*** April Challenge - Using Dwarf Fortress ASCII Maps as a Source ***

[Diamond]

Hmm. That's a good point from Larb. Does it need to be a world or regional map? Could folks do a town or fortress as long as its based on images/worlds from DF?

[nitus]

Hello cartographers! Some helpful advice from a Dwarf Fortress addict.

As Javert indicated above, there are numerous options to display specific types of world map information from within Dwarf Fortress.

When you open a new world in Legends mode you'll see this main page:

 

At the bottom right you'll see d: export detailed map. This gives you a list of various map displays:

 

These might be useful to explore various aspects of a world. You may also find it useful to view a world in the Dwarf Fortress Legends Viewer, a tool which explores various details in a world's history. Examples:

 

I look forward to enjoying the fruits of your efforts!

[Larb]

Thanks for that. I have never exported a map from it myself so that is very helpful!

[Robbie]

I would say it has to be sourced from df, and you need to show us the source, but it doesn't have to be a world map.

Posted from my Android Cyanogenmod Phone with Tapatalk 2.

[Cruxador]

Might be wise to spoiler that, Nitus, since it's a bit huge. For anyone who wants to use the legend viewer, here's a link: Legends Viewer 1.13.05 I'm not sure how much relevance it has though, since it's history, and all the effects of that history should be visible on finished maps.

[Javert]

Might be wise to spoiler that, Nitus, since it's a bit huge. For anyone who wants to use the legend viewer, here's a link: Legends Viewer 1.13.05 I'm not sure how much relevance it has though, since it's history, and all the effects of that history should be visible on finished maps.

I disagree. I wouldn't have been able to create my maps without it. Dwarf Fortress is great at giving you information, but it isn't very good at giving you the location of that information. You can look up any city in Legends Viewer, but you can't hyperlink to the site. You have to go to the built it map and search the map manually until you happen across it. Legends viewer brings together the wealth of information DF has to offer with the location of it all.

On another note, I do agree that you should be able to source your map to DF. You can export both towns and world maps from DF. unfortunately, until the next release only human towns can be exported, and those aren't too interesting. I think you should be able to source underground sewers and dungeons and tombs as well as towers and player built fortress as long as you either have a link to the save and coords or a screen grab of the place.

[nitus]

The Legends Viewer is an easy way to find out where various sites are, and it has a useful map viewer built in.

Using the dark fortress from my earlier post, you can zoom in to an extent:

 

Or you can use one of the other maps you exported from Dwarf Fortress:

 

As you can see from the second example, there's a lot of stuff that doesn't appear on the ascii map.

[RedKing]

Longtime DF addict (and forum member), first-time CG poster. I look forward to seeing what gets produced, and I'm sorta terrified at discovering this site. I'm a cartography and worldbuilding junkie so a place like this could be crack on steroids to me.

[Robbie]

I must say I'm tickled pink at the number of DF players that have found a home here. After this we may need a DF subforum. Lol. Welcome to all of you!

Posted from my Android Cyanogenmod Phone with Tapatalk 2.

[Ramah]

Hell's teeth... I can imagine getting bogged down in details with the wealth of information available on those exports. What to do, what to do... to enter or not to enter... :S