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[PsyberianHusky]

    Hey I'm kinnda new to DF and I have gotten the whole building a fortress for profit down.
As an indication of my current understanding.I am able to make simple constructions like an aqueduct that goes up a couple of z-levels, but I don't know how to use machinery to power the pumps.

     What I wanna know about is how to build large above level constructions, I don't understand the DF wikis explanation about how to make a tower and I don't know how to make above ground enclosed rooms, can someone help explain to me how to do this, I have mega-projects in my head.

Also one last qustion is If I make a doomsday device and abandon the fortress can I return in adventure mode and activate it ?

[Ubern00b]

Hrmmm. Let me try.

I built two walls with a  gap in between. the a floor above them to make a small room outside.

I then built a windmill on top of the floor and a gear assembly directly below it. then i place the pump next to the assembly and it pumps.


I recommed adding a lever to the assembly, so you can turn it off.

[PsyberianHusky]

What tile does the assembly have to be in contact with to power the pump?
 

[3]

I don't understand the DF wikis explanation about how to make a tower

It's not too hard.


# = wall
_ = floor
X = stairs


First build the ground-level walls:

#######
#     #
#     #
#     #
### ###

Then a set of up stairs (up/down stairs are best above ground level):

#######
#X    #
#     #
#     #
### ###

Up a level, you'll have this:

_______
_     _
_     _
_     _
___ ___

Build a set of up/down stairs above the up stairs:

_______
_X    _
_     _
_     _
___ ___

Now pave the floor. Don't (*do not*) build a floor on top of the walls. If you do, you won't be able to make the tower any higher.

_______
_X_____
_______
_______
___ ___

Now you have a one-level structure with a one-tile entrance, and stairs up to the roof. To continue making it into a tower, you'll just need to continue the process. First the walls:

#######
#X____#
#_____#
#_____#
#######

Now, up a level:

_______
_     _
_     _
_     _
_______

And the up/down stairs:

_______
_X    _
_     _
_     _
_______

And the floor:

_______
_X_____
_______
_______
_______

And the walls:

#######
#X____#
#_____#
#_____#
#######

etc, etc

[Overspeculated]

Think of power as electricity, axles as power-lines, gears as power routing stations and all dwarven buildings requiring power as electrical devices. I didn't understand what your problem was specifically, so I'll give a bunch of general solutions, including some problems I had when I first started playing.

Generating Power
First, water wheels are the way to go.
Windmills can power single structures or help you in a fix, but thats about as far as their utility goes, especially if you are in a low-wind/windless map.

You need to be able to generate power to use it. The best way is to make a waterwheel on a brook (you need to channel the tiles on which you want to build the wheel on first). The wiki talks about Perpetual Motion Devices, but these generate little power, roughly 100-200 power in the wiki designs, whereas a single "power station" encased in walls built on a brook can have much more, dependant only on how big you want to make it (mine usually have 1K, with me building more stations as they are needed).
Waterwheels will generate full power if one tile of water underneath them is "moving". In a brook all tiles of water are "moving". Water is moving if its symbol alternates between ~ and the double tilde (two ~ in one symbol).

Delivering Power
First, power doesn't move. If something is connected to another system that has power there are no need for any logistics about mechanical contradictions, they just need to connect and poof, everything in the now connected system has the power of both systems.
Devices (and power generators (except windmill!)) function exactly like gear assemblies in the way they route power. They, like gear assemblies can take/receive power from any orthogonal direction, including from higher up z-levels. They can have an unlimited amount of connections (well, limited by how many squares are free in orthogonal directions, obviously). If there is not enough power in the system to fuel its needs, even if 1 power unit is missing, nothing in the system will work.
Devices (and power lines etc.) don't need any support to function, they can be built "hanging" if they are connected to another unit that has something to do with power, although your dwarves will need a way to access it to build it.

About Screw Pumps
Screw pumps take fluids from the level below them and move it to the level on which they are on, with incredible speeds. A single screw pump can (remember, they function just like gears!) move power to any adjacent screw pump (if you hollow out the ceiling/floor you can also build screw pumps "hanging", supported by the pump below/above them! Only one square would be needed to transfer power though.)

Hope that helped

[PsyberianHusky]

I placed the windmill right over the pump and now it won't stop running lol, can I attach a mechanism to help me or am I gonna have to deconstruct it

[Tyrius]

As to the doomsday machine, yes. as long as you have a lever to activate it (preferably red, built in a fancy control room make of exotic metals and with a bloody good view of the Fun)

[Dorf3000]

I placed the windmill right over the pump and now it won't stop running lol, can I attach a mechanism to help me or am I gonna have to deconstruct it

To make a controllable pump, you need to build the windmill over a gear that is sitting next to a pump.  The lever attaches to the gear and that turns it on or off.

Another trick you can do if you have a single pump is to build a hatch over the tile it draws water from.  Then you can control the hatch with a lever and that also turns the pump on and off.

[Rose]

actually, you will need two gears, as turning of the gear attatched to the windmill will break the windmill.

[Playbahnosh]

It's probably worth making a floor over the entrance as well:

No. You cannot build on constructed floors as far as I'm aware, so you won't be able to build a wall on top the floor title above the wall, you'll have a gap there.

[Doomshifter]

It's probably worth making a floor over the entrance as well:

No. You cannot build on constructed floors as far as I'm aware, so you won't be able to build a wall on top the floor title above the wall, you'll have a gap there.

A gap you can put a wall on top of, of course.

[3]

A gap you can put a wall on top of, of course.

/response

Sorry, I messed things up a bit there. I'll correct it.