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[Brhino]

How does a dwarf decide what stone to grab for a stone task at a mason's workshop or the like?  I always assumed he grabbed the closest stone (z-levels included), so when I needed some bauxite stuff I plunked down a workshop in the middle of a completely mined out cavern of bauxite stone.  My knucklehead mason is bringing in gypsum and microcline from god knows where to make floodgates.

My second theory was that they prefer to pull from a stone stockpile if you've designated ones (I have one quite far away from the shop, and they seem to fill it with random stone from all over), so I designated a stone stockpile in the bauxite field right next to the workshop (which means it's currently filled with bauxite), but they seem to be ignoring that and still pulling stone from god knows where.

Any suggestions?  It's almost like the little bastards don't WANT to convert the valley into a lake of molten lava. 

[Lav]

I usually designate a stone stockpile right above or below the mason/mechanic/stonecrafter workshop and set the filters to the desired stones. That works fine because for a dwarf, a stone that's one level below is 1 tile away, and a stone that is near the workshop is at least 2 tiles away.

In your case it's possible that bauxite is marked as economic (some mods include the ability to mark bauxite as such) and marked unavailable for crafting. In this case go "z" -> "Stone" and check that bauxite is either not there or is marked green.

Also when a dwarf decides to do a job he selects resources that are closest to his current location. not closest to the workshop but this doesn't seem to be the case in your situation.

Also check that bauxite is not marked as forbidden/dumping/whatever.

Otherwise I have no idea.

[Brhino]

Also when a dwarf decides to do a job he selects resources that are closest to his current location. not closest to the workshop but this doesn't seem to be the case in your situation.

Actually I think this may be the case.  the bauxite is waaaay down in the bowels of the earth, so when Urist Mclazymason decides to build a floodgate (one of the five I've asked for), he grabs whatever's nearby, makes the long trip down there, makes one floodgate, decides he needs a drink, makes the long trip back, drinks, and starts all over again.

I'm going to try designating my main stone stockpile (much more centrally located) for bauxite only and build statues (you can never have too many statues!) until they fill it up with bauxite.

[Shades]

The method I use is to have a space next to my baxuite stockpile for a workshop then tell them to build one, once they turn up I lock them in till it's built and they've built my floodgate/mechanise/whatever, then I dismantle the workshop again and set them free.

[Albedo]

Yeah, I've seen dwarfs walk past mountains of stone to grab the identical substance from across the map down the exploratory shafts I dug to find the underground river. Breeeeeeelliant.

Mineshafts are great uses for all those +doors+ and -hatches- you have lying around. Keeps the miners you want in/out, keeps the stones you don't/want isolated from/with the workshops - all good.  (Also keeps them from taking any eat/drink/break until they're done with the task at hand - if across the map, that one trip to place the door pays for itself many times over.)

[Lymojo]

That's a great idea about the doors with your miners. I've always done the thing where I un-designate every mining job except the one I want done. Locking and unlocking different doors sounds much easier. I'm going to do that from now on.

[Albedo]

It takes a little juggling to get the right miner in the right spot (For instance, your Legendary miner working that vein of platinum, while your Novice miner is digging sand for practice.)  You will see the one tile flashing that a single miner is targeted on - if you undesignate <d, x>  that, they'll seek a new tile - if you only give them one option (or one area of options), that's what the next one will target.  A locked door will prevent them from choosing that area. (Like I said, takes some juggling.)

You could always just Activate them as military, but this avoids bad thoughts.  Meh.

Once in place and behind locked doors, it's all good. (Just watch out for thirst or falling asleep in place.)

[JmzLost]

You could always just Activate them as military, but this avoids bad thoughts.  Meh.

Turn off mining, draft, set to off duty, wait a month, undraft.  Novice Wrestler/Novice Miner can switch back and forth betwen military and civilian w/o bad thoughts.

Also, try putting a small drink stockpile near any workshops that are far away from your main area.  Or go all out and set up a small dining area with a food stockpile, and a couple of beds for anyone in the area.  If your dorfs don't have assigned rooms, they'll sleep in any available bed, usually the closest one.

JMZ

[Lymojo]

I was talking more in terms of like having the entire fort's preliminary exploratory mining grid set to start mining, and then realizing that I need to dig a defensive channel ASAP.

Choosing individual miners for different tasks sounds like such a headache I never do it.

I have all my slush hauler folk and less critical artisans all pitch in to carve out the bulk of the living space at the get go. After that I just take a few miners that I want to make legendary and have them do everything else from there on out. I don't really mind having heaps of excess junk stone around; hauling isn't really all that bad and atomsmashers work well.