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[IndigoFenix]

Anyone ever try to build a multi level structure but get annoyed because you can't  designate it all at once?

I propose a simple tweak to the construction system: instead of preventing the designation of inaccessible tiles, allow them to be designated and give them a special status, waiting for access.  Those would be functionally identical to suspended except that whenever a construction is built or a tile is mined, the game checks to see if you can now path to any previously inaccessible constructions and unsuspends them.

Or in other words, basically make construction designation work like mining designation.

[DG]

Interesting idea. There could be problems with having 10 gazillion stones locked up for the designated tower and thus unable to be moved (if you want to place a door or something where the stone is located). If it could be changed so that materials waiting to be used in construction can be moved around without cancelling the construction then it would be neat.

[GavJ]

I'm not sure I am understanding how this is going to help you build a tower any faster. Even if you could designate like you're saying:
1) You could still only do one level at a time because the next level has nothing to designate on top of yet.
2) If you designate everything at once, you're just going to end up with walled off areas and trapped dwarves and all kinds of other mayhem, so nobody would do this anyway.

It only makes sense if it comes at the same time as an intelligent AI system for figuring out how to build things without building themselves into corners or missing spots. Which would be much more complicated to code. Without that, this seems like just a booby trap for yourself.

[Chevaleresse]

Multi-Z channeling has similar pitfalls (except they are actual pitfalls) but that's in the game. I see nothing wrong with adding an option to the UI.
Being able to designate constructions like designations rather than workshops/bridges/etc would be nice too.

[GavJ]

I just mentioned things wrong with adding it to the UI... it is a big juicy invitation BEGGING your dwarves to get stuck or wall off parts of a project, and will therefore only cause extra problems, serve as something you need to remember not to use (why should you have to remember not to use something that's never useful?) and probably most importantly: it needlessly confuses newbies.  All for no apparent benefit, prior to AI changes (after AI changes, it would be great!)

Oh also, another problem: it removes a helpful warning. Normally if you wall something off, you'll get a warning that dwarves suspended something, prompting you to investigate. If inaccessibility doesn't suspend things, you may carry on blissfully and not realize your wall didn't get done until a FB has already run past it and bashed down the locked door that was blocking it.

[StagnantSoul]

Use d for every single building, floor, wall, forge, and basically everything? No thank you. B and all it's sub-categories already took long enough to learn.

[Chevaleresse]

It helps to actually read posts, fyi.

[Skullsploder]

This system would allow constructions to be designated anywhere (even in midair) and only built when a path is open, correct? If so then I fully support it.

At the same time, it would also be nice to include something like DFhack's planning mode in the game, so that you could designate your entire aboveground castle to be built of obsidian blocks all at once, even though you've only just started to churn em out.#, and dwarves simply use them as they become available.

Another thing that would go well with this is allowing dwarves to build diagonally. They can dig and even move diagonally through a missing corner piece, so why can't they build?

It would significantly reduce micromanagement if you didn't always have to designate corners first, and coupled with OP's suggestion and a "planning mode" would make extreme micromanagement a thing of the past for large aboveground constructions.

[GavJ]

I approve of all skullsploder's ideas, although they aren't enough on their own to make micromanagement a thing of the past. You still need to designate from inside portions of upper levels walls out to where the stairwell is, etc. (There are algorithms that could fix that too though, the sort of AI I was talking about). If/when those are in place, then the OP becomes helpful. In general, if/when AI is better, suspensions of any sort could be done away with.

[lethosor]

I propose a simple tweak to the construction system: instead of preventing the designation of inaccessible tiles, allow them to be designated and give them a special status, waiting for access.

There's no need for a separate "waiting for access" status - you can already queue inaccessible constructions in some cases (for example, a 1x10 floor only accessible from one end), and they are built when they become accessible.