dfhack/docs/guides/examples-guide.rst

.. _dfhack-examples-guide:

DFHack Example Configuration File Guide
=======================================

The :source:`hack/examples <data/examples>` folder contains ready-to-use
examples of various DFHack configuration files. You can use them by copying them
to appropriate folders where DFHack and its plugins can find them (details
below). You can use them unmodified, or you can customize them to better suit
your preferences.

The ``init/`` subfolder
-----------------------

The :source:`init/ <data/examples/init>` subfolder contains useful DFHack
`init-files` that you can copy into your main Dwarf Fortress folder -- the same
directory as ``dfhack.init``.

:source:`onMapLoad_dreamfort.init <data/examples/init/onMapLoad_dreamfort.init>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the config file that comes with the `dreamfort` set of blueprints, but
it is useful (and customizable) for any fort. It includes the following config:

- Calls `ban-cooking` for items that have important alternate uses and should
  not be cooked. This configuration is only set when a fortress is first
  started, so later manual changes will not be overridden.
- Automates calling of various fort maintenance and `scripts-fix`, like
  `cleanowned` and `fix/stuckdoors`.
- Periodically enqueues orders to shear and milk shearable and milkable pets.
- Sets up `autofarm` to grow 30 units of every crop, except for pig tails, which
  is set to 150 units to support the textile industry.
- Sets up `seedwatch` to keep 30 of every type of seed.
- Configures `prioritize` to automatically boost the priority of important tasks
  that could otherwise get ignored in busy forts, like storing items in
  vehicles, pulling levers, and removing constructions.
- Optimizes `autobutcher` settings for raising geese, alpacas, sheep, llamas,
  and pigs. Adds sensible defaults for all other animals, including dogs and
  cats. There are instructions in the file for customizing the settings for
  other combinations of animals. These settings are also only set when a
  fortress is first started, so any later changes you make to autobutcher
  settings won't be overridden.
- Enables `automelt`, `tailor`, `zone`, `nestboxes`, and `autonestbox`.

The ``orders/`` subfolder
-------------------------

The :source:`orders/ <data/examples/orders>` subfolder contains manager orders
that, along with the ``onMapLoad_dreamfort.init`` file above, allow a fort to be
self-sustaining. Copy them to your ``dfhack-config/orders/`` folder and import
as required with the `orders` DFHack plugin.

:source:`basic.json <data/examples/orders/basic.json>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This collection of orders handles basic fort necessities:

- prepared meals and food products (and by-products like oil)
- booze/mead
- thread/cloth/dye
- pots/jugs/buckets/bags (of leather, cloth, silk, and yarn)
- crafts and totems from otherwise unusable by-products
- splints/crutches
- lye/soap
- ash/potash

You should import it as soon as you have enough dwarves to perform the
maintenance tasks. Right after the first migration wave is usually a good time.

:source:`furnace.json <data/examples/orders/furnace.json>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This collection creates basic items that require heat. It is separated out from
``basic.json`` to give players the opportunity to set up magma furnaces first in
order to save resources. It handles:

- charcoal (including smelting of bituminous coal and lignite)
- plaster
- pearlash
- sand
- green/clear/crystal glass
- adamantine processing
- item melting

:source:`military.json <data/examples/orders/military.json>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This collection adds high-volume smelting jobs for military-grade metal ores and
produces weapons and armor:

- leather backpacks/waterskins/cloaks/quivers/armor
- bone/wooden bolts
- smelting for platinum, silver, steel, bronze, and copper (and their
  dependencies)
- bronze/copper bolts
- platinum/silver/steel/iron/bronze/copper weapons and armor, with checks to
  ensure only the best available materials are being used

If you set a stockpile to take weapons and armor of less than masterwork quality
and turn on `automelt` (like what `dreamfort` provides on its industry level),
these orders will automatically upgrade your military equipment to masterwork.
Make sure you have a lot of fuel (or magma forges and furnaces) before you turn
``automelt`` on, though!

This file should only be imported, of course, if you need to equip a military.

:source:`smelting.json <data/examples/orders/smelting.json>`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This collection adds smelting jobs for all ores. It includes handling the ores
already managed by ``military.json``, but has lower limits. This ensures all
ores will be covered if a player imports smelting but not military, but the
higher-volume military orders will take priority if both are imported.

The ``professions/`` subfolder
------------------------------

The :source:`professions/ <data/examples/professions>` subfolder contains
professions, or sets of related labors, that you can assign to your dwarves with
the DFHack `manipulator` plugin. Copy them into the ``professions/``
subdirectory under the main Dwarf Fortress folder (you may have to create this
subdirectory) and assign them to your dwarves in the manipulator UI, accessible
from the ``units`` screen via the :kbd:`l` hotkey. Make sure that the
``manipulator`` plugin is enabled in your ``dfhack.init`` file! You can assign a
profession to a dwarf by selecting the dwarf in the ``manipulator`` UI and
hitting :kbd:`p`. The list of professions that you copied into the
``professions/`` folder will show up for you to choose from. This is very useful
for assigning roles to new migrants to ensure that all the tasks in your fort
have adequate numbers of dwarves attending to them.

If you'd rather use Dwarf Therapist to manage your labors, it is easy to import
these professions to DT and use them there. Simply assign the professions you
want to import to a dwarf. Once you have assigned a profession to at least one
dwarf, you can select "Import Professions from DF" in the DT "File" menu. The
professions will then be available for use in DT.

In the charts below the "At Start" and "Max" columns indicate the approximate
number of dwarves of each profession that you are likely to need at the start of
the game and how many you are likely to need in a mature fort.

=============  ========  ===== =================================================
Profession     At Start  Max   Description
=============  ========  ===== =================================================
StartManager   1         0     All skills not covered by the other starting
                               professions (Miner, Mason, Outdoorsdwarf, and
                               Craftsdwarf), plus a few overlapping skills to
                               assist in critical tasks at the beginning of the
                               game. Individual labors should be turned off as
                               migrants are assigned more specialized
                               professions that cover them, and the StartManager
                               dwarf convert to some other profession once there
                               are enough dwarves to cover all the specialized
                               professions.
Miner          2         2-10  Mining and Engraving. This profession also has
                               the ``Alchemist`` labor enabled, which disables
                               hauling for those using the `autohauler` plugin.
                               Once the need for Miners tapers off in the late
                               game, dwarves with this profession make good
                               military dwarves, wielding their picks as
                               weapons.
Mason          2         2-4   Masonry and Architecture. In the early game, you
                               may need to run "`prioritize` ConstructBuilding"
                               to get your masons to build wells and bridges if
                               they are too busy crafting stone furniture. Late
                               game, you can turn off their Architcture labors
                               since that will be better handled by your
                               Haulers.
Outdoorsdwarf  1         2-3   Woodcutting, Animal Training, Trapping, Plant
                               Gathering, Beekeeping, and Mechanics. This
                               profession is also the only non-military
                               profession to have Recover wounded enabled (since
                               Outdoorsdwarves will have a battleaxe to defend
                               themselves with).
Craftsdwarf    1         3-4   All labors used at Carpenter's workshops,
                               Jeweler's workshops, and Craftsdwarf's workshops.
Chef           0         2     Cooking. It is important to focus just a few
                               dwarves on cooking since well-crafted meals make
                               dwarves very happy. They are also an excellent
                               trade good.
Tailor         0         2     Textile industry labors: Dying, Leatherworking,
                               Weaving, and Clothesmaking.
Doctor         0         2-4   The full suite of medical labors, plus Animal
                               Caretaking for those using the dwarfvet plugin.
Farmer         0         5     Food- and animal product-related labors.
Fisherdwarf    0         0     Fishing and fish cleaning. If you assign this
                               profession to any dwarf, be prepared to be
                               inundated with fish. Fisherdwarves *never stop
                               fishing*. Be sure to also run ``prioritize -a
                               PrepareRawFish ExtractFromRawFish`` (or use the
                               ``onMapLoad_dreamfort.init`` file above) or else
                               caught fish will just be left to rot.
Hauler         0         >20   All hauling labors plus Mechanic (so haulers can
                               assist in reloading traps) and Architecture (so
                               haulers can help build massive windmill farms and
                               pump stacks). As you accumulate enough Haulers,
                               you can turn off hauling labors for other dwarves
                               so they can focus on their skilled tasks. You may
                               also want to restrict your Mechanic's workshops
                               to only skilled mechanics so your haulers don't
                               make low-quality mechanisms.
Marksdwarf     0         10    Same as Hauler, but with a different name so you
                               can find your military dwarves more easily.
Meleedwarf     0         50    Mostly the same as Hauler, but with a different
                               name so you can find your military dwarves more
                               easily. This profession also has the Recover
                               Wounded labor enabled.
Smith          0         4     Smithing, Glassmaking, Pottery, and Siege
                               Engineering labors. You will likely want to
                               specialize your Smiths to focus on either weapons
                               or armor to maximize equipment quality.
Laborer        0         10-12 All labors that don't improve quality with skill,
                               such as furnace labors, Soapmaking, and Pump
                               Operating.
=============  ========  ===== =================================================

A note on autohauler
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These profession definitions are designed to work well with or without the
`autohauler` plugin. If you do want to use autohauler, adding the following
lines to your ``onMapLoad.init`` file will configure it to let the professions
manage the "Feed water to civilians" and "Recover wounded" labors instead of
enabling those labors for all hauling dwarves::

    on-new-fortress enable autohauler
    on-new-fortress autohauler FEED_WATER_CIVILIANS allow
    on-new-fortress autohauler RECOVER_WOUNDED allow