AAABuildMenu
AAABuildMenu turns the Valheim build menu (the piece selection window) into a feature rich panel with search, filters, favorites, recipe pinning, scrolling, and a resizable window, while keeping the vanilla look and feel. It is built to stay compatible with PieceManager and Jotunn content, so modded pieces and categories work the same as the base game ones.
The goal is simple. Find what you want to build in the fewest clicks, without hiding information behind tooltips or side panels, and without replacing the familiar menu.
Features
Search
- Type to filter the current category, or every category at once when global search is on.
- A plain term matches a piece by its name, its prefab, a required material, the crafting station it needs, or the station it upgrades. Typing "iron" finds iron themed pieces and anything that needs iron; typing "forge" also surfaces every forge upgrade.
- Prefixes narrow the search when you want precision:
n: matches the name only.r: matches a required material.s: matches a crafting station.su: matches crafting station upgrades, for example su:forge lists every forge upgrade. su: on its own lists all station upgrades.- Combine them freely, for example
r:iron s:forge.
- A configurable hotkey focuses the search box while the menu is open. Typing in the box does not trigger game input.
Filters and sorting
- Quick filter buttons: All (show every category at once), Can Craft, Missing, Favorites, and Recent.
- A Sort button cycles through Vanilla, Alphabetical, Cost, and Usage Frequency.
- A Materials button opens a dropdown with its own search field and scrollbar. It shows a Common section with the materials your modpack uses most, followed by the full list. Select one or several materials to show every piece that uses any of them.
- A Reset button clears the search, every filter, and the sort in one click.
- A match count shows how many pieces match the current search and filters.
Favorites and pinning
- Colored borders mark state at a glance. A yellow border means favorite, a blue border means pinned, and a blended color means both. The border colors are configurable.
- Quick toggling does not require aiming at a small button. Hold a modifier and click a piece. By default Shift favorites and Alt pins. Both modifiers are configurable.
- Optional clickable star and pin overlays are available, but they are off by default because the borders already show the state.
- Favorite, pin, and search key hints are added to the build hint bar at the bottom of the screen while the build menu is open, so the controls are discoverable. They follow your configured keys and can be turned off.
- The pinned recipe tracker is an on screen panel that lists the materials you still need for your pinned builds. You can drag it anywhere, choose a detailed or compact layout, scale it, and set it to appear only while the build menu is open.
- Favorites can be stored per character or shared globally.
Window and grid
- Vertical scrolling with no row limit, so large modpacks show every piece in a category.
- The mouse wheel scrolls the grid and the materials dropdown while the cursor is over them, instead of switching category.
- The grid reflows to the window width and fills each cell the way the vanilla menu does. Icon size is configurable.
- The window can be resized and moved using grips in the corners. The size and position are saved and kept on screen so the menu never ends up off the edge.
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Quality of life
- Most settings apply live, without leaving the menu or restarting the game.
- Recently placed pieces are tracked per character for the Recent filter.
- Reset actions in the config let you clear all favorites, clear all pinned recipes, or reset the window size and position.
Configuration
All settings appear in the in game configuration manager and in the config file. They are grouped so they are easy to read top to bottom.
- General: lock the configuration so only server admins can change it.
- Enhanced Build Menu: feature toggles, appearance (icon scale, favorite and pinned border colors, the optional favorite star), behavior (default sort mode, favorites per character, recent item count), and hotkeys (focus search, quick favorite modifier, quick pin modifier).
- Pin Indicator: the optional marker drawn on pinned pieces, plus its symbol, color, size, and corner.
- Pin Tracker: the tracker panel screen position, offset, format, scale, and whether it only shows while the build menu is open.
- Reset Actions: one click clears for favorites, pinned recipes, and the window layout.
A hidden data section stores saved information such as favorites, pinned recipes, recents, and the window layout. You do not need to edit it by hand.
Compatibility
- AAABuildMenu runs after PieceManager and Jotunn, so it always sees the complete piece list and category set, including modded categories.
- If SearsCatalog is installed, AAABuildMenu steps aside automatically so the two mods do not fight over the same menu. Run only one of them.
- Server configuration sync is supported through ServerSync, so an admin can lock and share settings with connected clients.
Installation
- Install BepInEx for Valheim using the BepInExPack Valheim package.
- Place AAABuildMenu.dll in your
BepInEx/plugins folder.
- Start the game. The configuration is created on first launch and can be changed live from the configuration manager.
Usage tips
- Open the build menu as usual with your build hammer or any piece table tool.
- Press the focus search hotkey to jump straight to the search box.
- Hold Shift and click a piece to favorite it, or hold Alt and click to pin it. Watch for the yellow and blue borders.
- Use the Materials dropdown when you want to build with what you have on hand. Pick a few materials and the grid shows everything you can make from them.
Contact and support
If you run into a problem or have a suggestion, you can reach Azumatt on Discord at the username Azumatt, or join the server at https://discord.gg/pdHgy6Bsng for help and updates.
