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
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
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)
forceSaveColor	Boolean	Whether pixels of the element store their original color in the save file
singleColor	Boolean	Whether pixels of the element will have the same color when placed while drawing continuously
colorPattern	Array (String)	Texture pattern of the element
colorKey	Object (key - pattern key, value - color string)	Texture colors of the element (map certain pattern keys to colors)
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)
tool	Function(pixel)	Defines how the element works if the element is tool
onMouseDown	Function	Called when the element is selected and mouse button is pressed
onMouseUp	Function	Called when the element is selected and mouse button is released
onSelect	Function	Called when the element gets selected
onUnselect	Function	Called when the element stops being selected
onMix	Function(pixel)	Called when a pixel of the element is mixed
perTick	Function	Called every tick if element is selected
hoverStat	Function(pixel)	Provides hover information for a pixel
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")	The 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
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
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
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
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

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)