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Author Topic: Basics of Channeling?  (Read 503 times)

TehSenshi

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Basics of Channeling?
« on: April 25, 2013, 10:42:06 pm »

Sorry for my general nubbishness, but I can't seem to wrap my head around the channeling, specifically for making a well. How do I channel water from, say, a nearby river to make a suitable reservoir without making my miners drown? It just seems to me like straight up digging a tunnel from the water to the reservoir is suicide. Is there some technique to it? Or am I just over-thinking things?
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KroganElite

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Re: Basics of Channeling?
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2013, 10:56:50 pm »

The way I do it is dig all your tunnels before hand but leave the source for last.  Make sure that last block is one z-level lower than the surface of the water.  When you are ready, just channel the last part from a z-level above. I haven't lost a single dwarf this way and it works for magma. Make sure you have grates/bars/fortifications/floodgates for security and control. In the case for magma, make sure all of that is magma safe. Lastly, pumps should always be used especially for magma, since most liquids in this game move ridiculously slow.

==========----------~~~surface~~~
OOOOTunnel-#last block#77777water7777

=====Dwarf=-vChannelv-~~~~~~~~~
OOOOTunnel-#last block#7777water7777

=====Dwarf=-v~v~v~v~-~~~~~~~~
OO12Tunnel4456water777777777777777
« Last Edit: April 25, 2013, 10:59:28 pm by KroganElite »
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Starver

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Re: Basics of Channeling?
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2013, 11:45:40 pm »

I've just been win a separate thread in which this question was effectively asked...

http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=125466.0

Browse that.  I like my answer (obviously!), with the zig-zag up to the water's edge, the floodgate and the final fortification link...  This requires that the block concerned be a stone one, not a soil-type.

However, at the surface (or where there's a handy place to stand, atop an underground cavern pool or even a magma-tube/lake) a channelling last-block connection can be made, as KroganElite sort of describes...  But in case those diagrams aren't understandable, here's my versions of what I think has just been said...


Bank    River (side-on view)
________
########≈≈≈≈≈
#############

__________
__mine->_#≈≈≈≈≈
###############

         .- channel here
         v
__________
_________#≈≈≈≈≈
###############

         .- ramp remains after channelling, usually not a problem
         v
_________
<-water≈≈▲≈≈≈≈≈
###############

         .- but, if worried, construct a floor back over it to deny access
         v
__________
<-water≈≈▲≈≈≈≈≈
###############


Caveats about water pressure and ensuring you have protection against flooding your fortress.  Or emergency shut-offs for if/when it does start flooding.

I suggest that, at the very least, before that channelling in from the above (or the fortification in from the side), you should install a floodgate at the adjacent bit of tunnel and link it to a lever, then open it at leisure knowing that you might need to close it in a hurry.  Practice makes perfect, of course.
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TehSenshi

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Re: Basics of Channeling?
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2013, 11:51:43 pm »

Alright, I think I get it. Thanks guys! I'm happy there's such a friendly community around here. Of course, I don't know how anyone would get through this game without one.
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Garath

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Re: Basics of Channeling?
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2013, 03:37:51 am »

as mentioned in that post (probably), Always make sure you can close the water flow too. That means either a raising bridge or floodgate, the bridge being the most secure. Being able to shut off the water allows you to drain your resevoir and such if you want to make adjustments or works to shut it down in case of a mistake. Very practical, it also allows you to stop the water flow shortly after making the connection to your source, allowing the miner to walk away first. Only if he gets flushed down into the resevoir is there any danger, which shouldn't happen if there is enough distance. On that, Always make sure you can get stuff out of the resevoir again, just in case someone gets suicidal, so you need to be able to shut off the source, drain the resevoir and clmb down to the bottom
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slothen

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Re: Basics of Channeling?
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2013, 09:30:14 am »

check out my answer too from that same thread (my ascii not as pretty though).  Also the wiki should have diagrams somewhere, but I can't seem to find them at the moment.
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While adding magma to anything will make it dwarfy, adding the word "magma" to your post does not necessarily make it funny.
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