Building Z-levels: display makes it too hard

[Zahariel]

Just one change would make vertical building 100% more practical: having the camera at a half-Z-level shouldn't display stuff sitting on the ground on the Z-level above. E.g. when the camera setting in the top corner says 6.5, it should show half-height walls on level 6 (that's fine), and mining and building orders should affect level 6 (that's fine), and it shouldn't show stuff on level 7 at all! Why is it like this? When the camera is at a whole-number, it shows things on the ground at that level, and very short walls, but mining orders affect the level below (affecting the visible "floor", effectively). This makes sense, I guess. but the fact that the half-levels show things from the floor above make them extremely hard to use.

[Biomancer81]

I really agree with this. it does make it very hard. Also when you click on something outside, and it selects stuff under or behind what you are clicking.

[tdsdave]

yeah the ray cast for a click should pick out something in the foreground first , it often selects background things not even visible . Same if the object is transparent , it should not be selected. First solid thing under the click.

[Invictus]

The game should only use half levels, and have a on/off see walls toggle. Stuff visible in relation to buildings should only be the current Z-level.

Period.

[russak]

I agree. It's a crying chore to try and add a beam to the level below the floor that just collapsed. Needs serious work.

[Wasted]

I completely agree, the way it is now is very frustrating when building vertically. Drives me nuts.

[Fenris]

Agreed, this is my number two annoyance, right after by not being able to fill holes with dirt.

[Puffascruffowitz]

No question. My one biggest wish right now is a true "snap to level" hotkey. That also means that whatever level we snap to, we can interact with its objects.

[Caz]

Originally posted by Puffascruffowitz:

No question. My one biggest wish right now is a true "snap to level" hotkey. That also means that whatever level we snap to, we can interact with its objects.

100% this. If I'm on Z level 4, and I'm trying to paint out what I want to be mined, I shouldn't be getting interaction with Z level 5 in any way. As it is right now, if I drag the mined area in certain ways (nothing out of the ordinary), it will sometimes register the level above where I'm working. This, obviously, gets extremely frustrating extremely quickly.

[0gernator]

While still being awkward, it gets easier if you disable room view.

[tdsdave]

I think collision might not be on, or bugged for the walls, I think there are two (at least ) kinds of map items , voxel terrain and objects you build( workstations etc) , the latter is distinct from the former in how you make calculate collisions . Which may explain why trebuchets penetrate walls , the shot does not interact with them. This would also make some sense of selecting work stations 3 floors below where you are, that you cannot even see in your view, it being one of the things in your line of sight ignoring floors walls etc.

[Puffascruffowitz]

Originally posted by Caz:

Originally posted by Puffascruffowitz:

No question. My one biggest wish right now is a true "snap to level" hotkey. That also means that whatever level we snap to, we can interact with its objects.

100% this. If I'm on Z level 4, and I'm trying to paint out what I want to be mined, I shouldn't be getting interaction with Z level 5 in any way. As it is right now, if I drag the mined area in certain ways (nothing out of the ordinary), it will sometimes register the level above where I'm working. This, obviously, gets extremely frustrating extremely quickly.

Yep, you think you've selected the right level but you're in fact "too low" on that level despite being able to see the bottom 10% or so of those objects. Then you select and are selecting the level below. This also comes into play while building across multiple levels.