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Author Topic: Having issues understanding how the workflow plugin works  (Read 934 times)

THOMAS220

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Having issues understanding how the workflow plugin works
« on: May 18, 2018, 03:52:13 pm »

Hi guys and girls,

Ive untill recently, say about 2 weeks, never heard of the amazing game concept of Dwarf Fortress. Until I saw a fellow classmate play some sort of ''CMD game with funny symbols'', or atleast how I described it to him. He told me a bit about what some symbols are and that its a cool game because of the years that pass and the tales that get more complex over the years. Immideately I was grabbed by the concept that not only the world but every word, name and story is computer generated.

I downloaded the game almost right after I got home and went on and played it for 1-2 hours. Until it struck me, I didnt understand one single thing. I told myself id lay of the game for the night and revisit it the next day. Throughout the next morning ive watched some videos, went to school and came back home and was ready to play! Or atleast I thought that.

After setting up a farm and a still etc etc, the game felt really repetative mostly due to the part that i never understood what to do after the basic supplies are established. This was at the point I got the idea to imitate a real life assembly line, but then in DF. This was when my trouble began, I again didnt understood one single thing.

After discovering that workflow exist I dove right in it and 10 minutes later I dove right out of it. I just dont understand any of it! And I really couldnt find a good tutorial on the internet that makes me understand it. Its all too fast paced, I really cant keep up with it.

Im hoping to find more answers here that will allow me to either one, use workflow in the console (which is more unconventional but im better with raw text than just GUI) or two, teach me (altho i prefer console) learn how to use workflow the correct way via the GUI, which is for me pressing Alt + W.

Im hoping someone could take the time to explain me atleast the core of workflow, and maybe even beyond!

If I didnt add enough information to make the subject explainable, please ask for that specific info! Im bad at forums and I tend to forget to write down some important information.

Kind regards,
Thomas
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Bumber

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Re: Having issues understanding how the workflow plugin works
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2018, 05:54:49 pm »

Someone else could explain the workflow plugin better (see guide below,) but there's now an in-game work order system on the manager screen (thread here.) It works well for most jobs. There are some jobs that don't let you define materials (like plant processing,) or their conditions don't really work (counting all soap bars,) and that's where workflow comes in handy.

There's a workflow guide here: https://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/2kecx5/the_dfhack_workflow_plugin_a_guide_by_mechanixm/
You can skip down to Use Workflow to Limit a "Process Plants" Job at the Farmer's Workshop.

I wouldn't recommend using the command line. You get lines like:
Code: [Select]
workflow amount POWDER_MISC//MUSHROOM_CUP_DIMPLE:MILL 100 20You have to know the raw names of DF's items. "Dimple dye" isn't sufficient.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2018, 06:04:49 pm by Bumber »
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THOMAS220

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Re: Having issues understanding how the workflow plugin works
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2018, 05:57:07 am »

Thankyou Bumber, i will find the time today to look into this guide. I gave it a quick glance and it still appeared quite fast paced for my understanding, but i will post further question if needed.

thanks
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anomaly

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Re: Having issues understanding how the workflow plugin works
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2018, 04:19:00 pm »

I use workflow pretty extensively because I used it before the profile manager existed, so I am used to it.  I tried using console at first, that ends up being a massive waste of time.  You need to have a pretty decent familiarity with how the game names items and classifies them to even START using the console.  It is much easier to just use the workflow gui (default alt+w)

for most jobs the workflow gui is pretty intuitive.  (A)dd a new limit to a job, workflow will try to keep that number of items on hand in your fortress (not necessarily in a stockpile, just free, empty and available for use).

so if I go to my craftsdwarf shop, add a job to make large rock pots, make it repeat, then add a workflow limit of 5-10 rock pots (basically just using the default limit it adds when you press shift+a on the workflow gui screen) it will enable that repeating job and any other repeating job that produces rock pots anywhere in my fortress whenever the stock of empty pots drops below 5 and disable that job when the stock goes above 10.

you chain these workflow limits together to create "assembly lines," so this small number of open pots is constantly available for other industries that use them, which you then add limits to those outputs and so on.

things get pretty hairy with respect to the clothing industry, the farmer's workshop, glazing, and a few other odd jobs here and there, because workflow can't guess what the output of the job is supposed to be, so it requires some workarounds like using the ingame labor manager in conjunction with workflow, or manually setting the input of the job via. the job command in dfhack.  But for the majority of jobs, particularly of the "inorganic" type, it is very simple and straight forward.
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Bumber

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Re: Having issues understanding how the workflow plugin works
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2018, 06:23:27 pm »

things get pretty hairy with respect to the clothing industry, the farmer's workshop, glazing, and a few other odd jobs here and there, because workflow can't guess what the output of the job is supposed to be, so it requires some workarounds like using the ingame labor manager in conjunction with workflow, or manually setting the input of the job via. the job command in dfhack.  But for the majority of jobs, particularly of the "inorganic" type, it is very simple and straight forward.
Does using alt+a on the job work? IIRC, that's the GUI version of the job command.
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Reading his name would trigger it. Thinking of him would trigger it. No other circumstances would trigger it- it was strictly related to the concept of Bill Clinton entering the conscious mind.

THE xTROLL FUR SOCKx RUSE WAS A........... DISTACTION        the carp HAVE the wagon

A wizard has turned you into a wagon. This was inevitable (Y/y)?

anomaly

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Re: Having issues understanding how the workflow plugin works
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2018, 11:58:21 pm »

things get pretty hairy with respect to the clothing industry, the farmer's workshop, glazing, and a few other odd jobs here and there, because workflow can't guess what the output of the job is supposed to be, so it requires some workarounds like using the ingame labor manager in conjunction with workflow, or manually setting the input of the job via. the job command in dfhack.  But for the majority of jobs, particularly of the "inorganic" type, it is very simple and straight forward.
Does using alt+a on the job work? IIRC, that's the GUI version of the job command.
Indeed, that works just fine.  I had recalled all of the workflow commands but couldn't recall the job gui command at the time (although if I happened to be working on a fortress, I am sure I could remember it by muscle memory).
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