# The Biomes Inspector<no value>
The **Biomes Inspector** will be opened automatically when you click on any one of the items listed in the biomes tab in the main editor, or it can be opened from the [View](../the-biomes-editor/#view) menu if closed accidentally.

{{< image-center
    src="images/2_DevMode/biomes_editor/biomes_4_inspector.png"
    alt="The Biome Inspector" >}}

When this window is first opened after creating a new biome package and ruleset, it will be "blank" as shown in the image above. This is because there have been no biome rulesets defined, in which case you can click on the {{< button "+" />}} button to add the first one to the biome group. This will change the editor to show further options:

{{< image-center
    src="images/2_DevMode/biomes_editor/biomes_5_newruleset.png"
    alt="New Options In The Inspector When Creating A New Ruleset" >}}

Here you can **name** the biome, and you can check the **Is Artificial** checkbox - if required - which will set a global biome rule that all defined biome data is only to be used on *artificial* surfaces. These surfaces are as follows (see [Grass Types](../the-biomes-inspector/) for a list of all the available surface types):

1.  ASPHALT
2.  URBAN
3.  BITUMINUS
4.  BRICK
5.  MACADAM
6.  TARMAC



You can also choose to flag using **Is Default**, in which case you are telling the simulation to use this biome as the default one to use when there is no other biome found for any given eco-region.

There is also a menu option showing all the currently **mounted** biomes, and when you are creating a new biome, any conflicts with the mounted biomes will be flagged with the following colours and messages:

-   **Biome Is Mounted** (green) - The biome exists in the current package and has been mounted in the VFS.
-   **Biome Is Mounted From Another Package** (yellow) - The biome already exists in another package and has been mounted in the VFS.
-   **Biome Is Not Mounted** (grey) - The biome is not registered as mounted in the VFS.

{{< image-center
    src="images/2_DevMode/biomes_editor/biomes_12_mounted.png"
    alt="Example Showing A Mounted Biome" >}}

 

When finished setting up all the different rules for the biome, you can click the {{< button "Save" />}} button at the bottom of this window to save the entire biome ruleset to the package.


### Tree Species

Expanding the **tree species** section will show the following:

{{< image-center
    src="images/2_DevMode/biomes_editor/biomes_6_trees_1.png"
    alt="The Global Tree Species Options" >}}

The options shown here are *global* and will affect all the different tree types included in this section of rules:

 

-   **Spawn Per Hectare** - This sets the *total* number of trees that will be spawned per hectare of land covered.

 

-   **Artificial Surface Scale Factor** - This is a scaling factor that will change the size of the trees if the biome is used on an artificial surface like bitumen or tarmac.

 

You can then define one or more tree *types* to be used in the biome by clicking on the {{< button "+" />}} button, and you can remove a tree type from the biome by using the {{< button "-" />}} button beside the type name. This will then show options for the tree types themselves:

{{< image-center
    src="images/2_DevMode/biomes_editor/biomes_6_trees_2.png"
    alt="The Individual Tree Type Options" >}}


-   **Name**: Here you can select the tree species to be included in the biome. The name comes from a predefined list of all the trees that exist by default in the simulation.

 

-   **Spawn Ratio Min**: This defines the minimum spawn ratio to use, as a value from 0 to 1, where 0 is no trees being spawned and 1 is all the trees being spawned. This is used to set the amount of trees being spawned according to the minimum altitude of the biome, as defined by ****Altitude Ratio Min****. For example, if this is set to 0.5 and the minimum altitude is set to 2000m then there will be 50% of the **Spawn Per Hectare** value spawned at 2000m.

 

-   **Spawn Ratio Max**: This defines the maximum spawn ratio to use, as a value from 0 to 1, where 0 is no trees being spawned and 1 is all the trees being spawned. This is used to set the amount of trees being spawned according to the maximum altitude of the biome, as defined by ****Altitude Ratio Max****. For example, if this is set to 0.5 and the maximum altitude is set to 5000m then there will be 50% of the **Spawn Per Hectare** value spawned at 5000m.

 

-   **Altitude Ratio Min**: This defines a minimum altitude in meters, *relative to* {{< glossterm >}}msl{{< /glossterm >}}, at which trees will be spawned. The amount of trees being spawned will depend on the ****Spawn Ratio Min**** and the global **Spawn Per Hectare** value.

 

-   **Altitude Ratio Max**: This defines a minimum altitude in meters, *relative to* {{< glossterm >}}msl{{< /glossterm >}}, at which trees will be spawned. The amount of trees being spawned will depend on the ****Spawn Ratio Max**** and the global **Spawn Per Hectare** value.

 

-   **Uniform Distribution**: When checked, trees will be placed using a uniform distribution algorithm. If un-checked then a different random algorithm will be used that can produce "clumping" and voids in the placement.


### Grass Types

Expanding the **grass types** section you'll see that there are no global parameters, and you simply click on the {{< button "+" />}} button to add a new grass type, which will then show the following options (you can use the {{< button "-" />}} button to remove a plant type if required later):

{{< image-center
    src="images/2_DevMode/biomes_editor/biomes_7_grass.png"
    alt="The Grass Types Options" >}}


-   **Name**: Here you can select the grass species to be included in the biome. The name comes from a predefined list of all the grass types that exist by default in the simulation.

 

-   **Surface Type**: This defines the type of surface that the grass can be found on. Possible options are listed below.
    - ML\_DIRT\_AND\_MUD
    - ML\_ROCK\_SURFACE
    - ML\_DUST\_AND\_GRAVEL
    - ML\_SCREE\_AND\_BOULDER
    - ML\_SAND
    - ML\_LOW\_VEGETATION
    - ML\_HIGH\_VEGETATION
    - ML\_BUILDING\_AND\_CONCRETE
    - ML\_WATER
    - ML\_ASPHALT
    - ML\_SNOW
    - ML\_CLOUD
    - ML\_EXT\_PLOUGHED

 

-   **Use Colour Mask**: When this is checked, the grass albedo texture will be blended with a color mask derived from the aerial texture for the world.

 

-   **Use On Artificial Surface**: When checked, the grass type can also appear on the following *artificial surfaces*:
    - ASPHALT
    - URBAN
    - BITUMINUS
    - BRICK
    - MACADAM
    - TARMAC


### Plant Types

Expanding the **plant types** section you'll see that there are no global parameters, and you simply click on the {{< button "+" />}} button to add a new plant type, which will then show the following options (you can use the {{< button "-" />}} button to remove a plant type if required later):

{{< image-center
    src="images/2_DevMode/biomes_editor/biomes_8_plants.png"
    alt="The Plant Types Options" >}}


-   **Name**: Here you can select the plant species to be included in the biome. The name comes from a predefined list of all the plant types that exist by default in the simulation.

 

-   **Surface Type**: This defines the type of surface that the grass can be found on. Possible options are listed below.


### Crop Species

Expanding the **crop species** section you'll see that there are no global parameters, and you simply click on the {{< button "+" />}} button to add a new crop type, which will then show the following options (you can use the {{< button "-" />}} button to remove a crop type if required later):

{{< image-center
    src="images/2_DevMode/biomes_editor/biomes_9_crops.png"
    alt="The Plant Types Options" >}}

-   **Name**: Here you can select the crop species to be included in the biome. The name comes from a predefined list of all the crop species that exist by default in the simulation.

 

-   **Spawn Ratio**: This defines the spawn ratio for the crop, from 0 to 1 where 0 is no crops spawned and 1 is the full number of crops spawned. The amount of crops being spawned will depend on the global **Spawn Per Hectare** value.


### Eco Regions

Expanding the **eco region** section you'll see that there are no global parameters, and you simply click on the {{< button "+" />}} button to add a new eco region type (you can use the {{< button "-" />}} button to remove a eco region type if required later).

{{< image-center
    src="images/2_DevMode/biomes_editor/biomes_10_regions.png"
    alt="The Eco Region Options" >}}

Setting one or more eco-region is telling the simulation to use the ruleset being defined in those areas (you can see a visual representation of the different eco regions [here](https://ecoregions.appspot.com/)). Eco regions have no additional parameters, although they can be ordered by clicking and dragging on the {{< button "☰" />}} button to the left of each eco region in the list, with the ordering defining the *priority* of the given eco-region to use biome ruleset from top (high priority) to bottom (low priority).

{{< callout context="note" title="NOTE" icon="outline/bulb" >}}

If the biome is to be used in a {{< link "../scenery-editor/objects/polygon-objects/" >}}Polygon Object{{< /link>}}, then **no eco-region should be defined**.

{{< /callout >}}


### Potential Natural Vegetation (PNV)

Expanding the **potential natural vegetation** section you'll see that there are no global parameters, and you simply click on the {{< button "+" />}} button to add a new {{< glossterm >}}pnv{{< /glossterm >}} type (you can use the {{< button "-" />}} button to remove a {{< glossterm >}}pnv{{< /glossterm >}} type if required later).

{{< image-center
    src="images/2_DevMode/biomes_editor/biomes_10_regions.png"
    alt="The Eco Region Options" >}}

Potential natural vegetation is to define the type of *fallback* vegetation should there be an issue with the vegetation types defined in the ruleset. {{< glossterm >}}pnv{{< /glossterm >}}'s have no additional parameters, although they can be ordered by clicking and dragging on the `☰` button to the left of each {{< glossterm >}}pnv{{< /glossterm >}} in the list, with the ordering defining the *priority* of the vegetation type to be spawned from top (high priority) to bottom (low priority).

{{< callout context="note" title="NOTE" icon="outline/bulb" >}}

If the biome is to be used in a {{< link "../scenery-editor/objects/polygon-objects/" >}}Polygon Object{{< /link>}}, then **no PNV should be defined**.

{{< /callout >}}