Probe Manipulation & Bookmarking
You can move combat and core probes around on grids and they can be right-clicked and saved as bookmarks.
Handy Tool Notice:
On July 9th, 2026, Nicolas Kion's EVE Wrench added the ability to modify probe formations, and it later got preset formations. My guide still works, but it isn't as versatile.
Warning: Wrench modifies the client-side save file. I don't know if FC (formerly CCP) will be OK with this, so use Wrench at your own risk! Click to show/side my thoughts:
I think this is great, but I cannot predict what FC will decide or if they'll take a public stance at all. Some FC staff positively know Wrench exists, but that's not FC approval.
Here's some ad hoc reasoning for and against acceptance (but note that my take is good for diddly-squat):
- pro: on July 1st, FC open-sourced EVE's engine, Carbon, including the part which encodes saved probe formations, and FC hasn't said not to modify save files
- anti: the formation-encoding data format was somewhat obscured beforehand, and FC hasn't positively said it's OK to edit formations outside the client
TMK, FC haven't spoken or ruled about modifying save files this way as of July 20, but they should update their declared exploits if they make a ruling.
Instructions:
Upfront note: none of what follows is ethically gray. This is all done entirely in-client and was possible since the "center probes" button was added in September of 2021.
- open the Probe Scanner window with Alt + P
- click "Launch Pinpoint Formation"
- set Probe Size to its smallest value
- click "Center current formation on your ship"
- with the cursor over the Solar System Map window, hold Control and spin your scroll wheel down, triggering 75 ingame audio ticks
- you don't have to count them out precisely. actually, you can just scroll down furiously for a while if you're impatient
- this further shrinks the formation's size
- fwiw, 75 ticks makes core probes show up at 5.5-6-5 km for me (haven't counted out w/combats, ain't nobody got time f'that)
- click Analyze (or hit B, the shortcut)
- if multiple probes don't appear on-grid, keep scrolling in the Solar System Map then re-Analyzing until they do
- if all 8 probes appear haphazardly positioned instead of 1 above, 1 below, 5 horizontally and 1 inside nearer to your ship, you've shrunk too much
- so scroll up a bit rather than down and Analyze again until the probes are all on-grid and usefully spaced
- save useful formations with the "Save Current Formation" button
Notes:
- other people can save your probes' locations, too!
- at grid scale, single wheel-tick increments can make meaningful changes
- this makes having a Core Probe Launcher in a utility high slot even more useful (and don't forget sixteen core probes in cargo)
- you can do more stuff with probe manipulation. making off-grid BMs is nowhere near the extent of the possibilities! experimentation is worthwhile