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[ghjijhg]

I select an area for digging, and the green cross appears, and when I try to select the other corner, The cross disappears and nothing happens.

I can't play fortress mode because of this.

[Starver]

1) Are you sure you're digging?  By default, when your cursor starts overground, I find that (d), alone, designates "Tree-felling", as in (d)(t), instead of mining, which can be forced by (d)(d), even when moving your cursor underground.

2) You are digging underground, aren't you?  Either by going down a Z-level, or moving sideways into a hill.  If (d)(d) doesn't work but Chanelling with (d)(h) does, then that's your problem.

3)...  Umm, I think those are the two "big ones" that answer your particular description of what's (not) happening.  But I'm sure we can think of something else if you can confirm that neither of the above are the case.

[ghjijhg]

1) Are you sure you're digging?  By default, when your cursor starts overground, I find that (d), alone, designates "Tree-felling", as in (d)(t), instead of mining, which can be forced by (d)(d), even when moving your cursor underground.

2) You are digging underground, aren't you?  Either by going down a Z-level, or moving sideways into a hill.  If (d)(d) doesn't work but Chanelling with (d)(h) does, then that's your problem.

3)...  Umm, I think those are the two "big ones" that answer your particular description of what's (not) happening.  But I'm sure we can think of something else if you can confirm that neither of the above are the case.

1.Yeah, I'm sure. I make sure that I press (d)(d).

2.Maybe. I'll try channeling.

3.Ok.

EDIT: Channeling worked. Thanks for the help.

[Starver]

Ok, then. if channelling works, then good, but don't limit yourself to that...

Imagine this as a side view of where you're embarking...

Code: [Select]

_____
#####\
########\____________  ____            <- 'ground level'
#####################~~####
###########################

When viewing at 'ground level', the plan view you get will show you the surface.  Here, I've also put a hill to the left, and a bit of water.  (Although if you've embarked upon a perfectly flat plane, or on the top of a hill, this won't be something relevant to you.)

To get underground, you could dig sideways into the hill with your 'normal' mining operation as given by your normal (d)esignate(d)igging.

Code: [Select]

_____
#####\__
#####________________  ____              <-Dig sideways, note that the floor on the level above
#####################~~####         will stay up (at least until you disconnect it /all/,
###########################         and then it'll cave in...  read up on cave-ins!)




If (as you have done) you channel with (d)esignate-c(h)annel then you have access to the level below, from which you can (d)(d)ig sideways from the bottom of the ramp that you'll create on Z-1 (the term we here tend to use for 'the level below', according to context, Z+1 being the level above, etc).

Code: [Select]

_____
#####\
########\____ _______  ____           
#############v#######~~####        <-Channel (creates a ramp)
###########################

_____
#####\
########\____ _______  ____           
#############\___####~~####        <-Dig away from the lower ramp
###########################

If you dig away all edges, the ramp isn't viable (it just leaves a skylight)

#####\
########\____ _______  ____           
##########_______####~~####        <-Now things down here aren't accessible from the ground, and vice-versa
###########################



But you can also (d)esignate stairwells to be dug.  On the surface, you'll only be able to dig a downward-stairwell, and you'd also need to designate an upward-capable stairway (either an up-stair or a combined up/down-stair) on Z-1, directly below the down-stair.  If you dug into the hillside, on Z=0, then you'd have an option of all three stairs (up, up/down and down) in any as-yet-undug tile, to which you'd need the appropriate stairs on Z+/-1 to match up.  In a tile that is 'empty' (including with or without a 'floor', but either dug out or not filled in the first place), then (b)uilding and (c)onstructing an appropriate stairway is what you need.

Code: [Select]

_____
#####\__
########\_____>______  ____              <-Dig a downwards stairwell
#####################~~####       
###########################
###########################

_____
#####\__
########\_____>______  ____                Match with an up/down stairwell,
###########___X___###~~####              <-and you can dig away sideways
###########################                (in any and all directions)
###########################


#####\__
########\_____>______  ____                 But don't dig into standing water,
###########___X_~~~~~~~####              <- unless you know what you're doing
###########################                 and wanting the resulting flood!
###########################

_____
#####\__                                    You don't need to make an up-only stairwell,
########\_____>______  ____                 at the bottom, but it's all rather neat and tidy
###########___X___###~~####                 if you /really/ don't intend to go further.
######________<_________###              <- (and the water on the level above has a floor
###########################                 that I can't easily show, but you /will/ get
                                            "this stone is damp"-type warnings.
                                            In this case safe, but beware of aquifers!


_____
#####\__
########\_____>______  ____                And you can dig an upwards stairwell,
###########___X___###~~#>_#              <-and match with a downward on the level above,
######________<_________<##                but beware that you don't dig upwards into water
###########################                (or magma, or possibly somewhere open
                                             but populated by nasty fauna!)...




#####\__
########\_____X______  ____                Actually /Building/ an up-down stairwell on
###########___X___###~~#>_#              <-your initial down-stairs lets you go upwards
######________<_________<##               
###########################               
                                           

#####\__      >                          <-But you'd need to Build a matching stair
########\_____X______  ____                on the level above, too...
###########___X___###~~#>_#             
######________<_________<##               
###########################               

#####\__   ___>____                      <-And now you can (b)uild and (c)onstruct
########\_____X______  ____                 a (f)loor away from that.
###########___X___###~~#>_#             
######________<_________<##               
###########################               
                                           

...but that's getting into advanced non-mining techniques. ;)



[Garath]

if you designate an area for digging you also need to make sure dwarfs can reach it through down stairs above and up or up/down stairs on the level you want to dig, this is probably the #3 starver was looking for