40d:Remove

It seems that half the time in Fortress mode, when you aren't building something, you're removing something. Whether that's digging away part of the landscape, tearing down a wall, ripping up a bridge, or just rearranging the furniture, if it needs to get done then it needs to get done.

Although every specific article should have an explanation of how to remove that specific item or feature, if you're here you may need a more basic "how to".

Here's how to remove...

dirt/stone

Main article: Mining

Digging may be the basic action in Dwarf Fortress. All you need is a dwarf with the mining labor activated, and access to a pick.

Then, designate an area to be mined. Do this by hitting the designate dig keys. Then either left-click an area on the same z-level with the mouse, or use the cursor and Enter to establish one point, and move the cursor and repeat to select a rectangle to be dug out.

If you want (or need, to get up/down) to create stairs or ramps instead of tunnel, it works similarly but with some additional concerns - read those articles for details and command keys.

dug ramps/stairs

Similar to the above, but to designate the removal of carved ramps or natural slopes (same thing), or carved stairs, use the d, z keys.

a digging "designation"

"Oops"?! Didn't mean to mark that? If it's not gone yet, don't panic. Use d, x as above and click over the part you don't want marked.

constructed walls, stairs, etc

Main Article: Construction

If you're trying to remove anything that is a construction (that is anything that was built with the b, C keys), that's another designation, use d n, and mark the construction. Any dwarf will respond and (eventually) tear it down - which takes longer than it took to build.

a "remove construction" order

"Oops"?! Cancel that removal the same as you would any designation, with d, x.

furniture

Main Article: Furniture

Use q (or t), move the cursor over the piece of furniture to be removed, and then hit x. You'll also need a dwarf with the furniture hauling labor activated, and then the patience to wait for one to respond.

workshops

Main Article: Workshop

Similar to furniture, use q (or t), and then hit x. You'll need a dwarf with an appropriate labor, depending on the exact workshop - this can be seen via q once the workshop has been marked for dismantling.

a "destroy" order for furniture or workshops

Oops?! Cancel an order to remove furniture or a workshop by using q (or t) then stop.

trash

Main Articles: Stockpile, Zone

This is trickier, and there are 2 different approaches.

One is to create a refuse stockpile for that class of item (usually remains of vermin killed by a cat, or items left after butchering, but other items are possible), and wait for a dwarf with the refuse hauling labor to find the free time to respond.

A more aggressive and specific method is to create a garbage dump (using the i menu) and then mark the items for dumping. Again, this requires refuse hauling, but it can create a quantum dump for any type of item. (Stone is a popular choice.)

stockpiles

Main Article: Stockpile

Stockpiles can be removed by pressing p, x and using the cursor keys and Enter to select the area where you don't want the stockpile to be anymore.

activity zones

Main Article: Zone

Activity zones can be removed by pressing i, x and using the cursor keys and Enter to select the area where you don't want the activity zone to be anymore.

stones

Stones are automatically removed by dwarves with the Stone Hauling labor activated, and placed in the stone stockpiles, or your garbage dump if so designated.

bodies

Bodies of your dwarves, and their body parts, or bones, will be put into your graveyard, or into individual tombs if that dwarf was assigned to it. This requires the Burial labor enabled on a living dwarf.

Bodies of everything else, from vermin to Titans, will be placed in the Refuse Stockpile, by a dwarf with Refuse Hauling. If these corpses are unrotten and butcherable, dwarves with Butchery enabled will take them and cut them into meat, fat, bones, a skull, and chunks. The fat and meat will be used as food, and delivered to that stockpile, and everything else becomes refuse.