NewtCraftHub

Craft, build and upgrade using the materials stored in the chests around you — no more running back and forth to empty boxes into your inventory.

Stand near your storage, open the workbench or pick a piece in the hammer menu, and NewtCraftHub counts what is in your nearby chests, carts and ships as if it were in your pockets. When you craft or build, whatever your inventory is missing is taken straight from those containers. Smelters, kilns, windmills, fermenters and ovens are fed from your chests too, several players can use the same chest at once, and cooking stations show how long until your food is ready.

Built for Valheim 1.0, safe in multiplayer and designed to stay light even in large bases.

Highlights

	Feature	What it does
🆕	Cooking timers (0.7.0)	Cooking stations and ovens show the time left until each item is cooked, then until it burns.
🆕	Shared chests (0.6.0)	Several players can have the same chest open and move items at the same time — no more "in use", no duplication.
🆕	Shift-fill stations (0.5.0)	Shift + use fills a smelter, furnace, kiln or oven to the maximum in one press (e.g. 20/20 ore and coal).
🆕	In-game settings (0.5.0)	Press F1 to change any setting or switch features on/off, also while playing online.
	Craft & build from chests	Crafting, building and upgrading use the materials in nearby chests, carts and ships (100 m by default).
	Stations fed from chests	Smelters, kilns, windmills, spinning wheels, eitr refineries, fermenters and ovens take ore, fuel, mead bases and raw food from your chests.
	Chest contents on hover	Look at a chest, cart or ship to see what it holds, sorted and summed.
	Item info	Item tooltips show type, tool tier, stack size and how many your nearby chests hold.
	Multiplayer safe	One game changes a chest at a time; players with the mod never fight over chests.
	Every feature switchable	One on/off line per feature in 0 - Features. More features are coming.

Formerly NewtCraftBoxes. Your settings carry over: see Updating.

Quick start

1. Install with r2modman or the Thunderstore Mod Manager (BepInExPack Valheim comes with it).
2. Start the game, stand near your chests and open the workbench or the hammer menu.
3. Requirements now show available/required (e.g. 34/10) — craft and build as usual.
4. At a smelter, kiln, windmill, fermenter or oven, just press the use key: ore, fuel, mead bases and raw food come from your chests when you don't carry any. Shift + use fills the station completely.
5. Open a chest a friend already has open: you both see and use it at the same time.
6. Look at a cooking station or oven to see how long until the food is cooked (and until it burns).
7. Press F1 in game (also online) to change any setting or switch features on/off.

No setup is needed: it works out of the box with sensible defaults (100 m range).

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Features

Crafting and building from containers

• Works for building (hammer, hoe, cultivator), crafting at any station and upgrading items.
• Your inventory is always used first; only the missing amount is taken from containers, nearest container first.
• Correct with craft ×N (multi-craft), Valheim 1.0 upgrade rules, crafting stations, item quality and world level. The game itself decides what a recipe needs; the mod only supplies what your inventory lacks, so recipes behave exactly like vanilla.
• Requirement slots show available/required (for example 34/10), counting your inventory plus nearby containers.

Processing stations fed from containers

• Smelter, blast furnace, charcoal kiln, windmill, spinning wheel, eitr refinery: ore / input and fuel.
• Fermenter: mead bases. Stone oven, cooking stations: raw food and fuel.
• Press the use key as usual (hold it to keep adding): when your inventory has none of what the station accepts, one unit is taken from the nearest chest per press, in the station's own order. If the station can't take it (full, no fire, no roof), it goes back to its chest. What you carry is always used first.
• Shift + use fills the station in one go (for example ore 20/20 and coal 20/20 at a blast furnace), from your inventory and your chests. Switch: ShiftFillsStations.
• Recipes at the cauldron and other crafting stations use the crafting feature above.

Cooking timers

• Look at a cooking station, iron cooking station or stone oven: each item shows how long until it is cooked, and once cooked how long until it burns (for example Cooked meat ready in 0:12, Cooked meat ready, burns in 0:20). A timer that stopped (fire out, no fuel) is marked (no heat).
• Correct for every player near the station: it reads the progress the game already syncs, nothing is sent.
• Texts and colours are customisable in 8 - Cooking Timers. Switch: CookingTimers.

Shared chests: several players at the same chest

• A friend can open a chest you already have open (no more "in use"), and both of you see its contents change live and can move items in and out at the same time.
• Still only one game changes the chest at any moment: when you click something that changes it, the chest is handed to you first with the latest contents (a fraction of a second), then your click is applied. So nothing is duplicated or lost, even when both of you click at once.
• Everyone at the chest needs the mod with the feature on; a player without it still gets "in use". Carts and ships are not shared (that would hand the vehicle over). Switch: SharedContainers.

Which containers are used

• Any container within range (default 100 m): chests, barrels, and the storage of carts and ships.
• Modded containers work too, as long as they use the game's normal container system.
• Automatically ignored:
  • chests opened by another player at that moment,
  • private chests that aren't yours and containers inside a ward you don't have access to,
  • dungeon / treasure chests (not built by a player) and tombstones.

Multiplayer safe

• Every chest in range counts right away, including chests near other players (from the contents the game keeps in sync for everyone). Looking at recipes never sends anything over the network.
• In Valheim each chest is controlled by one player's game at a time, and only that game can change it. When you craft or build, items come from your own chests immediately; for a chest another player's game controls, the mod asks for it with the same request the game makes when you open a chest, and removes the items as soon as it is handed over (a fraction of a second later). The owner's game checks nobody has it open — no duplicated or reappearing items, even with a friend at the same chests, and two players with the mod never fight over chests. Works even if the other players don't have the mod.
• Client-side: only players who want the feature need to install it. No server install required; players without the mod are not affected.

See what's inside without opening

• Look at a chest, cart or ship: its hover text lists what it holds (amounts summed per item), largest first, plus the slots in use. Sort by amount, name, weight or value; choose how many lines; change the text and colours (6 - Chest Contents). Private chests of others and warded chests stay hidden.
• Item tooltips (inventory, chests, crafting) get extra lines: item type, tool tier, stack size and how many your nearby chests hold; optionally the item's internal name for the rules file (7 - Item Tooltip). Each line can be turned off.
• Replaces AzuHoverStats' chest list and item tooltip lines. If AzuHoverStats is still installed with those options on, NewtCraftHub leaves them to it so nothing appears twice.

Per-container rules

• Choose which items may never be pulled from a given kind of container (for example: never use the coins in your wood chests, or never touch anything in personal chests).
• Reusable groups of items, plus built-in groups such as Food, Ores, Metals, Trophy, All…
• The rules file reloads live while the game is running.

Lightweight and robust

• Nearby containers are rescanned only when you move or at a configurable interval; item counts are cached and refreshed the moment a chest's contents change. (Automated test: 2 000 loaded chests ≈ 0.15 ms per frame.)
• Each feature is installed independently: if a future game update changes something, only that feature is disabled and the reason is written to the log — the game and the rest of the mod keep working.
• Hotkey to switch the mod on/off in game (optional).

Every feature can be switched on or off

• One line per feature in the config file (0 - Features): keep only what you want. See Turning features on and off.

More to come

• NewtCraftHub is growing into an all-in-one base and crafting mod: more features will be added in future versions, each with its own on/off switch so the mod stays light and you keep only what you use. Suggestions are welcome: send them to Anatta Labs.

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Installation

Requirements

• Valheim 1.0 or newer (PC).
• BepInExPack Valheim — installed automatically by mod managers.
• PC only: Xbox / Game Pass console players can't use mods. PC players with the mod can still play on crossplay worlds.

Option A — Mod manager (Thunderstore Mod Manager or r2modman) — recommended

1. Install r2modman or the Thunderstore Mod Manager.
2. Select Valheim and choose (or create) a profile.
3. Go to Online, search for NewtCraftHub (by Anatta Labs) and click Download. BepInExPack Valheim is installed with it.
4. Click Start modded. Always start the game from the mod manager, not from Steam.

Installing from a .zip file (a friend sent you the mod): in the mod manager open Settings → Profile → Import local mod, select NewtCraftHub-X.Y.Z.zip, then Start modded.

Option B — Manual installation

1. Install BepInEx (skip if you already have it):
   • Download BepInExPack Valheim.
   • Open the zip, go into the BepInExPack_Valheim folder and copy everything inside it into your Valheim folder (Steam → right-click Valheim → Manage → Browse local files). You should end up with Valheim/BepInEx/ and Valheim/winhttp.dll next to valheim.exe.
   • Start the game once and close it, so BepInEx creates its folders.
   • Linux / Steam Deck: set the Steam launch options to ./start_game_bepinex.sh %command%.
2. Install the mod: open NewtCraftHub-X.Y.Z.zip and copy plugins/NewtCraftHub.dll to Valheim/BepInEx/plugins/NewtCraftHub/NewtCraftHub.dll (create the folder).
3. Start the game. Valheim/BepInEx/LogOutput.log should contain: NewtCraftHub X.Y.Z loaded (21/21 patch groups active).

Only use one "craft from containers" mod at a time — two of them would both take items.

Updating and uninstalling

• Mod manager: use Update or Uninstall on the mod.
• Manual: replace or delete BepInEx/plugins/NewtCraftHub/. Your settings are kept in BepInEx/config/ (delete newton.newtcraftboxes.cfg and newton.NewtCraftHub.yml to reset them).
• Coming from NewtCraftBoxes: install NewtCraftHub, then uninstall NewtCraftBoxes (or delete BepInEx/plugins/NewtCraftBoxes/). Settings (newton.newtcraftboxes.cfg, same file name on purpose) are kept, and your rules file newton.NewtCraftBoxes.yml is imported once as newton.NewtCraftHub.yml. If both stay installed by mistake, only one of them runs.

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Configuration

The settings file is created on first start: BepInEx/config/newton.newtcraftboxes.cfg

• In a mod manager: Config editor → BepInEx\config\newton.newtcraftboxes.cfg → Edit Config, change values, Save. Start the game once first so the file exists.
• In game, also while playing online: press F1 and open the NewtCraftHub section; changes apply immediately. The in-game window is Official BepInEx ConfigurationManager, installed automatically with NewtCraftHub. These settings are yours only: they don't affect other players.
• Editing the file (by hand or in the mod manager) while playing: changes are applied a moment after you save.

Turning features on and off

Every main feature has its own on/off line at the top of the config file, in section 0 - Features (true = on, false = off). Turn off what you don't want; the rest keeps working.

[0 - Features]
## craft, build and upgrade with materials from nearby containers
CraftFromContainers = true
## smelters, kilns, windmills, fermenters, ovens take ore / fuel / food from containers
FeedStations = true
## Shift + use on a station adds as much as it can take
ShiftFillsStations = true
## several players can have the same chest open and move items in it
SharedContainers = true
## time left on cooking stations and ovens (until cooked / until burnt)
CookingTimers = true
## list what a chest, cart or ship holds when you look at it
ChestContentsOnHover = true
## extra item tooltip lines (type, tool tier, stack, amount in nearby containers)
ItemTooltipInfo = true
## "available/required" on crafting and building requirements
AvailableAmountText = true

1 - General → Enabled = false switches the whole mod off at once. Detail options for each feature are in the sections below.

Example (newton.newtcraftboxes.cfg, only the lines you change):

[0 - Features]
ItemTooltipInfo = false

[1 - General]
Range = 30
ToggleKey = F8

Settings

Section	Setting	Default	What it does
0 - Features	CraftFromContainers	true	Craft, build and upgrade using materials from nearby containers.
0 - Features	FeedStations	true	Feed smelters, kilns, windmills, spinning wheels, eitr refineries, fermenters and ovens from nearby containers when your inventory has none of what they accept.
0 - Features	ChestContentsOnHover	true	List what a chest / cart / ship storage holds in its hover text (options in 6 - Chest Contents).
0 - Features	ItemTooltipInfo	true	Extra item tooltip lines (options in 7 - Item Tooltip).
0 - Features	ShiftFillsStations	true	Shift + use on a smelter, furnace, kiln, windmill, spinning wheel, eitr refinery or oven adds as much as it can take at once.
0 - Features	SharedContainers	true	Several players can have the same chest open at once and move items in it. Every player at the chest needs the mod with this on. Carts and ships are not shared.
0 - Features	CookingTimers	true	Countdown per item on cooking stations and ovens: time until cooked, then until burnt. Options in 8 - Cooking Timers.
0 - Features	AvailableAmountText	true	Show available/required on requirement slots when containers contribute.
1 - General	Enabled	true	Master switch. false turns the whole mod off.
1 - General	Range	100	Maximum distance in meters (1–100) between you and a container for it to be used.
1 - General	ToggleKey	(none)	Hotkey to switch the mod on/off while playing. A message is shown in the center of the screen. Examples: F8, LeftControl + G.
2 - Containers	OnlyPlayerBuilt	true	Ignore containers not built by a player (dungeon and treasure chests).
2 - Containers	IncludeShipsAndCarts	true	Also use the storage of carts and ships.
2 - Containers	RespectWards	true	Skip containers inside a ward you don't have access to.
2 - Containers	SkipContainersInUse	true	Skip chests another player currently has open. Keep enabled in multiplayer.
2 - Containers	TakeNetworkOwnership	true	Multiplayer: ask the player whose game controls a chest to hand it over before using it (the same request the game makes when you open a chest). Needed to use chests near other players; when off, only chests your game already controls are used.
3 - Performance	RefreshInterval	0.5	Seconds between rescans of nearby containers while standing still (0.1–5). Item counts update instantly regardless. Raise it if you have a huge base and a slow PC.
5 - Debug	DebugLogging	false	Write detailed information to BepInEx/LogOutput.log (for example, which container items were taken from).
6 - Chest Contents	MaxEntries	8	Lines shown; the rest is summarised by OverflowFormat. -1 shows everything.
6 - Chest Contents	SortBy	Amount	Amount, Name, Weight (total) or Value (total).
6 - Chest Contents	SortAscending	false	Reverse the order.
6 - Chest Contents	EntryFormat	yellow amount, green name	{0} = amount, {1} = item name. Rich-text colours allowed.
6 - Chest Contents	OverflowFormat	+{0} more	{0} = items not listed. Empty = no line.
6 - Chest Contents	CapacityFormat	{0}/{1} slots	{0} = slots in use, {1} = total. Empty = no line.
7 - Item Tooltip	ShowItemType / ShowToolTier	true	Item type; tool tier of tools and weapons.
7 - Item Tooltip	ShowStackSize	true	e.g. 34/50.
7 - Item Tooltip	ShowNearbyCount	true	How many of the item the containers in range hold (respecting the rules file).
7 - Item Tooltip	ShowPrefabName	false	The internal name to use in the rules file (e.g. CopperOre).
8 - Cooking Timers	ShowBurnTime	true	Once an item is cooked, also show how long until it burns.
8 - Cooking Timers	ReadyInFormat	{0} ready in {1}	Item still cooking. {0} = item it becomes, {1} = time left (m:ss). Colours allowed.
8 - Cooking Timers	DoneFormat	{0} ready	Item cooked, when the burn time is not shown.
8 - Cooking Timers	BurnsFormat	{0} ready, burns in {1}	Item cooked and waiting. {1} = time until it burns.
8 - Cooking Timers	BurntFormat	{0} (burnt)	Item burnt. {0} = what it turned into.
8 - Cooking Timers	PausedText	(no heat)	Added when the timer stopped (fire out, no fuel). Empty = nothing.

Container rules (optional)

BepInEx/config/newton.NewtCraftHub.yml — created on first start with commented examples. Saved changes are applied immediately, even with the game running.

By default every item can be pulled from every container. The rules file lets you restrict that per container type:

# Reusable lists of item prefab names (case sensitive)
groups:
  Valuables:
    - Coins
    - Ruby
    - Amber
    - AmberPearl

# Personal chests: never pull anything from them
piece_chest_private:
  exclude:
    - All

# Wood chests: don't use valuables or food... except coins
piece_chest_wood:
  exclude:
    - Valuables
    - Food
  includeOverride:
    - Coins

How it works:

• The top-level key is the container prefab name. Common ones: piece_chest_wood (wood chest), piece_chest (reinforced chest), piece_chest_private (personal chest), piece_chest_blackmetal (black metal chest), piece_chest_barrel (barrel). Carts and ships use the vehicle's name: Cart, Karve, VikingShip… Turn on DebugLogging to see the name of any container in the log when items are taken from it.
• exclude: items or groups that must not be pulled from that container type.
• includeOverride: items or groups that are always allowed, even if excluded. It wins over exclude.
• Items are written as prefab names (for example Wood, Bronze, TrophyDeer). See the item list.
• Use 2 spaces for indentation (no tabs). If the file has an error, the log shows the line number and the previous rules stay active.

Built-in groups (always available, calculated from the game's item list, including items from other mods):

Group	Contents
All	Every item
Food / Potion	Food with health and stamina / consumables with health only (meads)
Fish	Fish
Swords, Axes, Clubs, Knives, Pickaxes, Polearms, Spears, Bows, Crossbows	Weapons by skill
Equipment	Torches
Trophy / Boss Trophy	Creature trophies / boss trophies
Ores / Metals	Anything smelted in the smelter or blast furnace / what they produce
Woods	Wood types (anything accepted by the charcoal kiln, plus ancient bark)
Seeds / Crops	Plantable items that yield one / several items when harvested

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Compatibility

• Client-side: install it only on the players who want it. Dedicated servers don't need it, and players without the mod can play on the same server normally.
• Other "craft from containers" mods (for example AzuCraftyBoxes): use only one of them — two would both take items.
• Modded containers built on the game's normal container system (chests, carts, ships from other mods) are supported automatically.
• Crossplay: PC players with the mod can join or host crossplay worlds; console players can't use mods.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to check
Nothing happens	Did you start the game with Start modded? Does BepInEx/LogOutput.log contain NewtCraftHub … loaded? Is Enabled true, and wasn't the mod switched off with the ToggleKey?
A specific chest is not used	Distance (Range), is it open by someone else, is it inside a ward, is it a personal chest of another player, is it excluded in the rules file?
Log says fewer than 21/21 patch groups active	A game update changed something. The rest keeps working; please report it with your LogOutput.log.
Items taken twice / from the wrong place	Make sure no other "craft from containers" mod is installed.
Items from a chest near another player disappear a moment after crafting	Normal: that chest is handed over first, then emptied (see Multiplayer safe). If the other player had it open, the items are taken from your own chests instead.
A friend still gets "in use" at my open chest	Both of you need this version with SharedContainers = true. Carts and ships are never shared.
The fish recipe that accepts any one fish isn't craftable from chests	Known limitation: the game takes that single ingredient straight from your inventory. Carry the fish. It is the only such recipe in the game.

Finding the log: in r2modman / Thunderstore Mod Manager use Settings → Debugging → Browse profile folder and open BepInEx/LogOutput.log; for a manual install it is Valheim/BepInEx/LogOutput.log. To report a problem, set DebugLogging = true, reproduce it, and send that file to Anatta Labs.

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Credits

Made by Anatta Labs. The package icon was created with the help of AI image generation.

For developers

• Build against your game and create the package: .\scripts\pack.ps1 -ValheimDir "<Valheim folder>" [-Install]
• Automated tests (no game needed, Linux/macOS/WSL with .NET SDK 8 and Mono): ./build.sh
• Versioning (SemVer, single source in Version.props) and release steps: docs/RELEASING.md

License

MIT — see LICENSE.