Editing v0.34:Animal logic

{{Quality|Exceptional|07:53, 2 June 2010 (UTC)}}

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Animal logic functions by taking advantage of the path finding algorithm in Dwarf Fortress; all domestic animals seek to find the shortest (lowest cost) path to their desired targets (activity zone, parents, dwarves, valuable objects, etc.) Furthermore, animals tend to continue to path through tightly closed doors, despite them not being able to pass. This defines the difference between animal and [[creature logic]]: animal logic does not need to regulate paths actually travelled by a creature, only potential paths. Using these features of animal pathfinding, it is possible to create very complex logic gates.  

 

Animal logic has three principal advantages: speed, compactness, and simplified functions. However, animal logic is slower than mechanical logic and less reliable than either fluid or mechanical logic.

Notation: #:wall ^:pressure plate X:floodgate,grate,bars,bridge,etc. (explained per entry) D:door,open, but kept tightly shut(pet impassable) d:door, input value not specified Letters:doors/floodgates,grates,bar,etc. Specified inputs(these are generally interchangeable, if not this will be noted in the entry), generally controlled by mechanism g:Ground, some entries need it for clarity. C: Either an input in diagrams, or the state Carry is refereed to as a state within an adder.

Since animal logic is based on the interaction between animals and this particular setting of doors, all doors not wired to mechanisms need to be unlocked but tightly closed.

This simple gate is made by confining the animal into a straight corridor; the ground path will have two or more doors which are connected to the input, while the second longer path remains clear. The gate can be configured as an NAND gate by simply moving the pressure plate. If the plate is by the ground path it functions as an AND gate returning TRUE if the ground path is open, and if the plate is by the purge path it will return FALSE when the inputs are TRUE.

Basically two or more gates arranged with different path costs to ground. These gates can be configured in a number of different ways, these being the simplest. It may be possible to make these gates as single gates but that would require inverting some of the input. Simple compound gates use two simple gates and handle two inputs; complex compound gates have more than two simple gates and need more than two inputs. A complex compound gate might be used to convert decimal numbers into binary using And gates.

Choosing the animal which works as the logic core for an animal logic systems is somewhat important, depending on your needs and the available animals. The main requirements are that the animal must be large enough to activate pressure plates and able to stay alive while locked up in a logic cell. As long as these conditions are met, pretty much anything will do as long as you can remember which animal belongs into which gate (to avoid designating the same animal for more than one pit).

Pigs and dogs are an easy choice as animals to use. They are heavy enough to trigger pressure plates if adolescent or adult. They will normally path to a meeting area. While they have other uses as war animals or a prime source of meat, they are fast-breeding domestic animals that can be brought on embark.

===Viability===

Children are presumed superior to adults due to an extra pathing goal (to their mother), but keep in mind that they are generally much smaller than adults and thus may be too small to activate pressure plates.

Female animals can become pregnant and have children, even if locked away far from others of their kind. Such children may disrupt the pathing of their mother or send signals by themselves. [[Grazer]]s are likely to starve to death before you get any logic out of them.

Exotic animals undeniably add style to your computing zone. A GCS powered computer would be awesome. Such uses prevent other potential applications, like using the spider to create valuable silk. Flyers may ignore hatch-based logic blocks.

Invaders such as elves or goblins will not work with any of the designs on this page, unless you managed to dehand them before capture-- securely closed doors are no barrier to them.  Any mounts or warbeasts, on the other hand, might work, and exotics are unlikely to bear any children, and can be extraordinarily long-lived.  Job cancellation may be a problem with more complicated designs.  Invader animals path to the map edge following capture.  Be careful of any flyers or building destroyers.