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Merge Block
Icon Block Merge Block

Category: Merges two ships or stations into one.
Status: Functional

Fits small ship
Mass: 152.2 kg

Fits large ship and station
Mass: 473.4 kg

Data Controls: [edit] [purge] (?)

A pair of Icon Block Merge Block Merge Blocks can merge two ships of the same size into one, either temporarily or permanently. It can also merge Large Ships onto stations.

  • Only the sides with clamps can merge. If, in addition to the Merge Blocks themselves, any full block surfaces of the two grids touch, use of the merge blocks will permanently bind the grids as one -- which is great for fixing broken grids.
  • If, apart from the Merge Blocks, only slopes or edges of the two grids touch, then the merge is temporary -- which is great for modular builds and airtight hangar doors.
A large and a small Merge Block.

A large and a small Merge Block. Note the clamps indicating the front.

Distinction from other blocks[]

  • A Merge Block is different from a Connector in so far that it does not extend the conveyor system.
    (If you need inventory access, you’ll still need to add Conveyors or Connectors to your merged grids).
  • In contrast to attaching two grids through rotor and rotor head, a merged grid is one mass and easy to handle in flight, whereas using rotors forms subgrids whose mass throws off the Inertial Dampers.
  • Merge Blocks placed to form a seal turn two airtight grids into one airtight grid, whereas subgrids alone are never airtight.

Construction[]

The Merge Block occupies a 1x1x1 sized block space on large ships and stations, or a 1x3x3 block space on small ships. From version 1.199 on, a compact 1x1x1 small-grid variant is also available.

The Block attaches to other blocks on 5 of 6 faces. Only the side with the small clamps can merge. Only blocks of the same size can merge.

Recipe[]

Icon Block Merge Block Merge Block
ComponentLarge Ship/Station
Required
Large Ship/Station
Optional
Small Ship
Required
Small Ship
Optional
Icon Item Computer Computer21
Icon Item Large Steel Tube Large Steel Tube1
Icon Item Small Steel Tube Small Steel Tube1511
Icon Item Motor Motor21
Icon Item Construction Comp. Construction Comp.1525
Icon Item Steel Plate Steel Plate5713

Usage scenarios[]

Hot-swappable-merge-block-grids

Using merge blocks to add hot-swappable temporary attachments to a mothership

  • Merge Blocks can dock and undock ships and PBWs.
  • Merge blocks can form an airtight seal.
  • Merged grids can be accessed from a Cockpit on either part as if it were all one grid.
  • Merge Blocks can temporarily attach and detach (merge and unmerge) modular block tools or weapons that are to be used for a time and then swapped out, such as a Drill or Rocket Launcher attachment.
  • Merge Blocks can permanently glue together grids that have broken in two. Only merging lets you recreate the permanent structure needed to hold grids together, which is not otherwise possible. In this case, you don’t want to unmerge again, so just grind off the Merge blocks when you’re done.

Prerequisites Check / Troubleshooting[]

  • Both grids must be of the same size (small+small or large+large)
  • You must have control over at least one of the grids: Either it must be flyable, or you need a utility ship (tug) with magnetic landing gear that can lift the grid into position.
  • You need ownership or faction permissions for both grids, for example by hacking, or by transferring both to "nobody".
  • The two grids to be merged cannot be sibling subgrids connected by only one rotor, or piston, or hinge. For example, “grid with merge block - piston - subgrid with merge block” won’t merge. Merging sometimes works when there are levels of indirection and the Merge Blocks are more than one subgrid (e.g. double hinges) apart.
  • If you merge a mobile grid to a static grid, the mobile grid will become static. Turn the static grid into a "ship" first if you want to stay mobile.

How to merge[]

How-to-merge-a-broken-ship

How to fix a broken ship using two merge blocks

  1. Add one merge block to each ship/station. Make sure the clamp sides of the blocks face each other in their intended final positions.
  2. Switch both blocks on and confirm that they light up white.
  3. Push or fly the grids close together.
  4. When the Merge blocks clamps are less than one meter from each other, the blocks light up yellow and become magnetic if powered.
  5. When the Merge block faces are within less than ~0.1 meter, the grids snap and align themselves.
  6. After they merge, the blocks light up green.

The grids that are attached to each other are now treated as one grid. The merging allows power and control to pass through the blocks.

If a ship merges with a station, the mobile ship blocks will convert to static station blocks.

If you want to merge the halves permanently, grind the Merge Blocks off afterwards.

Caveats: Permanent versus temporary merging[]

Mastery of the Merge Block is a bit more complicated.

If any full block surfaces of the two different grids (other than the merge blocks) touch, use of the merge blocks will permanently bind the grids as one. Even switching off, or grinding off the Merge Blocks will not decouple such merged grids. When repairing a split-in-half ship, such permanent merging is done intentionally.

However, if you make sure that the two separate grids only touch each other with the Merge Blocks, and otherwise at most with thin or pointy edges of blocks (Slopes, Blast Door blocks, or similar), then the two grids can couple and decouple an infinite number of times. When building modular ships or PBW/torpedoes, such temporary merging is done intentionally.

Unmerging[]

After switching the Merge blocks off, the grids can become two separate grids again. The requirement for unmerging is that only the two Merge blocks (and beyond that, only blocks with thin/pointy edges) touch.

To unmerge, turn off the Merge blocks from the Control Panel. When you switch one Merge Block off, it releases the other and they lose their magnetic properties.

Warning: Unmerging does not restore the name of the merged smaller grid.

If you are separating a large ship from a station, the next step is to revert the ship-to-station conversion through the Info Screen.

If any blocks got merged unintentionally, you’ll have to grind these blocks apart.

Video[]

 	Space_Engineers_-_Merge_block,_Conversion_of_station_to_ship,_News_box_in_main_menu 	 			  
Blocks

Functional Blocks

Cockpits & Control
Icon Block Cockpit Cockpit, Icon Block Fighter Cockpit Fighter Cockpit, Icon Block Control Station Control Station, Icon Block Flight Seat Flight Seat, Icon Block Helm Helm, Icon Block Saddle Cockpit Saddle Cockpit, Icon Block Saddle Cockpit Compact Saddle Cockpit Compact, Icon Block Cab Cockpit Cab Cockpit, Icon Block Buggy Cockpit Buggy Cockpit, Icon Block Rover Cockpit Rover Cockpit, Icon Block Passenger Seat Passenger Seat, Icon Block Control Panel Control Panel, Icon Block Control Panel Pedestal Control Panel Pedestal, Icon Block Vertical Button Panel Vertical Button Panel, Icon Block Sci-Fi One-Button Terminal Sci-Fi One-Button Terminal, Icon Block Sci-Fi Four-Button Panel Sci-Fi Four-Button Panel, Icon Block Sci-Fi Control Panel Sci-Fi Control Panel, (Icon Block Inset Button Panel Inset) Icon Block Button Panel Button Panel, Icon Block Button Panel Pedestal Button Panel Pedestal, Icon Block Remote Control Remote Control, Icon Block Custom Turret Controller Custom Turret Controller

Automation
Icon Block Sensor Sensor, Icon Block Timer Block Timer Block, Icon Block Programmable Block Programmable Block, Icon Block Event Controller Event Controller, Icon Block Emotion Controller Emotion Controller, Icon Block AI Basic AI Basic, Icon Block AI Flight AI Flight, Icon Block AI Defensive AI Defensive, Icon Block AI Offensive AI Offensive, Icon Block AI Recorder AI Recorder

Communication
Icon Block Antenna Antenna, Icon Block Beacon Beacon, Icon Block Round Beacon Round Beacon, (Icon Block Top Mounted Camera Top Mounted) Icon Block Camera Camera, Icon Block Laser Antenna Laser Antenna, Icon Block LCD Panel LCD Panel, Icon Block Corner LCD Corner LCD, Icon Block Text Panel Text Panel, Icon Block Wide LCD Panel Wide LCD Panel, Icon Block Transparent LCD Transparent LCD, Icon Block Sci-Fi LCD Panel Sci-Fi LCD Panel, Icon Block Holo LCD Holo LCD, Icon Block Inset LCD Panel Inset LCD Panel, Icon Block Sloped LCD Panel Sloped LCD Panel, Icon Block Curved LCD Panel Curved LCD Panel, Icon Block Ore Detector Ore Detector, Icon Block Sound Block Sound Block

Defense & Offense
Icon Block Decoy Decoy, Icon Block Gatling Gun Gatling Gun, Icon Block Gatling Turret Gatling Turret, Icon Block Interior Turret Interior Turret, Icon Block Rocket Turret Rocket Turret, Icon Block Reloadable Rocket Launcher Reloadable Rocket Launcher, Icon Block Rocket Launcher Rocket Launcher, Icon Block Artillery Artillery, Icon Block Autocannon Autocannon, Icon Block Artillery Turret Artillery Turret, Icon Block Autocannon Turret Autocannon Turret, Icon Block Railgun Railgun, Icon Block Assault Cannon Assault Cannon, Icon Block Assault Cannon Turret Assault Cannon Turret, Icon Block Target Dummy Target Dummy, Icon Block Warhead Warhead, Icon Block Explosive Barrel Explosive Barrel

Power
Icon Block Battery Battery, Icon Block Small Battery Small Battery, Icon Block Large Reactor Large Reactor, Icon Block Small Reactor Small Reactor, Icon Block Solar Panel Solar Panel, Icon Block Colorable Solar Panel Colorable Solar Panel, Icon Block Hydrogen Engine Hydrogen Engine, Icon Block Wind Turbine Wind Turbine, Icon Block Twin-Blade Wind Turbine Twin-Blade Wind Turbine

Life Support
Icon Block Medical Room Medical Room, Icon Block Corner Medical Room Corner Medical Room, Icon Block Survival Kit Survival Kit, Icon Block Cryo Chamber Cryo Chamber, Icon Block Inset Cryo Room Inset Cryo Room, Icon Block Oxygen Farm Oxygen Farm, Icon Block Interior Light Interior Light, Icon Block Offset Light Offset Light, Icon Block Spotlight Spotlight, Icon Block Offset Spotlight Offset Spotlight, Icon Block Inset Light Inset Light, Icon Block Air Vent Air Vent (Icon Block Air Vent Full Full), Icon Block Air Vent Fan Air Vent Fan (Icon Block Air Vent Fan Full Full)

Mobility
Icon Block Gyroscope Gyroscope, Icon Block Atmospheric Thruster Atmospheric Thruster, Icon Block Ion Thruster Ion Thruster, Icon Block Hydrogen Thruster Hydrogen Thruster, Icon Block Parachute Hatch Parachute Hatch, Icon Block Short Wheel Suspension 1x1 (Short) Icon Block Wheel Suspension 1x1 Wheel Suspension 1x1, Icon Block Short Wheel Suspension 2x2 (Short) Icon Block Wheel Suspension 2x2 Wheel Suspension 2x2, Icon Block Short Wheel Suspension 3x3 (Short) Icon Block Wheel Suspension 3x3 Wheel Suspension 3x3, Icon Block Short Wheel Suspension 5x5 (Short) Icon Block Wheel Suspension 5x5 Wheel Suspension 5x5, Icon Block Offroad Wheels Offroad Wheels

Mining & Manufacturing
Icon Block Basic Refinery Basic Refinery, Icon Block Refinery Refinery, Icon Block Basic Assembler Basic Assembler, Icon Block Assembler Assembler, Icon Block Drill Drill, Icon Block Grinder Block Grinder Block, Icon Block Welder Block Welder Block, Icon Block Projector Projector, Icon Block O2 H2 Generator O2/H2 Generator, Icon Block Oxygen Farm Oxygen Farm, Icon Block Yield Module Yield Module, Icon Block Power Efficiency Module Power Efficiency Module, Icon Block Speed Module Speed Module

Storage
Icon Block Large Cargo Container Large Cargo Container, Icon Block Medium Cargo Container Medium Cargo Container, Icon Block Small Cargo Container Small Cargo Container, Icon Block Oxygen Tank Oxygen Tank, Icon Block Hydrogen Tank Hydrogen Tank, Icon Block Store Store, Icon Block Contracts Block Contracts Block

Inventory Management
Icon Block Connector Connector, Icon Block Small Connector Small Connector/Ejector, Icon Block Collector Collector, Icon Block Conveyor Junction Conveyor Junction, Icon Block Conveyor Tube Conveyor Tube Icon Block Reinforced Conveyor Tube (Reinforced), Icon Block Curved Conveyor Tube Curved Conveyor Tube Icon Block Reinforced Curved Conveyor Tube (Reinforced), Icon Block Conveyor Tube T Junction Conveyor Tube T Junction Icon Block Reinforced Conveyor Tube T Junction (Reinforced), Icon Block Conveyor Sorter Conveyor Sorter; Icon Block Small Conveyor Small Conveyor, Icon Block Small Conveyor Tube Small Conveyor Tube Icon Block Small Reinforced Conveyor Tube (Reinforced), Icon Block Small Curved Conveyor Tube Small Curved Conveyor Tube Icon Block Small Reinforced Curved Conveyor Tube (Reinforced), Icon Block Small Conveyor Tube T Junction Small Conveyor Tube T Junction Icon Block Small Reinforced Conveyor Tube T Junction (Reinforced), Icon Block Conveyor Sorter Small Conveyor Sorter; Icon Block Conveyor Frame Conveyor Frame, Icon Block Conveyor Converter Conveyor Converter

Mechanical Blocks & Gravity Control
Icon Block Advanced Rotor Advanced Rotor, Icon Block Rotor Rotor, Icon Block Piston Piston, Icon Block Hinge Hinge, Icon Block Landing Gear Landing Gear, Icon Block Magnetic Plate Magnetic Plate, Icon Block Merge Block Merge Block, Icon Block Artificial Mass Artificial Mass, Icon Block Gravity Generator Gravity Generator, Icon Block Spherical Gravity Generator Spherical Gravity Generator, Icon Block Safe Zone Safe Zone


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