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[Moonshine Fox]

Quite often, especially when I want to enclose something on the left side, I've noticed that dwarves, without fail, will step through and build from the left, causing them to get sealed inside.

Any convenient ways around this?

[meto30]

It should be documented on the wiki. I do advise you to search first the next time such questions occur.

The case in question can be solved by designating another wall to be built on the 'left', or whichever side you don't want your dwarves to stand on. Suspend that temporary wall. Even when suspended, construction designations prevent dwarves from building other constructions from that direction. After the wall is built, cancel the suspended designation.

[breadbocks]

It is a known fact dwarfs make the wrong choice PRECISELY 99.7% of the time.

[DukeOfVandals]

I've had a semi-interesting problem with this recently, as well.

I've gotten used to the whole designation-suspension trick, and that's been helpful so far. The problem for me now is I have a long corridor as my entrance/community tomb. While it is heavily trapped, in the walls I have small two tile-deep digs, the back one being for the coffin and the front on being for a statue which is a portrait of each fallen dwarf.

Problem is, on the left side, when they install the statue, they get stuck behind it (on top of the coffin). Haven't figured out how to get around it, since the coffin has to be in place before the statue get's laid out (making it impossible to designate anything there). I had to dig out the last dwarf. If worse comes to worse, I could dig a corridor behind it all, but for the sake of symmetry I was wondering if there was a solution like the designation-suspension trick.

[Moonshine Fox]

It should be documented on the wiki. I do advise you to search first the next time such questions occur.

The case in question can be solved by designating another wall to be built on the 'left', or whichever side you don't want your dwarves to stand on. Suspend that temporary wall. Even when suspended, construction designations prevent dwarves from building other constructions from that direction. After the wall is built, cancel the suspended designation.

Excellent answer, thank you!

As for the wiki, I did search, but failed to find the specific answer I was looking for. And derp, now I found it. I heard scrolling all the way down helps :S

[Zaik]

funny story, i actually had a dwarf go out of his way to build facing left instead of right despite no obstructions at all so he could build himself in with a moody dwarf that ended up berserking and killing him.

[DukeOfVandals]

Yeah, the way the coding works there is a priority given to where dorfs stand for any given task, I think it is something to the effect of:
_3_
1C2
_4_

(C is your construction)

I know the diagonals fit into the priority somewhere, but I don't recall what they are. If spot 1 is blocked, they go to 2 and so forth, which is why in certain scenarios suspended constructions will trick the dwarf to building where he won't be horribly dismembered or starve to death.

[Zaik]

Yeah, the way the coding works there is a priority given to where dorfs stand for any given task, I think it is something to the effect of:
_3_
1C2
_4_

(C is your construction)

I know the diagonals fit into the priority somewhere, but I don't recall what they are. If spot 1 is blocked, they go to 2 and so forth, which is why in certain scenarios suspended constructions will trick the dwarf to building where he won't be horribly dismembered or starve to death.

Right, except 99.99999999% of the time they will face right instead of left(in fact, the other 4 dwarves that built that side of the wall all did), this one was just an oddity

[DukeOfVandals]

Yeah, the way the coding works there is a priority given to where dorfs stand for any given task, I think it is something to the effect of:
_3_
1C2
_4_

(C is your construction)

I know the diagonals fit into the priority somewhere, but I don't recall what they are. If spot 1 is blocked, they go to 2 and so forth, which is why in certain scenarios suspended constructions will trick the dwarf to building where he won't be horribly dismembered or starve to death.

Right, except 99.99999999% of the time they will face right instead of left(in fact, the other 4 dwarves that built that side of the wall all did), this one was just an oddity

Huh, I wonder if it had something to do with any of his preferences?

Urist McLeft-Handed cancels construct alunite wall: face being chewed by berserk dwarf.

Also, does anyone know if traffic restrictions will change where a dwarf stands during a construction? I've never tried that before, but if it worked, it would fix my problem in my crypt...


EDIT: After playing a bit with Restricting traffic, it DID seem to affect where the dwarfs stood... but when I tried it in my crypt, they still walled themselves in with the dead, so if anything it is too inconsistent to be relied on for anything. Oh well.

[meto30]

What about burrows? The burrow needs to include the tile the construction is on, but if it does not cover the unwanted section (i.e. the coffin) it could prevent the trap-in. I can't run DF right now so I can't test myself, though.

[Zaik]

Yeah, the way the coding works there is a priority given to where dorfs stand for any given task, I think it is something to the effect of:
_3_
1C2
_4_

(C is your construction)

I know the diagonals fit into the priority somewhere, but I don't recall what they are. If spot 1 is blocked, they go to 2 and so forth, which is why in certain scenarios suspended constructions will trick the dwarf to building where he won't be horribly dismembered or starve to death.

Right, except 99.99999999% of the time they will face right instead of left(in fact, the other 4 dwarves that built that side of the wall all did), this one was just an oddity

Huh, I wonder if it had something to do with any of his preferences?

Urist McLeft-Handed cancels construct alunite wall: face being chewed by berserk dwarf.

Also, does anyone know if traffic restrictions will change where a dwarf stands during a construction? I've never tried that before, but if it worked, it would fix my problem in my crypt...


EDIT: After playing a bit with Restricting traffic, it DID seem to affect where the dwarfs stood... but when I tried it in my crypt, they still walled themselves in with the dead, so if anything it is too inconsistent to be relied on for anything. Oh well.

No idea. I thought he might be avoiding standing on a stockpile, but again the other guys had no issues and i tried itagain later and they had no problem building from on top of a stockpile. Was really strange, but i figure it's just Urist's Law in motion.

[Lytha]

_3_
1C2
_4_

When I build huge patches of floor tiles, they also really like to stand on 5:

_3_
1C2
_45

[jei]

Quite often, especially when I want to enclose something on the left side, I've noticed that dwarves, without fail, will step through and build from the left, causing them to get sealed inside.

Any convenient ways around this?

Yes, have them do a path check to any meeting place prior to completion and step to a square that does not have it blocked if the job were completed. Then complete the job.