Building Gadgets 2 in FTB Skies 2: Aero
FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.13.0 ships version 1.3.9 · First seen in 1.0.3
Building Gadgets 2 is a mod in FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.13.0, where it is version 1.3.9. We can build it better, stronger, faster. (Summary from the mod's Modrinth page.)
Building Gadgets 2 guide for FTB Skies 2: Aero
Last verified for FTB Skies 2: Aero v1.10.0 on Oct 16, 2026 · text last changed Oct 16, 2026
This is the newest guide. It hasn't been checked against 1.13.0 yet.
Also applies to:FTB Skies 2 1.0.1 to 1.24.0
- Sections
- 6
- Recipes shown
- 6
- Items named
- 6
- Quests covered
- 4
5 sections are written for this pack; 1 is shared from another pack's guide.
Every recipe and number here was checked against FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.10.0, read from the running game on Sep 22, 2026.
What is Building Gadgets 2?
2 parts
Building Gadgets 2 adds a set of handheld tools that make big building jobs quick. This pack includes version 1.3.9 of the mod. Instead of placing blocks one at a time, you point a gadget at the world, check a ghostly preview, and right click to build.[1][2]
The gadgets
- Building Gadget: places a large number of blocks all at once. Shift right-click a block to choose what to build with.[2]
- Exchanging Gadget: swaps one set of blocks for another. It can't replace air, so use the Building Gadget for that.[3]
- Copy Paste Gadget: copies a structure by its two opposing corners, then pastes it somewhere else.[4]
- Cut Paste Gadget: works like the Copy Paste Gadget but moves a structure, block-entity data and chest contents included. It holds only one stored structure at a time.[5]
- Destruction Gadget: clears a large area, and the cleared blocks are voided.[6]
In the quest book
The pack's quest book covers the mod with the quest "Building Gadgets" quest. It sits in the chapter "Useful Items & Tips", which is chapter 2 of 31 in the book and holds 30 quests.[9]
The quest's task accepts any one of the five gadgets above. Its text calls Building Gadgets probably one of the best building mods out there and says the gadgets are a must have to make building better and easier.[9]
How do you get started with Building Gadgets 2?
4 parts
The pack's quest book introduces this mod in the Useful Items & Tips chapter (chapter 2 of 31) with the quest "Building Gadgets" quest. Any one of the gadgets satisfies its task, so you can start with whichever you like. Here is the order I'd make them in, and why.[9]
The pack changes the crafting recipes for the items in this mod, so don't rely on what you remember from other packs. The recipe blocks below show the exact in-pack versions.[10]
First: the Building Gadget
Start with the Building Gadget. It places a large number of blocks at once, which is the main reason to use this mod. Give it some energy, then Shift right-click a block in the world to choose what to build with. The default mode is Build to Me, and you get a ghostly preview before you place anything. Blocks shown with a red overlay mean you're missing items or energy, and blocks you don't have items for are skipped.[2]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: buildinggadgets2:gadget_building
In this pack it costs 50 energy per block (power.building_gadget.baseCost) and holds up to 500,000 (power.building_gadget.maxPower), which are the mod's default values.[11]
Second: the Exchanging Gadget
Next, make the Exchanging Gadget. It swaps one set of blocks for another, but it can't replace air, so keep the Building Gadget for that. The default mode is Surface. Items for the removed blocks are returned to you, and you can enchant the gadget with silk touch (without it, grass returns dirt, for example).[3]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: buildinggadgets2:gadget_exchanging
It costs 100 energy per block (power.exchanging_gadget.baseCost) and has a maximum of 500,000 (power.exchanging_gadget.maxPower).[11]
Third: the Copy Paste Gadget and Template Manager
Once you have built something you like, the Copy Paste Gadget lets you replicate it. In 'copy' mode, right click one corner of the structure and Shift right-click the opposite corner, and a green outline appears. Switch to 'paste' mode to see a preview and right click to place it. The settings menu has a material list showing which items you have and which you're missing.[4]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: buildinggadgets2:gadget_copy_paste
Copying is free, and pasting costs 50 energy per block (power.copypaste_gadget.baseCost). The gadget holds up to 1,000,000 (power.copypaste_gadget.maxPower).[11]
The Template Manager saves your favourite copied structures. Put a Copy Paste Gadget in the top slot and a piece of paper in the bottom slot, then click 'Save' to turn the paper into a template. You can also copy a template as text and share it with friends outside the game.[12]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: buildinggadgets2:template_manager
Last: the Cut Paste and Destruction Gadgets
These two are more situational, so they come last. The Cut Paste Gadget works like the Copy Paste Gadget but moves a structure, including chest contents. It can only hold one structure at a time and has no undo, so be careful with it.[5][8]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: buildinggadgets2:gadget_cut_paste
The Destruction Gadget clears a large area, and every block it clears is voided. The pack changed its power settings: it costs 200 energy per block (the mod default is 50) and holds up to 1,000,000 (the mod default is 2,000,000). These are set in power.destruction_gadget.baseCost and power.destruction_gadget.maxPower.[6][11]
Crafting Shaped
| any ender pearl | any ender pearl | |
Recipe id: buildinggadgets2:gadget_destruction
How does Building Gadgets 2 work?
9 parts
Every gadget in this mod runs on Forge Energy (FE) for most of what it does. Many mods can charge items with FE, so pick whichever charger fits your setup. Hold the settings menu key (default 'g') to open a gadget's settings, because each gadget has its own options.[7]
Power costs in this pack
Each gadget has a base cost per block and a maximum charge, both set in the common config. Most are at the mod defaults, but the pack changed the Destruction Gadget.[11]
- Building Gadget: 50 per block placed (power.building_gadget.baseCost), holding up to 500,000 (power.building_gadget.maxPower).[11]
- Exchanging Gadget: 100 per block exchanged (power.exchanging_gadget.baseCost), holding up to 500,000 (power.exchanging_gadget.maxPower).[11]
- Copy Paste Gadget: 50 per block pasted, and copying is free (power.copypaste_gadget.baseCost). It holds up to 1,000,000 (power.copypaste_gadget.maxPower).[11]
- Cut Paste Gadget: 50 per block (power.cutpaste_gadget.baseCost), checked when you cut and charged when you paste. It holds up to 5,000,000 (power.cutpaste_gadget.maxPower).[11]
- Destruction Gadget: 200 per block destroyed (power.destruction_gadget.baseCost), holding up to 1,000,000 (power.destruction_gadget.maxPower). The pack raised the cost from the mod default of 50 and lowered the maximum from the default of 2,000,000.[11]
The maximum build distance is 32 blocks (general.rayTraceRange), the same as the mod default.[11]
Building and exchanging
The Building Gadget and Exchanging Gadget work the same way. Make sure the gadget has some energy, then shift right-click a block to choose what to build or exchange to. Hold the settings key to pick a mode. Building starts in Build to Me and exchanging starts in Surface.[2][3]
Looking at a block shows a ghostly preview. A red overlay means you are missing items or energy for those blocks. Right click to go ahead. Items come out of your inventory, and any block you lack the item for is skipped.[2][3]
The exchanger cannot replace air, so use the Building Gadget for that. It gives you back the items for the blocks it removes. You can enchant it with silk touch, and without silk touch grass returns dirt, for example.[3]
Range, anchor and modes
The building and exchanging gadgets have a range setting that sets the area affected. In Horizontal Row mode, a range of 3 is 3 blocks total, one on each side of the block you look at. For walls, a range of 3 gives a 3x3 wall, and even numbers shift the height slightly. Build to Me ignores range entirely.[13][14]
Anchor locks in the block you are looking at so you can move around and then right click to build. Changing range may not take effect until you remove and replace the anchor.[15]
Several settings change how modes behave. Place on top makes most modes build on top of a block instead of around it. Fuzzy lets Surface mode target any blocks instead of only matching ones. On the exchanger, connected mode only swaps blocks connected to the one you look at.[16][17]
Copy, cut and paste
With the Copy Paste Gadget in copy mode, right click one corner and shift right-click the opposite corner. A green outline appears around the structure. Switch to paste mode to see a preview, and right click to place it. The block you first right clicked is the starting point. Pasting uses items from your inventory and skips blocks you lack items for. The material list option in the settings menu shows what you have and what you need.[4]
The Adjust Placement window lets you fine tune the start and end blocks of a copy, or the location of a paste. You can also switch to absolute world coordinates. Rotate turns a paste around its starting point.[4][18]
The Cut Paste Gadget works similarly, but selecting gives a red outline and nothing is removed until you press the cut button in the settings menu. Pasting needs no items because it reuses the blocks you removed, and block-entity data such as chest contents moves with them.[5]
Paste Replace is available on both paste gadgets. When it is off, pastes only overwrite blocks you could normally replace, like water and tall grass. This is risky with the Cut Paste Gadget because blocks can be lost. When it is on, the paste replaces any block, including air, and the replaced blocks are voided with no drops.[19]
Destruction
The Destruction Gadget clears the area you set in the settings menu, measured relative to the block and face you look at. Right click to remove the highlighted blocks, which are voided rather than dropped.[6]
Undo
Undo reverses the gadget's last task and remembers the last 10 actions. Use the undo hotkey or the settings menu. Undoing a destruction does not take items from you, since it just returns the voided blocks. Undoing an exchange does require you to have the necessary items.[3][6][8]
Fluids
Gadgets can work with fluids when Raytrace Fluids is enabled, which lets you select a fluid with shift right-click. When it is on, exchangers can swap out fluids and builders can build on top of them. When it is off, gadgets ignore fluids and build on the blocks behind them.[20][21]
To place fluids you need a bucket with the right fluid, or a tank from a mod like Mekanism, which the gadget will fill or drain. The Copy Paste Gadget handles fluids too. When undoing or exchanging fluids, the gadget looks for somewhere to put them, like an empty bucket or tank, and voids the fluid if it finds none.[20]
Bind Inventory
Enable bind inventory mode in the gadget's settings, then shift right-click a chest or other inventory. A blue box confirms the link, and the gadget can then extract and insert items there. Shift right-click a non-inventory block, like grass, to disconnect. You can also bind to an Applied Energistics 2 system through its wireless access point, and the gadget then has unlimited range.[22]
Templates
The Template Manager saves structures from the Copy Paste Gadget. Put the gadget in the top slot and paper in the bottom slot, then click Save to turn the paper into a template. Load copies a template back to the gadget, and you can name templates.[12]
The copy button puts a json string on your clipboard to share with friends. If they copy that string and click paste in the same GUI with paper in the bottom slot, it replicates your structure for them. A render toggle also switches to a materials list.[12]
Each gadget can also be given a build animation, which defaults to 'grow'. It is purely visual and does not affect how the gadgets work.[23]
How do you progress through Building Gadgets 2?
2 parts
Building Gadgets 2 doesn't have a ladder of tiers in this pack. The pack's quest book gives it one quest, "Building Gadgets" quest, in the "Useful Items & Tips" chapter, which is chapter 2 of 31 and holds 30 quests.[9]
The quest calls it probably one of the best building mods out there. It accepts any one of the five gadgets: Building Gadget, Exchanging Gadget, Copy Paste Gadget, Cut Paste Gadget or Destruction Gadget. So you can start with whichever one fits your build.[9]
Crafting the gadgets
The pack changes all six recipes for this mod's items, the five gadgets and the Template Manager. Don't trust a recipe you remember from another pack or from the mod's defaults. The boxes below show exactly what the pack uses.[9][10]
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: buildinggadgets2:gadget_building
The pack changed this recipe, so use this one rather than the mod default.
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: buildinggadgets2:gadget_exchanging
This recipe is also changed by the pack.
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: buildinggadgets2:gadget_copy_paste
Another pack-changed recipe.
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: buildinggadgets2:gadget_cut_paste
Another pack-changed recipe.
Crafting Shaped
| any ender pearl | any ender pearl | |
Recipe id: buildinggadgets2:gadget_destruction
Another pack-changed recipe.
Crafting Shaped
Recipe id: buildinggadgets2:template_manager
The Template Manager recipe is changed by the pack too.
What to know before you pick one
- Power: the gadgets need Forge Energy for most of their functions, so have a way to charge them.[7]
- Building Gadget: it takes items from your inventory to place blocks, and any block you don't have an item for is skipped.[2]
- Exchanging Gadget: it swaps one set of blocks for another but can't replace air, so use the Building Gadget for that. Items for the removed blocks come back to you.[3]
- Copy Paste Gadget: it replicates structures, and its settings menu has a material list showing which items you have or are missing.[4]
- Cut Paste Gadget: it works like the Copy Paste Gadget but moves the structure. It holds only one structure at a time, and cutting a new area over existing data loses the first set for good.[5]
- Destruction Gadget: any blocks it clears are voided.[6]
Which FTB Skies 2: Aero quests use Building Gadgets 2?
2 parts
Building Gadgets 2 has one quest in the pack's quest book: "Building Gadgets" quest. You'll find it in the "Useful Items & Tips" chapter, which is chapter 2 of 31 in the book and holds 30 quests. The chapter's own intro quest, "Tips & Tricks!" quest, describes it as a collection of useful items and tips for your playthrough.[9]
What the quest asks for
The quest has a single item task, and the gadgets are listed as alternatives joined by "or", so any one of them completes it. The accepted items are:[9]
The quest text calls Building Gadgets probably one of the best building mods out there, and says the gadgets are a must have to make building better and easier. It doesn't go into how each gadget works, so check the other sections of this guide for that.[9]
Where it sits in the chapter
The quest list doesn't show any prerequisite for this quest, so it isn't gated behind a specific earlier quest. Other building-related quests in the same chapter include "Faster Building" quest, which covers Construction Sticks, and "Placing Blocks In The Air" quest, which covers the Angel Block for starting a new sky island.[9]
Which Building Gadgets 2 config options matter?
3 parts
Same as in the FTB Skies 2 1.22.0 guide
Building Gadgets 2 keeps its settings in config/buildinggadgets2-common.toml. Most of what you'll care about is how much power each gadget uses per block and how much it can hold. This pack changes only the Destruction Gadget. Everything else is at the mod default.[24]
What the pack changed
The Destruction Gadget costs more per block in this pack, and it can store less power than the mod default.[24]
- power.destruction_gadget.baseCost is 200 in this pack. The mod default is 50, so every block you destroy costs more than it would in the base mod.[24]
- power.destruction_gadget.maxPower is 1,000,000 in this pack. The mod default is 2,000,000, so the gadget holds less than the base mod allows.[24]
Gadget power at a glance
The remaining gadgets use the mod defaults. The base cost is per block, and the max power is the most the gadget can store.[24]
- Building Gadget: power.building_gadget.baseCost is 50 per block placed, and power.building_gadget.maxPower is 500,000.[24]
- Exchanging Gadget: power.exchanging_gadget.baseCost is 100 per block exchanged, and power.exchanging_gadget.maxPower is 500,000.[24]
- Copy and Paste Gadget: power.copypaste_gadget.baseCost is 50 per block pasted, and copying is free. power.copypaste_gadget.maxPower is 1,000,000.[24]
- Cut and Paste Gadget: power.cutpaste_gadget.baseCost is 50 per block. It is checked during the cut and charged during the paste. power.cutpaste_gadget.maxPower is 5,000,000.[24]
Build range
general.rayTraceRange sets the maximum distance you can build at. This pack leaves it at the default of 32, and the config accepts values from 1 to 64.[24]
Sources
- FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.10.0 mod list · pack file
- In-game guide: Building Gadget (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Exchanging Gadget (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Copy Paste Gadget (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Cut Paste Gadget (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Destruction Gadget (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Basics (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Undo (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.10.0 quests: "Useful Items & Tips" · pack file
- FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.10.0 recipe dump: recipes making Building Gadgets 2 items · pack recipe dump
- FTB Skies 2: Aero 1.10.0 config: config/buildinggadgets2-common.toml · pack file
- In-game guide: Template Manager (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Basics (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Build To Me (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Anchor (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Place on Top (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Surface (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Rotate (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Paste Replace (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Fluid Handling (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Raytrace Fluids (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Bind Inventory (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- In-game guide: Building Animations (buildinggadgets2) · official docs
- FTB Skies 2 1.22.0 config: config/buildinggadgets2-common.toml · pack file
Where this guide comes from
Written from what FTB Skies 2: Aero itself ships: its files and recipes, the in-game guidebooks and the mods' own pages. Every statement links to the source it came from, and the numbers are checked against the pack before publishing.
Guide last verified Oct 16, 2026.
Report wrong info
Version in each release
21 releases, first in 1.0.3
| FTB Skies 2: Aero | Version | Jar | Where it came from |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.13.0 Sep 28, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.12.1 Sep 22, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.12.0 Sep 21, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.10.0 Sep 8, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.9.1 Sep 2, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.9.0 Sep 1, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.8.0 Aug 25, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.7.3 Aug 19, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.7.2 Aug 18, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.7.1 Aug 18, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.6.1 Aug 13, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.6.0 Aug 11, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.5.1 Aug 8, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.4.1 Aug 4, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.4.0 Aug 3, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.3.0 Jul 30, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.2.1 Jul 28, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.2.0 Jul 28, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.1.1 Jul 25, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.1.0 Jul 24, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
| 1.0.3 Jul 17, 2026 | 1.3.9 | buildinggadgets2-1.3.9.jar | From the published release |
"From pack files" means the list came from the pack's own files; "from the published release" means ForgeBase read the jars of the release itself.
Items and blocks
8 items from the 1.10.0 recipe dump.
FTB Skies 2: Aero quests (1)
Quests from the pack's FTB Quests book that ask for this mod's items.
Useful Items & Tips (1)
- Building Gadgets
Config options (how FTB Skies 2: Aero sets them)
11 settings shipped in the pack's config files; 2 differ from the mod's documented default.
Show settings
| Setting | FTB Skies 2: Aero value | Mod default |
|---|---|---|
power.destruction_gadget.baseCost changed by FTB Skies 2: AeroBase cost per block Destroyed config/buildinggadgets2-common.toml | 200 | 50 |
power.destruction_gadget.maxPower changed by FTB Skies 2: AeroMaximum power for the Destruction Gadget config/buildinggadgets2-common.toml | 1000000 | 2000000 |
general.rayTraceRange Maximum distance you can build at config/buildinggadgets2-common.toml | 32 | 32 |
power.building_gadget.baseCost Base cost per block placed config/buildinggadgets2-common.toml | 50 | 50 |
power.building_gadget.maxPower Maximum power for the Building Gadget config/buildinggadgets2-common.toml | 500000 | 500000 |
power.copypaste_gadget.baseCost Base cost per block Paste (Copy is Free) config/buildinggadgets2-common.toml | 50 | 50 |
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