CN's new Expert build mode: a first look
Where Winds Meet CN just got a second construction system, Expert mode: a new editor-style way to build with undo/redo, box select, world/local axes and a Placed list. Here is what it does, where it works, and what builders think so far.
The Chinese (CN) version of Where Winds Meet just received the biggest building change since launch: a second construction system called Expert mode (专家模式). It sits next to the classic build mode we all know and turns building into something much closer to a real level editor.
It is live for all CN players right now. Global does not have it yet, and there is no known release date for Global. Here is everything we know so far, with footage from WBM builders.
TL;DR
- Two ways to build: Edit mode (the classic one, still the default) and Expert mode (the new one, marked as recommended).
- Expert mode is a whole new editor-style system. Truly new: undo/redo, box select, world or local axes, a list of everything you placed, and one-click blueprints from a selection.
- It works in free building, blueprint design, guild building, industry and more.
- It is a big step, but not perfect yet: most pieces still can’t be resized, and many are still locked to a single rotation axis.
The official announcement
Two modes: Edit or Expert
The first time you edit a placed piece, the game asks how you want editing to work (编辑功能操作方式):
| Option | What you get |
|---|---|
| 编辑模式 · Edit mode | The classic build mode, unchanged |
| 专家模式 · Expert mode | The new system, with its own toolbar, side panel and mouse/touch gestures. Tagged 推荐 “Recommended” |
If you never pick, you stay in the classic Edit mode: it is the default. Don’t worry about picking wrong either: the choice only affects building (not story or open-world controls), and you can switch at any time under Build → Settings.
Expert mode also adds its own options in the build settings: a camera movement sensitivity slider and a show grid & snap toggle. Switching between Edit and Expert applies right away, even if you’re already in build mode.
Some shortcuts open Expert mode directly. If your current spot doesn’t allow it, you’ll see 当前位置无法打开建造专家模式 (“Expert build mode can’t be opened at your current location”). You also need build permission where you stand.
The Expert mode interface. Screenshot by Parzival.
What Expert mode gives builders
Expert mode isn’t just a new skin on the classic mode: it’s a separate system built like a real editor, with its own toolbar, side panel and controls. It works with mouse and keyboard, gamepad and touch.
Brand new features (not in classic mode)
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Undo / redo | Finally! Step back through your last edits and placements (up to 50 steps) |
| Box select | Drag a rectangle to grab many pieces at once, then act on the whole selection |
| World or local axes | Move and rotate along the world’s axes or the piece’s own axes |
| Placed list | Every piece you’ve placed, with Locate, Copy and Delete (see the catalog section below) |
| Generate blueprint | Turn a selection straight into a blueprint (R) |
Reworked for Expert mode
These exist in classic mode, but Expert mode handles them its own way:
| Feature | What changes |
|---|---|
| Gizmos | One toolbar for move, rotate and scale. Rotation can be free or snap in 11.25° or 22.5° steps. Scale can be uniform (keeps proportions) or free, on pieces that allow resizing |
| Copy / paste | Works on whatever you selected, including a box selection |
| Grouping | Select several pieces and press Merge all (F), Ungroup (X) to split. Only inside your industry area for now |
| Snap | One-click on/off toggle in the toolbar |
| Property panel | Type exact values for position, rotation and scale instead of dragging |
| Component counter | Pieces used against the cap. Outside industry areas it counts the 50×50 zone your camera is looking at |
You can also switch between operating single pieces and operating a whole group, and toggle a multi-select mode where each click adds a piece to the selection. The tools shown in the toolbar change with what you select: a single piece, blueprint pieces, a scattered multi-selection, or guild preset and warehouse pieces each get their own set of buttons.
The property panel
On the items that support it, the Transform panel lets you enter exact numbers:
- Position in 0.1 steps
- Rotation from −180° to 180°
- Scale from 0.01× to 5×, in 0.01 steps
For now it shows up on industry components, not on regular decor pieces. Tip: with uniform scale on, the resize stops as soon as one axis hits its limit, so the piece never gets distorted.
Where Expert mode works
| Build mode | What you can do in Expert |
|---|---|
| Free building | Place, edit, delete, fill blueprints |
| Blueprint design | Place, edit, delete |
| Guild building | Place, edit, delete, fill, with dedicated toolbars for guild preset pieces and the guild warehouse |
| Industry (“Qinhe” mode) | Place, edit, delete, fill, group and ungroup, plus the property panel |
| Painting boat workshop | Place, edit, delete |
“Fill” means turning the ghost pieces of a placed blueprint into real pieces using your materials.
A new building catalog
The Expert mode side panel is organized in three tabs:
- Placed (已摆): a list of every piece you’ve already placed, each with Locate, Copy and Delete buttons. Filter it by filled or unfilled blueprint pieces. No more hunting for that one lantern you lost behind a wall!
- Components: the catalog, with a category tree, a search bar, your favorites, and a filter for industry components vs personal components.
- Blueprints: your blueprints, with a shortcut to the gallery.
Other building changes on CN
A few more builder-facing changes arrived on CN recently and are not on Global yet:
- Cursor placement on PC: place and pick pieces at the mouse cursor, no crosshair needed, with right mouse to rotate the camera. Batch arrange and batch delete follow the cursor too. On Global this is mobile only.
- Blueprint replace: when your blueprint slots are full, adding one from the gallery lets you choose which saved blueprint to swap out.
- Blueprint filter: filter your blueprints by type.
- Blueprints in the PC build bag: blueprints now appear directly in the build bag, which also remembers your last selection.
- Industry placement hints: picking an industry building suggests which of your industry zones it can go in.
- New content: dyson sphere industry, roller coaster tracks in three sizes (40×60, 50×80, 65×100), honor walls and a guild warehouse piece.
Not so convenient yet
Expert mode is a huge step, but WBM builders have already spotted some rough edges.
carnii’s main complaints so far:
- The new cursor-only mode takes getting used to and isn’t always comfortable.
- Guild items are not sorted according to the new catalog tabs.
- Most structures still can’t be resized, and many are still locked to one rotation axis. The gizmo shows all three rings, but each piece decides which axes you can use. Try a locked one and the game tells you it can’t rotate around that axis. Some pieces, like the floor tile in the first video, do tilt freely.
The new gizmos aren’t a clear win either. As carnii puts it:
“Actually, it’s more familiar to use the slider controls. The old interface for rotating and resizing is also very convenient.”
Good news: you don’t have to choose forever. Edit mode stays the default and you can switch back and forth in the build settings.
That said, the classic Edit mode didn’t get much love either: the size of some items still can’t be changed, and there is still no grouping in normal mode.
Normal build mode: some sizes are locked and grouping is still missing. Screenshots by carnii.
More footage
Bonus: a mini level editor is coming
Expert mode also looks like the foundation for something bigger: a level editor where players create their own mini-games. It isn’t available yet, but here is what it should let you do:
- Build a course with start and end points, checkpoints (for up to 8 teams, with respawn direction), triggers, moving platforms and objects you can interact with, like a sign that shows a message.
- Test it with a Try it button, without leaving the editor.
- Publish it as a level, so other players can play it.
Think obstacle courses, races or small puzzle maps, built by the community. Your work is saved automatically while you build.
What about Global?
There is no known release date for Global yet. Expert mode is brand new on CN and some of its menus still look unfinished. We’ll update this article as soon as we know more.
What do you think of Expert mode? Come tell us on the WBM Discord! While you’re there, discuss with us for more tips and tools that we share exclusively with WBM members!