Geonosis droid foundries The Geonosis droid foundries were massive subterranean droid factories , located on the planet of Geonosis . Characteristics . Geonosis was ideal as a base for droid foundries in many regards : it was home to a technologically advanced but independent species , the Geonosians , who could monitor and aid in droid production ; its rugged , forbidding terrain more or less isolated it from outsiders , and its large underground caverns provided excellent camouflage against prying eyes . Another prime benefit of locating the foundries on Geonosis was the planet ' s mineral - rich ring system , used to provide the factories with ample raw metal and alloys . Like most other Baktoid Armor Workshop production facilities , the foundries on Geonosis were highly automated , requiring some sentient oversight and a steady flow of raw materials but little else . Despite being slow and antiquated by galactic standards , each facility boasted hundreds of conveyor belts and robot assembly arms , capable of creating thousands of droids per day from scratch . Due to its low - profile and remote location , the foundries kept a low standard on work safety , and expendable Geonosian drones were quartered in storage alcoves adjacent to the factory floors . Some of the main droid models produced by foundries on Geonosis included B1 battle droids , B2 super battle droids , and powerful droidekas . In addition to droids , the factories produced vehicles , weapons and military parts . History . The foundries were built by Baktoid Armor Workshop , a member of the Techno Union , in response to increasing legislation by the Republic against the legality of their industry , many centuries prior to the Separatist Crisis . Hoping to circumvent these new laws , BAW began investing in production facilities outside the Republic ' s sphere of influence : more specifically , in the Outer Rim Territories , on planets such as Hypori , Olanet , and Zaadja . The Republic encouraged the growth of such local industry as part of an idealist push for galactic cohesion and the spread of technology to the farthest corners of the galaxy . Eventually , this kind of political initiative disappeared , and the factories were abandoned . At some point before the start of the Clone Wars , they were reopened to supply the Trade Federation with droids , and were regarded by the Federation as its favorite weaponsmiths . During their mission to save Obi - Wan Kenobi in 22 BBY , Anakin Skywalker , Padmé Amidala , and the droids C - 3PO and R2 - D2 stumbled into one of the Geonosian droid assembly plants . Despite a brave effort , both Anakin and Padmé were apprehended and sentenced to death in the Petranaki arena . In the ensuing First Battle of Geonosis , the clone commando unit Delta Squad was assigned to destroy a foundry and eliminate Sun Fac , Poggle the Lesser ' s chief lieutenant , which they successfully did . After the Republic victory on that world , a garrison of clone troopers was left behind to guard the planet . Despite the Republic ' s victory , Poggle later built more factories on Geonosis , which were funded by the Trade Federation . Once the Jedi discovered this , they led a successful planet - wide invasion with the objectives of destroying the factories , capturing Poggle , and reclaiming the planet . After the massacre of the Separatist Council , Baktoid downsized and moved to the Outer Rim , reopening its factory on Geonosis , which had held out until the Confederacy ' s end . Behind the scenes . The droid factory was a late addition in production , conceived and written into the story well after principal photography had wrapped . In the original shooting script , Anakin and Padmé crept into the Geonosian spire , and simply encountered Count Dooku . In this version , the droids R2 - D2 and C - 3PO never left the Naboo starship . The addition of the droid factory not only provided a new action set piece , but also gave a visual clue as to the size of the growing droid army . Elements of Anakin , Padmé and the droids were shot during additional photography in 2001 , mostly against bluescreen with very minimal sets . The Animatics Department filled in the bluescreen areas with very detailed temporary versions of the droid factory , previsualizing the environment that ILM would generate . Ben Snow , one the film ' s Visual Effects Supervisors , took reference footage of a Northern California automobile factory and foundry , to get visual starting points for the motion of automated machinery and the extreme heat and steam atmospheric effects his crew would recreate . Though much of the environment was computer - generated , certain machines and the surrounding walls of the droid factory were realized as detailed and dramatically lit miniatures .