Editing v0.34:Construction

{{Quality|Superior|21:44, 28 August 2014 (UTC)}}
{{av}}{{Buggy}}

'''Constructions''' are buildings such as [[floor]]s, [[wall]]s and [[stairs]]. They can be made of any solid material, including [[wood]], [[stone]], [[metal]] or [[glass]], and are accessible in the {{k|b}}uild-{{k|C}}onstruction menu. One exception is the [[Minecart|track stop]], found in the construction submenu even though it is a regular [[building]].

Unlike most objects accessed from the {{k|b}}uild menu, Constructions are treated as inert terrain features when completed, with a few limitations as described below.  Additionally, constructions can only be interacted with by loo{{k|k}}-ing at them or by pressing {{k|d}}-{{k|n}} to designate their removal. Using the {{k|q}}uery or {{k|t}}ask selection will give no information after the construction is completed, but will allow [[removal]], suspension, and an idea of the current status before the Construction is complete.

== Required labors ==

In order to make a construction, a dwarf with the appropriate [[labor]] is required. [[Wood]] requires [[carpentry]]; [[stone]], [[glass]], and [[soap]] require [[masonry]], and [[metal]] requires any form of [[metalsmithing]]. No experience is granted when building a construction.

No [[labor]] is required for removing constructions - [[noble]]s and [[children]] can and will tear down walls given the opportunity.

== Constructions and Designated formations ==

Constructions are similar to [[Mining|designated formations]]. However, unlike the [[wall]]s and [[floor]]s surrounding [[Mining|mined]] or [[channel]]ed spaces, constructed features cannot be smoothed, engraved, or carved into minecart tracks. In order to construct [[smoothing|smooth]] stone [[wall]]s and [[floor]]s, [[block]]s need to be used in place of raw [[stone]]. [[Wood]], [[metal]], and [[glass]] constructions are not considered either rough or smooth, but in the case of wood, building with [[block]]s will increase room value - [[metal]] [[bar]]s have the same value as metal blocks and are thus interchangeable (though blocks may be preferred to simplify resource tracking), and glass can ''only'' be used in block form.

== Order of Construction ==

Constructions are built in a Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) order. That means that whichever constructions are ordered first will be built last. Also, if there is a large group of constructions being built, and a new set of constructions is ordered, the constructions in progress will be ignored until the new constructions are finished. 

Respecting the LIFO order is also necessary to efficiently and correctly construct [[Tower|multi-z-level walls]].

See also: [[Mega construction]]

== Avoiding Entrapment ==

When building walls to close off portions of caves or mines, masons have a habit of standing on the wrong side and trapping themselves within.  If this occurs, you can always have the mason remove a piece of the wall again to escape, using {{k|d}}-{{k|n}} to designate the removal as mentioned above.

To avoid this happening in the first place, know that masons have a preference on which side of their work target they will stand.  Masons will stand on the side that is most [[orthogonal]] to the direction that they acquired the stone to build the wall with, even if it means stepping over the construction zone to build the wall.  A stone to the south of a wall will cause that wall to be built from the south, even if other directions are available and are a "higher priority" direction (directional priority used for mining and deconstruction) or will result in entrapment.

Masons do not like to stand on a queued construction, though, and will try another position to get at their work.  Planning the order of construction with this in mind, one can often avoid entrapment.  If you want to override the mason's preferred side, designate another construction or other activity to occupy the space in question, then suspend that work.  The mason will then avoid working from that space if at all possible.  Remove the suspended job {{k|q}}-{{k|x}} after the desired construction is complete.

If the preferred location is a spot where a building is already present then a suspended construction is not an option for keeping the mason safe.  In that case you will need to designate the areas that will trap the builder as a Restricted location {{k|d}}-{{k|o}}-{{k|r}}.  Once the construction is completed, assuming the dwarf doesn't trap himself anyway, you can clear that traffic designation {{k|d}}-{{k|o}}-{{k|n}}. Be aware, however, that this does not always prevent the mason from standing on the wrong side of the construction.

A sure-fire way to prevent a mason dwarf from walling himself on the wrong side is to place a door on the tile where you DON'T want him to end up. It might be necessary to build extra two wall tiles in order to install that door. One can then simply forbid the door and the dwarf will have no option but to pick the remaining side from which to complete constructing the wall. If built underground, the excess door will also work as an alarm system since building destroyers, namely Blind Cave Ogres and Forgotten Beasts, can and will destroy these doors, prompting a warning message, alerting the player to their presence.

==Destruction==
Constructions are generally inert, resisting [[building destroyer]]s, but will be destroyed if [[magma]] and [[water]] can interact in the square of the construction to form [[obsidian]], or in a [[cave-in]].  Building and removing a construction can change the floor it is built upon to a default value, removing things like [[engravings]] and the "magma flow" floor above [[semi-molten rock]].

==Bugs==
* Removing ({{k|d}}-{{k|n}}) construction causes items nearby (in the same 16x16 map square as the construction) to "teleport" to the same location as the material used in the construction. {{Bug|5994}}

{{Category|Constructions}}