Modding tutorial/Element properties

This page lists some of the properties that can be specified on elements while modding.

List of properties

Property name	Data type	Meaning
id	Number	Autogenerated ID of the element; used for element comparison
name	String	Name of the element. If none is present, element object key will be used instead (e.g. elements.test_element -> TestElement)
alias	String Array	Other name(s) of the element (e.g. "Hydrochloric Acid" for Acid element)
category	String	The category the element button appears in. Entering "tools" places it above the element picker
desc	String	Description of the element, shown in Lookup
extraInfo	String	Description of the element added as backward compatibility with 'extra_element_info.js' mod. It's only visible in Lookup if desc is not present
related	String - Element Array (String - Element)	Related element(s), shown under "See Also" in Lookup (e.g. Human is linked to Body and Head)
hidden	Boolean	Whether the element is hidden from the element picker by default
darkText	Boolean	Whether the element button uses dark or bright text
canPlace	Boolean	Whether the element can be placed; true by default on elements that don't have a tool function
nocheer	Boolean	Whether this element is hidden in Cheerful Mode
forceAutoGen	Boolean	Whether automatic state generation will occur regardless of the existance of stateHigh
color	String - color Array (String - color)	Color of the pixels of the element. The actual color can vary a bit from the specified value
colorObject	Object (r, g, b) RGB Object array	Autogenerated RGB object of the element
colorOn	String - color Array (String - color)	Color of the pixels of the element when charged
customColor	Boolean	Whether the user can choose the pixel color (e.g. Art)
singleColor	Boolean	Whether pixels of the element placed with a single brush stroke have the same color
forceSaveColor	Boolean	Whether pixels of the element store their original color in the save file
colorPattern	Array (String)	Texture pattern of the element
colorKey	Object (key - pattern key, value - color string)	Texture colors of the element (maps certain pattern keys to colors)
alpha	Number (0-1)	Opacity of pixels the element
glow	Boolean	Whether the element will glow (the same effect can be achieved with glow pixel property)
firedColors	Object (key - element name, value - color array)	Only used in Tornado, dictates colors that will be chosen based on what Tornado was dropped on
behavior	Behavior array Function(pixel)	Defines how the element works. See Behavior for more info and how behavior arrays are constructed
behaviorOn	Behavior array Function(pixel)	Defines how the element works when charged
tick	Function(pixel)	Defines how the element works, works independently from behavior (you can use both or either)
tick1	Function(pixel)	See Modding tutorial/Element properties § Tick fusion
tick2	Function(pixel)	See Modding tutorial/Element properties § Tick fusion
tool	Function(pixel)	Defines how the element works if the element is tool
onMouseUp	Function	Called when the element is selected and mouse button is released
onMouseDown	Function	Called when the element is selected and mouse button is pressed
onSelect	Function	Called when the element gets selected
onUnselect	Function	Called when the element stops being selected
onPlace	Function(pixel)	Called when a pixel of the element is placed
onDelete	Function(pixel)	Called when a pixel of the element is deleted
onChange	Function(pixel)	Called when a pixel of the element is changed to a different element
onMix	Function(pixel)	Called when a pixel of the element is mixed
onBreak	Function(pixel)	Called when a pixel of the element is smashed
perTick	Function	Called every tick if element is selected
hoverStat	Function(pixel)	Provides hover information for a pixel
renderer	Function(pixel, ctx)	Functions as a custom renderer for pixels of the element
reactions	Reactions object	Reactions of the element
temp	Number	The default temperature of pixels of the element
tempLow	Number	The temperature at which the pixel turns into the element specified by stateLow
stateLow	String - element	The element that the pixel turns into after reaching the temperature specified by tempLow
stateLowName	String	Name of the element that will be generated as stateLow with automatic state generation
stateLowColor	String - color	Color of the element that will be generated as stateLow with automatic state generation
stateLowColorMultiplier	String - color	Multiplier of the original color that will be used as a color of the element that will be generated as stateLow with automatic state generation
tempHigh	Number	The temperature at which the pixel turns into the element specified by stateHigh
stateHigh	String - element	The element that the pixel turns into after reaching the temperature specified by tempHigh
stateHighName	String	Name of the element that will be generated as stateHigh with automatic state generation
stateHighColor	String - color	Color of the element that will be generated as stateHigh with automatic state generation
stateHighColorMultiplier	String - color	Multiplier of the original color that will be used as a color of the element that will be generated as stateHigh with automatic state generation
extraTempLow	Object (key - temperature, value - element)	Defines other temperatures below tempLow at which element turns into other elements
extraTempHigh	Object (key - temperature, value - element)	Defines other temperatures above tempHigh at which element turns into other elements
state	String ("solid", "liquid" or "gas")	State of matter of the element
density	Number	Density of the element in kg/m³. See Density for more info.
insulate	Boolean	Whether the element insulates from heat and electricity
viscosity	Number	Viscosity of the element in cP
conduct	Number (0-1)	Conductivity of an element
ignoreConduct	Array (String - element)	Blocks element from being shocked by elements provided in the array
superconductAt	Number	Temperature at which element starts superconducting
stain	Number (-1-1)	How much pixels of the element stain other pixels (negative numbers clean stains)
stainSelf	Boolean	Whether the element can stain itself
charge	Number	Charge that pixels of the element spawn with
movable	Boolean	Whether the element is movable; by default true for all element with tick function or behavior that contains M1 or M2 rules
hardness	Number (0-1)	Chance of resisting damage in % (e.g. 5% would be 0.05)
foodNeed	Number	Amount of food needed for an egg to be spawned
properties	Object (key - property name, value - default value)	Default values of custom properties that pixels of the element will have; this property is not required for custom pixel properties
maxSize	Number	Maximum brush size allowed when placing the element
baby	String - element	Element that will be spawned from an egg
egg	String - element	Element to be used as an egg (Egg by default)
eggColor	String - color	Color of the element's egg
seed	String - element Boolean	Element to be used as a seed of the element (when seed is a string) Whether the element is a seed (when seed is a boolean)
noMix	Boolean	Whether the element will be ignored when mixing
ignoreAir	Boolean	Whether the element should ignore air density
excludeRandom	Boolean	Whether the element should be excluded from random events
cooldown	Number	Amount of ticks you have to wait after placing the element before you can place it again
isFood	Boolean	Whether the element can be mixed into Dough or Batter
isGas	Boolean	Whether the element is a gas
ignore	Array (String - element)	Elements that the element will ignore (e.g. in DL, DB, CH, ST or CF behavior rules)
canContain	Boolean	Whether pixels of the element can contain other pixels (e.g. Pipes)
burn	Number	Flammability of the element
burning	Boolean	Whether the element is burning by default
burnTime	Number	Amount of ticks pixels of the element can burn for
burnInto	String - element	Element that pixels of the element will turn into when they burn down
extinguish	Boolean	Whether the element can extinguish fire
fireColor	String - color	Color of the fire
fireElement	String - element	Element that will be used as fire
rotatable	Boolean	Whether the element can rotate in 4 directions
flippableX	Boolean	Whether the element can be flipped on the X-axis when placed
flippableY	Boolean	Whether the element can be flipped on the Y-axis when placed
breakInto	String - element	Element that pixels of the element will turn into when they get smashed
breakIntoColor	String - color	Color of pixels of the element after they are smashed

Tick fusion

If both behavior and tick is provided and behavior is a function, these functions will be fused together in following manner:

1. tick function will be moved to tick1

2. behavior function will be moved to tick2

3. tick function will be replaced with a new handler function that first calls tick1, checks if the element has not been changed, and calls tick2.

4. Delete behavior property

In source code

In the game's source code, there is a commented out list of properties:

// name - display name of the element [optional]
// color - color of the element's pixel
// behavior - behavior of the element
// ignore - elements to ignore in behavior [must be an array]
// category - category in which the element will show up in
// density - density of the element [only used for movable elements] (kg/m^3)
// state - solid, liquid, or gas [only used for movable elements]
// reactions - instructions for when elements attempt to move onto each other (object)
// conduct - conductivity of the element (0-1)
// behaviorOn - behavior to override when powered
// colorOn - color to change to when powered
// temp - default temperature of the element (Celsius)
// tempHigh - highest temperature before state change (Celsius)
// tempLow - lowest temperature before state change (Celsius)
// stateHigh - element transformed into when tempHigh is reached
// stateLow - element transformed into when tempLow is reached
// viscosity - how slow a liquid will move (higher = slower) (cps)
// burn - chance of burning per tick (0-100) (%)
// burnTime - time to burn (ticks)
// burnInto - element to turn into after burning
// fireColor - color of the flame given off when burning
// burning - whether the element is burning on creation
// charge - charge of the element on creation
// hardness - chance of resisting damage (0-1)