The left sidebar is the planner's status panel. It helps you read the factory without clicking through every part of the layout.

By default, this panel shows Factory Summary. If you open the warning list, it switches to Active Warnings until you go back.

What the sidebar is for

Use the left sidebar when you want to:

• check whether the factory has warnings
• review inputs, outputs, and machine totals
• see power usage without scanning the whole layout
• keep track of groups, sinks, and other summary data
• get a quick read on factory size from total nodes and connections

Main parts of the sidebar

Header

The top of the panel shows Factory Summary. You can collapse the sidebar from here if you need more room.

Warnings

Warnings is the fastest way to spot problems. If warnings exist, the badge shows how many are still active.

When you open the warning list, each row shows the warning type, message, and sometimes a tip. Clicking a warning takes you to that problem in the planner. You can also ignore the warning from the same row.

Summary sections in detailed mode

In detailed mode, the sidebar focuses on breakdowns.

The main sections are:

• Groups
• Power Usage
• Machines
• Inputs
• Outputs
• Awesome Sink
• Intermediates, when the factory has internal item flow worth listing
• Locked Pins, when pin locks are present

These sections are useful for different reasons. Machines helps you see what the factory actually uses. Inputs and Outputs show the external flow. Power Usage gives you the current total. Groups helps you review structure without hunting through the whole layout.

Summary sections in compact mode

In compact mode, the sidebar shifts to simpler totals.

The main sections are:

• Compact Groups
• Total Machines
• Total Miners
• Power Shards
• Power Usage
• Awesome Sink

This version is less about per-machine detail and more about quick totals.

Footer

At the bottom, the sidebar shows Total Nodes and Connections. This gives you a quick sense of how large the current factory is.

How to use it well

Do not treat the sidebar as a replacement for the layout. Use it as a reading tool.

A good pattern is simple: build in the main workspace, glance at the sidebar, fix anything that looks wrong, then keep going. If something feels off, start with Warnings, then check Inputs, Outputs, and Power Usage before changing a large section of the factory.