- Play emote Dance disco 1
- /dancedisco2
- Play emote Dance disco 2
- /lookingaround
- Play emote Looking around
- /stretching
- Play emote Stretching
- /whatever
- Play emote Whatever
- /yelling
- Play emote Yelling
ScrapRace
- /fyou
- Play emote Go Clang yourself
- /drunk
- Play emote Drunk
