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Pressure plate

2023-02-02T01:24:42Z

Starlocke: Detailed the "passage of game-world time" for 99 ticks.

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{{Quality|Unrated}}
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'''Pressure plates''' act in similar ways to [[lever]]s, in that they require a pair of [[mechanism]]s to link them to a [[bridge]], [[cage]], [[chain]], [[door]], [[floodgate]], [[hatch]], [[grate]] (wall or floor), [[bars]] (vertical or floor), [[support]], [[Trap_component|spears/spikes]], [[gear assembly]] or [[minecart|track stop]]. They send an "open" signal the instant any of their trigger conditions are met (though linked items retain their normal [[Pressure plate#Build order & delay|reaction delay]], if any), and reset with an "close" signal after their conditions have not been met for 99 consecutive [[Time|ticks]]. Proper [[trap design]] will often leave a time delay space for traps based on enemy movement.

Pressure plates are not targeted by [[building destroyer]]s.

==Trigger conditions==

There are currently four possible trigger conditions:

# water levels
# magma levels
# track (minecart) weight (only works on tracks)
# creature weight (including a separate toggle for citizens)

The first two can be set to trigger on the presence or absence of liquids, or any particular fluid level range. The latter two can only trigger on present weight within a user-configured range (though they can be set to 'untrigger' when a weight is removed).

Triggering signals for water and magma: CLOSE < min <= OPEN <= max < CLOSE

Pressure plates are sensitive to some creatures and uninfluenced by others (see [[#Unusual triggers|Unusual Triggers]]). They are not sensitive to inert weight or [[trapavoid]] creatures. Pressure plates trigger when the accumulated weight of detected creatures reaches a threshold specified by the player (see [[#Choosing Weights|Choosing Weights]]).

== Types ==

'''One-use''' pressure plates send their signal, then deconstruct the first time they're triggered, leaving behind the mechanism used to construct them and destroying any mechanisms used to link them to other objects. As such, use low quality mechanisms to link with these.

'''Resetting''' pressure plates can be reused as many times as you want. They reset 99 ticks after their trigger is removed. That is approximately 2 hours of Fortress Mode (game world) time passage; since 1 hour = 50 ticks.

== Uses ==
Pressure plates are used as triggers for a variety of other device actions, such as [[bridge]] raising, or [[trap design|traps]] involving the release of [[magma]] or [[water]]. Most linked devices are obvious, on the "open" signal they open as expected. Cages and chains "release" their occupants on the open signal.

Pressure plates send an ''open'' signal the [[Time|instant]] their criteria are met, and a ''close'' signal 99 ticks after their triggering criteria are no longer met. If a pressure plate sends an ''open'' signal to a device that is already opened, nothing happens. The only exception to this is the [[gear assembly]], which toggles its engaged/disengaged state on every signal from a [[lever]] or [[pressure plate]].

(See the individual device pages for complete details of how ''open'' and ''close'' signals affect each device.)

==== [[Bridge]]s ====
Note that retracting and raising bridges have, effectively, the opposite reaction from an "open" signal, or can, depending on the design. When the "open" signal is sent, both bridges "disappear" from view - the retracting bridge disappears completely, and the raising bridge becomes a wall. But this means that the raising bridge ''closes'' the passage on the same level with that wall that it creates. This can be used to create either an "open" passage or "closed" passage on the "open" signal, depending on the design.

==== Screw pumps ====
Pressure plates are not connected ''directly'' to [[screw pump]]s. To trigger fluid flow via screw pumps, either have a pump permanently "on" and use a [[hatch]] over the fluid intake tile, or use some other barrier (door, floodgate, bridge, etc) to otherwise restrict the fluid flow as desired, or link to a [[gear assembly]] to toggle the [[power]] on/off - but note how pressure plates and gear assemblies interact, as mentioned above.

== Operation ==
Making complicated devices with pressure plates requires a full and detailed understanding of how pressure plates function.

Resetting pressure plates send two signals: an ''open'' signal when first triggered and a ''close'' signal, set to occur 99 ticks after the pressure criteria are no longer met. They do not send continuous ''open'' signals while the pressure criteria are met. A pressure plate that is untriggered then retriggered before it has sent a ''close'' signal will not send an ''open'' signal on the second trigger, and will abort the ''close'' signal scheduled to occur from the untriggering.

Special care must be taken when linking multiple pressure plates to a single device. When doing so, it's possible for one of the plates to become activated before another plate has sent a ''close'' signal. Unlike with single plates, the triggering of the second plate will not abort the ''close'' signal scheduled from the first plate, and the triggered device can become deactivated (closed) despite a triggered pressure plate linked to the device.

Similar situations can occur when activating a bridge or other refractory building with a pressure plate: if the pressure plate sends an ''open'' too rapidly after sending a ''close'', the bridge will ignore the ''open'' and wedge close.

=== Build order & delay ===
One essential consideration with carefully timed devices is build order. Pressure plates can send ''open'' and ''close'' signals at different times depending on what sort of building is being triggered and whether the building was built before or after the pressure plate. That is because furniture is evaluated in the reverse order in which it is built-- when you build a pressure plate before the furniture it's linked to, in many cases that furniture will not receive a signal until the tick following pressure plate activation.

* Linked [[Door|doors]] and [[Hatch|hatches]] always open the same tick that a pressure plate is triggered, but close depending on build order: if built before the pressure plate, they close 99 ticks after the trigger is removed, and if built after, they close 100 ticks after the trigger is removed.
* Retracting [[Trap#Upright spear/spike|spikes]] built before a pressure plate retract 40 ticks after triggering and extend 139 ticks after the trigger is removed. If built after the triggering pressure plate, they retract 41 ticks after triggering and extend 140 ticks after the trigger is removed.
* [[Gear assembly|Gear assemblies]] will appear to be unaffected by build order-- they will engage or disengage on the same tick that a pressure plate is triggered, regardless of build order-- but gear assemblies built after a pressure plate will not transmit (or stop transmitting) power until the tick following pressure plate activation (or 100 ticks after criteria are no longer met), whereas gear assemblies built before a plate linked to them will toggle at 0 and 99 ticks.
* [[Drawbridge|Bridges]], [[Bars|vertical bars]], [[Floodgate|floodgates]], and [[Grate|grates]] built before a pressure plate open 100 ticks after the trigger is sent, and close 199 ticks after the trigger is removed. If they are built after a triggering pressure plate, they open 101 ticks after a trigger is sent and close 200 ticks after the trigger is removed.

Essentially, pressure plates send open signals immediately upon triggering and close signals 99 ticks after their trigger is removed; pressure plates built before the device they trigger work a tick later; and doors and hatches are always opened on the exact tick that they're triggered by a pressure plate, regardless of build order, although their close tick is still affected by build order.

===Unusual triggers===
Pressure plates will not be set off by dead creatures - if a creature dies upon contact with the ground, as with a fall from a great height, that creature will not set off a pressure plate upon landing. They will be set off by any creatures that fall onto them and survive, even if those creatures [[gravity|fall]] onto another creature occupying the same tile. Also, pressure plates ''will'' be set off by a sufficiently large [[undead]] corpse ''reanimating'' on their tile.

A mechanic who completes the first attachment job on a pressure plate will not cause an ''open'' to be sent to the building being linked, but a ''close'' will be sent-- when the ''open'' is sent, the building is not yet linked! This tends to toggle gears upon linkage, and makes futile single-use, civilians-trigger pressure plates. Neither [[Trading|merchants]], their pack animals, nor [[trading#Liasons|diplomats]] will set off pressure plates, even pressure plates set to be triggerable by civilians. Should an invading force arrive, they will not activate any pressure plates that have been observed by any diplomat from their civilization. Flyers and swimmers will set off pressure plates in any tile they move through.

Regardless of whether a pressure plate is set to civilians-trigger or not, any creature that is [[unconscious]] or [[web|webbed]] will set off a pressure plate-- diplomat, sieging human, [[trapavoid]]er, or your own dwarf.

===Hanging pressure plates===
Like other buildings, pressure plates built on top of a constructed wall remain even after that constructed wall is removed{{Bug|0377}}. All linkages to such a plate need to be completed before removing the construction supporting the plate. Creatures falling through a hanging pressure plate will not trigger that plate, but fluid falling through or pumped into a square occupied by a hanging pressure plate will trigger that plate as normal. Flyers or swimmers moving through the tile containing the hanging pressure plate will trigger it as normal.

For keeping the plate accessible while still allowing fluids to pass through, digging a downstair into natural floor, building a floor on that downstair, building the plate on the floor, then deconstructing the floor will work. In the case the natural floor is gone, obsidian-casting the plate will suffice for digging stairs.

==Advanced techniques==

===Latching Pressure Plates===
[[Image:Mini_Resetable_Trigger_Once_Plate.PNG‎|thumb|right|133px|'''Resettable Latching Plate System'''.<br /> Uses scaffolding (not shown) just like a [[Screw pump#Pump stack|pump stack]].]]

While ordinary one-use plates are easy to use, they deconstruct immediately after triggering and destroy all but one of the mechanisms used. Frequently, it's desirable to have a system that triggers once, then waits to be reset manually. For example, you might have a pressure plate that seals off your entrance and floods it with magma, but you don't want the flood to stop or the drawbridges to open like it would for a resetting pressure plate, but you also don't want to rebuild and reconnect the one-use pressure plate after every siege when half the parts are submerged in magma. This is when you should use a pressure plate linked to a [[Memory (computing)|latch]].

Suppose you want to use a pressure plate to seal off your main entrance. You build the setup shown, being sure to construct the lower pumps before the upper pumps and the gear assembly on top after both pumps are done. Then connect the plate in room 2 to the drawbridges that seal the entrance and hook a resetting, enemy triggered plate from your main hallway to the hatch in room 1. The resetting pressure plate in room 2 should be set to trigger whenever any water is on it. You also connect a [[lever]] to the [[gear assembly]] above the pumps, which becomes your reset lever, and pull the lever to disengage the gear once its set up. You also connect that gear to a power source with at least 25 [[power]]. Lastly, you fill area 1 with 7/7 water (to prevent evaporation) by channeling through the floor and designating a [[activity_zone#Pit/Pond|pond zone]] above it. After it's full, remove the pond zone and build a floor over it for good measure. During construction, you will need scaffolding just like what you use for a [[Screw pump#Pump stack|pump stack]]. This setup uses the same trick of channeling through the floor and building the lower pump first to allow them to share their power source. Remember to forbid the access doors when you're done setting everything up.

You can [[power]] this from any source, but if your map gives 40 wind power you can just use a [[windmill]]. Build a [[windmill]] right above where it says "power here" and then build a gear assembly directly below it. Putting a windmill directly on top of a gear you disengage can cause the windmill to collapse, so don't try that unless it says the windmill has a stable foundation. You may also want to construct a wall around your windmill to prevent a [[building destroyer]] from smashing it.

Now, whenever your pressure plate is triggered, the hatch will immediately open and dump the water from 1 onto the plate at 2, holding that plate down until you use your reset lever to activate the pump and put the water back on top of the hatch. Don't forget to turn the pumps off after all the water has moved, or it will continue to reset itself until the pumps are stopped. You can eliminate that minor problem by hooking the pressure plates in the [[User:Uristocrat/Toggle_System|toggle system]] to the gear assembly on top of the pumps instead of a lever, but that's significantly more complex.

===Lightspeed repeater===
Pressure plates have a refractory period of 99 ticks, limiting [[repeater]]s to triple-digit cycles. However, multiple pressure plates attached to a target can be "staggered" such that the ''open'' signal from one plate is followed much sooner by the ''close'' signal from another plate. Using three pressure plates, a repeater can be constructed to toggle a target three times in 100 ticks:

Time --->

Repeater 1 ---O--C--O--C--O--C--O--C
Repeater 2 -----O--C--O--C--O--C--O-
Repeater 3 -------O--C--O--C--O--C--
What the door sees ---O-OCOCOCOCOCOCOCOCOCOC

This can be extended, with additional pressure plates, up to a maximum of one cycle every two ticks (one tick for open, and one for close) using 50 pressure plates. While these designs were [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=92454.msg2585477#msg2585477 originally created with fluid-logic], the introduction of [[minecart]]s provides a much simpler way to stagger the signals from multiple pressure plates.

Note that only a few targets that don't have a built-in delay can handle switching at such speeds ([[door]]s, [[hatch]]es, and [[gear assembly|gears]]).

Keep also in mind that quickly switching buildings will dramatically reduce the performance of your game due to map connectivity information being constantly rebuilt - a single door opening and closing every dozen steps may reduce your frame rate by about a third.

===Priority close===
Pressure plates are very timely when detecting a trigger and sending an ''open'' signal, but require 99 ticks when sending a ''close'' signal. Unfortunately, there are situations where closing a hatch or door 100 ticks later might just be too late. This limitation can be overcome by constructing multiple pressure plates that are continually refreshed in a cycle less than 100 ticks. When a trigger condition occurs the cycle is stopped, leading the pressure plate that would have been refreshed next to send a ''close'' signal much sooner. [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=128095.msg4449221#msg4449221 A well-calibrated design] should be able to provide a ''close'' signal in five ticks or less.

==Construction==
Pressure plates are built on any [[floor]] using {{k|b}}, {{k|T}}, {{k|p}}. You will be prompted to enable what type of things should trigger the plate (water, magma, creatures, minecarts, or some combination of the four). You are then instructed to set up a range between two values of weights - a minimum to a maximum. {{k|e}} and {{k|r}} affect the minimum weight, and {{k|d}} and {{k|f}} affect the maximum.

The number of mechanisms required to build a pressure plate depends on how many types of things (water, magma, creatures and/or minecarts) can trigger it. If only one of them can trigger it, it takes one mechanism. If two can (water and magma, water and creatures, or any other pair) then it takes two mechanisms. If all four can trigger it, it will take four mechanisms.

NOTE: The creature selection screen has an additional setting that allows the pressure plate to ignore, or be triggered by, your citizens. "Citizens" include [[Domestic animal|tame animals]] but not merchants or liaisons. Pressure plates that can be triggered by citizens will remain triggerable by non-citizens as well-- there is no way to make a pressure plate that is triggerable by only civilians, although a pressure plate with a narrow weight threshold could potentially trigger for only goblins and dwarves.

Construction is done by a [[mechanic]], who will require one to four [[mechanism]]s. After construction is completed, use the {{k|q}} key to view the building, and press {{k|a}} to link the pressure plate to choose which trap, floodgate, or other device will be triggered by it. Your mechanic will haul one mechanism to the desired device, work for a while, and then take another mechanism to the pressure plate itself and complete the task. Your pressure plate is now ready for action.

===Choosing Weights===

For a table of creatures you can organize by increasing or decreasing [[size|weight]], see [[List of creatures by adult size]].

The weight of a creature depends on individual [[Creature_token#BODY_APPEARANCE_MODIFIER|build]]: skinny, small creatures weigh less than enormous, fat ones of the same species.{{cite forum|180213/8399792}} As shown in the list, children and adolescents are usually smaller than fully grown creatures and may not trigger plates adjusted to adults' size. Equipment adds to a creatures weight; dwarves in steel armor will activate plates set to higher triggers.{{cite forum|180213/8399792}}

Creatures with the [[trapavoid]] token will not trigger pressure plates, regardless of weight. [[Vermin]] do not trigger traps since they aren't treated as actual creatures for the purpose of triggering any sort of trap, and weigh no more than 2000 anyway.

On-screen numbers are shown divided by 10 (rounded down). For example 50,000, the default minimum weight, will appear to be 5,000 in-game. It is easy to double check what you want to set it to by using a lookup and reverse lookup on the list, to compare what the game says about a creature, and what the list says.

{{k|e}} and {{k|E}} lower the minimum creature weight to which a pressure plate will react, {{k|r}} and {{k|R}} increase it. {{k|d}} and {{k|D}} reduce the maximum registered creature size while {{k|f}} and {{k|F}} increase it. The lowercase letters adjust sensitivity in steps of 10 000 (1000 on-screen), the uppercase letters in steps of 100 000 (10 000 on-screen).

A pressure plate set to trigger on {{k|T}}rack can also be adjusted to respond only to [[Minecart]]s of defined weights. The default settings are 1 as minimum and "any" as maximum, which responds to carts of any weight. If only carts of specific weights are supposed to trigger a signal, different minimum and maximum values can be chosen, in steps of 50 kg, ranging from 1 to 2000. {{k|t}} and {{k|y}} lower and increase the minimum, {{k|g}} and {{k|h}} affect the maximum weight setting. Only carts falling within the limits specified will trigger a signal, carts that are too light or too heavy will not. The gross weight of the cart will be consulted, i.e. the weight of the cart including its cargo (and potentially rider). Differing weights of empty carts only cover part of the choosable weight range - the heaviest empty carts are made from platinum and weigh 856 kg.

{{buildings}}
{{Category|Machine components}}

Stockpile

2023-01-29T02:53:49Z

Starlocke: /* Will take from anywhere */

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{{For/see|exploits related to stockpiling|[[Quantum stockpile]]}}

'''Stockpiles''' are where [[dwarf|dwarves]] store items of various types, usually in a safer, closer or more convenient place for the consumers. Dwarves with the corresponding "[[hauling]]" job will seek out items that are not already on a stockpile that accepts them and carry them to an appropriate stockpile, if available. It's important to place your stockpiles carefully to minimize the amount of time spent carrying items back-and-forth. Items in a stockpile may be stored in [[container]]s such as [[bag|bags]], [[barrel|barrels]] or [[bin|bins]] (see [[Using bins and barrels]]). Seed bags, flour bags, and dye bags can go inside barrels. Empty bags, however, cannot be stacked.
[[Image:StockpilesMenu2010.png|right]]
== Creating and Removing Stockpiles ==

To create a stockpile, click the {{Menu icon|p}}sStockpile button. At this point, you can click on any existing stockpile to inspect it, but to create a new one, you must click the button that appears immediately above the original stockpile button. When you click to create a new stockpile, you can draw a rectangle with the mouse. Clicking "Accept" in the top left pop-up finalizes the stockpile, or you can continue drawing rectangles to make the stockpile bigger. Non-contiguous regions are possible, but could be confusing to manage later for little benefit. If the chosen area has parts that cannot be made into a stockpile, like a [[wall]], a [[workshop]], or an already existing stockpile, a stockpile will be created but they will not be part of it. After clicking "accept", a new menu pane opens up with a list of pre-set stockpile rules, of which you must select one or else select "Custom" to define your own rules.

When creating a stockpile, any movable items (e.g. loose [[stone]], unbuilt [[furniture]], etc.) currently occupying the designated tiles will automatically be considered part of the stockpile, even if the stockpile settings disallow those particular items. These items also mark the tile as "full", so no new items will be stored in that tile until all the original items in the tile are moved. To handle unwanted items, you can specify that the stockpile "gives" to a workshop or stockpile that will accept those items, or use a [[dump]] command to have them carried off to a garbage [[zone]].

To edit a stockpile, click the "Stockpile" button in the main menu, then click on the stockpile. The suite of buttons (mouse over to see their tooltips to determine what each button does) can be used to edit the name, edit its boundaries, set which stockpiles or workshops give to or receive from this stockpile, delete the stockpile, or set the amount of wheelbarrows and containers that can be used.

When you click to repaint the stockpile, note that a secondary toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen, which you can use to switch to eraser mode.

== Using stockpiles ==

Once a stockpile has been allocated, by default dwarves will automatically move items to the stockpile when they are available, as long as the stockpile has available space. Note that the dwarves will place the item into the empty spot that is nearest to the item, ''not counting any obstructions''{{verify}}. Dwarves will stockpile the ''newest'' item first, which may not necessarily be the nearest item to the stockpile. Tiles within a stockpile which contain only forbidden items are considered available space, and can accumulate another item without exploiting [[Quantum_stockpile#Quantum_stockpiles|quantum stockpiling]].

One method to ensure a workshop has raw material on hand is to place a small stockpile of its input materials next to the workshop. This will speed up production as the crafter only has to take a few steps to obtain the material, preventing them from dragging material across the entire map. Whenever a crafter picks up material from the stockpile, your hauling dwarves will automatically fetch more material to refill the stockpile. This speeds up a queue of jobs, as other dwarves perform the time-consuming distant haul whilst the crafter concentrates on actually making items.

It's not necessary to place stockpiles for all types of objects. If no storage is available for a certain item type, dwarves will seek out items wherever they might lie as mentioned earlier. This can be advantageous—if you don't have a stockpile for [[gem]]s, your [[jeweler]] will go pick up fresh gems without waiting for them to be carried to a pile first. However, this also means your jeweler has to spend a lot of time fetching the gems. If you have enough haulers available, it's generally more advantageous to designate stockpiles than not. Also remember that your workshops will get [[clutter]]ed and suffer production slowdowns if you let ridiculous numbers of items pile up in them, so it's important to occasionally clear out workshops if they get cluttered. This can be done either by having a stockpile available so that haulers will remove the items, by [[DF2012:Exploit#Quantum_stockpiles|quantum stockpiling]] the accumulation, or by removing and rebuilding the workshop, which will empty its contents onto the ground.

== Take from a stockpile/workshop ==
{{migrated section}}
Another feature of stockpiles allows you to tell dwarves to transfer items from one stockpile to another. To specify such a flow, use the {{k|q}} menu, and highlight the ''destination'' stockpile. Press {{k|t}}, and, using the cursor, highlight another stockpile and press {{k|Enter}}. Your chosen stockpile will now list the stockpile it will take from. This will cause items in the second stockpile to be hauled to the first stockpile. To stop the first stockpile from taking items from the second, use the {{K|q}} menu on the first one, highlight the unneeded stockpile in the list using {{K|+}} and {{K|-}} and press {{K|d}}'''elete Selected'''.

Each stockpile can take from any number of other stockpiles. You can't make two stockpiles feed into each other, although larger loops (e.g. three stockpiles that feed into each other in a circle) are allowed.

Stockpiles may also take from a workshop, using the same interface ({{k|q}}-{{k|t}}, then select a workshop instead of a second stockpile). In this setup, any items produced inside the workshop (visible with {{k|t}}) become eligible to move to the stockpile. Be aware that any items produced in the workshop that ''aren't'' accepted by the linked stockpile will not be moved anywhere at all. They will sit inside the workshop until a linked stockpile accepts them.

Enough micromanagement will allow for effective and (relatively) streamlined supply chains. Here are some examples:

*Speeding up [[wood cutting|lumber harvesting]], [[carpentry]], ''and'' [[ash]] and [[charcoal]] production by putting several wood stockpiles near the various [[Chop_down_trees|tree-felling areas]], then one large "primary" stockpile near the [[carpenter's workshop]] that takes from those small ones, and then finally, a small stockpile near the [[wood furnace]] that takes from the primary one.
*A smallish [[plant]] stockpile near your farms, disallowing barrels, will allow harvesters to spend very little time stockpiling the crops they just picked. A larger stockpile near the [[still]] (this one possibly allowing barrels), taking from the smaller stockpile, lets your general-purpose haulers do most of the grunt work of getting plants in place for the brewer. The larger stockpile should be set to "take from links only", so the harvesters do not waste their time.
*A [[clothier's shop]] produces high-quality new [[clothing]]. There is currently no way to stockpile ''only'' new clothing, as opposed to [[wear|worn]] clothing, except for the fact that the new clothing is sitting in its workshop. A stockpile can be set to take from the clothier's shop (and to "take from links only"), so that it only gets new clothing produced in that workshop. If another stockpile with "take from anywhere" and no links is created, that one will accept all the worn clothing - it will never take from the linked clothier's shop. This worn-clothing stockpile may be placed near the [[trade depot]], if you plan to sell the used clothing, or near the [[magma|garbage disposal]], if you do not.

== Give to a stockpile/workshop ==
{{migrated section}}
Conversely, the {{k|g}} key allows a pile to give [[item]]s to another pile, or to a workshop. When giving to a stockpile, an equal and opposite "take from stockpile" is created in the other direction (and vice versa). Deleting one of these inter-stockpile links also deletes the other link.

Specifying that a workshop or furnace will only get its materials from a certain stockpile provides a way to make sure everything that the workshop produces is of a specific material. For example, setting a granite stockpile to give to a mason's workshop ensures that the workshop will only use granite as its material. This is also extremely important when the workshop's input materials are heavy (e.g. [[stone]]s); linking a nearby stone stockpile to the workshop prevents the mason from hauling an enormous rock from hundreds of tiles away.

This option is quite powerful, but should be used '''very''' carefully as the linked workshop will now ''only'' take from the stockpiles set to give to that workshop. Make sure that the workshop gets ''all'' of the materials needed for its jobs there if you use this feature. For example, if you link your ore stockpile to a non-magma [[smelter]], but don't also link a stockpile that includes a [[fuel]] source, then the dwarves will be unable to smelt ores at that smelter due to a lack of fuel. If you set a fuel stockpile to give that smelter, it will still be unable to [[melt]] down items marked for melting, because it only takes from the ore and fuel stockpiles. Another common mistake is setting a plant stockpile to give to a [[still]], but forgetting to also link a [[furniture]] stockpile to the still so that it has access to [[barrel]]s.

==Max bin/barrel ==
{{migrated section}}
The ''max bin'' and ''max barrel'' settings control the number of barrels and bins that are used for the organisation of items inside the stockpile. It can be useful to disallow bins and barrels from some stockpiles, for example stockpiles used to store seeds or for [[Exploit#Quantum stockpiles|quantum stockpiles]], by reducing this setting to 0.

Increasing these numbers is not usually needed - they are set to the number of tiles in the stockpile when it is created, which is the maximum number of bins or barrels the stockpile can hold anyway. Which of bins or barrels is turned on is determined by the item type selected when the stockpile is designated - food stockpiles allow barrels, for example, and bar stockpiles allow bins. However, these settings are not updated if the types of items allowed in the stockpile are changed. If you change the types of items allowed in the stockpile, it may also be useful to change the number of bins and barrels that are allowed in it to allow your dwarves to store those items more efficiently.

== Max wheelbarrow ==
{{migrated section}}
Another feature of the stockpile system, ''max wheelbarrow'' allows the player to control the number of [[wheelbarrow]]s assigned to the stockpile. This limit can be set anywhere from 0 to the total number of tiles in the stockpile.

If set to 0 (which is the default for all stockpiles other than stone stockpiles), the stockpile will generate a separate hauling job for each item that needs to be placed in it -- potentially one job per tile in the stockpile, simultaneously.

If set to non-zero, then that number of wheelbarrows will be brought to the stockpile. Once a stockpile has wheelbarrows assigned and moved to it, the number of wheelbarrows will act as a limit on the number of simultaneous hauling jobs for moving items to that stockpile. Each hauling job will be performed using a wheelbarrow, rather than by hand. You can see this as fine-tuning the speed of collection of the desired items.

Unfortunately, wheelbarrows are currently rather buggy, and may actually reduce the efficiency of your stockpiles; see [[Wheelbarrow]] for more information.

[[Minecart]]s can also be used for efficient hauling, although they require a much greater infrastructure investment.

== Will take from anywhere ==

{{migrated section}}

A stockpile that will take from anywhere does not restrict the source of its goods. Stockpiles with "take from links only" enabled will only accept goods from their assigned [[workshop]]s and linked stockpiles. You can use {{k|q}} {{k|a}} to toggle this setting on a stockpile.

Setting your [[seed]] stockpiles to "take from links only" will prevent your haulers from carrying your vital seeds back and forth across the map to pick up each new seed in the [[dining room]]. When your stockpiled seeds run low you can temporarily toggle to "anywhere" to collect the loose seeds in bulk.

The new "will take from anywhere" control is a toggle-button whose interpretation is as follows:

In classical ASCII mode:

* *️⃣➡️ - Expressing the concept "anywhere" (asterisk) and "will be accepted" (green arrow)
* *️⃣❌ - Expressing the concept "anywhere" (asterisk) and "will not be accepted" (red/orange "X")

In vanilla graphics mode:

* Highlighted Green - Expressing the concept "in/out from anywhere" and "will be accepted"
* Not Highlighted Green - Expressing the concept "in/out from anywhere" and "will not be accepted"

Citizens may still have leftover "haul item to the stockpile" tasks to a particular stockpile even after "will take from anywhere" has been turned off for it, or even setting its desired items to "none", resulting in a batch of already-queued-up objects filling up the stockpile for quite some time. Smaller stockpiles will have significantly less of those delayed/queued up tasks.

== Stockpile categories ==
{{migrated section}}
===[[Ammo]]===
This stockpile contains ammo for all forms of ammunition-requiring weaponry (except [[siege engine]]s). It can use [[bin]]s to consolidate stacks.

===[[Animal]]===
[[Creature|Animals]] stored in [[cage|cages]] that are not affixed to a location will be stored in these stockpiles. [[Animal trap|Traps]] used for capturing wild animals and empty [[cage|cages]] are also stored here.

This type of stockpile cannot use bins or barrels.

===[[Armor]]===
Armor of all types is stored here. There is no preference for specific body parts, but usable/unusable armor may be specified. All types of armor can be stored in [[bin]]s.

Note that if refuse is enabled on the stockpile, armor and clothing will [[wear]] at an accelerated rate.

===[[Bar]]/[[Block]]===
Bars of smelted [[metal]] and blocks of cut stone and [[glass]] are kept here after being processed by the [[smelter]], [[mason's workshop|mason's workshops]], and [[glass furnace|glass furnaces]], before being used for other purposes. Weirdly, [[ash|ashes]], [[potash]], [[soap]], [[charcoal]], and [[coke]] from the [[wood furnace]], [[ashery]], [[soap maker's workshop]] and [[smelter]] will also be stored here. As with all stockpiles, this can be changed to allow for specific blocks and bars to be stored with custom settings. [[Bin]]s can be used to consolidate up to 10 bars/blocks.

===[[Cloth]]===
Woven cloth and [[thread]] are stored here (plant fiber, animal hair, and silk). [[Bin]]s can be used to consolidate items.

===[[Currency|Coins]]===
Minted coins are kept here, several thousand of them fitting into a single bin.

===[[Corpse|Corpses]]===
Dead sentient beings (dwarves, goblins, trolls, etc.) and [[pet|pets]] that have no burial location will be placed here. Other corpses are considered part of the ''refuse'' category.

If placed indoors, decaying bodies will generate [[miasma]], but [[bone]]s will not be removed at the end of the season. Rotting [[pet]]s or [[friend]]s give dwarves unhappy [[thought]]s unless they are given a proper burial in a [[Coffin|burial receptacle]].

===[[Finished goods|Finished Goods]]===
Finished goods created by the [[craftsdwarf's workshop]], as well as the [[clothier's shop]] and the [[leather works]], are placed here before being used in trade or other uses. This type of stockpile can use [[bin|bins]] to consolidate items, over a hundred objects can fit into a bin.

Since this stockpile can also contain supplies that the player might not want to trade away ([[splint]]s, [[crutch]]es, [[rope]]s, [[waterskin]]s...), it is wise to make separate custom stockpiles for these goods.

Note that if refuse is enabled on the stockpile, clothes and armor will [[wear]] at an accelerated rate.

=== [[Food]] ===
As one would assume based on the name, food is stored here, in addition to a wide variety of inedible plant and animal products -- [[seed]]s, [[lye]], [[giant desert scorpion]] venom, bags of [[dye]], and [[liquid fire]], to name a few. Raw [[Creature#Aquatic|fish]] is brought here, before being processed by a [[fishery]] and turned into edible [[meat]]. Drinks are always stored in [[barrel]]s or [[large pot]]s. Seeds are stored in [[bag]]s (which may in turn be stored in barrels/pots); other food items can be stored in barrels or pots.

Barrels and pots can hold, at most, 60 [[prepared meal]]s. Stacks larger than that (☼Dwarven Beer Roast [200]☼ is possible) will not fit in a barrel, but will still only take up one tile of stockpile space. To free up barrels, you may decide to have separate prepared food stockpiles that do not accept barrels - if you cook larger meals, this shouldn't be a problem.

Food will never [[wear|spoil]] while in a stockpile, although it may attract and be eaten by [[vermin]]. Food stockpiles should, in most cases, be restricted to desired types (e.g. [[seed]] stockpiles or meat stockpiles or unprepared fish stockpiles); there are simply too many things that go in them.

Fat and tallow go in the same list and are listed by animal, meaning that manual separation of fat and tallow takes a ''long'' time. Because fat will only ever enter your fortress at a butcher's shop, it is possible to link a general fat/tallow stockpile to the butchers' and have it take only from links. It may be necessary to link the butchers' to the stockpile you want the other butchery products to end up in. If you are playing with [[Utility:DFHack|DFHack]], you can use the search function to show only fat or tallow- the permit and forbid keys to toggle only those visible in the list.

===[[Furniture]] Storage===
Completed items from the [[carpenter's workshop]], [[mason's workshop]], and [[mechanic's workshop]] will be stored here, along with furniture created from other shops, until placed or used in another building. Bags filled with [[sand]] can also be stored in furniture stockpiles, and in fact will appear in any furniture stockpile unless expressly forbidden, regardless of materials permitted.

Since this is a very broad category, it may be useful to create stockpiles for a specific type of item (like barrels, bags, bins, mechanisms) via the stockpile settings.

Furniture cannot be stored in barrels or bins.

If you choose to apply advanced stockpiling of furniture e.g. "make a stockpile for only [[Furniture]]>[[Bed]]s." Merely selecting "beds" under the "Type" category will not suffice. In this case one also needs to ensure the required qualities are selected! Should you want to store all quality beds, just make sure you select "all" on the categories: [[#Core Quality|Core Quality]] as well as [[#Total Quality|Total Quality]].

===[[Gem]]===
This stockpile stores gems and raw [[glass]], both cut and uncut, along with [[gizzard stone]]s. It can use [[bin]]s to consolidate gems.

===[[Leather]]===
Leather, which is produced at a [[tanner's shop]], will be kept here. Like most stockpiles, it can use [[bin]]s to consolidate items.

===[[Refuse]]===
Since dwarves hate rot, because of the [[miasma]] it spreads when in an enclosed place like a [[cave]], any garbage item that can rot will be stored in a refuse stockpile. Also, any [[wear|XXdamaged itemsXX]] will be moved to the refuse stockpile. Many players prefer to place this stockpile outside their cavern, usually a small distance from the entrance, as rottable items on tiles that are {{DFtext|Outside |3:1}}{{DFtext|Light |6:1}}{{DFtext|Above Ground|2:1}} do not generate miasma.

If placed on a {{DFtext|Subterranean|0:1}} tile, decaying items will generate miasma, which will spread through your fortress and generate a small unhappy thought in any dwarf passing through it. For this reason, it is sensible to build [[door|doors]] (preferably several, separated by a few tiles to create an airlock) to all of your indoor refuse stockpiles. Miasma won't spread through a closed door, so only dwarves with business in the room will be bothered by the rot.

An alternative to this is to dig [[channel|channels]] down from the surface, creating an area of tiles considered to be {{DFtext|Light |6:1}}{{DFtext|Above Ground|2:1}}, yet still located within your fortress. You can place your refuse stockpile here, and although it will be in your fort, rotten items on those tiles will not generate miasma. If you choose to cover them with walls or floors for security and/or aesthetic reasons, it will convert them to {{DFtext|Inside|6:0}}, but they will remain {{DFtext|Light |6:1}}{{DFtext|Above Ground|2:1}} tiles, which again do not generate miasma in rotten items. (For even more creative methods to restrict the spread of foul rotting stench, see the [[miasma]] page.)

[[Bone]]s, [[skull]]s, and [[shell]]s are also stored here, whether from defeated enemies or raw food processing - if left in an area with high [[vermin]] levels, these will randomly disappear. Refuse stockpiles can be restricted to store only [[bone]]s, [[skull]]s, [[shell]]s, teeth, and horns/hooves.

Note that a refuse stockpile is not the same as a [[Activity_zone#Garbage_Dump|garbage dump]]. A garbage dump is only for things manually marked to be dumped. Additionally, refuse types specifically marked as '''Dwarves Dump '''''refuse type'' in {{k|o}}-{{k|r}} will be hauled to the garbage dump instead of the refuse stockpile.

Note that all armor and clothing stored in a refuse stockpile will suffer [[wear]] at an accelerated rate. This is a "feature" intended to dispose of unwanted armor.{{bug|5711}}

Be careful on evil biomes, since some can reanimate dead creatures and body parts. If your fort is located on a map where part is evil and part is not, it is best to put your refuse stockpile on the part that is not evil.

The corpses of sentient beings (goblins, trolls, etc.) are no longer stored in refuse stockpiles, [[Stockpile#Corpses|but in a corpse stockpile instead]]. If your dwarves are not cleaning up bodies, this is probably why.

===[[Sheets]]===
This stockpile stores sheets, including paper and parchment. Like most stockpiles, it can use bins to consolidate items.

===[[Stone]]===
Rough stone will be stored here, as well as [[ore]]. These stockpiles cannot use bins or barrels, but the use of [[wheelbarrow]]s is strongly advised.

[[Stone management]] is a complex topic; in the simplest terms, most stones are extremely heavy, so you want to minimize the distance they are [[hauling|hauled]] by hand (e.g. from the stone [[stockpile]] to the [[mason's workshop]] or [[smelter]]) by putting such stockpiles very close to the workshops that they feed.

===[[Weapon|Weapons]]===
Weapons of all types are stored here by default, including picks, trap components, and weapons too large for dwarves to use. [[Bin]]s can be used to consolidate weapons of any type.

===[[Wood]]===
Chopped trees are brought to the wood stockpile before being used by carpenter's workshop, a wood furnace or siege workshop. Because wood takes a long time to haul and tends to travel a long way, the stockpile should be rather close to a fortress entrance (which does not necessarily mean on the upper z-levels - moving down one z-level is only one tile), unless you have an [[Tower-cap|underground tree farm]]. It is a good idea to position this stockpile close to your carpenter's workshop (or the other way round) since he is likely to be the main "customer". Wood stockpiles will also accept "grown" wood logs that elves bring.

This type of stockpile cannot use bins or barrels.

===Additional Options===
The options are "Allow Plant/Animal" (organic goods) and "Allow Non-Plant/Animal (non-organic goods). Unlike all the other categories, the Additional Options settings apply to all other active categories. A stockpile that allows neither organic nor non-organic goods will never receive any items. Disabling "Additional Options" is a common cause of stockpile problems, and these options generally aren't useful anyway.

=== Custom stockpiles ===

With custom stockpiles, you can change which types of materials, goods, etc., can be stored in that stockpile. Any type of things can be mixed, so you could have a stockpile that will hold raw [[turtle]], [[mechanism|mechanisms]] and all stone types apart from [[onyx]] if you wanted, or only high-quality steel crossbow bolts (Ammo), all quivers (a Finished Good), and metal crossbows (a Weapon) - the combinations are endless, and can be finely tuned. Highlighting a stockpile with {{key|q}}, then pressing {{key|s}} will allow you to adjust the stockpile settings or in the {{key|p}} menu you can press {{key|t}} to adjust a custom stockpiles settings before placing it with {{key|c}}. Note that many sub-menus consist of several pages ( the 'other' menu of stone e.g. consists of several pages while 'metal [[ore|ores]]' and 'economic' consist of only one ).

Note that any custom stockpile that accepts any type of [[refuse]] will cause automatic [[wear|degradation]] to all [[clothing]] and [[armor]] stored in that stockpile. It is highly advisable to store your [[shell]]s and [[bone]]s in a separate stockpile.

== Stockpile Settings ==
{{migrated section}}
The '''Stockpile Settings''' screen is weird to use. In the first column are the major categories. In the second column there may or may not be subcategories. In the third you will see the individual items. The second and third columns are only visible when a category is enabled and selected.

You navigate this screen with {{key|+}} and {{key|-}}, and left and right on the arrow keys. {{key|e}} and {{key|d}} are used to enable and disable the categories. {{key|a}} and {{key|b}} are used to allow or disallow all the subcategories. {{key|p}} and {{key|f}} will permit or forbid individual subcategories. These six keys work no matter which column you have selected, though the last four will not always be available.<br>{{key|Enter}} will toggle individual item types.

Be careful when selecting 'block all' on the subcategories as it can make your stockpiles useless. For example, if you block all the furniture subcategories and then re-enable beds under types, the stockpile won't actually accept anything because it still registers all materials and all quality levels as forbidden. The correct way would be to 'forbid types' and then re-enable beds.

=== Core Quality ===

Core quality means the quality of the ''craftsdwarfship of the item''. A masterfully crafted armor (made from qualityless metal bars) has masterful core quality. A finely-crafted dress (made from an exceptional pig tail fiber cloth) has fine core quality (because the craftsdwarfship ''of the item'' is fine).

=== Total Quality ===

Total quality means the highest between the craftsdwarfship of the item and the craftsdwarfship of its components (or decorations). The finely-crafted dress from our previous example has a fine core quality, but its total quality is exceptional because its component — a pig tail fiber cloth — is of exceptional quality. Likewise, a superior quality steel gauntlet, masterfully studded with copper is of masterful total quality (and superior core quality).

A more complex example: A rope reed fiber sock is superiorly decorated with pond turtle shell. Is masterfully crafted from a rope reed fiber cloth which was finely dyed with redroot dye. Core quality: masterful, Total quality: masterful. (Remember, for total quality, the best of either the item's quality, the quality of its components, or the quality of its decorations is chosen.)

See also [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=96501.msg2765710 Crafting Skills, Quality and Statistics research].

=== Notes ===
Some categories will have a special extra type of item(s) that can be toggled with {{key|u}} and sometimes {{key|j}}.

{| border="1" cellpadding="4"
|+
! Categories
! Item type
|-
| Animals
| Empty cages and Empty animal traps
|-
| Food
| Prepared food
|-
| Weapons
| Usable and unusable
|-
| Armor
| Usable and unusable
|}

If you disable an item or items that are already sitting in a stockpile then they become loose items and your dwarves will move them to a more suitable stockpile should one exist. All existing stockpiles (and zones) are listed under {{key|R}}ooms.

== Custom Stockpile Uses ==
A custom stockpile is most useful for food, furniture, and bar/block stockpiles, to prevent your lye and venom sitting next to the [[kitchen|kitchens]], your [[floodgate|floodgates]] and mechanisms near the [[room|rooms]] that need [[statue|statues]] and doors, your stone blocks next to the forges, and your metal bars by the farms.

When setting up a custom stockpile to hold more than one type of raw material, it is often best to set up multiple custom stockpiles, one for each type. Otherwise your stockpile will invariably fill up with lesser-used items, rendering your custom stockpile nearly useless.

One use for this is to have an outdoor stockpile next to your gate that will accept all refuse except bones, shells, skins and skulls, and then one or more indoor pile(s) near your craftsdwarf's workshop that will '''only''' accept these things. If you have set the option for dwarves to gather refuse from outside, the bones will be brought in once all the meat has rotted off of any carcasses outside. This means added risk to your dwarves if they try to gather refuse that is far from your gate, and additional hauling.

Another effective use of custom stockpiles is Elven trading. Make a stockpile just for elf-safe trade goods: most categories where it is relevant have a 'materials' option. Note, however, that items with [[wood]]en [[decoration]]s will '''not''' be excluded. Similarly, [[noble]]s who frequently [[mandate]] restricted trading can have their preferred goods stored separately, far away from the [[trade depot]].

A highly efficient method is to have wood burning furnaces feeding into a '[[charcoal]] only' bar/blocks stockpile, which in turn is near the smelting furnaces and forges. Bonus points if you also place a small wood stockpile near the wood furnaces.

Other good uses:
* Planter's stock: [[seed|seeds]] and [[potash]]. If your [[ashery]] is nearby, include ashes and lye.
* Smelter stock: [[ore|ores]], [[flux]] and, unless you're using [[Magma smelter]], [[coal]].
* Sandpile: [[sand]] bags.
* Dyer's stock: a food stockpile that only includes [[dye|dyes]].
* Food Plus: a food stockpile that includes barrels. This spares your dwarves from carrying empty barrels to and from the furniture stores.
* Skins: a refuse stockpile limited to [[skin|skins]], a bit like the bone & shell stockpile above. Place near the tannery.
* Brewer's stock: [[List of crops|brewable plants]].
* Miller's stock: [[List of crops|millable plants]]. (An empty [[bag]] stockpile will also speed up milling.)
* Refreshment stand: Since dwarves drink twice as often as they eat, having several small food stockpiles that only accept [[Alcohol|drinks]] scattered strategically through your fort can minimize [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoko smoko breaks]. The usefulness of this kind of stockpile is often disputed as dwarves go to the fullest barrel first, so if you can't keep your stockpile constantly filled with new full barrels of alcohol your masons might decide to run all the way over to the alcohol stockpile you have set up for your brewers or your metalsmiths. If you can keep each stockpile constantly filled with fresh supplies of full barrels of alcohol then this can increase productivity greatly. A simple way of doing this is by keeping a brewery near each separate alcohol stockpile, or [[burrow]]ing dwarves so that local stockpile is the only one they can [[path]] to.
* Artifact materials: The massive value and effectiveness of [[artifact|artifacts]] mean the materials used in them can have drastic effects, sometimes even into the ''[[Value|millions]]''. Having special stockpiles for high-value metals, stones, gems, and other such materials will make it that much easier to ensure that you will get the most out of each [[strange mood]]. (However, even with materials-specific stockpiles, it can take a fair amount of micromanagement to get a moody dwarf to use a specific material.)
* Artifact storage: Artifacts add a great deal to the created wealth of the fortress. Keep valuable artifacts safe in a special "treasure" stockpile.
* Ingredients: Store things that are cookable but not edible, like milk and quarry bush leaves, near [[kitchen]]s. Also, more [[rot|volatile]] foods (such as [[meat]]) can be stored closer to your kitchen to encourage your cooks to use them quickly.
* [[Stone carver]]'s stone: Linking a single- or limited-type stone stockpile to a [[stoneworker's workshop]] allows you to specify exactly which [[stone]] your stone carvers will use, providing consistent output (and increased [[value]] if using [[economic stone]]). Additionally, if your stone carver has a [[preference]] for a particular stone, you can increase output [[quality]] by having him work with that stone.
* Finished goods stockpiles near a Trade Depot that includes crafts that you want to sell, but excludes ordinary clothing, backpacks, waterskins, splints and crutches that you want your dwarves to use.

==Bugs==
* Gem stockpiles' material option for clay is hidden in the UI {{Bug|9749}}.
* Marksdwarves may refuse to use ammo stored in bins.{{Bug|2706}}
* [[Hauling]] blocks access to items stored in [[container]]s; consider creating container-less "feeder" stockpiles linked to your storage stockpiles.
* [http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=92241.msg3276117#msg3276117 Research] has suggested that stockpiles are a significant cause of [[Maximizing framerate|lag]]; see [[Exploit#Quantum_stockpiles|Quantum Stockpiles]] for designs that minimize stockpile tiles.
* Disabling "Additional Options" in the stockpile menu is a common source of stockpile problems.

==Troubleshooting==
Getting dwarves to haul items to a stockpile is a frequent source of frustration. Here are some things to check:

* Do you have idle dwarves?
** Do the idle dwarves have the appropriate hauling labors enabled?
** Are the idle dwarves constantly taking and cancelling other jobs?
* Do you have a stockpile that wants this item?
** Is there an empty spot in the stockpile?
*** Note that hidden items and wheelbarrows tie up stockpile tiles.
** Can the idle dwarves path to the stockpile and the item?
** Is the stockpile set to accept from anywhere, not just links?
** Check both the item's type and its material, in stockpiles that can filter materials.
** Check that the armor/weapon stockpile setting is "usable" and/or "unusable" as appropriate.
** Check that "Additional Options" are set correctly to allow the desired items.
* Is the item unforbidden?
* Is the item accessible (no civilian alert, burrows, etc.)?
* Is the item not owned by any dwarf?
* Is the item not tasked for a job?
* Is the item not assigned for use in any buildings/constructions?
* Check your standing orders (o), and make sure this kind of item can be gathered.
** For refuse, make sure dwarves are allowed to gather refuse that is "outside" (o r).
* Does the stockpile have wheelbarrows assigned? If so, are they all in use?
* If the item normally goes in a container, do you have suitable unused containers?
* Is the item claimed by a location (hospital, tavern, library, temple)?

{{Category|Stockpiles|*}}
{{Category|Items}}
[[ru:Stockpile]]