File Formats
The .CryptArt and .Crypt file formats - permanently future-proof project files
.CryptArt File Format
Overview
The .CryptArt file format is the universal project file for all CryptArtist Studio programs. It is a JSON file with the extension .CryptArt and the registered MIME type application/x-cryptartist-art.
Design Goals
The .CryptArt format was designed with one overriding goal: it must never need a base format upgrade. The envelope schema is stable forever. Any .CryptArt file ever created will always be readable by any version of CryptArtist Studio.
Key Principles
- Permanent Envelope - The envelope schema ($cryptart, program, data) never changes.
- Universal Readability - Any .CryptArt file from any version is always parseable.
- Additive Only - New fields and capabilities are added without breaking old files.
- Self-Identifying - The $cryptart magic key identifies the file and its envelope version.
- Open Program IDs - Any string is a valid program ID. No closed union types.
File Structure
Required Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| $cryptart | number | Format version (always 1, only increments on breaking changes) |
| program | string | Program ID (e.g., "media-mogul", "vibecode-worker") |
| data | object | Program-specific data (structure varies by program) |
Recommended Fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| appVersion | string | Version of CryptArtist Studio that created the file |
| name | string | Human-readable project name |
| description | string | Project description |
| author | string | Creator name |
| createdAt | string (ISO-8601) | Creation timestamp |
| updatedAt | string (ISO-8601) | Last modification timestamp |
Backward Compatibility
The parser handles all historical .CryptArt file versions:
- Pre-v1 files (no $cryptart key) are auto-upgraded in memory on parse.
- The old version field is silently migrated to appVersion.
- Unknown fields are preserved and passed through unchanged.
- Any string is valid as a program ID - no validation against a closed list.
.Crypt File Format
Overview
The .Crypt file format (CryptArtist Crypt) is a collection container for multiple .CryptArt files with metadata, versioning, and organizational structure. A .Crypt file is fundamentally a ZIP archive with a specific internal directory structure and manifest.
File Structure
Folder Descriptions
| Folder | Purpose | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Skeleton/ | Main project files | Collection of .CryptArt files (the "bones" of the crypt) |
| Grave/ | Shared assets | Images, audio, fonts, brushes, textures, color palettes |
| Urn/ | Backups & history | Previous versions, exports, snapshots, archives |
| Epitaph/ | Documentation | README.md, CHANGELOG.md, LICENSE, guides, credits |
| Vault/ | Encrypted secrets | API keys, credentials, sensitive config |
| Catacombs/ | Nested projects | Sub-collections of .Crypt files (hierarchical organization) |
| Reliquary/ | Curated selections | Favorites, templates, presets, recommended files |
| Soul/ | AI prompts & outputs | Prompts used, AI responses, context, training data |
| LastWords/ | Log files | Build logs, operation logs, error logs, activity history |
| Pyramid/ | Self-running bootstrap | Mummy scripts (Mummy.bat, Mummy.ps1, Mummy.sh), config (Mummy.json), Curse/ templates |
Forward Compatibility
The .Crypt format is designed to never need upgrading:
- Ignore Unknown Components - Silently skip unrecognized folders
- Additive-Only Changes - New folders/fields are always optional
- Graceful Degradation - Missing optional components don't cause errors
- No Migration Scripts - v1.0 files work in v2.0, v3.0, v100.0
