Control Panel Screen
The control panel gives access to the settings of all connected functional blocks of a grid.
Press K key while in a cockpit or while targeting a grid terminal port to open the terminal on the Control Panel tab.
The main purpose of the control panel is to give you direct access to all functionalities, status indicators, and properties of functional blocks that you own. You can group blocks here to change their settings in bulk, or toggle functional blocks on or off. Find the functional block in the list on the left and use the drop-down menus, buttons, and sliders to configure block settings.
Naming Functional Blocks
On this screen, you can also change the names of blocks. You can filter the list of functional blocks and containers easily by typing (part of) a block name into the top-left searchbar.
Tip: In general, add the (shortened) shipname as a prefix to give blocks unique names. This is important when you dock (using Connectors or Merge Blocks) to another ship/station, because all blocks will be listed together in the Control Panel Screen.
Other reasons to a rename blocks:
- To make blocks that you often need better findable in the list, rename them so that they are listed at the top.
- To filter down to a set of ungrouped blocks that you often use together, add a unique search keyword to the blocks' names.
- To disguise blocks minimally, rename traps to something harmless.
- To distinguish similar blocks in different locations, clearly name directional thrusters, front and back wheel suspensions, positional/exterior/interior lights, special cargo containers, directional connectors, etc.
Some scripts also require named blocks.
How to Control Blocks
Each type of functional block has settings that can be controlled from this screen. These settings, such as area of effect, properties, or automatic behaviours, are discussed on each specific block's page.
You can control a block "live" (from a control seat or through a Remote Control/Remote Access Screen), and see the effects of the changed setting right away, for example gyrosope overrides, wheel settings, or light colour changes.
When you close the control panel, the game saves your current control settings and applies them from now on. For example, if you have set a turret to target neutrals, the effect only becomes noticeable later when a neutral player approaches.
How to Create Control Groups
You group blocks in the control panel by selecting them and assigning the new group a name.
- Hold CTRL key and click every block to include.
Or click the first consecutive block, hold SHIFT key, and click the last consecutive block. - Then type a unique group name in the text box on the right. It's highly recommended to prefix the name with the name of the ship!
- Click Save.
Groups are listed first in the control panel and are marked with asterisks.
Interacting with the group lets you switch all group members on and off. It also lets you access fine controls of the same block type, as long as all blocks are of the same kind and have the same settings when being grouped. For instance, if you create a group containing only doors, then the "open" and "close" actions will become available for this group, because doors are of the same kind.
You can assign and trigger group actions in the Control Panel, toolbar, Timer Blocks, Sensors, and so on.
How to Declutter the Control Panel Screen
If your Terminal is getting too long and cluttered, it’s time to hide blocks that you never directly use from being listed there. This is helpful for grids with long lists of functional blocks, large inventories, many docked ships, or too many entries in the toolbar configuration menu.
You can toggle the following settings:
- Show block in terminal - default: on.
This controls visibility in the list of functional blocks. Typically you hide blocks for which you have created a control group. - Show block in inventory system — default: on
- Show block in toolbar config — default: on.
- Show block on HUD -- default: off.
Used to declutter the HUD. Typically, blocks are not shown as signals on the HUD, but you can choose to show them temporarily to be able to find specific blocks on a large ship.
How to change Block ownership
The Control Panel screen is also where you legally change or transfer the ownership of functional blocks that you own (in contrast to hacking blocks that you don't own). You do that for example, because you want to share grids with your faction, or to prevent enemy factions from using grids owned by nobody.
Select a functional block on the left side and use the ownership menu on the right side to assign ownership to another online player, or to share usage with your faction members.
Quality of Life Shortcuts
Sliding a control slider with 
-drag is fast but imprecise.
- To quickly reset a slider to its default,
-click it.
This shortcut is valuable to quickly reset overrides or velocities to zero, e.g. to stop moving Mechanical Blocks or overriden Gyroscopes.
- To quickly set a slider to a specific value, CTRL key+
-click it, enter the number into the dialog, and click OK.
How to view block power use and modifiers
In the bottom right panel of the Control Panel, you see additional status information about the selected block:
- block type
- required power input — or for power producing blocks, power output
- installed modules (if applicable)
And so on.
How to view subgrid info
The Control Panel also gives you implicit information about multigrids:
- Blocks in white text are directly part of the main grid from which you have opened the panel.
- Blocks in orange-yellow-green coloured text are subgrids, seen relative to the main grid.