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 - Character creation shared visuals
- 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.