Dwarf Fortress Bug Tracker - Dwarf Fortress
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0009798Dwarf FortressDwarf Mode -- Interface, Managerpublic2016-05-26 05:272018-08-21 16:32
soulsource 
 
normalminoralways
newopen 
Linux AMD64Gentoo Linux13.0
0.43.03 
 
0009798: Work order conditions: Impossible to specify "empty bag"
It seems to be impossible to manually create a work order condition to check for available empty bags (if it is, and I missed it: sorry for the inconvenience).

One can get the "empty bag" condition to show up for some tasks that require empty bags by pressing "r" (which adds prerequisites), but this doesn't work for all jobs, for instance it fails for "Collect Sand", while it does work for "Mill Plants".
Try to set up a repeating work order to "Collect Sand", which should have the condition to only start if a certain number of empty bags (but not boxes) is available.
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Issue History
2016-05-26 05:27soulsourceNew Issue
2016-05-26 14:50DwarfuNote Added: 0035309
2016-05-27 10:32LociNote Added: 0035311
2016-07-14 13:28braiamIssue Monitored: braiam
2018-08-21 15:51HairyDudeNote Added: 0038731
2018-08-21 16:32sionlifeNote Added: 0038732
2018-08-21 19:52HairyDudeIssue Monitored: HairyDude

Notes
(0035309)
Dwarfu   
2016-05-26 14:50   
The problem is there is no way to specify general material classes for boxes and bags (such as "cloth" or "leather") - it is very specific ("cat leather bag").
(0035311)
Loci   
2016-05-27 10:32   
Specifying a "general material class" like "cloth" or "leather" does not solve this problem. If you could set up a "collect sand" job to check for "leather" bags it still wouldn't initiate the job for free "cloth" bags (and vice versa).

In my opinion, the real problem is that boxes and bags are lumped together despite significant differences in form and function. If there were "boxes" and "bags" categories instead, specifying empty bags would just work.
(0038731)
HairyDude   
2018-08-21 15:51   
For jobs that require a bag as reagent (e.g. Process plants to bag), "Add conditions from reagents/materials" adds a condition on "empty bags". If you press i to "Change item type", only "Empty items" is green; "boxes and bags" is red. So evidently such a condition is technically possible, there just isn't any way to specify it manually.

I agree with Loci that boxes and bags should be two separate object types.
(0038732)
sionlife   
2018-08-21 16:32   
You can use the traits "empty" and "sewn-imageless" to specify empty bags of any material ie

empty Sewn-imageless boxes and bags

will distinguish between boxes and bags because you can't sew an image onto a box. Doesn't work if you sew images to your bags though.