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This is an ID format used by the game to identify systems and stellar bodies. The ID is represented as a 64-bit integer.

Format

The ID is effectively a structure, with different parts of the bitfield representing different aspects of the system's features.

These parts are:

Mass code (3 bits) - the mass code of the system, with a = 0 through to h = 7

(3 bits) - the mass code of the system, with a = 0 through to h = 7 Z boxel (0-7 bits) - the Z boxel (within-sector) coordinate of the system

(0-7 bits) - the Z boxel (within-sector) coordinate of the system Z sector (7 bits) - the Z sector coordinate of the system

(7 bits) - the Z sector coordinate of the system Y boxel (0-7 bits) - the Y boxel (within-sector) coordinate of the system

(0-7 bits) - the Y boxel (within-sector) coordinate of the system Y sector (6 bits) - the Y sector coordinate of the system

(6 bits) - the Y sector coordinate of the system X boxel (0-7 bits) - the X boxel (within-sector) coordinate of the system

(0-7 bits) - the X boxel (within-sector) coordinate of the system X sector (7 bits) - the X sector coordinate of the system

(7 bits) - the X sector coordinate of the system N2 (11-32 bits) - the N2 number (within-boxel identifier) of the system

(11-32 bits) - the N2 number (within-boxel identifier) of the system Body ID (9 bits) - the ID of the body within the system; for systems this is always 0 (representing the arrival star)

Note that the X/Y/Z boxel coordinates and the N2 number have variable sizes; this is because the amount of space taken by these pieces of data is different depending on the mass code.

The following image shows the bitfield for each mass code:

Example

Take the system Eol Prou RS-T d3-94.


First up, this system has a mass code of d, which is 3 in the bitfield. Additionally, we can immediately say that the body ID is 0, since this ID64 is just for a system.

To fill in more, we'll need to identify more about the system and the sector it's in.

The Eol Prou sector has an origin of [-10305, -1305, 19415], or in the internal galaxy coordinate space, [39680, 39680, 43520]. This puts it as sector [31, 31, 34].

Additionally, we know the system's N2 - it's the last number in the system name, 94.

We've almost got everything we need - but we still need the X, Y and Z boxel coordinates.

These can be found by interpreting the rest of the system name (Eol Prou RS-T d3-94); this comes out as boxel ID 66057, with coordinates [9, 4, 4].

We now have a full 64-bit identifier, which in binary is 0000000000000000000000101111000111111001011111010001000100100011, as an integer is 3238296097059, or in hex is 000002F1F97D1123.

Use

The format first became visible with the release of E:D 2.2, as it is used in the VisitedStarsCache data file used to track which stars the player has visited.

It is also used when storing the current active route between game sessions; this is how the stellar body part at the top end of the ID was discovered (since you are able to set a route to planets/stations).