Schematics Maintainers - - - Hints, Tips, and Rules
Community members can apply for the ability to add and edit schematics. Once granted this ability a "Schematics Maintainer" will see a link named Edit just above the name of the schematic. This guide presents maintainers with hints, tips, and rules. But first some warnings:
- Save often --- Click Update before you click a link/button to for example add resources or components.
- Play safe --- If there is anything, post at this forum board about your thoughts or questions; better safe than sorry.
Edit Mode
The base edit web page is named Edit Mode and it has links and buttons which takes you to special pages for resources, components, and experimentation properties, and also several text input fields, drop-down lists, and check-boxes. This section of the guide covers all of these features and walks you through each element one by one.
Topmost these links are displayed...
- New Schematic --- takes you to an empty web page so you can start from scratch for a new schematic.
- Duplicate Schematic --- creates a clone of the current schematic so you can edit its name (do that first and save!!!), edit the differing data, and save again; this feature is very handy to add a new schematic which is similar to an existing schematic.
- Make schematic invisible --- delete, but not really; the schematic is taken off public lists. Do not use this for no-longer-craftable schematics, see Type below.
- Update Schematic --- saves the changes you have made to the current page.
New Schematic
The above means that to create a new schematic you must first go to an existing schematic, then select Edit, and at the next page -- Edit Mode -- you find the link to create new, or duplicate.
Delete Schematic
You can delete a schematic, or rather make it invisible to take it off the public lists. Later administrators will review the hidden schematic and decide. Always write a note in the comment field. Do not use this for no-longer-craftable schematics, we still want to see them ... for historical reasons, see Type below.
Name
Enter the name of the schematic as it is displayed at the Datapad. For most schematics this is also the name of the created item, but sometimes the created item has a different name. Some loot schematics also change name when you learn them, still use the name as it is read at the Datapad, for consistency reasons; rather add a comment to the comment field.
Category
In SWG all items are sorted in categories and from those we sort all schematics. Notice that these categories are used here at SWGCraft, really, but they do not necessarily reflect a great or cool visual layout but it is the raw data structure as SWG works and presents it for us.
At the drop-down list, select the proper category for the schematic. If a category is missing, post about it in this forum board, see below on new categories. Notice that the category always has two items, for example "Misc [Misc]" where the latter is the parent category but the first is the category for the schematic.
There are two kinds of categories: 1) the Bazaar category, and 2) the component category; category is also referred to as Type; both of these are really defined by SWG. It is the component slots of a schematic that calls for items/schematics from any of these two kind of categories, hence it is important to understand how these works.
The Bazaar category is what we see at the Bazaar, at the Datapad >> Draft Schematics, and at each schematic by itself just above its name. The crafting tools display the categories in a somewhat different fashion at the list where you select a schematic, but overall it is quite similar. Most often there are just two levels of categories, such as Weapon >> Pistol. The component category is used a lot in all kind of crafting. This category is defined when a component slot calls for something that is not a named item but "a phrase". The phrase defines a component category which is very different from a Bazaar category. A component category is "a container" of one or more named items and any one of them is accepted into that slot. --- Note: Either a component slot of a schematic calls for a named item or a component category, but never a Bazaar category.
A component category cannot be found at the Bazaar nor in your crafting tool, but it is really defined by schematics and it is really used by the crafting system in SWG. A component category is defined by the component slot, the phrase it calls for (see image). A component category contains one or several schematics, it may also contain one or several component categories, or a mix of these. The one category that accepts the more contains the more narrow category (see next paragraph for an example). However, a component category has only one parent. The category for a particular schematic is displayed in its text, or it is understood from its description, or it is found by practical tests.
New categories, both Bazaar and component categories are added, edited, and properly wired together by the administrators here at SWGCraft. If it is necessary, describe in detail what the component slot of the schematic calls for and which named components that component category accepts. If a category seems to be a more narrow set of items from another component category, then more effort must be put into it to figure out how the involved schematics are wired up. Remember that in the end of the day all of this reflects what is defined, accepted, and used by one or several schematics.
Example 1: all drink schematics call for a component category named "Drink Container" which contains "Small Glass", "Large Glass", and "Cask" which all are accepted into that component slot of these schematics. Hence these three schematics fall in the category "Drink Container". Recently SOE removed Barrel from the game and from this category, this did not break any schematics or the wiring that is used here at SWGCraft.
Example 2: ranged weapon schematics call for a category named "Weapon Stock" which contains just one schematic, the Advanced Weapon Stock. All component slots that calls for Weapon Stock accepts the item named Advanced Weapon Stock, hence that schematic falls into that category. SOE may in a future add more schematics to this category, or not, but this does not break the category or the wiring.
Notice: some older schematics may read some category (both in-game and here at SWGCraft) which is changed in newer schematics and the old category is obsolete. In this case, edit the old schematic to use the new category even if the in-game text has not changed. Post a message about the category which is obsolete and a detailed description on how the categories are "wired" now, all the way up to the Bazaar level.
Synthetic component categories: some schematics accept a specific component or its weaker siblings, but what it calls for is really the name of a schematic, how can this be wired together to make sense here at SWGCraft? --- All of the schematics must be contained in a synthetic component category where the weaker has a stronger as its parent, and the component slot is wired to the strongest category. This is the case for schematics that call for Heavy Food Additive which contains the weaker Medium Food Additive which contains the weakest Light Food Additive. Schematics that call for the heavy additive now also accepts any its weaker siblings, but schematics that call for medium additive only accepts medium and light, the system does not look upwards but down. --- I am not aware of any inverted situation where a schematic accept a component or its stronger siblings, but if there is one we must set up a similar system of synthetic component categories for that case.
Summary and example:
Find any schematic that has a component slot that calls for something that is not an item. Let us say a Flame Thrower. One of the component slots call for something named Heavy Weapon Core, but that is not a name of an existing schematic, hence it is a component category. Follow that link and you find that this component category contains two items, the Standard and the Advanced Heavy Weapon Core; now you have a choice. Let us go for the powerful one; now you find that the Advanced Heavy Weapon Core has a component slot that calls for Gas Cartridge which again is not the name of an existing schematic, it is a component category. Follow the link and you find Orveth and Tibanna Gas Cartridge which are two real schematics. Fortunately for this exercise both of these schematics just use resources so the guided tour ends here.
The previous example illustrates that component categories are heavily used in all crafting and that the categorization of schematics is essential. Nobody wants to click Gas Cartridge and find dozens of items that cannot be used in that component slot. Neither do anybody want to find an empty list because the Orveth and Tibanna Gas Cartridge schematics are put in some other category. Also the other way around, a user that reads the Tibanna Gas Cartridge and is curious about which schematics that calls for it, such a user wants to find only the schematics that calls for this schematic, not irrelevant items that has nothing to do with this gas cartridge, this is no good even if those other items happen to be weapon components.
Skill Needed
Select the level when the character is awarded the schematic; for loot or reward schematics the value denotes the minimum requirements to learn it. You can only select one profession--skill level, if several professions learn the schematic you make as many clones as necessary and just updates the skill level accordingly.
If it is an Expertize schematic, select the expertise and its rank. The rank denotes the number of points to claim the specified group, not the total amount of points in the tree; normally the rank is 1. Some expertize groups overlap each other. For example, a chef's "Medium Tissues" are granted by both expertize groups "Chef Schematic" and "Chef Schematic 2".
Complexity and Schematic Size
Enter the values as they are read at the in-game schematic. Complexity governs the minimum combination of crafting tool versus crafting station that works.
XP Gained
This is the base value, the default value without any buffs applied and not in practice mode.
.com ID, skip this because this field is obsolete and no longer used nor maintained.
Type, Manufactured, and Crate Size
Type is the source for the schematic; usually this is regular. This site also supports schematics that are looted, obtained as reward from a quest or bought for coins, from a deconstructed item, bought from a factional officer, or the similar. There is also the two special types
--- no longer craftable -- use this when a schematic is extinct and is nowhere to be found in SWG --- New!!!
--- outdated -- use this when a schematic needs a review, not for obsolete schematics.
Manufactured is selected per default because from most schematics you can create manufacture schematics, even if is impossible for some of them of practical reasons. Some schematics are limited to just a few uses -- there is no field for this info but you can add a comment about it, but not in the description field. However some schematics do not support creation of manufacture schematics at all.
Crate Size is used just for schematics that support manufacture schematics, specify the default size of the factory crates. This value is useful for crafters that must plan for several sets of sub-components.
This far, save (update) the entered data before you proceed with the remaining features.
Schematics' Quality Level --- New!!!
This field denotes the normal case for the end quality of a schematic, nothing else. A quality is HQ, LQ, or sometimes "mixed".
- HQ: high-quality items; a weapon is always HQ; if a player wants one as decor is not the normal case.
- LQ: items which quality is ignore in-game.
- Several schematics can be experimented but it has no practical use; for example a survey device.
- Several schematics exist without any experimenting properties. - Mixed: components that must be HQ in some use but may be any quality in other use.
It is the use case that determines whichever, not that somebody wants something for decor.
Example 2 of "mixed": regardless of their quality some lower-level items can be stacked to replace one higher level item, but if one is used alone it must be HQ, hence they are "mixed".
Example of not "mixed": the quality of a Camp Battery determines the lifetime of a camp, hence the battery is HQ. However, some players buy short-lived camps with for example a Junk Dealer, hence LQ batteries do have a market. However, even if this is a common case the battery use is not for different schematics, some that settle with LQ and some that require HQ, but it is used in the same schematic and the buyer sometimes settle with any quality -- somewhat similar to the "decoration argument".
The "mixed" quality level is only used for components which must be HQ for some schematics but quality is ignored for other schematics, or end items which sometimes are used as components. The "mixed" quality level is never used for an end use item that is never used as a component. That a user settles with an end item of any quality has no bearing to this property. Thus, not many schematics (components) have the "mixed" quality level.
Notice: HQ or LQ is not determined by if an item is unused in-game. Several schematics exist which are redundant today and they could well be removed. For these, set the quality level to the quality they had the most recent time they were used.
Edit Resources
At this web page you define the resource slots as they are read at the schematic. At the upper right corner, select the number of resource slots that the schematic specifies, do not merge several lines for the same resource class into one line, we really do want the schematic to read in-game values.
There are three columns for the information, per resource slot:
- Description --- enter the description as it is read at the schematic for the resource slot, for example "Handle"; compare with the image above (yellow).
- Resource Type --- select the specified resource type as it is read at the schematic.
- Units --- enter the number of units that is specified for this resource slot.
Finally, save (update) the entered data which takes you back to the base editing web page. Should you need more resource slots, adjust the value at the drop-down list and wait for the page to reload.
Edit Components
At this web page you define the component slots as they are read at the schematic. At the upper right corner, select the number of component slots that the schematic specifies, do not merge several lines for the same component or category into one line even if that could be possible. Unfortunately the layout of this web page is not optimized for all columns and options, but we can live with that I guess.
There are three columns, one pair of radio buttons, and two check boxes to add information to, per component slot:
- Description --- enter the description as it is read at the schematic for the component slot, for example "Droid Personality Chip"; see the image above (yellow).
- Component --- select the specified component, component category, or item, as it is read at the schematic ¹ ² ³
- Units --- enter the specified number of components for this component slot.
- Identical/Single Component --- Identical is the default value for component slots; see the section below.
- Similar --- select this radio button only if the schematic reads 'Similar'; see the section below.
- Optional --- tick this check-box if the component slot reads 'optional'; see the image above (yellow).
- Looted Only --- tick this check-box if the specified component is a loot drop and it cannot be crafted *
¹ The drop-down list is ordered and tagged group by group, not a straight alphabetical order: named schematics; component categories are tagged [Category]; looted items are tagged [Non-craftable Item].
² If the specified component category does not exist, temporarily add an acceptable component; see the Category section above.
³ If the specified looted item is not listed, first add the item at this web page New Items. For items from the Chu-Gon Dar cube, see further down.
* If the specified component is available both as loot drop and as schematic (looted or not), use the named component, not the looted item, and do not tick the "looted" checkbox.
Finally, save (update) the entered data which takes you back to the base editing web page. Should you need more component slots, adjust the value at the drop-down list and wait for the page to reload.
Edit propertiesIdentical versus Similar
This is a summation of the section on "the number one question on factories" in the Beginner's Guide for Traders, chapter 9.
The topic on identical versus similar has always been a most confusing matter in relation to schematics. To make it clear:
The primary rule is to use "Identical"; a component must always be identical, also if only one item is called for.
The secondary rule is that only if "Similar" is specified at the component slot, similar components are acceptable.
There are a few rare exceptions to these two rules.
This matter is crystal clear if you consider manufacture schematics. If a created manufacture schematic specifies a serial number for a slot, in the factory that component slot only accepts identical components, also if just one component per item. It is no harder than that fact. If it is true that schematic is king in relation to resource classes and caps, then manufacture schematic is queen in relation to identical versus similar and it governs which options to select.
At this web page you define the experimentation properties for a schematic, if it has any. Begin with selecting the total number of sub-category lines that the schematic specifies.
There are two major columns, and a matrix for the weights of the resource stats:
- Main Category --- Enter the description for the experimentation group as it is read at the schematic; this is the cyan text at the image.
If several sub-categories, repeat this for each of them, leave no fields blank. - Sub Category --- Enter the description for the experimentation line as it is read at the schematic; this is the yellow text at the image.
- The weights of the stats --- Enter the weights for the one or several stats as they are specified at the schematic.
Additional Info
At this text input field you enter the description of the schematic as it is read just under the resource slots, components slots, and experimentation groups. Most often it is just a sentence, sometimes it is just one or two words, but some descriptions are longer. However, we all appreciate your effort to keep the schematics as identical as possible to what they read in-game.
At this input field, do not add anything that is not read at the in-game schematic. Finally, save (update) the description.
Comments
This text input field is open for any community member, not just schematics maintainers, and it is used for whatever useful information there is to say about the schematic. A few examples are: waypoint and quest giver for rewarded schematics, known good locations for looted schematics, min-max DPS for maxed out weapons, max defense for armor, max power for edible buffs, comparable statistics on vehicles, and much much more.
Any user may add unknown or missing data to this field and maintainers will update the schematic accordingly.
In fact, there is no end to what information you can add there, a long as it is facts. Personal comments and nonsense is moderated and most often erased.
Miscellaneous Information
Unknown Values
If there is any value you do not know, leave the field as-is or blank. Then it is easier for others to see that it should be updated. Do not add a value at a guess, others may not realize that a close guess is invalid.
Add A New Schematic
First of all, verify that the new schematic does not already exist, including the "invisible" list that is visible only for schematics maintainers. Then, to save yourself the trouble, verify that all components, component categories, and looted items exist. Otherwise you have to start over and possibly lose some data you just had entered. For the same reason, always begin with components that do not use any sub-components.
If the schematic you want to add is very similar to an existing schematic, navigate to the existing schematic and create a duplicate, then edit its name and save (update). Then change whatever is different and save. It is possible both to add new lines for resource slots and component slots, and it s also possible to delete surplus lines.
Items from the Chu-Gon Dar Cube
Currently such readied items are not supported here at SWGCraft. They are not made by schematics and neither are they looted. I have temporarily added a few as looted items and selected the looted-only check-box. That plus a comment that both the schematic and the item come from the Chu-Gon Dar cube. Let us see what happens in the future.
Mistakes
All mistakes are possible to fix, but some requires the help of the administrators here at SWGCraft. And we all do mistakes, I have done several

What can you do while waiting for help?
Make the schematics invisible, this makes it disappear from public view as if it is deleted.
Always add a comment at the comment field, for the administrators to see.
Testing, testing, ...
There are a few test schematics that you can play around with, but do not duplicate them as a base for new schematics because they are treated specially:
http://www.swgcraft.org/dev/viewschemat ... schem=1431
http://www.swgcraft.org/dev/viewschemat ... schem=1655
http://www.swgcraft.org/dev/viewschemat ... schem=1656
/Zimoon
PS: Devs and Moderators, please go ahead and edit, amend to, correct, or whatever with this post, at any time. There is no need to ask. Thanks in advance.