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[sockless]

Ok, hear me out on this one. This is not an API, so don't get your panties in a knot.

There are a few programs that make visual maps out of DF terrain, but none of them are that great and they use a jerry-rigged way of getting the data, plus they all break when an update comes out and they need new offsets.

What we need is an option to export a voxel map of some sort. So you'd be able to go to a menu and select "make voxel map", you'd then be able to select different parameters, you'd have size and location, as well as options for exporting varying amounts of data. These options would include:

• Export creature data (varying levels, e.g. including critters, only dwarves, etc. Probably based on filtering out certain RAW tags)
• Export Buildings (also varying levels, e.g. Furniture only, workshops only)
• Export mineral data (No data, revealed rocks (so only rocks touching empty space))
• Export fluid data
• Export plants

This wouldn't happen in real time, for two reasons. First, it stops people just trying to make APIs, which Toady doesn't want. Secondly, the data probably can't really be exported in real time.

All this data would then be stored in a voxel map (think 3d bitmap), it would probably be quite a large file, with an interesting data structure (some tiles would have a lot more data than others). The size of the file isn't really much of an object, as it isn't meant to be a core gameplay device, and we have large storage capacities these days.

My other idea on exporting data is a creature data export service.

AFAIK, there aren't any programs that actually pull data on creatures and dwarves.

My idea is to have a feature in game so that you can export data on whatever creature you are cursoring over.

This data would include species, looks, skills, clothing, etc. Essentially all the data and attributes of whatever you have the cursor over.

This means that people could make programs that make images based on dwarves etc ingame.

This would all be store in an xml file, since that seems to be the standard for data export in DF.

Now I know that some of you people will complain and say that it's a bad idea, as you are meant to use your imagination, as DFs like a book. And I couldn't agree more about DF being like a book and COD being a movie, but I still think that it'd be cool to be able to see your fortress in glorious technicolour.

[drilltooth]

Not sure what advantage this would have over a program that can voxelise the existing BMP exports.

as for the other point, Is it really that difficult to screencap the relevant View pages?

[Romaq]

"Print All Legends Maps + XML" (instead of every individual map at a time) would be useful... a 'Legends Viewer' package. Bonus points if...

1) It could produce the "Legends" maps + XML within the active 'Region' directory in one shot
2) It could produce a package of the maps with the same data, only scaled to the region (embark) area. Just the top altitude of 'something is built here', not caverns or any such, ignoring all mobiles such as flies, birds or other moving critters.
3) If it could produce the character map and color of all elements (again, no mobiles) from the top down. Yeah, I know it would appear confusing because of the layering, that's what the altitude map is for.

The 'Legends' data is already exported. 'export in one shot + allow the Legends viewer more easily use it' should be a practical matter of allowing the set as a data dump of what is already internally produced. The 'bonus' maps that detail an embark area would take extra work, but I would so dearly love to get a birds eye view of everything, especially for planning out the layout of my fortress.