Building guides

This page contains guides to build different structure-components.

Foundation lowering/raising techniques
Foundations can only snap to each other on the same height which can be inconvenient (especially if you want to build on uneven ground). The following methods can be used to lower or raise your foundation in case there is something obstructing your building (or any other application where lowering/raising snap points is required)

Fast lowering (fastest & cheapest way)

 * Step 1 - Place a Pillar on the ground.
 * Step 2 - Place an additional Pillar right next to the first one (only half a tile away) and use the lower snap point
 * Step 3 - Destroy the first Pillar (else the game will make it harder for you to place the next Pillar lowered further)
 * Step 4 - Place a new Pillar in the place where the first one (from Step 1) was, this gives you the second lowered snap point.
 * Step 5 - Destroy the Pillar from Step 2 and you're back at the original position, only two steps lower to the ground.
 * Tip - With a new update, you will be able to pick up the pillars in a short period of time, around 30 seconds to be exact., if you happen to mess up.

Slow lowering (if you only want it one at a time)

 * Step 1 - Place a Foundation on the ground
 * Step 2 - Place a Pillar into the Foundation
 * Step 3 - Place a Foundation next to the 1st Foundation and use the lower snap point

Raising*

 * Step 1 - Place a Foundation on the ground
 * Step 2 - Place two Pillars on top of the Foundation
 * Step 3 - Place two Ceilings next to each other onto the upper Pillar
 * Step 4 - Place two Pillars down onto the 2nd Ceiling (the one yet without a Pillar) and make sure to use the upper snap point for the 2nd Pillar!
 * Step 5 - Place a Foundation next to the Pillars from Step 4 (Note that it has to be able to reach the ground in order to enable the raised snap point.

Extended Ramp
First off, starting at the bottom you may be able to make a ramp that is flawless and has no steps but you will also spend two days of trial and error trying to get it far enough out from the cliff to get the angle to hit the top perfectly (See Advanced Ramping). Second off, this walkthrough is subject to change as Ark is constantly updating and improving! Starting at the top you can easily build down. Recommend the use of a slow flying mount or extreme caution and a parachute. The formula is very simple.
 * Set foundations at the top of your cliff. This will be the base of your ramp.  If you cannot place enough foundations for the width of the ramp you desire, attach ceilings to the initial foundation and place pillars underneath them (pillars must reach all the way to the ground to count as foundation).  Yes, placing the pillar first and then the ceiling DOES make it look prettier but it also alters the height of the ceiling which WILL NOT DO.  Ceilings must be placed first in the initial step because they will be placed first to ensure proper pillar placement later on.  The pillars need something to snap to and this is the most reliable way to do so.  All other methods are time consuming and use more materials and a great deal of trial and error.
 * Survey the Area. Is your cliff initially very steep or is it gradual?  Can you build three pillars down and fit three ceilings on the pillar (the third ceiling being the important one)?  If constructing a wider ramp you only need to be able to do this on one side of the ramp at any point (either side, doesn't matter).  If the ground does not slope steeply enough, you can't fit support underneath it.  You'll have to make your starting point larger using ceilings and pillars until you can build out far enough.  If it slopes too steeply... well, gosh, that's what this is designed for!
 * Build three ceilings down on the pillar and three ceilings out and build a pillar at the last ceiling all the way to the ground. This should be the maximum range of ceilings.  It should extend two ceilings further than your pillar (not counting the first ceiling which is attached to the pillar) and should be placed three ceilings below the main platform.  This means when placing the ceiling you should be able to fit two ceilings between your extended ones and whatever was placed above.  If your ramp is 3 ramps wide (big enough to accommodate any sized dinosaur including Brontosaurus) you will need to build two more ceilings across the width of your ramp and build another pillar to the ground.  For aesthetics, feel free to connect these ceilings to the pillar behind them so they match what you already built but it is not necessary.  If you are building a wider ramp you may need to place additional pillars in the center (again, all the way to the ground).
 * Continue building three ceilings out and three ceilings down and attaching pillars all the way to the ground on the outermost ceiling/corner. Ceilings must be constructed prior to adding the ramps that will be intersecting them.  If you place the ramps first, you will be unable to continue your ramp as you will be unable to attach any ceilings intersecting with ramps - they will be "obstructed".  Ramps, however, do not care what is in the way.  They are ramps and do what they want.
 * Add ramps. Ensure that your ramps connect to the ceilings rather than to previous ramps. You want two ramps down, a small step of ceiling, and then two more ramps down. Otherwise, you end up with ceiling jutting through your ramp and preventing a smooth ascent. Ramps can extend up to three before requiring foundation support, but this only works if your ramp is only 1 wide. When you reach the bottom you can get away with not building another ceiling scaffold (which may not fit) by simply placing pillars behind any ramps unwilling to place due to "No Foundation Support".  You can snap these pillars to the existing ceiling and build all the way to the ground.

You are done.

Tips and Tricks
For those of you who have pillars that refuse to reach the ground... Two ways to do this. For pillars, ceilings, or ramps that refuse to place properly.
 * If the ground is uneven and one pillar just isn't long enough - destroy the pillar that is too short and build one attached to the ground instead of attached to the above pillar. Make sure the highlighted pillar snaps into place with the pillar above it before you place it!  A crooked pillar may not work!  They do not have to connect, connecting was just to ensure everything lines up.
 * If the ground is fairly level and you have other pillars nearby that HAVE reached the ground - destroy the pillar that is too short and build one attached to the ground instead of attached to the above pillar. Make sure the highlighted pillar snaps into place with a pillar adjacent to it before you place it and is lined up properly!  A crooked pillar may not work!  Pillars can snap very close to another pillar or further away, make sure it lines up!
 * Move yourself to a different spot and try from that position. Eventually you'll find that sweet spot where the angle is just right and you can place the object with ease.

Advanced Ramping
Building a ramp like this is all about math. The ceilings and alternating building materials are for measuring and counting purposes, no ceilings are actually necessary in the completed ramp except for the anchor at the top! Like any ramp it must be built from the top down and anchored with a ceiling/foundation along with foundation/pillar support along the ground underneath it.

This guide assumes you can figure out how to place your own pillars. See the Extended Ramp's Tips and Tricks if you need help.

Remember, if you cannot get it to intersect - ramps are not obstructed by ceilings but ceilings are obstructed by ramps. If you have your steep slope, uneven cliff, or whatever else you need to ramp it up you'll start out a lot like a regular extended ramp with a few changes. The end result should be much more material efficient and less time consuming over all!
 * A smooth ramp repeats every seven ramps down, seven ceilings/foundations across, and eleven pillars high (can repeat with 10 if the base pillar is half in the ground). It can intersect ceilings at one ceiling out (the top anchor), five ceilings out, and seven ceilings out.

You have the number of pillars tall your cliff is. Now for the math part.
 * Set foundations at the top of your cliff - You can also use pillars. Again set the number of evenly spaced pillars (careful, they can space unevenly, you want the bigger of the two gap options!) at the top of your cliff equal to the width of your desired ramp.
 * Make a stairway of pillars and ceilings to the base of the cliff - the base of the cliff should be the altitude you want your ramp to land on. Your staircase only needs to be one pillar wide at this time.  If it is a three foundations wide ramp, build your staircase from the middle foundation and save yourself a lot of trouble.  A straight staircase with lots of missing steps is your likely end result. The new grappling hooks make it much safer to rappel down the cliff and place your pillars for those long falls.  Ceilings are only necessary here in cases when you cannot place the next pillar out from the cliff.  Line it up with a ceiling!
 * Count how many pillars tall your cliff is - your staircase should make this easier. Do not count more than one pillar per unit of altitude.  Keep in mind that pillars do not place like walls, they embed inside the pillar above them.  A column three pillars high has only two visible pillars.  I used a spare pillar and rappelled down counting using the object placement highlight.  You could also build ceilings out from your top and build up pillars from the base of your ramp until the two are the same altitude for counting.

Word Problems, Division

 * Step 1a - If your vertical pillar number is evenly divisible by eleven, congratulations you have the best ramps of all ramps. You will need to build six pillar supports away from your top anchor (not counting the anchoring pillar) for each eleven vertical pillars.  Skip to Step 4.
 * Step 1b - If your vertical pillar number is not evenly divisible by eleven but is greater than eleven, all is not lost. If it is less than eleven skip to Step 2a.  Divide the vertical pillars by eleven anyway and note the remainder.  See Step 1a for how to place your initial pillar supports.
 * Step 2a - If your vertical pillar remainder is evenly divisible by six, you have the second best ramp. You will need to build four pillar supports away from the existing pillar supports.
 * Step 2b - If your vertical pillar remainder is not evenly divisible by six but is greater than x, you have the worst job. If it is less than six, skip to Step 3a.  Divide the it by six and note the remainder.  See Step 2a for how to place your next batch of pillar supports.
 * Step 3a - Your vertical pillar remainder should be between one and four. If it is not, you skipped a step you shouldn't have.  Do not pass Go.  Do not collect $200.  Go back and fix it.  If it is, continue to Step 3b.
 * Step 3b - If your vertical pillar remainder is less than or equal to two, complete your ramp, no additional supports are needed. If your vertical pillar remainder is three, place one additional pillar support.  If it is four, place two.
 * Step 4 - Complete
 * Build your ramp - Start at the top and zoom your way down.

External Resources

 * Building Guide Video: Howto Pillar without poking through Ceilings, Extend Ceilings far, using of ViewModes

Consejos de construcción Guide de construction Building Guides