PSAs

As always, remember that, just like the vanilla DF game, DFHack tools can also have bugs. It is a good idea to save often and keep backups of the forts that you care about.

Many DFHack tools that worked in previous (pre-Steam) versions of DF have not been updated yet and are marked with the "unavailable" tag in their docs. If you try to run them, they will show a warning and exit immediately. You can run the command again to override the warning (though of course the tools may not work). We make no guarantees of reliability for the tools that are marked as "unavailable".

The in-game interface for running DFHack commands (gui/launcher) will not show "unavailable" tools by default. You can still run them if you know their names, or you can turn on dev mode by hitting Ctrl-D while in gui/launcher and they will be added to the autocomplete list. Some tools do not compile yet and are not available at all, even when in dev mode.

If you see a tool complaining about the lack of a cursor, know that it's referring to the keyboard cursor (which used to be the only real option in Dwarf Fortress). You can enable the keyboard cursor by entering mining mode or selecting the dump/forbid tool and hitting Alt-K (the DFHack keybinding for toggle-kbd-cursor. We're working on making DFHack tools more mouse-aware and accessible so this step isn't necessary in the future.

logistics

When you select a stockpile, you'll now see a panel that will let you toggle its automation features. Items and animals brought to that stockpile can be automatically marked for melting, trading, dumping, and/or training.

For example, you can set up cage traps for catching wild game. When you catch something, your dwarves will bring the caged animal to your Animals stockpile. If you enable automatic training on that stockpile, the animals will automatically get a trainer assigned to them. Combine this with autobutcher, which can mark the trained animals for butchering, and you now have a low-toil food supply chain for your kitchens!

Similarly, if you enable automatic trading for your trade goods stockpile, all items in the stockpile will be marked for trading and be automatically brought to the trade depot when a merchant caravan arrives.

Dreamfort

Dreamfort is the result of over a decade of experimentation and revision from some of Dwarf Fortress's most experienced players. It is a fully functional, pre-designed fortress you can build yourself from gui/quickfort blueprints. If you're having trouble with getting your forts to work smoothly, try building Dreamfort. The blueprints walk you through the process of creating the fortress so you can learn from its design, progression, and configuration. You can even reuse individual blueprints for the parts you especially like to extend your own designs.

The Dreamfort walkthroughs and blueprints bring you from embark all the way through to a 200-strong mountainhome. Screenshots for all the levels and links to more information here: https://docs.dfhack.org/en/stable/docs/guides/quickfort-library-guide.html#dreamfort.

If you want to explore it interactively, you can download a pre-built Dreamfort from DFFD: https://dffd.bay12games.com/file.php?id=15434.

suspendmanager

Logic for when to suspend building jobs has been upgraded. Now suspendmanager is much smarter when you're building in areas with limited access paths. For example, if you fill a corridor or build a high wall, it will now correctly realize that a wall tile can block access to a another tile farther away.

Moreover, suspendmanager now also considers smoothing and engraving jobs. For example, if you attempt to build a statue on top of flooring that is designated for smoothing, it will now allow the smoothing job to be completed first before the statue blocks it.

New Plugins

• logistics: automatically mark and route items or animals that come to monitored stockpiles. options are toggleable on an overlay that comes up when you have a stockpile selected.

Fixes

• buildingplan: don't include artifacts when max quality is masterful
• dig-now: clear item occupancy flags for channeled tiles that had items on them
• emigration: reassign home site for emigrating units so they don't just come right back to the fort
• gui/create-item: allow blocks to be made out of wood when using the restrictive filters
• gui/liquids: ensure tile temperature is set correctly when painting water or magma
• gui/quickfort:
  • allow traffic designations to be applied over buildings
  • protect against meta blueprints recursing infinitely if they include themselves
• gui/sandbox: allow creatures that have separate caste-based graphics to be spawned (like ewes/rams)
• RemoteFortressReader: fix a crash with engravings with undefined images
• workorder: prevent autoMilkCreature from over-counting milkable animals, which was leading to cancellation spam for the MilkCreature job

Misc Improvements

• Blueprint library:
  • dreamfort: full rewrite and update for DF v50
  • pump_stack: updated walkthrough and separated dig and channel steps so boulders can be cleared
  • aquifer_tap: updated walkthrough
• autonick: additional nicknames based on burrowing animals, colours, gems, and minerals
• combine: reduce max different stacks in containers to 30 to prevent contaners from getting overfull
• dig-now: can now handle digging obsidian that has been formed from magma and water
• gui/autodump: add option to clear the trader flag from teleported items, allowing you to reclaim items dropped by merchants
• gui/control-panel:
  • add some popular startup configuration commands for autobutcher and autofarm
  • add option for running fix/blood-del on new forts (enabled by default)
• gui/quickfort:
  • adapt "cursor lock" to mouse controls so it's easier to see the full preview for multi-level blueprints before you apply them
  • only display post-blueprint messages once when repeating the blueprint up or down z-levels
• gui/sandbox: when creating citizens, give them names appropriate for their races
• orders:
  • only display import/export/sort/clear panel on main orders screen
  • refine order conditions for library orders to reduce cancellation spam
• prioritize: add wild animal management tasks and lever pulling to the default list of prioritized job types
• quickfort: significant rewrite for DF v50! now handles zones, locations, stockpile configuration, hauling routes, and more
• stockpiles: added barrels, organic, artifacts, and masterworks stockpile presets
• suspendmanager:
  • now suspends construction jobs on top of floor designations, protecting the designations from being erased
  • suspend blocking jobs when building high walls or filling corridors
• workorder: reduce existing orders for automatic shearing and milking jobs when animals are no longer available

Removed

• gui/automelt: replaced by an overlay panel that appears when you click on a stockpile

Structures

• abstract_building_libraryst: initialize unknown variables as DF does
• misc_trait_type: realign

Documentation

• blueprint-library-guide: update Dreamfort screenshots and links, add aquifer_tap screenshot