DFHack Quickfort is a DFHack script that helps you build fortresses from "blueprint" .csv and .xlsx files. Many applications exist to edit these files, such as MS Excel and [Google Sheets](https://sheets.new). You can also build your plan "for real" in Dwarf Fortress, and then export your map using DFHack's [blueprint](https://docs.dfhack.org/en/stable/docs/Plugins.html#blueprint) plugin. Most layout and building-oriented DF commands are supported through the use of multiple files or spreadsheets, each describing a different phase of DF construction: designation, building, placing stockpiles/zones, and setting configuration.
The original idea and 1.0 codebase came from [Valdemar's](https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/User:Valdemar) auto-designation macro. Joel Thornton (joelpt) reimplemented the core logic in Python and extended its functionality with [Quickfort 2.0](https://github.com/joelpt/quickfort). This DFHack-native implementation, called "DFHack Quickfort" or just "quickfort", builds upon Quickfort 2.0's formats and features. DFHack Quickfort is written in Lua and interacts with Dwarf Fortress memory structures directly, allowing for instantaneous blueprint application, error checking and recovery, and many other advanced features.
This document focuses on DFHack Quickfort's capabilities and teaches players how to understand and build blueprint files. Some of the text was originally written by Joel Thornton, reused here with his permission.
For those just looking to apply blueprints, check out the [quickfort command syntax](https://docs.dfhack.org/en/stable/docs/_auto/base.html#quickfort) in the DFHack Scripts documentation. There are also many ready-to-use blueprints available in the `blueprints/library` subfolder in your DFHack installation. Browse them on your computer or [online](https://github.com/DFHack/dfhack/tree/develop/data/blueprints/library), or run `quickfort list -l` at the `DFHack#` prompt to list them, and then `quickfort run` to apply them to your fort!
* Automatic expansion of building footprints to their minimum dimensions, so only the center tile of a multi-tile building needs to be recorded in the blueprint
* Tile occupancy and validity checking so, for example, buildings that cannot be placed on a certain tile will simply be skipped instead of the blueprint failing to apply. Blueprints that are only partially applied for any reason (for example, you need to dig out some more tiles) can be safely reapplied to build the remaining buildings.
* Relaxed rules for farm plot and road placement: you can still place the building even if an invalid tile (e.g. stone tiles for farm plots) splits the designated area into two parts
* Intelligent boundary detection for adjacent buildings of the same type (e.g. a 6x6 block of `wj` cells will be correctly split into 4 jeweler's workshops)
* Includes a library of pre-made and tested aliases to automate most common tasks, such as configuring stockpiles for important item types or creating named hauling routes for quantum stockpiles.
* Supports including aliases in other aliases, and repeating key sequences a specified number of times
* Skips sending key sequences when the cursor is over a tile that does not have a stockpile or building, so missing buildings won't desynchronize your blueprint
* Instant halting of query blueprint application when keystroke errors are detected, such as when a key sequence leaves us stuck in a submenu, to make blueprint misconfigurations easier to debug
We recommend using a spreadsheet editor such as Excel, [Google Sheets](https://sheets.new), or [LibreOffice](https://www.libreoffice.org) to edit blueprint files, but any text editor will do.
Optionally following this keyword and a space, you may enter a comment. This comment will appear in the output of `quickfort list` when run from the `DFHack#` prompt. You can use this space for explanations, attribution, etc.
Below this line begin entering the keys you want sent in each cell. For example, we could dig out a 4x4 room like so (spaces are used as column separators here for clarity, but a real .csv file would have commas):
Note the # symbols at the right end of each row and below the last row. These are completely optional, but can be helpful to make the row and column positions clear.
Note my generosity - in addition to the bed (b) I've built a chest (h) here for the dwarf as well. You must use the full series of keys needed to build something in each cell, e.g. 'Cw' enters DF's constructions submenu (C) and selects walls (w).
I'd also like to place a booze stockpile in the 2 unoccupied tiles in the room.
#place Place a food stockpile
` `` ` #
` `` ` #
` f(2x1)#
` `` ` #
# # # # #
This illustration may be a little hard to understand. The f(2x1) is in column 2, row 3. All the other cells are empty. QF considers both "`" (backtick -- the character under the tilde) and "~" (tilde) characters within cells to be empty cells; this can help with multilayer or fortress-wide blueprint layouts as 'chalk lines'.
With f(2x1), we've asked QF to place a food stockpile 2 units wide by 1 high unit. Note that the f(2x1) syntax isn't actually necessary here; we could have just used:
#place Place a food stockpile
` `` ` #
` `` ` #
` f f ` #
` `` ` #
# # # # #
QF is smart enough to recognize this as a 2x1 food stockpile, and creates it as such rather than as two 1x1 food stockpiles. Quickfort recognizes any connected region of identical designations as a single stockpile. The tiles can be connected orthogonally or diagonally, just as long as they are touching somehow.
Lastly, let's turn the bed into a bedroom and set the food stockpile to hold only booze.
#query
` `` ` #
` r& ` #
` booze #
` `` ` #
# # # # #
In column 2, row 2 we have "r&". This sends the "r" key to DF when the cursor is over the bed, causing us to 'make room' and "&", which is a special symbol that expands to "{Enter}", to indicate that we're done.
In column 2, row 3 we have "booze". This is one of many alias keywords defined in the included [baseline aliases file](https://github.com/DFHack/dfhack/tree/develop/data/quickfort/aliases-common.txt). This particular alias sets a food stockpile to carry booze only. It sends the keys needed to navigate DF's stockpile settings menu, and then sends an Escape character ("^" or "{ESC}") to exit back to the map. It is important to exit out of any menus that you enter while in query mode so that the cursor can move to the next tile when it is done configuring the current tile.
Check out the included [blueprint library](https://github.com/DFHack/dfhack/tree/develop/data/blueprints/library) to see many more examples. Read the baseline aliases file for helpful pre-packaged aliases, or create your own in [dfhack-config/quickfort/aliases.txt](https://github.com/DFHack/dfhack/tree/develop/dfhack-config/quickfort/aliases.txt) in your DFHack installation.
Area expansion syntax
---------------------
In Quickfort, the following blueprints are equivalent:
#dig a 3x3 area
d d d #
d d d #
d d d #
# # # #
#dig the same area with d(3x3) specified in row 1, col 1
d(3x3)#
` ` ` #
` ` ` #
# # # #
The second example uses Quickfort's "area expansion syntax", which takes the form:
In Quickfort the above two examples of specifying a contiguous 3x3 area produce identical output: a single 3x3 designation will be performed, rather than nine 1x1 designations as the first example might suggest.
Area expansion syntax can only specify rectangular areas. If you want to create extent-based structures (e.g. farm plots or stockpiles) in different shapes, use the first format above. For example:
#place L shaped food stockpile
f f ` ` #
f f ` ` #
f f f f #
f f f f #
# # # # #
Area expansion syntax also sets boundaries, which can be useful if you want adjacent, but separate, stockpiles of the same type:
#place Two touching but separate food stockpiles
f(4x2) #
~ ~ ~ ~ #
f(4x2) #
~ ~ ~ ~ #
# # # # #
As mentioned previously, "~" characters are ignored as comment characters and can be used for visualizing the blueprint layout. The blueprint can be equivalently written as:
#place Two touching but separate food stockpiles
f(4x2) #
~ ~ ~ ~ #
f f f f #
f f f f #
# # # # #
since the area expansion syntax of the upper stockpile prevents it from combining with the lower, freeform syntax stockpile.
Area expansion syntax can also be used for buildings which have an adjustable size, like bridges. The following blueprints are equivalent:
#build a 4x2 bridge from row 1, col 1
ga(4x2) ` #
` `` ` #
# # # # #
#build a 4x2 bridge from row 1, col 1
ga ga ga ga #
ga ga ga ga #
# # # # #
Automatic area expansion
------------------------
Buildings larger than 1x1, like workshops, can be represented in any of three ways. You can designate just their center tile with empty cells around it to leave room for the footprint, like this:
#build a mason workshop in row 2, col 2 that will occupy the 3x3 area
` ` ` #
` wm ` #
` ` ` #
# # # #
Or you can fill out the entire footprint like this:
#build a mason workshop
wm wm wm #
wm wm wm #
wm wm wm #
# # # #
This format may be verbose for regular workshops, but it can be very helpful for laying out structures like screw pump towers and waterwheels, whose "center point" can be non-obvious.
Finally, you can use area expansion syntax to represent the workshop:
#build a mason workshop
wm(3x3) #
` ` ` #
` ` ` #
# # # #
This style can be convenient for laying out multiple buildings of the same type. If you are building a large-scale block factory, for example, this will create 20 mason workshops all in a row:
#build line of 20 mason workshops
wm(60x3) #
Quickfort will intelligently break large areas of the same designation into appropriately-sized chunks.
Multilevel blueprints are accommodated by separating Z-levels of the blueprint with `#>` (go down one z-level) or `#<` (go up one z-level) at the end of each floor.
#dig Stairs leading down to a small room below
j ` ` #
` ` ` #
` ` ` #
#> # # #
u d d #
d d d #
d d d #
# # # #
The marker must appear in the first column of the row to be recognized, just like a modeline.
DF designation priorities are supported for `#dig` blueprints. The full syntax is `[letter][number][expansion]`, where if the `letter` is not specified, `d` is assumed, and if `number` is not specified, `4` is assumed (the default priority). So each of these blueprints is equivalent:
#dig dig the interior of the room at high priority
d d d d d #
d d1 d1 d1 d #
d d1 d1 d1 d #
d d1 d1 d1 d #
d d d d d #
# # # # # #
#dig dig the interior of the room at high priority
d d d d d #
d d1(3x3) d #
d ` ` ` d #
d ` ` ` d #
d d d d d #
# # # # # #
#dig dig the interior of the room at high priority
Marker mode is useful for when you want to plan out your digging, but you don't want to dig everything just yet. In `#dig` mode, you can add a `m` before any other designation letter to indicate that the tile should be designated in marker mode. For example, to dig out the perimeter of a room, but leave the center of the room marked for digging later:
#dig
d d d d d #
d md md md d #
d md md md d #
d md md md d #
d d d d d #
# # # # # #
Then you can use "Toggle Standard/Marking" (`d-M`) to convert the center tiles to regular designations at your leisure.
To apply an entire dig blueprint in marker mode, regardless of what the blueprint itself says, you can set the global quickfort setting `force_marker_mode` to `true` before you apply the blueprint.
Note that the in-game UI setting "Standard/Marker Only" (`d-m`) does not have any effect on quickfort.
It is very common to have stockpiles that accept multiple categories of items or zones that permit more than one activity. Although it is perfectly valid to declare a single-purpose stockpile or zone and then modify it with a `#query` blueprint, quickfort also supports directly declaring all the types on the `#place` and `#zone` blueprints. For example, to declare a 10x10 area that is a pasture, a fruit picking area, and a meeting area all at once, you could write:
To toggle the `active` flag for zones, add an `a` character to the string. For example, to create a *disabled* pit zone (that you later intend to turn into a pond and carefully fill to 3-depth water):
Note that while this notation covers most use cases, tweaking low-level zone parameters, like hospital supply levels or converting between pits and ponds, must still be done manually or with a `#query` blueprint.
There are two ways to produce minecart tracks, and they are handled very differently by the game. You can carve them into hard natural floors or you can construct them out of building materials. Constructed tracks are conceptually simpler, so we'll start with them.
Quickfort supports the designation of track stops and rollers through the normal mechanisms: a `#build` blueprint with `CS` and some number of `d` and `a` characters (for selecting dump direction and friction) in a cell designates a track stop and a `#build` blueprint with `Mr` and some number of `s` and `q` characters (for direction and speed) designates a roller. This can get confusing very quickly and is very difficult to read in a blueprint. Constructed track segments don't even have keys associated with them at all!
Note that the **only** way to build track and track/ramp segments is with the keywords. The UI method of using "+" and "-" keys to select the track type from a list does not work since DFHack Quickfort doesn't actually send keys to the UI to build buildings. The text in your spreadsheet cells is mapped directly into DFHack API calls. Only `#query` blueprints still send actual keycodes to the UI.
In the game, you carve a minecart track by specifying a beginning and ending tile and the game "adds" the designation to the tiles. You cannot designate single tiles. For example to carve two track segments that cross each other, you might use the cursor to designate a line of three vertical tiles like this:
"But wait!", I can hear you say, "How do you designate a track corner that opens to the South and East? You can't put both T(1xH) and T(Wx1) in the same cell!" This is true, but you can specify both width and height, and for tracks, QF interprets it as an upper-left corner extending to the right W tiles and down H tiles. For example, to carve a track in a closed ring, you'd write:
#dig
T(3x3) ` T(1x3) #
` ` ` #
T(3x1) ` ` #
# # # #
Which would result in a carved track simliar to a constructed track of the form:
Note that all elements are optional except for the initial `#mode`. Here are a few examples of modelines with optional elements before we discuss them in more detail:
#dig start(3; 3; Center tile of a 5-tile square) Regular blueprint comment
Labels are displayed in the `quickfort list` output and are used for addressing specific blueprints when there are multiple blueprints in a single file or spreadsheet sheet (see [Packaging a set of blueprints](#packaging-a-set-of-blueprints) below). If a blueprint has no label, the label becomes the ordinal of the blueprint's position in the file or sheet. For example, the label of the first blueprint will be "1" if it is not otherwise set, the label of the second blueprint will be "2" if it is not otherwise set, etc. Labels that are explicitly defined must start with a letter to ensure the auto-generated labels don't conflict with user-defined labels.
Start positions specify a cursor offset for a particular blueprint, simplifying the task of blueprint alignment. This is very helpful for blueprints that are based on a central staircase, but it helps whenever a blueprint has an obvious "center". For example:
The two numbers specify the column and row (or X and Y offset) where the cursor is expected to be when you apply the blueprint. Position 1;1 is the top left cell. The optional comment will show up in the `quickfort list` output and should contain information about where to position the cursor. If the start position is 1;1, you can omit the numbers and just add a comment describing where to put the cursor. This is also useful for meta blueprints that don't actually care where the cursor is, but that refer to other blueprints that have fully-specified `start()` markers. For example, a meta blueprint that refers to the `masonw` blueprint above could look like this:
A blueprint with a `hidden()` marker won't appear in `quickfort list` output unless the `--hidden` flag is specified. The primary reason for hiding a blueprint (rather than, say, deleting it or moving it out of the `blueprints/` folder) is if a blueprint is intended to be run as part of a larger sequence managed by a [meta blueprint](#meta-blueprints).
A blueprint with a `message()` marker will display a message after the blueprint is applied with `quickfort run`. This is useful for reminding players to take manual steps that cannot be automated, like assigning animals to a pasture or assigning minecarts to a route, or listing the next step in a series of blueprints. For long or multi-part messages, you can embed newlines:
A complete specification for a section of your fortress may contain 5 or more separate blueprints, one for each "phase" of construction (dig, build, place stockpiles, designate zones, query building adjustments).
To manage all the separate blueprints, it is often convenient to keep related blueprints in a single file. For .xlsx spreadsheets, you can keep each blueprint in a separate sheet. Online spreadsheet applications like [Google Sheets](https://sheets.new) make it easy to work with multiple related blueprints, and, as a bonus, they retain any formatting you've set, like column sizes and coloring.
For both .csv files and .xlsx spreadsheets you can also add as many blueprints as you want in a single file or sheet. Just add a modeline in the first column to indicate the start of a new blueprint. Instead of multiple .csv files, you can concatenate them into one single file.
For example, you can store multiple blueprints together like this:
Those three "apply"s in the middle might as well get done in one command instead of three. A meta blueprint can encode that sequence. A meta blueprint refers to other blueprints by their label (see the [Modeline markers](modeline-markers) section above) in the same format used by the `DFHack#` quickfort command: "<sheet_name>/<label>", or just "/<label>" for blueprints in .csv files or blueprints in the same spreadsheet sheet as the #meta blueprint that references them.
Note how I've given them all labels so we can address them safely. If I hadn't given them labels, they would receive default labels of "1", "2", "3", etc, but those labels would change if I ever add more blueprints at the top. This is not a problem if we're just running the blueprints individually from the `quickfort list` command, but meta blueprints need a label name that isn't going to change over time.
- **Apply meta buildprint** to build buildings and designate/configure stockpiles
- Wait for buildings to get built
- Apply the final query blueprint to configure the room
You can use meta blueprints to lay out your fortress at a larger scale as well. The `#<` and `#>` notation is valid in meta blueprints, so you can, for example, store the dig blueprints for all the levels of your fortress in different sheets in a spreadsheet, and then use a meta blueprint to designate your entire fortress for digging at once. For example, say you have a spreadsheet with the following layout:
Sheet name | contents
---------- | --------
dig_farming | one #dig blueprint, no label
dig_industry | one #dig blueprint, no label
dig_dining | four #dig blueprints, with labels "main", "basement", "waterway", and "cistern"
dig_guildhall | one #dig blueprint, no label
dig_suites | one #dig blueprint, no label
dig_bedrooms | one #dig blueprint, no label
We can add a sheet named "dig_all" with the following contents (we're expecting a big fort, so we're planning for a lot of bedrooms):
#meta dig the whole fortress (remember to set force_marker_mode to true)
dig_farming/1
#>
dig_industry/1
#>
#>
dig_dining/main
#>
dig_dining/basement
#>
dig_dining/waterway
#>
dig_dining/cistern
#>
dig_guildhall/1
#>
dig_suites/1
#>
dig_bedrooms/1
#>
dig_bedrooms/1
#>
dig_bedrooms/1
#>
dig_bedrooms/1
#>
dig_bedrooms/1
Note that for blueprints without an explicit label, we still need to address them by their auto-generated numerical label.
You can then hide the blueprints that you now manage with the `#meta`-mode blueprint from `quickfort list` by adding a `hidden()` marker to their modelines. That way the output of `quickfort list` won't be cluttered by blueprints that you don't need to run directly. If you ever *do* need to access the managed blueprints individually, you can still see them with `quickfort list --hidden`.
Buildingplan is a DFHack plugin that keeps jobs in a suspended state until the materials required for the job are available. This prevents a building designation from being canceled when a dwarf picks up the job but can't find the materials.
For all types that buildingplan supports, quickfort using buildingplan to manage construction. Buildings are still constructed immediately if you have the materials, but you now have the freedom to apply build blueprints before you manufacture all required materials, and the jobs will be fulfilled as the materials become available.
If a `#build` blueprint only refers to supported types, the buildingplan integration pairs well with the [workflow](https://docs.dfhack.org/en/stable/docs/Plugins.html#workflow) plugin, which can build items a few at a time continuously as long as they are needed. For building types that are not yet supported by buildingplan, a good pattern to follow is to first run `quickfort orders` on the `#build` blueprint to manufacture all the required items, then apply the blueprint itself.
See [buildingplan documentation](https://docs.dfhack.org/en/stable/docs/Plugins.html#buildingplan) for a list of supported types.
Many items can be manufactured from different source materials. Orders will always choose rock when it can, then wood, then cloth, then iron. You can always remove orders that don't make sense for your fort and manually enqueue a similar order more to your liking. For example, if you want silk ropes instead of cloth ropes, make a new manager order for an appropriate quantity of silk ropes, and then remove the generated cloth rope order.
Anything that requires generic building materials (workshops, constructions, etc.) will result in an order for a rock block. One "Make rock blocks" job produces four blocks per boulder, so the number of jobs ordered will be the number of blocks you need divided by four (rounded up). You might end up with a few extra blocks, but not too many.
If you want your constructions to be in a consistent color, be sure to choose a rock type for all of your 'Make rock blocks' orders by selecting the order and hitting `d`. You might want to set the rock type for other non-block orders to something different if you fear running out of the type of rock that you want to use for blocks.
There are a few building types that will generate extra manager orders for related materials:
- Track stops will generate an order for a minecart
- Traction benches will generate orders for a table, mechanism, and rope
* During blueprint application, especially query blueprints, don't click the mouse on the DF window or type any keys. They can change the state of the game while the blueprint is being applied, resulting in strange errors.
* After digging out an area, you may wish to smooth and/or engrave the area before starting the build phase, as dwarves may be unable to access walls or floors that are behind/under built objects.
* If you are designating more than one level for digging at a time, you can make your miners more efficient by using marker mode on all levels but one. This prevents your miners from digging out a few tiles on one level, then running down/up the stairs to do a few tiles on an adjacent level. With only one level "live" and all other levels in marker mode, your miners can concentrate on one level at a time. You just have to remember to "unmark" a new level when your miners are done with their current one.
* As of DF 0.34.x, it is no longer possible to build doors (d) at the same time that you build adjacent walls (Cw). Doors must now be built *after* walls are constructed for them to be next to. This does not affect the more common case where walls exist as a side-effect of having dug-out a room in a #dig blueprint.
* Buildings will be designated regardless of whether you have the required materials, but if materials are not available when the construction job is picked up by a dwarf, the buildings will be canceled and the designations will disappear. Until the buildingplan plugin can be extended to support all building types, you should use `quickfort orders` to pre-manufacture all the materials you need for a `#build` blueprint before you apply it.
* If you use the `jugs` alias in your `#query`-mode blueprints, be aware that there is no way to differentiate jugs from other types of tools in the game. Therefore, `jugs` stockpiles will also take nest boxes and other tools. The only workaround is not to have other tools lying around in your fort.
* Likewise for bags. The game does not differentiate between empty and full bags, so you'll get bags of gypsum power and sand in your bags stockpile unless you avoid collecting sand and are careful to assign all your gypsum to your hospital.
* Building instruments, bookcases, display furniture, and offering places are not yet supported by DFHack.
* This script is relatively new, and there are bound to be bugs! Please report them at the [DFHack issue tracker](https://github.com/DFHack/dfhack/issues) so they can be addressed.
