Mesh Tile

Mesh Tile is a special floor tile that allows gases and liquids to occupy the same cell while providing a walkable surface and selective transmission of light and heat. It appears as a gridded floor used in base construction to let contents of a tile (gas or liquid) remain present and interact with other systems without fully sealing the cell with a solid tile. Mesh Tiles are treated as entities for thermal calculations and as a solid surface for movement and construction placement.

Mesh Tiles block decor and all non-solar light while allowing sunlight to pass through without degrading the tile. They prevent liquids and gases contained within them from being lost to vacuum in space; a mesh-covered tile will retain the tile’s fluid/gas while still exposing it to the open cell above the mesh. When the contents of a mesh tile freeze into solid chunks, those solids are pushed out into adjacent open cells that lack solid tiles in the priority order: up, down, right, left, upper-right, lower-right, upper-left, lower-left. If all adjacent cells are occupied by solids, the frozen chunk remains trapped in the mesh tile and cannot be picked up by Duplicants or automation; demolishing the mesh tile causes the trapped item to drop.

For heat exchange purposes, Mesh Tiles are classified as entities (similar to debris). They thermally interact both with the fluid or gas occupying the mesh tile and with the solid tile directly beneath them. A mesh tile made of a given material exchanges heat at the same rate as other entities of the same mass and composition located in the same cell, so material choice affects its thermal behavior.

Practical uses and behavior notes:

• Use Mesh Tiles to allow liquid or gas to remain in place while permitting Duplicants and buildings to occupy the same tile above; this is useful for placing generators and machines that produce liquid beneath a walkable surface so the produced fluids flow into the mesh tile instead of pooling on top and flooding equipment.
• Mesh Tiles are effective as a barrier to vacuum loss while leaving the tile’s contents accessible for thermal and chemical interactions; they are useful in spacebases or exposed builds.
• When used over a geyser or liquid-bearing cavern, Mesh Tiles let you collect and channel fluids without blocking access or requiring a full floor replacement.
• Mesh Tiles block decor; avoid placing them in high-decor areas where Duplicants will spend time, or mask their negative impact with art, lamps, and other decor improvements (for example in Mess Halls).
• Because frozen solids inside a mesh tile can be forced into neighboring cells, mesh can be used to eject solidified byproducts into preferred spaces for collection, or to prevent extreme-heat liquids from remaining within a structure by allowing them to solidify and be expelled.
• Building liquid- or gas-producing buildings (Natural Gas Generator, Petroleum Generator, Polymer Press) over Mesh Tiles routes their waste fluids directly downward into the mesh cell, reducing manual mopping and the risk of flooding the machine.
• A mesh tile containing vacuum functions as an insulator in some situations; use this to improve temperature control when appropriate.

Design tips:

• Combine Mesh Tiles with proper underneath tile choice and material selection to tune heat transfer for cooling or heat dissipation strategies.
• When mining veins that release hazardous materials (for example slimed deposits that off-gas), place Mesh Tiles and create a liquid pool beneath mined ore so expelled materials drop into liquid and minimize airborne contamination.
• Avoid covering large living areas with Mesh Tiles because they reduce decor and will prevent most light types while still permitting sunlight; reserve mesh for functional utility corridors, industrial zones, and specialized collection points.