Which mats are you talking about?

Sales requires local leader and other perks, guard mats require other things. You can't build what your perk list won't allow?

Without knowing much more than that it's hard to say.

*edit*

Also WHERE specifically are you trying to build - in relation to the workbench itself? There are known issues with trying to place certain things like trade shops too far away from the workbench, and some inexplicably won't allow you to put a restaurant or such like, so this might also play into the problem.

Im trying to build turrets which I have built before. As for mats I’ve got all the mats to build the items in question. A list of what is required goes up on the screen and it’s filled. Exceeds them actually. I am wondering if there is a maybe global object cap I am trying to exceed. Even if the cap of the particular build site is not met the total might be.

What KIND of mats? Like, are you talking about 'floor mats' in the Decoration tab, 'guard mats' in defense?

Is this for a mod quest? Or just building in general?

Originally posted by Zekiran:

What KIND of mats? Like, are you talking about 'floor mats' in the Decoration tab, 'guard mats' in defense?

Is this for a mod quest? Or just building in general?

Take a shower, sleep for a few hours, read the post again and think about what you said here ... :D

There are like 4 different kinds of mats that I have in my modded build list - trading, guard, basic floor mats, etc.

They didn't answer the other question I posted either: WHERE some things CAN be placed, may be closer to the workbench if they're for trade/guarding. Settlements have dead zones (was it nite that had the list or was that douglas? or someone else?) which may also impact this placement.

If they have any mods that alter the SIZE of the build location on the ground or upwards, that too may affect how this works.

Originally posted by bombastinator:

There is no reason I should not be able to build that I know of. My bar is green about 4/5 used. I’ve got the mats. I should be able to build 5. But I can build zero.

Possible clues: when I am in build mode the object highlights disappear whenever I get to the actual object on the tree. Go down and they come back. Not sure what is up here. Started with finch farm but has expanded to multiple settlements.

There's not enough information on your post;

By mats do you mean materials? Or is it floor mats?

Object preview disappearing in the workshop menu is usually caused by having too many settlement object mods, it takes time for the game to load it up, but you can still build them usually, only the preview doesn't show. Do you have many mods adding settlement objects?

Other questions:
Is this a late game save or a new one?
Did you build up many of your settlements?
Have you increased the settlement build budget in any way? mods or by storing items?
Do you have settlement border expansion mods?
Have you removed mods mid playthrough by any chance?

Ah….. mats is a traditional gaming term for materials. So like aluminum and oil and stuff… I also noticed that I can build everything BUT turrets.
Game period: Medium. Im level 48. 8 settlements, one full. All of them have lots of turrets though. I rely on lights to form a ring around settlements then adding big turrets and connecting them all to the power grid.
Highest combat rating of a settlement is 212. All are over or near a hundred. Except one. Which is 6. This is where I had the turret problem.

Additional thoughts include:
1. Taking settlements to increase a cap but NOT populating or defending it.
2. Juggling turrets between settlements. This will suck.

I can't believe how many people have never heard the term 'mats' in relation to 'crafting materials'

Regardless, it's difficult to fix your problem, because you didn't say whether or not you have any mods installed - and a mod conflict or broken pre-combines is usually the cause of this kind of thing. Scrap Everything is notorious for this if installed incorrectly, but one of the biggest causes of all is uninstalling such a mod mid-game.

If it's an un-modded game it could be a glitch based on you trying to build an item in a settlement connected by a supply line. The mats exist in a different settlement to the one you're trying to build in, and there's a lag in the information travelling to the other settlement. Sleeping for a while usually fixes it.

If you use mods (especially Scrap Everything, custom building stuff, or if you uninstalled one mid-game), move those mods to the bottom of your load order or run the Settlement Menu Manager (SMM) menu repair which you can get from Nexus mods.

Originally posted by Ffabbia:

I can't believe how many people have never heard the term 'mats' in relation to 'crafting materials'

Regardless, it's difficult to fix your problem, because you didn't say whether or not you have any mods installed - and a mod conflict or broken pre-combines is usually the cause of this kind of thing. Scrap Everything is notorious for this if installed incorrectly, but one of the biggest causes of all is uninstalling such a mod mid-game.

If it's an un-modded game it could be a glitch based on you trying to build an item in a settlement connected by a supply line. The mats exist in a different settlement to the one you're trying to build in, and there's a lag in the information travelling to the other settlement. Sleeping for a while usually fixes it.

If you use mods (especially Scrap Everything, custom building stuff, or if you uninstalled one mid-game), move those mods to the bottom of your load order or run the Settlement Menu Manager (SMM) menu repair which you can get from Nexus mods.

just rememebr there are actual mats in the game.... so mats and materials are not the same

I think it was pretty obvious.

Yeah sorry but no, I've literally never seen in 11 years of this game, "mats" being used as an abbreviation of "materials".

Keep in mind that... like, if you play crap like Fortnite or whatever building-attack-bs games, *those are not our typical players*.

Mats = those things that are labeled straight up: FLOOR MAT or "GUARD" mat.

The materials needed is an entirely different thing.

I think what the OP describes here, "Additional thoughts include:
1. Taking settlements to increase a cap but NOT populating or defending it.
2. Juggling turrets between settlements. This will suck."

Is a basic misunderstanding of how settlement defenses work.

You don't need to worry about 'being there' or not. Your settlements will not 'have a cap' for an overall ANYTHING beyond like water and maybe some other things? I don't do 'water farming' but there IS a technical limit to what *each workbench* can store.

Put 100 defense in, bam, done. Nothing more really is needed that's just a numbers game. Lights and lots of turrets LOOK cool, no doubt.

They serve virtually no purpose but math though.

Originally posted by Zekiran:

Also WHERE specifically are you trying to build - in relation to the workbench itself? There are known issues with trying to place certain things like trade shops too far away from the workbench, and some inexplicably won't allow you to put a restaurant or such like, so this might also play into the problem.

And it's not always about being far away, but about being in certain areas of particular settlements, so the specific settlement and exact position within it can be relevant.

Keep in mind that... like, if you play crap like Fortnite or whatever building-attack-bs games, *those are not our typical players*.

Mats = those things that are labeled straight up: FLOOR MAT or "GUARD" mat.

The materials needed is an entirely different thing.

The fact that you have never encountered the abbreviation doesn't make it some kind of super-obscure, underground esoteric term known only to a dozen specialist geeks.

Nor does it make it (as you claim) modern Zoomer slang. The term's been in use since the 90s.

I have never played Fortnight in my entire life, know nothing about Fortnight, save that it's some kind of battle royale thing that kids like.

I have, however, played dozens of MMOs including Runescape, Everquest, WoW, Lord of the Rings Online, The Old Republic and Elder Scrolls Online.

In the latter game an estimated 1-2 million players populate the game at various times across various servers. At it's peak WoW had around 12 million players.

I'm confident in saying that pretty much every one of those 12 million people understopod the term 'mats' in a role playing game with crafting. The term was basic Runescape parlance in 2001, it was basic parlance in Everquest too.,, and beyond, and it still is.

"Can someone craft Forest Leather Belt, I got the mats, thanks?"

If pretty much any WoW player saw that in chat they'd understand that the person typing it wasn't asking someone to make a rug.

But OK, let's assume you have never played an MMO in your entire life, and have studiously avoided most RPGs with crafting elements, or at least never interacted in a community that discusses crafting within RPGs and this is genuinely the first time you have ever come across 'mat' as an abbreviation for 'materials,

The OP wrote:

"I’ve got the mats. I should be able to build 5. But I can build zero"

From this sentence what's the most logical assumption that might be made by a reasonable person?

a) The OP already has x number of door mats but wishes to create five additional duplicates of that particular doormat?

b) The OP wishes to build something, has the required materials but it doesn't work?

Originally posted by Ffabbia:

From this sentence what's the most logical assumption that might be made by a reasonable person?

a) The OP already has x number of door mats but wishes to create five additional duplicates of that particular doormat?

b) The OP wishes to build something, but lacks the required materials?

First thing I saw was OP had the materials, but it won't let them build the turret.

Originally posted by bombastinator:

There is no reason I should not be able to build that I know of. My bar is green about 4/5 used. I’ve got the mats. I should be able to build 5. But I can build zero.

Possible clues: when I am in build mode the object highlights disappear whenever I get to the actual object on the tree. Go down and they come back. Not sure what is up here. Started with finch farm but has expanded to multiple settlements.

Drop a number of Pipe Pistols on the floor within the workshop boundary, and then, use workshop mode to send the dropped Pipe Pistols to the workshop. Don't pick them up, as that won't work.

That should enable you to build your turret. It might be a UI glitch, and it's showing your below the build cap when you're actually not.

If it still doesn't work, I would try scrapping -everything- at that settlement, saving, and then re-loading your previous save before you scrapped everything. That might kick the game into enabling you to build again.

First thing I saw was OP had the materials, but it won't let them build the turret.

Correct, I mis-wrote that part, that was my error. Will edit and correct.