Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

Corpse

2015-06-17T19:58:54Z

Bcmpinc: Added some links

{{Quality|Superior|18:26, 23 August 2014 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

A '''corpse''' is what is left of a creature once dead. The corpses of vermin are called '''remains'''.

A corpse has several levels of decay, it will begin as "(creature or name) corpse", progress to "rotten (creature or name) corpse", "(creature or name) partially decayed corpse", and then to "(creature or name) skeleton", and will remain a skeleton indefinitely. If the creature had had parts ripped or cut off before death, the corpse will be described as "mutilated corpse" and "partial skeleton" in respective descriptions, and the parts (if still on the map) will decay into a type of bone depending on the part. A creature with parts that were pulped (i.e. exploded into gore, cloven asunder, torn into shreds, etc.) before death will be described as a "mangled corpse".

Letting corpses naturally rot is the only way to get usable bones from creatures that dwarves refuse to butcher (such as [[goblin|goblins]], [[elves]], and other [[DF2012:Learns|sentient]] creatures), according to their ethics (unless you modded the ethics). Cutting a live goblin up using serrated blade traps or throwing them down extreme heights (such they explode) will generate usable goblin bones and skulls. Already-dead corpses can be reanimated with the help of a [[necromancer]], or naturally if you are in any type of evil embark, and then dissected. Remains of vermin, however, simply progress from "(vermin) remains" to "rotten (vermin) remains" before simply vanishing.

[[Butcher]]ing a corpse produces quantities of [[meat]], [[prepared organs]], [[bone|bones]], a [[skull]], [[skin]], and [[ivory|nails/hoofs]], as well as [[cartilage]], [[nervous tissue]], and other byproducts. Body parts can be butchered, presumably for whatever tissues/organs were in the part. "Butchering" a skeleton produces only a skull, bones, cartilage and other non-decaying tissues. The corpses of very small animals, such as of [[raven]]s, currently cannot be butchered. Also, corpses of tamed (not stray) animals can't be butchered. Being "mangled" does not affect a corpse's ability to be butchered.

Rotting corpses will produce [[miasma]] in subterranean areas, but not above ground.

If a corpse of a dwarf is left unburied, it will cause unhappy [[thought]]s in surviving family and friends. The soul of a dwarf that has not been properly put to rest may [[ghost|return for vengeance]], which can lead to even more [[Tantrum spiral|Fun]].

Seeing body parts and corpses of sapient creatures can cause dwarfs with insufficient [[discipline]] to become horrified, leading them to canceling their current task and running away.

Corpses can be [[Undead|raised from the dead]]. This will occur in some [[Surroundings#Evil|evil]] biomes if the creature is killed inside an evil biome. On an embark location between an evil and a non-evil biome, corpses killed on the non-evil side will not rise. Corpses may also be raised by a [[necromancer]] into a slave, or resurrect themselves as [[mummy|mummies]] and themselves gain the power to raise corpses, though mummies will only be encountered in [[tomb]]s in adventure mode. Mangled corpses with pulped heads or upper bodies will never become undead. Severed body parts will be able to rise if they have either a grasp tag (hands and possibly other body parts) or if they still have a head attached, so it may be advisable to kill risen corpses with blunt weaponry to avoid swarms of body parts and to permanently pulp them to death. Corpses and severed body parts will not rise again if they have been [[butcher]]ed, their skin [[tanner|tanned]] and their hair [[spinner|spun into thread]], or if they have been exposed to [[magma]]. The zombies themselves will also be destroyed by magma.

Pressure

2015-06-15T17:01:54Z

Bcmpinc: /* Magma in a U-bend */

{{Quality|Exceptional|09:40, 18 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

{{Material properties}}
Dwarf Fortress features some pretty complex behavior in an attempt to simulate '''fluid mechanics'''. One aspect of this behavior is seen in the form of '''pressure'''. The basic idea here is quite simple - certain forms of '''fluids''' movement exert '''pressure''', causing them to potentially move ''upwards'' into other areas.

==Summary==
In Dwarf Fortress, contrary to what many people may believe, pressure is '''not''' a property of a body of liquid. Pressure is simply one of 3 rules by which liquids can be moved - the others are simple ''gravity'' (when the tile beneath contains less than 7/7 of liquid and it simply falls downward) and ''diffusion'' (when the liquid levels of two adjacent tiles are averaged, possibly pushing items around).

The following types of liquid movement follow the rules of pressure:
* Water falling downward into ''more'' water
* [[River]]/brook source tiles (whether the map edge or the "delta" where the river itself begins) generating water
** [[Lake]]s (surface or subterranean), [[ocean]]s, and the [[magma sea]] refilling from the map edge do '''not''' exhibit pressure
* [[Screw pump]]s moving water '''or''' magma

When a liquid is moved (or created) with pressure, it attempts to locate the nearest tile on the same Z-level as its destination tile (for falling water, this is 1 Z-level ''beneath'' its original location) by moving north, south, east, west, down, or up. As it tries to locate an appropriate destination, the liquid will first only try to move sideways and downward - only when this fails will it attempt to move upward. Pressure will not propagate through diagonal gaps.

==A demonstration of pressure using U-Bends==
A U-Bend is a channel that digs down, and curves back up. With '''pressure''' a fluid will be pushed up the other side of the u-bend. By understanding how pressure works in a u-bend you should be able to adapt this knowledge to use fluids in any configuration you desire without any unexpected surprises that could make life in your fortress more '''[[fun]]''' than anticipated. '''[[Water]]''' and '''[[magma]]''' both behave very differently with regards to pressure, so read carefully.

===Water in a U-Bend===
The key to understanding how high a z-level water will reach is to understand which tile(s) pressure is being ''exerted on''. Pressure will cause the water level to go ''as high as'' the tile upon which pressure is being exerted, but ''no higher''.

The following three diagrams demonstrate different ways water might behave in a u-bend. In all three cases, the water source is on the left side of the diagram and water is filling the area to the right. In the first example (Diagram A), we have water taken directly from a (flat) river used to fill a u-bend. In this case, the river is free to flow off the edge of the map, so the only pressure comes from the water tile on the top of the u-bend's left side (highlighted in green) falling downward (into the tile highlighted in red), so the water on the right side stops one level below the river itself, because even though the ''source'' tile is at river level, the ''destination'' tile (in red), whose height the water will reach because of pressure, is one z-level ''below'' the source tile.

In the next example (Diagram B), a '''dam''' has been placed, preventing the river from flowing off the edge of the map. In this case, the pressure exerted by the river source (highlighted in red) allows the water to fill up the remaining level of the u-bend. Use caution when placing a dam on your river. Note that this situation '''also applies on a map where the river is running into the sea'''. Rivers running into the sea are obviously not free to flow off the edge of the map, so the sea itself actually "dams" them.

The final example (Diagram C), demonstrates how a '''[[screw pump]]''' exerts pressure - in this case, the water fills up to the same level as the pump's output tile (highlighted in red).

With these three simple examples, you should be ready to go build your enormous plumbing masterpiece, and be relatively safe from any unanticipated flooding. If you plan to work with [[magma]] as well however, you should read further.

{|
! Diagram A !! Diagram B !! Diagram C
|- align="center"
| Undammed River || Dammed River || Screw Pump
|-
| {{diagram|spaces=yes|\
▓[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F][#080]≈▓ ▓
▓▓▓▓▓[#00F][#800]≈▓[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈▓
▓[#00F]≈▓[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈▓
▓[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓}}
| {{diagram|spaces=yes|\
▓[#00F][#800]≈[#00F][#800]≈[#00F][#800]≈[#00F][#800]≈[#00F][#800]≈▓[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈▓
▓▓▓▓▓[#00F]≈▓[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈▓
▓[#00F]≈▓[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈▓
▓[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓}}
| {{diagram|spaces=yes|\
▓ ÷÷[#00F][#800]≈▓[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈▓
▓[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F][#080]≈▓▓[#00F]≈▓[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓[#00F]≈▓[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈▓
▓[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈[#00F]≈▓
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓}}
|}

===Magma in a U-bend===
'''[[Magma]]''' does not exert pressure when ''it falls downward''. In our first magma example (Diagram A) we show how this works by creating a short u-bend and connecting it up to a magma pipe - it simply fills the lowest point and makes no further attempt to go back up.

In the second diagram (Diagram B) we see how with the addition of a single [[screw pump]], the entire situation changes dramatically - when the screw pump moves magma to the right side, it does so using the rules of pressure and allows the area to fill up to the level of the pump. Accidentally flooding your fortress with [[magma]] is considerably more [[fun]] than a flood of [[water]].

'''Diagram A''' '''Diagram B'''
Magma Pipe Screw Pump
Side View Side View 
▒≈≈≈▒ %%≈▒≈≈≈▒ %% = [[Screw pump]] (Pumps from left to right)
▒≈≈≈▒ ▒ ▒≈≈≈▒▒≈▒≈≈≈▒ ≈ = Magma
▒≈≈≈▒ ▒ ▒≈≈≈▒▒≈▒≈≈≈▒ ▒ = Solid Ground
▒≈≈≈≈≈≈≈▒ ▒≈≈≈▒▒≈≈≈≈≈▒
▒≈≈≈▒▒▒▒▒ ▒≈≈≈▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

==Advanced Pressure==
=== Lazy model ===
Pressure is a lazy model, but will ''always'' behave like above. For example, a system on z0 receives water from a cistern z3 in amounts of ~3/tick. This system consists of a tree of passages, one tile wide, and contains 'underpasses' on z-1. Water will flow into the system to a depth of 7 before coming up on the other side of a the first underpass, as is expected. However, if faced with ''two'' underpasses, it will choose the nearest one and fill all the system on the other side of that underpass to a depth of 7 before filling the system on the other side of the far underpass. Similarly, if faced with multiple exits from the system, the whole flow will flow out of ''one'' exit, the nearest lowest one.{{verify}}

===Waterfalls===
Waterfalls are of special concern. When drawing water from a waterfall it is important to understand that, since the water is falling '''on top of''' the river's surface, the pressure exerted when it falls down into the river will permit it to pass through U-bends that would normally not be filled when using a flat undammed river - if you tap into a river below a waterfall just as you would above it, you could very easily flood your fortress.

==Neutralizing Pressure==
There are three methods for neutralizing fluid pressure: diagonal connections, screw pumps, and active control systems. Knowing how to manipulate pressure as needed allows you to quickly move fluids wherever you wish in your fortress allowing you to build things a dwarf can be proud of. Note that [[fortification]]s do ''not'' neutralize pressure.

===Diagonal Flow===
Liquids moving via pressure can only move to [[orthogonal]]ly adjacent tiles. When faced with a diagonal gap, pressure will fail to move the liquid, forcing the liquid to instead spread out. By forcing fluids through a diagonal connection you can prevent pressure from propagating past a certain point.

This does not work on a vertical basis - water only travels straight up and down to different Z-levels, never diagonally.

If you wish to maintain the rate of '''[[flow]]''' after de-pressurizing, it's recommended that you have more diagonals than water tiles - that is, if the source is 3-tiles wide, you may wish 4 or more diagonal passages.

'''Top View'''
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
> > > ▒ > > >
4Z Pressure ▒ 1Z Pressure
> > > ▒ > > >
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

'''Side View''' 
▒≈≈≈▒
▒≈≈≈▒
▒≈≈≈▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒
▒≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈RRR≈≈≈≈≈≈≈▒ RRR = Regulator design as seen in top view
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

===Pumps===
Since water pressure does not propagate through pumps, it is possible to fill a pool from a "pressurized" source using a screw pump without it overflowing. Of course, there is a downside - you still have to run the pumps and due to the source water's pressure, the pump must be [[power]]ed instead of [[pump operator|run by a dwarf]], as the tile the dwarf needs to stand on is filled by water. Furthermore, the pump will likely need to be powered from above or below (as water would simply flow around a gear or axle placed next to the pump), though creative setups are still possible by using additional screw pumps to transmit power.

Your vertical axles or gear assemblies need to be placed above the solid tile of the pump, and there must not be a channel over the walkable pump tile. (Water can only flow straight upward, not up and to the side at the same time.) Multiple adjacent pumps will also transfer '''power''' between themselves automatically.

Side view

Power Water Key
↓ ↓↓↓↓↓ ▒ = Normal wall
▒▒▒▒▒▒║▒▒▒▒'''≈≈≈≈≈''' ▒ = Wall that pressurised water would flow into if it were to be dug out
▒▒▒▒▒▒║▒▒▒▒▒'''≈≈≈≈''' ≈ = Regular water
____▒║▒▒▒▒▒▒▒'''≈≈''' '''≈''' = Pressurised water
▒≈≈≈≈≈%%'''≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈''' %% = Pump
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒'''≈'''▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ║ = Axle
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ _ = Floor

Do note that the screw pump '''will''' still exert pressure when filling the pool, but said pressure will be independent of the source and can be subsequently blocked by diagonal gaps.

===Active control system===
An active control system can allow some water flow while preventing pressurized water from overflowing. Such a setup is significantly more complicated than the other two options, but it can produce controlled amounts of water at varying depths and pressures. While there are many different ways to set up a control system, a relatively simple example is shown below:

'''Side view''' 

▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒≈≈≈≈≈▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
8Z Pressure ≈ |≈≈≈≈≈| ≈ 2Z Pressure
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

Two doors ('|') are connected to a control system (such as [[lever]]s or a [[minecart]] loop). The control system is designed to only open one of the doors at a time. When the left door is open, the pressurized water fills a reservoir. When the right door is opened, the reservoir provides reduced pressure and limited flow. The cycling can be controlled manually (by pulling levers), or automated (minecarts, pressure plates, etc.). Throughput is limited by how quickly the doors can be cycled; [[pressure plate]]s normally have a 99 tick refractory period, but clever design can reduce that significantly.

==Hatches==
[[Hatch cover|Hatches]] can be placed over [[channel]]s, [[stair]]s, [[ramp]]s, etc. to prevent [[water]] from moving vertically but will still allow the tile to be used, even as a water source (and possibly still for fishing too). Note that the construction of a hatch over the input tile of a [[Screw pump]] prevents water from being pumped.

==Plumbing Schemes==
Using the information above, you can devise a number of ways to get the water where you want it be. The following schemes provide a starting point for beginners:

===Safe well===

'''Side view''' 

▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒X▒≈≈≈ <-- potable water source
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒X▒
w ▒▒OO▒
▒▒ ▒▒▒▒X▒▒
▒ ▒▒▒X▒▒
▒▒_▒▒▒▒X▒▒
▒▒ X▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

'''Pressure regulator, Top view''' 
▒▒▒▒
▒▒u▒ <--up stair (to water source)
▒d▒▒ <--down stair (to reservoir)
▒▒▒▒

Dig the up/down stairs ('X') near a source of good clean water (river, stream), and tunnel to the location below where you want your well. Make sure to add the pressure regulator ('OO') at the height of the well by digging another stairway diagonally adjacent to the first. Dig out the reservoir on the left side, channel down into the supply tunnel, and add a [[grate]] ('_') directly below the well (this grate keeps enemies from entering your fort via the well). Finally, channel a connection between the water source and your supply tunnel to fill the reservoir, and build your well ('w'). You can also build additional wells directly above the first, as long as you channel a clear path straight down into the reservoir.

===Pillar of pools===

Can be used to provide each level with a pool. A central 'pillar' of water extends all the way down and provides the water.

* ▒ = wall
* H = channeled out
* ≈ = water
* | = flood gate
* d = down staircase
* x = up/down staircase

'''Top floor, Top view''' 
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
H▒d|≈≈≈ <-- water tunnel (e.g. coming from a river or your cistern)
H▒▒▒▒▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

'''Top -1, Top view''' 
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒≈▒x▒H
▒≈≈▒▒H
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

'''Top -2, Top view''' 
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
H▒x▒≈▒
H▒▒≈≈▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

Obviously, keep the central block (with up/down staircase) aligned on each level. For lower levels simply continue alternating the -1 and -2 layouts.

Don't forget to add a lever and hook it up to the top floodgate so you can shut off the main flow if you're experiencing <s>flooding</s> fun.

You can also add additional floodgates on each level if you like:

'''z-1, Top view''' 
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
▒≈▒x▒H
▒≈|▒▒H
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

'''z-2, Top view''' 
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
H▒x▒≈▒
H▒▒|≈▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

== See Also==
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=32453.0 Hydrodynamics Education] forum thread
* [[flow]]
* [[river]]

{{Category|Physics}}

Template:Old

2015-06-15T16:56:48Z

Bcmpinc: Added "old" template to :Category:Warnings

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| style="padding: 0.25em 0.5em; width: 100%;" | This article or section may need to be updated due to recent changes. 
|}<includeonly>[[Category:Needs update]]</includeonly><noinclude>
This is like [[:Template:Version]] except for whole articles or sections. 
The use for which it was created was for articles copypasted from the old wiki.

Articles that include this template are automatically added to [[:Category:Needs update]].

[[Category:Warnings]]
</noinclude>

Using bins and barrels

2015-06-13T21:34:14Z

Bcmpinc: /* Barrel Reassignment */ Add method for removing artifacts from bins.

{{Quality|Exceptional|17:16, 3 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}
Ordinarily, each item or stack (e.g. ≡Dwarven Ale Stew [12]≡) of items occupies one space of [[stockpile]] room. You can consolidate stockpile space by making [[bin]]s, [[barrel]]s and [[large pot|pots]] that can hold many items at once. Barrels and pots store [[food]] and [[alcohol]]; bins can store many types of smaller items, such as [[finished goods]], [[metal]] [[bar]]s, [[ammo]], and [[gem]]s. Building a steady supply of [[container]]s helps reduce the space you need for storage.

==Food Storage==

Food can be stored in [[barrel]]s and [[large pot|pots]]. Each barrel can hold up to 30 total units of food; each large pot can hold up to 60 total units. Each unit in a stack counts towards the total storage.

Foods will only be stored together if they're from the same category. For example, dwarves will never mix plants and meat in the same barrel.

One thing to note about storing [[seed]]s is that [[bag]]s are required to put seeds in. These bags will then be placed inside the barrel or pot. Otherwise, the dwarves will end up with one seed per tile. Furthermore, as seeds will rot outside of a stockpile, you may find that your fortress is not getting seeds from the plants you're consuming when the food stockpile is full. Get your textile industry started early; you may want to avoid milling plants until it ramps up. [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=79168.msg2055095#msg2055095]

==Drink Storage==

[[Alcohol]] must be [[brewer|brewed]] into either a barrel or pot; container storage limitations are not enforced for brewing, so stacks of alcohol larger than 30 are allowed in both barrels and pots.

There appears to be no way to empty a barrel or pot containing alcohol, short of forcing your dwarves to drink the rest.

==Goods Storage==

Most non-food items can be stored in [[bin]]s; the quantity allowed depends upon the items stored. Each bin can store up to 5 [[bar]]s or [[block]]s, while 30 or more small [[craft]]s may fit into a single bin.

==Managing stockpiles directly==

It is possible to set whether bins can be used in a stockpile with {{k|q}} → {{k|C}}/{{k|V}}. For barrels, {{k|E}} and {{k|R}} are used instead of C and V. By default, bins are used for Bar/[[Block]], ammo, gems, finished goods, [[cloth]] and [[leather]] stockpiles, and barrels are used for food stockpiles. Also by default, the stockpiles that use barrels or bins to store other items will permit a barrel or bin on each of their spaces. You can override this by specifying the maximum number of barrels and bins that an individual stockpile is allowed to utilize, using {{k|q}} → {{k|c}}/{{k|v}} and {{k|e}}/{{k|r}} to decrease and increase the limits.

==Reserving containers for other tasks==

"Reserved Barrels/Bins" is a global setting that reserves a certain number of barrels or bins, preventing them from being claimed by a stockpile until they are filled by a Workshop that requires their use. This feature is most often used to ensure that a fortress has ample empty barrels for the production of alcohol, although empty barrels are also necessary for other jobs. You can change this setting in the stockpile menu {{k|p}}. If there are 5 reserved barrels, no stockpile will claim an empty barrel until you have at least 6 lying around. In this way you can ensure that jobs like making alcohol always have free barrels available.

In the case of barrels necessary for producing alcohol and [[dwarven syrup]], they do not have to be located on a [[furniture]] stockpile. This is because the "Store Item in <container>" task only looks at furniture stockpiles for available containers. Normal production tasks behave as mentioned earlier, they will just grab the nearest barrel. You can exert some limited control over this by setting a number of reserved barrels; however, you cannot set where these barrels will be.

Though it is possible to reserve bins, there is no advantage in doing so, as no workshop tasks require empty bins.

==Bin/Barrel Reassignment==

If you have a limited number of barrels and pots (possibly due to a lumber and stone shortage because you're playing in a [[Fun]] place like the tundra) and your food stockpile is using too many barrels and you need some for booze, or if for some reason the opposite is true, you can force the dwarves through a series of steps to have the barrels switch from one stockpile to another. Assume you have too much barrelled food and you need barrels for booze. First, designate a small [[Activity_zone#Garbage_Dump|garbage dump]] zone nearby. Then set the maximum barrel limit on the food stockpile way down--possibly to zero. Don't worry, the existing barrels won't be dumped as a result. Now view a barrel and then once inside, view each individual food item and set it to {{k|d}} for dump (but do not dump the barrel itself). The dwarves will take the food from the barrel and throw it into the garbage zone, and once the barrel is empty they will immediately move it to a furniture stockpile because the food stockpile barrel limit is exceeded already. Now you have a free barrel with which to [[brewing|brew]]. You can reclaim the food from the garbage dump now, and the dwarves will do what they can to store it. Be warned that this might end up being on the floor in the stockpile which could attract flies. Remember to set the barrel limit on the food stockpile back up to some reasonable level if you get your hands on some new barrels.

A faster way to dump the contents of a barrel or bin is to use designations. {{k|d|b|d}}, then select the barrels or bins you wish to dump. The container and all of its contents will be dumped separately. Then simply {{k|d|b|c}} to reclaim the items once they are in the dump.

This trick does not work on [[artifact]]s as these cannot be dumped. To remove artifacts from a bin, move the bin to your [[depot]]. As artifacts can also not be traded, your dwarves will remove them from the bin prior to moving the bin to the depot.

==Barrel and bin material==
Heavy barrels and bins slow down hauling, so it is wise to make them from light materials when possible. Even the heaviest types of [[wood]] are lighter than any metal (excluding [[adamantine]]) - the wood of [[feather tree]]s is the best of all. As an alternative, you can place small "feeder" [[stockpile]]s that disallow barrels/bins and link them to larger storage stockpiles nearby to greatly reduce the distance traveled while carrying a heavy container.

[[Metal]] barrels are supposedly better for food stockpiles because they resist [[vermin]]; unfortunately there is no good way to convince your dwarves to allocate metal barrels for food storage aside from using them exclusively.

The material of the container also determines whether the container is [[fire-safe]] and [[magma-safe]].

{{Farming FAQ}}
{{Category|Stockpiles}}

Stupid dwarf trick

2015-06-13T16:57:20Z

Bcmpinc: /* Journey to the Center of the Earth */

{{Quality|Superior|22:52, 11 September 2013 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

{{D for Dwarf}}

A '''stupid dwarf trick''' is any project that requires a large amount of time and/or effort. They may provide a practical benefit, but are frequently done for the sake of doing them. They exist primarily as a challenge for experienced players.

==Adventure Mode Fortress==


Build a fortress specifically for exploring in [[adventure mode]]. You can either make a nasty monster-filled challenge, or a smörgåsbord of masterpiece adamantine weapons and armor. Possibly both. Breaching the [[caverns]] or [[hidden fun stuff]] should ensure the fortress is occupied.

'''Difficulty:''' The sky's the limit.

'''Usefulness:''' None for fortress mode, but filling it with high-quality equipment can certainly be useful for adventure mode.

==Alarm Clock==
Are your soldiers all sound asleep while blood soaks the walls? No need to deconstruct their beds one by one, ''if'' you bought the Dwarf Wakey 3000! Simply a solitary floor tile balanced on a support, one or more can be toppled with the pull of a lever to produce an earth-shaking racket that'll have them leaping for their axes!

'''Difficulty:''' Low.

'''Usefulness:''' Limited. They'll sleep through <s>'''anything'''</s> the noise. Although they have been known to awaken when drenched in water, possibly due to thinking it's alcohol, making an alarm clock is not impossible, if carefully prepared.

==Alphabet Cages==
[[Image:Cage.gif|right]]
Use captured monsters in cages to spell messages.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Vowels are hard to come by.

'''Usefulness:''' Absolutely none whatsoever. (Easy reminders in case you're too lazy to use notes?)

==Altar of Armok==

Build a large altar made out of adamantine, clear glass, magma, and obsidian. The main altar should be hollow adamantine with clear glass "windows." It should have magma inside. The altar should be adorned with large obsidian spikes, as it pleases Armok.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium, raising with the amount(and respective difficulty) of bonuses you add.

'''Usefulness:''' Little to none, except for having a cool altar that you can use to WOW other players.

*Bonus: Guard the altar with a megabeast.
*Bonus: Cover the altar with blood of a Titan.
**MegaBonus: Cover the altar with blood of a denizen of the HFS.
***ArmokBonus: Build the altar in the HFS.
*MegaBonus: Cover the altar in a temporarily lasting strength inducing extract.
*BerserkBonus: Cover the altar in a nausea-inducing extract.
*BloodBonus: Also cover the altar in an extract inducing slow death.
**SychronizationBonus: Make it so that a dwarf that goes into contact with the altar dies the moment the strength runs out.
*SacrificialBonus: Sacrifice a dwarf to the altar every day.
**MegaSacrificialBonus: Sacrifice an elf to the altar every day.
**HistorySacrificialBonus: Sacrifice a human to the altar every day
***MegaArmokBonus: Sacrifice all three species to the altar every day!
*MonarchBonus: Build the altar in the monarch's throne room! Yes, this stacks with the ArmokBonus up above.

==Aqueduct Power==
If your river's a long way away from your fortress, building a trans-map axle may be less efficient than building an aqueduct and pump stack driven by waterwheels in the river. The pump stack raises it to the height of your fort, where it flows through the long, long aqueduct and drives waterwheels on the other end. Getting the water pressure just right so it powers your waterwheel without flooding the fort can be [[Fun]]. Diagonal channels make good pressure reducers.

'''Difficulty:''' High. Lots of stone, lots of engineering, lots of dangerous outdoor work, lots of trial-and-error for the receiving waterwheels. Aquifers will absorb any amount of water at any rate. Using an aquifer as drain for the reservoir will nullify the risk of flooding the fortress due to the drain not keeping up with the supply.

'''Usefulness:''' High. As much water and power as you want, wherever you want, whenever you want.

==Aquifer Power==
Aquifers can be a resource of immense power. If you have two levels of aquifer, you can generate a continuous flow by draining one level of aquifer into another and plant waterwheels above it. One stream can power a lot of wheels.

'''Difficulty:''' High. Anything to do with draining aquifers is very [[Fun]].

'''Usefulness:''' High. The lowly windmill pales in utility compared to a waterwheel.

==Archaeological Excavation==
A Fortress in the Caverns, built by the first dwarf tribes. Build the Fortress however you see fit for those prehistoric Dwarves (i.e. only primitive metals, elaborate tombs for the chieftains with burial objects, cave art, etc.) and abandon it. Then, embark with modern Dwarves, and excavate the ancient Fortress. Sort of like the Adventure Fortress above, only for Reclaim Mode

'''Difficulty:''' As High as you want.

'''Usefulness:''' Not applicable.

*Bonus: A Museum detailing the lives of those early dwarves.
*DwarfBonus: Some of those early dwarves frozen in a block of ice.
*FunBonus: Breach the HFS.
**MegaBonus: Do a cave in to the HFS after fighting it leaving multiple signs of battle in the fortress, to be dug by your modern dwarves.

==Artificial [[Waterfall]]==
To keep the waterfall going, you need a [[pump]] stack, preferably powered by a [[windmill]] or [[water wheel]]. Alternatively, an [[aquifer]], or other limitless water source, makes for a waterfall entirely underground.

'''Difficulty:''' Moderate (Low if there is an aquifer above pouring down).

'''Usefulness:''' Dwarves love [[waterfall]]s. Putting a waterfall in your [[meeting hall]] will give your dwarves good [[thought]]s, although it can significantly lower frame rate.

*Bonus: Build it in a "Warm" or hotter [[climate]] so it does not freeze.
*DwarfBonus: Build it in a freezing/cold/temperate climate and keep it going entire year!
*MegaDwarfBonus: Use [[magma]]. It does not freeze, even in a freezing climate!
*MegaDwarfBonusEXTREME+: Use magma and water in the same waterfall. The results will enshrine you in dwarf history! Possibly permanently.

==[[Ballista]] Battery==
Overlap a few ballistas to completely cover a narrow corridor. There is an unavoidable risk of your operators wandering into the line of fire.

'''Difficulty:''' Low. If you insist on highly trained operators with high-quality ballistas, it gets harder.

'''Usefulness:''' A complicated and dangerous way to defend a single corridor. Ultimately extremely effective. Sometimes.

==Bastion==
Construct an isolated burrow containing a farmer and some labourers, containing at least an uncontaminated well (an [[aquifer]] is great for this) and some farms. Use whatever elaborate mechanism you wish to seal it off from the rest of the fortress. Congratulations; your bastioned dwarves and their descendants will keep your fortress alive forever until one of them goes nuts.

* Bonus: Build your bastion at least in part in a clay or sand layer, add a little magma, and continue manufacturing useless crap even as the world crumbles around you!
* Bonus: Build it on top of a tower outside, and then deconstruct the stairs up.
* Bonus: Fill it exclusively with vampires, to avoid having to worry about food, children, and aging.
* MegaDwarfBonus: Hollow out a shell around your bastion, connecting it to the rest of the cavern by a single 1x1 adamantine support, and flood the shell with magma.

'''Difficulty:''' Low.

'''Usefulness:''' High. If your bastioned dwarves have high enough quality living space and few enough nonbastioned friends, it makes the fortress functionally immortal.

==Bathtub==
Stop dwarves from hauling in tons of exotic, poisonous sludges into your fortress by creating a tub filled with 3/7 water that everyone has to get through to enter the fortress. Include a system to change the water, so that they don't bathe in grime.

'''Difficulty:''' Moderate

'''Usefulness:''' Low in most cases. High in some evil areas.

* DwarfBonus: Make it drain and refill itself with clean water automatically once in a year.
* MegaDwarfBonus: Clean it with magma.
* *MegaDwarfBonus*: Have an alternative bathtub-buffered entrance next to the main one, which opens automatically when cauterizing the main one and closes and cauterizes itself when it is no longer needed, so that no jobs are canceled during cleansing cycle.
* ≡MegaDwarfBonus≡ : Make it clean itself with magma automatically once in a year, but make it wait for the moment when it's unused, so that no dwarves or pets are incinerated.
* ☼MegaDwarfBonus☼: All of the above, plus make it detect when there should be no dwarves or pets around, but invaders are in it, so that the cleansing cycle can be started prematurely.

==Bolt Splitting Operation==
One curious property of Dwarven Physics is that a bar of metal makes 25 bolts, but if each of those 25 bolts is melted separately, they will become 2.5 bars, generating metal from nothing. Prior to the update that allowed splitting stacks at the [[trade depot]], the difficult part was separating the stacks of bolts into individual bolts without destroying them. EliDupree originally discovered this trick:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|color=#888|\
∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
∙++++[#05F]☻∙+++++++++
∙+∙∙∙[#0A0]┼∙+++++++++++++[#BBB]╬[#BBB]╬
∙+∙[#F00]g∙[#0A0]┼∙+++++++++++++[#BBB]╬[#FF0]@
∙+∙∙∙[#0A0]┼∙+++++++++++++[#BBB]╬[#BBB]╬
∙+++++∙+++++++++
∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
}}

The yellow @ at the right is a stack of marksdwarves (all in different squads so that they'll stand on the same tile) equipped with [[adamantine]] bolts, standing on top of a stairway surrounded by [[fortification]]s. The blue ☻ at the left is a single [[Attributes#Agility|Perfectly Agile]] soldier with orders to patrol up and down the line of green doors, with little delays at the top and bottom. (The doors are free-standing; they were built attached to a wall, then the wall was removed.) The "g" at the left is a goblin standing on a pillar (pitted from the z-level above).

When the dwarf at the left runs up or down the line of doors, it opens all of them, and some of the marksdwarves loose their bolts. By the time the bolts get there, the doors have closed, so they hit the doors and fall into the channel, where they can be collected and melted separately. (That distance is exact, by the way. Any less and they sometimes get shots through the doors, which kills your goblin. Also, with less-skilled marksdwarves, some of the bolts will stray and land on the floors, but that isn't enough to worry about even with mere dabblers.) Naturally, this is also an excellent way to train marksdwarves.

Another design resembles a tower where marksdwarves shoot from the top, with the following setup: (click then press '<' and '>' to go through different z-levels)
<diagram>
<frame type="level" level=0>
[#7:0]
[%201][%205][%203][%203][%205][%187]
[%186]<[%204][%185][#5:1]g[#7:0][%186]
[%200][%205][%202][%202][%205][%188]

< 01
</frame>
<frame type="level" level=1>
[#7:0]
[%201][%205][%203][%203][%205][%187]
[%186]X[%204][%185][#7:1]O[#7:0][%186]
[%200][%205][%202][%202][%205][%188]

< 02 >
</frame>
<frame type="level" level=2>
[#7:0]
[%201][%205][%205][%205][%205][%187]
[%186]X+[#3:1]/[#7:0].[%186]
[%200][%205][%205][%205][%205][%188]

< 03 >
</frame>
<frame type="level" level=3>
[#7:0]
[%201][%205][%203][%205][%187]+
[%186]X[%186].[%186]+
[%200][%205][%202][%205][%188]+

< 04 >
</frame>
<frame type="level" level=4>
[#7:0]
[%201][%205][%203][%205][%187].
[%186]X[%186].[%186].
[%200][%205][%202][%205][%188].

< 05 >
</frame>
<frame type="level" level=5>
[#7:0]
[%201][%205][%205][%205][%187]
[%186]>+[#6:1]@[#7:0][%186]
[%200][%205][%205][%205][%188]

06 >
</frame>
</diagram>
The '@' is any number of marksdwarves standing on a down stair. You may want to use a defend burrow order to restrict them to that tile. The 'g' is a goblin or any other creature your marksdwarves will normally fire at upon encounter (pitted from 2 z-levels above). The 'O' is a well, which is suspected to be preventing dwarfs from plunging in and starting brawling with the creature. Marksdwarves will be able to see the goblin or whatever creature below and will loose all bolts in their quivers on them. Curiously, nearly all the bolts will fail to cross the bend in the middle and will fall onto the tile '/' where they can be collected. This disregards crossbow and archery skills and the only difference they make is the speed at which the bolts are split. This design has the advantage of taking less space and being easier to set up, however it is reported that sometimes the dwarves will not miss some of the bolts. If you are only stationing one marksdwarf in the tower, stationing another one may help the first one miss all of his bolts, even after the newly added one is then removed. Sometimes dwarves will spam job cancellation on the bolt collection level, and it is also reported that sometimes some dwarves will start firing when they are on the bolt collection level. In such cases you may want to seal the collection level off and open it once in a while to retrieve the bolts.

'''Difficulty:''' Moderate. The hardest part is keeping the system running reliably.

'''Usefulness:''' Moderate. While there are certainly [[Exploit#Infinite_Adamantine_.2F_Metals|easier ways to generate adamantine]], this is perhaps the most dwarfy.

*Bonus: Build a [[repeater]] to open and close the doors automatically.

==Break the Dam (Release the River!)==
Dam a river (or brook) using something non-permanent (floodgates, drawbridges) and build your fortress entrance in the now dry river bed, make sure you can seal it off nicely (floodgates anyone?) then wait till the first Goblin siege, let them get to your entrance floodgates, seal them, open the dam and laugh manically

'''Difficulty:''' Low

'''Usefulness:''' Instantaneous death to all sieges

*DwarfBonus: Use magma.

==Bridge-a-pult==
A bridge that raises under its victims' feet, flinging enemies away.

Bridges don't fling creatures in any specific direction, apart from "up". So it's more of a spring-board than a catapult. If there's a lot of open space above the bridge, creatures can get flung very high - ten z-levels and more - and take appropriate falling damage. Most of them will land atop the bridge, and bringing the same bridge down will simply crush them.

'''Difficulty:''' Fairly easy. Getting the timing right promises to be the biggest challenge.

'''Usefulness:''' There are far more effective ways to defend a fortress, but few are as entertaining.

===Cat-a-pult===
Essentially a Bridge-a-pult, with specific ammo.

'''Usefulness''': Can be used as a way to stop a [[catsplosion]] if used with male cats. [[Unfortunate accident|Cats can also be replaced with elite citizens of your fortress.]] 

'''Difficulty''': Very easy, given that you have live cats in your fortress.

==Corpse processing facility==
With the help of a necromancer, corpses your dwarves refuse to butcher can be brought back to life and re-killed to yield bones and skulls for your bonecarvers if they are mushed up enough.

1. The simplest way to do this is with the help of height. A 1x1 pit with a minecart stop that dumps corpses down the chute, and several alternating [[floor hatch]]es that close and open (linked to a repeater) with necromancers behind windows overlooking each layer of hatches to revive the bits of corpses. 2 windows with a mechanism controlled door in between, in front of each necromancer group can be used to control vision; but the system can only be stopped by unlinking the minecart dump to the refuse pile in your routes. Note: when I built this I had 3 hatches with 6 necromancers overlooking each (I had plenty of them since I embarked close to 4 towers). Revived corpses drop to their death and explode onto a tile with unright spikes linked (note that some of them will survive, so you need the spikes with a repeater or lever). The corpses that explode from the impact of height (or from other body parts/undead crashing into them) will hopefully yield bones. You make choose to re-haul up the body parts for another round, but only body parts still attached to a grasping part or the head will be revived, and this system isn't very efficient in the first place, so it may not be worth the trouble. Note that whole corpses usually yield 5-8 bones upon death (avg 6), arms only yield 1-4 (avg 2). You may also use this system with or without necromancers and pit live [[goblin]]s into it, they usually yield 6 bones and some body parts.

2. The second way is much more efficient than the first, but requires 1 or more [[artifact]] [[mechanisms]] to make it work. Instead of using height to kill the corpses, a weapon trap with an artifact mechanism and 10 serrated blades of any material can be used instead (since artifact mechanisms never jam). Only 1 necromancer is needed for this method, and is positioned 3 tiles away from the weapon trap, overlooking it behind 2 glass windows with a mechanism [[door]] in between to control its vision. Your 1x1 pit should still be 5 tiles deep at least though, to prevent dwarves being spooked by the revived corpses. When you're ready, link up the route to the minecart and watch body parts revive and slowly get mowed down. It's recommended you have more than 1 of these small pits set up so you can grind more corpses and clear out 1 pit at a time while the others keep grinding.

Note: To clear out pits, turn off all refuse stockpiles that accept anything other than bones and skulls by turning on "accept from links only" so your dwarves only haul out the bones and not the trash.

Note: Try to use raising bridges as the door for each pit, kobold body parts tend to get mixed into the grinders which can lock-pick its way out of doors and result in doors with "door taken by intruder" and a couple hundred zombie body parts overrunning your fortress from the inside (a.k.a fun).

Note: I didn't try this with many building destroyers, but I'm pretty sure the glass windows are safe. Fortifications are not usable since corpses and body parts tend to get tangled up in them and are hard to get out, and spook dwarves trying to clean out the pits.

*Bonus: Use water to clean out the contents of the pits and wash them onto a 1x1 refuse stockpile.

'''Difficulty:''' Hard

'''Usefulness:''' High, and becomes higher the more corpses you have; especially useful for getting something more out of necromancer sieges than just useless corpses. Can also be used to recycle dead stray animals and your own dwarves that your dwarves refuse to butcher (don't forget slabs).

==[[Dam]]==
Build a wall across a riverbed to stop the flow of water. Floodgates optional.

'''Difficulty:''' On a map that freezes in the winter, or an aquifer located below the river, this is easy. Otherwise, very difficult. (See [[dam]], or Moses effect, below. But with the bonuses it gets a bit harder.

'''Usefulness:''' Depends on how many bonuses you fulfill. The power station is obvious, and with the control room you could build up a nice defense system.

*Bonus: Excavate a reservoir and a lower river valley. 
*Bonus: Build a control center to control the water flow. 
*Bonus: Draw your entire energy from a power station within. 
*MegaDwarfBonus: Use screw pumps and another dam to replace the water with magma.

==[[Danger room|Danger Room]]==
A room full of upright spear traps linked to a lever or pressure plate. Teach your dwarves to dodge the pointy sticks!

'''Difficulty''': Low to Medium, depending on how you activate the traps.

'''Usefulness''': High. Trains combat skills very quickly, assuming you don't kill anyone.

'''Downside''': Civilians and pets that wander into the danger room will inevitably get killed, even if you use low quality training spears.

*MegaDwarfBonus: Menacing spikes greatly increase the danger, and may help train your medical team (and/or your coffin construction crew).
*MegaDwarfBonus: Use [[adamantine]] spikes! On the plus side, you have a thriving coffin industry going now.

==Day Care==
A room where you put all your dwarf children so they cannot be kidnapped by snatchers. Make a room with beds and tables and stuff, then turn it into a burrow, then add all your children to it. Remember to include a food chute to quantum stockpile a huge amount of food and alcohol on a 1x1 stockpile (so it doesn't rot) in the room. High quality food, furniture, and socializing should keep them happy. Note that the children will no longer be able to perform certain useful tasks like crop harvesting and deconstruction, and will not level up their skill in various professions like an otherwise vulnerable child, but this is a small trade-off if they usually get kidnapped before maturing anyway. This is probably obvious, but make sure this room is guarded, otherwise it will turn into a Dwarf Orphanage (with Goblins and Minotaurs welcome!)

'''Difficulty:''' Low. With the invention of burrows, you can designate the Day Care to contain all children, so it is unnecessary to use suicide-booth-micromanagement to contain the children.

'''Usefulness:''' Low. Think of the children, they will grow up and enter adult Dwarf life completely unprepared for the [[Fun|things]] [[Dragon|that]] [[Hell|await]] them, having spent their entire lives coddled in a safe room. They might make good nobles however.

*Bonus: Add dogs and/or other creatures on lashes to constantly bite and scratch the children, so their attributes will raise due to constant fighting and dodging. When they come of ages, you will have incredibly tough, strong and agile dwarves, but covered in scars and psychologically traumatized.
*DwarfBonus: Add a small amount of magma mist to mentioned above, that'll burn the fat and make them fireproof.
*ArmokBonus: Combine this with danger room.

==Doberman Bomb==
Whenever a dog or cat gives birth, stuff all the kittens and puppies in one cage in your entryway. Link this cage to a pressure plate beside it. Should your last lines of defense be breached, goblins will step on it and in the next instant be torn apart by dozens of goblin-seeking hostiles and distracted by dozens of surplus targets. The trap actually going off will probably be very bad for your frame rate.

'''Difficulty:''' Low to high, depending on the animal you use

'''Usefulness:''' Medium to very high, potentially fortress-saving

*Bonus : Train the dogs inside as war dogs
**DwarfBonus : Use [[giant badger]]s, [[tiger]]s, [[alligator]]s, bears, or anything big and aggressive when tamed
***MegaDwarfBonus : Use [[giant cave spider]]s, [[cave dragon]]s, [[blind cave ogre]]s, crossbow-wielding [[giant desert scorpion]]s, [[jabberer]]s or something really dangerous and rare.
****UltraMagmaArmokBonus : Use one (or more !) of the following list : [[dragon]](s), a [[bronze colossus]](es), a [[forgotten beast]](s) (bonus points for flesh-melting secretions), an [[undead]] [[giant sponge]], or the denizens of the [[Hidden Fun Stuff]].

==Drophole==
Imagine an execution tower, for rocks and pants. It's nothing but a very deep 1x1 up-down staircase for express service to the deptha. Designate a garbage dump beside the top and dwarves will pitch anything marked for [[Dumping]] into it.

'''Difficulty:''' Harder than it sounds, there's always snags along the way. Surprise caverns can cost you miners and tools. Hitting water can be vexing. Dumping and reclaiming things can be a chore. It may serve as an unintended highway for Fun of any liquid or airborne variety

'''Usefulness:''' It's '''far''' easier to drop ore 100 z-levels to the magma sea than carry it. You can use this to transfer items between burrows.

*Bonus: Minecarts can make this semi-automatic, fed from a stockpile.

==[[Drowning chamber]]==
'''Difficulty:''' Moderate.

'''Usefulness:''' You can kill prisoners, useless peasants, irate nobles, hammerers, untamable animals, or anything else. Just be ready for something that knows how to swim. Also useful for catching fishies.

*Bonus: Utilize lava.
*Bonus: Utilize trained fish.
*MegaDwarfBonus: Edit the raws and do both.

==[[Computing|Dwarfputer]] Complex==
A big mess of [[fluid logic|fluid]], [[machine logic|machine]], and/or [[creature logic|creature]] logic full of hatches, floodgates, gears, pumps, etc. and powered by waterwheels, windmills, or useless idle dwarves. Hook it up to doors, bridges, and traps.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium to high, depending on what you want to build. You'll want to build for very high water flow if you have more than a few fluid gates.

'''Usefulness:''' Your mechanics and architects will level up very fast. Manual pumps give something for your haulers to do<s> and makes them stronger</s> (in 31.25 only military work increases stats, I was really disappointed after 4 years of nonstop pumping only to see weak in urist description). Try and make a clock to trigger different mechanisms in different seasons. See if enemies actually blunder into your intricate traps. Watch all hell break loose as water freezes and building destroyers enter your computer.
*Bonus: Use lava.
**Doombonus: Use lava ''and'' build it so that building destroyers that enter the complex get killed by the mechanisms they destroy.
***SelfRepairingbonus: Use both lava and water and implement the building destroyer killing system, but modify it so it's self-repairing, filling up broken spaces with obsidian.

==Dwarven Apartment Complex==
Essentially, one of the many possible [[megaprojects]] dedicated to providing dwarves with rooms so high above the ground they get vertigo. Every floor must have plenty of rooms of at least 2x3 squares, with walls and a door surrounding this. Oh, and it has to go up as many Z-levels as possible. For extra credit, decide on what the top story will be (i.e. as many levels up as you deem possible, minus one so you can build a roof) and turn this into a Royal bedroom for a [[noble]], complete with gem windows, artifact/masterwork components, and untold numbers of armour stands and weapon racks. And then build some shorter but wider apartment buildings nearby to turn your fortress into essentially a giant fist with extended middle finger. Extra points for adding extra useless things for luxury, such as a magma-based heating system, fireplaces in rooms, and a lock-down lever in case of goblin attack. (or a self-destruct lever connected to the main supports, in case your dwarfish tenants are unsatisfied with your ☼5-star service☼).

'''Difficulty:''' Low, although the walls around the rooms can be a bit fiddly due to the impossibility of building walls on constructed floors (yes, an extra credit challenge is to do this without using Remove Construction).

'''Usefulness:''' Limited, because you could just dig the things underground and save yourself the hassle. However it is much harder to flood a tower than a cave, in case you're prone to fun by water. Additionally, if you have the time and resources to train a sizable force of marksdwarves, placing a few "security rooms" (with barracks, ammunition store, ration cache, armory, etc.) at appropriate floors, complete with fortified balconies, will allow you to take advantage of the higher vantage point.

*MegaDwarfBonus: Extend the tower to have levels below ground as well as above.
*MegaDwarfBonus: Make the whole construction out of clear glass. (privacy? Whatever for?)

==Dwarven Courtyards==
Dig large shafts [first dig the staircase to the desired depth, digging out the size you want the shaft to be on all layers. Channel the outer later, then install supports on the base floor. Link the support to a trigger, clear everyone out, destroy the remaining staircase and pull the trigger] then cover them in glass, creating an indoor but light area that will keep dwarves from being irritated and nauseated by the sun, also improving general happiness and allowing close proximity to caverns and magma.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium, make sure not to mess up or you will lose your miners

'''Usefulness:''' Medium. creates vertical circulation and brings light to lower levels.

*Bonus: Punch a large shaft through a multi-level aquifer (hint: punch through the aquifer from below).
*MegaDwarfBonus: Create a network of self-sufficient communities per shaft, allowing them to be sectioned off in case of disaster. (I plan on colonizing HFS eventually on this paradigm, creating a mining team of soldiers to extract, manufacture and ultimately use adamantine products without being connected to the main colony in order to take on the demons while keeping the rest of the burrow safe.)

==Dwarven Disco Ball==
Why waste all those cut gems on things that only some selfish noble will enjoy? Create as large a wall-less sphere as you can, then cover it in Gem Windows of 3 different-colored gems to make it shine! The bigger, and more valuable gems involved (e.g., [[ruby|rubies]], [[sapphire]]s, and [[emerald]]s, or colored diamonds if you're really masochistic), the dwarfier.

'''Difficulty:''' Constructing a sphere is very hard, especially the larger you make one. Gathering enough differently colored gems can also be very hard, depending on stone layers. Trading helps a lot.

'''Usefulness:''' Negative. More value can be created by encrusting furniture, and Gem Windows lack quality.

*Bonus: Alternating [[alunite]] and [[obsidian]] tiles to make a 'dance floor'.
*MegaDwarfBonus: Use lava contained in glass for illumination.
*UltraDwarfBonus: Caged "[[Elf|dancers]]".

==Dwarven Labor Camp (aka Dwarkuta)==
Create an aboveground walled fortress in a freezing climate with guard towers, barracks, housing, and armories. Dig a long ramp downward and add a large mining network below the surface. Make some small military squads to guard the camp. Designate the lower levels as workshops, and when migrants arrive, assign them to the mines. Give the workers minimal food and only water (no booze, booze is for the hypocritical decadence of Dwarkuta's leaders). Have them haul the stone and metal they mine back to the surface and ship the raw materials off to the Motherland. Import only food, booze, weapons, fuel, and other necessities.

*Bonus: Build the giant digging machines. They don't actually have to dig anything.
*Bonus: Go into the raws and rename the beverage of your choice to "Dwarven Vodka", and drink to the glory of the Motherland!
*MegaBonus: Escape. Wait for a goblin siege, then get everyone underground and block the entrance. Let the goblins in. Wait a few months. The goblins are now the guards you must kill.

Step 1. Secure the keys: Make improvised weapons. If you have obsidian at your disposal, make rock short swords.

Step 2. Ascend from darkness: Get your dwarves out of the mines and into the camp.

Step 3. Rain fire: Use your imagination. Try using magma, if possible.

Step 4. Unleash the horde: Attack!

Step 5. Skewer the winged beast: If the goblins brought a giant bat or other flying creature, kill it.

*Bonus: Use a ballista.

Step 6. Wield a fist of iron: Break open the armory and equip your rebels with armor and weapons.

Step 7. Raise hell: Exactly what it says on the tin.

Step 8. Freedom!

*MegaDwarfBonus: In Adventure mode, try (and probably fail) to lead the prisoners to freedom.

==Dwarven Refrigerator==
Dig down to the 3rd cavern layer and harvest as many [[nether-cap]]s as you can. Make them all into barrels! Nether caps have the unique property of being 10000° Urist, which is 32°F or 0°C. Now your dwarves can enjoy their favorite alcohol, cheese, and plump helmets chilled to perfection! If you've set your population cap very low in the INIT files, caverns aren't extremely dangerous, but you should still be on the lookout for nasties down there. Remember to wall off your entrance to the cavern once you're finished.

'''Difficulty:''' Low to Medium

'''Usefulness:''' Low. Booze stored inside will not perish due to heat if say, [[magma]] is dumped on it.

==Dwarven Machine Gun==
Build a high fire rate, minecart firing machine gun. Must be fully automatic, capable of reloading itself, and should not jam due to minecarts being disrupted by collisions or derailments.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium to high, depending on fire rate, reload downtime, and whether or not minecarts are filled with [[magma]].

'''Usefulness:''' High. A sophisticated minecart trap can keep out even the most persistent invaders.

*Bonus: Automatically reload minecarts with [[magma]].
*MegaDwarfBonus: Integrate the trap with a dwarfputer so that it can automatically send minecarts to where they are needed most.

==Emergency Destruct Stairs==
A tall column of stairs plunging all the way down into the underdark, with a one-tile wide area of thin destructible floor all around it. In case of subterranean invasion, a thrown switch drops a stone O straight down, ringing the staircase and neatly severing all inter-level connections at a blow. Does with one lever and one support what would take dozens of bridges or hundreds of retracting grates.

'''Difficulty:''' Harder than it sounds.

'''Usefulness:''' Sometimes... sometimes they fly.

==Execution Tower==
Just a tall tower to chuck your captives to their deaths.

'''Difficulty:''' Easy.

'''Usefulness:''' Lets you dispose of prisoners, and claim expensive silk, meltable iron, and (eventually) useful bones. Also highly amusing.

==Flamethrower bunker==
If your fortress happens to be visited by a [[dragon]], capture it in a [[cage trap]], then release it into a sealed bunker with [[fortification]]s around the edge. When invaders arrive, watch them get roasted.

'''Difficulty:''' Low, but requires a fair bit of luck - a dragon (or fire-breathing forgotten beast) needs to survive worldgen, then it needs to attack your fortress (instead of a giant/minotaur/ettin/cyclops or other megabeast), and finally it needs to make it to your cage trap without being killed by something else.

'''Usefulness:''' Medium. [[Dragonfire]] can kill almost anything, but will be blocked by a [[shield]] greater than 99% of the time. Adding a combustible floor (such as a paved [[lignite]] [[road]]) will significantly increase lethality for shield-toting targets. Also, any protective bridges in front of the fortifications may melt under sustained fire, leaving you with a bunker that ''nobody'' can safely approach; building the bridges (and mechanisms) from [[metal]] (or [[slade]]) will make them immune to the fire. Additionally, a skilled enemy archer can easily kill your dragon with a lucky shot if line-of-sight access is available.

*Bonus: Capture a fire-breathing [[titan]] or [[forgotten beast]] and use it.
*MegaDwarfBonus: Release the denizens of the hidden fun stuff and use them.

==Flood the World==
'''Difficulty:''' High danger. Will kill your frame rate unless you sink the world below water level (river or ocean).

'''Usefulness:''' Will prevent any sieges, at least. Or anything else, save for the occasional invasion of sociopathic [[giant sponge]].

*Bonus: Use magma, just like [[Main:Boatmurdered|Boatmurdered]].
*MegaDwarfBonus: Use trained fish to kill off all creatures not of your colony.
*MegaArmokBonus: Mod the game and do both.

==[[Live training|Gladiator Arena]]==
Station some soldiers at the bottom of a shallow [[Activity_zone#Pit/Pond|pit]] and dump your captives in. You can also use dangerous animals instead of soldiers. For extra points, put the prisoners in cages connected to ramps underneath the arena floor. One lever will open both the cage and a hatch above the ramp. Variant: build prisoner cages inside the arena, link to a lever outside the arena, lock the soldiers in, and then open the cages.

'''Difficulty:''' Low, but time consuming. Some danger depending on the relative skill of your soldiers and the danger of the captive. (If the prisoners have weapons, you can remove them by using {{k|d}}-{{k|b}}-{{k|d}} to dump the cage and its contents, then looking at and undumping the cages themselves with {{k|k}}-{{k|d}}).

'''Usefulness:''' Low to High, depending on how long your soldiers can draw out the execution. Equipping your soldiers with wooden training weapons can greatly increase the fun (and/or [[Fun]] if their armor isn't as good as you thought).

*Bonus: Losers get incinerated by Magma.
*DwarfBonus: Winners also get incinerated by Magma.
*MegaDwarfBonus: Use your arena as a "trial by fire" for migrants.

==Glass Ceiling==
Sick of having your dwarves vomit all the time when they go out to retrieve loot or lumber? Despair no more! Build an almost-infinitely tall tower, and then put a glass floor on the highest level, spanning the entire map. For extra kicks, make a mechanism that will crash the entire thing upon the heads of the one goblin horde that manages to get through all your other deathtraps.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Very grueling.

'''Usefulness:''' Low, but potentially fortress-saving. (see above)

*PoliticallyIncorrectDwarfBonus: Make it a metaphorical [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_ceiling glass ceiling] and give migrants and women less pay and poorer rooms.

==Greenhouse==
A [[farming|greenhouse]] is just a farm with the ceiling channeled out from above. This lets you grow outdoor plants without venturing above ground. For maximum style, build the greenhouse above ground and cover it with a glass roof to keep your farmers safe.

'''Difficulty:''' Low.

'''Usefulness:''' Medium. Surface plants can be grown at any time of the year, and some are more useful than those available underground - for example, [[sun berry|sun berries]] can be brewed into valuable [[Sunshine]], and [[whip vine]]s can be milled into superior quality flour. Having greater food and booze diversity can also keep your dwarves happier.

*Bonus: Give it a glass floor to allow surface plants even lower down.
**DwarfBonus: Utilize [[obsidian|volcanic glass]].

==Hammer of [[main:armok|Armok]]==
A gigantic hammer made out of pure steel and/or valuables looming over your fortress entrance ready to smite those foolish enough to lay a siege on you. Also gives you a psychological advantage over the traders who unload their goods under it. Attach to a lever-linked support for quick-smiting.

'''Difficulty:''' Low. Depends on size and materials, though. Make it a gold hammer menacing with adamantine spikes, if you're going for high quality.

'''Usefulness:''' Low-medium. 10x10 size is minimum for practical effectiveness. 30x30 attached to a handle extending from your entrance actually works against sieges.

* Bonus: Cover it with blood.
* MegaDwarfBonus: Make it hollow and fill it with Magma
* ArmoksMachineHammerBonus: Set up an automated system that allows you to reset it quickly. Obsidianizers and the magma sea will be your friends here.

==Human Fortress==
Instead of digging a fortress, build above-ground houses. Create walls to keep the nasties out. The only thing you may have underground are mines and stockpiles. Create a huge stone fort for your nobles.

'''Difficulty:''' High. Building stuff will cost you resources instead of gaining them and flyers can be a real pain. Keep several Marksmen handy!

'''Usefulness:''' N/A. (No cave adaptation)

*Bonus: Pave the roads between houses.
*HumanBonus: Dig a moat around your castle.
*MegaHumanBonus: Fill the moat with lava.
*SurfaceDwellerBonus: get the stone for your constructions entirely from open-pit quarries, i.e. by channelling instead of mining.

==Ice tower==

Building a huge tower is easy. To make things more [[fun]], make one out of some exotic material, like [[glass]], [[ice]], [[gold]], or [[soap]].

'''Difficulty:''' Low. You need to be on a freezing map to pull off an ice tower.

'''Usefulness:''' Depends entirely on you.

==Journey to the Center of the Earth==

Construct a sturdy vessel hanging over the top of a magma pipe or volcano, outfitted with everything your intrepid crew might need for their journey of exploration - food, booze, sleeping quarters and a bridge are a must, but depending on the amount of effort it can include other items such as a recreation deck, water reservoir and trade depot for dealing with the natives. When all is ready, lock the explorers inside and send them on their way. Bonus points if you can detach it from inside so you can use it in Adventure mode later.

'''Difficulty:''' Moderate to High, depending on the size of the ship. For bonus points, carve the entire thing out of existing rock overhanging a magma pipe and engrave it with messages. Burrows help to get the whole crew inside at the same time.

'''Usefulness:''' [[Cave-in|Negative]]. For some reason, no explorers have returned. Of course, if you select only the [[Nobles|Best and Brightest]] for the ship's crew...

*Bonus: Drop the vessel into a deep cavern
*SuperBonus: Make the outer walls, roof and ground floor completely out of glass, so that the explorers can watch everything around them.
*VampireBonus: Send a vampire with the crew!
*MegaDwarfBonus: Drop the vessel into a halfway-empty adamantine vein
*YouHorribleEvilDwarfBonus: Drop the vessel into the [[Hidden Fun Stuff]]!
*YouHorribleInsaneDwarfBonus: Drop the vessel into a glowing chasm.
*OhMyArmokBonus: When you arrive to the bottom of the magma sea, excavate and then create a new community under it!
**OhMyF****ingArmokBonus: Send supplies every year!
**IsThatEvenPossibleBonus: Send a piece of an aquifer down there to provide water! (Mine around a water-producing tile, build the ship around it, then send it!)
**≡MegaDwarfBonus≡: create a high enough tower and drop it into the magma sea to connect the surface and the undersea community!
***☼MegaDwarfBonus☼: create ''two'' towers and use one to send water down there!

==Single-Lever Emergency Lockdown (LEL)==

The only real requirement is that you need a fort based around a central stairwell. All you need to do is leave space for and eventually build 1*(length of your stairwell) bridges (that raise!) on each side of your stairwell on every level, and then link them all to the same lever. Friends get through all your best traps and champions? Simply pull the lever, and they're trapped in the central stairwell forever! Remember to roof off the entrance if your fort is situated on flat land otherwise the bonuses become much less useful. Also important is to ensure that you either wall off access or include sealable bridges or doors (linked to the same lever of course) for any inter-level paths that bypass the main stairwell, like vertical axles running out of centralised power generators.

3*3 stairwell setup:

{{diagram|1=
O[#6ff]╞[#6ff]═[#6ff]╡O
[#6ff]╥XXX[#6ff]╥
[#6ff]║XXX[#6ff]║
[#6ff]╨XXX[#6ff]╨
O[#6ff]╞[#6ff]═[#6ff]╡O
}}

'''Difficulty:''' Medium to High, depending on whether you use the MegaDwarfBonus below or not and how much you spread your fortress over the layers - although more spread means more usefulness. Extremely time-consuming, and requires architects, masons, and mechanics, as well as a lot of mechanisms (2 per bridge, ~4 bridges per level)

'''Usefulness:''' Medium to High, also depending on whether you use the Bonuses. With all bonuses applied it becomes a guaranteed last resort way of destroying the toughest enemies with minimal dwarven casualties; without the bonuses it's still a damn sight better than letting temporarily victorious enemies run freely about your fortress.

*DwarfBonus: Connect your cistern to the stairwell (remember to put a floodgate in too). Once the impossible-to-defeat enemies are safely trapped inside, Pull lever number 2 and watch them slowly, slowly, drown (VERY IMPORTANT: have the level of the cistern input at at least the same height as the level of the stairwell, else there won't be enough pressure to properly flood the stairwell, meaning nasties WILL survive).
*MegaDwarfBonus: Connect your MAGMA cistern to the stairwell. Laugh maniacally. (Remember to build your bridges and floodgates out of magma-safe material or a lot of !!FUN!! will be had)
*MegaArmokEntombmentBonus: Do both and cast your enemies in obsidian and boil the survivors in steam as a semi-permanent testament to their foolhardiness. This also means that you will have stairs cut out of lovely obsidian once your miners are finished making your stairwell usable again.
*MegaArmokEntombmentEXTREME+Bonus: "Forget" to pull the lockdown lever before you pull lever number 2.

==Maze==

A maze of twisty little passages, all alike. [[Trap]]s and dangerous animals are essential. You can have a retracting bridge drop invaders in, or just have a labyrinth as a back door.

'''Difficulty:''' It's a lot of mining. Having a bridge drop invaders inside is more difficult, but more useful. You can also use the free maze-generating program Daedalus, available [http://www.astrolog.org/labyrnth/daedalus.htm here] if you're too lazy to come up with your own.

'''Usefulness:''' It makes a nice element of fortress defense, and you can dump your prisoners inside it. Also makes a great place to explore in [[adventure mode]].

*Bonus: Generate a world with large mountain [[cave]]s. Instead of using the labyrinth as your backdoor, use it as your fortress.
*Bonus: Release a live caged [[minotaur]] into the maze.
*MegaBonus: Make it three-dimensional and [http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/maze/design/index.htm#uni unicursal].

==Magma Chamber==
'''Difficulty:''' Dangerous as any magma project.

'''Usefulness:''' It's like a drowning chamber, but any non-iron items carried by the victim will be destroyed. Depending on your style of play, this may be a good thing.

==Magma Cannon==
[http://www.bay12games.com/forum/index.php?topic=33837.0 It can be done!] It uses a row of pumps to pressurize the magma in a chamber with only one exit. When the floodgate opens, the magma flies out a short distance.

'''Difficulty:''' Very high. You need [[metal]] (or [[glass]]) [[screw pump]]s to make it work, [[magma-safe]] floodgates and mechanisms, plus a big above-ground construction.

'''Usefulness:''' Marginal. But very cool.

==Magma Highway==
Magma moves across the map annoyingly slowly, due to its thickness and lack of pressure. But a tunnel several Z-levels high, with magma entering at the top, will flow much faster because the magma's '''falling''' in, not flowing in, and can expand on either Z-level before falling down.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Not hard to make, but cutting open a multi-Z magmafall is [[fun]].

'''Usefulness:''' Medium.

==Magma Mausoleum==
This trick involves dripping water on to the middle of a magma pool until you have a column of obsidian, then channeling down into the obsidian ''more than'' one Z level, and putting a burial receptacle there. This probably won't work in magma tubes or Volcanos since the created obsidian would fall into the bottomless pit. The trick is getting the water to fall onto the magma in a controlled manner.

'''Difficulty:''' High. Requires certain resources from the start, plus lots of setup. And your dwarves tend to erupt into dwarf steam occasionally.

'''Usefulness:''' None, since an obsidian lined room with exactly the same furniture somewhere else will please your nobles just as much.

*Bonus: Put the coffin at least 20 floors down.
*MegaBonus: Build it in a volcano if possible, and put the coffin at the very bottom of the map

==Magma Sea Colony==

If you cast obsidian around the edges of the magma sea, it is possible to pump out the magma and build a colony in the empty space. Once the colony is built, you can destroy the obsidian walls and refill the magma sea. Note: you cannot cast obsidian on the bottom layer of the magma sea, so building a colony on this layer is nearly, but not quite, impossible (see below).

'''Difficulty:''' High. You need to get water down to each edge of the magma sea, and you need a pump stack to get rid of the magma.

'''Usefulness:''' None.

*☼MegaDwarfBonus☼: Build your colony on the floor of the magma sea. This will require draining the sea to the next-to-bottom layer as described above, then dumping enormous amounts of water into the bottom layer to crowd out the magma while simultaneously draining the magma from holes poked in the magma sea floor. Constructions can be built at the border between the water and the magma. See [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=128226.0 This forum post] for full, detailed instructions.
* Bonus: Obsidianize the entire magma sea, leaving a single spot to use as a source for pumps. Then proceed to carve your new fortress subsection out of this bounty.

'''Difficulty:''' Insane. The project will take at least ten years of dwarf time and claim many lives.

'''Usefulness:''' Low. You can finally get the last bit of adamantine when you drain the magma sea, and the magma sea floor has a cool twinkly effect.

==<s>Magma</s> Lava sprinkler==
Build a twisting <s>magma</s> lava aqueduct above the entrance to your fortress. Leave a few thin (diagonal) holes in it, so that lava can seep out of it. When invaders arrive, pump magma into the sprinkler. Diagonal holes will limit the rate at which the fluid flows out of them, ensuring a nice steady lava rain rather than a big wave.

'''Difficulty:''' High. Similar to magma canon, except with a bit more engineering, but less pumps and smaller reservoir needed (due to less magma being required for the same effect).

'''Usefulness:''' Medium. Like magma cannon it can obliterate a siege, but this time you can have a bit more control over how it happens. Lava rain doesn't depend on ground structure (your entrance doesn't need to be in a valley for it to work well) and leaves less magma to evaporate.

*Bonus: Cover the holes with floodgates or hatches and keep the lavaduct filled with lava rather than filling it only when using it.
*Bonus+1: Build the lavaduct in such a way that it starts raining on the outermost part of the area first, then goes inwards, to ensure that invaders who start burning can't escape.

==[[Mass pitting|Mass Cage Recycling System]]==

Build a [[mass pitting]] system to recycle your cage trap cages quickly.

'''Difficulty:''' Very easy. Requires basic digging and very little time.

'''Usefulness:''' Very. Keeps you from having to build cages before releasing monsters from them. With six hatches you can safely empty out 48 cages very quickly. You can build lots of cage traps without having to worry about emptying each cage individually.

*Bonus: Cover the floor of your pit with cage traps, creating a neverending cycle and giving your dwarves something to do during the long harsh summer when going outside is overly taxing on their stomachs.
*ConcentrationCampBonus: Combine with Pit of Doom below.

==[[Drowning chamber|Mega/Water Drowning Trap-Thing]]==
This is basically a channel above some pressurized water with a short tunnel leading to a door. The door needs to be connected to a lever somewhere in a safe part of the fortress. Position the door facing the main stairs into your fortress (for multiple stairs use multiple traps). When enemies come down the stairs, pull the lever and make them drown. (It helps to seal off the rooms).

'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Needs flowing water under pressure and levers.

'''Usefulness:''' Medium. Depends on the size of your fortress/defences/amount of attackers. Works well with fire creatures to create a sauna.

==Monumental Statue==
'''Difficulty:''' Depends on how big you want the statue to be. If you are feeling really masochistic, cast it out of obsidian using magma and water.

'''Usefulness:''' None.

*Bonus: Make the statue hollow and have dwarves live inside it.
*BestWayToGetRidOfStoneBonus: Make one for every dead dwarf.
**UberTombBonus: Use the statue as a tomb and put their coffins in it.
*Dwarfbonus: Give the statue magma eyes.
**HellNo,DwarfsYesBonus: Combine the magma eyes idea with the magma cannon idea above and place the statue just behind (and above) the entrance to your fortress.

==Moses Effect==
With enough pumps, you can pull water out of a square faster than it flows in. This can create a reverse waterfall, or a dry spot in the middle of a flowing river. The effect is like Moses parting the Red Sea.

'''Difficulty:''' Surprisingly easy.

'''Usefulness:''' You can use this trick to create a waterfall or drowning chamber. It is also important if you want to pass through an [[Aquifer]], although that is far more difficult. The same trick can be used in lieu of a drawbridge, although its practicality as compared to the drawbridge is highly questionable.

==[[Waterfall|Never Ending Shower]]==
Don't you get angry when your dwarves carry enough grime on them to dirty the entire fortress? And how they get infected because of that griminess? Suffer no more! With the Never Ending Shower (NES for short), dwarves will be able to stay (relatively) clean without having to take the time to run for a bath or dirtying your drinking water!

It is easy to understand: use the same instructions as in the Artificial Waterfall, but make it so that the waterfall is somewhere where the dwarves will be going through almost daily--a central stairway works well. It cleans them and gives them happy [[thought]]s for the same price!

'''Difficulty:''' Moderate to high. You do have to make sure that dwarves don't try anything funny, and create a drain to draw the dirty water out.

'''Usefulness:''' Incredibly high. Reduces risk of infection and keeps your dwarves happy.

*Bonus: Use an aquifer to get clean water AND drain dirty water.
*Bonus: Use levers to control the NES.
*SuperBonus: Make it work as a trap!
*SuperDuperBonus: Make it work as a trap AND as a recovery system!
*ArmokBonus: Make it so that magma can be poured down, too!

==[[Obsidian farming|Obsidian Factory]]==
You need one reservoir of water, and one of magma. Mix, cool, mine, and repeat as necessary.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium.

'''Usefulness:''' Obsidian is 50% more valuable than [[flux]] and 3 times as valuable as ordinary stone, making it ideal for your [[mason]]s and [[stone crafter]]s. Done properly, it can also serve as a magma chamber, a drowning chamber and even an obsidianizing chamber that can kill any creature that gets in (except [[ghost]]s and possibly [[vermin]]).

* MegaDwarfBonus: Make the system fully automated using [[computing]] principles.

==Pit o' Doom==
Combine with an Execution Tower for maximum z-level executions! Traps which menace with spikes are a must.

'''Difficulty:''' Low. You want it nice and deep though.

'''Usefulness:''' Dispose of prisoners, execute nobles, gruesome fatal injuries, laugh maniacally. If high enough, you may be able to recover [[bone]]s from creatures your dwarves refuse to [[butcher]].

==Pixel art stockpiles==
Arrange several stockpiles of similar items of different colors (gems work well for this) so the different colors make some sort of picture. Don't forget to set "max bins" to 0 on all the stockpiles so you can actually see the items!

It's probably also a good idea to forbid the items once they're in place, to prevent them from being moved later (and allow you to remove the stockpiles if you want.)

'''Difficulty:''' Medium; only tricky parts are (potentially) finding enough items of different colors, and keeping track of which colors are where before the hauling is done.

'''Usefulness:''' Low

==Pressure Washer==
A huge tower with floodgates at the bottom on one side. When opened, the pressurized water fires out and pushes anything in the way of the flow away. Depending on size, can be surprisingly powerful. You can see an example tower [http://mkv25.net/dfma/map-7485-griffonwind here.]

'''Difficulty:''' Medium, construction technique takes some consideration.

'''Usefulness:''' Medium-High. Tested in version 0.28.181.40d with 50 recruits standing in front of it when the floodgates opened, killed 46 of them, including ones not pushed into the pit.

* Bonus: Fill it with Magma instead (though Magma doesn't pressurize).

==Redesign the Fortress==
And when we says "redesign", we mean completely replanning and rebuilding the entire fortress, from scratch. Ever thought about a cool thing that you could add to your fortress, but can't because a critical area(such as the dining room, general-purpose stockpile, central workshop area etc.) are in the way? Did you start the fortress by building the most critical areas in the first available spot? Well, now is a good time to get rid of that! For added effects, put the sleeping areas especially close to the booze stockpile so that dwarves are always happy!

'''Difficulty:''' Varies depending on the size of the fortress.

'''Usefulness:''' Varies depending on how you carry it out, a. k. a. the efficiency of the new organization.

==Rehabilitation Centre==
Had any problems with dwarves charging brainlessly towards the enemy, getting slaughtered, and then starting a tantrum spiral that will destroy your fortress? Turn your prison into a luxurious room full of things that make dwarves happy. Add artifact furniture, beds, a booze stockpile, chains made of gold (or anything valuable,) a waterfall, creatures in cages, etc. Hopefully they will return to society as a happy, productive dwarf.

'''Difficulty:''' Low-Medium. Acquiring valuable items and setting up the waterfall can be annoying sometimes. Also you need guards to actually put them in jail. And it can be a real pain when those ungrateful sobs destroy the nice furniture you give them.

'''Usefulness:''' High. A tantrum spiral can quickly turn a productive fort of 200+ dwarves into a rioting fortress inhabited by a bunch of insane, miserable dwarves who spend their time punching people and breaking furniture. Don't let it happen to you.

* MegaDwarfBonus: Points for making every other dwarf drink water and sleep on cheap beds.

==Road of the Damned==
Create a giant channel filled with spike traps, 10 tiles wide and going all the way from your fort to the map edge. Pave it over with crystal glass so traders can get that foreboding feeling that'll make them seal the deal without bargaining too hard!

'''Difficulty:''' Low-mid, depending on the rarity of crystal glass.

'''Usefulness:'''Low. The same as a normal road.

* Bonus: Spike a goblin on every trap!
* Megabonus: Spike traders who annoy you on the traps!

==Sectorized World==
Divide the world edges into multiple sectors and then gate access to each one separately. This allows you to protect your fortress from sieges whilst keeping access to most of the outside world and allowing most traders into and out of the fortress (those unfortunate enough to enter the world from the same direction as the siegers may be screwed, of course). For bonus points, build separate gateable access routes for each sector. For further bonus points, design your fortress so that you can simultaneously allow access to traders ''at the same time'' as siegers are exposed to your defensive mechanisms.

'''Difficulty:''' Low, unless you allow separate access routes for each sector in which case high.

'''Usefulness:''' Moderate, increasing with each bonus you fill. Mostly for those who want to build the best possible defenses. Can also double as a means of easily trapping wild animals.

==Self-contained Vampire-based Factory==
Take advantage of the independence of vampires by building a self-contained factory. The best industries are those that require no special raw materials-- a factory containing both a magma glass furnace and a sand tile, for instance, would work well, as would a clay industry, but if you're feeling ambitious, consider building a vampire into your [[giant cave spider|GCS]] [[silk farm]]-- if you happen to have scored an [[undead]] GCS, your vampire won't even spook! You can treat your factory as a piggy bank to be broken into as needed, or for perfect fire-and-forget action, build a dropping [[User:Vasiln/Undump|undump]] into the factory, and the vampire will deliver the output to your front door.

'''Difficulty:''' The only hard part is getting yourself a [[vampire]].

'''Usefulness:''' Depends on how many green glass blocks you plan on using.

==Self Destruct Lever==
A mechanism that, for example, could flood your fort with magma, or release a trapped megabeast. For bonus points, build the whole fort on a single [[support]].

'''Difficulty:''' Very high. Extremely fun.

'''Usefulness:''' Could serve as kind of a last revenge on a goblin siege, but also highly amusing. If done properly it can make reclaim easier.

* DorfBonus: Make it have a timer before your fortress self-destructs. You can do this with a water channel, or if you're particularly technical, make a [[Computing|seven segment display]].
** For bonus Dwarfy-ness, make the timer be the depth number of the magma or water that will actually trigger your fortress' destruction.
* Bonus: Build your fortress high above ground, connect the fortress to a roof through just one support and have the system, when activated, drop the whole construction into the magma sea, destroying the whole thing permanently.

==Shark Catcher==
Capture of [[Bull shark|sharks]] or [[Carp|other]], [[Sturgeon|dangerous fish]] achieved by making an artificial bay, filling it with [[Cage trap|cage traps]], opening the floodgate to the sea or river and some sort of drainage system, likely pumps and/or floodgates.

'''Difficulty''': Low to Medium as drowning while setting up is very possible with bad planning.

'''Usefulness''': Low, purely aesthetic, but very cool to have a shark infested moat (Potentially kills invaders).

==[[Silk farming|Silk Farming]]==
Capture a web-slinger (generally a [[giant cave spider]]) and build a farm to efficiently harvest its [[silk]].

'''Difficulty''': Low to Medium; the hardest part is generally catching the web-spinner.

'''Usefulness''': Medium to High. Provides an endless supply of potentially-valuable [[silk]] cloth and rapidly [[cross-training|cross-trains]] [[weaver]]s.

==Steamed Vegetables==
Make a pot and drop <s>elves</s> vegetables in from about three levels up. This makes it so the vegetables do not <s>run</s> get overcooked. Proceed to bask the vegetables in [[steam]].

'''Difficulty''': Medium. Can be annoying to boil some water.

'''Usefulness''': Great way to make friends with the merchants.

*MegaDwarfBonus: Add <s>goblins</s> seasoning.
*ArmokDoubleBonus: Use [[magma mist]].

==[[Swimming]] pool==
It's a reservoir that fills to 4/7 exactly. Station soldiers inside, lock them in, and fill. This way they gain [[swimming]] skill.

'''Difficulty:''' Low. It's just a pair of reservoirs.

'''Usefulness:''' The swimming skill is only slightly useful. This is most useful if the entrance to your fort has narrow walkways/moats surrounded by water, and you station your soldiers there. It does help gain attributes though. Though if you utilize a '''H'''ydraulic '''E'''levation and '''L'''owering '''P'''latform, this is a priceless necessity.
[[Image:Swim track 0.png|thumb|right|250px|A large swimming track]]
==[[Swimming#Minecart_training|Swimming track]]==

A [[minecart]] ride that trains [[swimming]] safely and automatically.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Minecart tracks can be fiddly, and adding a non-traversable depth of water makes any mistakes more difficult to fix.

'''Usefulness:''' Medium. The swimming skill is only slightly useful, but it does provide [[cross-training]] for attribute gains.

==[[Tree farming|Underground Forest]]==
Break into an underground cavern, make some muddy floors over a big area and wait.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium - need to dig out a suitably large area, then find a way of introducing water to the area and subsequently draining or evaporating it.

'''Usefulness:''' Depends on size (bigger is better) as well as proximity to wood stockpiles. A tree farm outside the caverns can grow trees from all 3 layers, and you'll never have to worry about hostile creatures threatening your wood cutters.

==Underground Perpetual Motion Power Plant==
Combine with a use for the power and you either have an awesome setup, or a ticking time bomb.

'''Difficulty:''' High. Maintaining the correct water level is annoying difficult at times. Note: Incredibly easy with an aquifer.

'''Usefulness:''' Depends on size of plant and what it's connected to. Also useful as a puzzle for adventurers.

==Underwater Statue room==
A simple room filled with statues that just also happens to be flooded. Simply dig a room near to a water source smooth and engrave the walls and floors than fill with statues. Dig a tunnel to the water source and a separate escape route. seal both off with floodgates pull the levers in the right order and bam! underwater statue room. For added effect make the meeting room a room directly above with a glass floor.

'''Difficulty:''' Low.

'''Usefulness:''' Absolutely positively none.

*Bonus: Build it on area with trees and shrubs; make walls from ice or use windows; fill it with fish and merfolk; now you'll get a big aquarium
*Note: It doesn't count if you accidentally flood your fortress and wind up with one of these. It does count if one of your nobles has an unfortunate accident in their sculpture garden.

==U.R.I.S.T. Artificial Intelligence==
Basically, a dwarf in a bunker that controls your fortress. Being that there are no supercomputers in DF at the moment, we'll have to use the closest substitute, a dwarf. Seal your dwarf in a room full of levers that activate various floodgates, bridges, doors, hatch covers, traps, etc. Make sure this room has no exits or entrances, but it needs a luxurious bedroom and dining area, and you must include a chute for dropping in <s>food</s> biomass and <s>alcohol</s> coolant fluid. Profile the levers so that they can only be used by the A.I. dwarf.

It would be a good idea to make the system into two rooms. The food/drink/bed room and the lever room. Should you need to add more levers, you can lock the A.I. dwarf outside the lever room and have your mechanics set up more levers without interacting with or releasing the A.I.

You can make the lodging room suited for the particular dwarf by adding furniture made from their favorite materials, and smoothing and engraving everything. Use quantum stockpiling to give them 10+ years of food and drink. Make sure the A.I. is unable to communicate with other dwarves. His/her mood must not be affected by the deaths of the walking meat-bags who tried to befriend him/her.

In order to ensure that your A.I. doesn't find sleep interfering with crucial lever pulling, you might consider incorporating an alarm clock. If a goblin siege turns up on your doorstep, a single external lever to dump 7/7 of water on the sleeping A.I. might well save your fortress (and is so much cooler than having backup levers in your meeting hall).

You must also make a snazzy/lame acronym name for your AI, here are some examples:
*A.R.M.O.K. - '''A'''ll-'''R'''eaching '''M'''achine '''O'''f '''K'''illing
*A.S.S. - '''A'''lmost-autonomous '''S'''ystems '''S'''elector
*C.A.T. - '''C'''reepy '''A'''utonomous '''T'''echnology
*D.E.E.P.E.R. - '''D'''warf of '''E'''ngineering the '''E'''ldritch and '''P'''ractical '''E'''xploitation of '''R'''esources''
*D.I.E.D. - '''D'''edicated '''I'''rrigation and '''E'''verything else '''D'''warf(s)
*D.O.M.E.S. - '''D'''warf '''O'''perated '''M'''echanics and '''E'''ngineering '''S'''ystem
*D.O.R.F. - '''D'''oes '''O'''rders '''R'''ather '''F'''ast
*D.O.S. - '''D'''warf '''O'''perating '''S'''ystem
*D.W.A.R.F. - '''D'''rains '''W'''ater '''A'''nd '''R'''ecruits '''F'''armers
*G.L.A.D.O.S. - '''G'''enetic '''L'''ifeform '''A'''nd '''D'''warf '''O'''perating '''S'''ystem
*H.A.L. - '''H'''airy '''A'''lternate '''L'''ifeform
*M.A.G.M.A. - '''M'''assively '''A'''lcoholic '''G'''ear-'''M'''achine '''A'''ssembly
*N.O.B.L.E. - '''N'''arcissistic '''O'''bnoxious '''B'''oastful '''L'''aughable '''E'''xcrement
*P.O.T.A.T.O. - '''P'''ossibly '''O'''rganic '''T'''echnically '''A'''live '''T'''rash '''O'''mitted
*U.R.I.S.T. - '''U'''nderground '''R'''easonably '''I'''ntelligent '''S'''ettlement '''T'''echnologist
*V.A.C.A.T.E.D. - '''V'''ampire '''A'''ssisted '''C'''omputerized '''A'''ssembly '''T'''errorizes '''E'''xtra-'''D'''warves
*V.O.D.A.P.H.O.N.E. - '''V'''ampire '''O'''perated '''D'''efence '''A'''pparatus, '''P'''erpetrating '''H'''arm '''O'''f '''N'''efarious '''E'''ntities (See Bonus for more information)


'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Setting up all the levers and lodgings can be a micromanagement hassle. Further research is required as to how well the A.I. will fit into a dwarven economy.

'''Usefulness:''' High. Having a dwarf dedicated to pulling levers will ensure that they are pulled on time. Additionally, you will have a constantly-ecstatic dwarf who is virtually invulnerable to all threats. Should your fortress be slaughtered by invaders or drowned by flooding or tantrum spiraled, your fortress will be preserved until more migrants arrive, or the AI runs out of food.

Bonus: Make the A.I. dwarf a vampire. Vampires don't need food, alcohol, or sleep and cannot age, which makes them perfect for the job. As an added bonus, keeping a vampire in this way will make your fortress completely indestructible, as sealing him in will prevent the possibility of the vampire of being killed in combat or from a syndrome, while keeping the vampire from making friends he will inevitably outlive will prevent him from going insane. (It also ensures that the bloodsucker won't use any of your dwarves as a midnight snack.) NOTE: Vampires may still go insane without any blood. Might be worth considering adding on a 3rd "feeding chamber" where you assign an unfortunate victim to sleep whenever the vampire gets hungry.

===D.O.S.T.N.G.O.S.P.===

Dwarven Organic Switch Toggle, Neutered Gastrectomied Overpersistent Sober Prisoner. Goblins have several advantages over dwarves in the lever pulling department: they live forever, do not breed or tantrum, and need not eat, drink, or sleep. Seal one or more goblins in your supercomputer complex, and use their predictable pathing in combination with instantly lockable doors and pressure plates to make dwarven lever pulling a thing of an older, less advanced era.

Also known by several product names:
*G.O.B.L.I.N.A.T.O.R. - '''G'''oblin '''O'''perated '''B'''astion of '''L'''ogic to '''I'''nfalliably '''N'''eutralize '''A'''ntiquated '''T'''ypes of '''O'''perational '''R'''egimes
*N.G.O.K.A.N.G. - '''N'''efarious '''G'''oblin '''O'''f '''K'''illing '''A'''nd '''N'''eedless '''G'''riping
*S.T.O.Z.U. - '''S'''ecret '''T'''echnological '''O'''perative who '''Z'''aps '''U'''nruly Nobles

'''Difficulty:''' Medium. While goblin pressure plate runners require more space than dwarven lever pullers, once their room is set up, it's done, and easily copied for the next one. With only one goblin, you'll need a pressure plate for every possible combination of lever states, but it's easy to add more goblins instead.

'''Usefulness:''' High. Instant response time (<50 ticks is possible) can make lever worries a thing of the past. The D.O.S.T.N.G.O.S.P. requires absolutely no maintenance once set up. Unlike with the U.R.I.S.Ts of the previous generation, modern POW-based computing is never held hostage to eating, drinking, or breaks. Stay tuned for the next-generation C.A.C.A.M.E.!

==Vomitorium==
[[Image:Vomit_Trail.png‎|thumb|right|Vomitoria: preventing cave adaptation since [[23a:Vomit|23a]].]]

Prevents [[cave adaptation]]. It's like the greenhouse, only instead of a farm, it's a [[meeting hall]] or [[barracks]]. Since you can't build [[table]]s or [[bed]]s outside, build the room and [[channel]] down to it. Variant: above-ground statue garden or zoo.

'''Difficulty:''' Low.

'''Usefulness:''' Low. Make sure to wall the pit in or it will become very [[Fun]] once [[goblin]] archers become involved.

==Watervator==
By creating a vertical "'''H'''ydraulic '''E'''levation and '''L'''owering '''P'''latform" chamber, or HELP (so named for the cries of the passenger dwarf) with lever controlled water levels, you can move a dwarf up several z-levels without any stairs. All it takes is the dwarf's ability to swim up to the surface of the water to breathe.

'''Difficulty:''' Medium. Moderate possibility of Fun by way of flooding your fortress. Any dwarves that can't swim will instead experience Fun when using the Watervator. The actual construction time and resource usage is very low. Using the Watervator often leads to unhappy thoughts about drowning

'''Usefulness:''' Low to Medium. The Watervator requires manual micromanaging, while stairs do not. On the other hand, it can be used to create a pathway that most <s>Dwarves</s> enemies will simply be unable to use. Those that can would still be doing so at great risk of drowning or falling to their death. It is recommend that with the exception of the entrance you use stairs.

*Bonus: Utilize vampires (who can't drown).
*MegaDwarfBonus: Utilize trained fish.
*MegaDwarfBonus: Engineer it so that it performs a full cycle on one activation of a pressure plate and include that pressure plate as a part of the patrol route, then create a reverse Watervator and also include it as a part of same patrol route, so that your militia automatically uses it to get in and out the fortress.

==Werewolf Clock==
The changing of the werewolf is the most reliable indicator of the passing of seasons. For precisely one day per full moon, he will go berserk and trigger standard pressure plates.
'''Difficulty:''' You will get a were sooner or later. Getting him pitted in the right spot without havoc is the hard part.
'''Usefulness:''' Low.
*Bonus: Make the werewolf do most of the work himself.

==Zombie Thunderdome==
Embark in a [[surroundings#Evil|reanimating]] biome in the current version (preferably savage as well), find or dig a deep pit, and dump any unused (non-dorf) corpses and butchery products into it. They will animate and begin to walk around, providing you with the endless entertainment afforded by watching horse hair walk. Make sure the pit is deep enough not to scare your dwarves!

'''Difficulty:''' Low.

'''Usefulness:''' Medium. Keeping your fort safe from the threat of animated beak dog beaks is worth any price. However, [[DF2012:Defense guide|there may be better things]] [[DF2012:Mega construction|to do with your time]].

*Bonus: Set up a series of [[bridge|defenses]] that drop invaders into the pit.
*DwarfBonus: Set up a series of bridges and walls that flings invaders into the pit.
*MegaDwarfBonus: Drop a Megabeast into the pit and watch it do battle with multiple layers of undead.

==Zombie Shooting Gallery==

In a reanimating biome, build a holding room for your undead, wall it off with fortifications. In the adjacent (accessible) area, build an archery range and order your archery squads to train there. Your marksdwarves will go to their scheduled archery training and whenever a zombie is raised, they'll switch focus from the boring old archery target and instead shoot down the undead. Once the zombies are dead, they'll return to regular shooting practice until the corpses rise again. The raised corpses cannot attack through fortifications and thus cause no unhappy thoughts from seeing them, but will spook haulers trying to collect errant socks from the shooting range.

'''Difficulty:''' Low. The difficulty lies in finding a source of permanent undead, the actual construction is trivial.

'''Usefulness:''' Medium. This setup significantly increases the skill gain from bolts used by training dwarves, since every bolt shot at a zombie counts as combat action, giving much more experience. The scheme works without any supervision once set up.

{{Category|Design}}

Platinum

2015-06-12T17:35:58Z

Bcmpinc:

{{Quality|Superior|23:33, 27 April 2013 (UTC)}}
{{Metal|name=Platinum|color=7:7:1
|uses=
* [[Metalsmith's forge|Metal crafting]]
|ore=
* [[Native platinum|Platinum nuggets]]
|properties=
* [[Material value]] 40
* [[Magma-safe|Magma safe]]
* [[Melting point]] 13182
* [[Boiling point]] 16885
* [[Solid density]] 21400
* Liquid [[density]] 19770
}}{{av}}

'''Platinum''' is a rare and extremely valuable [[metal]], second only to [[adamantine]] (and tied with [[aluminum]]). Platinum is magma-safe and is significant for being the heaviest metal, making it the best material for [[artifact]] impact [[weapon]]s.

{{gamedata}}
{{metals}}

Soap

2015-06-12T16:34:46Z

Bcmpinc: Added bugs section

{{Quality|Superior|02:43, 19 August 2014 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

'''Soap''' is a particularly useful type of [[bar]] used for [[clean self|personal cleaning]], which increases happiness ("recently took a soapy bath") and lowers the chances of an [[Health care|infection]] in case they are [[wound]]ed, and for cleaning [[wound]]s in [[hospital]]s, preventing infections from developing. It is thus a vital commodity in dwarven [[health care]], and one not traded in [[caravan]]s: you're going to have to make some soap yourself.

== Manufacture ==

Soap is made of two components, [[lye]] and fat (either [[tallow]] or [[oil]]), and requires a dedicated workshop, the [[soap maker's workshop]]. It has a somewhat complicated production process; lye must be produced at an [[ashery]] from [[ash]], which in turn must be created at a [[wood furnace]] from [[wood]] logs that must first be [[woodcutting|cut down]]. [[Tallow]] is rendered from [[fat]] from butchered [[creature|animal]]s at a [[kitchen]], requiring either [[Meat industry|livestock]] or [[hunting]] activities, while oil must be [[pressing|pressed]] from seeds or rock nuts at a [[screw press]], which first requires [[plant gathering|gathering]] up or [[farming|growing]] [[crop]] and then processing them at the [[farmer's workshop]]. One unit of tallow or oil plus one of lye creates a single bar of finished soap.

{{/flowchart}}

== Hygiene ==

Dwarves do not require soap to clean [[contaminant]]s such as mud and blood from themselves - if necessary, they will use murky pools, artificial pools of water, brooks, or a [[well]]. However, using soap will often generate the happy [[thought]] "recently took a soapy bath". It is possible to construct bath-houses (rooms containing pools of water, a soap stockpile, and perhaps a few nice statues) so dwarves living deep underground need not venture to dangerous cave pools or surface brooks to clean off a little mud or bloodstain. For cleaning wounds and preventing infection after [[surgery]], however, [[hospital]]s should be kept stocked with a small amount of soap. Soap will get used up as dwarves wash themselves; the current rate seems to be 1/10 a bar per washing, so each bar lasts quite a while.

Dwarves have an internal "dirtiness" level, which gets lowered when they have a bath, lowered further when they have a soapy bath and slowly builds up over time. This "dirtiness" value is connected to the chance of getting an infection if the dwarf is injured, making soap useful as a preventative as well as treatment.

Soap is stored in bar/block stockpiles with the "soap" option enabled.

A convenient way to keep an emergency stockpile of soap is to use it as a building material for workshops or constructions such as walls. When/if you need more soap, you can deconstruct and get the soap bars back. Since soap in a hospital is reserved for hospital use, this is especially useful in case you start to produce soap before setting up a hospital.

== Trade value ==

Soap has no quality modifiers when it is created and as a "bar" has a rather moderate base item value of 5☼, only adjusted by the material value modifier of the tallow (1 for most animals) or oil (5 for all oils) used in production. The resultant trade prices thus range from 5☼ (tallow soap from ordinary animals) and 25☼ (plant oil soaps) to 75☼ (dragon tallow soap) per bar. Since most oils require three separate jobs to create ([[plant processing]], [[milling]] and [[pressing]]) and soap requires another three jobs ([[wood burning]], [[lye making]] and finally [[soap making]]), producing soap for export doesn't make economical sense.

NOTE: Buckets of Lye stored inside pots do not appear usable to Soap Maker Workshops. Remove the Buckets of Lye from the pots, and then you will be able to make soap. To avoid this, try disabling bins/barrels on a lye-only stockpile taking from your lye ashery.

{{Translation
| dwarven = uben
| elvish = dathe
| goblin = snubez
| human = kamven
}}

== Bugs ==

* There is a bug that prevents soap creation when lye buckets are stored in barrels.{{bug|8660}}

{{Industry}}
{{Category|Healthcare}}
{{Category|Materials}}

Soap/flowchart

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Bcmpinc: Add milling seeds and olives

{| cellspacing="0" align="center" style="float:right; margin:0 0 15px 30px; width:100%;"
|-
!colspan=15|Soapmaking procedure
|-
|
|-
|width=50|
|width=1|
|width=50|
|width=5|
|width=50|
|width=1|
|width=50|
|width=5|
|width=50|
|width=1|
|width=50|
|width=5|
|width=50|
|width=1|
|width=50|
|-
{{Flowchart Box|Chop [[wood]]}}
|colspan=1|
{{Flowchart Box|[[Butcher]] an animal}}
|colspan=1|
{{Flowchart Box|[[Miller|Mill]] [[seed]]s with a [[quern]] or [[millstone]]}}
|colspan=1|
{{Flowchart Box|Press [[oil]] from [[olive]]s ([[fruit]]) in a [[screw press]]|3}}
|-
|colspan=1|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|colspan=3|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|colspan=3|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|colspan=5|
|-
{{Flowchart Box|Make ash in a [[wood furnace]]}}
|colspan=1|
{{Flowchart Box|Render fat in a [[kitchen]]}}
|colspan=1|
{{Flowchart Box|Press [[oil]] from seed paste in a [[screw press]]}}
|colspan=4|
|-
|colspan=1|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|colspan=3|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|colspan=3|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|colspan=3|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|colspan=1|
|-
{{Flowchart Box|Make [[lye]] at an [[ashery]]}}
|colspan=1|
{{Flowchart Box|[[Tallow]]}}
|colspan=2|
{{Flowchart Box|[[Oil]]|1|5}}
|colspan=1|
|-
|colspan=1|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|colspan=3|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|colspan=5|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|colspan=3|
|-
{{Flowchart Box|[[Lye]]}}
|colspan=2|
{{Flowchart Box|[[Tallow]] or [[Oil]]|1|7}}
|colspan=3|
|-
|colspan=1|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|colspan=7|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|colspan=5|
|-
|colspan=1|
{{Flowchart Horizontal Bar|9}}
|-
|colspan=5|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|-
|colspan=4|
{{Flowchart Box|Make [[soap]] at a [[soap maker's workshop]]}}
|-
|colspan=5|
{{Flowchart Vertical Bar}}
|-
|colspan=4|
{{Flowchart Box|[[Soap]]}}
|}

Screw press

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Bcmpinc:

{{Quality|Fine|15:40, 29 January 2015 (UTC)}}
{{Workshop|name=Screw press|key=p|job=[[Presser]]
|construction=
* 2 [[Mechanism]]s
|construction_job=
* [[Mechanic]]
|use=
* [[Quarry bush|Rock nut paste]]
* [[Cotton|Cottonseed paste]]
* [[Flax|Linseed paste]]
* [[Hemp|Hempseed paste]]
* [[Kenaf|Kenafseed paste]]
* [[Olive]]
* [[Honeycomb]]
* [[jug|Empty jugs]]
|production=
* [[Oil]]
* [[Press cake]]
* [[Honey|Honey bee honey]]
* [[Wax|Honey bee wax cake]]
}}{{av}}

A '''screw press''' is a special workshop used to press liquids out of various substances. Currently, this consists of pressing [[seed]] pastes or fruit ([[olive]]s) to yield [[oil]] (which can then be made into [[soap]] or cooked) and [[press cake]] (which can be cooked), and pressing honeycombs to yield [[honey]] (which can then be brewed into mead) and wax cake (which can be made into wax crafts). Each pressing job requires an empty [[jug]] to hold the oil or honey.

== Bugs ==

* Screw presses sometimes do not allow the "press [[honeycomb]]" job to be added directly; adding the job via the [[manager]] interface should get the work started.

{{Workshops}}
{{buildings}}

Screw press

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Bcmpinc:

{{Quality|Fine|15:40, 29 January 2015 (UTC)}}
{{Workshop|name=Screw press|key=p|job=[[Presser]]
|construction=
* 2 [[Mechanism]]s
|construction_job=
* [[Mechanic]]
|use=
* [[Quarry bush|Rock nut paste]]
* [[Cotton|Cottonseed paste]]
* [[Flax|Linseed paste]]
* [[Hemp|Hempseed paste]]
* [[Kenaf|Kenafseed paste]]
* [[Olive]]
* [[Honeycomb]]
* [[jug|Empty jugs]]
|production=
* [[Oil]]
* [[Press cake]]
* [[Honey|Honey bee honey]]
* [[Wax|Honey bee wax cake]]
}}{{av}}

A '''screw press''' is a special workshop used to press liquids out of various substances. Currently, this consists of pressing [[seed]] pastes or fruit ([[Olive]]s) to yield [[oil]] (which can then be made into [[soap]] or cooked) and [[press cake]] (which can be cooked), and pressing honeycombs to yield [[honey]] (which can then be brewed into mead) and wax cake (which can be made into wax crafts). Each pressing job requires an empty [[jug]] to hold the oil or honey.

== Bugs ==

* Screw presses sometimes do not allow the "press [[honeycomb]]" job to be added directly; adding the job via the [[manager]] interface should get the work started.

{{Workshops}}
{{buildings}}

Maximizing framerate

2015-06-12T10:50:06Z

Bcmpinc:

{{Quality|Exceptional|12:48, 18 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

[[File:Frames_Per_Second_Meter.png|300px|thumb|bottom|A picture of Dwarf Fortress with Frames Per Second displayed.]]

[[Frames per second|Framerate]] is used in Dwarf Fortress to measure the speed at which the game is running. It is measured in "frames per second", or FPS for short. To check your FPS in Dwarf Fortress, simply change [FPS:NO] to [FPS:YES] in [[init.txt]], and your FPS will be displayed on the top row of the screen. The first number is the current frame rate, while the number in parentheses is the current graphical frame refresh rate.

==Increasing your Framerate==
In general, the more stuff the game has to keep track of, the slower the game will run. So, reducing the amount of stuff active keeps your game running fast. The below lists separate ways to improve FPS into two categories: things that don't change the game in any fundamental way, and things that do.

===Without Game Alterations===
Fortress design is specific ways of building and planning, game setting changes are changes mostly in the init and init_d files that don't actually change how the game plays out.

====World Generation====
* Larger worlds require more background processing to update.
* Longer histories require more memory and storage space for historical figures and events.
* Reducing the number of civilizations, sites, and beasts can limit the resources spent updating the rest of the world.
* [[Caverns]] can be a FPS hog due to [[pathfinding]] and how complex they can be. Creatures will repeatedly try to path into your fort from a cavern. Sometimes even [[Trading#Caravans|trading caravans]] will try to path out of your fort underground.
** Adjusting the [[Advanced_world_generation#Cavern_Layer_Number|cavern layer number]] in [[advanced world generation]] parameters can reduce the number of [[cavern]] layers (default 3). However, this will restrict access to subterranean plants, creatures, and [[megabeast]]s. You need at least 1 cavern layer to get underground [[crop|plants]], 2 caverns to get all the underground [[tree]]s, and 3 caverns to get all the underground [[animal]]s.
** Similarly, one could adjust [[Advanced_world_generation#Layer_Openness_Min.2FMax|Layer Openness]] and [[Advanced_world_generation#Layer_Passage_Density_Min.2FMax|Layer Passage Density]] in [[advanced world generation]] to turn caverns into wide, open expanses instead of complex mazes that have to be pathed through. However, there is some evidence that excessively open caverns cause performance issues as well.[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=104643.msg3096896#msg3096896]

====Fortress Design====
* Larger embark sites dramatically increase the amount of terrain which DF needs to keep track of and path through.
** Reducing the size of your embark site from the default 4x4 squares to 3x3 or even 2x2 will have an enormous impact on FPS. Keep in mind that a 2x2 embark is only 25% of the size of a 4x4.

* Multi-tile trees are a potential source of lag.
** Choosing an embark location that only grows trees on one or two squares can improve performance.

* Fewer items inside a fort means fewer items to be [[stockpile]]d, checked for [[wear]], and so on and so forth.
** The obvious solution is not to generate so many items in the first place. Don't build such large [[Farming|farm plot]]s and don't go overboard with multiple [[Workshop|workshops]] constantly queued or set on perpetual repeat.
** Checking for clothing [[wear]] and unhappy [[thoughts]] could still have some impact on FPS. (Research is needed.) Armor counts for missing clothing thoughts, so dwarves can wear armor instead of clothes or going naked. If nothing else, dumping excess/worn out clothing may help FPS on an old fortress.
** Use a [[Dwarven Atom Smasher]] to remove items, or donate them to [[Trading|passing caravans]] to be taken away.
** [[Exploit#Quantum_stockpiles|Quantum stockpiles]] can [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=92241.msg3276117#msg3276117 reportedly] improve game speed.
** The quantity of items in any particular stack doesn't effect framerate so much as the number of stacks in general, due to the resultant impact on [[hauling]], [[stockpiles]], [[pathfinding]] and other CPU-intensive tasks. The research done on the [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=92241.0 Undump Engine] and [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=109319.0 Micha's experimental fort] demonstrate very FPS efficient solutions, while avoiding traditional stockpiles and the use of [[barrel]]s and [[bin]]s.
** That said, [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=104643.msg3094753#msg3094753 total quantity of items does matter]. Quantity matters far more with objects that have quality, wear, or decorations than boulders, as they take up more memory. Even in quantum stockpiles, temperature checks, wear increments, and other issues lag the game, although it takes far larger item quantities (10,000+) to be seriously notable.
* Flowing [[water]] slows the game down.
** Don't build [[mist]] generators, [[Screw pump|pump stacks]], or other major water-moving projects. If you do build them, build a [[Lever|way to switch them off]].
** Don't embark on a [[river]] or [[ocean]]. Rivers aren't too bad in their natural state, because the game only needs to calculate at where the water enters and where the water leaves, more-or-less skipping the water in between. Then you start damming them and pumping water out, and it gets worse.
** [[Aquifer]]s don't impose load until you start digging around in them.
** [[Water wheel#Perpetual motion|Dwarven water reactors]] also slow down the game, often significantly.
** Wall off areas with changing water levels[http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=5986#c22870]. This prevents the game from needing to update pathfinding information whenever the water level changes and is safer anyway.
* Changes to the map's connections can cause brief lag spikes as the game's connections map needs updating.
** This is most notable with doors, drawbridges, or other objects linked to a [[repeater]]. An atom-smasher linked to a repeater, even disconnected from the rest of the fortress, can cause lag spikes every time it is raised or lowered. If you use an atom-smasher to eliminate garbage, make it operate only very infrequently through mechanics, or operate it manually by [[lever]].
* Proper use of [[traffic]] designations will help.
** Setting corridors to "high" traffic, and dead-end workshop rooms next to them to "low" traffic, means the pathfinder algorithm will search more quickly along the corridor, and waste less time searching in the rooms.
** Changing the normal traffic weight to 1 in d_init.txt will optimize the pathfinder at the cost of High traffic zones not making a difference ([http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=97763.msg2841109#msg2841109 source])
* Reducing the area which the pathfinder algorithm has to search lets the game run faster.
** The obvious solution is to not dig out quite so much of the ground.
** Some careful fort planning and design can cut down on pathfinding with shorter trips.
** Spreading your fortress out horizontally tends to mean travelling three or four tiles further down the hallway per every second workshop you build. Making workshops stack vertically upon multiple stairwells or ramps up or down from the stockpiles lets you cram workshops around the stairs or ramps just one further tile per set of four workshops.
** Giant stockpile areas are huge areas that cost pathfinding. Quantum stockpiling can prevent the need to excavate more space. That said, each item you produce [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=104643.msg3094753#msg3094753 takes up more memory and is considered in routine cycles like temperature]. Avoid producing more goods than you can actually use just because you "want to keep dwarves busy". If you are starting to run out of space to hold your goods, rather than dig out more space to stash it all, just stop producing goods.
** If fortress functions are spread far apart, consider multiple dining halls. A legendary dining hall isn't THAT hard to produce, and there are few reasons a magma forge operator has to cross 100 zs to the surface to get a drink before going back down.
** Crowded hallways force "dodging" which results in more pathfinds. Find ways to spread traffic out to avoid collisions. Don't rely upon a 1-tile hallway for access to areas dwarves travel to frequently, and possibly set up multiple paths that are "shortcuts" for dwarves rather than always having to travel through the same hallways to the same central staircase every single time.
** Dwarves have been found to prefer pathing across ramps to stairs or even horizontal travel if there is a change in z-level. Laying out your fortress with ramps rather than stairs can give an edge.
** Closing off unused areas with raised [[bridge]]s and locked [[door]]s can help.
** Open "quarry pits" are pathfinding traps. Seal them off from your fort with walls when you are done with them.
** Caverns are probably the worst offender for pathfinding in irrelevant areas. So keep any part you aren't occupying closed off.
** Don't designate large areas to be smoothed at once.{{bugl|5986}}
* Each animal needs to pathfind, too.
** Tame animals can be put into [[cage]]s, keeping them from having anywhere to go. Or you can butcher them.
** Avoid pet-impassible doors; animals will stand at the door and continuously path through it.{{bug|797}}
* [[DF2012:Contaminant|Contaminants]] can accumulate on the ground and on dwarves and creatures. Especially for old forts, this can impact FPS. There is a bug ({{bug|296}}) which makes contaminants continuously multiply and another ({{bug|3270}}) which prevents blood from ever disappearing.
** If the contaminants are outside, isolate the area and let [[DF2012:Weather|rain]] slowly wash it away. Pets can be kept out with a [[Activity_zone#Pen.2FPasture|pen/pasture]] or a [[Activity_zone#Pit.2FPond|pit]]. Similarly, setting the [[traffic]] designation to restricted and/or assigning [[Activity_zone|Activity Zones]] strategically may keep dwarves away.
** Add in some in-fortress means of cleaning dwarves and pets. The [[User:Uristocrat/Dwarven_Bathtub|Dwarven Bathtub]] is one example. And make sure you have the [[cleaning]] labor enabled. Details of these and other suggestions can be found on the [[cleaning]] page.
* Encountering [[HFS]] will dramatically reduce FPS AFTER you seal the breach ({{bug|1340}}). Either avoid doing so or use the work around posted in the bug report.

====Game Settings====
* G_FPS is a setting in the [[init.txt]] file. It controls how often Dwarf Fortress redraws the screen. It also controls how often the game checks for keyboard or mouse input.
** Reducing G_FPS can speed up the rest of the game. The default choice of 50 works well, but many people reduce it down to 20 with no ill effect.
** Reducing G_FPS too far can make the game unresponsive and glitchy. Some people can cope with 5; most cannot.
* PRINT_MODE is another init setting. It controls the method Dwarf Fortress uses to draw the screen.
** More advanced methods allow DF to make more use of OpenGL features and therefore your graphics card. STANDARD and VBO are good starting points.
** More advanced methods may still have bugs. 2D is more likely to be reliable.
* Using creature graphics may reduce FPS. (Using a custom ASCII tileset should have no effect)
*PRIORITY represents how much importance the game is given when it makes a request of the CPU. From [[init.txt]]:
**"Change this to make the dwarfort.exe process have a different priority. From highest to lowest, the options are REALTIME, HIGH, ABOVE_NORMAL, NORMAL, BELOW_NORMAL and IDLE."
**While it's best to run DF with no other programs in the background if FPS is an issue, giving the priority a bump or two can help speed things up regardless.
*TEXTURE_PARAM controls how the graphics are displayed, specifically how the color value of each pixel is smoothed. It is LINEAR by default. Turning this off gives the CPU one less thing to do, though the improvement in performance is so far unquantified.
**From [[init.txt]]: "Change this to NEAREST if you want the texture values to use the nearest pixel without averaging. Change this to LINEAR if you want the texture values to be averaged over the adjacent pixels."

===With Game Alterations===
All changes in this area have some effect on the game itself, use at your own discretion.

====Game Settings====
* Consider running an older version of DF. While lacking features, 40d, v0.31, or v0.34 ''may'' run faster than 2014. *Disputed* (See [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=122441.0 this topic] for a debate over FPS on 2012 vs v0.31, game settings, and other FPS issues.)
* [[Temperature]] calculations place a significant load on the processor.
** Disabling them, using the settings in d_init.txt, will speed things up.
** Without temperature calculations, [[obsidian farming]] becomes unusable; as the tiles never cool down, dwarves refuse to step on the obsidian floor, preventing the access of hauling dwarves.{{bug|6033}} You can re-enable temperature occasionally to allow tile temperatures to normalize.
** Multiple users have reported an fps increase of 100% or better when disabling temperature calculations (in previous versions)[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=86761.msg2352509#msg2352509].
* Disabling [[weather]] ''might'' speed things up as well.
** But then rain won't refill [[murky pool]]s, clean contaminants, kill dwarves, etc.
* Each dwarf needs to keep track of where he's going.
** Limit the number of dwarves by setting a [[immigration|population cap]].
* Invaders also need to pathfind.
** Turn off invasions using the option in [[D_init.txt]]. Or you can kill them all.
* You can disable cavern layers in [[advanced world generation]]. Without caverns you will have far fewer critters and threats pathfinding through winding passages. Unfortunately, you also lose underground [[plant]]s and [[tree]]s.

====Mods and Utilities====
* Accumulations of [[contaminant]]s can decrease FPS and they are somewhat buggy. (See {{bug|296}} and {{bug|3270}}.)
** Sometimes contaminants are widespread or difficult to reach such that relying on the usual [[cleaning]] methods would be impractical or impossible. Or the player make lack the patience to deal with it that way. Some opt to use the "clean" and "spotclean" commands in the [[Utility:DFHack|DFhack]] utility to clear contaminants.

* Constantly-growing piles of cast-off clothes and checking for clothing [[wear]] and unhappy [[thoughts]] can impact FPS.
** One could [[Modding_guide|modify]] clothing to prevent [[wear]]. (This would require a [[DF2012:World_generation|world regen]].) This can be done by adding an [[DF2012:Armor_token|ARMORLEVEL:1]] token. Aside from a possible FPS gain, this has other benefits as well. This fix is part of the [[DF2012:List_of_mods#Modest_Mod|Modest Mod]] as an optional "Eternal Fashion module". It might also be found in other mods which are based around Modest Mod. (Search the [http://dffd.wimbli.com/ DFFD] for "Modest".) Also, [[DF2012:List_of_mods#Masterwork_Dwarf_Fortress_.28MDF.29|Masterwork Dwarf Fortress]] allows the creation of metal clothing.

* Some mods have been created specifically to improve performance. They often reduce and standardize materials (like leather and bone) and may reduce the types of clothing available to control item count (especially for invaders).
** [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=117954.0 Accelerated Dwarf Fortress] for v0.34.11
** [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=141715.0 Modest Accelerated Mash] for v0.40.x

==DFHack commands==
A list of [[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]] commands that can help with your framerate by fixing bugs and reducing items.

*{{DFtext|autodump|white}} Useful for mass dumping or destroying items. Use {{DFtext|help autodump|white}} for options.
*{{DFtext|cleanowned|white}} Confiscates and dumps garbage owned by dwarfs. Use {{DFtext|help cleanowned|white}} for options. Can cause unhappy thoughts if no replacement clothing is available.
*{{DFtext|clean|white}} and {{DFtext|spotclean|white}} Removes contaminants from tiles/units/items or one tile. {{bug|296}}{{bug|1750}}{{bug|3270}} Use {{DFtext|help clean|white}} for options.
*{{DFtext|flows|white}} Counts map blocks with flowing liquids, which slow the game down.

*{{DFtext|tweak fast-heat|white}} Further improves temperature update performance.

*{{DFtext|fastdwarf|white}} Causes dwarves to teleport to their destinations. Run {{DFtext|help fastdwarf|white}} for more information.

==Mac OS X Specific==
Spotlight indexes files on your mac. Since DF constantly changes files, spotlight will keep indexing them using 60-70% of your CPU. Exclude DF in system preferences: spotlight's privacy settings (by dragging the save folder into the list or pressing the {{K|+}} button) and you can get a factor of two in FPS. This can easily provide benefits of over 30 FPS, even on multicore computers that do not need to worry about CPU. This is due to the fact that DF is not multi-threaded in any significant way.

Note that excluding the save folder from Spotlight means you can't use Spotlight or Finder to search through the raw files. If you need to for some reason, you can use "find" from the command line for this.

{{Category|Guides}}

Maximizing framerate

2015-06-12T10:38:11Z

Bcmpinc: /* Fortress Design */

{{Quality|Exceptional|12:48, 18 May 2015 (UTC)}}
{{av}}

[[File:Frames_Per_Second_Meter.png|300px|thumb|bottom|A picture of Dwarf Fortress with Frames Per Second displayed.]]

[[Frames per second|Framerate]] is used in Dwarf Fortress to measure the speed at which the game is running. It is measured in "frames per second", or FPS for short. To check your FPS in Dwarf Fortress, simply change [FPS:NO] to [FPS:YES] in [[init.txt]], and your FPS will be displayed on the top row of the screen. The first number is the current frame rate, while the number in parentheses is the current graphical frame refresh rate.

==Increasing your Framerate==
In general, the more stuff the game has to keep track of, the slower the game will run. So, reducing the amount of stuff active keeps your game running fast. The below lists separate ways to improve FPS into two categories: things that don't change the game in any fundamental way, and things that do.

===Without Game Alterations===
Fortress design is specific ways of building and planning, game setting changes are changes mostly in the init and init_d files that don't actually change how the game plays out.

====World Generation====
* Larger worlds require more background processing to update.
* Longer histories require more memory and storage space for historical figures and events.
* Reducing the number of civilizations, sites, and beasts can limit the resources spent updating the rest of the world.
* [[Caverns]] can be a FPS hog due to [[pathfinding]] and how complex they can be. Creatures will repeatedly try to path into your fort from a cavern. Sometimes even [[Trading#Caravans|trading caravans]] will try to path out of your fort underground.
** Adjusting the [[Advanced_world_generation#Cavern_Layer_Number|cavern layer number]] in [[advanced world generation]] parameters can reduce the number of [[cavern]] layers (default 3). However, this will restrict access to subterranean plants, creatures, and [[megabeast]]s. You need at least 1 cavern layer to get underground [[crop|plants]], 2 caverns to get all the underground [[tree]]s, and 3 caverns to get all the underground [[animal]]s.
** Similarly, one could adjust [[Advanced_world_generation#Layer_Openness_Min.2FMax|Layer Openness]] and [[Advanced_world_generation#Layer_Passage_Density_Min.2FMax|Layer Passage Density]] in [[advanced world generation]] to turn caverns into wide, open expanses instead of complex mazes that have to be pathed through. However, there is some evidence that excessively open caverns cause performance issues as well.[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=104643.msg3096896#msg3096896]

====Fortress Design====
* Larger embark sites dramatically increase the amount of terrain which DF needs to keep track of and path through.
** Reducing the size of your embark site from the default 4x4 squares to 3x3 or even 2x2 will have an enormous impact on FPS. Keep in mind that a 2x2 embark is only 25% of the size of a 4x4.

* Multi-tile trees are a potential source of lag.
** Choosing an embark location that only grows trees on one or two squares can improve performance.

* Fewer items inside a fort means fewer items to be [[stockpile]]d, checked for [[wear]], and so on and so forth.
** The obvious solution is not to generate so many items in the first place. Don't build such large [[Farming|farm plot]]s and don't go overboard with multiple [[Workshop|workshops]] constantly queued or set on perpetual repeat.
** Checking for clothing [[wear]] and unhappy [[thoughts]] could still have some impact on FPS. (Research is needed.) Armor counts for missing clothing thoughts, so dwarves can wear armor instead of clothes or going naked. If nothing else, dumping excess/worn out clothing may help FPS on an old fortress.
** Use a [[Dwarven Atom Smasher]] to remove items, or donate them to [[Trading|passing caravans]] to be taken away.
** [[Exploit#Quantum_stockpiles|Quantum stockpiles]] can [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=92241.msg3276117#msg3276117 reportedly] improve game speed.
** The quantity of items in any particular stack doesn't effect framerate so much as the number of stacks in general, due to the resultant impact on [[hauling]], [[stockpiles]], [[pathfinding]] and other CPU-intensive tasks. The research done on the [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=92241.0 Undump Engine] and [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=109319.0 Micha's experimental fort] demonstrate very FPS efficient solutions, while avoiding traditional stockpiles and the use of [[barrel]]s and [[bin]]s.
** That said, [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=104643.msg3094753#msg3094753 total quantity of items does matter]. Quantity matters far more with objects that have quality, wear, or decorations than boulders, as they take up more memory. Even in quantum stockpiles, temperature checks, wear increments, and other issues lag the game, although it takes far larger item quantities (10,000+) to be seriously notable.
* Flowing [[water]] slows the game down.
** Don't build [[mist]] generators, [[Screw pump|pump stacks]], or other major water-moving projects. If you do build them, build a [[Lever|way to switch them off]].
** Don't embark on a [[river]] or [[ocean]]. Rivers aren't too bad in their natural state, because the game only needs to calculate at where the water enters and where the water leaves, more-or-less skipping the water in between. Then you start damming them and pumping water out, and it gets worse.
** [[Aquifer]]s don't impose load until you start digging around in them.
** [[Water wheel#Perpetual motion|Dwarven water reactors]] also slow down the game, often significantly.
** Wall off areas with changing water levels[http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/mantisbt/view.php?id=5986#c22870]. This prevents the game from needing to update pathfinding information whenever the water level changes and is safer anyway.
* Changes to the map's connections can cause brief lag spikes as the game's connections map needs updating.
** This is most notable with doors, drawbridges, or other objects linked to a [[repeater]]. An atom-smasher linked to a repeater, even disconnected from the rest of the fortress, can cause lag spikes every time it is raised or lowered. If you use an atom-smasher to eliminate garbage, make it operate only very infrequently through mechanics, or operate it manually by [[lever]].
* Proper use of [[traffic]] designations will help.
** Setting corridors to "high" traffic, and dead-end workshop rooms next to them to "low" traffic, means the pathfinder algorithm will search more quickly along the corridor, and waste less time searching in the rooms.
** Changing the normal traffic weight to 1 in d_init.txt will optimize the pathfinder at the cost of High traffic zones not making a difference ([http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=97763.msg2841109#msg2841109 source])
* Reducing the area which the pathfinder algorithm has to search lets the game run faster.
** The obvious solution is to not dig out quite so much of the ground.
** Some careful fort planning and design can cut down on pathfinding with shorter trips.
** Spreading your fortress out horizontally tends to mean travelling three or four tiles further down the hallway per every second workshop you build. Making workshops stack vertically upon multiple stairwells or ramps up or down from the stockpiles lets you cram workshops around the stairs or ramps just one further tile per set of four workshops.
** Giant stockpile areas are huge areas that cost pathfinding. Quantum stockpiling can prevent the need to excavate more space. That said, each item you produce [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=104643.msg3094753#msg3094753 takes up more memory and is considered in routine cycles like temperature]. Avoid producing more goods than you can actually use just because you "want to keep dwarves busy". If you are starting to run out of space to hold your goods, rather than dig out more space to stash it all, just stop producing goods.
** If fortress functions are spread far apart, consider multiple dining halls. A legendary dining hall isn't THAT hard to produce, and there are few reasons a magma forge operator has to cross 100 zs to the surface to get a drink before going back down.
** Crowded hallways force "dodging" which results in more pathfinds. Find ways to spread traffic out to avoid collisions. Don't rely upon a 1-tile hallway for access to areas dwarves travel to frequently, and possibly set up multiple paths that are "shortcuts" for dwarves rather than always having to travel through the same hallways to the same central staircase every single time.
** Dwarves have been found to prefer pathing across ramps to stairs or even horizontal travel if there is a change in z-level. Laying out your fortress with ramps rather than stairs can give an edge.
** Closing off unused areas with raised [[bridge]]s and locked [[door]]s can help.
** Open "quarry pits" are pathfinding traps. Seal them off from your fort with walls when you are done with them.
** Caverns are probably the worst offender for pathfinding in irrelevant areas. So keep any part you aren't occupying closed off.
* [[DF2012:Contaminant|Contaminants]] can accumulate on the ground and on dwarves and creatures. Especially for old forts, this can impact FPS. There is a bug ({{bug|296}}) which makes contaminants continuously multiply and another ({{bug|3270}}) which prevents blood from ever disappearing.
** If the contaminants are outside, isolate the area and let [[DF2012:Weather|rain]] slowly wash it away. Pets can be kept out with a [[Activity_zone#Pen.2FPasture|pen/pasture]] or a [[Activity_zone#Pit.2FPond|pit]]. Similarly, setting the [[traffic]] designation to restricted and/or assigning [[Activity_zone|Activity Zones]] strategically may keep dwarves away.
** Add in some in-fortress means of cleaning dwarves and pets. The [[User:Uristocrat/Dwarven_Bathtub|Dwarven Bathtub]] is one example. And make sure you have the [[cleaning]] labor enabled. Details of these and other suggestions can be found on the [[cleaning]] page.
* Encountering [[HFS]] will dramatically reduce FPS AFTER you seal the breach ({{bug|1340}}). Either avoid doing so or use the work around posted in the bug report.

====Game Settings====
* G_FPS is a setting in the [[init.txt]] file. It controls how often Dwarf Fortress redraws the screen. It also controls how often the game checks for keyboard or mouse input.
** Reducing G_FPS can speed up the rest of the game. The default choice of 50 works well, but many people reduce it down to 20 with no ill effect.
** Reducing G_FPS too far can make the game unresponsive and glitchy. Some people can cope with 5; most cannot.
* PRINT_MODE is another init setting. It controls the method Dwarf Fortress uses to draw the screen.
** More advanced methods allow DF to make more use of OpenGL features and therefore your graphics card. STANDARD and VBO are good starting points.
** More advanced methods may still have bugs. 2D is more likely to be reliable.
* Using creature graphics may reduce FPS. (Using a custom ASCII tileset should have no effect)
*PRIORITY represents how much importance the game is given when it makes a request of the CPU. From [[init.txt]]:
**"Change this to make the dwarfort.exe process have a different priority. From highest to lowest, the options are REALTIME, HIGH, ABOVE_NORMAL, NORMAL, BELOW_NORMAL and IDLE."
**While it's best to run DF with no other programs in the background if FPS is an issue, giving the priority a bump or two can help speed things up regardless.
*TEXTURE_PARAM controls how the graphics are displayed, specifically how the color value of each pixel is smoothed. It is LINEAR by default. Turning this off gives the CPU one less thing to do, though the improvement in performance is so far unquantified.
**From [[init.txt]]: "Change this to NEAREST if you want the texture values to use the nearest pixel without averaging. Change this to LINEAR if you want the texture values to be averaged over the adjacent pixels."

===With Game Alterations===
All changes in this area have some effect on the game itself, use at your own discretion.

====Game Settings====
* Consider running an older version of DF. While lacking features, 40d, v0.31, or v0.34 ''may'' run faster than 2014. *Disputed* (See [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=122441.0 this topic] for a debate over FPS on 2012 vs v0.31, game settings, and other FPS issues.)
* [[Temperature]] calculations place a significant load on the processor.
** Disabling them, using the settings in d_init.txt, will speed things up.
** Without temperature calculations, [[obsidian farming]] becomes unusable; as the tiles never cool down, dwarves refuse to step on the obsidian floor, preventing the access of hauling dwarves.{{bug|6033}} You can re-enable temperature occasionally to allow tile temperatures to normalize.
** Multiple users have reported an fps increase of 100% or better when disabling temperature calculations (in previous versions)[http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=86761.msg2352509#msg2352509].
* Disabling [[weather]] ''might'' speed things up as well.
** But then rain won't refill [[murky pool]]s, clean contaminants, kill dwarves, etc.
* Each dwarf needs to keep track of where he's going.
** Limit the number of dwarves by setting a [[immigration|population cap]].
* Each animal needs to pathfind, too.
** Tame animals can be put into [[cage]]s, keeping them from having anywhere to go. Or you can butcher them.
** Avoid pet-impassible doors; animals will stand at the door and continuously path through it.{{bug|797}}
* Invaders also need to pathfind.
** Turn off invasions using the option in [[D_init.txt]]. Or you can kill them all.
* You can disable cavern layers in [[advanced world generation]]. Without caverns you will have far fewer critters and threats pathfinding through winding passages. Unfortunately, you also lose underground [[plant]]s and [[tree]]s.

====Mods and Utilities====
* Accumulations of [[contaminant]]s can decrease FPS and they are somewhat buggy. (See {{bug|296}} and {{bug|3270}}.)
** Sometimes contaminants are widespread or difficult to reach such that relying on the usual [[cleaning]] methods would be impractical or impossible. Or the player make lack the patience to deal with it that way. Some opt to use the "clean" and "spotclean" commands in the [[Utility:DFHack|DFhack]] utility to clear contaminants.

* Constantly-growing piles of cast-off clothes and checking for clothing [[wear]] and unhappy [[thoughts]] can impact FPS.
** One could [[Modding_guide|modify]] clothing to prevent [[wear]]. (This would require a [[DF2012:World_generation|world regen]].) This can be done by adding an [[DF2012:Armor_token|ARMORLEVEL:1]] token. Aside from a possible FPS gain, this has other benefits as well. This fix is part of the [[DF2012:List_of_mods#Modest_Mod|Modest Mod]] as an optional "Eternal Fashion module". It might also be found in other mods which are based around Modest Mod. (Search the [http://dffd.wimbli.com/ DFFD] for "Modest".) Also, [[DF2012:List_of_mods#Masterwork_Dwarf_Fortress_.28MDF.29|Masterwork Dwarf Fortress]] allows the creation of metal clothing.

* Some mods have been created specifically to improve performance. They often reduce and standardize materials (like leather and bone) and may reduce the types of clothing available to control item count (especially for invaders).
** [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=117954.0 Accelerated Dwarf Fortress] for v0.34.11
** [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=141715.0 Modest Accelerated Mash] for v0.40.x

==DFHack commands==
A list of [[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]] commands that can help with your framerate by fixing bugs and reducing items.

*{{DFtext|autodump|white}} Useful for mass dumping or destroying items. Use {{DFtext|help autodump|white}} for options.
*{{DFtext|cleanowned|white}} Confiscates and dumps garbage owned by dwarfs. Use {{DFtext|help cleanowned|white}} for options. Can cause unhappy thoughts if no replacement clothing is available.
*{{DFtext|clean|white}} and {{DFtext|spotclean|white}} Removes contaminants from tiles/units/items or one tile. {{bug|296}}{{bug|1750}}{{bug|3270}} Use {{DFtext|help clean|white}} for options.
*{{DFtext|flows|white}} Counts map blocks with flowing liquids, which slow the game down.

*{{DFtext|tweak fast-heat|white}} Further improves temperature update performance.

*{{DFtext|fastdwarf|white}} Causes dwarves to teleport to their destinations. Run {{DFtext|help fastdwarf|white}} for more information.

==Mac OS X Specific==
Spotlight indexes files on your mac. Since DF constantly changes files, spotlight will keep indexing them using 60-70% of your CPU. Exclude DF in system preferences: spotlight's privacy settings (by dragging the save folder into the list or pressing the {{K|+}} button) and you can get a factor of two in FPS. This can easily provide benefits of over 30 FPS, even on multicore computers that do not need to worry about CPU. This is due to the fact that DF is not multi-threaded in any significant way.

Note that excluding the save folder from Spotlight means you can't use Spotlight or Finder to search through the raw files. If you need to for some reason, you can use "find" from the command line for this.

{{Category|Guides}}

Minecart

2015-03-14T19:46:11Z

Bcmpinc: /* Quirks */

{{quality|Fine}}{{av}}
A '''minecart''' is a [[tool]] intended for [[hauling]], introduced in version 0.34.08. It can be made of [[wood]] at a [[carpenter's workshop]] or [[metal]] at a [[metalsmith's forge]] (using the [[Metal crafter|metalcrafting]] labor.) Minecarts store up to five times as many items as [[wheelbarrow]]s and are quite a bit faster than dwarves hauling objects by hand, but have the disadvantages of requiring a dedicated track network, a complex route planning phase, and the possibility of dwarves [[Fun|blundering into the path of carts filled with lead ore]]. Tracks may be carved into stone, or [[Construction|constructed]]; the latter allows above-ground routes, but these are more difficult to set up due to their additional [[building material|material requirements]].

Just like wheelbarrows, minecarts are considered [[item]]s and are stored in a [[furniture]] [[stockpile]]. Despite their five-times-greater capacity, they are only 33% larger than wheelbarrows and are identical in base [[item value|value]] when made from the same [[material]] (the value may differ due to the [[item quality]]). [[thief|Thieves]] or even mischievous animals can steal minecarts, even when they are moving on a track{{cite forum|109460/3289070}}. However, minecarts moving fast enough or being ridden cannot be stolen.

Although most of the utility of minecarts is in [[fortress mode]], an [[adventure mode|adventurer]] can also ride in a minecart. Adventurers can also pick up and relocate minecarts.

The invention of minecarts revolutionized the [[minecart logic|Science of Dwarfputing]] by enabling smaller, faster logic systems to be built.

== Basic Minecart Usage ==
Minecarts can be used to swiftly transport dwarves, [[flow|fluids]], and/or large amounts of items, but before you have a functional minecart there are several preconditions that need to be met. First of all you need an actual minecart, constructed either in a [[carpenter's workshop]] or [[metalsmith's forge]]. For the minecart to be able to move you also need to carve (with {{k|d}} {{k|T}}) or construct (with {{k|b}} {{k|C}} {{k|T}}) a track, which could be as simple as a straight line. Finally you need to construct stops on your track (with {{k|b}} {{k|C}} {{k|S}}) where the minecart will start and stop.

After you have created the stops and assigned a cart to the track, you must create logic routes connecting several stops and designate starting conditions for each stop. This is done with the {{k|h}}auling key. The most basic conditions are how the cart's movement is initiated and in which direction the cart should start moving. Carts can be either be Pushed (a dwarf stands at a stop and gives the cart a single push) or Guided (a dwarf continually pushes the cart forward, guiding it along the track). The [[hauling]] [[labor]] required for pushing and guiding carts is called "Push/Haul Vehicles" and is turned on by default.

To control which items to transport you can add conditions specifying: (1) which kind of items to be loaded, and unloaded, (2) stockpile links to define which stockpile(s) the items should be un/loaded to and from.

===Capacity and weights ===
Minecarts have five times the [[Weight|capacity]] of [[wheelbarrow]]s.

'''Examples of the capacity of one cart'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Item
! Amount
|-
| [[stone]]
| 5
|-
| [[wood|log]]
| 10
|-
| [[block]]/[[bar]]
| 83
|-
| [[Kitchen|prepared meals]]
| 500
|-
| [[Trap_component#Spiked_ball|spiked balls]]
| 500
|-
| [[Weapon#Native_weapons|mace]]
| 625
|-
| [[Weapon#Native_weapons|spears]]
| 1250
|-
| [[cloth]]
| 2500
|}

The weight of the loaded minecart does not affect the initial velocity received from pushing or launching from a roller. However, the load of a minecart ''does'' affect whether a [[pressure plate]] triggers or not, based on the pressure plate's setting.

'''Weights of different carts'''

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Type of cart
! Empty cart
! Fully loaded (items)
|-
| oaken minecart
| 28Γ
| 378Γ (10 oak logs)
|-
| platinum minecart
| 856Γ
| 10482Γ (83 gold bars)
|}

The weight of a minecart is one twenty-fifth (1/25) the [[density]] of its material in Urists. Because pressure plates can be set to trigger at intervals of 50 Urists, minecarts with weights just under a multiple of 50 are ideal for switching based on whether they're full or empty. The best minecart materials for full/empty switching are as follows:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Material !! Minecart weight !! Content weight required to trigger !! Banana roasts required to trigger (for scale)
|-
| [[Bismuth]] (moods only) || 391 || 9 || 15
|-
| [[Brass]] || 342 || 8 || 14
|-
| [[Electrum]] || 596 || 4 || 7
|-
| [[Fine pewter]] || 291 || 9 || 15
|-
| [[Glumprong]] || 48 || 2 || 4
|-
| [[Lay pewter]] || 291 || 9 || 15
|-
| [[Nickel silver]] || 346 || 4 || 7
|-
| [[Tin]] || 291 || 9 || 15
|-
| [[Trifle pewter]] || 291 || 9 || 15
|}

=== Creating tracks ===
The tracks, which the minecarts travels on, can be built in two ways: Engraved/carved or constructed. The way the tracks are built is slightly different between the two, as explained below.

====Simple tracks====

'''Carved'''

A single-tile wide strip of natural stone can be designated to be [[Engraver|carved]] (with {{K|d}} {{k|T}}), which will create a straight two-way track. The creation of corners, crossings, and T-junctions is as simple as designating another strip of track that overlaps an existent or newly designated track. Engraved tracks are removed by [[smoothing]] the rock they're on, which results in a smooth floor (that can be re-engraved if necessary), or by building a [[floor]] on top and subsequently removing it. Dwarves can carve corner tracks in one pass by designating the track carving twice and canceling unwanted carvings (with {{K|d}} {{K|x}}). Tracks can be engraved in any natural floor tile, rough, smooth and even over engravings, providing an easy method to remove low-quality or undesired floor engravings.

'''Constructed'''

Tracks can also be built as regular [[construction]]s (through {{K|b}} {{K|C}} {{K|T}}). This method is resource-expensive, since each track tile requires one stone, [[bar]], or [[block]] for construction, and time-consuming, since you can't designate strips longer than 10 tiles at a time. Corners, crossings, T-junctions, and ramps also have to be designated individually. However, it is usually the only way to build tracks above ground or on soil (barring the [[Obsidian farming|creation of obsidian]]). Constructed tracks are designated for removal like any regular construction; be aware that removing track ramps built on top of natural ones will also remove the original ramp, leaving a flat floor.

====Ramps====

'''Carved'''

The carving of natural ramps is a little more confusing: to carve a two-way track on a ramp (natural only, does not work on constructed ramps), you must designate the track '''starting on the ramp and one square beyond''' in the direction you want the track to go. For the side of the ramp square you want to head upward, there '''must''' be either a natural or constructed wall in the square next to it, otherwise the game assumes you are trying to carve it on the same level -- this can result in the track being carved underneath a door or other object. If you have accidentally done this, you can correct it by smoothing the ramp and constructing a single square of wall next to it, then re-carving the ramp correctly. (However, the wall must stay there permanently; removing it will disconnect the track.)

'''Constructed'''

When constructing track ramps, the stated direction should be the same as the connected tracks. For example, a track going up from West to East would require, starting from the West, a Track (EW), a Track/Ramp (EW) and a Wall behind the ramp, underneath the section of track above it. Incorrectly placed ramps result in minecarts ignoring the ramp and crashing into the supporting wall. They will not, however, display as unusable as when the supporting wall is missing.

'''Examples of ramps'''

A simple ramp would look like this:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1
░░░░ ░░░░
═▲o ░▼═
░░░░ ░░░░
o : wall
}}

Carving track corners into ramps is rather unintuitive and complicated. Since engraving tracks always requires two tiles to connect in a straight line as input, you have to give two separate designations for a single job: a track bit from the ramp tile to the "below" direction and another one to the wall of the "upward" direction. If you wanted to change direction on a ramp from east to north:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1
░░░░░ ░░░░░
░░░░░ ══╗░░
=▲░░ ░░▼░░
░░░░░ ░░░░░
}}
you would need to connect the ramp on z +0 both to the west and to the north by issuing two "carve track" commands, one selecting the ramp and the track tile to the west, and another connecting the ramp tile with the wall to the north. An engraver would then carve a NW track corner into the ramp, allowing carts to pass the corner correctly both going up and down. Such track corners are perfectly serviceable for guided carts, but moving down a route of several of them by pushed or ridden cart is problematic - ramps on corners behave very counter-intuitively, resulting in loss of speed when going down and diagonal movement when going up.

Moving to and from ramps (or between ramps "pointing" in different directions0 causes some non-trivial adjustments to speed and even moving along the tiles at a fixed speed ''unrelated to the entry/exit velocity values'', because transitions to/from ramps are processed differently and are not to be "skipped". This affects compact track/ramp combinations (such as e.g. a simple 2x2 ramp spiral) most, and combined with bouncing often makes them work not in the way one could expect. {{cite forum|144328/5705102}}

{{anchor|Tracks}}
=== Hauling route ===
The proper setting up of routes is essential for a working rail system. Routes, stops, departure conditions and stockpile links are managed from the {{k|h}}auling menu.

==== Route ====
New routes are created with the {{k|h}}auling key. Existing ones can be removed (without confirmation) with the {{k|x}} key, and also {{k|n}}icknamed. Before operating, the route must have a {{k|v}}ehicle assigned to it (this can be done with either the route or a stop selected). Assigning a full minecart to a route may result in a slow hauling job if the contents are heavy.

==== Track stop ====
There are two types of stops. The first is the type you set in the {{k|h}}auling menu, by hitting {{k|s}} while highlighting the route (or a stop within) you've already designated. This designates a loading/unloading location for a minecart. For clarity in this section this will be referenced as a hauling stop, otherwise this gets confusing with Track Stops. The actual Track Stop, which is constructed via {{k|b}} {{k|C}} {{k|S}}, allows for slowing/halting of pushed and/or ridden carts as well as automated dumping.

Hauling stops are designated by moving the cursor on top of the desired tile and pressing the {{k|s}} key afterwards. They can be removed with and nicknamed with the same hotkeys as routes. Stops can also be reordered with the {{k|p}}romote key. Without a definition, however, a stop is fairly useless: pressing the {{k|Enter}} key with a stop selected in the route menu opens its stop definition screen, from which departure conditions and stockpile links can be set up.

It is important to note that hauling stop order is enforced, even if there is no track. A dwarf will drag the cart overland back to a skipped stop in the route's list if your tracks bypass it somehow.

Each new stop get the same default conditions regardless of the track it is placed upon (e.g. guide the cart to the north). For this reason new stops might get marked by yellow exclamation marks ({{DFtext|!|#ff0}}) due to invalid directions.

Track stops are not mandatory; in fact, their main use is in automated rail systems. However, even in basic rail systems it can be useful to set a track stop to dump items: this saves time that dwarves would otherwise spend in removing items from the cart, time that is better spent driving the cart back to where it's needed. Dumping will occur even with a guided cart. Take care not to set track stops at a loading site to dump their contents, or dwarves will never be able to fill the cart.

Counter-intuitive to their construction method, track stops are considered [[building]]s and must be removed by {{k|q}} {{k|x}}.
* See [[#More_on_Track_stop |More on Track Stops]]

===== Stockpile links =====
By placing the cursor on top of a stockpile and using {{k|s}}, you can create stockpile links while defining a hauling stop. Links can also be redefined by selecting them, placing the cursor over a different stockpile, and pressing {{k|p}}.
[[#More_on_Track_stop| See More on Track stop]]

===== Departure condition =====
Departure conditions involve setting conditions in which the minecart will leave on the route. Each condition includes:
# A departure mode (Guide, Ride or Push).
# A departure direction (NSEW).
# A timer, before which the departure condition cannot be met.
# Conditions on the amount of items in the cart.
Departure conditions are created with the {{k|n}} key. A new departure condition will read: "guide north immediately when empty of desired items". This condition can be changed between basic presets with {{k|c}}. "Advanced" mode ({{k|C}}) allows for more precise control over departure conditions: fine tuning the percentage from 0 to 100 in 25% steps ({{k|f}} and {{k|F}}), switching it being either the maximum or the minimum amount of items for the condition to be met ({{k|m}}), and whether the cart accepts all or only a specific set of items ({{k|l}}). Common to both screens are the departure mode ({{k|p}}, Push, Ride or Guide), {{k|d}}irection, and timer ({{k|t}} and {{k|T}}) options.

To have a cart only carry a specific set of items, the stop can be set to only carry "desired" items, opening the selection screen with the {{k|Enter}} key while having said stop condition selected, and toggling as desired, or it can simply be linked to a restricted stockpile and set to depart with any items.

=== Step-by-step tutorial ===

Let's construct a simple minecart route. This route will move stone blocks from an input stockpile to an output stockpile. We'll begin by creating the stockpiles:

[[File:minecart-example-1.png|Stockpiles designated.]]

The input stockpile is on the left; the output stockpile is on the right. We'll be moving blocks from left to right. Disable bins in both stockpiles, and set the input stockpile to accept only from links. Then make the stockpile take from the mason's workshop where the blocks are being produced.

Next, carve the track:

[[File:minecart-example-2.png|Track carving designation.]]

Note that the ends of the designation are uniquely shaped; this is automatic, and not anything you need to control. Now, wait for your engravers to come along and carve the track into the stone. (Your haulers will probably also fill up the input stockpile while you wait.)

In addition, while we're waiting for that to happen, we'll build an iron minecart in the forge.

[[File:minecart-example-3.png|Track carved.]]

When the track has been carved, it will look like the above (the track will be solid instead of flashing). Now, order a track stop to be constructed next to the output stockpile:

{|
| [[File:minecart-example-4.png|Track stop designation.]]
| [[File:minecart-example-5.png|Select dumping direction.]]
|}

You must press {{k|d}} three times to select the dumping direction ''before'' placing the track stop. We want our blocks to be dumped into the output stockpile east of the track stop. Then wait for a mechanic to come along and build the track stop.

[[File:minecart-example-6.png|Track stop constructed.]]

Now we'll define the actual ''route''. This is done in the {{k|h}}auling menu. Press {{k|r}} to begin defining a route. Next, move the cursor to the input end of the track, and then press {{k|s}} to define the first stop:

{|
| [[File:minecart-example-7.png|Stop 1 designation.]]
| [[File:minecart-example-8.png|Route definition, in progress.]]
|}

Move the cursor again, to the output end of the track, and press {{k|s}} again to define the second stop:

{|
| [[File:minecart-example-9.png|Stop 2 designation.]]
| [[File:minecart-example-10.png|Route definition, two stops.]]
|-
|
| [[File:minecart-example-11.png|Stops are not defined yet.]]
|}

There are several user interface features to note at this point. The stops have been positioned, but they haven't been ''defined'' yet, so there is a warning {{DFtext|!|#ff0}} symbol by each of them. In the lower right corner, we see what the {{DFtext|!|#ff0}} means. Also, note that the second stop is labeled in white, while the other two lines are grey. The white text is a selection indicator, and can be moved up and down by pressing {{k|+}}/{{k|-}}.

Next we need to define what our stops do. We want the minecart to be filled with blocks at the first stop, then travel to the second stop where it will dump its cargo, and then return. Press {{k|-}} to move the selection up to stop 1, and {{k|Enter}} to open it up. By default, the stop has three conditions:

[[File:minecart-example-12.png|Default stop definition.]]

We don't want any of these, so press {{k|x}} three times to delete them. This leaves us with a blank stop. Now we can add the conditions we actually want. Press {{k|n}} to begin adding the first condition, then {{k|d}} twice to change the direction from north to east. Then press {{k|c}} to change the condition from empty to full. This will instruct the minecart to be guided east when full of desired items.

To set the desired items, we create a stockpile link. Press {{k|s}}, then move the cursor to the input stockpile, then press {{k|p}} to select that stockpile. Now press {{k|Enter}}; this opens up a selection screen that resembles the stockpile customization screen. Move down to Blocks, {{k|e}}nable them, then (if you wish) restrict it to stone blocks.

When you've done all that, stop 1 should look like this:

[[File:minecart-example-13.png|Stop 1, defined.]]

Stop 2 is much simpler. All we need to do is have the minecart return to the input stop. So, make a condition and change the direction:

[[File:minecart-example-14.png|Stop 2, defined.]]

Finally, we just have to assign our minecart. Go back to the route definition screen, and press {{k|v}}. Select the minecart, and press {{k|Enter}}.

Now we've got everything set up:

[[File:minecart-example-15.png|Route, fully defined.]]

The V is red because the minecart hasn't been moved onto the track yet. Some dwarf will have to haul it from the forge to the first stop, by hand; this will take a while, especially if the forge is far away.

Once the minecart is in place, dwarves should fill it with blocks from the input stockpile, which will in turn be filled with blocks from the workshop where your mason has been toiling dutifully. When the minecart is full, the blocks will be dumped into the 1x1 stockpile on the right. Automatic quantum dumping!

=== Troubleshooting ===

Because of the complexity of the system, all but the most careful and experienced minecart users will encounter issues. Most route issues can be diagnosed and fixed from the {{k|h}}auling menu.

'''Symptom:''' {{DFtext|! Set dir/connect track|6:1}} message appears to the right of one or more stops

'''Possible Causes:'''
* The departure direction of the stop might be invalid. Edit the stop using {{k|Enter}} and press{{k|d}} until it is pointing in a valid direction.
* The track stop might not be built on top of a track. The track stop must be deconstructed to remedy this issue.
* Your track might not be built correctly. Make sure all connected tracks between destinations are not one-way tracks.
** This can be especially confusing with ramps. To carve a two-way track on a (natural) ramp, you must designate the ramp and one square beyond in the direction you want the track to go.
** Ramps '''must''' have a solid block on the side opposite to the track, or they will neither work nor be marked as "unusable". The solid block can be natural or constructed.
* The desired/kept items might not be configured correctly.

'''Symptom:''' The status '''0% V''' always appears to the right of one stop.

'''Possible Causes:'''
* The stop may not be set to take from a stockpile. Edit the Stop using {{k|Enter}} and make sure you see a message like "Take from Stockpile #1".
* The take conditions must correspond with the contents of the stockpile.
* The track stop may be set to dump. A track stop set to dump cannot be filled. You must either set the stop to a time-based departure or deconstruct the track stop and rebuild it without dumping. (Alternatively, with [[DFHack]] you can modify "Dump on arrival" to "No" using the {{key|q}} menu without rebuilding the stop.)
* Make sure the minecart itself has not been designated to be dumped (such as when using mass-dump).

'''Symptom:''' A dwarf picks up the minecart and carries it to its destination.
* See [[#Quirks|Quirks]]

=== Danger ===
Minecarts are not without <strike>danger</strike> [[fun]]. Although designating a track automatically sets the [[traffic]] designation to low, dwarves ''may'' still walk on them, and [[creature]]s ignore traffic designations altogether. If an unlucky dwarf or creature fails to [[dodger|dodge]] a minecart, they can be injured. Most of this danger can be avoided by setting the minecart {{k|h}}auling commands to guide instead of push or ride, as dwarves guiding minecarts will ignore traffic restrictions, by [[pasture|pasturing]] domestic animals, and preventing the access of other creatures to the tracks. Note that removing the track doesn't reset that tile back to normal traffic priority, so you may wish to manually clean up traffic designation afterward. Also note that bridges that are used as tracks don't have their traffic priority changed automatically (since they're just normal bridges), which could cause dwarves to pathfind normally through dangerous minecart entrances in your fort's walls if you're not careful.

The only <s>fool</s>''dwarf''-proof method is to make the tracks inaccessible. There are several ways to create a track which works for minecarts but doesn't allow creature-traversal; the simplest is perhaps building a [[statue]] on the tracks. Other options include adding single-tile holes (minecarts moving at reasonable speed will jump the gap), vertical drops, minecart-triggered doors, small pools of liquid (4/7 water or 2/7 magma), and hostile creatures overlooking the tracks. For safety, both ends of the track should be isolated, making the dangerous center sections completely inaccessible (though maintenance access can be provided by a locked door).

Danger does not always involve living victims: careless route designation can also result in minecarts careening off tracks or colliding with each other. If this occurs, the [[item]]s may be scattered; this can cause even more hauling jobs than the minecart aimed to eliminate. Even <s>better</s> worse, scattered items, especially [[weapon]]s, can injure passing [[dwarf|dwarves]] or other [[creature]]s; in the words of Toady One the Great, "Accidental grapeshotting of the dining room should be possible now."

Of course, the danger of using minecarts means they can also be [[Trap_design#Minecarts|used as weapons]] by imaginative players.

== Advanced usage and automation ==
Minecart-specific effects are implemented via track stops, rollers and [[pressure plate]]s with "track" condition set. Since all three are considered [[building]]s, they can't be built on the same square (however convenient track stop + pressure plate would be) nor a simple ramp, and are removed by {{k|q}} {{k|x}}.

=== More on Track stop ===
Track stops are constructions that allow further automation of minecart systems via adjustable features such as braking by friction and automatic dumping of contents. They can be built from logs, bars and blocks through {{K|b}} {{K|C}} {{K|S}}; friction amount, dumping toggle and dumping direction must be set '''before''' construction, and these settings can be neither changed nor seen thereafter; however, track stops can be linked to [[pressure plate]]s or [[lever]]s to toggle friction and dumping On or Off (trigger state is inverted: switch On = track stop Off).

If a [[stockpile]] is placed on the tile that a track stop is set to dump to, it can act as a [[Exploit#Quantum_stockpiles|quantum stockpile]] and any items dumped from a minecart that match the storage settings of the stockpile will remain there and accumulate. Normally trackstops are built on top of existing track to operate on moving minecarts, but they can also be used without tracks to create [[Exploit#The_Minecart_Stop|automatic quantum stockpiles]] (see also [[#Step-by-step_tutorial|step-by-step tutorial]]). It is not always desirable to collect ALL of certain items into one quantum stockpile, such as when distributing a material to multiple separate industries. You can link your quantum stockpile to various other stockpiles, ensuring that your dwarves will keep them supplied as necessary. Because quantum stockpiles never fill up like regular stockpiles, it may be a good idea to add a switch to turn them off.

Items dumped from a minecart at a track stop (or dumped by any other means) into open space fall through z-levels until they land on a solid surface. Items falling onto a designated [[stockpile]] will automatically be considered part of that stockpile, even if the stockpile is set to disallow those items (they will, however, be automatically moved to a more appropriate stockpile, if available). Items falling on top of a minecart will '''not''' fall "inside" the minecart. Use with caution; dwarves have fragile skulls.{{bug|5945}}

=== Automated propulsion ===
==== Roller ====
{{Main|Roller}}

A '''roller''' is a [[power]]ed [[machine component]] for the automated propulsion of minecarts. They are built over the top of existing tracks with {{K|b|M|r}}, requiring a [[mechanic]], ''(length/4)+1'' [[mechanism]]s and a [[rope]]. Rollers may also be placed directly on ramps to help pull carts up Z levels. Rollers are very useful to maintain a cart's momentum along long routes, to get them to climb Z-levels without dwarfpower involved, and to get them to reach speeds unattainable by guiding dwarves. These devices are variable-length (1-10), variable-direction and variable-speed ([[Minecart#Numbers_behind_the_scene|see below]]), all traits that can be set at construction time; a roller uses two units of power per tile it is long.

Single-tile rollers transfer power in all four cardinal directions, while other rollers generally only transfer power perpendicular to their activity direction. Longer rollers can also transfer power along their activity direction if built in the correct order, although this can be hard to accomplish and is easily broken. Rollers cannot be powered from above.

Rollers have great acceleration and capped speed. Carts going faster than the roller are unaffected. If a cart moves across an active roller in the direction the roller works and moves slower than the roller's specified speed, the cart will be set to the roller's speed. A cart going against a roller's movement direction will be sent back the way it came (once again at the roller's speed), unless it was moving extremely fast: speed increment of 100000 allows to reverse carts from the full "highest" (50000) speed roller to full "highest" speed back, but ramps can accelerate a cart beyond this. {{cite forum|144328/5702453}}
A cart crossing over a roller perpendicular to its current movement direction will gain the roller's amount of speed in the perpendicular direction without directly changing its forward motion. Without an adjacent wall to constrict its movement, this will typically send a cart off the rails on a diagonal path, completely unable to follow any tracks until it collides with a wall or is otherwise brought to rest. However, if the roller is placed over a track turn and pushes ''from'' the direction of that turn's track, the turn affects carts ''after'' the roller, so they will be forced into the turn rather than derailed in a diagonal direction. {{cite forum|144328/5702453}}

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
tracks: full:
║ ║
═╗═ ═╢═
║ ║

╢ : roller pushing from W to E
}}
If the roller is powered, carts from ''all'' directions (unless too fast) exit S, because speed imparted by the roller forces carts toward E and ''then'' into the turn.
If not powered, carts from W and N exit S, carts from E and S exit W. Carts above derail speed will ignore the turn, of course.

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
║ ║
═╗═ ═╟═
║ ║

╟ : Roller pushing from E to W
}}
Carts from the E or W: exit W.
Carts from N: derailed diagonally, exit SW.
Carts from S: derailed diagonally, exit NW.

Rollers affects carts on a track - if placed on a floor or ramp without any tracks, they are ignored. Depowered rollers are also ignored, friction is determined by the tiles underneath.

Because of their one-way nature, rollers are unsuitable for most two-way minecart tracks (unless you set gears toggling roller A->B off while toggling A<-B rollers on). However, a minecart set to be ''guided'' is not affected by rollers at all{{cite forum|109460/3286235}} — this allows a one-way track to be used in both directions. In addition, unpowered rollers do not affect minecarts.

Care must be taken in [[glacier]]s and other extremely cold [[biome]]s, since rollers (and the machinery used to power them) will not operate when constructed on natural [[ice]] floors.

==== Impulse ramps ====
Carts can be given momentum without rollers or changing z-level through a phenomenon called "impulse ramps". A track ramp which is connected both to a wall and to a floor will ''always'' accelerate a cart towards the connected floor tile, no matter where the cart enters the tile from. This means carts can be accelerated as though dropping z-levels, even if the cart doesn't actually change z-level at all. If a track ramp faces three directions such as ╩, then two of those directions need to be facing walls for the cart to be accelerated towards the remaining direction.

Example of straight impulse acceleration:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
═▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲═ ═╚╚╚╚╚╚╚╚╚╚═
▒ : Wall
═ : Normal track
▲/╚ : N/E Track/Ramp
}}

If a cart enters from the left, it will speed up on every track/ramp and exit to the right going very very fast - more than one tile every step. If it enters from the right then it will bounce back impulsed by the ramp if it's going slow enough.

As another oddity, carts coming from ramps will in some cases "teleport" through most of the next tile. This can be used to send carts up levels with minimal loss of speed. You can just make an upward spiral alternating impulse ramps and regular upward ramps. It takes no power, is quick and cheap to build, requiring only channeling and track carving, and the cart goes up fast, but not so fast that it launches its contents.

Example of an impulse elevator:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1 z +2 z +3
░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░
░╔░░░ ░▼╚╗░ ░░▼▼░ ░░░░░
░╝░░░ ░▼░░░ ░░░╔░ ░░░▼░
░▼▼░░ ░░░░░ ░░░╝░ ░╚╗▼░
░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░

░ : Wall
╔,╚,╗,╝ : Track/Ramp
▼ : Down Ramp (empty space)
}}

A sort of opposite effect to impulse ramps also exists: ramps lacking the proper "up" and "down" connections are treated as flat track, even if they actually go up or down z-levels. This allows building "anti-impulse" slopes consisting entirely of ramps only connected up, which a minecart can travel up forty levels and more, needing no more than a single push.

=== Controlling traffic ===

==== Switching ====

As constructions or tile features, [[door]]s and other furniture can be built on tracks. A [[door]] or [[floodgate]] can be turned on or off by a [[lever]], effectively controlling the flow of automated minecarts. This may be <s>dangerous</s> [[fun]], however.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
->
A ════┤≡════ B
┤ : roller pushing to East
≡ : door
}}
The roller pushes the cart east, but until the "departure condition" is fulfilled, the door remains closed and blocks the path.

[[Bridge]]s can also act as tracks, but only if they're lowered or not retracted. This property can enable levers to turn tracks on and off. However, care should be taken to ensure that such bridges are never operated while a cart is on top of them, as the cart will be flung off the track. It's worth noting that it's often faster, and cheaper, to construct large bridges than long sections of constructed track.

A powered track switch can be constructed by building an "inverted" corner as illustrated below.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
B B
║ -> ║
║ ║
════╚═══ ════├════
A C A C
├ : roller pushing to West.
}}

If the cart is pushed East from the stop at 'A' while the roller is activated, it will arrive at 'B'. If the roller is not running, it will arrive at 'C'. The switch works by the roller first reversing the incoming cart's movement and the cart ''then'' following the track corner.

This switch is very reliable, reacts instantly to on/off signals, and carts of any speed can be switched by this design, although very fast carts will require rollers that are several tiles long, up to three. The requirement for power can be inconvenient or impractical. Non-powered solutions may use controlled derailment, or a connecting bridge.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
B ╥
║
║
╞════╝ ════╡
A D C
}}
Here the track between A and C is not continuous. The only continuous track is A->B, with a corner (not a T section). Fast moving carts will tend to derail at D and rejoin the track to C. Placing a door at D will prevent the derailment, so the cart continues to B. The door is operated by mechanisms elsewhere (typically, a lever, but some fun can be had with pressure plates).

Since it depends on derailing, this switch requires a very fast cart, faster than what can be achieved with rollers alone. To gain sufficient speed, a cart must be accelerated further, usually by descending several levels or through impulse ramps. The high speed makes the cart much more dangerous and harder to control.

If carts are moving too slowly to derail at the corner, a retractable bridge may be used as a connector between A and C.
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
B╥
║
║
A╞════bbb════╡C
}}
The bridge must overlap the corner. Bridges behave like a track crossing, allowing carts to pass in a straight line. When retracted, the corner reappears, so the carts will continue to B. Bridges take 100 steps to react to a signal, necessitating rather long "lead times" when switching tracks via bridge.

As mentioned above, special care must be taken to make sure the bridge doesn't change state while the cart is passing over it. Retracting bridges will throw the cart, causing it to stop dead. Raising bridges can even crush the cart.

==== Controlling Speed ====


Minecarts can reach extremely high speeds, especially when descending multiple Z-levels. A minecart will derail at a track corner if its speed exceeds 0.5 t/st (tiles per step), '''unless''' the route in the direction of travel is blocked:

Will derail at > 0.5 t/st:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
in ══╗ -> derailing
║
out
}}

Will not derail at > 0.5 t/st:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
in ══╗O
║
out

O : wall/column.
}}

This behavior can be used to build a "speed limiter", that will ensure that when a minecart exits it is traveling below derail speed:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░
in ═╔═╗░ ░╔S╗░ ░╔S╗░
out ═╬═╝░ out ═╗═╝░ out ═╗═╝░
░╚S╝░ ░╚═╝═ in ░╚S╝░
░░░░░ ░░░░ ║░░░
in
░ : wall
S : Track Stop (High Friction or lower)
}}
If the minecart is traveling below derailment speed, it will not be affected; if above, will be slowed down and checked again. Granted, you could do the same just with track turns, but it may take a lot of turns and time.

Since all the derailings, bounces and ramps can impart a sideway component of speed small enough to start visible drift many tiles away (say, [[Fun|in the middle of a bridge]]), track turns have one more use: forcing the carts to move strictly along the grid directions. Carts passing a turn below derailing speed convert one component of velocity into another, thus eliminating the drift.

=== Loading liquids ===
[[Water]] and [[magma]] can also be loaded into minecarts by submerging them to a depth of at least 6/7 while standing still or moving at speeds of at most 10000. Loading fluids onto minecarts can be difficult because the added friction provided by fluids can stop a cart in a submerged tile. Curiously, filling a minecart with magma does not injure a dwarf ''riding'' it. A minecart will hold enough fluid to increase the depth of a single tile by 2. This amount is listed as 833 units, which weigh 459Γ (water) or 999Γ (magma). An iron or steel cart filled with magma weighs 1313Γ, while an adamantine cart filled with magma weighs 1007Γ. Since you need a minecart above the liquid's level, possible arrangements may include pressure-activated sluices, rollers (with magma-safe chains for magma), pouring from above to "submerge" it briefly on the same level and drain excess away (dig deeper and leave a vaporizer, though if you could have power for rollers, may as well use a pump) and exploits with ramps (not necessarily impulse ramps, "same height" passing dip does it).
The liquids can be dumped by a constructed track stop.

== Quirks ==
This little quirk concerns dwarf-managed minecarts. If a track which was previously open becomes blocked (ex. flipping a switch connected to a floodgate you've built on the track to raise it) and the conditions for departure are met, instead of refusing to ride/guide the minecart or ride/guide it until it reaches the obstacle, the dwarf will pick up the minecart off the tracks and haul it to its scheduled destination on foot. If the distance is long enough and the weight of the cart heavy enough (due to being filled with heavy items such as stones), the dwarf may drop the cart because of fatigue/hunger/thirst before reaching the destination. This will cancel that vehicle setting job and make another dwarf come by and attempt to haul the cart to the nearest appropriate stockpile where another dwarf will pick up the cart and attempt to haul it to its initial stop. If the stockpile is far enough from initial stop, this second dwarf who is attempting to place the minecart on its tracks may also drop the minecart out of fatigue/hunger/thirst creating a loop that will go on until a dwarf with enough endurance manages to place the minecart where it belongs.

In fact, it seems dwarves are more than happy to attempt to carry a minecart from one stop to another even if just waiting until the track is open again would be the more sane option.

Dwarves will also carry a minecart to its next stop if the direction specified is incorrect (or invalid). This can often occur when using the default departure settings and forgetting to set the direction of each condition.

Dwarves can admire buildings while riding mine carts. Dwarves will not fall asleep during a ride (at least not from being drowsy). If riding on a continuous powered track loop, the dwarf will die of dehydration/starvation as they can not jump off to get sustenance{{cite forum|109460/3377228}}. Dwarves riding in submerged minecarts will gain experience in [[swimming]].{{cite forum|129889}}

Tracks block wagon access to trade depots, unless they're on a ramp. [[Bridge]]s can also be used, as they function as tracks but do not block wagons.

== Physics ==


Minecart physics depend greatly on the departure mode set in the route stop conditions.

When set to "Push" or "Ride", minecarts will move according to the regular laws of momentum, gaining speed when going downhill, losing it slowly due to friction when on a flat plane, and more quickly when going uphill. In these modes, minecarts will move in a straight line until they either are brought to a stop by friction or an obstacle, or until they encounter a turn. A minecart will roll straight past "blocked" ends of T-junctions or track ends, they have no power to restrict a cart's movement. The cart's behavior is largely independent of the weight of its contents (including fluids and dwarves): heavily loaded carts gain more momentum when accelerating, but this only plays a role in collisions: a heavy cart gains just as much speed and is as easy to stop as a light one. In either case, dwarves can not push nor ride an unpowered cart up a ramp, bouncing back the direction it came. At best, this is a waste of time; at worst, it will give your cart-pushing dwarf a [[fun|fun surprise]]. To solve this, the player can either use Rollers (see below) or set the cart to be Guided.

The difference between "Push" and "Ride" is whether the dwarf will go along with the cart or not.
{{DFtext|Push}}: the dwarf will give the cart an initial push, not enough to go up a ramp, but enough to go some way along flat track, and the dwarf will remain at the first stop, ready for a new job.
{{DFtext|Ride}}: the dwarf will give the cart the same initial push and then hop aboard the cart riding with it to the next stop.
{{DFtext|Guide}}: minecarts seem to ignore all laws of physics. That is:
*Ignore the weight of any and all items inside. Therefore:
**Move at the speed of the dwarf that is guiding them. It is thus recommended to pick the most [[attribute#Agility|agile]] of your dwarves for cart-guiding tasks.
*Ignore working rollers.
*Will ''not'' collide with other guided carts even when a full frontal collision would be expected.
*Will go up ramps like nobody's business.
This is therefore the recommended method of transport for simple non-powered rail systems, despite it diverting a dwarf from other, potentially more important tasks.

Some samples with behavior:
{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
A <-> B A <-> C A <-> B
B B B
║ ║ ║
A══╝ A══╩══C A══╬╗
You can only go A->B ╚╝
Works when the cart Works
is in Guide mode.
}}
In the second example above, a cart "pushed" from B will go over the junction and roll off into the unknown south.

=== Skipping ===
If a minecart is moving fast enough, it can skip over [[water]] or [[magma]], making splashes of [[mist]] (or [[magma mist]]) as it attempts to move on them horizontally. This horizontal movement is independent of the minecart and its content's [[weight]].

=== Track Jumping ===
If a minecart encounters the end of the track or a T junction with no "exit" in its movement direction, it will simply leave the track and continue on its course in a straight line until it encounters an obstacle, slows to a stop, or encounters another (properly aligned) Track even if the tile at which it joins the new track instantly sends it around a corner.

=== Falling ===
When falling, a minecart appears to cause no damage upon collision, possibly to allow cart "stacking" across Z-levels.{{cite devlog|2012|04|06}} A dwarf riding in a minecart that is dropped multiple z-levels suffers normal fall damage. Minecarts can fall through up/down stairs.
The cart falling (from a hatch, thus with no horizontal speed) onto a track ramp is accelerated as if starting from the middle of the ramp - i.e. to the same speed, no matter how many Z-levels it was dropped, vertical velocity is negated. {{cite forum|144328/5701211}}

=== Stacking ===
If a minecart lands on top of another minecart, they may form a stack, with the upper cart on the z-level above the lower. Subsequent carts do not form a stack, but rather quantum stockpile in the same space. This behaviour is useful for [[megaprojects]] and [[trap design]] with minecarts as the weaponry. Moderation should still be exercised: carts take longer to fall into a "stacking" tile already occupied by other carts and will spend that time "hanging" in the air above the stack. This can lead to following carts striking them, which can cause all kinds of malfunctions. The extra time is two game steps for every cart already in the stack, which doesn't hurt stacks of ten carts very much but makes stacks of 100+ rather impractical.

These minecarts on the upper level generally need to be struck with another minecart to move out, or have their support removed. The latter option is safest done by shooting it away with another minecart, manual removal of a stack-supporting cart typically causes the next cart from the stack to [[fun|fall on top]] of the hauler.

=== Numbers behind the scene ===

According to early research by '''expwnent'''{{cite forum|112831/3536975}}:

The minecart has a variable for speed. Speed is measured in tiles/100000 ticks, so a speed of one hundred thousand means one tile per tick. By going down a large number of ramps, a maximum speed of 270,000 can be reached, which presents the limit for most practical applications. Short bursts of (much) higher speeds are possible through carefully planned collisions of high-speed carts.

Every tick the cart accumulates distance units, as well as slows down depending on current tile (speed is reduced by "friction" of the tile). The cart will move to the next tile the tick before accumulating 100000 distance units, (or several tiles in case of great speed), then the leftover distance units are added to the default 100000 distance u. of the next tile. Since most deceleration and acceleration is applied per step, with the notable exception of corners, a cart going at twice the speed of another one can cover about four times the distance in a straight line, but only twice the distance along a winding track with very many corners.

A push will teleport a cart to the beginning of the next tile (NOT the middle!) in one tick with 19990 speed (10 speed is lost due to track friction), while a roller will give a cart the roller's set speed, and it will start to accumulate regular track friction past the middle of the roller tile. Some track features will affect a minecart when it is past the middle of the previous tile: entering a ramp or a hole/drop will happen when the cart has left the middle of the previous tile, and the ramp will gain additional distance unit depending on the leftover units from the previous tile. When a cart leaves a ramp it will emerge after one tick in the middle of the next regular tile, so its entry coordinate is "50000-speed+friction". Rollers also affect the speed of minecart from the middle of the previous tile.

Friction of tiles:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Tile
! Friction
! Comment
|-
| Tracks
| 10
|-
| Ground/Floor
| 200
|-
| Unusable ramp
| 10
|-
| Upwards ramp
| 4910 (10+4900)
|-
| Downwards ramp
| -4890 (10-4900)
|-
| Roller
| ±100000 (but capped by the set speed)
|-
| Corner track
| 10
| Speed reduced by 1000 upon leaving the corner tile
|-
| Track stop (highest)
| 50000
|-
| Track stop (high)
| 10000
|-
| Track stop (medium)
| 500
|-
| Track stop (low)
| 50
|-
| Track stop (lowest)
| 10
|-
| Water 1-6
| Additional (WaterLevel - 1) * 100
| rowspan="2" | [[#Skipping|See Skipping]]
|-
| Magma 1-6
| Additional (WaterLevel - 1) * 500
|-
| Empty space
| 0
|}

Water of depth 7/7 provides a friction of about 10000 per step, as does maximum-depth magma. This higher friction may not apply to very slow-moving carts.

Impulse sources:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Feature
! Speed
|-
| Push
| 20000
|-
| Roller lowest
| 10000
|-
| Roller low
| 20000
|-
| Roller medium
| 30000
|-
| Roller high
| 40000
|-
| Roller Highest
| 50000
|-
|}

== Non-standard uses ==
Minecarts include some interesting characteristics that have motivated uses beyond hauling. They can be useful for creating fully-automated [[exploit|quantum stockpiles]] and [[garbage disposal]]s. Storing perishable goods (meat, meals, etc.) inside a minecart appears to guard against rot and vermin.
Minecarts can be [[Trap_design#Minecarts|used as weapons]], or as (hopefully non-fatal) triggers to restart stalled [[healthcare]]. They can also be used to time/control game events, either using a basic [[repeater]] or much more advanced [[minecart logic]].
Minecarts trigger [[pressure plate]]s, which means a trap can be designed to trigger when a thief attempts to steal a minecart.
A pressure plate can be used as automatic and more precise custom "launch when full enough" system - as long as weight of your minecarts stays the same. You cannot build a hatch or roller on the same tile, so launch by bumping with another cart. {{cite forum|15096/4580050}}
Dwarves riding minecarts can attack enemies within reach (which goes back to dev log). This applies to shooting, and they actually can hit targets while riding by.{{cite forum|109460/5266119}} Whether a minecart protects the rider and how it interacts with dodging is not known yet. Minecart riders can also [[Swimming#Minecart_training|train swimming]] and [[Megaprojects#Surveillance_Track|detect ambushers]].

== Adventure mode ==
In addition to being used for hauling, minecarts can also be ridden in [[adventure mode]]. (Adapted from forum thread {{cite forum|122903/4258212}})

# If the minecart is in your inventory, drop it. If it is already on the ground, proceed to step 2.
# Press {{k|u}} when you are 1 tile away from the minecart (or standing on the same tile as the minecart).
# You will be presented with the following options:
[[File:minecart adventure mode menu.png|left]]
{{clear}}
* If you {{DFtext|Push}} the minecart, it will move a few tiles in the direction you chose. Physics comes into play here, so it will gain/lose speed depending on the usual factors.
* If you {{DFtext|Ride}} the minecart, you will hop into the minecart, even if you were a tile away, and it will move in the chosen direction with you in it. It will gain/lose speed depending on the usual factors. Whilst the minecart is in motion, you should press {{k|.}} to skip your turn; if you attempt to move whilst the minecart is still in motion, the laws of physics come into play, and you will take [[wound|damage]]. Alternatively, you can push the minecart whilst it's still in motion (although it's unclear how one can bend [[physics]] so as to push a moving minecart whilst inside the minecart). If you push it in the same direction you are already travelling in, you will greatly increase the minecart's velocity. You can also push it in different directions, and this will cause it to gradually change direction-the amount of pushes this requires depends on the minecart's velocity. Once the minecart has stopped moving, you may move out of it safely, or you may want to give it another push. Note that if you push a minecart right after having ridden it (still on the same tile as the minecart), it will act as though you chose to ''ride'' it.

If you want to test this out without creating an adventurer, the [[object testing arena]] allows you to spawn minecarts ({{k|k}}-{{k|c}}-{{k|n}})

== Forging and Melting ==
* Metal minecarts cost '''two''' [[metal]] bars to forge, or '''six''' [[adamantine]] wafers.
* When a non-adamantine metal minecart is melted down, it will return '''1.8''' metal bars, for an '''efficiency of 90%'''.
* When an adamantine minecart is melted down, it will produce '''1.8''' wafers, for an '''efficiency of 30%'''.

== See also ==
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=109460.0 The "How Does Minecart" Thread] by '''Girlinhat''' et al.
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112831.0 SCIENCE: Quantifying minecart physics] by '''Snaake''' et al.
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=129676.0 How to build a Multi-cart Ore to Magma Minecart Project without needing power] by '''WanderingKid'''.
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=144328.0 My very own Minecart Education Thread. Ten Lessons, now complete.] by '''Larix'''.

== Bugs ==
*A dwarf will drop her [[child|baby]], if she has one, when boarding a minecart set to be ridden.
*Dwarves have no concept of traffic safety and will walk into busy minecart lines to retrieve objects, often with deadly consequences. This is especially problematic in [[Swimming#Minecart_training|clever applications]] depending on dwarves riding the carts very frequently, because they have a bad habit of dumping their worn clothes on the tracks after a minecart ride. Adding an automatically-operated [[hatch cover]] at the end of such a ride can help prevent [[unfortunate accident]]s.
*Dwarves cannot guide a minecart through an unlocked door unless another dwarf opens the door.{{bug|6056}}
*It is possible for a creature and minecart moving towards each other to pass without collision if they exchange tiles in the same tick.
*After a minecart ride, a dwarf will sometimes haul the minecart to a storage stockpile, leaving another dwarf to haul the vehicle back to the route.
*Minecarts falling onto a floor injure creatures in the tile below the floor.{{bug|6068}}
*A minecart's initial velocity is not affected by weight, when pushed or launched from rollers.{{bug|6296}}
*Removing a stop that has a vehicle waiting on it may cause the game to crash.{{bug|5980}}

{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Interface}}

[[ru:Minecart]]

Minecart

2014-09-13T12:16:07Z

Bcmpinc: /* Loading liquids */

{{Migrated_article}}
{{quality|unrated}}{{av}}
A '''minecart''' is a [[tool]] used mostly for [[hauling]], introduced in version 0.34.08. It can be made of [[wood]] at a [[carpenter's workshop]] or [[metal]] at a [[metalsmith's forge]] (using the [[Metal crafter|metalcrafting]] labor.) Minecarts store up to five times as many items as [[wheelbarrow]]s and are quite a bit faster than dwarves hauling objects by hand, but have the disadvantages of requiring a dedicated track network, a complex route planning phase, and the possibility of dwarves [[Fun|blundering into the path of carts filled with lead ore]]. Tracks may be carved into stone, or [[Construction|constructed]]; the latter allows above-ground routes, but these are more difficult to set up due to their additional [[building material|material requirements]].

Just like wheelbarrows, minecarts are considered [[item]]s and are stored in a [[furniture]] [[stockpile]]. Despite their five-times-greater capacity, they are only 33% larger than wheelbarrows and are identical in base [[item value|value]] when made from the same [[material]] (the value may differ due to the [[item quality]]). [[thief|Thieves]] or even mischievous animals can steal minecarts, even when they are moving on a track{{cite forum|109460/3289070}}. However, minecarts moving fast enough or being ridden cannot be stolen.

Although most of the utility of minecarts is in [[fortress mode]], an [[adventure mode|adventurer]] can also ride in a minecart. Adventurers can also pick up and relocate minecarts.

The invention of minecarts revolutionized the [[minecart logic|Science of Dwarfputing]] by enabling smaller, faster logic systems to be built.

== Basic Minecart Usage ==
Minecarts can be used to swiftly transport dwarves, [[flow|fluids]], and/or large amounts of items, but before you have a functional minecart there are several preconditions that need to be met. First of all you need an actual minecart, constructed either in a [[carpenter's workshop]] or [[metalsmith's forge]]. For the minecart to be able to move you also need to carve (with {{k|d}} {{k|T}}) or construct (with {{k|b}} {{k|C}} {{k|T}}) a track, which could be as simple as a straight line. Finally you need to construct stops on your track (with {{k|b}} {{k|C}} {{k|S}}) where the minecart will start and stop.

After you have created the stops and assigned a cart to the track, you must create logic routes connecting several stops and designate starting conditions for each stop. This is done with the {{k|h}}auling key. The most basic conditions are how the cart's movement is initiated and in which direction the cart should start moving. Carts can be either be Pushed (a dwarf stands at a stop and gives the cart a single push) or Guided (a dwarf continually pushes the cart forward, guiding it along the track). The [[hauling]] [[labor]] required for pushing and guiding carts is called "Push/Haul Vehicles" and is turned on by default.

To control which items to transport you can add conditions specifying: (1) which kind of items to be loaded, and unloaded, (2) stockpile links to define which stockpile(s) the items should be un/loaded to and from.

===Capacity and weights ===
Minecarts have five times the [[Weight|capacity]] of [[wheelbarrow]]s.

'''Examples of the capacity of one cart'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Item
! Amount
|-
| [[stone]]
| 5
|-
| [[wood|log]]
| 10
|-
| [[block]]/[[bar]]
| 83
|-
| [[Kitchen|prepared meals]]
| 500
|-
| [[Trap_component#Spiked_ball|spiked balls]]
| 500
|-
| [[Weapon#Native_weapons|mace]]
| 625
|-
| [[Weapon#Native_weapons|spears]]
| 1250
|-
| [[cloth]]
| 2500
|}

The weight of the loaded minecart does not affect the initial velocity received from pushing or launching from a roller. However, the load of a minecart ''does'' affect whether a [[pressure plate]] triggers or not, based on the pressure plate's setting.

'''Weights of different carts'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Type of cart
! Empty cart
! Fully loaded (items)
|-
| oaken minecart
| 28Γ
| 378Γ (10 oak logs)
|-
| platinum minecart
| 856Γ
| 10482Γ (gold bars)
|}

=== Creating tracks ===
The tracks, which the minecarts travels on, can be built in two ways: Engraved/carved or constructed. The way the tracks are built is slightly different between the two, as explained below.

====Simple tracks====

'''Carved'''

A single-tile wide strip of natural stone can be designated to be [[Engraver|carved]] (with {{K|d}} {{k|T}}), which will create a straight two-way track. The creation of corners, crossings, and T-junctions is as simple as designating another strip of track that overlaps an existent or newly designated track. Engraved tracks are removed by [[smoothing]] the rock they're on, which results in a smooth floor (that can be re-engraved if necessary), or by building a [[floor]] on top and subsequently removing it. Dwarves can carve corner tracks in one pass by designating the track carving twice and canceling unwanted carvings (with {{K|d}} {{K|x}}). Tracks can be engraved in any natural floor tile, rough, smooth and even over engravings, providing an easy method to remove low-quality or undesired floor engravings.

'''Constructed'''

Tracks can also be built as regular [[construction]]s (through {{K|b}} {{K|C}} {{K|T}}). This method is resource-expensive, since each track tile requires one stone, [[bar]], or [[block]] for construction, and time-consuming, since you can't designate strips longer than 10 tiles at a time. Corners, crossings, T-junctions, and ramps also have to be designated individually. However, it is usually the only way to build tracks above ground or on soil (barring the [[Obsidian farming|creation of obsidian]]). Constructed tracks are designated for removal like any regular construction; be aware that removing track ramps built on top of natural ones will also remove the original ramp, leaving a flat floor.

====Ramps====

'''Carved'''

The carving of natural ramps is a little more confusing: to carve a two-way track on a ramp (natural only, does not work on constructed ramps), you must designate the track '''starting on the ramp and one square beyond''' in the direction you want the track to go. For the side of the ramp square you want to head upward, there '''must''' be either a natural or constructed wall in the square next to it, otherwise the game assumes you are trying to carve it on the same level -- this can result in the track being carved underneath a door or other object. If you have accidentally done this, you can correct it by smoothing the ramp and constructing a single square of wall next to it, then re-carving the ramp correctly. (However, the wall must stay there permanently; removing it will disconnect the track.)

'''Constructed'''

When constructing track ramps, the stated direction should be the same as the connected tracks. For example, a track going up from West to East would require, starting from the West, a Track (EW), a Track/Ramp (EW) and a Wall behind the ramp. Incorrectly placed ramps result in minecarts ignoring the ramp and crashing into the supporting wall. They will not, however, display as unusable as when the supporting wall is missing.

'''Examples of ramps'''

A simple ramp would look like this:
z +0 z +1
░░░░ ░░░░
═▲o ░▼═
░░░░ ░░░░
o : wall

Carving track corners into ramps is rather unintuitive and complicated. Since engraving tracks always requires two tiles to connect in a straight line as input, you have to give two separate designations for a single job: a track bit from the ramp tile to the "below" direction and another one to the wall of the "upward" direction. If you wanted to change direction on a ramp from east to north:

z +0 z +1
░░░░░ ░░░░░
░░░░░ ══╗░░
=▲░░ ░░▼░░
░░░░░ ░░░░░

you would need to connect the ramp on z +0 both to the west and to the north by issuing two "carve track" commands, one selecting the ramp and the track tile to the west, and another connecting the ramp tile with the wall to the north. An engraver would then carve a NW track corner into the ramp, allowing carts to pass the corner correctly both going up and down. Such track corners are perfectly serviceable for guided carts, but moving down a route of several of them by pushed or ridden cart is problematic - the ramp-induced acceleration can easily lead to collisions with walls, dropping all contents of the cart and battering the rider.

{{anchor|Tracks}}
=== Hauling route ===
The proper setting up of routes is essential for a working rail system. Routes, stops, departure conditions and stockpile links are managed from the {{k|h}}auling menu.

==== Route ====
New routes are created with the {{k|h}}auling key. Existing ones can be removed (without confirmation) with the {{k|x}} key, and also {{k|n}}icknamed. Before operating, the route must have at least one {{k|v}}ehicle assigned to it (this can be done with either the route or a stop selected). Assigning a full minecart to a route may result in a slow hauling job if the contents are heavy.

==== Track stop ====
There are two types of stops. The first is the type you set in the {{k|h}}auling menu, by hitting {{k|s}} while highlighting the route (or a stop within) you've already designated. This designates a loading/unloading location for a minecart. For clarity in this section this will be referenced as a hauling stop, otherwise this gets confusing with Track Stops. The actual Track Stop, which is constructed via {{k|b}} {{k|C}} {{k|S}}, allows for slowing/halting of pushed and/or ridden carts as well as automated dumping.

Hauling stops are designated by moving the cursor on top of the desired tile and pressing the {{k|s}} key afterwards. They can be removed with and nicknamed with the same hotkeys as routes. Stops can also be reordered with the {{k|p}}romote key. Without a definition, however, a stop is fairly useless: pressing the {{k|Enter}} key with a stop selected in the route menu opens its stop definition screen, from which departure conditions and stockpile links can be set up.

It is important to note that hauling stop order is enforced, even if there is no track. A dwarf will drag the cart overland back to a skipped stop in the route's list if your tracks bypass it somehow.

Each new stop get the same default conditions regardless of the track it is placed upon (e.g. guide the cart to the north). For this reason new stops might get marked by yellow exclamation marks ({{DFtext|!|#ff0}}) due to invalid directions.

Track stops are not mandatory; in fact, their main use is in automated rail systems. However, even in basic rail systems it can be useful to set a track stop to dump items: this saves time that dwarves would otherwise spend in removing items from the cart, time that is better spent driving the cart back to where it's needed. Dumping will occur even with a guided cart. Take care not to set track stops at a loading site to dump their contents, or dwarves will never be able to fill the cart.

Counter-intuitive to their construction method, track stops are considered [[building]]s and must be removed by {{k|q}} {{k|x}}.
* See [[#More_on_Track_stop |More on Track Stops]]

===== Stockpile links =====
By placing the cursor on top of a stockpile and using {{k|s}}, you can create stockpile links while defining a hauling stop. Links can also be redefined by selecting them, placing the cursor over a different stockpile, and pressing {{k|p}}.
[[#More_on_Track_stop| See More on Track stop]]

===== Departure condition =====
Departure conditions involve setting conditions in which the minecart will leave on the route. Each condition includes:
# A departure mode (Guide, Ride or Push).
# A departure direction (NSEW).
# A timer, before which the departure condition cannot be met.
# Conditions on the amount of items in the cart.
Departure conditions are created with the {{k|n}} key. A new departure condition will read: "guide north immediately when empty of desired items". This condition can be changed between basic presets with {{k|c}}. "Advanced" mode ({{k|C}}) allows for more precise control over departure conditions: fine tuning the percentage from 0 to 100 in 25% steps ({{k|f}} and {{k|F}}), switching it being either the maximum or the minimum amount of items for the condition to be met ({{k|m}}), and whether the cart accepts all or only a specific set of items ({{k|l}}). Common to both screens are the departure mode ({{k|p}}, Push, Ride or Guide), {{k|d}}irection, and timer ({{k|t}} and {{k|T}}) options.

To have a cart only carry a specific set of items, the stop can be set to only carry "desired" items, opening the selection screen with the {{k|Enter}} key while having said stop condition selected, and toggling as desired, or it can simply be linked to a restricted stockpile and set to depart with any items.

=== Step-by-step tutorial ===

Let's construct a simple minecart route. This route will move stone blocks from an input stockpile to an output stockpile. We'll begin by creating the stockpiles:

[[File:minecart-example-1.png|Stockpiles designated.]]

The input stockpile is on the left; the output stockpile is on the right. We'll be moving blocks from left to right. Disable bins in both stockpiles, and set the input stockpile to accept only from links. Then make the stockpile take from the mason's workshop where the blocks are being produced.

Next, carve the track:

[[File:minecart-example-2.png|Track carving designation.]]

Note that the ends of the designation are uniquely shaped; this is automatic, and not anything you need to control. Now, wait for your engravers to come along and carve the track into the stone. (Your haulers will probably also fill up the input stockpile while you wait.)

In addition, while we're waiting for that to happen, we'll build an iron minecart in the forge.

[[File:minecart-example-3.png|Track carved.]]

When the track has been carved, it will look like the above (the track will be solid instead of flashing). Now, order a track stop to be constructed next to the output stockpile:

{|
| [[File:minecart-example-4.png|Track stop designation.]]
| [[File:minecart-example-5.png|Select dumping direction.]]
|}

You must press {{k|d}} three times to select the dumping direction ''before'' placing the track stop. We want our blocks to be dumped into the output stockpile east of the track stop. Then wait for a mechanic to come along and build the track stop.

[[File:minecart-example-6.png|Track stop constructed.]]

Now we'll define the actual ''route''. This is done in the {{k|h}}auling menu. Press {{k|r}} to begin defining a route. Next, move the cursor to the input end of the track, and then press {{k|s}} to define the first stop:

{|
| [[File:minecart-example-7.png|Stop 1 designation.]]
| [[File:minecart-example-8.png|Route definition, in progress.]]
|}

Move the cursor again, to the output end of the track, and press {{k|s}} again to define the second stop:

{|
| [[File:minecart-example-9.png|Stop 2 designation.]]
| [[File:minecart-example-10.png|Route definition, two stops.]]
|-
|
| [[File:minecart-example-11.png|Stops are not defined yet.]]
|}

There are several user interface features to note at this point. The stops have been positioned, but they haven't been ''defined'' yet, so there is a warning {{DFtext|!|#ff0}} symbol by each of them. In the lower right corner, we see what the {{DFtext|!|#ff0}} means. Also, note that the second stop is labeled in white, while the other two lines are grey. The white text is a selection indicator, and can be moved up and down by pressing {{k|+}}/{{k|-}}.

Next we need to define what our stops do. We want the minecart to be filled with blocks at the first stop, then travel to the second stop where it will dump its cargo, and then return. Press {{k|-}} to move the selection up to stop 1, and {{k|Enter}} to open it up. By default, the stop has three conditions:

[[File:minecart-example-12.png|Default stop definition.]]

We don't want any of these, so press {{k|x}} three times to delete them. This leaves us with a blank stop. Now we can add the conditions we actually want. Press {{k|n}} to begin adding the first condition, then {{k|d}} twice to change the direction from north to east. Then press {{k|c}} to change the condition from empty to full. This will instruct the minecart to be guided east when full of desired items.

To set the desired items, we create a stockpile link. Press {{k|s}}, then move the cursor to the input stockpile, then press {{k|p}} to select that stockpile. Now press {{k|Enter}}; this opens up a selection screen that resembles the stockpile customization screen. Move down to Blocks, {{k|e}}nable them, then (if you wish) restrict it to stone blocks.

When you've done all that, stop 1 should look like this:

[[File:minecart-example-13.png|Stop 1, defined.]]

Stop 2 is much simpler. All we need to do is have the minecart return to the input stop. So, make a condition and change the direction:

[[File:minecart-example-14.png|Stop 2, defined.]]

Finally, we just have to assign our minecart. Go back to the route definition screen, and press {{k|v}}. Select the minecart, and press {{k|Enter}}.

Now we've got everything set up:

[[File:minecart-example-15.png|Route, fully defined.]]

The V is red because the minecart hasn't been moved onto the track yet. Some dwarf will have to haul it from the forge to the first stop, by hand; this will take a while, especially if the forge is far away.

Once the minecart is in place, dwarves should fill it with blocks from the input stockpile, which will in turn be filled with blocks from the workshop where your mason has been toiling dutifully. When the minecart is full, the blocks will be dumped into the 1x1 stockpile on the right. Automatic quantum dumping!

=== Troubleshooting ===

Because of the complexity of the system, all but the most careful and experienced minecart users will encounter issues. Most route issues can be diagnosed and fixed from the {{k|h}}auling menu.

'''Symptom:''' {{DFtext|! Set dir/connect track|6:1}} message appears to the right of one or more stops

'''Possible Causes:'''
* The departure direction of the stop might be invalid. Edit the stop using {{k|Enter}} and press{{k|d}} until it is pointing in a valid direction.
* The track stop might not be built on top of a track. The track stop must be deconstructed to remedy this issue.
* Your track might not be built correctly. Make sure all connected tracks between destinations are not one-way tracks.
** This can be especially confusing with ramps. To carve a two-way track on a (natural) ramp, you must designate the ramp and one square beyond in the direction you want the track to go.
** Ramps '''must''' have a solid block on the side opposite to the track, or they will neither work nor be marked as "unusable". The solid block can be natural or constructed.
* The desired/kept items might not be configured correctly.

'''Symptom:''' The status '''0% V''' always appears to the right of one stop.

'''Possible Causes:'''
* The stop may not be set to take from a stockpile. Edit the Stop using {{k|Enter}} and make sure you see a message like "Take from Stockpile #1".
* The take conditions must correspond with the contents of the stockpile.
* The track stop may be set to dump. A track stop set to dump cannot be filled. You must either set the stop to a time-based departure or deconstruct the track stop and rebuild it without dumping.
* Make sure the minecart itself has not been designated to be dumped (such as when using mass-dump).

'''Symptom:''' A dwarf picks up the minecart and carries it to its destination.
* See [[#Quirks|Quirks]]

=== Danger ===
Minecarts are not without <strike>danger</strike> [[fun]]. Although designating a track automatically sets the [[traffic]] designation to low, dwarves ''may'' still walk on them, and [[creature]]s ignore traffic designations altogether. If an unlucky dwarf or creature fails to [[dodger|dodge]] a minecart, they can be injured. Most of this danger can be avoided by setting the minecart {{k|h}}auling commands to guide instead of push or ride, as dwarves guiding minecarts will ignore traffic restrictions, by [[pasture|pasturing]] domestic animals, and preventing the access of other creatures to the tracks. Note that removing the track doesn't reset that tile back to normal traffic priority, so you may wish to manually clean up traffic designation afterward. Also note that bridges that are used as tracks don't have their traffic priority changed automatically (since they're just normal bridges), which could cause dwarves to pathfind normally through dangerous minecart entrances in your fort's walls if you're not careful.

The only <s>fool</s>''dwarf''-proof method is to make the tracks inaccessible. There are several ways to create a track which works for minecarts but doesn't allow creature-traversal; the simplest is perhaps a single-tile hole. Minecarts moving at reasonable speed will jump the gap, while creatures will not. Other options include adding vertical drops, minecart-triggered doors, small pools of liquid (4/7 water or 2/7 magma), and hostile creatures overlooking the tracks. For safety, both ends of the track should be isolated, making the dangerous center sections completely inaccessible (though maintenance access can be provided by a locked door).

Danger does not always involve living victims: careless route designation can also result in minecarts careening off tracks or colliding with each other. If this occurs, the [[item]]s may be scattered; this can cause even more hauling jobs than the minecart aimed to eliminate. Even <s>better</s> worse, scattered items, especially [[weapon]]s, can injure passing [[dwarf|dwarves]] or other [[creature]]s; in the words of Toady One the Great, "Accidental grapeshotting of the dining room should be possible now."

Of course, the danger of using minecarts means they can also be [[Trap_design#Minecarts|used as weapons]] by imaginative players.

== Advanced usage and automation ==
Minecart-specific effects are implemented via track stops, rollers and [[pressure plate]]s with "track" condition set. Since all three are considered [[building]]s, they can't be built on the same square (however convenient track stop + pressure plate would be) nor a simple ramp, and are removed by {{k|q}} {{k|x}}.

=== More on Track stop ===
Track stops are constructions that allow further automation of minecart systems via adjustable features such as braking by friction and automatic dumping of contents. They can be built from logs, bars and blocks through {{K|b}} {{K|C}} {{K|S}}; friction amount, dumping toggle and dumping direction must be set '''before''' construction, and these settings can be neither changed nor seen thereafter; however, track stops can be linked to [[pressure plate]]s or [[lever]]s to toggle friction and dumping On or Off (trigger state is inverted: switch On = track stop Off).

If a [[stockpile]] is placed on the tile that a track stop is set to dump to, it can act as a [[Exploit#Quantum_stockpiles|quantum stockpile]] and any items dumped from a minecart that match the storage settings of the stockpile will remain there and accumulate. Normally trackstops are built on top of existing track to operate on moving minecarts, but they can also be used without tracks to create [[Exploit#The_Minecart_Stop|automatic quantum stockpiles]] (see also [[#Step-by-step_tutorial|step-by-step tutorial]]). It is not always desirable to collect ALL of certain items into one quantum stockpile, such as when distributing a material to multiple separate industries. You can link your quantum stockpile to various other stockpiles, ensuring that your dwarves will keep them supplied as necessary. Because quantum stockpiles never fill up like regular stockpiles, it may be a good idea to add a switch to turn them off.

Items dumped from a minecart at a track stop (or dumped by any other means) into open space fall through z-levels until they land on a solid surface. Items falling onto a designated [[stockpile]] will automatically be considered part of that stockpile, even if the stockpile is set to disallow those items (they will, however, be automatically moved to a more appropriate stockpile, if available). Items falling on top of a minecart will '''not''' fall "inside" the minecart. Use with caution; dwarves have fragile skulls.{{bug|5945}}

=== Automated propulsion ===
==== Roller ====
{{Main|Roller}}

A '''roller''' is a [[power]]ed [[machine component]] for the automated propulsion of minecarts. They are built over the top of existing tracks with {{K|b|M|r}}, requiring a [[mechanic]], ''(length/4)+1'' [[mechanism]]s and a [[rope]]. Rollers may also be placed directly on ramps to help pull carts up Z levels. Rollers are very useful to maintain a cart's momentum along long routes, to get them to climb Z-levels without dwarfpower involved, and to get them to reach speeds unattainable by guiding dwarves. These devices are variable-length (1-10), variable-direction and variable-speed ([[Minecart#Numbers_behind_the_scene|see below]]), all traits that can be set at construction time; a roller uses two units of power per tile it is long.

Single-tile rollers transfer power in all four cardinal directions, while other rollers generally only transfer power perpendicular to their activity direction. Longer rollers can also transfer power along their activity direction if built in the correct order, although this can be hard to accomplish and is easily broken. Rollers cannot be powered from above.

Rollers do not provide acceleration but rather set the cart's velocity to a new value: if a cart moves across an active roller in the direction the roller works and moves slower than the roller's specified speed, the cart will be set to the roller's speed. Carts going faster than the roller are unaffected. A cart going against a roller's movement direction will be sent back the way it came (once again at the roller's speed), unless it was moving extremely fast, well over derailing speed. A cart crossing over a roller perpendicular to its current movement direction will gain the roller's amount of speed in the perpendicular direction without directly changing its forward motion. Without an adjacent wall to constrict its movement, this will typically send a cart off the rails on a diagonal path, completely unable to follow any tracks until it collides with a wall or is otherwise brought to rest.

Because of their one-way nature, rollers are unsuitable for most two-way minecart tracks. However, a minecart set to be ''guided'' is not affected by rollers at all{{cite forum|109460/3286235}} — this allows a one-way track to be used in both directions. In addition, unpowered rollers do not affect minecarts.

Care must be taken in [[glacier]]s and other extremely cold [[biome]]s, since rollers (and the machinery used to power them) will not operate when constructed on natural [[ice]] floors.

==== Impulse ramps ====
Carts can be given momentum without rollers or changing z-level through a phenomenon called "impulse ramps". A ramp which is connected both to a wall and to a floor will ''always'' accelerate a cart, no matter where the cart enters the tile from. This means carts can be accelerated as though dropping z-levels, even if the cart doesn't actually change z-level at all.

Example of straight impulse acceleration:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒
═╚╚╚╚╚╚╚╚╚╚═
═ : Normal track
╔,╚,╗,╝ : N/E Track/Ramp
}}

If a cart enters from the left, it will speed up on every track/ramp and exit to the right going very very fast - more than one tile every step.

The other crazy thing about impulse ramps is that they produce slightly more acceleration than it takes to move a cart up one ramp. So you can just make an upward spiral alternating impulse ramps and regular upward ramps. It takes no power, is quick and cheap to build, requiring only channeling and track carving, and the cart goes up fast, but not so fast that it launches its contents.

Example of an impulse elevator:

{{diagram|spaces=yes|\
z +0 z +1 z +2 z +3
░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░
░╔░░░ ░▼╚╗░ ░░▼▼░ ░░░░░
░╝░░░ ░▼░░░ ░░░╔░ ░░░▼░
░▼▼░░ ░░░░░ ░░░╝░ ░╚╗▼░
░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░ ░░░░░

░ : Wall
╔,╚,╗,╝ : Track/Ramp
▼ : Down Ramp (empty space)
}}

A sort of opposite effect to impulse ramps also exists: ramps lacking the proper "up" and "down" connections are treated as flat track, even if they actually go up or down z-levels. This allows building "anti-impulse" slopes consisting entirely of ramps only connected up, which a minecart can travel up forty levels and more, needing no more than a single push.

=== Controlling traffic ===

==== Switching ====

As constructions or tile features, [[door]]s and other furniture can be built on tracks. A [[door]] or [[floodgate]] can be turned on or off by a [[lever]], effectively controlling the flow of automated minecarts. This may be <s>dangerous</s> [[fun]], however.

->
A╞════RD════╡B

The roller 'R' pushes the cart east, but until the "departure condition" is fulfilled, the door 'D' remains closed and blocks the path.

[[Bridge]]s can also act as tracks, but only if they're lowered or not retracted. This property can enable levers to turn tracks on and off. However, care should be taken to ensure that such bridges are never operated while a cart is on top of them, as the cart will be flung off the track. It's worth noting that it's often faster, and cheaper, to construct large bridges than long sections of constructed track.

A powered track switch can be constructed by building a T-junction as illustrated below.

B╥ B╥
║ ║
║ -> ║
║ ║
A╞════╚════╡C A╞════R════╡C

The 'R' is a roller pushing from East to West.
If the cart is pushed East from the stop at 'A' while the roller is activated, it will arrive at 'B'. If the roller is not running, it will arrive at 'C'. The switch works by the roller first reversing the incoming cart's movement and the cart ''then'' following the track corner.

This switch is very reliable, reacts instantly to on/off signals, and carts of any speed can be switched by this design, although very fast carts will require rollers that are several tiles long, up to three. The requirement for power can be inconvenient or impractical. Non-powered solutions may use controlled derailment, or a connecting bridge.

B╥
║
║
A╞════╝D ════╡C

Here the track between A and C is not continuous. The only continuous track is A->B, with a corner (not a T section). Fast moving carts will tend to derail at D and rejoin the track to C. Placing a door at D will prevent the derailment, so the cart continues to B. The door is operated by mechanisms elsewhere (typically, a lever, but some fun can be had with pressure plates).

Since it depends on derailing, this switch requires a very fast cart, faster than what can be achieved with rollers alone. To gain sufficient speed, a cart must be accelerated further, usually by descending several levels or through impulse ramps. The high speed makes the cart much more dangerous and harder to control.

If carts are moving too slowly to derail at the corner, a retractable bridge may be used as a connector between A and C.
B╥
║
║
A╞════bbb════╡C
The bridge must overlap the corner. Bridges behave like a track crossing, allowing carts to pass in a straight line. When retracted, the corner reappears, so the carts will continue to B. Bridges take 100 steps to react to a signal, necessitating rather long "lead times" when switching tracks via bridge.

As mentioned above, special care must be taken to make sure the bridge doesn't change state while the cart is passing over it. Retracting bridges will throw the cart, causing it to stop dead. Raising bridges can even crush the cart.

==== Controlling Speed ====


Minecarts can reach extremely high speeds, especially when descending multiple Z-levels. A minecart will derail at a track corner if its speed exceeds 0.5 t/st (tiles per step), '''unless''' the route in the direction of travel is blocked:

Will derail at > 0.5 t/st:

in ═╗->
out

Will not derail at > 0.5 t/st:

in ═╗O
|
v
out

O is wall.

This behavior can be used to build a "speed limiter", that will ensure that when a minecart exits it is traveling below derail speed:

OOOO OOOOO OOOOO
in ═╔═╗O O╔S╗O O╔S╗O
out ═╬═╝O out ═╗═╝O out ═╗═╝O
O╚S╝O O╚═╝═ in O╚S╝O
OOOOO OOOO ║OOO
in

O is wall, S is a Track Stop set to High Friction or lower. If the minecart is traveling below derailment speed it will not be affected.

=== Loading liquids ===
[[Water]] and [[magma]] can also be loaded into minecarts by submerging them to a depth of at least 6/7 with a speed of at most 50000. The liquids can be dumped by a constructed track stop. Loading fluids onto minecarts can be difficult because their weight can slow the minecart down greatly. Curiously, filling a minecart with magma does not injure a dwarf ''riding'' it. A minecart will hold enough fluid to increase the depth of a single tile by 2. This amount is listed as 833 units, which weigh 459Γ (water) or 999Γ (magma). An iron or steel cart filled with magma weighs 1313Γ, while an adamantine cart filled with magma weighs 1007Γ.

== Quirks ==
This little quirk concerns dwarf-managed minecarts and may or may not apply to automatic minecarts. If a track which was previously open becomes blocked (ex. flipping a switch connected to a floodgate you've built on the track to raise it) and the conditions for departure are met, instead of refusing to ride/guide the minecart or ride/guide it until it reaches the obstacle, the dwarf will pick up the minecart off the tracks and haul it to its scheduled destination on foot. If the distance is long enough and the weight of the cart heavy enough (due to being filled with heavy items such as stones), the dwarf may drop the cart because of fatigue/hunger/thirst before reaching the destination. This will cancel that vehicle setting job and make another dwarf come by and attempt to haul the cart to the nearest appropriate stockpile where another dwarf will pick up the cart and attempt to haul it to its initial stop. If the stockpile is far enough from initial stop, this second dwarf who is attempting to place the minecart on its tracks may also drop the minecart out of fatigue/hunger/thirst creating a loop that will go on until a dwarf with enough endurance manages to place the minecart where it belongs.

In fact, it seems dwarves are more than happy to attempt to carry a minecart from one stop to another even if just waiting until the track is open again would be the more sane option.

Dwarves will also carry a minecart to its next stop if the direction specified is incorrect (or invalid). This can often occur when using the default departure settings and forgetting to set the direction of each condition.

Dwarves can admire buildings while riding mine carts. Dwarves will not fall asleep during a ride (at least not from being drowsy). If riding on a continuous powered track loop, the dwarf will die of dehydration/starvation as they can not jump off to get sustenance{{cite forum|109460/3377228}}. Dwarves riding in submerged minecarts will gain experience in [[swimming]].{{cite forum|129889}}

== Physics ==


Minecart physics depend greatly on the departure mode set in the route stop conditions.

When set to "Push" or "Ride", minecarts will move according to the regular laws of momentum, gaining speed when going downhill, losing it slowly due to friction when on a flat plane, and more quickly when going uphill. In these modes, minecarts will move along the track in a straight line until they either run off the tracks or encounter a turn. A minecart will continue straight at a T junction if possible but if it is not possible the track is treated as a dead end and may jump track. The cart's behavior also depends on the weight of its contents (including fluids and dwarves): heavily loaded carts are harder to accelerate and to stop, and gain more momentum when going downhill. In either case, dwarves can not push nor ride an unpowered cart up a ramp, bouncing back the direction it came. At best, this is a waste of time; at worst, it will give your cart-pushing dwarf a [[fun|fun surprise]]. To solve this, the player can either use Rollers (see below) or set the cart to be Guided.

The difference between "Push" and "Ride" is whether the dwarf will go along with the cart or not. When set to "Push", the dwarf will give the cart an initial push, not enough to go up a ramp, but enough to go some way along flat track, and the dwarf will remain at the first stop, ready for a new job. When set to "Ride", the dwarf will give the cart the same initial push and then hop aboard the cart riding with it to the next stop.

When set to "Guide", minecarts seem to ignore all laws of physics. They:
*Ignore the weight of any and all items inside. Therefore:
**Move at the speed of the dwarf that is guiding them. It is thus recommended to pick the most [[attribute#Agility|agile]] of your dwarves for cart-guiding tasks.
*Ignore working rollers.
*Will ''not'' collide with other guided carts even when a full frontal collision would be expected.
*Will go up ramps like nobody's business.
This is therefore the recommended method of transport for simple non-powered rail systems, despite it diverting a dwarf from other, potentially more important tasks.

Some samples with behavior:

A <-> B A <-> C A <-> B
B╥ B╥ B╥
║ ║ ║
A╞══╝ A╞══╩══╡C A╞══╬╗
You can only go A->B ╚╝
Works when the cart Works
is in Guide mode.

In the second example above, if you attempt to "Push" from B to A or C, [[Fun|''the cart will go careening off of the tracks'']].

=== Skipping ===
If a minecart is moving fast enough, it can skip over [[water]] or [[magma]], making splashes of [[mist]] (or [[magma mist]]) as it attempts to move on them horizontally. This horizontal movement is independent of the minecart and its content's [[weight]].

=== Track Jumping ===
If a minecart encounters the end of the track or a T junction with no "exit" in its movement direction, it will simply leave the track and continue on its course in a straight line until it encounters an obstacle, slows to a stop, or encounters another (properly aligned) Track even if the tile at which it joins the new track instantly sends it around a corner.

=== Falling ===
When falling, a minecart appears to cause no damage upon collision, possibly to allow cart "stacking" across Z-levels.{{cite devlog|2012|04|06}} A dwarf riding in a minecart that is dropped multiple z-levels suffers normal fall damage. Minecarts can fall through up/down stairs.

=== Stacking ===
If a minecart lands on top of another minecart, they may form a stack, with the upper cart on the z-level above the lower. Subsequent carts do not form a stack, but rather quantum stockpile in the same space. This behaviour is useful for [[megaprojects]] and [[trap design]] with minecarts as the weaponry.

These minecarts on the upper level generally need to be struck with another minecart to move out, or have their support removed. The latter option can be somewhat <s>dangerous</s> [[fun]], however.

=== Numbers behind the scene ===

According to [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=112831.msg3536975#msg3536975 this post]:

The minecart has a variable for speed. Speed is measured in tiles/100000 ticks, so a speed of one hundred thousand means one tile per tick. By going down a large number of ramps, a maximum speed of 270,000 can be reached, which presents the limit for most practical applications. Short bursts of (much) higher speeds are possible through carefully planned collisions of high-speed carts.

Every tick the cart accumulates distance units, as well as slows down depending on current tile (speed is reduced by "friction" of the tile). The cart will move to the next tile the tick before accumulating 100000 distance units, (or several tiles in case of great speed), then the leftover distance units are added to the default 100000 distance u. of the next tile. Since most deceleration and acceleration is applied per step, with the notable exception of corners, a cart going at twice the speed of another one can cover about four times the distance in a straight line, but only twice the distance along a winding track with very many corners.

A push will teleport a cart to the beginning of the next tile (NOT the middle!) in one tick with 19990 speed (10 speed is lost due to track friction), while a roller will accelerate a cart to roller speed, and it will start to accumulate regular track friction past the middle of the roller tile. Some track features will affect a minecart when it is past the middle of the previous tile: entering a ramp or a hole/drop will happen when the cart has left the middle of the previous tile, and the ramp will gain additional distance unit depending on the leftover units from the previous tile. When a cart leaves a ramp it will emerge after one tick in the middle of the next regular tile, so its entry coordinate is "50000-speed+friction". Rollers also affect the speed of minecart from the middle of the previous tile.

Friction of tiles:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Tile
! Friction
! Comment
|-
| Tracks
| 10
|-
| Ground/Floor
| 200
|-
| Unusable ramp
| 10
|-
| Upwards ramp
| 4910 (10+4900)
|-
| Downwards ramp
| -4890 (10-4900)
|-
| Corner track
| 10
| Speed reduced by 1000 upon leaving the corner tile
|-
| Track stop (highest)
| 50000
|-
| Track stop (high)
| 10000
|-
| Track stop (medium)
| 500
|-
| Track stop (low)
| 50
|-
| Track stop (lowest)
| 10
|-
| Water
| Additional (WaterLevel - 1) * 100
| rowspan="2" | [[#Skipping|See Skipping]]
|-
| Magma
| Additional (WaterLevel - 1) * 500
|-
| Empty space
| 0
|}

Impulse sources:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Feature
! Speed
|-
| Push
| 20000
|-
| Roller lowest
| 10000
|-
| Roller low
| 20000
|-
| Roller medium
| 30000
|-
| Roller high
| 40000
|-
| Roller Highest
| 50000
|-
|}

== Non-standard uses ==
Minecarts include some interesting characteristics that have motivated uses beyond hauling. They can be useful for creating fully-automated [[exploit|quantum stockpiles]] and [[garbage disposal]]s. Storing perishable goods (meat, meals, etc.) inside a minecart appears to guard against rot and vermin. Minecarts trigger [[pressure plate]]s, which means a trap can be designed to trigger when a thief attempts to steal a minecart.

== Adventure mode ==
In addition to being used for hauling, minecarts can also be ridden in [[adventure mode]]. (Adapted from [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=122903.0 this forum thread])

# If the minecart is in your inventory, drop it. If it is already on the ground, proceed to step 2.
# Press {{k|u}} when you are 1 tile away from the minecart (or standing on the same tile as the minecart).
# You will be presented with the following options:
[[File:minecart adventure mode menu.png|left]]
{{clear}}
* If you {{DFtext|Push}} the minecart, it will move a few tiles in the direction you chose. Physics comes into play here, so it will gain/lose speed depending on the usual factors.
* If you {{DFtext|Ride}} the minecart, you will hop into the minecart, even if you were a tile away, and it will move in the chosen direction with you in it. It will gain/lose speed depending on the usual factors. Whilst the minecart is in motion, you should press {{k|.}} to skip your turn; if you attempt to move whilst the minecart is still in motion, the laws of physics come into play, and you will take [[wound|damage]]. Alternatively, you can push the minecart whilst it's still in motion (although it's unclear how one can bend [[physics]] so as to push a moving minecart whilst inside the minecart). If you push it in the same direction you are already travelling in, you will greatly increase the minecart's velocity. You can also push it in different directions, and this will cause it to gradually change direction-the amount of pushes this requires depends on the minecart's velocity. Once the minecart has stopped moving, you may move out of it safely, or you may want to give it another push. Note that if you push a minecart right after having ridden it (still on the same tile as the minecart), it will act as though you chose to ''ride'' it.

If you want to test this out without creating an adventurer, the [[object testing arena]] allows you to spawn minecarts ({{k|k}}-{{k|c}}-{{k|n}})

== Forging and Melting ==
* Metal minecarts cost '''two''' [[metal]] bars to forge, or '''six''' [[adamantine]] wafers.
* When a non-adamantine metal minecart is melted down, it will return '''1.8''' metal bars, for an '''efficiency of 90%'''.
* When an adamantine minecart is melted down, it will produce '''1.8''' wafers, for an '''efficiency of 30%'''.

== Bugs ==
*A dwarf will drop her [[child|baby]], if she has one, when boarding a minecart set to be ridden.
*Dwarves have no concept of traffic safety and will walk into busy minecart lines to retrieve objects, often with deadly consequences. This is especially problematic in [[Swimming#Minecart_training|clever applications]] depending on dwarves riding the carts very frequently, because they have a bad habit of dumping their worn clothes on the tracks after a minecart ride. Adding an automatically-operated [[hatch cover]] at the end of such a ride can help prevent [[unfortunate accident]]s.
*Tracks block wagon access to trade depots.{{bug|6040}}
** This can be avoided by using [[bridge]]s, which also function as tracks (but do not block wagons).
*Dwarves cannot guide a minecart through an unlocked door unless another dwarf opens the door.{{bug|6056}}
*The game will crash after a while if a minecart assigned to a route gets [[Steals items|stolen]], [[trade|traded away]], or [[Melt item|melted]] at a [[smelter]].{{bug|6242}}
*It is possible for a creature and minecart moving towards each other to pass without collision if they exchange tiles in the same tick.
*After a minecart ride, a dwarf will sometimes haul the minecart to a storage stockpile, leaving another dwarf to haul the vehicle back to the route.
*Minecarts falling onto a floor injure creatures in the tile below the floor.{{bug|6068}}
*A minecart's initial velocity is not affected by weight, when pushed or launched from rollers.{{bug|6296}}
*Removing a stop that has a vehicle waiting on it may cause the game to crash.{{bug|5980}}

{{Category|Fortress mode}}
{{Category|Interface}}

[[ru:Minecart]]

Trap design

2014-09-01T22:30:40Z

Bcmpinc: /* Shotgun */ Added link to example

v0.34 Talk:Gem

2013-10-12T21:20:58Z

Bcmpinc: /* Moving large gems */ new section

Just FYI, dwarves can now polish non-gemstone rocks into cabochons in the jewelers workshop. Even slate!--[[User:Auric|Auric]] 18:26, 14 March 2012 (UTC)

== Gem cuts ==

If I'm reading it correctly, raw/objects/entity_default.txt defines what cuts of gem a civ can produce:

{| class="wikitable"
!  ||Dwarf||Human||Goblin||Elf / Kobold / Animal men
|-
!STONE_SHAPE:
|
*OVAL_CABOCHON
*ROUND_CABOCHON
*CUSHION_CABOCHON
*RECTANGULAR_CABOCHON
|
*OVAL_CABOCHON
*ROUND_CABOCHON
*CUSHION_CABOCHON
*RECTANGULAR_CABOCHON
|
*RECTANGULAR_CABOCHON
|
*OVAL_CABOCHON
|-
!GEM_SHAPE:
|
*OVAL_CABOCHON
*ROUND_CABOCHON
*CUSHION_CABOCHON
*RECTANGULAR_CABOCHON
----
*POINT_CUT_GEM
*TABLE_CUT_GEM
*SINGLE_CUT_GEM
*ROSE_CUT_GEM
*BRIOLETTE_CUT_GEM
*EMERALD_CUT_GEM
*MARQUISE_CUT_GEM
*OVAL_CUT_GEM
*PEAR_CUT_GEM
*SQUARE_BRILLIANT_CUT_GEM
*RADIANT_CUT_GEM
*TRILLION_CUT_GEM
*ROUND_BRILLIANT_CUT_GEM
*BAGUETTE_CUT_GEM
*TAPERED_BAGUETTE_CUT_GEM
*CUSHION_CUT_GEM
*OCTAGON_CUT_GEM
*SQUARE_CUT_GEM
|
*OVAL_CABOCHON
*ROUND_CABOCHON
*CUSHION_CABOCHON
*RECTANGULAR_CABOCHON
----
*POINT_CUT_GEM
*TABLE_CUT_GEM
*SINGLE_CUT_GEM
*ROSE_CUT_GEM
*BRIOLETTE_CUT_GEM
|
*RECTANGULAR_CABOCHON
----
*POINT_CUT_GEM
|
*OVAL_CABOCHON
----
|}
Based on this, is the article incorrect in its assessment of how cuts are decided? It would seem "brilliant" is never used alone, and "rose" isn't on our list. I would like someone to check my findings before I edit the article, since I'm not that experienced with looking into the raws. Thanks. --[[User:Timrem|timrem]] 01:09, 14 April 2012 (UTC)

== Moving large gems ==

Large gems can be used as bait in [[animal trap]]s, upon destruction of the animal trap, this gems is dropped next to where the animal trap was. So, this is a method for moving gems, though not a very reliable one. Also 'large gems' can be chosen as one of the types of 'finished goods' for a stockpile. Once a large gem is encrusted with other items, dwarves will move it to such a stockpile.