Smart! Camera

Smart! Camera Mod

> Note: Smart! Camera is a companion mod for SmartFoundations. It requires SmartFoundations to be installed to function correctly.

> Multiplayer note: As of v1.2.0 (paired with Smart! 32.0.0), Smart! Camera works in multiplayer and is packaged for both Windows and Linux dedicated servers. The camera itself is a client-side feature — the server builds simply let the mod manager keep server and clients paired.

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🚀 What is Smart! Camera?

Smart! Camera brings back the beloved Picture-in-Picture (PiP) hologram preview to Satisfactory! Originally a core feature of the legendary Smart! mod, it has been completely rebuilt as a utility for the Unreal Engine 5 era.

The camera automatically tracks the end of long foundation lines, ensuring perfect placement at distance.

The Problem

When building complex manifolds or vertical structures like conveyor lifts, it can be difficult to see exactly where your hologram is snapping or if it's perfectly aligned from your character's perspective. You often have to run around your build just to verify placement.

The Smart! Camera Solution

• Picture-in-Picture Viewport — A real-time, high-fidelity secondary view of your active hologram in a small overlay window.
• Dynamic Targeting — The camera automatically finds the most relevant "top-most" corner of your building grid, giving you the best vantage point for alignment.
• 7 Perspective Modes — Cycle through isometric, top-down, and ground-level views instantly.
• Specialized Periscope View — Built specifically for conveyor lifts! See exactly where your lift port is facing from the "inside," making vertical logistics a breeze.

Align vertical connections with ease using the internal Periscope view for conveyor lifts.

• Smooth, Efficient Preview — Captures at a configurable rate (5–60 updates per second, default 20), so you choose the balance between PiP smoothness and frame rate.

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🎥 Videos

Coming soon! Check out the SmartFoundations page for overview videos featuring the camera.

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📰 Recent News

v1.2.0 — Multiplayer-era update

Released alongside Smart! 32.0.0 (the multiplayer release):

• Linux dedicated server support — Smart! Camera now ships server builds for Windows and Linux, so it installs cleanly on multiplayer servers running Smart! 32.0.0.
• Configurable camera update rate — the PiP capture now refreshes at a configurable rate (5–60 updates per second, default 20) instead of every frame. Raise it for smoother PiP motion, lower it for more FPS.
• Quieter logs — routine camera activity no longer writes to the game log during normal play.
• More reliable camera input — controls now bind per player controller, which keeps them working across multiplayer joins.

Also in v1.1.0 — Satisfactory 1.2

Rebuilt for Satisfactory 1.2 (Unreal Engine 5.6): every camera mode carried over unchanged, the player-mappable camera keys rebind correctly in Satisfactory's controls, and the build gun's input mapping is kept alive against a rare loss of camera input.

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🛠️ Features

Picture-in-Picture Viewport

A dedicated rendering window that appears whenever you have an active hologram with the build gun.

7 Camera Modes

Cycle through modes using the [ (LeftBracket) key:

• Left 45° / Right 45° / Front 45° / Back 45° - Classic isometric perspectives.
• Top-Down - Perfect for aligning foundations and machines to the world grid.
• Forward Level - Ground-level view for height checking.
• Periscope (Lifts Only) - Specialized view inside conveyor lift ports.

Advanced Zoom & Control

• Interactive Zoom - Hold ] (RightBracket) and use the Mouse Wheel to adjust distance (5m to 50m).
• Auto-Locking - Holding the zoom modifier automatically locks the hologram's rotation, so you can zoom the camera without spinning your building.
• Hit-Test Invisible - The UI never blocks your mouse; you can click right through the viewport to interact with the game or other menus.
• Fully Remappable - All camera controls can be rebound in the main menu under Options > Keybindings > Smart! Camera Controls.

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📋 Requirements & Compatibility

• SmartFoundations (v25.0.0+; v32.0.0+ recommended) - Required for hologram tracking.
• Satisfactory 1.2+ (UE 5.6)
• SML 3.12+
• Multiplayer (Supported) - Works in multiplayer as of v1.2.0, with server builds for Windows and Linux dedicated servers. Install the same version on the server and every client (the mod manager keeps these paired).

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🙏 Credits

• Alex - Creator of the original Smart! mod. The PiP camera concept and original implementation that inspired Smart! Camera.
• Finalomega - Smart! Camera rebuild and ongoing maintenance.

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