Factorio Forums

TL;DR

alt key + mouse scroll + while holding blueprint = quality changes for all entities in the blueprint.

What?

I think its self explanatory, but as a reminder: you can nicely change quality of an entity your are planning to build by holding alt key and using mouse wheel to change from normal -> uncommon -> rare, etc.
I was surprised that similarly I cant use this feature for a blueprint consisting of multiple entities who can have different quality tiers.

Why?

One example would be to quickly upgrade your solar fields to the next quality tier as you play.
Or just choose whatever quality tier you want to build the next big solar field.
Less blueprints needed while you play, simply build, use same blueprint, flip tier higher and the thing will be upgraded over time, simple and convenient.
Workaround can be done by creating multiple huge upgrade planners for every entity in existence i suppose, but that would be literally unplayable


artistic example of how it could work:

Likely an issue with having to error handle for all the possible edge cases that could arise when you can already just use a built-in mechanic for bulk upgrades, the upgrade planner. Simple enough to make a blueprint book with the common entities that need upgrades and have some upgrade planners in it.

Upgrade planner solution results in stupid bots dragging unnecessary copies of Common (or whatever you're upgrading from) buildables all over the place.
Buildables which I don't need now or need elsewhere.
Back and forth, all the way from provider chest, to building spot, then back to storage chest because "put it back where you got it" is a concept unknown for bots.

I don't think that would work that well. Consider a blueprint that contains pipes or circuit combinations or transport belts, whose quality upgrades don't do anything except give more HP. Do you really want to upgrade all of that?