Dirt Surfaces

[anglefroghammer]

I really like the surfaces idea, could we perhaps get a dirt surface or some other way of replacing the top layer of material with a specific material like dirt so that we can build farms on it or maybe when you place a farm on some rock it adds an extra dirt cost to replace the rock with dirt where it is rock.

[SpeedDaemon]

Just use excavators to scrape off the top layer of whatever, then have trucks come in and lay down a single layer of dirt.

[anglefroghammer]

I can't tell them specifically to lay down dirt. I can tell the make this flat but they'll just use whatever I have set to dump to fill it which won't be even mostly dirt. I could set my dumping filters to only dump dirt while I do it but then everything else would get backed up. I think the easiest way at the moment would be to use a stacker to dump the material then mine it down to the same level as the ground.

[Kaery]

Originally posted by anglefroghammer:

I can't tell them specifically to lay down dirt. I can tell the make this flat but they'll just use whatever I have set to dump to fill it which won't be even mostly dirt. I could set my dumping filters to only dump dirt while I do it but then everything else would get backed up. I think the easiest way at the moment would be to use a stacker to dump the material then mine it down to the same level as the ground.

There's this neat trick: Mine control towers override global dumping rules in their area of influence. So you scrape the area you want to be dirt (or have it filled to one level less than you want it to be, if approaching from the other side). Then you build a mine control tower, or redefine the area of influence from an existing one. Set that tower to allow only dumping dirt. And tada... The dumping tiles covered by that specific mine control tower's area of influence will be filled with dirt only.

People will actually recommend setting global dumping rules to nothing and always having any dumping areas covered by a mine control tower for better control in what goes where.

[Keranik]

Originally posted by anglefroghammer:

I can't tell them specifically to lay down dirt. I can tell the make this flat but they'll just use whatever I have set to dump to fill it which won't be even mostly dirt. I could set my dumping filters to only dump dirt while I do it but then everything else would get backed up. I think the easiest way at the moment would be to use a stacker to dump the material then mine it down to the same level as the ground.

Oh you sweet summer child.

[MetalSpaceDust]

You may want your dirty mine control tower to also dump compost.

Dirty and compost only.

Switch off dumping in global settings

[anglefroghammer]

Originally posted by Kaery:

There's this neat trick:

Thank you that's very helpful. I tend to use my dirt, rock and slag to fill in the sea, chopping down mountains and dropping them in the sea like Japan does/did irl so I like to have global dumping settings.

[anglefroghammer]

Originally posted by Keranik:

Oh you sweet summer child.

I'd prefer an education over condescension thanks.

[Peter34]

I just disable global dumping entirely, so that it's only legal in areas covered by Mind Control Towers that specifically allow dumping certain materials.

That said, replacing a surface layer of misc stuff with Dirt is a two-step process. it'd be nice if there was a convenient automated process, a bit similar to Levelling, where you do it all in one step, one phase. But that might be difficult to code.

[anglefroghammer]

Originally posted by Peter34:

replacing a surface layer of misc stuff with Dirt is a two-step process. it'd be nice if there was a convenient automated process, a bit similar to Levelling, where you do it all in one step, one phase.

100%. I doubt it's difficult to code especially as with surfaces you are only really going to want to change it to dirt. Either that or when you build a farm you can build it anywhere and depending on how much of the ground is dirt determines how much dirt it needs but if we are going to do that I feel like it's a short trip to placing buildings on non flat land and the first thing it does is flatten the land and you need to have some idle excavators to assist with that.

[Kaery]

Originally posted by anglefroghammer:

Thank you that's very helpful. I tend to use my dirt, rock and slag to fill in the sea, chopping down mountains and dropping them in the sea like Japan does/did irl so I like to have global dumping settings.

Not saying you shouldn't. But if you want a specific area done in only dirt, use a mine control tower. As mentioned, it overrides the global settings for that specific spot, so you don't need to get rid of them.

As for replacing... I always fill to one layer less than I want, then finish with a layer of dirt. Easy, mostly painless, and very reliable.

[Billy_Bligh]

Originally posted by anglefroghammer:

....you need to have some idle excavators to assist with that.

I would recommend always having a "hit-squad" of excavators at work flattening land somewhere on your island. You'll need the dirt/rock for building out your island and creating buildable space, straight coastlines etc, so it's useful to start early on that, and you've got a "squad" ready for any sudden tasks you need doing, like flattening for farmland or digging a ramp

[anglefroghammer]

Originally posted by Billy_Bligh:

Originally posted by anglefroghammer:

....you need to have some idle excavators to assist with that.

I would recommend always having a "hit-squad" of excavators at work flattening land somewhere on your island. You'll need the dirt/rock for building out your island and creating buildable space, straight coastlines etc, so it's useful to start early on that, and you've got a "squad" ready for any sudden tasks you need doing, like flattening for farmland or digging a ramp

Yeah I have the flatteners mining tower, it's actually the largest 1 (i.e. has the most excavaotrs)

[anglefroghammer]

Originally posted by Kaery:

Originally posted by anglefroghammer:

Thank you that's very helpful. I tend to use my dirt, rock and slag to fill in the sea, chopping down mountains and dropping them in the sea like Japan does/did irl so I like to have global dumping settings.

Not saying you shouldn't. But if you want a specific area done in only dirt, use a mine control tower. As mentioned, it overrides the global settings for that specific spot, so you don't need to get rid of them.

As for replacing... I always fill to one layer less than I want, then finish with a layer of dirt. Easy, mostly painless, and very reliable.

Yes, that's actually good advice. Might do that next time but for now I've used the above methods to make enough dirt top layer to build 2 of each greenhouse 2 for each food type for my final base setup.

[CaPY]

I disable everything in global settings and only use mining towers. This way I can control everything even if I mistakenly mark something that is outside of mining tower.

[anglefroghammer]

Originally posted by CaPY:

I disable everything in global settings and only use mining towers. This way I can control everything even if I mistakenly mark something that is outside of mining tower.

I like to dump rocks/dirt I'm not using in the ocean so I can get more land and remove mountains that are in the way.