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[BlackGyver]

There are a lot of good layout design tools out there, but a vast majority of them only allow you to see your fort from a single point of view, or from very restricted camera angles, and don't allow you to see the whole design (underground included).

What I'm looking for is a tool that would allow not only completely free 3D camera control, with the possibility to view only "slices" (be it on X, on Y or on Z) but also, and more importantly, a tool that would allow you to see your magnificent design as a whole (I'm thinking of something along the lines of http://i.imgur.com/hrLhX.png [Metroid Prime] or http://i.imgur.com/fI64I.jpg and http://i.imgur.com/5T602.jpg [Resident Evil 2002]), which could be very handy for general layout optimization and planning on several levels (at least for players that haven't played DF enough to visualize it all in 3D in their brains). If that tool could then export z-slices to a Quickfort-compatible format, that would be a great addition.

If there's a modder who thinks that it's very doable, and feels like it's a challenge he's up to, go for it ! I may also be able to pay some money of my own if needed, to help development (I'm a student, so that might not be a huge sum, though).

[Meph]

Do you mean an actual visualizer like stonesense, or more a 3d-model, a static image of your fortress ? The later would be much easier to do. The main problem would be to teach the program to learn the difference between open sky, hallways in the fortress, and caverns, since there is nothing to indicate a change. All open tiles are "empty space" so to speak.

[BlackGyver]

The latter. The program wouldn't even need to communicate with DF, so the issue you're mentioning about open spaces doesn't seem very relevant: nothing would force you to draw the open sky, same goes for the caverns. You wouldn't make a copy of the fortress you're already playing, you'd be planning your future fortress with this tool.

The idea of a communication between that tool and the game, to "update" the layout or try to plan further an already existing one is also an interesting idea, but one thing after another. Right now, that doesn't seem like it's the first priority.

Topic title modified for clarity.

[miauw62]

The latter. The program wouldn't even need to communicate with DF, so the issue you're mentioning about open spaces doesn't seem very relevant: nothing would force you to draw the open sky, same goes for the caverns. You wouldn't make a copy of the fortress you're already playing, you'd be planning your future fortress with this tool.

The idea of a communication between that tool and the game, to "update" the layout or try to plan further an already existing one is also an interesting idea, but one thing after another. Right now, that doesn't seem like it's the first priority.

Topic title modified for clarity.

So the tool also has to be cad-like?
I'm not that good in coding (actually, i suck at it), just trying to get a general idea up here.
Mayby a button to switch between 'view mode' and 'design mode'.
view mode shows only things that are already mined out/built, and 'design mode' shows future plans?

[BlackGyver]

So the tool also has to be cad-like?
I'm not that good in coding (actually, i suck at it), just trying to get a general idea up here.
Mayby a button to switch between 'view mode' and 'design mode'.
view mode shows only things that are already mined out/built, and 'design mode' shows future plans?

I'm sorry miauw, I don't quite get what you mean by "cad-like". And I don't understand why you would want to make a distinction between a view mode and a design mode; as I said in my previous post, establishing a communication between the tool and the game is really low priority; right now it'd only be a strict design tool (that means you wouldn't see what has already been mined out in any way).

However, that seems like a pretty good idea, should the tool be made to communicate with the game at some point, or maybe show what has already been mined out (ingame) in one color (blue?) and what's planned (in the tool) in another (orange?).

[Akhram]

Yay, if code would just write itself...