# Generators

Source: https://ref.dm-lang.org/notes/generators
Added in BYOND 514.

A generator is an object that can produce a random number, vector (list of 3 numbers), color (as a text string), or color matrix (list of 20 numbers) in a specified range according to rules you set down. It is used primarily for particle effects, since it can run on the client.

There are several types of generators:

* **Numbers:** Generate a random real number.
* **Vectors:** Generate a random vector.
* **Shapes:** Generate a random vector within a specific shaped region.
* **Colors:** Generate a random color or color matrix.

Generators can also be chained together with math operators and some procs. The second value can be a regular value instead of a generator, so for instance you can multiply a vector by 2, or by a matrix to transform it.

|       Operators        |                                                                                         Action                                                                                          |
|------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       \+ - \* /        |Arithmetic operators. You can multiply a 3D vector by a color matrix (where red,green,blue in the matrix correspond to x,y,z) to do a 3D transform, or by a 2D matrix for a 2D transform.|
|       \- (unary)       |                                                                      Negate the value, same as multiplying by -1.                                                                       |
|turn(), generator.Turn()|                                                                       Rotate a vector clockwise in the XY plane.                                                                        |

### See also
- [Particle effects](https://ref.dm-lang.org/notes/particles.md)
- [generator proc](https://ref.dm-lang.org/proc/generator.md)
- [color var (atom)](https://ref.dm-lang.org/atom/var/color.md)
- [Color matrix](https://ref.dm-lang.org/notes/color-matrix.md)