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Introduction

Origen uses a highly modular configuration system that separates different aspects of world generation into distinct directories. This structure makes it easy to understand, modify, and extend the pack’s behavior.

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Directory Structure

The configuration pack is organized into several top-level directories, each handling a specific domain:
Contains all biome configuration files. Each biome defines its terrain generation parameters, features, palettes, and other properties.
  • Individual biome configs (e.g., OCEAN.yml, FOREST.yml)
  • Abstract base configs for inheritance
  • Biome-specific feature configurations
Defines where biomes generate in the world. Contains the biome placement pipeline.
  • presets/ - Complete biome distribution configurations
  • stages/ - Pipeline stages for biome placement
  • extrusions/ - Cave and underground biome placement
See Biome Distribution Reference for details.
Contains feature configurations that determine how structures are generated in the world.
  • vegetation/ - Trees, flowers, bushes, coral
  • deposits/ - Ore veins and mineral deposits
  • boulders/ - Boulder placement
  • misc/ - Special features like travertine and volcanoes
See Features Reference for details.
Contains the actual structure files loaded into the world (.tesf, .tobj, etc.).
  • Mirrors the organization of features/
  • Trees, boulders, flower patches, fossils
  • Structure files reference by feature configs
See Structures Reference for details.
Defines block composition for terrain generation.
  • Organized by environment type (arid, temperate, cold, etc.)
  • Determines what blocks make up the base terrain
  • Used by biomes for surface composition
See Palettes Reference for details.
Contains reusable mathematical functions and noise samplers.
  • functions/ - Terrace, interpolation, clamping functions
  • samplers/ - Terrain, continents, rivers, temperature
  • Referenced throughout the pack for calculations
See Math Functions Reference for details.

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How Configs Relate

The configuration system follows a clear hierarchy:

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Configuration Flow

  1. pack.yml - The root configuration file that:
    • Selects the biome distribution preset
    • Defines generation stages (ores, trees, flora, etc.)
    • Imports math functions and samplers
  2. Biome Distribution - Determines biome placement:
    • Uses cellular noise for biome cells
    • Applies pipeline stages to refine placement
    • Adds special features (rivers, canyons, caves)
  3. Individual Biomes - Each biome config:
    • References palettes for terrain composition
    • Lists features for each generation stage
    • Uses math samplers for terrain shaping
  4. Features - Control structure generation:
    • Define placement rules (distributors, locators)
    • Reference structure files to place
    • Use noise samplers for variation
  5. Structures - The actual world objects:
    • Loaded from structure files
    • Placed according to feature configs
    • Can be procedural or pre-built

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File Organization Principles

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Modular Design

Origen follows a modular approach where:
  • Common elements are defined once and reused
  • Inheritance reduces duplication
  • YAML anchors (<<) merge configurations
# Example: Merging math functions
functions:
  "<<":
    - math/functions/terrace.yml:functions
    - math/functions/interpolation.yml:functions

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Directory Naming

  • Base directories - Broad categories (features, structures, palettes)
  • Subdirectories - Specific types (vegetation, deposits, arid)
  • rearth/ folders - Original Origen content not in vanilla Terra

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Configuration References

Configs can reference other files using: 
# Reference external config
biomes: $biome-distribution/presets/rearth.yml:biomes

# Reference variable from another file
frequency: 1 / ${customization.yml:biomeSpread.cellDistance}

# Merge entire section
stages:
  - << biome-distribution/stages/oceans.yml:stages

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Special Directories

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Abstract Configs

Many directories contain an abstract/ subdirectory with base configurations:
  • biomes/abstract/ - Base biome configs for inheritance
  • Feature groups organized by generation stage
  • Reduces duplication across similar biomes

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Rearth Content

Directories with rearth/ subdirectories contain original Origen content: 
features/rearth/
structures/rearth/
  ├── fossils/
  └── giant_sakura/
This makes it easy to identify new content versus Terra defaults.

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Configuration Files

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Root-Level Files

pack.yml

Main pack configuration - biome provider, generation stages, functions

meta.yml

Metadata and common variables used throughout the pack

customization.yml

User-facing settings for easy customization (biome sizes, scales, etc.)

README.md

Documentation about the pack structure and biomes

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Next Steps

Explore the detailed reference documentation for each configuration domain:

Biome Distribution

Learn how biomes are placed in the world

Features

Understand feature generation and placement

Palettes

Explore block composition systems

Structures

Discover structure file organization

Math Functions

Reference for samplers and functions

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