start_genes_instructions.md

Constructing a starting gene

TODO: improve these instructions

Basic file structure

genomestart <genome_id>
<traits>
<nodes>
<genes>
genomeend <genome_id>

---

Trait

trait <trait_id> <param_1> <param_1> ... <param_9>

A trait is a group of parameters that can be expressed as a group more than one time. Traits save a genetic algorithm from having to search vast parameter landscapes on every node. Instead, each node can simply point to a trait and those traits can evolve on their own.

trait_id

Number used to identify the trait. Must be unique.

param_1 ... param_9

Parameter values.

---

Node

node <node_id> <trait_id> <node_type> <node_placement>

node_id

Number used to identify the node. Must be unique.

trait_id

Number used to identify the trait derived by this node. If 0, the node doesn't use any traits.

node_type

• NEURON [0]: has a list of its incoming input signals.
• SENSOR [1]: can be loaded with a value for output.

node_placement

Used for genetic marking of nodes

• HIDDEN [0]
• INPUT [1]
• OUTPUT [2]
• BIAS [3]

---

Genes

gene <trait_id> <input_node_id> <output_node_id> <weight> <recurring> <innovation_num> <mutation_num> <enable>

trait_id

Number used to identify the gene. Must be unique.

input_node_id

Number used to identify the gene's input node.

output_node_id

Number used to identify the gene's output node.

weight

The weight of the connection between input and output node that represent this gene.

recurring

Signalizes if the connection is recurrent.

innovation_num

Used to identify the origins of the gene. Should increase by 1 for each new gene added.

mutation_num

Used to perform mutations between genes. Always start at 0.

enable

Signalizes if this gene is enabled or not.

---

Example

XOR

genomestart 1
trait 1 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
trait 2 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
trait 3 0.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
node 1 0 1 3
node 2 0 1 1
node 3 0 1 1
node 4 0 0 2
gene 1 1 4 0.0 0 1 0 1
gene 2 2 4 0.0 0 2 0 1
gene 3 3 4 0.0 0 3 0 1
genomeend 1