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[randyshipp]

I've checked the wiki, but my floor hatches don't seem to be working the way the wiki says.  I have a ground level building.  I have a constructed up staircase (or up/down staircase...I've tried it both ways) and on the square directly above it, I have a floor hatch set into the floor.  And dwarves cannot make their way up and down the stairs.  Is this a problem with the stairs, the hatch, me?

[Mushroo]

Did you build a down stairs?

You need an up stairs on the 1st floor and a down stairs on the 2nd floor.

[Sphalerite]

You need to build a down or up/down staircase on the square directly above your up staircase first, then place the hatch.

[randyshipp]

Yeah, just figured that out.  Thanks guys.  Not intuitive at all, especially since just about any other construction cannot be placed atop another construction.  (Witness the silliness of not being able to build stairs on top of a floor...huh?)

I built an up/down on the ground level, an up/down on the level above that, and then the hatch can go over the top up/down.  Weird, but at least I get it now.

Thanks.

[gtmattz]

Yeah, just figured that out.  Thanks guys.  Not intuitive at all, especially since just about any other construction cannot be placed atop another construction.  (Witness the silliness of not being able to build stairs on top of a floor...huh?)

I built an up/down on the ground level, an up/down on the level above that, and then the hatch can go over the top up/down.  Weird, but at least I get it now.

Thanks.

You will need to constrct a down stair above the top up/down before installing the hatch, as without the down there will be no access..

Maybe this image will help you understand?

[krenshala]

On a semi-related note, if one accidentally carves a down stairs instead of an up/down stairs ... how the carp do you get the up stairs added to it?  I have access to both levels (via a different path that is temporary), and I tried build an up stairs over the carved down stairs, but it wouldn't let me.  I got a similar result when I attempted to build an up/down stairs.  It also wouldn't let me [d]esignate the stairs to be removed (z). 

[NecroRebel]

On a semi-related note, if one accidentally carves a down stairs instead of an up/down stairs ... how the carp do you get the up stairs added to it?  I have access to both levels (via a different path that is temporary), and I tried build an up stairs over the carved down stairs, but it wouldn't let me.  I got a similar result when I attempted to build an up/down stairs.  It also wouldn't let me [d]esignate the stairs to be removed (z). 

You have to construct (b-C) up/down stairs on top of down stairs in order to add up stairs. If you construct up stairs, the down stairs will be covered over and made unusable.

You can't designate up or up/down stairs in the tile because there's no wall to be turned into stairs anymore. Removing stairs with d-z is only for dug or natural ramps and up staircases; for constructed items, you use the d-n remove construction setting.

[krenshala]

On a semi-related note, if one accidentally carves a down stairs instead of an up/down stairs ... how the carp do you get the up stairs added to it?  I have access to both levels (via a different path that is temporary), and I tried build an up stairs over the carved down stairs, but it wouldn't let me.  I got a similar result when I attempted to build an up/down stairs.  It also wouldn't let me [d]esignate the stairs to be removed (z). 

You have to construct (b-C) up/down stairs on top of down stairs in order to add up stairs. If you construct up stairs, the down stairs will be covered over and made unusable.

You can't designate up or up/down stairs in the tile because there's no wall to be turned into stairs anymore. Removing stairs with d-z is only for dug or natural ramps and up staircases; for constructed items, you use the d-n remove construction setting.

I tried to build an up/down stairs but it claimed there was something there blocking it.  Also, I dug the stairs, so I should have been able to use d-z to remove them, but it didn't work.  Your suggestions match what I thought was the correct method for dealing with the problem. ;(

[CapnUrist]

I've found that a great deal of Dwarf Fortress is not what one would call "intuitive", but it makes sense once you learn it. Hell, I gave up the first time I downloaded DF because I couldn't figure out why my dwarves wouldn't dig a hole in the ground when I told them to "dig" there, and I didn't know of any of the many resources that exist.

I tend only to use floor hatches at the top of staircases (over the down stair) for aesthetic purposes, or as part of machinery and traps.

[krenshala]

My stair issue showed up when digging the access stairs for a hatch sealable cistern for internal water use.  I wanted to have the ability to close off the well with a hatch in case a flying-swimmer ever got through the floodgates and into the water storage area.

Code: [Select]

side view
___o___     _ for floor
XXX.XXX     o the well
XXXhXXX     h floor hatch
XXX.XXXXX   . open space
X......G    X solid stone
X.....XXX
X..p..XXX   G floodgate
XXXXXXX     p pressure plateThe pressure plate (p) opens the floodgate (G) if it has less than 7/7 water on it.  The delay in opening and closing the floodgate means the z-level above the pressure plate will most likely fill before the gate closes again, especially if the source passage is a z-level below the river, and taking in water from above.  A lever allows me to close the hatch (h), which makes the well dry, but also prevents flyers from getting up into the well.  The dry layer between teh floodgate and the hatch prevents swimmers from swimming in, unless they can climb the rope/chain the bucket uses.

[Triaxx2]

If it says the area with the down stair is blocked, channel it out, and then Construct the stairs.