Tilesets

xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼

v53.08 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

(For a chart with the default ASCII characters, see Character table.)

(For user-created tilesets, see Tileset repository.)

(For user-created creature graphics sets, see Graphics set repository.)

---

Tilesets are images the game uses to display its graphics; each tile is used to show text and represent things. Users create custom tilesets for a number of reasons, including increased visibility, aesthetics, or small size. Tilesets come in two flavors: "character sets" (or simply "tilesets") and "graphics sets".

Overview and installation

Character sets

A character set is an image in BMP or PNG format that contains the 256 different tiles, corresponding to the IBM Code Page 437 (sometimes called Extended ASCII), which are used to display the main graphics. Here is the list of user-made standard tilesets. To install any of these tilesets, follow these steps:

1. Download the tileset via right-click-save-as on the tileset. The tileset is just an image, so there's no separate download link. (The list is here)
2. Convert it into a 24-bit BMP file^{V0.28.181.40d} file or PNG file^v0.31.06. Do NOT just change the extension to .bmp; you must use a program like MS paint to save it as a .bmp.
3. Put it in the data/art directory of your Dwarf Fortress installation.
4. Open data/init/init.txt
5. If you want to use the tileset in fullscreen mode, locate and modify the [FULLSCREENX:800], [FULLSCREENY:600], and [FULLFONT:curses_800x600.bmp] configuration lines to match the specifications from the tileset list. The FULLFONT directive should match the filename of the tileset you downloaded. If you want to use the tileset in windowed mode, search for the [WINDOWEDX:640], [WINDOWEDY:300], and [FONT:curses_640x300.bmp] lines instead, and change them to the correct values.
6. It is also recommended you keep [BLACK_SPACE:YES] to prevent stretching of the graphics.
7. Save the .txt file, then you're ready to play!

Graphics sets

Character sets only change certain graphics, while others are left out. The confusingly-named graphics sets are used to change the appearance of creatures in the game, such as dwarves and unicorns. They usually come with and are designed to work together with certain tilesets. They can significantly change the appearance of the game and make it easier for players to tell what is happening onscreen. While Tilesets work the same as previous versions, Graphics Sets will have to be redone as the raws have changed.

Custom tileset design

The default (and minimum) gameplay viewport is 80 characters wide, and 25 characters tall. Therefore, a tileset's target resolution will be TILE_X_LENGTH * 80 by TILE_Y_LENGTH * 25. Since the tileset is arranged into a 16x16 grid of tiles (256 tiles total), the tileset image size will be TILE_X_LENGTH * 16 by TILE_Y_LENGTH * 16. Here are some common tile sizes:

• A tileset with 10x12 tiles will be 160x192 pixels large, and the target resolution will be 800x300.
• A tileset with 16x16 tiles will be 256x256 pixels large, and the target resolution will be 1280x400.

When creating a custom tileset, it's often easiest to start with an existing one, and edit it to your liking. Tilesets generally fall into three categories: rectangular tilesets, square tilesets, and 16x16 square tilesets. Rectangular tilesets have tiles that are taller than they are wide. The text in these tilesets is generally easier to read, but the map appears squished horizontally. Square tilesets usually provide more attractive graphics, but are slightly less readable. The 16x16 square tilesets are just a sub-set, which are grouped together because most object tilesets use 16x16 tiles. The graphics in Dwarf Fortress can be somewhat diversified and enhanced through the use of graphics sets.

Many tiles are used by the game in multiple ways, and this makes customizing the graphics difficult. The same icon is used for chairs and the north end of one-tile-wide vertical bridges. Ashes and broken arrows look the same, and many game entities (such as levers, floodgates, bags, and bins) share characters that are also used in Dwarven names or other bits of text in the interface.

What tiles are used for what

• Items marked with * can have their tile changed in the raw data files.
• Items marked with ^# can have their tile replaced by a graphics set image, in addition to having their tile changed in the raw data.
• Items marked with ^$ can be changed in the d_init.txt file.

For a graphical table, go to the Character Table.

Row 01 (000-015)

000	Used for background tiles in the intro CMV and background tiles of interface screens
001 ☺	Civilian dwarves#, various status indicators
002 ☻	Military dwarves#
003 ♥	Dimple cups*
004 ♦	Cut gems, large gems
005 ♣	Quarry bush leaves*, blossoms*, various forest trees*
006 ♠	Broadleaf Forest, various forest trees*, various leaf items*, Plump helmets*
007 •	Mined out stone*, solid workshop tile for several workshops like the magma smelter, river sources in main map, caves in main map, moon on travel map, flower buds*
008 ◘	Solid workshop tile for several other workshops like the magma forge, tanner's shop, catapult cup, fortress keeps on travel map, nest box tool*, nest box building, book
009 ○	Well, vermin colony, millstone, quern, vertical axle, fortress walls on travel map, sun behind clouds on travel map, fortresses on world map, creeping eye out of view (adventure mode)*, staring eyeball*, bubble bulb*
010 ◙	trunk interior$
011 ♂	Male sign, bags, Various Cephalopods#
012 ♀	Female sign, amulet
013 ♪	Ladles*
014 ♫	Armor stands
015 ☼	Unmined Gem Cluster*, Rough Gems and Raw Glass, unmined bituminous coal*, mined bituminous coal*, currency symbol, masterpiece quality symbol, spider webs, pond turtle*, sun, gear assemblies, paralyzed indicator, fireballs, bandit camps on travel map

Row 02 (016-031)

016 ►	Head of Ballista arrow facing east, manta ray#
017 ◄	Head of Ballista arrow facing west
018 ↕
019 ‼	Cages, on-fire tags, vertical bars
020 ¶	Mugs, largest forest retreats, cumulonimbus clouds on travel map, Highwood forests*
021 §	Restraints, whip vine*
022 ▬	Logs, hive tool*, hive building
023 ↨	Cedar forest*
024 ↑	Interface text (bridge direction), conifer forests, various forest trees*
025 ↓	Various status indicators, Interface text (bridge direction)
026 →	Interface text (bridge direction)
027 ←	Interface text (bridge direction)
028 ∟
029 ↔
030 ▲	Head of Ballista arrow facing north, ramp up, track ramp up$, mountain on world map
031 ▼	Head of Ballista arrow facing south, ramp down, track ramp down$

Row 03 (032-047)

032	Unexplored underground, spaces in text messages, black background on the title screen and interface menu
033 !	various status icons, text, sound indicator in sneaking mode, tracks (footprints) in sneaking mode
034 "	Shrub*, quotation marks, Carpenter's workshop tile, kobold out of view*, goblins out of view*, blizzard man out of view*, fallen leaves[Verify], tracks (bent vegetation) in sneaking mode, various stones*, savanna, swamp, shrubland, marsh
035 #	floor grates, various stones*, labyrinths on travel map, text
036 $	Coins
037 %	Prepared meal, unexplored underground, screw pump in action, footprints in sneaking mode, various fruits*, various buds*, various stones*, Bismuthinite*,