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Author Topic: Questions about waterfalls  (Read 1692 times)

nerdyboy321123

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Questions about waterfalls
« on: October 10, 2011, 09:01:08 pm »
So, I've finally decided to try making waterfalls, in a somewhat spectacular fashion, however to make it in truly spectacularly dorfy fashion, I must know, how far does water spread when just passing through a z-level? I.e. If something like this were to be built:
Code: [Select]
+++++
+++++
++o~~
+++++
+++++
+'s are walls, o is a hole, ~ is water ( a river or brook)
this is level z+2
level z+1:
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+++++
+---+
+-o-+
+---+
+++++
-'s are floor

and level z
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+++++
+++++
++---
+++++
+++++
the floor would be leading off So, my question again, on level z+1, would the water get on the floor? and if so, how far out would I have to channel to make sure it didn't, if I worded this confusingly, please ask for elaboration instead of just ignoring it.
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Quote from: thegoatgod_pan on September 01, 2011, 05:21:39 pm
how exactly did you weaponize cows into emissary-assassins without causing the expected loyalty cascade?

Girlinhat

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Re: Questions about waterfalls
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2011, 09:07:39 pm »
In other words, "How many tiles to the side does falling water travel?"  Experience says "none" or "negligible."  Water doesn't fall at a pre-defined rate, instead much like the dwarven speed of 950, dwarves move every 10 ticks, with a 50% chance to move every 9th tick instead.  Falling water acts similar, and that's when it gets messy.  If one tile of water gets its 50% chance and falls, it can occupy the same area as the falling water below it, and then spread out slightly to become less than 7/7.

In practice, you're fine.  For extra security, make 2 waterfalls, by depressurizing the river/brook in a diagonal, and having that diagonal lead to two non-connected tubes, generating two waterfalls from one source.
Code: [Select]
~~++
++~~
~~++^This would split the water in half, and virtually prevent any spillover.  Either way, over a 1 level fall you're not going to get much spread, if any, but depressurized water will almost always dribble through enough to avoid spread.
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Tevish Szat

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Re: Questions about waterfalls
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2011, 09:07:39 pm »
The water would get on the floor.  not enough to be dangerous as I assume you'd have space for it to spread/evaporate but if it annoys you channel the eight squares surrounding the hole and replace them with floor grates.  You get no mess that way, I've found
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A medium-sized humanoid fond of fantasy and science-fiction.

Tevish Szat likes books, computers, board games, and cats for their aloofness. When possible, he prefers to consume hamburgers and macaroni and cheese. He needs caffeine to get through the working day.

Girlinhat

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Re: Questions about waterfalls
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2011, 09:14:05 pm »
I would rather have grates everywhere, as I don't trust my dwarves to avoid falling in.
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nerdyboy321123

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Re: Questions about waterfalls
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2011, 09:14:40 pm »
ah thanks guys, my "floating" dining hall won't be a death-trap thanks to you :)
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Quote from: thegoatgod_pan on September 01, 2011, 05:21:39 pm
how exactly did you weaponize cows into emissary-assassins without causing the expected loyalty cascade?

Tevish Szat

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Re: Questions about waterfalls
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2011, 09:17:42 pm »
Quote from: Girlinhat on October 10, 2011, 09:14:05 pm
I would rather have grates everywhere, as I don't trust my dwarves to avoid falling in.

You can't put a grate in the center square, the ones around it provide no support.  You'll either have to have one edge square a solid (and wet) floor or the center an open pit.

I take the route that encourages natural selection.  Any dorfs that fall in and don't get to the escape ramp in the drain are acceptable losses.
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A medium-sized humanoid fond of fantasy and science-fiction.

Tevish Szat likes books, computers, board games, and cats for their aloofness. When possible, he prefers to consume hamburgers and macaroni and cheese. He needs caffeine to get through the working day.

Girlinhat

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Re: Questions about waterfalls
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2011, 09:19:19 pm »
That's always my armorsmith, really...  That's why I usually put just one grate, not 8, or put the waterfall against the wall so that the wall will support multiple grates.
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Vehudur

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Re: Questions about waterfalls
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2011, 09:25:00 pm »
Alternatively, have it drop 2 or 3 Z below the room you want the waterfall in and have the center open, but the outsides floor grates and on the floor below you have one floor grate in the middle and a ramp to exit:

If you want your waterfall to flow faster, have the corner to remove pressure go immediately to the open hole.

Code: [Select]
Z+2
XXXXX
XXX__ (Source)
XXOXX
XXXXX
XXXXX

Z+1
XXXXX
XXXXX
XXOXX
XXXXX
XXXXX

Z+0
_____
_###_
_#O#_
_###_
_____

Z-1
XXXXX
X___X
X_#__ (Exit for stupid dwarves)
X___X
XXXXX

Z-2
XXXXX
XXXXX
XXOXX
XXXXX
XXXXX

Z-3
XXXXX
XXXXX
XX___
XXXXX
XXXXX

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nerdyboy321123

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Re: Questions about waterfalls
« Reply #8 on: October 10, 2011, 09:27:17 pm »
Mine's going to look something like this thanks to these tips: ~ is waterfall, #is grate, D is general dining room area, X is stairs

Code: [Select]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~########################~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~########################~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
underneath will be paths to drain it to the caverns
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Quote from: thegoatgod_pan on September 01, 2011, 05:21:39 pm
how exactly did you weaponize cows into emissary-assassins without causing the expected loyalty cascade?

Lamiales

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Re: Questions about waterfalls
« Reply #9 on: October 11, 2011, 03:30:10 am »
Quote from: nerdyboy321123 on October 10, 2011, 09:27:17 pm
Mine's going to look something like this thanks to these tips: ~ is waterfall, #is grate, D is general dining room area, X is stairs

Code: [Select]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~########################~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~#DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD#~
~########################~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
underneath will be paths to drain it to the caverns

good luck. i'm not saying it's impossible, but that kind of waterfall takes a lot more water than you think it does. also assuming the stairs are in the middle, the dwarves won't get much out of it (they have to be sprayed with mist for any effect afaik).
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Girlinhat

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Re: Questions about waterfalls
« Reply #10 on: October 11, 2011, 03:34:16 am »
I'll prepare my bagpipes.  You'll need it for your FPS's funeral.
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nightwhips

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Re: Questions about waterfalls
« Reply #11 on: October 11, 2011, 08:57:49 am »
Re: OP -

I have a waterfall much like this, and I get NO water on the floor. I've lowered the pressure via a diagonal up top, so only 3-4 tiles of water max are moving through it. (This probably means I never get the 8/7 water that GirlinHat mentions, so no spreading.) I have never seen it on the floor.

My favorite part about it is that it's hooked up to two pressure plates that almost all dwarves cross as they enter the dining hall. A few tiles further the waterfall comes in. The pressure plate opens a floodgate in the pipe, creating a fall approximately when the entering dwarf gets to the waterfall, and gets misted. Putting up some masterwork statues near the fall also concentrates everybody.
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Quote from: vonFaust on November 10, 2011, 03:15:28 pm
: Miner dwarves? In my volcano?

Quote from: Matoro on March 15, 2012, 11:12:31 am
:I put childs into danger room...
They die, and their parents care nothing because legendary dining room.

MrAnderson

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Re: Questions about waterfalls
« Reply #12 on: October 11, 2011, 01:15:28 pm »
you might want to watch out what you do below the grate. i once only channeled on z-1 to get the miner back out (flooding the caverns) and left the ramp.
Then, somebody went crazy and decided to break the grate, revealing the ramp. now some stupid dwarf decided, it was shorter to use this ramp to exit the dining room than to go around it. result: he was pushed into the cavern lake by the water falling from above -.-
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