Help Index → Working with bases → Use case 23
Use a single-base backup as the transfer artifact between two saves. This copies a record into the destination’s loaded data; it is not a validated cross-account base migration or a move that removes the source.
Before you start
- Know which source and destination slots and contexts you intend to use.
- Keep full backups, especially of the destination. Resolve any unrelated unsaved edits before changing saves.
- 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.
- Load the source save, open Bases, identify the complete base record, and use its Backup a Base command to write a distinct .nms_base.json file. (control reference)
- Use the NMS open/load workflow to load the destination save. Review the active Main or Expedition context; opening another file is not itself a save of source-side edits. (control reference)
- In destination Bases, right-click the array root and choose Restore a Base. Select the file exported from the source. (control reference)
- Inspect the new first record, its Name, GalacticAddress and Objects, and check for an existing destination duplicate before considering a live write. (control reference)
Expected result
- The destination receives a copy at list position zero. The original source record and exported backup file are not removed by restore.
- Existing destination bases are retained, even if a name or address matches the inserted record.
What changes, and when to save
Export writes only the standalone base file. Restore changes only destination app memory. File > Save NMS Save File, with the game closed and the destination confirmation checked, is the separate operation that writes the destination live file. 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
- Confirm the currently loaded slot is the destination before saving.
- Compare the imported label and part count with the source record and ensure unrelated destination bases remain present.
Important details and recovery
- The app does not reconcile account ownership, coordinates, permissions or other game relationships during this copy. Do not promise that an imported base will be usable, owned correctly or universally compatible in-game.