The Grand Design

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Desktop versionConsole versionMobile version
Desktop/Console/Mobile-Only Content: This information applies only to the Desktop, Console, and Mobile versions of Terraria.
The Grand Design
  • The Grand Design item sprite
Stack digit 1.png
Statistics
Type
Use time10 (Very fast)
Velocity10
TooltipAllows ultimate control over wires!
Right click while holding to edit wire settings
RarityRarity level: 2
Sell4 GC
Research1 required
Projectile created
  • Wire Kite
    Wire Kite
The Grand Design in use.

The Grand Design is a tool for working with wiring and mechanisms. It combines and extends the abilities of its components: It allows a controlled view of wiring (Mechanical Lens), and allows the player to place or remove any color of wire (Multicolor Wrench); unlike its components, it also shows and works with Actuators. It also provides the Mechanical Ruler's ability to measure distances and relative positions.

Creating the Grand Design costs 15 GC in total. Its components are all bought from the Mechanic, and it is crafted at the Tinkerer's Workshop, which is bought from the Goblin Tinkerer. Given the requirements of these NPCs spawning, it can only be crafted after defeating Skeletron and the Goblin Army.

The Grand Design can be used at any part of the screen, regardless of block placement range.

The menu on Desktop version Desktop version and the cursor icons.

When pressing Open / Activate with the tool, a menu with six different buttons will be displayed, five for selecting Actuator and four colors of wires, one for toggling between placing or harvesting selected colors of wires and Actuator.

  • Desktop versionConsole version The menu will pop up at the cursor's position, with buttons in a radial pattern.
  • Mobile version The menu will pop up above the Open / Activate button, with buttons listed in two rows.

When the menu is closed, five small colored square icons will appear near the cursor, showing the current mode (placing/harvesting) and selected wires/actuator.

In addition, as long as The Grand Design is anywhere in the inventory, it will provide seven toggles, controlling the functions of Mechanical Ruler and Mechanical Lens.

Toggles Mechanical
Display
Actuators Mechanical
Ruler
Red Wires Blue Wires Green Wires Yellow Wires
Icon Desktop version Mechanical Display toggle.png Actuators toggle.png Mechanical Ruler toggle.png Red Wire toggle.png Blue Wire toggle.png Green Wire toggle.png Yellow Wire toggle.png
Mobile version Mechanical Display toggle (mobile).png Actuators toggle (mobile).png Mechanical Ruler toggle (mobile).png Red Wire toggle (mobile).png Blue Wire toggle (mobile).png Green Wire toggle (mobile).png Yellow Wire toggle (mobile).png

Crafting

Recipes

ResultIngredientsCrafting station
The Grand DesignThe Grand Design(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)Tinkerer's WorkshopTinkerer's Workshop

Crafting tree

Red WrenchRed Wrench
( Mechanic )
Blue WrenchBlue Wrench
( Mechanic )
Green WrenchGreen Wrench
( Mechanic )
Yellow WrenchYellow Wrench(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
( Mechanic )
Wire CutterWire Cutter
( Mechanic )
Mechanical LensMechanical Lens(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
( Mechanic )
Tinkerer's WorkshopWireWire × 60
( Mechanic )
Mechanical RulerMechanical Ruler(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
( Mechanic )
Multicolor WrenchMulticolor Wrench(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)
Tinkerer's Workshop
The Grand DesignThe Grand Design(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)

Notes

This content is transcluded from Toggles.

  • Toggles for Actuators and Wires have three states:
    • Bright: actuators/wires of this color will be always displayed at maximum brightness.
    • Classic: actuators/wires of this color will be displayed as normal, with their brightness affected by nearby light sources.
    • Faded: brightness is determined the same way as the Classic state, but actuators/wires of this color will also be semi-transparent.
  • The Mechanical Display toggle have two states:
    • Forced: all Actuators and Wires will be displayed regardless of item held, while their display method is determined by the respective toggle.
    • Normal: all Actuators and Wires will be displayed only if a mechanism-related item is held.
  • There are some differences between The Grand Design and its component wiring tools:
    • Instead of affecting only one single block per use, the tool is used by holding the Use / Attack button to draw a line (including one possible corner) where the tool places / harvests wire when releasing the button.
    • When dragging out a line to place or remove wires, the player can control the direction the path takes by changing the character's direction. If the character faces to the right, the path selected by The Grand Design will travel vertically from the starting point, and then horizontally to the cursor. If the character faces to the left, the path selected by The Grand Design will travel horizontally from the starting point, and then vertically to the cursor.
    • It can place about 1,000 tiles of wire and/or Actuators at a time and can be used while moving, making long range settings (like Teleporters) easier to construct. This is particularly easy when using the UFO Mount running wires in the sky. Note that the "drawing mode" will be canceled after one minute of holding down the Use / Attack button, needing to be re-used to function again.
    • The Grand Design can be used without range limits, whereas the various wrenches must be within range of the player's building area to place wires.
    • Breaking a wire or Actuator with The Grand Design causes them to automatically appear at the player's feet, regardless of distance or obstructions, unlike the Wire Cutter.
      • If the player stands in lava (presumably with the help of the Lava Charm or a similar item), any broken wire or Actuators will be lost, as the item spawns directly on the player when it is broken, and therefore will be destroyed if the player is submerged in lava.
  • Like the Multicolor Wrench, it places / harvests wires of the selected colors, which means it is possible to place / harvest all 4 colors of wires at the same time.

Tips

  • This item is an effective way of dealing with traps, such as Explosives and Boulders, and serves as a far more compact way of storing wiring tools.
  • When dismantling certain naturally-generated traps (like those in the Dungeon which are diagonally-placed), a Wire Cutter may be preferable, as the Grand Design cannot take advantage of smart cursor. For other traps, however, the Grand Design is usually the best tool, as it allows remote collection of wires.

Trivia

  • The internal name for both The Grand Design and its projectiles is WireKite, possibly a humorous poke at its inventory icon resembling a real-world kite.
  • The Grand Design is possibly a reference to a book by Stephen Hawking of the same name.

History