Tilesets

!!UNKNOWN!! · xTATTEREDx · +FINE+ · *SUPERIOR* · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡ · ☼MASTERWORK☼

v50.13 · v0.47.05

This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.

More Info · V

(For an overview of graphics in DF, see Graphics)

(For a chart with the default ASCII characters, see Character table.)

(For user-created creature tilesets, see Tileset repository.)

(For information about Graphic sets, see Graphic set)

(For information on how tilesets get colored, see Color)

Tilesets are images the game uses to display its graphics; each tile is used to show text and represent things. Users create custom tilesets for a number of reasons, including increased visibility, aesthetics, or small size. Tilesets come in two flavors: "character sets" (or simply "tilesets") and "graphics sets". This article is only about tilesets.

Overview

A character set (or 'tileset') is an image in BMP or PNG format that contains the 256 different tiles (numbered 0-255), corresponding to the IBM Code Page 437 (sometimes called Extended ASCII), which are used to display all graphics. The tiles are always arranged in a 16x16 grid, but its dimensions can be varied. You can have both square and non-square tiles, with 16x16 pixels being the most common size.

As the tileset is limited to only 256 tiles, some objects share the same tile. Some of those can be changed in the raws and init files, and creatures can have separate graphics, but in most cases they are hardcoded. Below is a detailed list.

Installation and creation of custom tilesets

Installation

Tileset repository is a list of user-made standard tilesets, and provides installation instructions.

Creating a custom tileset

The default (and minimum) gameplay viewport is 80 characters wide, and 25 characters tall. Therefore, a tileset's target resolution will be TILE_X_LENGTH * 80 by TILE_Y_LENGTH * 25. Since the tileset is arranged into a 16x16 grid of tiles (256 tiles total), the tileset image size will be TILE_X_LENGTH * 16 by TILE_Y_LENGTH * 16. Here are some common tile sizes:

A tileset with 10x12 tiles will be 160x192 pixels large, and the target resolution will be 800x300.
A tileset with 16x16 tiles will be 256x256 pixels large, and the target resolution will be 1280x400.

When creating a custom tileset, it's often easiest to start with an existing one, and edit it to your liking. Tilesets generally fall into two categories: rectangular tilesets and square tilesets. Rectangular tilesets have tiles that are taller than they are wide. The text in these tilesets is generally easier to read, but the map appears squished horizontally. Square tilesets usually provide more attractive graphics, but are slightly less readable. The graphics in Dwarf Fortress can be enhanced through the use of creature graphics, which allow creatures to have unique graphics without using up space on the main tilesheet. Mifki created a tool to make a tileset from any font, which can be used as starting point or as is.^[1]

Many tiles are used by the game in multiple ways, and this makes customizing the graphics difficult. The same icon is used for chairs and the north end of one-tile-wide vertical bridges. Ashes and broken arrows look the same, and many game entities (such as levers, floodgates, bags, and bins) share characters that are also used in Dwarven names or other bits of text in the interface.

Some of these issues can be fixed by the third-party Text Will Be Text (TWBT) plugin for the DFHack modding API. In addition to many other features, TWBT allows many items and building tiles to be moved to separate "overrides" tilesheets, so that fewer objects need to share tiles. TWBT also allows the use of a dedicated tilesheet just for text. TWBT still might not be very stable in adventure mode, though, so be cautious when using TWBT with adventure mode.

Generating a custom tileset from a font in Linux

While TrueType fonts can be used directly in Dwarf Fortress, it may be desirable to generate a tileset image instead (for example, when using TWBT). In Linux, it is possible to do this programmatically in the terminal. The following command will open a terminal window with your desired font, rendered appropriately for Dwarf Fortress, and screenshots it. It requires xterm, the screenshot utility xwd, and a text file containing the code page 437 characters in the appropriate order.

xterm -fa "FONTFAMILY:pixelsize:SIZE:antialias=false" -bg magenta -geometry 16x16 -e "setterm -cursor off && printf '%s' \"\$(<PATH/TO/CODE437.txt)\" && sleep 0.1 && xwd -id \$WINDOWID | xwdtopnm | pnmtopng > \"FONTFAMILY-SIZE.png\""

This will generate an image in your current directory, so it might be a good idea to cd into your /data/art directory beforehand.

This works much better for bitmap fonts, in their native size. For a list of such fonts on your system and their sizes, you can run

fc-list :scalable=false:spacing=mono family pixelsize

What tiles are used for what

Items marked with * can have their tile changed in the raw data files.
Items marked with ^# can have their tile replaced by a graphic set image, in addition to having their tile changed in the raw data.
Items marked with ^$ can be changed in the d_init.txt file.
Items marked with ^¢ use dual colors.
Items marked with ^÷ use inverted tile

For a graphical table, go to the Character Table.

Row 01 (000-015)

000	Used for background tiles in the intro CMV and background tiles of interface screens
001 `☺`	Civilian dwarves^#, various status indicators
002 `☻`	Military dwarves^#
003 `♥`	Dimple cups*
004 `♦`	Cut gems, large gems
005 `♣`	Quarry bush leaves, blossoms, various forest trees*
006 `♠`	Broadleaf forest, various forest trees, various leaf items, Plump helmets*
007 `•`	Mined-out stone, solid workshop tile for several workshops like the magma smelter, filled nest box building, river sources on world map, caves on world map, lairs on world map, moon on travel map, flower buds
008 `◘`	Solid workshop tile for several other workshops like the magma forge, tanner's shop, catapult cup, nest box tool*, empty nest box building, codices, dice
009 `○`	Well, vermin colony, millstone, quern, vertical axle, fortress walls on travel map, sun behind clouds on travel map, castles on world map, monasteries on world map, creeping eye out of view (adventure mode), staring eyeball, bubble bulb*
010 `◙`	trunk interior^$, forts on world map
011 `♂`	Male sign, bags, various cephalopods^#
012 `♀`	Female sign, amulet
013 `♪`	Ladles*, dancers dancing
014 `♫`	Armor stands, playing instruments
015 `☼`	Masterpiece quality tags, unmined gem cluster, Rough gems and Raw glass, unmined bituminous coal, mined bituminous coal, currency symbol, spider webs, pond turtle, sun, gear assemblies, paralyzed indicator, fireballs, bandit camps on travel map, towns on world map, night creature senses, artifact gem doors^¢

Row 02 (016-031)

016 `►`	Head of Ballista arrow facing east, manta ray^#
017 `◄`	Head of Ballista arrow facing west
018 `↕`
019 `‼`	Cages^¢, on-fire tags, vertical bars
020 `¶`	Mugs, drinking in-progress, largest forest retreats, cumulonimbus clouds on travel map, Highwood forests*
021 `§`	Restraints, whip vine*
022 `▬`	Logs, hive tool*, hive building
023 `↨`	Cedar forest*
024 `↑`	Interface text (bridge direction), conifer forests, various forest trees*
025 `↓`	Interface text (bridge direction), Various status indicators
026 `→`	Interface text (bridge direction)
027 `←`	Interface text (bridge direction)
028 `∟`
029 `↔`
030 `▲`	Head of Ballista arrow facing north, ramp, track ramp up^$, mountain on world map
031 `▼`	Head of Ballista arrow facing south, ramp on level below, trackramp on level below^$

Row 03 (032-047)

032	Spaces in text messages, Unexplored underground, black background on the title screen and interface menu
033 `!`	Text, various status icons, sound indicator in sneaking mode, tracks (footprints) in sneaking mode
034 `"`	Text, shrub, various status icons, quotation marks, Carpenter's workshop tile, kobold out of view, goblin out of view, blizzard man out of view, tracks (bent vegetation) in sneaking mode, various stones*, savanna, swamp, shrubland, marsh
035 `#`	Text, floor grates, various stones*, smoothed branches in elven forest retreats, labyrinths on travel map, towns on world map
036 `$`	Coins
037 `%`	Prepared meal, unexplored underground, screw pump in action, footprints in sneaking mode, various fruits, various buds, various stones, Bismuthinite, Floating guts^#
038 `&`	Demons^#
039 `'`	Text, rough floors, unexplored underground, various stones, one eyed creatures with GLOWTILE " (kobold, goblins, and blizzard in vanilla), various grasses*
040 `(`	Text, foreign object opening tag, tile in bowyer's workshop, waning moon on travel map
041 `)`	Text, foreign object closing tag, waxing moon on travel map
042 `*`	Interface text, superior quality tags, Unmined ore, glowing pits, key reference, working gear assembly, gem floodgate, various stones, chestnut fruit, other fruits and flowers, moving armies on quick travel map, towns on world map
043 `+`	Text, finely-crafted quality tags, Smooth/constructed floors, block/bar bridge or road, Bauxite*, injury indicator, towns on world map, mining designation
044 `,`	Text, rough floors, Claystone, unexplored underground, various grasses
045 `-`	Text, well-crafted quality tags, Scepters, keyboard reference, various stones*, overlapping creatures animation
046 `.`	Text, rough floors, various stones, unexplored underground, various grasses
047 `/`	Text, weapons, bolts, Ballista tile, Pestle, overlapping creatures animation, stone axe^v0.43.01, active windmill blade

Row 04 (048-063)

048 `0`	Text, coffins, tombs on world map
049 `1`	Text, designation priorities, adventurer mode conversation targets, fluids if SHOW_FLOW_AMOUNTS is YES in d_init.txt
050 `2`	Text, designation priorities, adventurer mode conversation targets, fluids if SHOW_FLOW_AMOUNTS is YES in d_init.txt
051 `3`	Text, designation priorities, adventurer mode conversation targets, fluids if SHOW_FLOW_AMOUNTS is YES in d_init.txt
052 `4`	Text, designation priorities, adventurer mode conversation targets, fluids if SHOW_FLOW_AMOUNTS is YES in d_init.txt
053 `5`	Text, designation priorities, adventurer mode conversation targets, fluids if SHOW_FLOW_AMOUNTS is YES in d_init.txt
054 `6`	Text, designation priorities, adventurer mode conversation targets, fluids if SHOW_FLOW_AMOUNTS is YES in d_init.txt
055 `7`	Text, designation priorities, adventurer mode conversation targets, fluids if SHOW_FLOW_AMOUNTS is YES in d_init.txt
056 `8`	Text, Fortress gates on travel map
057 `9`	Text
058 `:`	Interface text, strawberry, prickle berry, fisher berry, sun berry, snowstorms, underground shrubs*
059 `;`	Interface text (command menu Movies key), Mason's workshop, Kitchen, Selenite*, twigs^$
060 `<`	Interface text (trading screen "Less than 1 unit weight"), brackets around squad names, Stairs up, west move indicator (adventure mode)
061 `=`	Empty Stockpiles, hamlets on world map, various stones*, middle-left tile of Furnaces, up-right tile of Carpenter's workshop
062 `>`	Brackets around squad names, Stairs down, east move indicator (adventure mode)
063 `?`	Text, various status icons

Row 05 (064-079)

064 `@`	berserk dwarf^#, adventurer^#, dwarven merchants^#, dwarven caravan guards^#, dwarven diplomat^#, adventurer's location on map
065 `A`	Text, various creatures^#, Tile in Farm Workshop
066 `B`	Text, various creatures^#
067 `C`	Text, various creatures^#, construction designations
068 `D`	Text, various creatures^#, Depot Access Display
069 `E`	Text, various creatures^#
070 `F`	Text, various creatures^#
071 `G`	Text, various creatures^#
072 `H`	Text, various creatures^#, high traffic designation
073 `I`	Text, various creatures^#, support, Necromancer's tower on world map
074 `J`	Text, various creatures^#
075 `K`	Text, various creatures^#
076 `L`	Text, various creatures^#, low traffic designation
077 `M`	Text, various creatures^#
078 `N`	Text, various creatures^#
079 `O`	Text, various creatures^#, trade depot post, glass portal, Tile in Farm Workshop, column^$, wall construction, full moon on travel map and dwarf mode, trunk^$, staring eyeball, bubble bulb, windmill hub

Row 06 (080-095)

080 `P`	Text, various creatures^#
081 `Q`	Text
082 `R`	Text, various creatures^#, restricted traffic designation
083 `S`	Text, various creatures^#
084 `T`	Text, various creatures^#
085 `U`	Text, various creatures^#
086 `V`	Text, Badlands on map
087 `W`	Text, various creatures^#, Depot Access Display
088 `X`	Text, wear tags, keyboard cursor, Bin^¢, floodgate^¢, shop post, building footprint, Depot Access Display, up/down stairs, Tile in Ashery, Archery target, various status indicators
089 `Y`	Text, Yak^#, Yeti^#
090 `Z`	Text, Sleep indicator
091 `[`	Text, Floor tile in workshops, Clothing, armor, item stack opening tag, moon on travel map, tracks (bootprints) in sneaking mode
092 `\`	Overlapping creatures animation, Ballista tile, helves*^v0.43.01, active windmill blade
093 `]`	Text, Floor tile in workshops and furnaces, item stack closing tag
094 `^`	Trap, Alabaster, Aluminum, Volcano on world map, north move indicator (adventure mode), Mechanic Workshop center-south tile (in light cyan)
095 `_`	Text, Channel designation

Row 07 (096-111)

096 `	Rough floors, unexplored underground, various stones, various grasses*
097 `a`	Text, various creatures^#
098 `b`	Text, various creatures^#
099 `c`	Text, various creatures^#
100 `d`	Text, various creatures^#
101 `e`	Text, various creatures^#
102 `f`	Text, various creatures^#
103 `g`	Text, various creatures^#
104 `h`	Text, various creatures^#
105 `i`	Text, various creatures^#
106 `j`	Text, various creatures^#
107 `k`	Text, various creatures^#
108 `l`	Text, various creatures^#
109 `m`	Text, various creatures^#
110 `n`	Text, various creatures^#, Hills on map
111 `o`	Text, various creatures^#, Graphite, well construction, bridge construction, millstone in action, vertical axle in action, floor tile in magma furnaces, staring eyeball, bubble bulb, winter melon, watermelon*

Row 08 (112-127)

112 `p`	Text, various creatures^#
113 `q`	Text
114 `r`	Text, various creatures^#
115 `s`	Text, various creatures^#
116 `t`	Text, various creatures^#
117 `u`	Text
118 `v`	Text, various creatures^#, various stones*, south move indicator (adventure mode)
119 `w`	Text, various creatures^#
120 `x`	Text, wear tags, Saltpeter*
121 `y`	Text
122 `z`	Text
123 `{`	Forbidden opening tag, tile in Jeweler's workshop, vermin, purring maggot^#
124 `\|`	Talc*, pipe sections, overlapping creatures animation
125 `}`	Forbidden closing tag, vermin, purring maggot alternate*
126 `~`	Unfinished rough stone road, flowing water, dirt road, farm plot under construction, sand, furrowed soil, blood smear, guts, Various creatures^#, Magnetite*
127 `⌂`	Animal trap, low mountains on world map, part of mechanic's workshop, trunk^$

Row 09 (128-143)

128 `Ç`	Text, Mechanisms
129 `ü`	Text
130 `é`	Text
131 `â`	Text
132 `ä`	Text, Angels
133 `à`	Text
134 `å`	Text
135 `ç`	Text, Totems
136 `ê`	Text
137 `ë`	Text, military elves
138 `è`	Text
139 `ï`	Text, Pedestal*
140 `î`	Text, Elven forest retreat
141 `ì`	Text
142 `Ä`	Text, Angels
143 `Å`	Text, Figurines, shrines on travel map

Row 10 (144-159)

144 `É`	Text, altars
145 `æ`	Toys, hamlets on world map
146 `Æ`	Coffers, quivers, backpacks, hamlets on world map
147 `ô`	Text, Cauldrons*
148 `ö`	Text, Rings
149 `ò`	Text, Unactivated levers, Various creatures^#
150 `û`	Text, Buckets
151 `ù`	Text
152 `ÿ`	Text, Valley herb*
153 `Ö`	Bracelets, wheelbarrows*
154 `Ü`	Military Humans
155 `¢`	Hatch covers^¢, musical instrument pieces^v0.42.01
156 `£`	Various stones, most unmined ores,
157 `¥`	Cave lobster*
158 `₧`	Stepladder*, largest forest retreat ruins
159 `ƒ`	Rope reed, splints, arrow bamboo, golden bamboo, hedge bamboo

Row 11 (160-175)

160 `á`	Text
161 `í`	Text
162 `ó`	Text, Activated levers
163 `ú`	Text
164 `ñ`	Text, Bogeyman
165 `Ñ`	Night creatures
166 `ª`	dark pit ruins
167 `º`	Cloth, dark pit
168 `¿`	Musical Instruments
169 `⌐`	Withered plants, wormy tendril
170 `¬`	wormy tendril*
171 `½`
172 `¼`	Roc nests, roots^$, branches^$
173 `¡`	Flask, waterskin, Pouch
174 `«`	Tail of Ballista arrow facing west, item with decoration tags
175 `»`	Tail of Ballista arrow facing east, item with decoration tags

Row 12 (176-191)

176 `░`	Partially dug rock, various flows (miasma, cave-in dust, steam, smoke, etc.), Fishery, fog on travel map, Semi-molten Rock, various stones, various soils, Workshop wall tiles (craftdwarf's, bowyer's, mason's, mechanic's, jeweler's, clothier's, kitchen, and leather works), fallen leaves, vermin swarm
177 `▒`	Partially dug rock, various flows (miasma, cave-in dust, steam, smoke, etc.), side tiles for catapult, window, fog on travel map, various stones, various kinds of soil, fallen leaves, vermin swarm
178 `▓`	Partially dug rock, various flows (miasma, cave-in dust, steam, smoke, etc.), floor tile for ice, tanner's shop, butcher's shop, Wagon body, fog on travel map, various kinds of stones, various kinds of soil, sky^$, fallen leaves
179 `│`	Overworld rivers, well chain/rope, bolts in flight, rotating horizontal axles, branches^$, active EW water wheel, active windmill blade, upright weapon trap
180 `┤`	Overworld rivers, top-right tile for Loom, branches^$, Glumprong forests*
181 `╡`	Blood thorn trees*, bridges, catapult tile, tracks^$
182 `╢`	Branches^$, east roller
183 `╖`	Ends of smooth walls
184 `╕`	Ends of smooth walls
185 `╣`	Smooth/constructed walls, tracks^$, trunk^$
186 `║`	Smooth/constructed walls, bridges, wooden doors^¢, center catapult tile, center Ballista tile, axles, tracks^$, fortress walls on travel map, trunk^$, NS water wheel, windmill blade
187 `╗`	Smooth/constructed walls, bridges, tracks^$, trunk^$
188 `╝`	Smooth/constructed walls, bridges, tracks^$, trunk^$
189 `╜`	Ends of smooth walls
190 `╛`	Ends of smooth walls
191 `┐`	Overworld rivers, branches^$, northeast move indicator (adventure mode)

Row 13 (192-207)

192 `└`	Overworld rivers/Roads, branches^$, southwest move indicator (adventure mode)
193 `┴`	Overworld rivers/Roads, branches^$
194 `┬`	Overworld rivers/Roads, crutches, branches^$
195 `├`	Overworld rivers/Roads, top-left tile for Loom, branches^$
196 `─`	Overworld rivers/Roads, bolts in flight, rotating axles, branches^$, active NS water wheel, active windmill blade
197 `┼`	Doors^¢, overworld rivers/Roads, floor detailing/engraving in progress, branches^$
198 `╞`	Bridges, trees in winter, (un)dead trees, Saguaro, catapult tile, tracks^$, branches^$
199 `╟`	branches^$, west roller
200 `╚`	Smooth/constructed walls, bridges, tracks^$, fortress walls on travel map, trunk^$
201 `╔`	Smooth/constructed walls, bridges, tracks^$, fortress walls on travel map, trunk^$
202 `╩`	Smooth/constructed walls, tracks^$, trunk^$
203 `╦`	Smooth/constructed walls, tracks^$, fortress walls on travel map, trunk^$
204 `╠`	Smooth/constructed walls, tracks^$, trunk^$
205 `═`	Smooth/constructed walls, bridges, planted crops, center catapult tile, center Ballista tile, axles, tracks^$, fortress walls on travel map, trunk^$, EW water wheel, windmill blade
206 `╬`	Smooth/constructed walls, bridges, fortifications, (flashing) wall detailing/engraving/fortifying in progress, tracks^$, trunk^$
207 `╧`	Tail of Ballista arrow facing north, screw press building, branches^$, south roller

Row 14 (208-223)

208 `╨`	Bridges, catapult tile, tracks^$
209 `╤`	Table, tail of Ballista arrow facing south, branches^$, north roller
210 `╥`	Chairs, bridges, catapult tile, farmer's workshop bottom-middle tile, tracks^$
211 `╙`	Ends of smooth walls
212 `╘`	Ends of smooth walls
213 `╒`	Ends of smooth walls
214 `╓`	Ends of smooth walls
215 `╫`	Wooden floodgates, bone floodgates, wall grates
216 `╪`	Door designation
217 `┘`	Overworld rivers, branches^$, southeast move indicator (adventure mode)
218 `┌`	Overworld rivers, branches^$, northwest move indicator (adventure mode)
219 `█`	Interface window border, trade depot tile, ice wall and dig-designated tiles, Mist
220 `▄`	Ballista tile, Siege engine parts
221 `▌`	Ballista tile
222 `▐`	Ballista tile
223 `▀`	Ballista tile

Row 15 (224-239)

224 `α`	Various fish^#, top-center fishery tile, meat, altocumulus clouds on travel map
225 `ß`	Leather, cumulus clouds on travel map
226 `Γ`	Weight symbol, various forest trees, tropical forests
227 `π`	Cabinet, Display cases^÷*, dark fortresses
228 `Σ`	Trap component
229 `σ`	Anvil, metalsmith's and magma forge bottom-middle tile, jugs*
230 `µ`	Crown, ruins on world map, shop signs (adventure mode)
231 `τ`	Tree sapling, pig tail, cave wheat, Longland grass, rat weed, hide root, muck root, blade weed, sliver barb, shrubland, arrow bamboo, golden bamboo, hedge bamboo
232 `Φ`	Sweet pod, bloated tuber, kobold bulb, traction benches, (Large) pots
233 `Θ`	Beds, Puddingstone*
234 `Ω`	Statues, dwarven cities on map, sea nettle jellyfish*
235 `δ`	Earrings, kennel tile
236 `∞`	Boulder, dry brook, middle-right butcher's shop tile, various stones, sea foam, images of clouds, fortress gates on travel map, honeycomb, scrolls*^v0.42.01
237 `φ`	Thread, loom bottom left tile, farmer's workshop bottom right tile
238 `ε`	Bowyer's workshop middle-right tile
239 `∩`	Hills on world map, slab building

Row 16 (240-255)

240 `≡`	Bars, exceptional quality tags, activity zones, metal doors^¢, floor bars, track stops, cirrus clouds on travel map, hamlets on world map, quire^v0.42.01, bookcase^÷^v0.42.01
241 `±`	Unfinished road
242 `≥`	Debris (spent ammo, ballista bolts, and catapult stones), ashes, wormy tendril*
243 `≤`	Debris (spent ammo, ballista bolts, and catapult stones), ashes, wormy tendril*
244 `⌠`	swamps on world map, Willow forest/swamp*
245 `⌡`	sheets^v0.42.01
246 `÷`	Barrel^¢, screw pump, upper left tile of still, center tile of ashery, upper left tile of kitchen, scroll rollers^v0.42.01, book binding^v0.42.01
247 `≈`	Rough stone road or bridge, water, magma, snow, glob (fat/tallow), farm plot, furrowed soil, vomit, blood pools, sea foam, sand, various stones*
248 `°`	Sea foam, eggs, staring eyeball, bubble bulb, Bowl, Mortar, dark pits on world map
249 `∙`	Vermin*, Boulders at lower elevation, trees at lower elevation, tundra on world map, move indicator frame 2 (adventure mode)
250 `·`	Seeds, micro-vermin, open space, terrain at lower elevation, plants at lower elevation, tundra on world map, move indicator frame 1 (adventure mode)
251 `√`	Weapon racks, badlands in main map, check mark (selecting production materials, confirmed items on manager window)
252 `ⁿ`	Savanna, marsh, grassland, badlands
253 `²`	Body parts, vermin remains
254 `■`	Blocks, minecarts*^÷, vaults on world map, human houses/shops on travel map, progress bars, move indicator frame 3 (adventure mode)
255