Gene Ledger
Gene Ledger is a technical utility for RimWorld (Biotech DLC) that provides a centralized database for tracking and locating genetic material currently present on the map. It aggregates data from living pawns and corpses to provide a searchable, real-time overview of your colony's genetic pool.
Technical Overview
Data Collection & Scope
The mod scans all spawned actors on the current map to index genetic data:
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[*] [b]Living Carriers:[/b] Indexes genes from all player-controlled colonists, prisoners, and slaves.
[*] [b]Corpses:[/b] Scans all corpses on the map to identify genes held within biological remains.
[*] [b]Genepacks:[/b] Scans all genepacks on the map floor and inside connected gene banks.
[*] [b]Enemy Pawns:[/b] Optionally indexes genes from hostile humanlike pawns (disabled by default via Legend toggle).
[*] [b]State Detection:[/b] Automatically identifies the environmental state of genetic material, specifically marking carriers that are [b]Frozen[/b] or [b]Rotting[/b].
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Advanced Search Syntax
The ledger features a custom recursive-descent parser for complex gene filtering. Supported search parameters include:
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[*] [b]Plain Text:[/b] Matches against gene labels or category names.
[*] [i]category:[name][/i] - Filters by specific gene category.
[*] [i]mod:[name][/i] - Filters by the source mod providing the gene.
[*] [i]xeno:[name][/i] - Filters for genes that are members of a specific XenotypeDef.
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[b]Quantitative Biostat Metrics:[/b]
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[*] [i]c:[op][value][/i] - Complexity (e.g., c:<=3).
[*] [i]m:[op][value][/i] - Metabolism (e.g., m:>2).
[*] [i]a:[value][/i] - Archite cost (e.g., a:1).
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[b]Logical Operators:[/b] Supports boolean logic using & (AND), | (OR), ! (NOT), and parentheses () for nested queries.
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Interface & Interaction
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[*] [b]Dynamic Grouping:[/b] Toggle between grouping genes by functional category or by the origin of their carriers (Colonists, Slaves, Prisoners, Corpses, Genepacks, and Enemies).
[*] [b]Sorting Modes:[/b] Sort entries alphabetically, by Complexity (High), Metabolism (High/Low), or Archite Cost.
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[b]Navigation:[/b]
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[*] [b]Left-click:[/b] Opens the standard gene information card.
[*] [b]Right-click Gene:[/b] Opens a context menu to [b]Apply Ability[/b] (cast available abilities from your pawns) or [b]Go To[/b] (jump to carrier).
[*] [b]Right-click Search:[/b] Instantly clears all active search text.
[*] [b]Click Legend:[/b] Toggles the visibility of specific gene sources (Colonists, Slaves, Prisoners, Corpses, Genepacks, or Enemies).
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[b]Visual Indicators:[/b] UI uses color-coded borders to identify carrier types — Cyan (Colonists), Amber (Prisoners/Slaves), Gray (Corpses), Purple (Genepacks), Red (Enemies). Status badges (❄/~) indicate frozen or rotting tissue.
Implementation & Performance
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[*] [b]Zero Passive Impact:[/b] The mod does not utilize a background tick system; as long as the Gene Ledger menu is closed, the mod has zero performance impact on the game.
[*] [b]Efficient UI:[/b] While the menu is open, the data is cached and only refreshes every 900 ticks (15 seconds at normal speed) to ensure smooth performance even with large numbers of carriers.
[*] [b]Clean Integration:[/b] Injected via MainButtonDef XML; the mod requires no Harmony patches and maintains high compatibility with other mods.
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Change Log
2026-03-01
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[*] [b]Added:[/b] Genepack indexing — genes inside genepacks on the map floor and stored in gene banks now appear in the ledger with a [b]purple[/b] border. Toggle via the [b]Genepack[/b] legend chip.
[*] [b]Added:[/b] Enemy pawn indexing — genes of hostile humanlike pawns are now tracked with a [b]red[/b] border. Disabled by default to prevent clutter; enable via the [b]Enemy[/b] legend chip.
[*] [b]Improved:[/b] "Group: Origin" mode now shows separate sections for Colonists, Slaves, Prisoners, Corpses, Genepacks, and Enemies.
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2026-02-26
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[*] [b]Refactored Context Menu:[/b] Unified the gene carrier menu to include an [b]"Apply Ability..."[/b] sub-menu. You can now cast relevant abilities directly from the ledger. For example, you can use "Incorporate" ability from the [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2920751126]Big and Small - Genes & More[/url] mod directly on a corpse with a gene you want to incorporate, and a pawn to incorporate with.
Video example:
[img]https://files.catbox.moe/masof1.gif[/img]
[*] [b]Smart Ability Targeting:[/b] The menu filters targets based on ability requirements (e.g., resurrection abilities only list corpses, while social abilities only list living pawns).
[*] [b]Granular Source Toggles:[/b] The Legend is now interactive. Click [b]Colonist, Slave, Prisoner, or Corpse[/b] to toggle their visibility in the grid.
[*] [b]UI Polish:[/b] Added a detailed tooltip for the [b]Refresh[/b] button, a persistent right-click hint on gene cards.
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Compatibility
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[*] No known incompatibilities found.
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Credits
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[*] [b]Author:[/b] [url=https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198358321286/]Waggish Pluto[/url]
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