One of the things that you can do when you are exploring the different planets is scan the environment, showing living creatures, resources, and more.
This provides you with certain bonuses such as experience and information about the objects that you scan on a planet.
Scanning is an important part of surveying planets, which can later result in you knowing more about what is on them for when you need to collect resources or gather materials.
How To Use Hand Scanner?
Scanning objects is easy and this can be done in more than one way, which works through a camera-like scanner device known as the Hand Scanner.
To bring out your hand scanner, you will need to press “F” for PC or “LB” for Xbox and this will bring up the scanner device.
You will see objects highlighted in blue when they can be scanned and may press the “Activate” key/button to scan the target.
Aside from using the scanner, the following actions will add to scanning:
- Killing a creature
- Harvesting from a plant
- Mining or collecting a resource
What Can Be Scanned?
1) Scanning Fauna
Many living creatures can be found on different planets, and these can be scanned to give you information about them.
Scanning creatures enough times will allow you to view the following information about them:
- Temperament – Their response if you approach or attack them.
- Resource – Type of resources they will drop.
- Biomes – The type of biomes they can be found in
- Health – Amount of points their health has.
- Abilities – Special traits, skills, and capabilities that they have.
2) Scanning Flora
You can find a variety of plants growing on different planets and these may be scanned to know more about their components and what they may provide.
By scanning Flora, you will be able to view information regarding the following:
- Resource – Types of materials that can be obtained from plants.
- Biomes – A list of biomes that the plant strives for.
- Genetics – A breakdown of what the plant is made from.
- Reproduction – Method for populating the area with more of its species.
3) Scanning Resources
When it comes to resources, this mainly means the type of ores or other non-organic materials that can be found on the planet.
Scanning these will add them to your list of resources that you have saved for the planet, allowing you to know what you may get whenever you return there.
By using your hand scanner or viewing the planet, you can see which resources may be found when you are exploring it.
4) Scanning Unexplored Geology Features
While exploring planets, you will notice some strange occurrences in certain areas which are called Unexplored Geology Features.
These are large areas that show changes that are happening to the planet or strange anomalies that have a bit of lore to them.
Scanning these will identify the Geology Feature as well as give you a large amount of experience and if you scan all the different types on a planet, you get even more experience.
Scan Progress
There is a certain amount of progress that is obtained for scanning objects on a planet that goes under the term Survey.
This represents how much you have checked the planet out and once you have scanned all the Fauna, Flora, Resources, and Geology Features; you get more experience.
By surveying a planet, you will be able to easily identify what fauna, flora, resources, and more can be found on it.
Verdict
Scanning is an important part for some explorers as this allows them to identify the creatures and plants that they find on a planet.
It is also useful when you want to set up outposts that will allow you to farm on the planet since different planets have different resources.
Aside from being able to figure out what is on a planet, you get a good amount of experience in surveying your surroundings.
