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[uberubert]

Ok, I've made a zone, it says sand collection (9), it is active, and it is reachable. I order the sand collection at the glass furnace, but I get the message that "sand collection cancelled: needs valid, active sand collection zone."

I've tried several zones on several levels, all sand floors. I've tried zoning outdoors as well. I have bags free too, but if that was the issue, then I should've gotten a message more like "no bags", shouldn't I?

What more could it be? I wanna collect some sand....  

[Turgid Bolk]

Be sure to press on your zone, to turn on sand collection.

If that doesn't work, sounds like a bug of some kind.

[uberubert]

Yeah, i forgot to mention that. I did press 's', so the zone shows that "sand collection" is highlighted. "Active" is also highlighted. The glass furnace is also reachable.

I'm in a human town btw. Maybe that interferes with the sand collection in some way? I'll try collecting some ways outside the town. Shot in the dark but oh well..

[Some Internet Guy]

Sorry for the revive, exact same problem. Human town, both underground and overground sand collection zones but neither get recognized. Has anyone found a solution to this in the intervening time?

[Skanky]

When making the sand collection zone, it shows how many valid spaces are available in the zone you are making. If it says "sand collection (0)", then you aren't selecting a zone that actually has sand in it. Note that stuff like (iirc) sandy loam don't actually allow sand collection.

If that is the problem, either search for some valid and in your map (not always available) or mod the soil layer you have to contain sand.

[Pandarsenic]

quote:Originally posted by uberubert:
<STRONG>it says sand collection (9)</STRONG>

[Skanky]

Just because the OP said that, doesn't necessarily mean that Some Internet Guy checked for sand collection (9).

[Some Internet Guy]

Yeah, it's showing sand collection spaces. It's normal, black sand, which I figured was some special useless kinda sand until I noticed in the wiki entry it's just like any other.

[TheSilverHammer]

Do you have available bags?  You need bags to collect sand.  If you have 1 bag, the moment it is filled with sand, any sand collection tasks are canceled because there are no more bags.

[Nil Eyeglazed]

Also, be aware that sand collection spaces can disappear.  A lot of sand ends up growing grass on top of it, and it's only through dwarven paths that the grass gets trampled into sand.  A valid sand collection zone can disappear.  Does the zone currently say it contains 8 valid sand squares?

[Narceh]

I have exactly the same problem described by two others in this post - lots of sand around, sand collection zone set up properly, but collect sand orders are always cancelled with "need valid, active sand collection zone".

AND I, too, share a map with a human town, as with both others. I don't know about you, but I see a certain pattern here.

Edit: Actually, this makes me think if there's a bigger problem with zones when the fortress is in a human town (possibly other civilizations as well), as throughout this fortress I've been wondering why dwarves ignore garbage dumps and dump orders - not a single item has been hauled to a dump during the four years my current fortress has been operational, and trust me, quite a few have been marked for dumping.

Ponds and meeting areas seem to work, though.

I made a post in bug reports.

[ February 02, 2008: Message edited by: Narceh ]

[Puzzlemaker]

Do you have Bags to collect the sand in?

[Narceh]

Obviously. Dwarves cancel the job after they pick up a bag. They check for sand collection zones after that.