Survey Tools are used by Artisans to find resources in the environment using their Survey Resource ability and to take manual samples of that resource using their Sample Resource ability. Each tool is used for a specific class of resource; however they all operate in the same way. To gather information on resource-concentrations on other planets, an Interplanetary Survey Droid can be used in combination with one of the tools below.
Types of Survey Tools
Ambient Solar Energy Surveying Tool
The Ambient Solar Energy Surveying Tool (schematic) is used to locate high concentrations of solar energy (sunlight) in order to place a Solar Power Generator. It cannot be used to sample.
Chemical Survey Device
The Chemical Survey Device (schematic) is used to locate high concentrations of chemical resources. These may be sampled with the tool or harvested with one of the chemical extractors.
Flora Survey Tool
The Flora Survey Tool (schematic) is used to locate high concentrations of flora resources. These may be sampled with the tool or harvested with one of the flora farms.
Gas Pocket Survey Device
The Gas Pocket Survey Device (schematic) is used to locate high concentrations of gas resources. These may be sampled with the tool or harvested with one of the gas processors.
Mineral Survey Device
The Mineral Survey Device (schematic) is used to locate high concentrations of mineral resources (including radioactive energy resources). These may be sampled with the tool or harvested with the mineral extractor or one of the mining installations. It is dangerous to sample radioactive resources and they are more efficiently extracted by a Fusion Power Generator.
Water Survey Device
The Water Survey Device (schematic) is used to locate high concentrations of water resources. These may be sampled with the tool or harvested with one of the water vaporators.
Wind Current Surveying Tool
The Wind Current Surveying Tool (schematic) is used to locate high concentrations of wind energy in order to place a Wind Power Generator. It cannot be used to sample.
Survey Tool Controls
When Use is selected from the tool's radial menu, the survey tool displays a window with the following elements:
- The resource tree (large area to the right) displays a list of all the resources on the planet that can be surveyed using the tool. The selected resource is the one next surveyed for or sampled.
- The scanner map (large area to the left) displays a grid of resource concentrations for the last survey run.
- The Survey button activates the Survey Resource ability and is equivalent to issuing the /survey command. In addition to updating the scanner map display, the tool also sets or updates the "Resource Survey" waypoint in the character's datapad.
- The Get Sample button activates the Sample Resource ability and is equivalent to issuing the /sample command.
In addition, Set Range from the Tool Options on the radial menu controls the number of grid points and maximum range of the survey scan. The number of range options available is determined by the value of the character's Surveying skill modifier.