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[Sutremaine]

You create rampless channels to get the light coming through the surface, and then you let the light in deeper and make a roof by building walls on the level below the surface. Constructed walls create a floor on the level above them, and this seals off your growing area without your dwarves having to stand topside to put floors down directly. For this to work properly, there needs to be no physical access to the surface during periods when the surface is being channelled.

Here's the completed setup for a 3x3 farming area, with the access being on the right:

, = soil floor
+ = wall top
O = constructed wall
# = natural wall
>, <, X = stairs
_ = channel here

Code: [Select]

z+0
,,,,,,
,+++,,
,+++,,
,+++,,
,,,,,,


Code: [Select]

z-1
######
#OOO>#
#OOO>#
#OOO>#
######


Code: [Select]

z-2
######
#,,,<#
#,,,<#
#,,,<#
######

It starts out like this:

Code: [Select]

z+0
,,,,,,
,,,,,,
,,,,,,
,,,,,,
,,,,,,


Code: [Select]

z-1
######
#XXX>#
#XXX>#
#XXX>#
######


Code: [Select]

z-2
######
#<<<<#
#<<<<#
#<<<<#
######

The next part is rather fiddly and needs to be done in sequence, so you may wish to burrow your miners for a quicker response time. You'll need to include the surface level in the burrow, though they'll never actually be on it. Another option is to channel out all of z-1 and then construct stairs, deconstructing them in sequence instead of mining them in sequence.

Step 1:

Code: [Select]

z+0
,,,,,,
,_,,,,
,_,,,,
,_,,,,
,,,,,,

This digs a row of channels in the surface, letting the light through into z-1. No ramps are created, because the level below the channel is already dug into stairs.

Step 2:

Code: [Select]

z-1
######
#_XX>#
#_XX>#
#_XX>#
######

This lets the light through into z-2.

Step 3:

Code: [Select]

z-1
######
#OXX>#
#OXX>#
#OXX>#
######

Build walls, using the areas you're going to dig out next as scaffolding.

Step 4: Repeat Steps 1-3, moving in rows from left to right.

You can channel all of z+0 at once if you're comfortable with opening up that large a gap, but the up/down stairs beneath them have to be removed one row at a time. Once all tiles are Inside, you can either remove the stairs on z-2 and start using the farm, or dig a shaft as deep as you like. Natural stairs block light, so at some point you'll have to make everything between the final farm area and the roof Open Space.

You can also use the up stair + channel method to dig moats from beneath, which may be useful in acquiring plants for the farms. Those islands will be vulnerable to fliers though.

Deadly rain will remain something of a problem. There's a short window in which a dwarf can be standing on a tile that's open to the air.

[caleb]

Well done.

[Cobbler89]

Hmmm... way I would have done this is more thusly:

, = soil floor
+ = wall top
O = constructed wall
# = natural wall
^ = carve up ramp here
_ = channel here
z = deramp here
X = stairs

start:

Code: [Select]

z+0
,,,,,,
,,,,,,
,,,,,,
,,,,,,
,,,,,,

Code: [Select]

z-1
######
####X#
####X#
####X#
######

Code: [Select]

z-2
######
####X#
####X#
####X#
######
step 1:

Code: [Select]

z-1
######
#^^^X#
#^^^X#
#^^^X#
######
step 2 (do this fast, between steps 1 and 2 the surface is accessible):

Code: [Select]

z-1
######
#zzzX#
#zzzX#
#zzzX#
######
step 3:

Code: [Select]

z-1
######
#_,,X#
#_,,X#
#_,,X#
######
step 4:

Code: [Select]

z-1
######
#O,,X#
#O,,X#
#O,,X#
######
repeat steps 3 and 4 till the shaft is crossed

step 5:

Code: [Select]

z-2
######
#zzzX#
#zzzX#
#zzzX#
######
end result

Code: [Select]

z+0
,,,,,,
,+++,,
,+++,,
,+++,,
,,,,,,


Code: [Select]

z-1
######
#OOOX#
#OOOX#
#OOOX#
######

Code: [Select]

z-2
######
#,,,X#
#,,,X#
#,,,X#
######
It winds up the same (note that my preference for all stairs being up/down is irrelevant), but doesn't involve funky stair logic, at the expense that a path will be briefly opened to the surface (though ironically you do not need the mining burrow to include the surface). Also note that z-2 could start the same as it ends, already mined out, in which case you don't have to do step 5 of deramping it once you get down there; the last step is shown more to give an idea how one could handle channelling a longer vertical shaft and removing the ramps when it hits bottom, wherever bottom is for you.

I do understand your design is necessary when one wants to have absolutely no path to the surface at any point, however.

I may have to try this on an embark with actual soil a couple z levels down; I typically give up on above-ground farming because of little actual soil.

[TheCoolSideofthePIllow]

cut the first channel on the surface. Fill the hole with windows. Now dig UP to the windows from below, then channel out the area under the windows down to the level you want your farm.

Now you have a working underground above-ground farm that also provides sunlight to your dwarves so they don't get cave-blind AND the window will give happy thoughts AND it's sealed from intruders.

[Cobbler89]

*smacks forhead* Coolside, you're a genius...

w = window, all else as in my previous post (but this works whether you use windows or walls)

step 2 -- becomes optional, depending entirely on how zippy your window-constructors are

step 3:

Code: [Select]

z-1
######
#wwwX#
#wwwX#
#wwwX#
######
step 4:

Code: [Select]

z-2
######
#^^^X#
#^^^X#
#^^^X#
######
This requires z-2 not have started out mined out, otherwise you won't be able to do the alternate step 4 so you won't be able to remove the floor under z-1 except by channelling out one column/row at a time as in my previous post.

Also... would it be bad forum ettiquette to cross-post this at the thread I have going about uses for windows?

[Sutremaine]

Well, the idea was to create an above-ground farm without ever linking the surface and the underground (zombies. Everywhere). Step 2 shouldn't be omitted if speed is enough of a concern for you to be using this method instead of flooring at the surface, though you only need to remove the ramps that would grant access to the outside. The rest are removed when the windows are built on them.

Also... would it be bad forum ettiquette to cross-post this at the thread I have going about uses for windows?

I guess not. Do the windows leave the farm plot Inside/Light/Above Ground, or Outside/Light/Above Ground? I'd imagine the first one...

[Urist Da Vinci]

cut the first channel on the surface. Fill the hole with windows. Now dig UP to the windows from below, then channel out the area under the windows down to the level you want your farm.

Now you have a working underground above-ground farm that also provides sunlight to your dwarves so they don't get cave-blind AND the window will give happy thoughts AND it's sealed from intruders.

Are you suggesting that someone channel under an already built window? I know that you can't channel the ground under a built bridge, for example.

[Cobbler89]

The bigger question in my mind is, "does inside/outside make a difference?" I thought light affected dwarves and above/underground affected farming.

*wikis*

Apparently inside/outside affects weather, so hopefully they make it inside, so it keeps out rain. They keep out flows of water, so you'd think... but the wiki doesn't mention windows (or furniture in general, obviously) on the list of things that block outsideness.

For that matter, windows are furniture and have to sit on floor -- I'm not sure you can remove the floor from under them and have them stay by attachment to walls, like... walls do.

I guess it's worth a shot, but if it doesn't work that'll be too bad...

[Sutremaine]

For that matter, windows are furniture and have to sit on floor -- I'm not sure you can remove the floor from under them and have them stay by attachment to walls, like... walls do.

There are three relevant attributes a tile can have, but ultimately only three combinations of those attributes. The only difference between the two Above Ground combinations appears to be whether or not the tiles can get rained on. Windows are enough to turn tiles beneath them from Outside to Inside (as shown by building them on a constructed wall and subsequently removing the wall, and also all the constructions connected to it for good measure), and you can't ramp up underneath them -- you get one level of untouched natural floor and one level of unuseable upward ramp.