Engraving - Revision history

Alpacalypse: upd. link

2026-10-08T21:00:52Z

upd. link

GeloMor: /* Effects on room value */

2026-08-13T19:36:40Z

Effects on room value

GeloMor at 18:43, 13 August 2026

2026-08-13T18:43:15Z

Quietust: /* Bugs */ link to actual bug reports - both of these are quite ancient, dating back to at least 40d

2026-08-13T17:32:43Z

Bugs: link to actual bug reports - both of these are quite ancient, dating back to at least 40d

GeloMor at 16:37, 13 August 2026

2026-08-13T16:37:29Z

Zippy: /* Process */

2026-08-12T22:58:47Z

Process

Zippy at 23:35, 23 July 2026

2026-07-23T23:35:10Z

Quietust: /* Effects on room value */ I'm calling out the "walls use the most common material value" as nonsense - I've analyzed the code and can see absolutely no sign of this taking place

2026-06-04T20:53:17Z

Effects on room value: I'm calling out the "walls use the most common material value" as nonsense - I've analyzed the code and can see absolutely no sign of this taking place

Quietust: I'm pretty sure this is completely false, and that it actually just uses the wall's own material just like it did in older versions

2025-09-09T22:12:57Z

I'm pretty sure this is completely false, and that it actually just uses the wall's own material just like it did in older versions

Quietust: /* Effects on room value */

2025-09-09T14:36:02Z

Effects on room value

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 {{av}}
 [[File:DF_Cheese.jpg|208px|thumb|right|A dwarf eating cheese]]
-The process of '''engraving''' [[smoothing|smoothed]] or constructed [[wall]]s and [[floor]]s increases their value further, and gives them a [[quality]] level. It is unknown if dwarves currently look at engravings (in previous versions, they did not), but if they do, it would no doubt satisfy their [[need]] to admire art.{{verify|I have seen dwarves satisfy their Admire Art needs in areas with engravings, but I cannot verify that the engravings are the only factor present}} Engravings made with a quality of -Well-crafted- and higher will usually be in reference to [[Legends|previous events]], but they can still be depictions [[preferences|of]] [[deity|something]] [[weapon|the]] [[crafts|engraver]] [[cheese|cares]] [[friend|about]], whether they [[booze|love]] it or [[vermin|absolutely hate]] it. You can examine the contents of an engraving by clicking on it.
+The process of '''engraving''' [[smoothing|smoothed]] or constructed [[wall]]s and [[floor]]s increases their value further, and gives them a [[quality]] level. It is unknown if dwarves currently look at engravings (in previous versions, they did not), but if they do, it would no doubt satisfy their [[personality need|need]] to admire art.{{verify|I have seen dwarves satisfy their Admire Art needs in areas with engravings, but I cannot verify that the engravings are the only factor present}} Engravings made with a quality of -Well-crafted- and higher will usually be in reference to [[Legends|previous events]], but they can still be depictions [[preferences|of]] [[deity|something]] [[weapon|the]] [[crafts|engraver]] [[cheese|cares]] [[friend|about]], whether they [[booze|love]] it or [[vermin|absolutely hate]] it. You can examine the contents of an engraving by clicking on it.
 Any constructed tile or non-{{token|SOIL|imat}} natural tile that has been [[smoothing|smoothed]] can be engraved, even [[slade]] and the materials that exist in geological layers only as a [[Duplicated raws#Duplicated materials|result of a glitch]].{{verify|is this still in v50?}} Engraved [[ice]] is called "Sculpted Ice".

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 If the wall is engraved, the added engraving bonus is [10] × [wall material value] × [quality value modifier], using the same modifiers as above. However, wall engravings are ''directional'', only providing their value to the room which contains the floor tile the engraver was standing on at the time of completion.
-Unlike floor tiles, walls can be in multiple room designations. There is no room value penalty if the same wall is in two or more designated rooms, though engravings will only count toward one of the rooms (based on the engraving direction). Because of how walls interact with rooms and doors, and rooms don't have to be contiguous, you can increase the value of all bedrooms in your fortress by making use of these rules.
+Unlike floor tiles, walls can be in multiple room designations. There is no room value penalty if the same wall is in two or more designated rooms, though engravings will only count toward one of the rooms (based on the engraving direction).
 ===Room Value Exploit===
-[https://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/zzqlfu/steam_version_room_value_calculations_demystified/ According to Reddit user TBTerra]:
+Because of how walls interact with rooms and doors, and rooms don't have to be contiguous, you can increase the value of all bedrooms in your fortress by making use of these rules. [https://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/zzqlfu/steam_version_room_value_calculations_demystified/ According to Reddit user TBTerra]:
+[[File:Zone value breaking example.png|thumb|200px|Steps 2 and 3.]]
 # Make a line of wall with 1 tile gap either side (if your engravers are really good this might only need to be 2-3 long)
 # Make the lines of floor either side of this wall out of the most valuable material you can (aluminum or platinum are great; steel and gold also work), and have your best engraver engrave them

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 Unlike floor tiles, walls can be in multiple room designations. There is no room value penalty if the same wall is in two or more designated rooms, though engravings will only count toward one of the rooms (based on the engraving direction). Because of how walls interact with rooms and doors, and rooms don't have to be contiguous, you can increase the value of all bedrooms in your fortress by making use of these rules.
-==Room Value Exploit==
+===Room Value Exploit===
 [https://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/zzqlfu/steam_version_room_value_calculations_demystified/ According to Reddit user TBTerra]:

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 ==Bugs==
-* While the [[quality]] rating of engravings on ice walls is shown properly, the quality of engravings on ice ''floors'' doesn't show when looking at a tile, only when inspecting the engraving. This gives the false impression that engraved ice floors have no quality levels. In addition, the engravings are described as "engraved on the wall" instead of "on the floor".{{verify}}
+* While the [[quality]] rating of engravings on ice walls is shown properly, the quality of engravings on ice ''floors'' doesn't show when looking at a tile, only when inspecting the engraving. This gives the false impression that engraved ice floors have no quality levels.{{bug|13543}}
 * Engravings on constructed floors magically reappear when removing the floor and placing new floor, or when removing the floor and smoothing the natural floor beneath.
 <br />

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 ==Process==
-[[File:engraved_preview.png|right]]You can only engrave non-[[soil]] floors and walls. However, smooth and constructed walls/floors can both be engraved. The material the tile is composed of has no effect on the process of engraving, so a constructed wood/glass wall can be engraved in the same way as a natural stone wall. Once the area has been smoothed with {{k|v}}-{{k|m}} (not necessary for constructions), you may designate it to be engraved using {{k|v}}-{{k|g}}. The dwarf must have the Engraving [[Labor#Default_work_details|work detail]] active and the [[Labor#Default_work_details|Stone Cutting]] work detail active to smooth a rough cave tile.
+[[File:engraved_preview.png|right]]You can only engrave non-[[soil]] floors and walls. However, smooth and constructed walls/floors can both be engraved. The material the tile is composed of has no effect on the process of engraving, so a constructed wood/glass wall can be engraved in the same way as a natural stone wall. Once the area has been smoothed with {{menu icon|v|m}} (not necessary for constructions), you may designate it to be engraved using {{menu icon|v|g}}. The dwarf must have the Engraving [[Labor#Default_work_details|work detail]] active and the [[Labor#Default_work_details|Stone Cutting]] work detail active to smooth a rough cave tile.
 Once a tile is designated, the theme or content of the engraving can be selected by first clicking on the designated tile and then on the "specify [[art|image]]" button. This must be done before the game is unpaused. If no selection is made, then the contents of the engraving are left to the [[preferences|choice]] of the engraver performing the job. Note that engraving glass floors will remove their transparency.
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 ==Removal==
-Floor engravings of unsatisfactory quality and/or content (e.g. carvings of [[Boatmurdered|elephants mauling dwarves]]) can be removed by designating{{k|v}} the carving of minecart {{k|t}}racks over them. The tracks can then be removed by smoothing the stone, which results in fresh, smooth stone tiles ready for another attempt at engraving.
+Floor engravings of unsatisfactory quality and/or content (e.g. carvings of [[Boatmurdered|elephants mauling dwarves]]) can be removed by designating the carving of minecart tracks over them {{menu icon|v|t}}. The tracks can then be removed by smoothing the stone, which results in fresh, smooth stone tiles ready for another attempt at engraving.
 There are bugs with engravings on constructed floors that make it tricky to remove them—simply removing the constructed floor and building it back will result in the engraving reappearing, albeit without any description text.
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 Floor engravings can also be removed from natural walls by allowing [[magma]] to flow over them, which reverts the tiles to their smooth form.
-Wall engravings can only be removed by removing the wall – mining in the case of natural walls, or removing a constructed wall using {{k|m}}-{{k|x}}.
+Wall engravings can only be removed by removing the wall – mining in the case of natural walls, or removing a constructed wall using {{menu icon|m|x}}.
 Removing engraved natural walls/floors will remove the engraving without triggering the negative thought. However, removing a masterwork engraving using any method except construction removal will cause a message and an unhappy [[thought]] in the artist who engraved it, as will mining a natural wall with a masterpiece on it.
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 ==Bugs==
-* While the [[quality]] rating of engravings on ice walls is shown properly, the quality of engravings on ice ''floors'' doesn't show when looking at a tile with {{k|k}}, only when hitting {{k|enter}} to inspect the engraving. This gives the false impression that engraved ice floors have no quality levels. In addition, the engravings are described as "engraved on the wall" instead of "on the floor".{{verify}}
+* While the [[quality]] rating of engravings on ice walls is shown properly, the quality of engravings on ice ''floors'' doesn't show when looking at a tile, only when inspecting the engraving. This gives the false impression that engraved ice floors have no quality levels. In addition, the engravings are described as "engraved on the wall" instead of "on the floor".{{verify}}
 * Engravings on constructed floors magically reappear when removing the floor and placing new floor, or when removing the floor and smoothing the natural floor beneath.
 <br />

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 Once a tile is designated, the theme or content of the engraving can be selected by first clicking on the designated tile and then on the "specify [[art|image]]" button. This must be done before the game is unpaused. If no selection is made, then the contents of the engraving are left to the [[preferences|choice]] of the engraver performing the job. Note that engraving glass floors will remove their transparency.
-Engravings are directional—only a room containing the tile the engraver stood on when it completed will receive the engraving value bonus. There is no way to engrave more than one side of a single wall tile.
+Engravings are directional—only a room containing the tile the engraver stood on when it completed will receive the engraving value bonus. There is no way to engrave more than one side of a single wall tile, as the entire tile of a wall will be engraved. Engraving floors can remove any liquids on them, such as [[blood]] or [[vomit]], making the process a good way of cleaning floors.
 Using only highly-skilled engravers will result in high-quality engravings, and therefore higher room and fortress value.

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 ==Bugs==
 * While the [[quality]] rating of engravings on ice walls is shown properly, the quality of engravings on ice ''floors'' doesn't show when looking at a tile with {{k|k}}, only when hitting {{k|enter}} to inspect the engraving. This gives the false impression that engraved ice floors have no quality levels. In addition, the engravings are described as "engraved on the wall" instead of "on the floor".{{verify}}
 [[File:engraving_preview.jpg|thumb|320px|center|Engraving of a Hindu civilization.]]
 {{Category|Fortress mode}}
 [[ru:Engraving]]

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 However, if a floor tile exists in more than one designated room, all overlapping rooms will have their value reduced to '''zero'''. Sharing a door that does not have two adjacent wall tiles (i.e. the rooms have double-doors rather than single doors) implies sharing the tile under the door as well. However, having only a single door between two walls will not cause an overlap penalty, which allows internal offices and bedrooms inside of houses to function. You can remove this penalty simply by un-designating any floor tiles that overlap in more than one room's designation. Not all room designations cause this penalty, however. You'll know the penalty has triggered when you see the room's name turn red and gain "Overlapping."
-Wall engravings are yet another beast entirely. The initial calculation is similar, being [Wall Origin × Material Value], but their multipliers are different than floors, and their engraving bonus works differently.
+Wall engravings work similarly, being [wall origin multiplier] × [wall material value] + [engraving bonus]
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
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 |}
-Walls also receive an added Engraving Bonus using the same formula as floor engravings ([10] × [material value] × [quality value modifier]), but how their material value is calculated and how their value affects rooms is far more complex. Wall engravings are directional, and they only provide their value to a room which contains the floor tile the engraver was standing on at the time of completion, and instead of simply using the engraved wall's material value, they instead look at a combined tally all of the tiles of the room they're in, both walls and floors, and use the value of the most common material in those tiles{{verify}}.
+If the wall is engraved, the added engraving bonus is [10] × [wall material value] × [quality value modifier], using the same modifiers as above. However, wall engravings are ''directional'', only providing their value to the room which contains the floor tile the engraver was standing on at the time of completion.
-For example, if you had 20 dacite wall tiles, 2 smooth native copper wall tiles, 20 dacite floor tiles, 20 platinum wall tiles, and 21 platinum floor tiles, it would use the material value of platinum as the material value for all wall engravings done in that room, even the dacite and native copper walls. However, if you then removed two of the platinum floor tiles, all engravings in that room would use the material value of dacite instead.
+Unlike floor tiles, walls can be in multiple room designations. There is no room value penalty if the same wall is in two or more designated rooms, though engravings will only count toward one of the rooms (based on the engraving direction). Because of how walls interact with rooms and doors, and rooms don't have to be contiguous, you can increase the value of all bedrooms in your fortress by making use of these rules.
 ==Room Value Exploit==

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 Bearing all this in mind, if, for example, you placed a single golden block floor in a room, that floor tile would increase the value of that room by (7) × (30) = 210☼. If that floor tile was then engraved with a Masterwork, it would be worth an additional (10) × (30) × (12) = 3600☼, for a grand total of 3810☼. Since the material value of the floor is used in both calculations, using high-value materials on floor tiles you plan to engrave can make the value of the rooms they're in skyrocket!
-However, if a floor tile exists in more than one designated room, a strict value penalty multiplier is applied to all overlapping rooms, possibly as high as -99%. Sharing a door that does not have two adjacent wall tiles (i.e. the rooms have double-doors rather than single doors) implies sharing the tile under the door as well. However, having only a single door between two walls will not cause an overlap penalty, which allows internal offices and bedrooms inside of houses to function. You can remove this penalty simply by un-designating any floor tiles that overlap in more than one room's designation. Not all room designations cause this penalty, however. You'll know the penalty has triggered when you see the room's name turn red and gain "Overlapping."
+However, if a floor tile exists in more than one designated room, all overlapping rooms will have their value reduced to '''zero'''. Sharing a door that does not have two adjacent wall tiles (i.e. the rooms have double-doors rather than single doors) implies sharing the tile under the door as well. However, having only a single door between two walls will not cause an overlap penalty, which allows internal offices and bedrooms inside of houses to function. You can remove this penalty simply by un-designating any floor tiles that overlap in more than one room's designation. Not all room designations cause this penalty, however. You'll know the penalty has triggered when you see the room's name turn red and gain "Overlapping."
 Wall engravings are yet another beast entirely. The initial calculation is similar, being [Wall Origin × Material Value], but their multipliers are different than floors, and their engraving bonus works differently.