Editing 40d:Mechanism

{{av}}{{Quality|Exceptional}}
'''Mechanisms''' are created by a [[mechanic]] at a [[mechanic's workshop]] out of a stone. They can also be forged from 3 [[Adamantine|adamantine wafers]] at a [[Forge]]. Building [[trap]]s, [[lever]]s, [[pressure plate]]s, and [[gear assembly|gear assemblies]] requires one mechanism. Linking objects to a lever or pressure plate requires two mechanisms per linked item (one for the object, one for the lever). If you want to ever recover those mechanisms you need to deconstruct both the linked object and the lever.

It is a [[mechanic]]'s job to install mechanisms. Mechanisms can be linked to objects at any distance. 

Mechanisms make surprisingly good [[trade]] items, due to their high [[item value|base value]] of 30, but are heavy compared to [[craft]]s and so may not be a good trade good if [[wagon]]s can't access your [[trade depot]]. Since their value is higher than that of a [[statue]], [[lever]]s and [[gear assembly|gear assemblies]] make good alternative room decorations.

Since mechanisms count as furniture, the jeweler's workshop action ''encrust furniture with [gem]'' can encrust mechanisms with gems instead of actual furniture.

High-quality mechanisms improve the accuracy of weapon traps, as stated by Toady [http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=14461.msg131214#msg131214 here].  This means weapon traps will benefit more from high-quality mechanisms.

A mechanism's quality has no effect on how quickly it operates.

The only [[stone]]s that can [[Magma#Magma vs. built objects|withstand]] the heat of [[magma]] are [[bauxite]] and [[raw adamantine]], so make bauxite mechanisms if you plan on using [[floodgate]]s to hold back magma and don't want to use your precious adamantine for such a task.

'''NOTE:''' Even if your floodgate and floodgate's mechanism are both made of magma-safe materials (such as bauxite), if you link even a single additional lever to the floodgate using a ''non''-magma-safe mechanism, you will have a very unpleasant last-minute surprise.  When linking a trigger to an object, the ''first'' mechanism selected is attached to the object, the ''second'' is attached to the trigger.  Unless the trigger itself will be submerged in magma, only the first, the one attached to the object (that will be submerged) need be of bauxite.

In this version, the only metal that can be used for making mechanisms is adamantine, though the availability of bauxite generally this largely unnecessary. As an alternative, if one is not averse to a little modding, adding the [ANY_USE] flag to a metal such as iron will give it the same properties as adamantine for forging purposes, ''including'' the ability to make mechanisms from that metal at any forge. Subsequent versions (0.31 and later) permit making mechanisms from other types of metal.

{{Category|Traps}}
{{Category|Materials}}
{{Category|Physics}}