I can not figure out how to run a wire from a generator to a pole to a water purifier.

I do not see anything that looks like a wire.

If you hover over the generator/ pole/ purifier while in building mode you'll see a button option to run a wire. With an xbox controller it's the Y button.

From your starting point you can run the wire to the next point. They have to be close enough together that the wire won't touch the ground, as it is drawn in an arc.

Thanks for the reply.

I should have specified I was on a PC.

However, I did find a way by using the spacebar. Taks lots of copper . . .

I play on pc as well, but I use a controller.

Yes, it takes a lot of copper. I believe scrapping telephones gives copper.

Let me put in a plug for the Microsoft Xbox One controller and wireless adapter. Only works on Windows 10. Unlike lesser games, controller works in concert with the keyboard on Fallout 4. I can use the debug console without switching control.

For PC:

Go to the generator; near the upper left corner of the screen, you'll see a message telling you to hold down the V button. Do it, and you'll see the gen highlighted; then, press the space key (they didn't tell you that) you should see a kind of red or orange wire showing on our mouse pointer. Simply move your mouse to the switch and click. Bam, done.

For all settlements, hold the V to do things like scrap trees (hover over the tree, tire, etc) toilets, ruined houses, cars, etc. All the scrapped items will go directly to the 'R) Transfer' area (workbenches). You can use these items everywhere that there is a settlement / workbench.

Happy Hunting!

you can also import the raw junk materials through a shipment contract as long as you have at least 2 settlements connected to each other. Electrical components like gears, springs, circuits, steel etc. can all be bought easily in bulk for a significantly lower cost and time investment.

I can run a wire from my small generator to a switch and so on, but I'm not sure how I get power to, say, lightbulbs inside a house. Somehow, my ceiling fan started spinning and its light came on when I connected power to a Power Conduit that was attached to the exterior wall of the house.... and yet lightbulbs farther in the house did not come on. Definitely a system that could use more explanations...

As far as I can tell power conduits provide power to nearby items that use power.

I've had lamps on the ceiling switch on after connecting a wire to a conduit on a wall.

Since you mentioned "shipment contract", I noticed that I could buy various ones from a trader that showed up in Sanctuary.

Each contract was for 25 of whatever item.

With 2 charisma and no perks, she wanted 1600 or so caps for 25 screws. Later, I added the 1st charisma perk about bartering, and also added a 3rd charisma point; and got the 25 screw contract down to something over 1100 caps.

I wonder if I got screwed . . . .

I usually buy up Trashcan Tracy's hotplates and desk fans --- pretty cheap but they have some useful stuff. Gold watches and so forth are hardly worth the investment, though, if you're scrapping them.