How do I delete blocks in Approximately Up?
Use garage edit mode and the delete binding (commonly X in published default lists). Select entire wrong cable runs rather than leaving mixed segments.
Approximately Up Controls
Approximately Up controls: delete blocks (X), plate frames, garage edit (G), fly mode (R), blueprint save (B), and Time Rewind (P) — confirm bindings in Options before long builds.
Delete blocks, plate frames, and garage flight mode.
~9 min read
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At A Glance
This Approximately Up controls page separates the confirmed build → wire → fly → land loop from details that still need a current-build check. Approximately Up starts on Earth. Build modular ships in the garage, route Power and Data cables, fly first-person from inside your craft, land on Planet Stations to unlock permanent launch points, and complete delivery missions to unlock new components. Solo or up to four-player co-op on Steam. Use it as a garage-side reference, not as a promise that every unlisted binding, wattage, or thruster limit matches every patch.
The practical goal is simple: make one safer ship decision at a time, keep Power and Data intact after a crash, and turn a successful landing into a permanent Planet Station unlock. When a result is uncertain, rebuild near Earth and compare notes after you recover.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Platform | Steam PC |
| Mode | Solo or up to 4-player co-op |
| Core setting | Earth start · ~15 unique planets · Planet Stations |
| Topic | Controls |
| High-intent topics | Delete blocks (X) · plate frames · garage edit (G) · fly mode (R) |
| Save model | Blueprint save (B) in garage; Time Rewind (P) in flight — no traditional mid-flight progress save verified |
| Bindings | Default keys listed in community guides — rebind hotbar in Options after patch 1.0.005 |
| Source boundary | Steam listing and current player-observed guidance; unconfirmed details are marked TBA |
How do I delete blocks and clean a bad cable run?
Garage editing uses G for edit mode and X for delete in commonly published default bindings. Players report selecting an entire cable run and removing it when the wrong cable type was placed. Confirm your bindings in the in-game control list or Options menu — do not assume a separate “Settings” screen matches every patch.
The reliable foundation is the same whether you fly solo or with a crew: start on Earth, bolt modular frames and thrusters, route Power cables for energy and Data cables for control signals, then pilot first-person from the deck. A ship that looks finished but has a dead battery or a missing Data path will not fly the way you designed it. That is why controls advice should start with ports, orientation, and a recoverable garage test rather than with a supposed optimal mega-build.
- Do01Open the garage or Planet Station build mode before deleting structural pieces mid-flight
- Do02Select the mistaken block or cable run intentionally — do not spray-delete near power routers
- Do03If you placed Data instead of Power (or the reverse), remove the whole wrong run, then re-route
- Do04Re-check thruster and controller ports after a delete so you did not orphan a circuit
- Do05Enter flight mode and test the affected axis before leaving Earth
- Do06Open the in-game control list or Options and note your delete (X), garage edit (G), fly (R), and blueprint (B) bindings
Treat the first flight as information, not a flex
A useful first flight tells you what failed: an unpowered thruster, a reversed Data port, an atmospheric thruster used in vacuum, or an RCS battery that died mid-roll. It does not automatically tell you to enlarge the hull. Pause long enough to name the failure, fix the circuit, and decide whether the next test can stay near the pad.
This avoids a common early failure: the crew launches a huge Workshop import, crashes far from Earth, and then cannot tell whether the problem was mass, wiring, or thruster type. If the current craft becomes confusing, a smaller rebuild that lands once is a successful session rather than a wasted attempt.
Use short checks that change behaviour
In co-op, say the subsystem, the symptom, and the intended fix: “RCS pitch dead, battery empty, swap cell,” is more useful than a long description. Solo players can apply the same discipline as a mental checklist. The game rewards decisions that leave you a second option when the first thruster bank fails.
With that baseline in place, the next question is not “can we fly farther?” but “what does continuing cost if the circuit fails again?”
What should I decide before editing controls mid-build?
Controls advice should change what you press next, not invent a universal key list. Use situations to pick a safe edit.
Use the table as a decision aid, not a hidden-stat calculator. Approximately Up has large modular ships and evolving community knowledge, so a precise number without an in-game check is less useful than a conservative threshold: protect a working circuit when recovery is uncertain, and test risky ideas only when you can still rebuild from a known station.
| Situation | Action | Why it is safer |
|---|---|---|
| A cable looks wrong | Select the full run and delete, then place the correct Power or Data cable | Partial deletes leave ghost segments that confuse later wiring |
| A frame blocks thruster clearance | Delete or relocate the frame before plating over a dead RCS nozzle | Buried thrusters fail landings even if the HUD looks fine |
| You need a cleaner exterior | Switch to plate frames after the circuit works | Aesthetic plating before wiring hides ports you still need |
| You want to preserve a good build | Save a blueprint with B in garage edit mode — ending fly mode with R resets the live ship state | Mid-flight “save” searches often mean blueprints or Time Rewind, not campaign checkpoint save |
Make the irreversible choice last
Deleting a long cable run, launching with disposable batteries near empty, or committing to a Moon approach with no RCS reserve can remove options. Before doing any of those, confirm what the ship keeps if the attempt fails. If the answer is “a dead hull with no station unlock,” choose the reversible option first: rewire, test hover near the pad, or land at a closer Planet Station.
That same habit makes progress steadier. One secure station unlock can change every later rebuild; a speculative crash often repeats the same first minutes with no new parts.
Build after you can edit
Matched by build plan, shared topics, and guide progression — not random related links.
When should I plate frames instead of leaving open scaffolding?
Community questions about “plate the frames” and “switch to plates” are common because open frames are easy to wire through, while plates look finished and can change how you see ports. Treat plating as a late step: keep frame quarters with ports where Power and Data must pass, then plate non-critical faces.
Avoid turning a single player report into a universal rule. A report can be valuable evidence of a wiring pattern, yet it may come from a particular unlock state, thruster mix, or patch. Record the context before copying it: which planet, which thruster types, whether Power and Data both reached the block, and whether the result was repeated after a rebuild.
Keep port frames where cables must travel
Build tutorials often keep frame pieces that expose power and data ports so routers can feed thrusters without spanning the whole exterior.
The useful follow-up is to connect this observation to the broader loop: does it make launch safer, reduce wiring confusion, change the Moon approach, or simply create a new risk? If it does not answer one of those questions, do not let it pull you into a larger hull before the current circuit works.
Plate after the flight test
If plating hides a battery display or RCS controller you were watching, undo the plate before a Moon attempt — visibility is part of control.
The useful follow-up is to connect this observation to the broader loop: does it make launch safer, reduce wiring confusion, change the Moon approach, or simply create a new risk? If it does not answer one of those questions, do not let it pull you into a larger hull before the current circuit works.
How do fly mode, blueprint save, and Time Rewind fit together?
R toggles fly mode; ending a flight typically resets the live ship to its pre-flight state in community tutorials. B saves blueprint designs in the garage. P opens Time Rewind during flight for undo-style recovery. The high-search phrase “save in flight mode” usually means one of those — not a separate mid-flight progress save.
A conservative guide is especially important while the live knowledge base is still growing. The Steam description confirms the broad systems—modular frames, Power and Data cables, atmospheric and electric thrusters, Planet Stations, missions that unlock parts, and up to four-player co-op—but it does not publish a complete numerical database for every block. Tables on this site therefore distinguish a confirmed loop from TBA details instead of filling gaps with invented wattages.
Test axes in order
Lift, forward/back, then RCS roll/pitch/yaw — one axis at a time — so a bad binding is obvious.
If the observed result matters to your next flight, verify it again after a patch or compare it with a concise report in the community. Keep the claim narrow: “this happened with this thruster layout” is more useful and more durable than a broad claim about every ship.
Blueprint before quitting
Community Moon guides stress saving blueprints with B before exiting — unsaved garage work can be lost.
If the observed result matters to your next flight, verify it again after a patch or compare it with a concise report in the community. Keep the claim narrow: “this happened with this thruster layout” is more useful and more durable than a broad claim about every ship.
What should I verify before trusting controls advice?
Check the current build before treating a named binding, numerical power draw, channel name, exact thruster limit, or complete part roster as settled. The official Steam page is the source for the game’s core premise and player count; the verified Discord is the best route for patch-sensitive questions. Do not use copied invite links or anonymous “full databases” as authority.
- Do01Confirm the claim is about Approximately Up, not another spaceship sandbox
- Do02Check whether the report identifies thruster type, planet, and Power/Data state
- Do03Separate a confirmed system from a proposed aesthetic or Workshop preference
- Do04Keep a garage test or nearby station landing before testing a risky claim
- Do05Use first ship guide when the next decision concerns the wider build loop
- Do06Use the verified Steam listing or the verified community for details marked TBA
Approximately Up Controls FAQ
How do I save in flight mode?
There is no verified separate “mid-flight progress save.” Save ship designs as blueprints with B in garage; use Time Rewind (P) during flight; ending fly mode with R resets the live hull per community tutorials.
Should I plate before wiring?
No. Wire and test first, keep port frames where cables pass, then plate cosmetic faces.
Pick-into-hand bind feels wrong after an update?
Hotfix 1.0.007 corrected the default “pick the component you’re looking at into your hand” bind to Mouse2 (not Mouse3). Recheck bindings after updating — see the updates hub.
Why does my wireless transmitter say 100m after 1.0.009?
The live range is 2000m. 1.0.009 fixed the description (the demo really was 100m). Confirm you are on 1.0.009+ in the updates hub.
Is every controls detail confirmed?
No. This guide labels build-specific values, full part rosters, and unverified names as TBA rather than guessing.
What should I read next?
Next: first ship guide. It continues the decision from this page into the part of the loop that keeps your next flight recoverable.
Related pages
Matched by build plan, shared topics, and guide progression — not random related links.