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[King Kitteh]

Just a simple question. I'm thinking of having a wall of Magma beside my forges and dining room, kept safely behind some windows. Coz it sounds cool.

I'm just worried they might melt. Am I right to be worried?


Edit: Just realised I should have put this in questions. I'm a goof, moving.

[PatrikLundell]

Glass is magma safe, so glass windows should not be a problem. I don't know if gem materials affect gem windows, though.
Also note that building destroyers can destroy windows, so you shouldn't have the windows looking out into the magma sea.

[King Kitteh]

Glass is magma safe, so glass windows should not be a problem. I don't know if gem materials affect gem windows, though.
Also note that building destroyers can destroy windows, so you shouldn't have the windows looking out into the magma sea.

Okay thanks for that 

[imperium3]

I believe tantruming dwarves can also destroy windows, so you might want to include some sort of failsafe (e.g. an emergency drain hatch in the magma reservoir, linked to a lever with magma-safe mechanisms) in order to minimise the risk of filling your fort up with magma.

Magma behind a window can be quite a nice trap for building destroyers, if accompanied by a way to stop it from escaping (like a magma-sensitive pressure plate). The building destroyer goes to smash the window, then gets incinerated by magma.

[King Kitteh]

Pah! Fail safes?

Where's the !!FUN!! in that?

But yes, there will be fail safes... Except for in my nobles' bedrooms.

[Quietust]

Glass is magma safe, so glass windows should not be a problem. I don't know if gem materials affect gem windows, though.

The fact that glass is magma safe isn't actually relevant, since that only matters if magma enters the same tile as the window, which it does not.

All windows are effectively magma-safe, for the same reason that all doors, regardless of material (including wood), are magma-safe as long as they are never opened.

[PatrikLundell]

Thanks for the clarification, Quietust.

[Chief10]

I believe tantruming dwarves can also destroy windows, so you might want to include some sort of failsafe (e.g. an emergency drain hatch in the magma reservoir, linked to a lever with magma-safe mechanisms) in order to minimise the risk of filling your fort up with magma.

I think windows into the magma sea is a cool idea.
Does anyone know if a grate in front of the window would work? I personally prefer passive fail-safes, so you don't have to be actively pay attention to ensure safety.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

top view:

MMOO.....
MMOOG...
MBBWG...
MMOOG....
MMOO.....

M = magma
O = wall
. = floor
W = window
G = grate
B = bridge

3 grates so diagonal flow is captured. Bridge that raises to the right, so you can block the flow of magma and replace the window when you're ready.

Specifically, will tantruming dwarves deconstruct grates, and will the three grates be enough to ensure no magma gets passed them into the room?

[Fleeting Frames]

Tantruming dwarves can't destroy fortifications, so perhaps consider those instead?

However, yeah, the magma should path downwards over sideways, given sufficiently fast drainage. That said, 1 tile falling seems random in time taken in arena testing - can be 5 steps, can be 35. The latter would possibly give enough time for magma to flow over.

[OAOGigmaster]

Here's what I'd setup for magma windows:

++_PWB^
++_PWB^
++_PWB^
++_PWB^

+ = Floor
_ = Channel down (plus bridge on z-level below), plus grates.
P = Pressure plate keyed to liquids, cooked up to bridge shutter
W = window
B = 'Shutter' bridge (Yx1 raises to the window side, where Y is however long you want your window)
^ = The lip where you channel down to release magma on this z-level

Shutter bridge activates if the window is broken, cutting off further flow. (Use magma safe mechanisms and mats!) Channel beyond them redirects momentary magma flow to help minimize damage. Ditch contains a magma-safe bridge hooked to a level that can drain/atom smash magma away.