Reading blueprints

Space Engineers blueprints (bp.sbc)

A blueprint is a folder with bp.sbc (the ship) and usually thumb.png (the picture). bp.sbc is XML:

<ShipBlueprint xsi:type="MyObjectBuilder_ShipBlueprintDefinition">
  <Id Type="MyObjectBuilder_ShipBlueprintDefinition" Subtype="My Ship" />   ← name
  <DisplayName>PlayerName</DisplayName>
  <CubeGrids>
    <CubeGrid>                                                              ← one per grid (subgrids too)
      <GridSizeEnum>Large</GridSizeEnum>
      <CubeBlocks>
        <MyObjectBuilder_CubeBlock xsi:type="MyObjectBuilder_Thrust">        ← TypeId
          <SubtypeName>LargeBlockLargeThrust</SubtypeName>                  ← SubtypeId
          <BlockOrientation Forward="Backward" Up="Up" />                   ← used for thrust direction
        </MyObjectBuilder_CubeBlock>
        …
  <Mods>
    <ModItem FriendlyName="Some Weapons Pack">
      <PublishedFileId>1919062467</PublishedFileId>                         ← mods the blueprint needs

For every block the type and subtype give the block id (Thrust/LargeBlockLargeThrust), which is looked up in the game database. Properties stored in the blueprint (colours, names, inventory contents) are not needed for cost and limits and are ignored.

What happens when a block is unknown

If no definition is found — usually because a mod is not on your PC — the block is listed under Unknown blocks and the mods the blueprint lists but you don't have are shown with their Workshop IDs.

Unknown blocks still count towards the block totals and block-type limits (the blueprint does contain them), but their PCU, cost, guns and cargo are not guessed. The blueprint is marked INCOMPLETE so it is never shown as "within limits" while numbers are missing; it is still shown as OVER if a known value already exceeds a limit.

Compressed blueprints

Newer game versions sometimes write bp.sbc gzip-compressed. Those files start with the bytes 1F 8B and are unpacked before reading. bp.sbcB5 (the game's binary format) is not read; open the blueprint in the game once and it writes a bp.sbc.

Space Engineers 2 blueprints

SE2 stores blueprints differently:

That is why SE2 blueprints show blocks and PCU and can be checked against PCU / block limits, while cost, weapons and cargo are coming soon — they need the grid file.

Next: Mods, weapons and cargo