Traits + On-Chain Renderer

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RESTORING GRAPHICS…

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Traits + On-Chain Renderer.readout

PROJECT

Overview

Two connected 2022 prototypes for the Blergs DAO asked the same question from opposite ends: how little data does an on-chain visual identity need, and how can that identity remain owned, swappable, and useful across projects?

open live pixel-grid builder ↗ ↗open Blergs integration MVP ↗ ↗NFTraits pixel-grid builder ↗ ↗Traits whitepaper ↗ ↗blerg-v2-mvp ↗ ↗

32×32: pixel grid
2: binary planes
8: uint256 words
3: integration models

Original NFTraits builder showing a Crown drawn on the grid with rarity colour, intrinsic value, and packed layer data — TRAITS/01 · CROWN + PACKED LAYER DATA Open full size ↗

Field notes

Encoded every 32x32 pixel as two binary planes: 00, 11, 10, and 01 produced four grayscale values. Each 1,024-bit plane became four uint256 words, so an entire trait was stored in eight uint256 values.
Decoded individual pixels with bitmasks, turning the packed contract data back into deterministic colour values without storing a raster image or a 1,024-item array on-chain.
Reworked the Solidity SVG assembly after naïve recursive string concatenation became too expensive. Pixels were batched into rows, rows into eight-row blocks, and four blocks into the final 32-row image.
Built TraitsNFT as a reusable ERC1155 inventory and compared three integration models: signed off-chain updates, direct third-party contract callbacks, and non-escrow staking that locked transfer while a trait was in use.
The original proposal framed TraitsNFT as a shared game inventory: a third-party project could render the same owned item in its own visual language without wrapping it or preventing simultaneous use elsewhere.
The collection plan treated traits as building blocks rather than completed PFPs: eight-item mint packs, seasonal supply, and a Blerg-holder path where each eligible Blerg unlocked a free pack and increased rarity odds by 1.33x.
Separated artist-assigned Intrinsic Value from the randomized rarity level, allowing one compact base design to be recoloured across common, uncommon, rare, legendary, and unique outputs.
Handled ownership failure states explicitly: transferring a selected trait reset the dependent Blerg artwork; unstaking an active trait caused tokenURI to fall back to the blank composition.
Prototyped the full read path as dynamic metadata and SVG endpoints backed by Supabase, alongside Hardhat contract tests and gas estimates for blank, composed, transferred, staked, and unstaked states.

System captures

Original Goerli NFTraits interface offering a free trait-pack mint to an available Blerg holder — TRAITS/02 · BLERG HOLDER MINT Open full size ↗

Original pixel-art cards for the Golden Cube, Toupee, Third Eye, and Blerg output with rarity colour overlays — TRAITS/03 · ITEM CARDS + BLERG OUTPUT Open full size ↗

Technical details

System sketch

32x32 four-state pixels          ERC1155 trait inventory
          |                       /       |       \
          v                  signed    direct    staked
two 1,024-bit planes               \      |      /
          |                         selected IDs
          v                              |
4 x uint256 per plane                    |
          |                              |
          +---- bitmask decode ----------+
                         |
                         v
              batched SVG + tokenURI