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v0.31:Lever
| This article is about an older version of DF. |
A lever is a building constructed from one Template:L on an empty tile. Once in place, it can be linked to one or more devices such as Template:Ls, Template:Ls or Template:Ls, permitting you to control these other devices remotely. Order the lever to be pulled through its q menu. A free dwarf will get assigned the job of pulling the lever. This dwarf might be a long way away, and the delay in pulling the lever can result in Template:L.
Template:Ls are like levers, but are triggered by creatures or fluids directly rather than by giving an order to a dwarf. If levers are too much Template:L, a pressure plate may be a better choice. There is more information on trap design Template:L.
Activation of the devices
When a lever is pulled, the connected device(s) activates. What happens during activation depends on the linked device:
- Template:Ls and Template:Les open and close.
- Template:Ls collapse, potentially causing a cave-in (pulling the lever again won't re-assemble the support, cave-in or not).
- Template:Ls raise and lower, or retract and extend, depending on the type of bridge.
- Template:Ls open and close.
- Template:L engage and disengage (disengaged assemblies can't support other machinery).
- Template:Ls release the creature assigned to them (leaving the restraint attached to the creature and, at present, unrecoverable).
- Template:Ls are deconstructed, releasing their occupants (needless to say, this is irreversible!)
- Template:Ls raise and lower.
Different objects take different amounts of time to respond to activation; generally this is only a brief pause but it can be enough for a charging Template:L to cover more than a few tiles.
Linking
One Template:L is required to construct a lever, and then two more are required to link the lever with a device. The link is made by selecting the lever with q, choosing the type of object you want to link the lever to, and then using - and + to choose the particular object. The list is chronological by order of construction, most recently designated last, and the map will recenter on each object as you scroll through the list.
Then you can choose what specific mechanisms you want to use to connect the device to the lever. The quality of a mechanism affects the accuracy of traps, but not the speed of activation. The first mechanism you choose is for the device end, the second for the lever end. This is important when working with Template:L.
A lever can be linked to any number of objects, and each object can have any number of levers controlling it.
There is no way to de-link an object without disassembling either object or lever [Verify]. When using a lever for a single-use purpose (cages or supports), the mechanism in the lever will remain in the lever, but the object and its mechanism will deconstruct. In this manner, a single lever might accumulate many mechanisms. Deconstructing the lever will free all these mechanisms and allow to reuse them - keep your permanent and one-time linkages to separate levers.
Labeling
There is no built-in indication of what a lever does, and pulling them to see what will happen can be immensely Template:L. Using the Template:L function is the most foolproof way of labeling levers; colour-coding of levers can give some indication too.
However, it is possible to ascertain whether or not a building has been linked to a lever by finding the building under R "View Rooms/Buildings" and then selecting t "Zoom to building items". A device that is actuated by a lever not only lists the components of the building but will also include a mechanism item. Viewing the lever itself this way will display one mechanism for each building the lever is linked to.
There is way to ascertain which lever is linked to what, but it becomes very hard when you have many linkable items. Find the lever, use "q" and then select "add new task". Try for every linkable thing in your fortress, to link the lever to it. If an object isn't available for linking, that's because it is already linked. Though this method isn't very usable to find the single linked item in all of them, it is useful when you forgot whether the left or the right lever was linked to the support.
| Rooms |
Barracks • Bedroom • Dining room • Dormitory • Jail • Meeting hall • Hospital • Office • Sculpture garden • Tomb • Zoo |
|---|---|
| Furniture |
Animal trap • Anvil • Armor stand • Bed • Bin • Box • Bucket • Cabinet • Cage • Coffin • Restraint • Seat • Statue • Table • Weapon rack |
| Access | |
| Constructions | |
| Machine & Trap parts |
Axle • Gear assembly • Millstone • Screw pump • Water wheel • Windmill • Lever • Pressure plate • Trap • Support |
| Other Buildings | |
| Related Articles | |