Material

In Dual Universe, materials are the physical substances that compose the many Voxels of the game world.

Naturally occurring materials from planets and other sources are generally referred to as raw materials. They can be mined and harvested by players using the Nanoformer, and placed again to create rough shapes and structures. Refined materials, along with alloys, are created from resources and other ingredients, and can be used in build mode to create constructs.

Refined Materials and Alloys
Many materials cannot be found naturally in the world; they must be crafted from resources and other ingredients. For example, iron ore can be refined into pure iron, or mixed with coal to produce steel. These materials are used primarily to form the structure of Constructs, using the different Building Tools. They can also be used in Crafting to create Components or Elements.

Material Properties
Each material has different properties that can make them better suited for different uses. Depending on the properties of the material and the recipes they can be used for, some materials can be more suited for Building or for Crafting. For example, Iron can be used to build with just like any other material, but it is most useful as a resource for crafting because it can be used to create other materials like Steel, which is stronger.

Some will require several other rare materials or machinery to be crafted. These materials are very high-end and valuable, often with special properties, and can be used to make advanced Elements.

Raw Materials
Raw materials are naturally occurring materials obtained from planets, moons and asteroids. They can be mined and harvested by players using the Mine Tool of the Nanoformer, and placed again with the Terraform Tool to create rough shapes and structures. These materials make up the vast amount of natural voxels found in the game world.