Production Calculator & Chart Tutorial

Calculator Basics

The Production Calculator is the most powerful tool for SimCity BuildIt mayors. It automatically calculates all material requirements across every production chain, eliminating manual planning and preventing costly mistakes.

The Three-Column System

• Have: Your current inventory. Enter how many of each item you currently own in storage.
• Want: Your production goals. Enter the quantity of items you need for upgrades, trades, or other purposes.
• In Progress: Items currently being produced in your factories.

Understanding the Need Indicator

When you enter a Want value higher than your Have value, that item is marked with an orange highlight and shows a "Need" value. The Need value = Want - Have - In Progress. It represents exactly how many more units you need to reach your goal.

Step-by-Step Workflow

Step 1: Enter Your Current Inventory

Start by opening your SimCity BuildIt storage and the calculator side-by-side. Go through each item and enter your current quantities in the "Have" column.

Step 2: Define Your Production Goals

Identify what you need. Enter quantities in the "Want" column. The calculator automatically calculates the Need, determines all materials required, cascades requirements through the entire production chain, and shows you exactly what raw materials you need.

Step 3: Review Material Requirements

Scroll through the calculator to see all items with a Need value. These are items you must produce or buy to achieve your goals.

Step 4: Plan Factory Usage

Start with items that have the longest production times. Produce intermediate items before final items. Queue long items in factories you won't need for a while.

Step 5: Track Production Progress

As you start producing items, enter the quantities in the "In Progress" column. This updates the Need value to reflect ongoing production.

Production Time Chart

Use this production chart as a quick reference for planning your factory queues.

Raw Materials (Building Supply Store)

Hardware Store Items

Farmer's Market Items

Furniture Store & Fashion Store Items

Overnight Production Planning

One of the biggest efficiency gains comes from planning what your factories produce while you sleep. With 7-8 hours of unattended production time, you can wake up to a full inventory of high-value items.

Best Items for Overnight Production

• Chemicals (2 hours) — Always in demand, always running low
• Textiles (3 hours) — Essential for Cactus Canyon items and fashion goods
• Glue and Paint (1 hour each) — Needed by many complex items
• Cement (50 minutes) — Quick enough to cycle multiple times
• Regional items (3-5 hours) — Frosty Fjords and Sunny Isles items fit perfectly

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Not updating inventory after collecting items from factories
• Starting production without checking material availability
• Leaving factory slots empty overnight
• Producing too many short-duration items during sleep hours
• Ignoring intermediate items in the production chain