Troubleshooting

The mod doesn't appear in the mod manager

Likely cause

The folder is in the wrong place or nested one level too deep, so the game can't find manifest.json.

Fix

1. Close Timberborn.
2. In Documents\Timberborn\Mods, check that PersistentWorkAreas\version-1.1\manifest.json exists, with PersistentWorkAreas.dll beside it.
3. If it's at PersistentWorkAreas\PersistentWorkAreas\version-1.1 instead, move the inner folder up a level.
4. If files are missing, extract the whole zip again, as in the install steps.
5. Start the game.

I select a building but there's no WORKING AREA section

Likely causes

• The mod isn't enabled. Check the mod manager, and restart if the game asks.
• The building has no working area. The section appears only for buildings that show one when selected, such as farmhouses, foresters, lumberjack flags and gatherers.
• It's a Builder's Hut, which can't be pinned (why).
• It's a placement preview you haven't placed yet.

Fix

Try a farmhouse or forester. If the section shows there, the mod works and the other building has nothing to pin. If not, check the log.

The panel says "Working-area pinning is unavailable. Check the game log."

What it means

The outline failed on this map, usually because a game update changed something the mod relies on. Pinning is off for this map; nothing else in the game is affected.

Fix

1. Look for a newer version on the releases page and update.
2. Otherwise, find the log, search for Outline disabled for this map, and report it with that line and the error after it.
3. Reloading the map turns pinning back on, but it fails again if a game change is the cause.

I pinned a building but no outline is showing

Likely causes

• The pin isn't on. The row should read ON, and Clear pinned areas (N) should show at the top right.
• Its entrance can't be reached. The area is measured from the building's entrance, as the game does. With no reachable entrance, there's nothing to draw.
• Visible level. Parts of the area above the level you're viewing are hidden, as with the game's outline.
• Pinning is unavailable on this map.

Fix

1. Check that the pin reads ON, then deselect the building.
2. Raise the visible level, and make sure a path reaches the building.
3. Still nothing? Uncheck and re-check the box to refresh it.

The outline doesn't match my recent terrain or path changes

What to expect

Outlines update after terrain, path or construction-mode changes, at most five times a second. A change can take a moment to show.

Fix

1. Wait a second.
2. Still out of date? Uncheck and re-check the building's box.
3. If it keeps happening, report it and say what you changed.

My pins disappeared

Why

• Pins belong to a settlement. A different settlement starts with none.
• A co-op guest's pins usually don't come back after a resync, because the guest's settlement is named after the host's save.
• Deleting a pinned building removes its pin, and Clear pinned areas (N) removes them all.
• Outlines from a planting tool go when you leave the tool; they were never pins.

Fix

Load a save of the same settlement, or pin the buildings again. If the same settlement's pins don't come back, search the log for [PersistentWorkAreas] Pinned areas not and report it.

I can't find the "Clear pinned areas" button

Why

It's at the top right of the screen, and shows only while something is pinned. Its label counts your pins, for example Clear pinned areas (2).

Fix

Pin a building and look at the top right. To remove one pin, select its building and uncheck its box.

My "clear" key binding does nothing

Likely causes

• It starts unbound. Assign a key under Settings → Key bindings → Persistent Work Areas → Clear all pinned working areas.
• Nothing is pinned. The key acts only when something is.
• Another game action uses the same key.
• You're holding an extra modifier key (Shift, Ctrl or Alt) that isn't part of the binding.

Fix

Pin a building, then press the key on its own. If another action uses it, pick a different key. The top-right button always works.

A Builder's Hut shows an outline when I select it

Why

That outline is the game's own: Timberborn draws it while a Builder's Hut is selected. The mod doesn't draw or change it, and Builder's Huts can't be pinned.

Fix

Nothing to fix. To check, disable the mod, restart and select a Builder's Hut: the same outline appears.

It stopped working after a Timberborn update

Why

The mod is tested on Timberborn 1.1.2.4. A later game version can change something the outline relies on. Pinning then turns off for the map (see above), and the rest of the game is unaffected.

Fix

Check the releases page for a version that supports your game, or open an issue with your game version.

Co-op and BeaverBuddies

Things to know

• Pins are local. Pinning or clearing never changes what other players see.
• The mod changes nothing in the game and sends nothing over the network, so it shouldn't cause desyncs. If you suspect it, disable it on every computer and see if the problem goes away.
• After a resync, the host's pins should come back. A guest's pins usually don't, because the guest's settlement is named after the host's save.
• For the co-op setup, see the FAQ.

Slowdowns with many pins

What to expect

A terrain or path change re-checks only the pinned buildings it can reach. Opening a planting tool works out every matching building's area at once, which can take a moment in a very large colony.

Fix

Clear pins you no longer need. If the frame rate still drops, report it with roughly how many pins you have and how large your colony is.

Finding the game log

On Windows, Timberborn writes its log here:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\Mechanistry\Timberborn\Player.log

Paste that into the File Explorer address bar to open it. After a crash, open Player-prev.log beside it instead. Search the log for [PersistentWorkAreas]:

• [PersistentWorkAreas] <version> loaded. The mod started normally.
• Outline disabled for this map: and an error. The outline failed.
• Renderer cleanup failed: and an error. Removing the outline hit a problem.
• Pinned areas not restored from or Pinned areas not saved to, the path of Pins.txt and an error. The pin file couldn't be read or written.

No [PersistentWorkAreas] lines at all means the game never loaded the mod. Go back to the first fix.

Reporting a problem

Open an issue on GitHub with as much of this as you can:

• The mod version (from the mod manager or the loaded. log line) and your Timberborn version.
• Whether you use BeaverBuddies, and your other mods.
• What you did, what you expected, and what happened.
• Every [PersistentWorkAreas] line from Player.log, with the full error text.