Yes yes great thread. Some amazing builds in here.
Unfortunately I don't have any images to post yet, but I did want to share that I've been getting increasingly more proactive and organized in my builds as I've gotten deeper and deeper into this game. Some of the planning techniques I use (crude, low tech, but effective methinks) and emerging 'rules of thumb:
If I'm cheating (using reveal, which is most of the time) on embark I'll use excel to create a per - z level chart that lists predominate soils/ stones/ veins/ ores and such as well as predominate features (caverns, magma pipes/ sea). I even include functions for mining layers (e.g. " z level - 40: Native Gold and Marble mine) I've found myself beginning to get a bit more architectural and !feng! dwarfy even in my mines.
From there I chart various fort functions to various levels.... most industries get at least 2 z levels (for stacking stockpiles above or below workshops) and after the first 6 z levels or so I begin inserting intermediate water/ magma "sewer" layers between layers.
Usually my first 6 or so z levels are all about getting basic fort functions up and running (lumber, stone masonry, engineering, farming, animal husbandry, gems, textiles) before I then dig for the depths to set up my magma furnace levels. Once I have metals getting started (by that time I can usually keep 100-120 dwarfs busy by utilizing a lot of stone hauling, lumber hauling, and stone detailing jobs) I start focusing on building my more or less 'final' structures where I can take a bit more time to focus on building as much for aesthetics and wealth moreso than reacting to 25+ migrants showing up.
Will post pics as I get deeper into the current build.