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Creature variation token
v50.14 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF.Note that some content may still need to be updated. |
Modding |
---|
Tokens |
Audio · Biome · Graphics · Interaction · Mod info · Plant · Speech · Sphere · Syndrome · World |
Body tokens |
Body · Body detail plan · Bodygloss · Tissue |
Creature tokens |
Creature · Creature mannerism · Personality · Creature variation · Procedural graphics layer |
Descriptor tokens |
Descriptor color · Color · Descriptor pattern · Descriptor shape |
Entity tokens |
Entity · Ethic · Language · Personality · Position |
Job tokens |
Building · Labor · Reaction · Skill · Unit type |
Item tokens |
Item type · Item definition · Ammo · Armor · Instrument · Tool · Trap component · Weapon |
Material tokens |
Material type · Material definition · Inorganic material definition |
Creature variations are templates for creatures. In conjunction with [COPY_TAGS_FROM]
they may be used to create creatures which are derived from another already-existing creature, thus the name, though their use-case is broader than that, in vanilla also covering gaits and attacks. They may either be embedded inside creatures (when using [APPLY_CURRENT_CREATURE_VARIATION]
) or be defined as CREATURE_VARIATION objects. The default variations are defined in c_variation_default.txt
Creature variations can be contrasted with the other types of templates for creatures: tissue templates, material templates, and body detail plans. Creature variations are the newest of the four (from 2009) and also the most advanced.
Creature variations can add/convert almost all tokens, but [APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION]
is an exception, so you can’t nest creature variations.
Token | Arguments | Description |
---|---|---|
CV_NEW_TAG |
|
Adds the given token to the target creature. E.g. [CV_NEW_TAG:BIOME:ANY_FOREST] gives the creature [BIOME:ANY_FOREST]. |
CV_ADD_TAG |
|
Alias for CV_NEW_TAG. |
CV_REMOVE_TAG |
|
Removes all tokens from the target creature which start with the given chain of token arguments. E.g. [CV_REMOVE_TAG:BODY:HUMANOID_SIMPLE] would remove [BODY:HUMANOID_SIMPLE:3_EYES], but [CV_REMOVE_TAG:BODY:3_EYES] would not. Neither would [CV_REMOVE_TAG:BODY:HUMANOID_SIMPLE] be able to remove [BODY:HUMANOID_SIMPLE_NECK:3_EYES], as it looks for whole arguments. [CV_REMOVE_TAG:BODY] would remove both examples above, as they start with "BODY". |
CV_CONVERT_TAG | Starts a conversion block, containing one [CVCT_MASTER] , one [CVCT_TARGET] , and one [CVCT_REPLACEMENT] . Note that multiple conversion blocks are applied in what might appear as "reverse" order (see Application).
| |
CVCT_MASTER |
|
Specifies which tokens of the target creature may be converted, by looking at full arguments at the start of said token (like [CV_REMOVE_TAG] ).
If no CVCT_MASTER is given, it is given no arguments, or the only argument it is given is blank (i.e. [CVCT_MASTER:]), all tokens of the target creature are selected. |
CVCT_TARGET |
|
Locates the specified string within all tokens specified by CVCT_MASTER.
If no CVCT_TARGET is given, it is given no arguments, or the only argument it is given is blank (i.e. [CVCT_TARGET:]), the game will freeze when loading the creature. |
CVCT_REPLACEMENT |
|
Replaces the string specified by CVCT_TARGET within the tokens specified by CVCT_MASTER. This means the targeted part of a token can be changed anywhere in the token, e.g.
[CV_CONVERT_TAG] [CVCT_MASTER:BODY] [CVCT_TARGET:2EYES] [CVCT_REPLACEMENT:2EYESTALKS] would affect both [BODY:QUADRUPED_NECK:2EYES:NOSE:2LUNGS:...] and [BODY:INSECT:2EYES:HEART:GUTS:BRAIN:MOUTH:2WINGS], converting them into [BODY:QUADRUPED_NECK:2EYESTALKS:NOSE:2LUNGS:...] and [BODY:INSECT:2EYESTALKS:HEART:GUTS:BRAIN:MOUTH:2WINGS] respectively. Colons can be included as part of both the target and the replacement string, e.g. given [CV_CONVERT_TAG] [CVCT_MASTER:BODY] [CVCT_TARGET:BASIC_1PARTBODY:BASIC_HEAD] [CVCT_REPLACEMENT:HUMANOID:3FINGERS] and [BODY:BASIC_1PARTBODY:BASIC_HEAD:HEART:GUTS:BRAIN:MOUTH:2EYESTALKS], you will get [BODY:HUMANOID:3FINGERS:HEART:GUTS:BRAIN:MOUTH:2EYESTALKS]. All occurrences of the target string are replaced, e.g. given [CV_CONVERT_TAG] [CVCT_MASTER:DESCRIPTION] [CVCT_TARGET:TRAIT] [CVCT_REPLACEMENT:modderiffic] and [DESCRIPTION:This is an example creature. It is TRAIT, very very TRAIT.], you will get [DESCRIPTION:This is an example creature. It is modderiffic, very very modderiffic.]. If no CVCT_REPLACEMENT is given, the target string is simply removed. |
CV_NEW_CTAG |
|
Conditional variant of [CV_NEW_TAG] , see Arguments and conditional tokens.
|
CV_ADD_CTAG |
|
Alias for CV_NEW_CTAG. |
CV_REMOVE_CTAG |
|
Conditional variant of [CV_REMOVE_TAG] , see Arguments and conditional tokens.
|
CV_CONVERT_CTAG |
|
Conditional variant of [CV_CONVERT_TAG] , see Arguments and conditional tokens. Uses [CVCT_MASTER] , [CVCT_TARGET] , and [CVCT_REPLACEMENT] , just as the former.
|
Application[edit]
The two ways of applying creature variations are [APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION]
and [APPLY_CURRENT_CREATURE_VARIATION]
.
APPLY_CURRENT_CREATURE_VARIATION takes all creature variation tokens before it in the creature raws (and after previous APPLY_CURRENT_CREATURE_VARIATION tokens, if they exist) and applies them. When tokens are added through APPLY_CURRENT_CREATURE_VARIATION, they are added in the place of APPLY_CURRENT_CREATURE_VARIATION.
Creature variations have an unusual order of application. First, remove tokens are applied (bottom-up according to Toady in c_variation_default.txt, though this should never matter). Then, convert tokens are applied bottom-up (in "reverse" order). Finally, add tokens are applied from the top. This means that [CV_REMOVE_TAG]
won't remove any token added by the same creature variation. It is also why more general conversions can (must) be higher up when overlapping [CVCT_MASTER]
s are used. If they were not read bottom-up, e.g.
[CV_CONVERT_TAG] [CVCT_MASTER:BODY] [CVCT_TARGET:QUADRUPED] [CVCT_REPLACEMENT:HUMANOID]
would convert [BODY:QUADRUPED_FRONT_GRASP:...] and [BODY:QUADRUPED_NECK:...] into [BODY:HUMANOID_FRONT_GRASP:...] and [BODY:HUMANOID_NECK:...] respectively, before
[CV_CONVERT_TAG] [CVCT_MASTER:BODY] [CVCT_TARGET:QUADRUPED_FRONT_GRASP] [CVCT_REPLACEMENT:HUMANOID] [CV_CONVERT_TAG] [CVCT_MASTER:BODY] [CVCT_TARGET:QUADRUPED_NECK] [CVCT_REPLACEMENT:HUMANOID_NECK:3FINGERS]
could convert them into the expected [BODY:HUMANOID:...] and [BODY:HUMANOID_NECK:3_FINGERS:...], as should be.
Arguments and conditional tokens[edit]
[APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION]
may be given arguments (in addition to the required creature variation ID). These arguments will replace instances of "!ARGn", where n is the index of the argument given to APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION; the first argument will replace any "!ARG1", the second any "!ARG2" and so on. You may use any number of arguments1.
If you have an "!ARGn" of a higher number than the argument given the replacements will act oddly, depending on if n has more digits than the number of arguments given. E.g. [APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION:EXAMPLE_CV:one:two:three], which has three arguments given, will leave all "!ARG5" in EXAMPLE_CV intact as "!ARG5", but "!ARG10" will become "one0".
The pipe character "|" is turned into ":" when inserted, so single arguments in APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION may be turned into multi-argument segments in the output. E.g. given
[CREATURE_VARIATION:DIMORPHIC_FEATHER_COLORS] [CV_NEW_TAG:SELECT_CASTE:FEMALE] [CV_NEW_TAG:SET_TL_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:FEATHER] [CV_NEW_TAG:TL_COLOR_MODIFIER:!ARG1] [CV_NEW_TAG:TLCM_NOUN:feathers:PLURAL] [CV_NEW_TAG:SELECT_CASTE:MALE] [CV_NEW_TAG:SET_TL_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:FEATHER] [CV_NEW_TAG:TL_COLOR_MODIFIER:!ARG2] [CV_NEW_TAG:TLCM_NOUN:feathers:PLURAL] [CV_NEW_TAG:SELECT_CASTE:ALL]
and [APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION:DIMORPHIC_FEATHER_COLORS:BROWN|1:BLUE|10|GREEN|1|BLACK|1] we get
[SELECT_CASTE:FEMALE] [SET_TL_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:FEATHER] [TL_COLOR_MODIFIER:BROWN:1] [TLCM_NOUN:feathers:PLURAL] [SELECT_CASTE:MALE] [SET_TL_GROUP:BY_CATEGORY:ALL:FEATHER] [TL_COLOR_MODIFIER:BLUE:10:GREEN:1:BLACK:1] [TLCM_NOUN:feathers:PLURAL] [SELECT_CASTE:ALL]
as the tokens added to the target creature.
The conditional tags ([CV_NEW_CTAG]
/[CV_ADD_CTAG]
, [CV_REMOVE_CTAG]
and [CV_CONVERT_CTAG]
) are copies of CV_NEW_TAG/CV_ADD_TAG, CV_REMOVE_TAG and CV_CONVERT_TAG, except they only work if a numbered argument of APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION has an arbitrary value. E.g. [CV_ADD_CTAG:2:HUMANOID:CAN_SPEAK] will only add [CAN_SPEAK] if argument number two is "HUMANOID".
1Functionally. Up to 65537=216+1 arguments have been tested, with no problems other than a long load time.
Example[edit]
The following is an example of a creature variation, demonstrating most of the tokens and arguments mentioned above; with an explanation of how you would use it to change the properties of a cow.
[CREATURE_VARIATION:CREATURE_EDIT] [CV_CONVERT_CTAG:1:NAME] [CVCT_MASTER:NAME] [CVCT_TARGET:!ARG3:!ARG3s:!ARG4] [CVCT_REPLACEMENT:!ARG5:!ARG5s:!ARG6] [CV_CONVERT_CTAG:2:CNAME] [CVCT_MASTER:CASTE_NAME] [CVCT_TARGET:!ARG3:!ARG3s:!ARG4] [CVCT_REPLACEMENT:!ARG5:!ARG5s:!ARG6] [CV_NEW_CTAG:7:FC:SELECT_CASTE:FEMALE] [CV_NEW_CTAG:7:FC:COLOR:!ARG8] [CV_CONVERT_TAG] [CVCT_MASTER:STATE_NAME:LIQUID] [CVCT_TARGET:!ARG3's milk] [CVCT_REPLACEMENT:!ARG5's milk] [CV_CONVERT_TAG] [CVCT_MASTER:STATE_ADJ:LIQUID] [CVCT_TARGET:!ARG3's milk] [CVCT_REPLACEMENT:!ARG5's milk] [CV_NEW_CTAG:9:MRED:SELECT_CASTE:MALE] [CV_NEW_CTAG:9:MREL:CASTE_COLOR:4:0:0] [CV_NEW_CTAG:9:MYEL:SELECT_CASTE:MALE] [CV_NEW_CTAG:9:MYEL:CASTE_COLOR:6:0:1]
We add the following to a creature file.
[SELECT_CREATURE:COW] [APPLY_CREATURE_VARIATION:CREATURE_EDIT:X:CNAME:cow:bovine:super-cow:cowtastic:FC:7|0|1:MYEL]
This will change the cow creature file so that the cows are now called "super-cows", which can be described as "cowtastic", are white colored and produce "super-cow's milk", and it will also change the color of the bulls to yellow.
Here is a step-by-step explanation of what is happening in order of the arguments:
- "X" doesn't match the first CTAG argument of "NAME", so we have decided not to change the overall name of the creature.
- "CNAME" does match the second CTAG so we are changing the name of a caste which matches arguments !ARG3 & !ARG4, as well as looking for specific liquids with state names that contain !ARG3 followed by the characters "'s milk".
- Using arguments 3 & 4 we look for a caste name that matches "cow:cows:bovine" and any liquid name or adjective that matches "cow's milk".
- The caste name and liquids do exist, so !ARG5 & !ARG6 now declare what we want to change these names to; in this case the caste name "super-cow:super-cows:cowtastic" and liquid name and adjective "super-cow's milk".
- Now we declare that we want CTAG argument 7 to match "FC" which means we will select the [FEMALE] caste and add a color to it which is decided by the next argument !ARG8.
- We need to choose three digits but they need to be separated by ":". Using this character here will move us onto the next argument, so we separate the digits with "|" instead choosing "7|0|1" (white), for a white cow (not necessarily represented by the graphics).
- The next argument has multiple CTAGs numbered "9", but with different arguments. Either option will use [SELECT_CASTE:MALE] but we can choose between the argument MRED or MYEL. We have chosen MYEL which adds the tag [CASTE_COLOR:6:0:1] (yellow) for us, giving the male caste (in this case a bull) yellow as a caste color.