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Author Topic: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?  (Read 17942 times)

kotekzot

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How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« on: March 08, 2010, 12:52:18 pm »
Hi, I'm going to try and build something nice, so I was wondering what software should I use to plan it beforehand?
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Quote from: eataTREE on June 17, 2011, 10:45:24 am
Dwarf Fortress: Where violent death is a renewable resource
Quote from: Guy Montag on April 16, 2009, 04:45:30 pm
Bro, your like... thinking like a square man... its like, the WHOLE lamprey is just like, one big NECK dude, you know? its like hahahaha! dude protect the trees though, seriously. *inhale*... anyways... you like, want this dead black bear, bro?

Retro

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2010, 01:19:16 pm »
I won't lie, most of my own planning I do in my head, occasionally making marks in-game using temporary designations. But when I do need to plan some big stuff, MS Paint's always worked for me (and a lot of other forumites, I believe).
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Jetsquirrel

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2010, 01:20:11 pm »
you draw it with a...... PENCIL! its easy, paper enough and you can adjust changes which wont be easy with software.
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Caesar

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2010, 01:25:50 pm »
Quote from: Jetsquirrel on March 08, 2010, 01:20:11 pm
you draw it with a...... PENCIL! its easy, paper enough and you can adjust changes which wont be easy with software.

I actually made a large grid with pen once, then drawing my design with pencil. If I didn't like it I could just erase it again.

You could also make grids with paint, print a few of these, label those with Z-level numbers. (Z1, Z2, Z3, et cetera) and then draw your design on those.
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Aspgren

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2010, 01:38:43 pm »
If i see cool designs somewhere I take note of them. I work them in my head and I feel most comfortable with pen and pencil.

I can get quite absorbed in these things. It's happened more than once that I've realised I just planned a huge structure that's needlessly complicated and I can cut out about 2/3 and have it function much better.

I smile and keep it the way it is. Dwarfy!

edit: oh and pencil etcetera is great because I draw a 3d image of many things to get an idea of what I'll be looking at in stonesense or one of the 3d utilities. plus i'm artistic so that's that. :)
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kotekzot

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2010, 01:40:20 pm »
Guess I'll have to go with Paint.NET and some grid paper, which I have quite a bit laying around, being a student and all. Thanks for your advice.
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Quote from: eataTREE on June 17, 2011, 10:45:24 am
Dwarf Fortress: Where violent death is a renewable resource
Quote from: Guy Montag on April 16, 2009, 04:45:30 pm
Bro, your like... thinking like a square man... its like, the WHOLE lamprey is just like, one big NECK dude, you know? its like hahahaha! dude protect the trees though, seriously. *inhale*... anyways... you like, want this dead black bear, bro?

Sphalerite

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2010, 01:43:09 pm »
I've used Paint and Autocad (two opposite ends of simplicity versus overkill there), but most of my fortress planning is done with graph paper and pencil.
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kotekzot

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2010, 01:44:34 pm »
Oh, oh! How do you make nice circles? Don't want to end up having to remake the whole structure because of some missing tiles.
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Quote from: eataTREE on June 17, 2011, 10:45:24 am
Dwarf Fortress: Where violent death is a renewable resource
Quote from: Guy Montag on April 16, 2009, 04:45:30 pm
Bro, your like... thinking like a square man... its like, the WHOLE lamprey is just like, one big NECK dude, you know? its like hahahaha! dude protect the trees though, seriously. *inhale*... anyways... you like, want this dead black bear, bro?

Funk

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2010, 01:46:52 pm »
most i do a quick pen and paper plan with numbers and rock type listing.
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Duke 2.0

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2010, 01:48:04 pm »
 I have issues with Paint.net's circles. I often come upon situations where the circles are non-symmetrical even with the constrain proportions stuff on. What they call a perfect circle is often a very imperfect circle. Other than that it is ace for fortress planning.
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Skid

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #10 on: March 08, 2010, 01:53:56 pm »
Paint or Paint shop Pro when I need to map out multiple layers and see how they fit. Plans are created at a 1 pixel to 1 tile scale, with a multitude of difference colours standing for different elements.
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Quote from: Yoink on May 16, 2011, 11:45:20 pm
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kotekzot

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #11 on: March 08, 2010, 01:55:25 pm »
How do you do circles then, Duke?

By the way, I was reading the "Castle design" thread and was really taken with the Healedabbey castle you linked.
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Quote from: eataTREE on June 17, 2011, 10:45:24 am
Dwarf Fortress: Where violent death is a renewable resource
Quote from: Guy Montag on April 16, 2009, 04:45:30 pm
Bro, your like... thinking like a square man... its like, the WHOLE lamprey is just like, one big NECK dude, you know? its like hahahaha! dude protect the trees though, seriously. *inhale*... anyways... you like, want this dead black bear, bro?

Duke 2.0

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #12 on: March 08, 2010, 02:01:21 pm »
 Thanks.
 And yeah, I just use Paint for circles. Everything else is Paint.net. Hopefully their website has a plugin for correct circles on it.
Logged
Quote from: Aqizzar on October 13, 2010, 04:19:47 am
Buck up friendo, we're all on the level here.
Quote from: Jim Groovester on August 08, 2010, 08:18:09 pm
I would bet money Andrew has edited things retroactively, except I can't prove anything because it was edited retroactively.
MIERDO MILLAS DE VIBORAS FURIOSAS PARA ESTRANGULARTE MUERTO

tigrex

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #13 on: March 08, 2010, 02:02:31 pm »
I use pen and paper, sometimes making floorplans, sometimes doodling a '3d' overlook of the fort.  Oh, and circles are undwarven.  Stick with octagons.  :)
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kotekzot

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Re: How do you draw blueprints for your fortress?
« Reply #14 on: March 08, 2010, 02:07:25 pm »
Win 7's Paint seems to be as bad at drawing circles as Paint.NET. Or maybe I'm doing something 'rong.
Logged
Quote from: eataTREE on June 17, 2011, 10:45:24 am
Dwarf Fortress: Where violent death is a renewable resource
Quote from: Guy Montag on April 16, 2009, 04:45:30 pm
Bro, your like... thinking like a square man... its like, the WHOLE lamprey is just like, one big NECK dude, you know? its like hahahaha! dude protect the trees though, seriously. *inhale*... anyways... you like, want this dead black bear, bro?
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