Editing DF2014:Quickstart guide (section)

===Stout Labor===
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#0a0|Keybindings|
If you're on a laptop (or using a restricted keyboard), you may notice that using {{k|+}} to scroll upward on some menus is inconvenient, since it requires the {{k|Shift}} key. Fortunately, this is easy to change by modifying your [[key binding]]s:
# Press {{k|Esc}} to access the [[#Options menu|options menu]] and select {{DFtext|Key Bindings}}
# Select {{DFtext|General}}, scroll down to {{DFtext|Move secondary selector down}} (using the arrow keys), move right, and select {{DFtext|Add binding}}
# Press {{k|1==}} and select either option that appears. (Technically, you can choose any key you like at this point. However, {{k|1==}} (equals) is probably a good choice, since it's next to {{k|-}} and isn't used for anything else in menus.)
# Scroll down, select {{DFtext|By letter: +}}, and press {{k|Backspace}} (or {{k|Delete}}, depending on your keyboard)
# Press {{k|Esc}} and select {{DFtext|Save and exit}}
You can now use {{k|1==}} instead of {{k|+}} to scroll these types of menus (including the labors menu), which can be significantly easier than using {{k|+}} on certain keyboards.
}}
{{TipBox2|float=right|titlebg=#aa0|Utilities|2=
You may have noticed that the UI for managing dwarves is a bit difficult to use. There are a few utilities available for this purpose (for Windows, Mac OS X, and most Linux systems): 
* '''[[Utilities#Dwarf_Therapist|Dwarf Therapist]]''' can make labor management considerably easier, especially when you're dealing with twenty times the number of dwarves you have now. It can group and sort dwarves by multiple attributes and display their preferences, mood, and more.
* '''[[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]]''' includes "Dwarf Manipulator", a UI for managing labors. It has fewer features than Dwarf Therapist, but displays much of the same information and is adequate for normal use. In addition, it is accessible from within DF via {{k-|u|l}}, eliminating the need to constantly switch between applications.
}}

'''Labors''' are how you control what types of tasks a dwarf will do. For example, if the [[Fishing]] labor is enabled for a dwarf, that dwarf is allowed to engage in fishing.

When dwarves are idle, it could be because you haven't given them anything to do, or it could be because none of the idle dwarves have been told that they're allowed to do the types of tasks you've designated. For example, if you designate an area to mine, but none of the dwarves have the mining labor enabled, they will all just sit around ignoring your mining designation thinking that it isn't their job.

Dwarves will automatically have some labors enabled if they start out with skill in those labors, and some labors (such as hauling and cleaning) are enabled for all dwarves by default. This is why you didn't need to enable any labors on dwarves to get them to haul and mine, but later you may need a labor that no dwarf is currently capable of.

Look over your dwarves' assigned [[labor]]s. Press {{K|v}} (View Units) then place the cursor on a dwarf. Now, press {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} for "preferences: labors". You will see a list of labor categories that you can navigate using {{K|-}} and {{K|+}}. You can enter each category with {{k|Enter}} (except for mining, which is a single labor), toggle each labor off and on with {{K|Enter}}, and get back out with {{K|Esc}}.

After exiting the View Units menu, you can use {{K|u}} (the units screen) to help you locate dwarves. Hit {{K|u}}, select a dwarf, hit {{K|z}} for "zoom to creature" and you'll automatically be placed in view mode on that dwarf. (Then use {{K|p}}-{{K|l}} to get to the labor configuration menu if necessary.)

Even if no dwarves have the corresponding skills, ensure the following labors are set as specified:

{| class="wikitable"
! Category
! Labor
! Dwarves Assigned
|-
| Woodworking || [[wood cutter|Wood Cutting]] || 1 or more
|-
| Stoneworking || [[engraver|Stone Detailing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Hunting/Related || [[ambusher|Hunting]] || 0 (disabled for all)
|-
| Farming/Related || [[wood burner|Wood Burning]] || 1 or more
|-
| Farming/Related || [[herbalist|Plant Gathering]] || 1 or more
|-
| Fishing/Related || [[fisherdwarf|Fishing]] || 0 (disabled for all)
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[furnace operator|Furnace Operating]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[armorsmith|Armoring]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[weaponsmith|Weaponsmithing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[blacksmith|Blacksmithing]] || 1 or more
|-
| Metalsmithing || [[metal crafter|Metalcrafting]] || 1 or more
|-
| Jewelry || [[gem cutter|Gem Cutting]] || 1 or more
|}

It's important to disable fishing and hunting until you have your initial fort completed &mdash; dwarves with these labors enabled will constantly be outside attempting to perform them. When you're first starting out you don't want dwarves wandering around alone where they can get killed (in addition, they won't be doing anything useful, like hauling).

Note that ''any'' unskilled dwarf can perform any labor given the necessary equipment and materials. Dwarves with no skill will simply be slow and produce a smaller quantity of lower quality goods in a given time period, but they will gain skill points as they do so.