Not all parts in Airmen can connect to each other. This guide will break down the basics of connecting the many parts in the game.

Just because two parts are touching each other doesn't mean they connect. Parts interlock through a variety of connection point types. Each type can only connect to a touching part of the same type.

Some basic terminology that will be used:

• Connection: Two parts are attached to each other. Two parts that are touching do not always form a connection.
  
• Connection Face/Point: A flat surface on a part where other parts can connect.
  
• Connection Type: Defines the type of connections a connection face can connect to. Connection types must match to for a connection.

The basic connection types are:

• Beam (Green)
  
• Hull (Yellow)
  
• Cargo (Blue)
  
• Ladder (Purple)

Each connection face's type is designated by the color of it's crosshatching. The crosshatching effect can be enable or disabled in the settings using the "Connection Faces" toggle. The connection face type of the part in your hand is designated by the colored dot on your crosshair.

If placing a part with multiple different connection types you can press R to cycle between them and place the part from another connection face.

Matched Connection Types
In this example a beam is in hand and being placed on another beam. The color of the crosshair dot shows a beam connection (green) and so does the color of the crosshatching (green). These parts can connect.

Mismatched Connection Types
In this example a hull plate is in hand and being placed on a beam. The color of the crosshair dot shows a hull connection (yellow) and the color of the connection face's crosshatching shows a beam connection (yellow). Because beam connection types and hull connection types are not the same the parts will not form a connection.

Correct Connection Face Selected
Some parts have multiple connection types on different faces. The placed hull root pictured above has both hull (yellow) and beam (green) connections. The part in hand is being placed from its beam connection onto the hull root's face with a matching beam connection.

Mismatched Connection Faces Used
While the hull root has hull connections (yellow) the face the hull plate was placed on does not match the hull plate's corresponding hull connection (yellow). If the hull plate were replaced with a beam, the two parts would connect.

Faces Not Touching
The two respawn chambers pictured above both have cargo connection points but their surfaces are offset. All parts in the hangar must be placed on a grid so it is impossible to connect these parts due to separation of their connection faces. The parts could be connection by placing a hull plate between the two.