Station Calculator

Interactive station-design assistant. Add modules to a simulated station design, toggle workforce/secondary-resource effects, then see the resulting Production and Consumption forecast. Purely a planning tool — doesn’t build anything.

In-game view

Layout

Three stacked sections:

1. Station Calculator Options

Toggle	Default	Effect
Add Station Workforce Effects	Disabled	When on, includes workforce production bonuses in the forecast (workforce-boosted production runs 50% faster).
Add Secondary resource Effects	Disabled	When on, factors in secondary-resource optimizations (some modules run more efficient with specific secondary inputs).

2. Station Modules

• Module column (populated as you add).
• Amount of Modules column (per-row count).
• Select Module to Add dropdown — click to open, pick a module type from all available. Each selection adds a row (or increments an existing row).

3. Station Hourly Production & Consumption

• Ware — ware name.
• Production — hourly units produced (from your selected modules).
• Consumption — hourly units consumed.
• Results — net (Production − Consumption). Positive = surplus you can sell, negative = shortage you need to import.

How to use

1. Open the menu (the observed screenshot is a fresh session — no modules added yet).
2. Click Select Module to Add dropdown, pick e.g. “Advanced Composites Production”.
3. Adjust its Amount in the Station Modules section (default 1).
4. Repeat for other modules you want in the station.
5. Toggle Workforce Effects on if you’ll staff the station.
6. Toggle Secondary Resource Effects on if you’ll supply secondaries.
7. Review the Station Hourly Production & Consumption table:
   • Green net = surplus (you can sell this ware).
   • Red net = shortage (need to import — from another player station or NPC).
   • Zero net = balanced (produce exactly enough to consume for downstream modules).

Use cases

• Plan a new station: try 3× Hull Parts + 2× Engine Parts + 1× Weapon Components. Calculator tells you if inputs balance.
• Scale existing station: add modules to your existing planned design, see if new consumption exceeds nearby supply.
• Compare workforce ROI: toggle workforce on/off to see the production delta. If the delta is small, maybe not worth building habitat.
• Verify recipe assumptions: X4 mods sometimes tweak recipes; calculator shows the actual current numbers rather than remembered old values.

What it does NOT do

• Doesn’t build or plan a real station — this is a scratchpad calculator.
• Doesn’t validate placement — you might design something with 100 modules that no sector can host.
• Doesn’t check tech tree — you can add modules whose blueprint you don’t own; the calculator will still show numbers.
• Doesn’t consider trader/logistics — assumes wares magically arrive. Reality requires trader ships or nearby suppliers.

Comparison with vanilla station planner

Vanilla X4 has an in-station-editor planner. DA’s Station Calculator differs:

Feature	Vanilla	DA Station Calculator
Where used	Inside build menu, tied to construction	Standalone diagnostic menu, no construction
Workforce bonus toggle	Yes	Yes
Secondary resource toggle	?	Yes (explicit)
Compare designs quickly	No	Yes — reopen calculator without needing a Constructor ship
Export design	?	No

Notes

• State is not persistent — closing the menu loses your current design. It’s a scratchpad.
• Modules dropdown includes all vanilla + DLC + modded modules whose blueprints exist in the game (whether you own them or not).
• Not tied to a specific faction — the calculator is a raw recipe view, not “if Terran built this…”.
• Wares list in the P&C table only includes wares your added modules produce or consume.