Skip to content

Utility Device

Ganja Panda edited this page Jun 27, 2026 · 2 revisions

Utility Device

The PandaWorks Utility Device is a portable shortcut for accessing PWAL utility tools from your inventory.

It is not the main setup terminal.

The main setup terminal is the PandaWorks AutoLoot Terminal found in the Weapons section of your inventory.

The Utility Device is for quick access after PWAL is already installed and configured.

What It Does

The Utility Device opens the PandaWorks utility terminal.

From there, you can quickly access common tools such as:

  • PandaWorks Inventory
  • Lodge Safe
  • Player Ship Cargo
  • Transfer utilities
  • Looting toggle
  • Logging toggle

The exact options may change as PWAL develops.

Where To Find It

The Utility Device is added to your inventory by PWAL.

Look for it in your inventory after installation.

If the device is missing, check the following:

  • The mod is installed correctly.
  • The plugin is enabled.
  • The scripts are installed.
  • The quest initialized correctly.
  • You are using the current release.

How To Use It

Open your inventory and use the PandaWorks Utility Device.

After using it, the utility terminal should open.

This behaves like a portable terminal item.

It is meant to save time so you do not need to dig through the full main terminal for common actions.

Utility Device vs Main Terminal

There are two different terminal access points in PWAL.

PandaWorks AutoLoot Terminal

This is the main configuration terminal.

Use it for:

  • Loot category setup
  • Destination setup
  • General settings
  • Always Loot settings
  • Full framework configuration

This terminal is found in the Weapons section of your inventory.

PandaWorks Utility Device

This is the quick-access utility terminal.

Use it for:

  • Opening storage
  • Moving items between supported containers
  • Quick looting toggle access
  • Quick logging toggle access
  • Checking ship cargo after space salvage
  • Checking Lodge Safe for contraband under current routing behavior

Do not confuse the two.

If you are setting up PWAL for the first time, use the main PandaWorks AutoLoot Terminal.

If you already configured PWAL and just need quick tools, use the Utility Device.

Available Utility Actions

The Utility Device may provide access to:

  • Open PandaWorks Inventory
  • Open Lodge Safe
  • Open Player Ship Cargo
  • Send PandaWorks Inventory to Ship Cargo
  • Send PandaWorks Inventory to Lodge Safe
  • Send Resources to Ship Cargo
  • Send Valuables to Player
  • Send Cargo Hold to PandaWorks Inventory
  • Toggle Looting
  • Toggle Logging

Some actions depend on game state.

For example, ship cargo requires a valid player home ship.

If you do not have a valid home ship yet, ship cargo actions may not work.

Storage Access

The Utility Device can open supported storage locations directly.

Supported storage access may include:

  • PandaWorks Inventory
  • Lodge Safe
  • Player Ship Cargo

This is meant for convenience.

It does not mean those containers are physically nearby.

PWAL treats them as framework storage destinations.

Player Ship Cargo Access

Player Ship Cargo is useful for checking resources, heavy storage, and supported space salvage.

Supported space salvage routes into Player Ship Cargo.

Confirmed supported in version 1.1.2:

  • Asteroid deposits
  • Space cargo
  • Destroyed hostile ship debris

If you are testing space salvage, use the Utility Device to open Player Ship Cargo and check whether the recovered items arrived there.

Space salvage does not normally appear in your player inventory.

The panda put it in the ship.

Lodge Safe Access

The Lodge Safe is useful for long-term storage and certain protected routing behavior.

Current PWAL behavior routes contraband to the Lodge Safe.

This is intentional for the current release while PandaWorks Inventory scanner behavior is being reviewed.

If you are checking contraband, check the Lodge Safe first unless you manually moved it somewhere else.

PandaWorks Inventory Access

PandaWorks Inventory is PWAL’s dedicated storage container.

It is useful for items you want collected but do not want dumped into your player inventory.

If loot was routed to PandaWorks Inventory, open PandaWorks Inventory through the Utility Device or terminal.

Do not expect PandaWorks Inventory loot to appear in your player inventory.

That is the point.

Contraband is not currently expected to route to PandaWorks Inventory by default.

Transfer Utilities

Transfer utilities move items between supported containers.

Transfers are not the same thing as auto-looting.

Auto-looting collects nearby loot.

Transfers move items that are already stored.

Do not confuse those two systems.

Transfer utilities do not create items.

Transfer utilities do not loot nearby objects.

Transfer utilities do not move what is not there.

Ship Cargo Warning

Player Ship Cargo depends on the player having a valid home ship.

If you are early in the game and do not have a valid home ship, ship cargo tools may fail or be unavailable.

That is expected.

The game cannot open cargo for a ship the player does not properly have yet.

The panda cannot store loot in a ship the game has not given you.

Space Salvage Note

The Utility Device does not control the entire space salvage system.

Space salvage is part of the PWAL framework and uses its own backend pipeline.

The Utility Device is useful because it lets you quickly open Player Ship Cargo, which is where supported space salvage is routed.

If asteroid deposits, space cargo, or destroyed hostile ship debris were processed by PWAL, check Player Ship Cargo.

Do not check only player inventory and assume the loot vanished.

If The Utility Device Does Not Open

Check this first:

  • Did PWAL install correctly?
  • Is the plugin enabled?
  • Are the scripts installed?
  • Did the Utility Device get added to your inventory?
  • Does the main PandaWorks AutoLoot Terminal work?
  • Are you using the current release?
  • Did you test on a clean game launch after installing?

If the main terminal works but the Utility Device does not, report it as a Utility Device issue.

If neither terminal works, the problem is probably installation or quest initialization.

If A Utility Action Does Nothing

Check the action you are trying to use.

Some actions require valid storage references.

Examples:

  • Ship Cargo requires a valid home ship.
  • Lodge Safe requires the Lodge Safe reference to be available.
  • PandaWorks Inventory requires the PWAL storage reference to exist.
  • Transfer actions require items to actually exist in the source container.

If you tell PWAL to move items from an empty container, nothing dramatic happens.

There was nothing to move.

Recommended Use

Use the main PandaWorks AutoLoot Terminal to configure PWAL.

Use the Utility Device during gameplay for quick access.

Basic flow:

  1. Configure PWAL with the main terminal.
  2. Enable the loot categories you want.
  3. Set destinations.
  4. Enable looting.
  5. Test with a small amount of ground loot.
  6. Test supported space salvage separately, if desired.
  7. Use the Utility Device later for storage and transfer tools.

Important

The Utility Device is not a cheat menu.

It does not create free items.

It does not unlock progression.

It does not magically fix bad settings.

It is a convenience device for accessing PWAL utility functions.

If your categories and destinations are wrong, the Utility Device will not save you from your own choices.

If your ship cargo is unavailable, the Utility Device cannot invent a valid home ship.

If your contraband was routed to the Lodge Safe, opening PandaWorks Inventory will not make it appear there.

The panda obeys.

That is sometimes the problem.

Clone this wiki locally