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[Uristocrat]

It would be nice if we could engrave stone blocks, either at the craftsdwarf or mason's shop.  We can already engrave slabs, so this doesn't seem unreasonable.

The reason for doing this would be so that you could have engraved constructions (which is, I know, one of the top ESV suggestions, though I don't remember seeing this implementation of it suggested).  This would give you a lot of control over what engravings go where, too, which is also nice.

If you're trying to imagine how something like this could work IRL, I suggest that it would be something like a mosaic of engraved pieces that could be reassembled into whatever, like a puzzle.

[Girlinhat]

Second.  I've severely lacked images in my above-ground forts.  The problem is, how do you pick which ones to use?  If you've got a thousand stone blocks and want that one of the mayor surrounded by unicorns...

[sockless]

A search function of some sort. Or you could just have it select them the same way that statues are selected.

[Uristocrat]

A search function of some sort. Or you could just have it select them the same way that statues are selected.

Ideally, all the places where you choose stone blocks/weapons/furniture/whatever would have a few sort options (especially sort by value in addition to distance), would put the most recently used whatever at the top, and would have something where you could type in the first few letters like you can at the depot.

But... that's another suggestion entirely.

[RTiger]

Not going to happen. It would be far too easy to train engraving if constructed items could be engraved. You can always just renew and rebuild.

Engraving slabs is for graves, and you cant do much with it after that.

[Girlinhat]

Why is engraving such a protected art?  Why shouldn't it be easier to skill up?

[IT 000]

Not going to happen. It would be far too easy to train engraving if constructed items could be engraved. You can always just renew and rebuild.

Engraving slabs is for graves, and you cant do much with it after that.

In ancient times if you messed up bad enough they would have to throw the whole thing away.

Plus you can already set up a perpetual engraving machine. Dig out a section of rock, smooth and engrave the surface, build a road over it so that it roughens the surface, deconstruct the road, then repeat. Trains architects and engravers.

Why is engraving such a protected art?  Why shouldn't it be easier to skill up?

Not necessarily easier to level up. Your chipping rocks, you need to keep an eye on what your doing. I would like to train en masse with reusable techniques.

On top of all this, why can't we smooth down an engraved picture back to a smooth tile? I've wanted to do this for a while now.

[Marshall Burns]

Not going to happen. It would be far too easy to train engraving if constructed items could be engraved. You can always just renew and rebuild.

So, it's... hard to train engraving now? With a for-all-intents-and-purposes infinite amount of stone to smooth (let alone engrave) on every map?

[Babylon]

I've never had any trouble training engraving, just smooth a big expanse of rock.  They get legendary pretty quick that way.

[Starver]

Not going to happen. It would be far too easy to train engraving if constructed items could be engraved. You can always just renew and rebuild.

As I read it, it's a matter of "make block -> engrave block -> build structure with a particular engraved block" (possibly to be followed by "-> dismantle structure back into engraved block -> build new structure with engraved block).

Not "make block/use stone -> build structure -> engrave structure", to be followed by "-> dismantle structure back to bare block/stone -> build new structure -> engrave new structure".

Plus, as already said, engraving is easy to level-up.  (Annoyingly so, especially for dwarfs who you're just temporarily drafting into the Smoothing Squad, but who you're just waiting to take up their actual and originally qualified-for position for the magma/glass/whatever industry, once you get it up and running.  You may then have to track down your weaponsmith/whatever (or refer to your original notes, review the nicknames or just use Dwarf Therapist) to get back to your more ideal plan.)

[Rainseeker]

I don't think Toady is against engraving blocks, I've asked him about this.  Unfortunately blocks are an artifact of the early game, and apparently that requires that they be re-written if engraving would happen.  Not a simple change, I guess.

[Starver]

I don't think Toady is against engraving blocks, I've asked him about this.  Unfortunately blocks are an artifact of the early game, and apparently that requires that they be re-written if engraving would happen.  Not a simple change, I guess.

It might be assumed, then, that engraved slabs could be a vanguard addition to the code that will later allow old-style blocks (constructable, but not engravable) to be removed and new-style blocks (engravable and now also constructable) to be swapped into their stead.

[Uristocrat]

I don't think Toady is against engraving blocks, I've asked him about this.  Unfortunately blocks are an artifact of the early game, and apparently that requires that they be re-written if engraving would happen.  Not a simple change, I guess.

That's why I was hoping that this implementation might be easier.  In theory, it uses only things that already exist and turns the problem into a display issue, because items can already be decorated.

But I'm just guessing.  I could be completely off-base about how hard it is, but I have no way of knowing, so I thought I'd throw the idea out there and let Toady decide how hard it is.  He's the only one who knows, after all, whether this requires a total rewrite of lots of code, or whether it's a simple change and nothing we say here will change that one way or the other.

[Jeoshua]

I would be happy if ANY object could be engraved.  Engravings could be made into a type of improvement that could be applied to anything with a decent hardness.  Softer things could not be engraved (no engraved sheep wool socks).

And then, when choosing a material for constructions to be made from, the list would show basic types.  On that list you would have your stones and minerals and... what's this? *engraved gneiss block*.  Hit 'v' and you can see the engraving.  It might be "x2" if there are two gneiss blocks with the self-same engraving, too.

[Solace]

Not sure why, but a big engraved cube for a decoration does sort of fit the "underground cavern/fortress" vibe, I think... like, if you decorated the sides of one of the pyramid's blocks, and just left it somewhere. Too unwieldy for human culture, but...