Intended as a temporary hub for terms that may need to be explained in our work-in-progress dictionary.
¶ BG3 Modding Dictionary
¶ A
- Anubis - Larian scripting language.
- Attribute (Character Stats) - Attributes refer to character statistics such as Charisma, Strength, Constitution, etc. These can be modified through various means, including templates, classes, and stats.
- Attribute (Template) - An Attribute in the context of a template defines its characteristics and functionality. For example,
WalkOn = trueallows characters to walk on it,CanShootThrough = falsemakes it impenetrable, andVisualEntry = "A UUID"links a VisualBank to a template.
¶ B
- BG3MM - LaughingLeader’s Baldur’s Gate 3 Mod Manager.
- BM - Base Map (called Albedo internally), DDS file, contains either a greyscale representation of the color intensity or a colored representation
- Boost - Boosts are similar to buffs or debuffs in other games. They can modify an entity in various ways or be re-utilized to trigger other things with Script Extender.
- BootstrapClient - A script or set of scripts that initialize on the client side when the game starts.
- BootstrapServer - A script or set of scripts that initialize on the server side when the game starts.
¶ C
- CCAV - CharacterCreationAppearanceVisuals - A file that assigns visuals to slots in Character Creation such as heads, hairs, horns, etc. Visuals are assigned to particular races, body shapes, and body types.
- CCSV - CharacterCreationSharedVisuals - A file that assigns visuals to slots in Character Creation, usually hairs. Visuals are not assigned to particular races, body shapes, and body types and can be used by any of them. Because of this, the visuals used in CCSV are required to use autosnap armatures and weights.
- CF - Compatibility Framework.
- Client - The game instance running on a player’s machine, handling local rendering and input.
- CL - Community Library.
- Class (Coding) - In coding, a class is a blueprint for creating objects within Object-Oriented Programming (OOP). It defines shared properties and methods of an object you create. For example, a class dedicated to an element/object would outline its properties and the functions available for it.
- Class (Game) - In-game classes determine the abilities and stats a character gains throughout the game. Here is a guide to creating a custom class.
- CLEA - DDS file, stores Curvature, Lips, Eyebrows, and Ambient Occlusion (AO)
- CMTY - Community / BG3 Modding Community.
- Collada - (COLLAborative Design Activity) is an open-source XML format, designed to exchange 3D information among 3D Digital Content Creation tools. Collada files have the .dae file extension, which stands for digital asset exchange.
D
- Dump - Extracting game data for analysis or modification.
¶ E
- Enumeration (Enum) - Enumerations, or Enums, are lists of named constants representing component types, such as WeaponType. Each type can also be associated with a number, allowing it to be referenced by name or number, e.g., (None, 0), (Sword, 1), (Club, 2). (Here is a list of possible Enumerations available to us via Script Extender).
- Entity - Any object in the game world, including characters, items, and environmental objects.
- Entity Dump - A comprehensive list of all properties and attributes of an entity, useful for debugging and modding.
¶ F
- Framework - A structured foundation for developing mods, often providing essential functions and utilities.
¶ G
- Gtp - Graphine Tile Set Page file, which is a collection of virtual textures
- Gts - Graphine Tile set file, which contains ‘mappings’ for virtual textures
- GTex - VirtualTexture containing the 3 dds files (CLEA,NM,HMVY or BM,NM,PM)
- GUID - Globally Unique Identifier, a unique reference number used as an identifier in software.
¶ H
- Handle - A reference to an object or entity in the game, often used in scripting.
- HMVY - DDS file, stores the Hemoglobin, Melanin, Veins, and Yellowing
¶ I
- IDE - Integrated Development Environment, a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development.
- IF - Inspiration Framework.
¶ J
- JSON - JavaScript Object Notation, a lightweight data interchange format that’s easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate.
¶ K
- Keybind - A keyboard shortcut that allows a player to perform a specific action in the game.
¶ L
- Load order - The sequence in which mods are placed in BG3MM and Vortex.
- Loca - Localization files containing translations for different languages.
- Lua - Programming language used for Script Extender.
- Lsf - Larian’s proprietary file format for various game data.
- Lsx - Larian’s XML-based file format for game data.
¶ M
- Meta - Metadata or data about data, often used to refer to information about a mod or file.
¶ N
- NM - Normal Map, DDS file, stores directional data used to fake depth on objects
- Norbsearch - BG3 Search Engine by Norbyte.
- Notepad++ - Open source code editor and replacement for Notepad, commonly used by the community.
¶ O
- OF - Oath Framework.
- OOP (Object-Oriented Programming) - Object-Oriented Programming is a programming paradigm that structures code using objects, which are instances of classes. It defines elements/objects, their properties, and functions. Here is a brief introduction to OOP with more information.
- Osiris - Larian scripting language.
¶ P
- Passive - A passive ability provides a continuous effect (Boost) as long as it is activated on the passive hotbar.
- PM - Physical Map, DDS file, contains Roughness, Metallic, and Ambient Occlusion
¶ Q
- Quest - A task or series of tasks that a player completes for rewards.
¶ R
- REL - Random Equipment Loot.
¶ S
- Shared folder - Folder that contains your Localization, Mods, and Public folder.
- Server - The game instance that manages the game world and game state, often running on a remote machine.
- Stats - Various attributes linked to a GameObject-Template, typically defined in a text file. Examples include the attributes an item grants, its weight, and the slot it occupies (e.g., Gloves).
¶ T
- Tile Set - A huge texture containing multiple sub-textures merged into one with LSLib
- Template - A template is a fundamental building block in the game, composed of various attributes. It can also inherit attributes from a parent template, building on its properties or overriding a specific attribute if the child has a new value for it.
- TreasureTable - Determines what items a container or vendor might have. A TreasureTable would be registered in the container/entity’s GameObject-Template as a new child node “InventoryList”. (Use Norbsearch to look up an existing container to find out how.)
¶ U
- UUID - Universally Unique Identifier, a 128-bit value used in the game files to identify an object or entity by its unique 36-character format. Example:
000cfc9f-b973-48e7-a5c8-f2992a47a943.
¶ V
- Vortex - Nexusmods’ Mod Manager.
- Visual bank entry - A reference to a visual asset in the game.
- Visual Studio Code (VSCode) - Free code editor created by Microsoft. Commonly used in the community, with several extensions available specifically for BG3 modding.
- Visual Studio Codium (VSCodium) - An open source alternative for VSCode
- VT - Virtual Texture
¶ W
- Workspace - A project setup in a development environment that includes all files and settings related to a specific mod or group of mods.
¶ X
- Xml - Extensible Markup Language, markup language and file format for storing, transmitting, and reconstructing arbitrary data, both human-readable and machine-readable.
¶ Y
- YAML - Yet Another Markup Language, a human-readable data serialization format.
¶ Z
- Zip - A compressed file format used to package mod files for distribution.