SaveStructure

Build it once. Save it. Build it again.

SaveStructure lets you select building pieces with your Hammer, name the structure, and rebuild it from the Hammer menu. Build the whole layout at once, or place a local hologram and construct it one piece at a time.

Features

• Select individual pieces with visible outlines; click again to deselect.
• Select a box covering multiple floors, then fine-tune the selection individually.
• Copy supported buildable pieces from ruins and other players' buildings, subject to ward access.
• Save named structures and find them immediately in the Hammer menu.
• Use readable save filenames and automatic short suffixes when names clash.
• Delete saved blueprints or unfinished holograms in-game, with confirmation.
• Preview the whole structure, rotate it, and use its snap points for placement.
• Build the complete layout using its total material cost.
• Place a free hologram visible only to you, then build each piece using its full material cost.
• Resume unfinished holograms after reconnecting to the same world with the same character.
• Toggle placement overlap checks and configure every mod shortcut, including modifiers and mouse buttons.
• Keep your saved structures across restarts and use them in other worlds.
• Rebuild ordinary pieces that can be repaired and dismantled normally.
• Respect extended Hammer reach and placement input supplied by compatible build-camera mods.
• Use native material checks and consumption so compatible chest-pulling mods can supply whole builds and hologram pieces.

Requirements and installation

Built against Valheim 1.0.16, with BepInExPack Valheim 5.4.2350. Jötunn is not required.

With a mod manager: install SaveStructure and its listed dependency, then launch your modded profile.

Manual installation: close Valheim and extract the package into BepInEx/plugins/SaveStructure/ in your active installation or mod profile. SaveStructure.dll should sit directly inside that folder. Launch the game through that profile.

How to save a structure

1. Equip your Hammer and press F8 to enter save mode.
2. Aim at a supported Hammer piece and left-click to select it. A mint outline marks selected pieces. Click a selected piece again to remove it from the selection. Buildable ruin pieces and other players' pieces are eligible; protected wards still restrict access.
3. Select the rest of the pieces you want to save. Start with a foundation or floor piece: the first selected piece defines the placement anchor and facing.
4. Press F7, enter a name, and confirm the dialog. The Hammer entry uses your chosen name. If it already exists, a short suffix is added automatically, for example Cabin [a3f91c].

Normal hammer placement, repair and removal are blocked while save mode is active.

For box selection, hold Left Shift and right-click while in save mode. Click a lower corner of the area, aim at the opposite corner, then click again to confirm. Scroll up / down to increase / decrease the height above the corners. While in box-selection mode, scrolling adjusts height without also zooming the camera or rotating a piece. The box includes pieces whose placement pivots fall inside it. Check the highlighted candidates before confirming; over-limit boxes are rejected without partially selecting them.

Additional boxes add to your selection. Left Shift + right-click again to add or remove individual pieces. If the selection was empty, the lowest piece nearest the first box corner becomes the anchor. If you select a piece individually first, that anchor is retained.

Control	Action
F8	Enter or leave save mode
Left Shift + right-click	In save mode: individual / box selection (SwitchSelectionMode)
Left Shift + right-click	When positioning a saved structure: whole build / hologram (SwitchPlacementMode)
F10	Toggle placement overlap checks while positioning a saved structure or aiming at a placed hologram
Left-click	Select/deselect a piece, or set/confirm box corners in save mode
F7	Name and save the selection
Backspace	Clear the selection and reset the box
Scroll up / down	Increase/decrease box height by 1 metre (configurable step)
E	Build the aimed hologram piece with its full material cost
Delete	Delete the saved blueprint selected for placement, after confirmation
Left Shift + Delete	Remove the aimed hologram plan, after confirmation; completed pieces remain

The selection and placement mode shortcuts are separate config options and can use different bindings. Plain right-click still opens the Hammer build menu outside save mode. All shortcuts above are configurable. Outside their relevant modes they have no effect; typing in chat, naming dialogs, menus and build-menu search blocks mod input. Positioning, rotating and placing a structure continue to use your normal Valheim Hammer controls.

How to build a saved structure

1. Open the Hammer build menu and search for your saved name. Entries use that name directly, without a Structure: prefix.
2. Select the structure to show its full preview. Menu entries use the Building tag and the first piece's icon.
3. Position and rotate it with the normal Hammer controls. Native snap points work; use alternate placement for free positioning.
4. Check the hint says WHOLE STRUCTURE (Left Shift + right-click to switch), then click to build it.

The description lists the total materials. In normal survival play, the full cost must be available: from your inventory, or through a compatible chest-pulling mod. The full cost is consumed once after construction succeeds, along with one Hammer action's stamina and durability. World free-build settings and native no-cost mode follow the normal Hammer behaviour.

Relevant crafting stations must cover the pieces being built. A station included in the saved structure can provide that coverage. Recipes and required DLC must be available. Wards, no-build areas and other placement restrictions are checked before construction.

How to build with holograms

1. Select a saved structure in the Hammer menu and use Left Shift + right-click until the hint says HOLOGRAM.
2. Position and rotate it, then place it normally. Placing the plan consumes no materials.
3. Keep your Hammer equipped, approach a hologram piece, and aim at it. The hint shows the full materials required for that piece.
4. Press E to build it. All of that piece's materials must be available; there are no partial deposits. A successful build consumes that piece's cost once and uses Hammer stamina and durability.
5. Gather more materials and continue. Start with foundations and supporting pieces: holograms do not provide structural support. A hologram workbench must be built before it can provide crafting coverage.

Holograms are local visuals without physical collision. Other players and the server do not need SaveStructure to see completed vanilla pieces; unfinished plans are visible and usable only on your client. Original mods providing non-vanilla pieces remain necessary as usual.

Plans resume for the same world and character. Each hologram inherits its blueprint's name. Placing another plan with the same name adds a short suffix so the plans can be distinguished, without changing the blueprint's name.

Left Shift + Delete, while aiming at a plan, asks to remove its unfinished hologram without demolishing completed pieces. If an identical real piece already occupies a target position, pressing E clears that hologram piece without charging again. Completed pieces that are later destroyed are not automatically rebuilt.

Deleting saved builds

To delete a saved blueprint, select it in the Hammer menu and close the menu so its placement preview is showing. Press Delete, then confirm the named blueprint in the dialog. It disappears from your saved files and Hammer menu immediately. Existing holograms keep their own snapshots and remain usable; completed structures remain in the world.

To remove an unfinished hologram, equip the Hammer, aim at one of its remaining pieces, press Left Shift + Delete, then confirm. Its local plan and unfinished visuals are removed. Its saved blueprint and completed building pieces remain.

Choose No or press Escape to cancel either dialog. The two removal shortcuts are independently configurable as DeleteSavedStructure and RemoveHologram. If you assign them the same shortcut while both targets are available, the aimed hologram takes priority. Ordinary Hammer pieces are unaffected by blueprint deletion.

Placement collision

[Building] DisableCollision = false enables normal SaveStructure overlap checks. Set it to true, or press F10 in a placement context, to bypass those checks. The hint displays Collision: ON/OFF and the key updates the saved configuration.

This affects whole builds, hologram placement and construction through holograms. It does not make completed pieces non-solid, flatten terrain, or bypass ward access, material requirements, crafting coverage or other non-collision building restrictions. Ordinary Hammer pieces are unaffected.

Configuration and saved files

After the first launch, edit BepInEx/config/Dyls123.SaveStructure.cfg or use your mod manager's config editor.

Version 1.0.0 automatically renames the previous dylan.valheim.savestructure.cfg file on launch and carries over your settings. If both filenames already exist, the new file takes priority and the old file is left untouched. Saved structures and hologram progress keep their existing locations.

Setting	Default
ToggleSaveMode	F8
SaveSelection	F7
ClearSelection	Backspace
SwitchSelectionMode	Mouse1 + LeftShift (individual / box selection)
SwitchPlacementMode	Mouse1 + LeftShift (whole build / hologram)
ToggleCollision	F10
SelectPiece	Mouse0
BuildHologramPiece	E
DeleteSavedStructure	Delete
RemoveHologram	Delete + LeftShift
ScrollWheelBoxHeight	true
IncreaseBoxHeight / DecreaseBoxHeight	None / None (optional keyboard alternatives)
DisableCollision	false
MaximumPieces	500, configurable from 1 to 2,000
Reach	25 metres, configurable from 2 to 100
BoxHeight	20 metres, configurable from 1 to 128
ScrollHeightStep	1 metre per scroll input, configurable from 0.1 to 10
BuildReach	8 metres from the piece pivot, configurable from 2 to 25
MaximumPlans	20 unfinished holograms per world and character, configurable from 1 to 100

Selection Reach and hologram BuildReach also accept a larger Hammer reach supplied by a building mod. Turning off a camera mod's temporary reach extension restores the configured limits.

Shortcuts accept values such as F9 + LeftControl or Mouse1 + LeftShift. Set a shortcut to None to disable it. Choose distinct bindings for actions used in the same context. Selection and placement can share a binding because they are active at different times, or you can configure each independently.

When upgrading from 0.2.0, the old default F9 mode switch changes to Left Shift + right-click, and the default Page Up/Down height keys become unbound. Custom bindings are preserved: a custom SwitchMode is copied into both new options, unless you have already set separate values. This migration happens once; later edits, including restoring F9 or Page Up/Down, remain in place. Existing single-key settings and saved structures remain compatible.

Dyls123.SaveStructure.cfg.example documents the settings; it is not loaded automatically.

Structures are saved as JSON files in BepInEx/config/SaveStructure/structures/. Filenames use your chosen name, for example Cabin.json. Names are compared without regard to capitalisation; a duplicate gets a short random suffix instead of replacing the first save. Characters that are unsafe in filenames are replaced, and long filenames are shortened as needed. The full display name remains in the JSON. A further filename suffix is added if two different names sanitize to the same filename.

Old ID-only filenames are renamed when loaded, while keeping their internal IDs, layouts and hologram progress. If a file cannot be renamed, it remains usable under its old filename and the reason is logged. Keep using the JSON's original internal ID when sharing or moving an existing save.

Hologram positions and progress are stored separately in BepInEx/config/SaveStructure/holograms/<world-id>/<character-id>/, also using readable names. Each plan contains its own name and blueprint snapshot. Back up this folder with your saves if you want to keep unfinished work. These are local plans, not shared multiplayer material stores; restoring older world/character saves does not rewind the local plan files.

You can copy these files between profiles to share structures. Rejoin your world to load added or removed files. Modded pieces require their original mods wherever the structure is used. Invalid files or missing piece prefabs are reported in BepInEx/LogOutput.log; other valid structures still load.

What is saved

The mod saves piece types, positions and rotations. New pieces belong to the player placing the structure and start with their prefab defaults.

Chest contents, sign text, portal destinations, fuel, production queues, item-stand contents, bed claims and damage are not copied.

Current limitations

• Pieces must be within 128 metres of the first selected anchor.
• Terrain tools, terrain-changing pieces, vehicles, rescaled pieces, loose items, multiple-network-object prefabs, and pieces with special water, cultivation or connection rules are not supported.
• Terrain is not flattened. Choose a suitable foundation site; normal support, weather damage and collapse rules apply.
• Whole-structure placement approximates some wall, ceiling and slope rules. A preview may be rejected when clicked if a check fails away from the anchor.
• Previews show prefab geometry, without saved door states, particles, lights or other dynamic effects.
• Keyboard and mouse are the primary controls. Mode switching uses the configured shortcuts; naming uses the game's text dialog.
• Saved structure files and hologram plans are local and are not automatically shared with other players. Multiplayer compatibility and interactions with other building or inventory mods have not been comprehensively tested.

Compatibility

Build cameras: selection and hologram targeting follow the game's build camera and respect an increased Hammer reach, including extensions that apply only during a placement action. SaveStructure accepts Hammer input independently of frozen character input. Whole-structure placement continues to use the native Hammer preview. Pieces must still be in loaded terrain, and ward, crafting and other placement rules remain in effect. Mods that replace the Hammer pipeline or use a separate camera without updating the game's build camera may need additional integration.

Chest pulling: whole structures and individual hologram pieces use Player.HaveRequirements and Player.ConsumeResources. Mods that extend both native methods can supply materials from storage using their own range, access and item-filter rules. A hologram piece requires its full cost; it does not accept partial deposits. SaveStructure does not scan chests or change the provider's pull radius, including while using a detached camera. Hints show required amounts because external storage totals depend on the installed provider. Mods that replace only crafting UI or use a separate construction system may need additional integration.

Successful in-game use has been reported for 0.1.0 and 0.2.0. Version 1.1.0 builds against Valheim 1.0.16. Automated checks include simulated camera input/range changes and a simulated native material provider, in addition to storage, geometry, settings, naming and deletion checks. These are not end-to-end tests with every camera or chest mod; interactive gameplay and multiplayer compatibility still need testing with the intended profile. Already built structures use the original piece prefabs and do not require SaveStructure to remain installed; any mods providing those original pieces are still required.