Smoothing

[thorvindr]

When I designate an area for smoothing, I don't see any indicator that the area has been designated. Is there just a graphical bug preventing the designation from appearing, or am I somehow failing to designate the area?

[GrimdarkOG]

probably failing because the smoothing designation is pretty in your face, to the point where mods have been created to reduce its visiblity.

you can only smooth stone floors that have been mined

[Jimmy James]

Yeah you really can't miss it if it's successfully designated.

[Empath demon]

You can't smooth dirt, sand, clay, peat, or anything like that.

[thorvindr]

Can I not smooth a constructed floor/wall? It's named "rough chalk block floor."

[Goatseface Killah]

Originally posted by thorvindr:

Can I not smooth a constructed floor/wall? It's named "rough chalk block floor."

You can't smooth or engrave constructions, only natural stone.

[kheftel]

You can actually engrave constructed things now in the steam version, it's a new change. I don't think you need to smooth constructed walls tho, I think the game treats them as smoothed already? Not 100% sure on that last bit.

[fiat luxia]

You can't smooth dirt.

[thorvindr]

Originally posted by kheftel:

You can actually engrave constructed things now in the steam version, it's a new change. I don't think you need to smooth constructed walls tho, I think the game treats them as smoothed already? Not 100% sure on that last bit.

I believe the game used to treat constructed wall/floor as already smoothed, but currently it doesn't name it that way. Because it's named "rough chalk block floor," that indicates that it is explicitly not "smooth chalk block floor."

I seem to recall it used to have three names for a floor: "rough chalk floor," meaning it was just the ground with no covering, "smooth chalk floor," meaning a natural floor that had been smoothed, and "chalk floor," which meant a constructed floor that was therefore obviously smoothed. I could be mis-remembering.

Anyway. Something named "rough" should (imo) mean it is explicitly not smooth, and therefore should accept the "smooth it" work designation. But it does appear that anything constructed is automatically smoothed; it just will be named "rough" until it gets engraved.

[Kems]

Originally posted by thorvindr:

Anyway. Something named "rough" should (imo) mean it is explicitly not smooth, and therefore should accept the "smooth it" work designation. But it does appear that anything constructed is automatically smoothed; it just will be named "rough" until it gets engraved.

Classic DF smoothing stone was basically better, you couldn't engrave a constructed wall or floor, now you can. I guess it was a way to discourage building above ground as it's not the dwarven way.

What I wonder is whether the "rough" adjective to an engraved wall makes it worse in quality than if you smoothed the stone itself so it's still preferable to keep the rock but buidling the walls becomes "more viable".

Steam version is so confusing and there's no straight answers online. Asking hardcore dwarfers don't work either cus now you can engrave constructs and nobody knows anything anymore.

[kheftel]

Originally posted by thorvindr:

Originally posted by kheftel:

You can actually engrave constructed things now in the steam version, it's a new change. I don't think you need to smooth constructed walls tho, I think the game treats them as smoothed already? Not 100% sure on that last bit.

I believe the game used to treat constructed wall/floor as already smoothed, but currently it doesn't name it that way. Because it's named "rough chalk block floor," that indicates that it is explicitly not "smooth chalk block floor."

I seem to recall it used to have three names for a floor: "rough chalk floor," meaning it was just the ground with no covering, "smooth chalk floor," meaning a natural floor that had been smoothed, and "chalk floor," which meant a constructed floor that was therefore obviously smoothed. I could be mis-remembering.

Anyway. Something named "rough" should (imo) mean it is explicitly not smooth, and therefore should accept the "smooth it" work designation. But it does appear that anything constructed is automatically smoothed; it just will be named "rough" until it gets engraved.

Yeah, I agree lol

[Goatseface Killah]

Originally posted by kheftel:

You can actually engrave constructed things now in the steam version, it's a new change. I don't think you need to smooth constructed walls tho, I think the game treats them as smoothed already? Not 100% sure on that last bit.

Ah crud, my old knowledge doesn't apply any more, thanks for the correction! I wonder if you can use this to boost your engraver's skills in a renewable way, unless dismantling a bunch of artwork over and over again makes your engravers go Austrian on you, I'll have to do some testing ...