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[Locksoli]

So lets say my embark is a swamp, and I chose it so I could have pens filled to the brim with Hippos, Capybaras, Alligators, and Crocodiles of all sizes. I also have pens set up for them that have murky pools and or pools I've dug out and connected to a nearby river. However, the animals don't go into the pools for a swim, and the room they have for land makes everything look really crowded. If one does accidentally go into the water, I get messages and pathing issues from one of my Urists trying to repasture "Mr. Crocodilly" after he went for a dip.

So, is there a way to incorporate these pools into the pastures without causing any problems?

[Starver]

Never tried it with this class of creature (or at least not including pools), but is the issue that the pasture only sits at the ground-level Z, and not the pool-bottom Z as well, so strictly the creature is out of their paddock when on Z-1, even if they're still in the same X/Y footprint?

Next time I'm in a game I'll try designating pasture by corner-to-corner X, Y and Z shifting (not sure if that's possible, off-hand). Dump-zones/etc cater for Z-levels down from the designated plane, but that might be a special case to allow pits, that doesn't extend to your particular zoning attempts.

(Someone will know for sure, if I'm on the wrong tack here, probably before I get to test it myself.)

[Locksoli]

So, for better explanation, the main set up I have for my pastures are fenced in areas so that I can keep untrained alligators from charging back into the fort if everything fails.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 

The "pasture" area is on the same z-level as the fence/wall, essentially the ground level, so that's where I'll put the nest boxes for the egglaying alligators and crocodiles.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 

The bottom of the pool would be a z-level below the ground level. The bottom is the part I need incorporated into a pasture to allow my semi-aquatic animals to swim, as they'll end up getting cramped together on the smaller amount of land otherwise.

I remember being able to do it a while ago, I think by ticking the "floor flow" option in the activity zone creator, but that isn't helping now. If it is possible to add a part of a lower z-level into a pasture through some key of sorts, I'd appreciate it if somebody let me know.

[Starver]

That's a very non-standard (for me) ramping setup. I was imagining something more like:

Code: (SideView) [Select]

____
####\____

If floor flow[1] works with that (goes down the ramp), I'm still not sure it works with your apparent cross section of:

Code: [Select]

____ _____ ____
####\__X__/####

(Though, if I interpret your tileset right, you don't have anything over your stairwell support, without which I imagine you'd get a cave-in. That's just an abstraction of cross-sectional depth. But I suspect it might as well be a Support, holding up that ground-roof by orthagonal connection at the top.)

Not yet done any tests of my own, until I can get to my DF-playing machine.



[1] Not something I've used, as I tend to work only on plains, with pastures and other zoning - except for water-sources when I just go to the edge and not any further, because of historic usage.

[Locksoli]

That's a very non-standard (for me) ramping setup. I was imagining something more like:

Code: (SideView) [Select]

____
####\____

If floor flow[1] works with that (goes down the ramp), I'm still not sure it works with your apparent cross section of:

Code: [Select]

____ _____ ____
####\__X__/####

(Though, if I interpret your tileset right, you don't have anything over your stairwell support, without which I imagine you'd get a cave-in. That's just an abstraction of cross-sectional depth. But I suspect it might as well be a Support, holding up that ground-roof by orthagonal connection at the top.)

Not yet done any tests of my own, until I can get to my DF-playing machine.



[1] Not something I've used, as I tend to work only on plains, with pastures and other zoning - except for water-sources when I just go to the edge and not any further, because of historic usage.

the "x" there is actually my cursor from when I use the look function, not stairs or anything like that.

as for using floor flow...well...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

 

It doesn't work in this version, which is strange because I swear I've seen it being done in a previous version.

[Starver]

Ah. Confused by the green X off in the river, the lack of similar cursor in the upper view (is it that "I") and my (continued) confusion about why you don't get a cave-in without support (though maybe all the 'ramp tops', which I'd normally expect to see as a "▼" there, give support). TBH, I just aint (deliberately) done that kind of thing with ramps, it just looks... icky? And unsafe, even if it actually isn't.

Not particularly surprised the flow doesn't think it should flow across to the middle 'aboveground'. There are walkable paths to the centre-ground. Seven diagonals, if I count them correctly. But if the algorithm doesn't pass through diagonals (like I think it doesn't do with expanding room-designations through 'corner gaps') then the flood-fill might ignore it. And, even if it does dive down into Z-1, which I don't think it would and you give no indication of (and you need to make it swim, IIUI correctly) there's no ramp that leads back up to Z=0 again into this centre-ground region.

If it does potentially flow down and up again, something I still have not heen able to test to my own satisfaction, a single built wall below the lip of this centre-ground would give a standard 'backing' wall to ramping back up again into there.


I apologise that I'm the only one trying to help you with this, though. Until the weekend I'm separated from my PC, and DF doesn't yet work on Android, unfortunately... 

[Afghani84]

Now, afaik it is not possible to create a single pasture that spans over more than 1 z-level. I would suggest two alternatives but I'm not sure whether these are feasible for you

1) If the pool is just a gimmick to emulate a "realistic" amphibic pasture, you could simply drain the water and channel the remaining land 1 z-level down to bring the entire pasture on z-1. That would increase pasture size and alleviate the issue with crowding.

2) If you want to keep the pool, I'd leave the pasture but not include the animals in it. Since the area is fenced, all animals should stay in there anyway. Ideally, make a second, 1-tile pasture right in front of the entrance for creatures that you want to add to the existing pasture. Requires some micro-management but should avoid the pathing issues and constant messages.

[anewaname]

I am not sure any tame animals will attempt to use climbing, swimming, or flying, unless forced to.

But, even if you were able to get the hippos and capybara to enter the water, they will not find vegetation to eat there.

[knutor]

Maybe use, a water repeater, to hold back river, and create 5x5x1z pool to a water level up to a swimmable 3/7. This fixes the animal handling pathing errors. Label an activity area in it as pit, add those guys into pit, instead of pen. The cave crocs and an elf-tamed gator I had in mine, never starved, in that setup. Although, I forgot to put nests in, and had no way of doing it after, for it to become a breeding pit.

The tamed hunting bat, flies over stuff without leaving its z. Not flapping up into other z levels, unless a dodge is rolled. So it doesnt trigger pressure plates, it paths over in its travels. Unsure if they splatter vomit and blood, via footsteps, should not. But dunno.

Not to hijack the thread, but this makes me wonder, about pens for animals, up in large trees. Would that keep a red panda from starving? I find alpaca up there sometimes, I think its the dodging fallen fruit and leaves that do it, but not positive on that.

[PatrikLundell]

Only grazers are subject to starvation, and crocs and alligators are carnivores. Pandas are grazers that only eat bamboo, and so would have to be pastures on bamboo, not up in trees.

Neither leaves nor fruit should cause dodging, as they're not "real" items, but "contaminants" (you might make a comparison between animals/vermin here).

[knutor]

Thank you. Makes ya wonder what are the carnivores are eating?

[PatrikLundell]

Thank you. Makes ya wonder what are the carnivores are eating?

The same thing as visitors, probably. Virtual food.

[Bumber]

Thank you. Makes ya wonder what are the carnivores are eating?

The same thing as visitors, probably. Virtual food.

They nibble on tiny pieces of their own flesh, and since all food is equally filling, it results in net positive nutrition.

[knutor]

Ha. Ive gotten sick and tired of ravens. Hunters never hunt um. Ive tamed um and 12 are now penned up, as an early warning system.

@OP, its like with glass terraniums and cages. Use pit, instead of pen, I believe.

[A_Curious_Cat]

Currently dwarves don't need pens for writing (in fact tools aren't need for the vast majority of jobs  -although this may change in the future- ).  All you need to do right now is to do right now is make a library and stock it with unwritten scrolls and/or quires.  Anyways, if pens were in the game I suppose the way to make pens out of semi-aquatic animals would be to butcher them and then have a bone carver make the pens for you.

Hope that helps.