Quick synopsis: It is possible to take maps created in Dwarf Fortress and play them in Source engine games through the use of two tools.
If you ever visit the modding section of this forum, you may have noticed a nifty tool called DFHack (
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=91166.0 ). One of its features is the ability to convert Dwarf Fortress maps to Minecraft maps. Neat!
Yesterday I was browsing the Minecraft forums and came across this post:
http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/805589-10-sourcecraft-minecraft-to-source-converter/Someone had created a tool, called Sourcecraft, to convert Minecraft maps to Source engine maps (used by Valve games like Team Fortress 2, Half Life, Counterstrike, Portal).
So, if Dwarf Fortress maps could be converted to Minecraft maps, and Minecraft maps be converted to Source maps, then it should be possible to take a map from Dwarf Fortress and play on it in Team Fortress 2 (or another valve game) using the two tools. This had to be done, for
!!science!!, and I am happy to report such an endeavor is possible!
Here are some screenshots of the same section of the same map in all three games. (Yes, the fort I used for this sucks. I abandoned it for a reason.)
Dwarf Fortress
Minecraft
Team Fortress 2
Some things to note should anyone else try to do this:
1) The whole process is a pain in the neck.
2) (Edited) A single DF square in Minecraft is 3x3x3. Floors going over an empty space in DF will take up the top row of the Minecraft 3x3x3 group below.
3) To move through a passage in TF2, it needs to be at least 2 minecraft blocks wide and at least 2 minecraft blocks tall (if crouching. Otherwise it needs to be at least 3 minecraft blocks tall to stand)
4) One needs to place the player spawner on the map in the source SDK before it can be used for Team Fortress 2.
5) Only a small section of the Minecraft map can be converted to source. The Sourcecraft maker suggests using 5x5 as the chunk parameters.
6) In minecraft x and z are the horizontal planes while y is the vertical plane.
Edit: 7) When Sourcecraft prompts you for the file you want to convert, you can find the file you need by going ".minecraft -> saves -> 'yourworld' -> region" and select r.0.0.mcr (I haven't tried it with the other .mcr files yet, but I'd assume it'd be best to go with r.0.0, as Sourcecraft finds the area you wish to convert based on coordinates relative to 0,0 (x,z)Edit: 8 ) With version 1.1 of Sourcecraft, when it prompts you for the file you wish to convert, you choose the folder called "region" (as opposed to a .mcr file). You can find it by going ".minecraft -> saves -> 'yourworld'" and select the region folder.
Edit: 9) You can find your coordinates within Minecraft by pressing f3 while in-game.
Thanks to the makers of DFHack and Sourcecraft!