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[uncool]

I decided to add a small lookout tower to my fort, using glass windows and floors (having seen people talk about them before). I looked at the wiki, and it said that windows could be made from any kind of glass. I have plenty of all of the kinds of glass (uncut), and the game is telling me that "Needs sand-bearing item." Anyone know how to make them properly?
=Uncool-

[WealthyRadish]

They're not made with raw glass, they're made at the glass furnace with sand. Raw glass is pretty much just a rough gem.

[uncool]

They're not made with raw glass, they're made at the glass furnace with sand. Raw glass is pretty much just a rough gem.

...ah. Well crap. I've been buying the raw glass for all these years for nothing. Oh well. Time to start buying sand and hope the civilization has rock crystal to trade.
=Uncool-

[Ieb]

You could cut those glass "gems" though and make gem windows with 'em. It'd only work for the windows though, still need sand to get the glass floors.

[WealthyRadish]

Oh, that's right. Doh! 3 glass gems per window, right?

[uncool]

You could cut those glass "gems" though and make gem windows with 'em. It'd only work for the windows though, still need sand to get the glass floors.

Nah, I've got 3 types of diamond to use for the windows.

The glass floors are still transparent, right? If I station a dog there, it will be able to detect enemies?
=Uncool-

[Callista]

You could cut those glass "gems" though and make gem windows with 'em. It'd only work for the windows though, still need sand to get the glass floors.

Nah, I've got 3 types of diamond to use for the windows.

The glass floors are still transparent, right? If I station a dog there, it will be able to detect enemies?
=Uncool-

No; glass floors and other constructions work just like stone constructions. Using glass for construction is mostly a style choice--well, that and glass is worth more than most sorts of stone, and is unlimited if you have a source of sand.

[uncool]

You could cut those glass "gems" though and make gem windows with 'em. It'd only work for the windows though, still need sand to get the glass floors.

Nah, I've got 3 types of diamond to use for the windows.

The glass floors are still transparent, right? If I station a dog there, it will be able to detect enemies?
=Uncool-

No; glass floors and other constructions work just like stone constructions. Using glass for construction is mostly a style choice--well, that and glass is worth more than most sorts of stone, and is unlimited if you have a source of sand.

Hrm. Is there some way to have a transparent floor or anything like that? A fortification below, etc.?
=Uncool-

[Bartinyou]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

You could cut those glass "gems" though and make gem windows with 'em. It'd only work for the windows though, still need sand to get the glass floors.

Nah, I've got 3 types of diamond to use for the windows.

The glass floors are still transparent, right? If I station a dog there, it will be able to detect enemies?
=Uncool-

No; glass floors and other constructions work just like stone constructions. Using glass for construction is mostly a style choice--well, that and glass is worth more than most sorts of stone, and is unlimited if you have a source of sand.

Hrm. Is there some way to have a transparent floor or anything like that? A fortification below, etc.?
=Uncool-

Floor Grates will do the trick and can be made from most materials, the only catch is that floor grates must be supported orthogonally (aka diagonal won't work).  Depending on what your wanting to do building floors with a row of grates followed by normal floor and repeating you can have multiple animals watching for ambushes and since arrows can't go through grates they are perfectly safe.  With that said, I find placing a squads of military dwarfs in such rooms more effective than animals.  The main reason for this is that once a squad gets a few levels in observer they have a better chance of catching sneaking animals, but dogs will work in a pinch.

[Ubiq]

...ah. Well crap. I've been buying the raw glass for all these years for nothing. Oh well. Time to start buying sand and hope the civilization has rock crystal to trade.
=Uncool-

Well, I wouldn't say it was for nothing. Glassmakers use raw glass for moods, you can have jewelers cut and decorate with it to avoid using more valuable gems and stone, and creating cut glass gems satisfies mandates for noble who like that type of glass.

Floor Grates will do the trick and can be made from most materials, the only catch is that floor grates must be supported orthogonally (aka diagonal won't work).  Depending on what your wanting to do building floors with a row of grates followed by normal floor repeating you can have multiple animals watching for ambushes and since arrows can't go through grates they are perfectly safe.

A more efficient method is like this:

Code: [Select]

+++++++
+##+##+
+##+##+
+##+##+
+##+##+
+++++++

You can alter the size as needed of course. Just repeat the segments next to each other to widen the viewing range.

With a support connected to the floor above, you can also do this:

Code: [Select]

+++++++
+#####+
+##+##+
+##S##+
+##+##+
+#####+
+++++++

Attach the support to a mechanism and you have a handy defense mechanism on top of everything else since the middle three floors and the six middle grates will all fall if the support goes.

[uncool]

...ah. Well crap. I've been buying the raw glass for all these years for nothing. Oh well. Time to start buying sand and hope the civilization has rock crystal to trade.
=Uncool-

Well, I wouldn't say it was for nothing. Glassmakers use raw glass for moods, you can have jewelers cut and decorate with it to avoid using more valuable gems and stone, and creating cut glass gems satisfies mandates for noble who like that type of glass.

Well, I keep my population low, and don't have any glassmakers or anyone  who will become one, and my only noble likes backpacks and rings.

Floor Grates will do the trick and can be made from most materials, the only catch is that floor grates must be supported orthogonally (aka diagonal won't work).  Depending on what your wanting to do building floors with a row of grates followed by normal floor repeating you can have multiple animals watching for ambushes and since arrows can't go through grates they are perfectly safe.

A more efficient method is like this:

Code: [Select]

+++++++
+##+##+
+##+##+
+##+##+
+##+##+
+++++++

You can alter the size as needed of course. Just repeat the segments next to each other to widen the viewing range.

With a support connected to the floor above, you can also do this:

Code: [Select]

+++++++
+#####+
+##+##+
+##S##+
+##+##+
+#####+
+++++++

Attach the support to a mechanism and you have a handy defense mechanism on top of everything else since the middle three floors and the six middle grates will all fall if the support goes.

Ooo. I like that. I'll have to try it out. There may not be enough room for it though - I built my walls pretty much as far out as they could go (I like having as much space as possible).
=Uncool-

[Intro1827]

You can also try building floor grates above down stairs. That way, you can grate the whole floor without caving it in.

[dbay]

Couldn't ambushers just shoot the animals upwards through the grates? That's the advantage that windows have, although TBH my animal guard towers haven't yet actually caught anything through their windows.

[Girlinhat]

Check my sig.  Relativity has a very nice Animal-Powered Watchtower that explains how to construct one, what's required, and why it's built the way it is.  Placed correctly, with some walls and chokepoints, I only need 1-2 towers to detect ambushes very early.

[Urist Da Vinci]

Couldn't ambushers just shoot the animals upwards through the grates? That's the advantage that windows have, although TBH my animal guard towers haven't yet actually caught anything through their windows.

No, because floor grates and floor bars block arrows/bolts/etc.
Wall grates and wall bars allow arrows to pass through.

Floor grates and floor bars used to block line of sight, but that was fixed when Toady made human cities with sewers.

EDIT: A new and improved animal-based ambush detector is to dig a channel, put a grate on top, and pit an animal into the channel. Yes, in that order. You can pit through closed grates and hatches. Don't do this if your map is prone to flooding with water or magma.