.gen files contain the genetic information for new breeds as well as individual creatures, identified by the moniker.
Format
C2 and newer genome files start with the three characters dna, followed by the (textual) number representing the genome file version - '2' for Creatures 2, and '3' for the Creatures Evolution Engine.
The main part of the file (which C1-era files start with immediately) consists of any number of genes, which consist of the four characters gene, a gene header and gene data, which differs depending on the contents of the header. There is more information about the differing formats of genes in the gene types category.
When all the genes have occurred, there is then an end-of-file marker consisting of the four characters gend.
All numbers in the file are in little-endian form.
| type |
description
|
| char[4] |
file magic (only in version 2/3 genomes. "dna2" = version 2, "dna3" = version 3)
|
| Gene Header |
first gene header
|
| Gene Data |
first gene data, depends on gene type
|
| ... |
gene headers and data for rest of genes
|
| char[4] |
file end marker, "gend"
|
A gene header starts with two 8-bit values, representing the gene type and the gene subtype.
There are then another four 8-bit values, representing the gene identifier (for reference by GNO files), the generation number of the gene, the age at which the gene should be switched on, and the gene flags.
In version 2/3 genomes, there's then an 8-bit mutability weighting value, and in version 3 genomes, an 8-bit variant value, used in Creatures Village to turn on different genes for different species without needing separate genome files for each species.
| type |
description
|
| char[4] |
marker "gene"
|
| uint8 |
gene type (0=brain 1=biochemistry 2=creature)
|
| uint8 |
gene sub-type
|
| uint8 |
gene id (for use with Genetics Kit)
|
| uint8 |
generation
|
| uint8 |
switchontime
|
| uint8 |
flags
|
| uint8 |
mutability weighting value (only in version 2 genomes)
|
| uint8 |
variant (only in version 3 genomes)
|
Genes
Each gene has a different data format. Each file version contains similar genes, but some things may be different. The below information may not be correct for all versions.
Brain Lobe (type 0 0)
Version 1
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
x
|
| uint8 |
y
|
| uint8 |
width
|
| uint8 |
height
|
| uint8 |
perceptible
|
| uint8 |
cell_threshold
|
| uint8 |
cell_leakage
|
| uint8 |
cell_reststate
|
| uint8 |
cell_attenuation
|
| uint8[8] |
cell_staterule
|
| uint8 |
cell_flags
|
| DendriteType |
d0_type
|
| DendriteType |
d1_type
|
DendriteType:
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
source
|
| uint8 |
min
|
| uint8 |
max
|
| uint8 |
spread
|
| uint8 |
fanout
|
| uint8 |
minltw
|
| uint8 |
maxltw
|
| uint8 |
minstrength
|
| uint8 |
maxstrength
|
| uint8 |
migration
|
| uint8 |
relaxsuscept
|
| uint8 |
relaxstw
|
| uint8 |
ltwgainrate
|
| uint8 |
gainevery
|
| uint8[8] |
gainrule
|
| uint8 |
loseevery
|
| uint8[8] |
loserule
|
| uint8[8] |
susceptrule
|
| uint8[8] |
reinforcerule
|
Version 3
| type |
description
|
| char[4] |
lobe id
|
| uint16be |
updatetime
|
| uint16be |
x
|
| uint16be |
y
|
| uint8 |
width
|
| uint8 |
height
|
| uint8 |
red
|
| uint8 |
green
|
| uint8 |
blue
|
| uint8 |
WTA
|
| uint8 |
tissue
|
| uint8 |
initrulealways
|
| uint8[7] |
padding, usually all 0s
|
| uint8[48] |
initrule
|
| uint8[48] |
updaterule
|
Brain Organ (type 0 1)
Exists in version 3.
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
clockrate
|
| uint8 |
damagerate
|
| uint8 |
lifeforce
|
| uint8 |
biotickstart
|
| uint8 |
atpdamagecoefficient
|
Brain Tract (type 0 2)
Exists in version 3.
| type |
description
|
| uint16be |
updatetime
|
| char[4] |
srclobe
|
| uint16be |
srclobe_lowerbound
|
| uint16be |
srclobe_upperbound
|
| uint16be |
srclobe_numconnections
|
| char[4] |
destlobe
|
| uint16be |
destlobe_lowerbound
|
| uint16be |
destlobe_upperbound
|
| uint16be |
destlobe_numconnections
|
| uint8 |
migrates
|
| uint8 |
num_random_connections
|
| uint8 |
srcvar
|
| uint8 |
destvar
|
| uint8 |
initrulealways
|
| uint8[5] |
padding, usually all 0s
|
| uint8[48] |
initrule
|
| uint8[48] |
updaterule
|
Biochemistry Receptor (type 1 0)
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
organ
|
| uint8 |
tissue
|
| uint8 |
locus
|
| uint8 |
chemical
|
| uint8 |
threshold
|
| uint8 |
nominal
|
| uint8 |
gain
|
| uint8 |
flags
|
Biochemistry Emitter (type 1 1)
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
organ
|
| uint8 |
tissue
|
| uint8 |
locus
|
| uint8 |
chemical
|
| uint8 |
threshold
|
| uint8 |
rate
|
| uint8 |
gain
|
| uint8 |
flags
|
Biochemistry Reaction (type 1 2)
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
r1_amount
|
| uint8 |
r1_chem
|
| uint8 |
r2_amount
|
| uint8 |
r2_chem
|
| uint8 |
p1_amount
|
| uint8 |
p1_chem
|
| uint8 |
p2_amount
|
| uint8 |
p2_chem
|
| uint8 |
rate
|
Biochemistry Halflives (type 1 3)
| type |
description
|
| uint8[256] |
chemical half-lives
|
Biochemistry Initial Concentration (type 1 4)
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
chemical
|
| uint8 |
amount
|
Biochemistry Neuroemitter (type 1 5)
Exists in version 3.
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
lobe0
|
| uint8 |
neuron0
|
| uint8 |
lobe1
|
| uint8 |
neuron1
|
| uint8 |
lobe2
|
| uint8 |
neuron2
|
| uint8 |
rate
|
| uint8 |
chem0
|
| uint8 |
amount0
|
| uint8 |
chem1
|
| uint8 |
amount1
|
| uint8 |
chem2
|
| uint8 |
amount2
|
| uint8 |
chem3
|
| uint8 |
amount3
|
Creature Stimulus (type 2 0)
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
stimulus
|
| uint8 |
significance
|
| uint8 |
input
|
| uint8 |
intensity
|
| uint8 |
features
|
| uint8 |
chemical0
|
| uint8 |
amount0
|
| uint8 |
chemical1
|
| uint8 |
amount1
|
| uint8 |
chemical2
|
| uint8 |
amount2
|
| uint8 |
chemical3
|
| uint8 |
amount3
|
Creature Genus (type 2 1)
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
genus
|
| char[?] |
mom's moniker (4 bytes in version 1, 32 bytes in version 3)
|
| char[?] |
dad's moniker (4 bytes in version 1, 32 bytes in version 3)
|
Creature Appearance (type 2 2)
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
body part
|
| uint8 |
variant
|
| uint8 |
species (only in versions 2+)
|
Creature Pose (type 2 3)
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
pose number
|
| char[?] |
pose string (15 bytes in versions 1 and 2, 16 bytes in version 3)
|
Creature Gait (type 2 4)
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
gait number
|
| uint8[8] |
pose sequence
|
Creature Instinct (type 2 5)
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
lobe0
|
| uint8 |
cell0
|
| uint8 |
lobe1
|
| uint8 |
cell1
|
| uint8 |
lobe2
|
| uint8 |
cell2
|
| uint8 |
action
|
| uint8 |
reinforcement_chemical
|
| uint8 |
reinforcement_amount
|
Creature Pigment (type 2 6)
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
pigment
|
| uint8 |
amount
|
Creature Pigment Bleed (type 2 7)
Exists in version 3.
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
rotation
|
| uint8 |
swap
|
Creature Facial Expression (type 2 8)
Exists in version 3.
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
expression
|
| uint8 |
padding, always zero
|
| uint8 |
weight
|
| uint8 |
drive0
|
| uint8 |
amount0
|
| uint8 |
drive1
|
| uint8 |
amount1
|
| uint8 |
drive2
|
| uint8 |
amount2
|
| uint8 |
drive3
|
| uint8 |
amount3
|
Organ (type 3 0)
Only exists in versions 2 and 3.
| type |
description
|
| uint8 |
clockrate
|
| uint8 |
damagerate
|
| uint8 |
lifeforce
|
| uint8 |
biotickstart
|
| uint8 |
atpdamagecoefficient
|
Related links
External links
