Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Tsaroth]

Alright, I've been playing Dwarf Fortress for awhile now, but I never really messed around with power (every fort I had with a pumpstack ended before I could start powering it).

I have a windmill, have an axle right next to it... but it says its receiving 0 power. Before anyone asks, yes the windmill is generating power.
I tried the same with a gear assembly and I got the same thing happening.

I thought I knew how this worked... but I guess I don't.

An explanation of how to transfer power (or an impromptu ASCII diagram) would be appreciated.

[Keldane]

The issue is that Windmills only transfer power in one direction - straight down, and even then only from their center tile. You'll need to build a  U-shaped wall with a gear assembly in the center and the windmill on top, then run the axle off of the gear assembly.

[Cotes]

Wiki would be your friend here.

But anyway, you can't just slap a gear or an axle next to a windmill and except it to work. The center tile is what that thing spins around, you know. Build a windmill on top of a gear assembly or a vertical axle (or under, if you are feeling unconventional). Obviously the floor between has to be removed first first.

Waterwheels are on the other hand built next to a gear assembly.

[Girlinhat]

Axles and Gear Assemblies.  Check the wiki for details, but in this case windmills transfer power down.  You need a vertical axle under the windmill, or a gear assembly under it.  Yes, before you ask, windmills can be built "floating" as long as there's machinery under them.  Build a gear assembly directly under the windmill, then horizontal axles connecting the assembly to the rest of the power grid.  DO NOT hook a lever up to this gear.  If you deactivate a gear that's directly under a power source, it will deconstruct it.  So, place the shut-off switch closer to the machine that needs power.

Many times, you can get away with putting a windmill on top of whatever needs it, without any gears or axles, but clearly this doesn't always work.  Also keep in mine that machines transfer power through themselves, so three pump stacks next to each other only need one axle leading to one of them, and they hook up to each other.

[Tsaroth]

Alright, thanks for the help.

For the record I WAS at the wiki and I didn't get anything out of it. Must have skipped over the bit about windmill transferring vertically.

[arkhometha]

You don't need to transfer power if you can take it. Oganize unhappy people and you could get to take the power from the hands of the government in no time!

[Cotes]

You don't need to transfer power if you can take it. Oganize unhappy people and you could get to take the power from the hands of the government in no time!

That's just so mainstream these days...