40d:Tilesets

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v50.13 · v0.47 · v0.34 · v0.31 · v0.28.181.40d · v0.23 This article is about an older version of DF. More Info · V

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

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

(For user-created creature graphics sets, see Graphics set repository.)

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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".

Overview and installation

Character sets

A character set is an image in BMP format that contains the 256 different tiles, corresponding to the IBM Code Page 437 (sometimes called Extended ASCII), which are used to display the main graphics. Here is a list of user-made standard tilesets. To install any of these tilesets, follow these steps:

1. Download the tileset via right-click-save-as on the tileset. The tileset is just an image, so there's no separate download link. (The list is here)
2. Convert it into a 24-bit BMP file. Do NOT just change the extension to .bmp; you must use a program like MS paint to save it as a .bmp.
3. Put it in the data/art directory of your Dwarf Fortress installation.
4. Open data/init/init.txt
5. If you want to use the tileset in fullscreen mode, locate and modify the [FULLSCREENX:800], [FULLSCREENY:600], and [FULLFONT:curses_800x600.bmp] configuration lines to match the specifications from the tileset list. The FULLFONT directive should match the filename of the tileset you downloaded. If you want to use the tileset in windowed mode, search for the [WINDOWEDX:640], [WINDOWEDY:300], and [FONT:curses_640x300.bmp] lines instead, and change them to the correct values.
6. It is also recommended you change [BLACK_SPACE:NO] to [BLACK_SPACE:YES] to prevent stretching of the graphics.
7. Save the file, then you're ready to play!

Graphics sets

Character sets only change certain graphics, while others are left out. The confusingly-named graphics sets are used to change the appearance of creatures in the game, such as dwarves and unicorns. These are usually designed to work together with certain character sets. The Dystopian Rhetoric graphics set comes with its own DF installer; to install any others (or to install that one manually), you follow a similar process to the above:

1. Download the graphics set. (The list is here.)
2. Convert it into a 24-bit BMP file using your favorite image editing program.
3. Put it in the raw/graphics/example directory of your Dwarf Fortress installation, so it overwrites the existing file.
4. Open /raw/graphics/example_text.txt
5. Replace the contents with the appropriate text for the graphics set you downloaded. Save the file.
6. Open data/init/init.txt
7. Locate the [GRAPHICS:NO] line and change it to [GRAPHICS:YES].
8. Change the resolution and font directories as above, this time for the lines starting with GRAPHICS instead. So, if you want to use fullscreen mode, modify [GRAPHICS_FULLSCREENX:800], [GRAPHICS_FULLSCREENY:600], and [GRAPHICS_FULLFONT:curses_800x600.bmp] to suit the standard tileset you want to use. For windowed mode, the lines to change are [GRAPHICS_WINDOWEDX:640], [GRAPHICS_WINDOWEDY:300], and [GRAPHICS_FONT:curses_640x300.bmp].
9. Be sure to change [GRAPHICS_BLACK_SPACE] to the same setting as [BLACK_SPACE].
10. Save the file, then you're ready to get mangled by a great-looking elephant!

How to stretch the tile sets for bigger display

Simply change [GRAPHICS_BLACK_SPACE:?] and [BLACK_SPACE:?] to NO in the init/init.txt, depending on whether you are using the graphics mode or not. This will stretch the window to the size you specified in [WINDOWEDX:?] and [WINDOWEDY:?] or FULLSCREENX:?] and [FULLSCREENY:?] or [GRAPHICS_WINDOWEDX:?] and [GRAPHICS_WINDOWEDY:?] or [GRAPHICS_FULLSCREENX:?] and [GRAPHICS_FULLSCREENY:?] depending on which mode you run DF in. (NORMAL|GRAPHICS + WINDOWED|FULLSCREEN)

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• If you are on a Mac you will have to use a program like GraphicConverter or Photoshop to save tilesets as windows bitmaps.
• Recommended only for window mode prior to version 39f, to make it easier to preserve tile aspect ratio. 39f onwards, you should choose a grid size that is of the same aspect ratio as your monitor (e.g. on a 1600x1280 monitor, choose grid size 80:64)
• Take note however that you need to set the window size correctly.
  • For versions prior to 39f, your window width in pixel size should be 3.2 (which is 80/25) times your window height in pixel size.

  Example:

  if you choose window width to be 1600, i.e. [GRAPHICS_WINDOWEDX:1600] in init/init.txt file, then your height should be 1600/3.2 which gives 500, i.e. [GRAPHICS_WINDOWEDY:500] in init/init.txt. This will automatically stretch your character tiles and gfx tiles accordingly.

• • For version 39f onwards where you can change the grid size, you need to compute the aspect ratio from the (grid width)/(grid height).

  Example:

  if you are using a grid size of 80 by 64, the aspect ratio should be 1.25 (from 80/64). If you set your window width to 1600, then the height will be 1600/1.25 = 1280.

• Also note that stretching a gfx tile may cause graphical artifacts (not the crafted ones in-game!) i.e. slight defects in the visuals, but it should make you able to see smaller tiles on a larger screen area. The exception is when you use an integral multiple, e.g. stretching 16x16 tiles to 32x32, which seems to produce the least artifacts.
• It is not recommended that you shrink tiles though the method is the similar (except defining a smaller window size than is normally required by the grid and tile size).

How to increase number of tiles shown keeping the tile size the same

See Custom grid.