DFHack basically extends what DF can do with something similar to the drop-down console found in Quake engine games. On Windows, this is a separate command line window. On linux, the terminal used to launch the dfhack script is taken over (so, make sure you start from a terminal).
Basic interaction with dfhack involves entering commands into the console. For some basic instroduction, use the 'help' command. To list all possible commands, use the 'ls' command.
Many commands have their own help or detailed description. You can use 'command help' or 'command ?' to show that.
The command line has some nice line editing capabilities, including history that's preserved between different runs of DF (use up/down keys to go through the history).
The second way to interact with DFHack is to bind the available commands to in-game hotkeys. The old way to do this is via the hotkey/zoom menu (normally opened with the 'h' key). Binding the commands is done by assigning a command as a hotkey name (with 'n').
A new and more flexible way is the keybinding command in the dfhack console. However, bindings created this way are not automatically remembered between runs of the game, so it becomes necessary to use the dfhack.init file to ensure that they are re-created every time it is loaded.
Interactive commands like 'liquids' cannot be used as hotkeys.
First, don't panic :) Second, dfhack keeps a few log files in DF's folder - stderr.log and stdout.log. You can look at those and possibly find out what's happening.
If you found a bug, you can either report it in the bay12 DFHack thread, the issues tracker on github, contact me (peterix@gmail.com) or visit the #dfhack IRC channel on freenode.
If your DF folder contains a file named dfhack.init, its contents will be run every time you start DF. This allows setting up keybindings. An example file is provided as dfhack.init-example - you can tweak it and rename to dfhack.init if you want to use this functionality.
Almost all the commands support using the 'help <command-name>' built-in command to retrieve further help without having to look at this document. Alternatively, some accept a 'help'/'?' option on their command line.
This allows taking control over your followers and other creatures in adventure mode. For example, you can make them pick up new arms and armor and equip them properly.
Usage
-----
* When viewing unit details, body-swaps into that unit.
* In the main adventure mode screen, reverts transient swap.
advtools
========
A package of different adventure mode tools (currently just one)
Usage
-----
:list-equipped [all]:List armor and weapons equipped by your companions. If all is specified, also lists non-metal clothing.
Changes material of the geology layer under cursor to the specified inorganic RAW material. Can have impact on all surrounding regions, not only your embark! By default changing stone to soil and vice versa is not allowed. By default changes only the layer at the cursor position. Note that one layer can stretch across lots of z levels. By default changes only the geology which is linked to the biome under the cursor. That geology might be linked to other biomes as well, though. Mineral veins and gem clusters will stay on the map. Use 'changevein' for them.
tl;dr: You will end up with changing quite big areas in one go, especially if you use it in lower z levels. Use with care.
Result may be undesirable since the same layer can AND WILL be on different z-levels for different biomes. Use the tool 'probe' to get an idea how layers and biomes are distributed on your map.
:force:Allow changing stone to soil and vice versa. !!THIS CAN HAVE WEIRD EFFECTS, USE WITH CARE!!
Note that soil will not be magically replaced with stone. You will, however, get a stone floor after digging so it will allow the floor to be engraved.
Note that stone will not be magically replaced with soil. You will, however, get a soil floor after digging so it could be helpful for creating farm plots on maps with no soil.
* If you use changelayer and nothing happens, try to pause/unpause the game for a while and try to move the cursor to another tile. Then try again. If that doesn't help try temporarily changing some other layer, undo your changes and try again for the layer you want to change. Saving and reloading your map might also help.
* When you force changelayer to convert soil to stone you might experience weird stuff (flashing tiles, tiles changed all over place etc). Try reverting the changes manually or even better use an older savegame. You did save your game, right?
Allows changing item material and base quality. By default the item currently selected in the UI will be changed (you can select items in the 'k' list or inside containers/inventory). By default change is only allowed if materials is of the same subtype (for example wood<->wood, stone<->stone etc). But since some transformations work pretty well and may be desired you can override this with 'force'. Note that some attributes will not be touched, possibly resulting in weirdness. To get an idea how the RAW id should look like, check some items with 'info'. Using 'force' might create items which are not touched by crafters/haulers.
Options
-------
:info:Don't change anything, print some info instead.
:here:Change all items at the cursor position. Requires in-game curser.
:material, m:Change material. Must be followed by valid material RAW id.
:quality, q:Change base quality. Must be followed by number (0-5).
:force:Ignore subtypes, force change to new material.
Examples:
---------
``changeitem m INORGANIC:GRANITE here``
Change material of all items under the cursor to granite.
``changeitem q 5``
Change currently selected item to masterpiece quality.
* If you do a full search (with the option "all") former ghosts will show up with the cursetype "unknown" because their ghostly flag is not set anymore. But if you happen to find a living/active creature with cursetype "unknown" please report that in the dfhack thread on the modding forum or per irc. This is likely to happen with mods which introduce new types of curses, for example.
Makes the game view follow the currently highlighted unit after you exit from current menu/cursor mode. Handy for watching dwarves running around. Deactivated by moving the view manually.
:destroy-here:Destroy items only under the cursor.
:visible:Only process items that are not hidden.
:hidden:Only process hidden items.
:forbidden:Only process forbidden items (default: only unforbidden).
autodump-destroy-here
=====================
Destroy items marked for dumping under cursor. Identical to autodump destroy-here, but intended for use as keybinding.
autodump-destroy-item
=====================
Destroy the selected item. The item may be selected in the 'k' list, or inside a container. If called again before the game is resumed, cancels destroy.
Up to version 0.31.12, Elves only sent Diplomats to your fortress to propose tree cutting quotas due to a bug; once that bug was fixed, Elves stopped caring about excess tree cutting. This command adds a Diplomat position to all Elven civilizations, allowing them to negotiate tree cutting quotas (and allowing you to violate them and potentially start wars) in case you haven't already modified your raws accordingly.
fixmerchants
============
This command adds the Guild Representative position to all Human civilizations, allowing them to make trade agreements (just as they did back in 0.28.181.40d and earlier) in case you haven't already modified your raws accordingly.
Removes invalid references to mineral inclusions and restores missing ones. Use this if you broke your embark with tools like tiletypes, or if you accidentally placed a construction on top of a valuable mineral floor.
Due to a bug in all releases of version 0.31, merchants no longer bring wagons with their caravans. This command re-enables them for all appropriate civilizations.
A tool for checking how many tiles contain flowing liquids. If you suspect that your magma sea leaks into HFS, you can use this tool to be sure without revealing the map.
This tool allows plant gathering and tree cutting by RAW ID. Specify the types of trees to cut down and/or shrubs to gather by their plant names, separated by spaces.
Options
-------
:-t:Select trees only (exclude shrubs)
:-s:Select shrubs only (exclude trees)
:-c:Clear designations instead of setting them
:-x:Apply selected action to all plants except those specified (invert selection)
Specifying both -t and -s will have no effect. If no plant IDs are specified, all valid plant IDs will be listed.
* In 'q' mode, when a job is highlighted within a workshop or furnace, changes the material of the job. Only inorganic materials can be used in this mode.
* In 'b' mode, during selection of building components positions the cursor over the first available choice with the matching material.
Manages DFHack keybindings. Currently it supports any combination of Ctrl/Alt/Shift with F1-F9, or A-Z.
Options
-------
:keybinding list <key>:List bindings active for the key combination.
:keybinding clear <key> <key>...:Remove bindings for the specified keys.
:keybinding add <key> "cmdline" "cmdline"...:Add bindings for the specified key.
:keybinding set <key> "cmdline" "cmdline"...:Clear, and then add bindings for the specified key.
When multiple commands are bound to the same key combination, DFHack selects the first applicable one. Later 'add' commands, and earlier entries within one 'add' command have priority. Commands that are not specifically intended for use as a hotkey are always considered applicable.
Allows adding magma, water and obsidian to the game. It replaces the normal dfhack command line and can't be used from a hotkey. Settings will be remembered as long as dfhack runs. Intended for use in combination with the command liquids-here (which can be bound to a hotkey).
This command lets you see and change the game mode directly. Not all combinations are good for every situation and most of them will produce undesirable results.
This reveals the map. By default, HFS will remain hidden so that the demons don't spawn. You can use 'reveal hell' to reveal everything. With hell revealed, you won't be able to unpause until you hide the map again. If you really want to unpause with hell revealed, use 'reveal demons'.
When you use reveal, it saves information about what was/wasn't visible before revealing everything. Unreveal uses this information to hide things again. This command throws away the information. For example, use in cases where you abandoned with the fort revealed and no longer want the data.
lair
====
This command allows you to mark the map as 'monster lair', preventing item scatter on abandon. When invoked as 'lair reset', it does the opposite.
Unlike reveal, this command doesn't save the information about tiles - you won't be able to restore state of real monster lairs using 'lair reset'.
Copies the parameters of the currently highlighted stockpile to the custom stockpile settings and switches to custom stockpile placement mode, effectively allowing you to copy/paste stockpiles easily.
An isometric visualizer that runs in a second window. This requires working graphics acceleration and at least a dual core CPU (otherwise it will slow down DF).
:tweak clear-missing:Remove the missing status from the selected unit. This allows engraving slabs for ghostly, but not yet found, creatures.
:tweak clear-ghostly:Remove the ghostly status from the selected unit and mark it as dead. This allows getting rid of bugged ghosts which do not show up in the engraving slab menu at all, even after using clear-missing. It works, but is potentially very dangerous - so use with care. Probably (almost certainly) it does not have the same effects like a proper burial. You've been warned.
:tweak fixmigrant:Remove the resident/merchant flag from the selected unit. Intended to fix bugged migrants/traders who stay at the map edge and don't enter your fort. Only works for dwarves (or generally the player's race in modded games). Do NOT abuse this for 'real' caravan merchants (if you really want to kidnap them, use 'tweak makeown' instead, otherwise they will have their clothes set to forbidden etc).
:tweak makeown:Force selected unit to become a member of your fort. Can be abused to grab caravan merchants and escorts, even if they don't belong to the player's race. Foreign sentients (humans, elves) can be put to work, but you can't assign rooms to them and they don't show up in DwarfTherapist because the game treats them like pets. Grabbing draft animals from a caravan can result in weirdness (animals go insane or berserk and are not flagged as tame), but you are allowed to mark them for slaughter. Grabbing wagons results in some funny spam, then they are scuttled.
Designates a whole vein for digging. Requires an active in-game cursor placed over a vein tile. With the 'x' option, it will traverse z-levels (putting stairs between the same-material tiles).
Designates layer stone for digging. Requires an active in-game cursor placed over a layer stone tile. With the 'x' option, it will traverse z-levels (putting stairs between the same-material tiles). With the 'undo' option it will remove the dig designation instead (if you realize that digging out a 50 z-level deep layer was not such a good idea after all).
:assign:Assign unit(s) to the pen or pit marked with the 'set' command. If no filters are set a unit must be selected in the in-game ui. Can also be followed by a valid zone id which will be set instead.
:unassign:Unassign selected creature from it's zone.
:trained:Creature is trained. Finds war/hunting creatures as well as creatures who have a training level greater than 'domesticated'. If you want to specifically search for war/hunting creatures use 'war' or 'hunting' Negatable.
One convenient way to use the zone tool is to bind the command 'zone assign' to a hotkey, maybe also the command 'zone set'. Place the in-game cursor over a pen/pasture or pit, use 'zone set' to mark it. Then you can select units on the map (in 'v' or 'k' mode), in the unit list or from inside cages and use 'zone assign' to assign them to their new home. Allows pitting your own dwarves, by the way.
All filters can be used together with the 'assign' command. Restrictions: It's not possible to assign units who are inside built cages or chained because in most cases that won't be desirable anyways. It's not possible to cage owned pets because in that case the owner uncages them after a while which results in infinite hauling back and forth. Usually you should always use the filter 'own' (which implies tame) unless you want to use the zone tool for pitting hostiles. 'own' ignores own dwarves unless you specify 'race DWARF' (so it's safe to use 'assign all own' to one big pasture if you want to have all your animals at the same place). 'egglayer' and 'milkable' should be used together with 'female' unless you have a mod with egg-laying male elves who give milk or whatever. Merchants and their animals are ignored unless you specify 'merchant' (pitting them should be no problem, but stealing and pasturing their animals is not a good idea since currently they are not properly added to your own stocks; slaughtering them should work). Most filters can be negated (e.g. 'not grazer' -> race is not a grazer).
Using the 'nick' command you can set the same nickname for multiple units. If used without 'assign', 'all' or 'count' it will rename all units in the current default target zone. Combined with 'assign', 'all' or 'count' (and further optional filters) it will rename units matching the filter conditions.
Using the 'tocages' command you can assign units to a set of cages, for example a room next to your butcher shop(s). They will be spread evenly among available cages to optimize hauling to and butchering from them. For this to work you need to build cages and then place one pen/pasture activity zone above them, covering all cages you want to use. Then use 'zone set' (like with 'assign') and use 'zone tocages filter1 filter2 ...'. 'tocages' overwrites 'assign' because it would make no sense, but can be used together with 'nick' or 'remnick' and all the usual filters.
``zone assign all own caged grazer nick ineedgrass``
Assign all own grazers who are sitting in cages on stockpiles (e.g. after buying them from merchants) to the selected pasture and give them the nickname 'ineedgrass'.
Nicknames all units in the current default zone or cage to 'donttouchme'. Mostly intended to be used for special pastures or cages which are not marked as rooms you want to protect from autobutcher.
Assigns unpastured female egg-layers to nestbox zones. Requires that you create pen/pasture zones above nestboxes. If the pen is bigger than 1x1 the nestbox must be in the top left corner. Only 1 unit will be assigned per pen, regardless of the size. The age of the units is currently not checked, most birds grow up quite fast. Egglayers who are also grazers will be ignored, since confining them to a 1x1 pasture is not a good idea. Only tame and domesticated own units are processed since pasturing half-trained wild egglayers could destroy your neat nestbox zones when they revert to wild. When called without options autonestbox will instantly run once.
Assigns lifestock for slaughter once it reaches a specific count. Requires that you add the target race(s) to a watch list. Only tame units will be processed. Named units will be completely ignored (to protect specific animals fro autobutcher you can give them nicknames with the tool 'rename unit' for single units or with 'zone nick' to mass-rename units in pastures and cages). Creatures trained for war or hunting will be ignored as well. Creatures assigned to cages will be ignored if the cage is defined as a room (to avoid butchering unnamed zoo animals). Once you have too much adults, the oldest will be butchered first. Once you have too much kids, the youngest will be butchered first. If you don't set any target count the following default will be used: 1 male kid, 5 female kids, 1 male adult, 5 female adults.
:watch R:Start watching a race. R can be a valid race RAW id (ALPACA, BIRD_TURKEY, etc) or a list of ids seperated by spaces or the keyword 'all' which affects all races on your current watchlist.
R can be a list of ids or the keyword 'all' or 'new'. R = 'all': change target count for all races on watchlist and set the new default for the future. R = 'new': don't touch current settings on the watchlist, only set the new default for future entries.
You want to keep max 7 kids (4 female, 3 male) and max 3 adults (2 female, 1 male) of the race alpaca. Once the kids grow up the oldest adults will get slaughtered. Excess kids will get slaughtered starting with the youngest to allow that the older ones grow into adults. Any unnamed cats will be slaughtered as soon as possible.
Automatically put all new races onto the watchlist and mark unnamed tame units for slaughter as soon as they arrive in your fort. Settings already made for specific races will be left untouched.
Stop watching the races alpaca and cat, but remember the target count settings so that you can use 'unwatch' without the need to enter the values again. Note: 'autobutcher unwatch all' works, but only makes sense if you want to keep the plugin running with the 'autowatch' feature or manually add some new races with 'watch'. If you simply want to stop it completely use 'autobutcher stop' instead.
Settings and watchlist are stored in the savegame, so that you can have different settings for each world. If you want to copy your watchlist to another savegame you can use the command list_export:
