---
id: t20
status: Review
order: 2
priority: P3
created: 2026-10-24
updated: 2026-10-24T17:57:43Z
title: vacuum/blow tool rethink
report: |
  (agent) The Vacuum has one selection for picking up and blowing out. With anything selected, a
  left drag takes only the selected materials, wherever it starts; with nothing selected it takes
  what you click (or the first loose grain it reaches). Right click blows the selected materials
  that are in the bag, as a mix. Click a bag name or Q/E selects one, Ctrl+click adds or removes.
  Hold Ctrl and the bag also lists everything you've found, under "Not in bag", so you can select
  materials you don't have yet. Selected materials stay selected when they run out. Clear the
  selection with the Clear button in the bag, by clicking the only selected row, or gamepad B.
  Shift takes or blows everything.
  To check: hold Ctrl, Ctrl+click two materials you don't have, then sweep a mixed pile (only
  those come up); blow a coal + ore mix until the coal runs out (ore keeps going, coal stays
  selected); Clear, then drag on something (only that comes up).
---

# Context

I dont like the current tool. I want to completely rethink how to pick up and drop materials in the game. maybe a vacuum isnt the best tool. maybe it is. I just want to discuss some options for picking up and dropping the materials in the game. it dont need to be super complicated, but i do need to be able to selectively pick up and drop materials. lets brainstorm multiple ideas for tools maybe multiple tools or just one. i want it to be simple and intuitive.

## Subtasks

- [x] discuss with user in claude code when asked about it, to work out exactly what the user wants
- [x] Pick up what you click: a drag that starts on a material sweeps up only that material, and Shift takes everything
- [x] One bag item (or a Ctrl+click mix) is in hand; Q/E or clicking a bag row changes it, and right click blows it out
- [x] When the last of something in hand is blown out, it leaves the hand; an empty hand says so instead of blowing
- [x] Picking something up with an empty hand puts it in hand
- [x] Remove the pick-up marks (R, Ctrl+right-click, the "Only marked" chip) and the F vacuum menu
- [x] One selection for both: a drag picks up only the selected materials (or what you click when nothing is selected), and right click blows out the selected ones in the bag
- [x] Holding Ctrl lists every material found so far in the bag, below a "Not in bag" divider, so several can be selected before any are picked up
- [x] Selected materials stay selected when they run out; blowing skips them
- [x] An easy way to clear the selection (a Clear button, clicking the only selected row, gamepad B)