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[johnnybeltz]

If there is one thing I absolutely dislike about channeling over an open room or in a narrow corridor/opening, it is that they channel out of order and/or on the wrong side, thus becoming stranded or cause a cave-in if I don't watch them carefully. 

It is annoying to channel little at a time over a room to get it right, but I know it is doable, but how do you get a dwarf to channel from a specific direction?

[Liwjatan]

Designate a wall to be constructed on the side you do not want the dwarfes to channel from and suspsend it.

[Incendax]

Suspending Walls works to some degree.

However, my dwarves tend to channel in a specific pattern. Upper Left to Lower Left, then they repeat this pattern moving a step to the right every time. Hence, it's possible to designate large areas to be channeled safely by a single dwarf. The problems only start when you channel a large area with multiple dwarves because then the speed differences cause them to lose that efficient digging order and start cave-ins.

Alternately, you can always designate channels that are only 1 square wide. For instance, a 10x1 or a 256x1 are safe channels for numerous dwarves at once.

[sweitx]

Channel with ramps. 

Designate the entire large area with ramps.
After they finish digging out, designate all the ramps to be removed (remember to carve a stairwell for your dwarf to get out).

[Martin]

And if you can't build a wall because of a constructed floor, statues work equally well. Also useful when you are building floodgates and other blocking constructions.

[johnnybeltz]

Thanks. The reason I was asking was because I was planning on creating a noble dining room spanning two z-levels with an alternative, scenic dining platform on the second story. Perhaps I should dig on the second story first to prevent cave-ins?

[AncientEnemy]

Perhaps I should dig on the second story first to prevent cave-ins?

yeah, digging large spaces from top to bottom with ramps is usually the easiest and safest way to go about it.

[Puck]

If you have more work to do on several layers, I'd probably prefer the stair approach. You know, carving out elaborate shapes and engraving everything and such.

[The Mad Engineer]

...

A Section of the Cavern Has Collapsed!

[forsaken1111]

I've found that designating large areas to become ramps is by far the safest method of 'strip mining' or digging large pits. Just do one level at a time, designate the entire level to become ramps then remove them.

[Neruz]

Ramps or stairs are your best bet; Ramps also remove the stone above them as well so if you only need 2 z levels you can dig from the bottom and get both levels at once.

Channeling is just plain dangerous, ramps or stairs are the way to go; sure it's a bit slower, but it's much safer.


Oh, and it's important to note that Dorfs will always try and dig from the left first, i'm not sure where they go if the left is blocked, but if you want to be safe when channeling leave the last square on the left side of the area you're about to cave in and then channel it out, your miner will be safe from riding the Dwarven Elevator (although cave in dust might still knock him down the hole.)

[FunkyWaltDogg]

Be careful using the ramp method at or near the surface; digging out a ramp under a tree will cause a cave-in.  Always chop down all the trees in the dig zone first, and if the digging takes a while keep checking to be sure new trees aren't growing.

[johnnybeltz]

In another totally irrelevant project (not even the same fortress), I have been working on an excavation project of a large 1 z-level mound both for stone and because of its bad placement in accordance to my plans, and one of my miners accidently channeled a cave-in from above, with my other miner conveniently DIRECTLY underneath, and he suffered a mild concussion (yellow head wound). He was in bed for several months, and it slowed my excavation significantly  .
Anyways... I have created a channeling system that shaves off the edges, and progressively work inwards with a bit of micromanagement (waiting till the miners finish the current designation to create a new one).
The mound was removed with no other mishaps. 

[forsaken1111]

I thought people directly under a cavein died.

[Albedo]

As I understand it, it all depends. They always get knocked unconscious in the dust cloud, and if they are directly under they take damage, but I believe it's possible for them to survive.