Machines connect through ports with a specific function and direction. A piece touching a machine’s body can still be disconnected: the connection must meet the right port at the right height.
Pipe and Industrial tube are different things
A Pipe is a network block unlocked by E1. Place it in the world to carry fluids.
An Industrial tube is a crafting resource. Made at the Forge in the R2 stage, it is used in machine and research costs. Industrial tubes in your inventory are not placeable Pipe segments.
Reserve the entire footprint
Dimensions are width × height × depth, before rotation:
| Machine | Occupied space |
|---|---|
| Water Pump | 1 × 3 × 1 |
| Boiler | 3 × 2 × 3 |
| Furnace | 3 × 4 × 1 |
| Pressurizer | 1 × 2 × 1 |
| Gas Tank | 3 × 3 × 3 |
These are construction footprints, not approximate measurements from a picture. Leave room around the sockets to extend the pipework.
Assemble the first chain
- Place the Water Pump at water. Its side gas inputs are one block above the base; the front and rear liquid outputs are two blocks above the base.
- Route water to a side liquid input on the Boiler, one block above its base. Use continuous orthogonal segments and keep liquid and gas circuits separate.
- Orient the Furnace so its heat output meets the Boiler’s rear heat input. Heat needs that coupling; a Pipe cannot replace the thermal connection.
- Use the Boiler’s elevated front gas output to supply steam consumers.
- When expanding, connect steam to the Pressurizer’s rear input and take high pressure from its front output. On the Gas Tank, follow the preview’s input and output labels; storage preserves fluid type and pressure.
Diagnose by symptom
The pipework looks correct but does nothing: check socket height, orientation and whether the network reaches a port rather than the structure. Fluid mixture or conflict: separate the circuits and inspect all connected producers. A full Boiler vents steam: inspect its reserve; venting also signals full storage. An electrical consumer stays idle: it needs Power Conduits and electrical ports rather than a gas circuit.
Source notes
Assets/SteamPunkColony/Scripts/Gameplay/AdvancedStructureUtility.cs:46— current footprints.Assets/SteamPunkColony/Scripts/Gameplay/MachinePortRuntime.cs:204— Pump ports;:240— Boiler;:289— Furnace;:318— Pressurizer;:387— Gas Tank.Assets/SteamPunkColony/Scripts/Gameplay/CraftingCatalog.cs:114— Industrial tube resource.Assets/SteamPunkColony/Scripts/Gameplay/MachineryRuntimeContracts.cs:98— full Boiler indicator.