Help Index → Working with bases → Use case 17
Use the Bases tab’s automatic sort to group base records by their saved galaxy and system before ordering their names. This changes the underlying list order, not just the way labels are displayed.
Before you start
- Load the intended save and check whether its active context is Main or Expedition.
- Keep a full backup before changing the persistent base list.
- Before any sync, Pretty Print or structured refresh, copy EACH pending Raw JSON pane’s complete text to a separate external file. Successful tab sync refreshes ALL Raw JSON panes and can erase pending text elsewhere.
Steps
- If several panes contain wanted pending work, preserve ALL before any refresh. If applying it, reapply and verify one non-inventory tab at a time; never simply sync each changed tab. Keep inventory text externally and reproduce supported changes with structured tools instead.
- Open Bases. If Raw JSON has pending edits, use Sync to Node View before sorting so the operation uses the intended records. (control reference)
- Clear Move Freighter to Top on Sort if you want every record to follow the same galaxy, system, name ordering. (control reference)
- Click Sort By Gal, Sys, Name and acknowledge Bases Sorted when the refresh completes. (control reference)
- Review the reordered top-level base labels and their new list positions before saving. (control reference)
Expected result
- Records are ordered by numeric galaxy, numeric system, then the saved Name value. A missing address sorts using zero; a missing or empty name uses an empty string.
- Sorting does not move a base to another galaxy or rewrite its address.
What changes, and when to save
Changes stay in the loaded app data until File > Save NMS Save File writes the retained live slot and Main or Expedition context. Close No Man’s Sky and confirm that destination before saving; a green synchronization light alone does not mean the game file was saved. A refreshed pane is not proof that pending text survived; compare the intended values with your external copies before authorizing a live write.
Check the result
- Compare several adjacent galaxy/system groups, then compare names within one group.
- Check that the base count and individual part counts remain the same.
Important details and recovery
- With the freighter option checked, the first empty-name record is moved ahead of the sorted list. Name sorting is not a natural-number or case-insensitive naming tool.