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Custom Cows

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harish2222 edited this page Jun 19, 2026 · 2 revisions

Custom Cows

This guide shows you how to create your own cow characters for Forgum. It's fun and easy!

How Cow Files Work

A cow file is a simple text file with a .cow extension. It contains ASCII art (pictures made with text characters) that Forgum puts inside the speech bubble.

Step 1: Create a New Cow File

Create a new file called mycow.cow in the Data/Cows/ folder (inside your Forgum installation).

Step 2: Write Your Cow Art

Here's the simplest cow file:

$the_cow = <<EOC;
        \\   ^__^
         \\  (oo)\\_______
            (__)\\       )\\/\\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||
EOC

That's it! Save the file and you're done.

Understanding the Format

$the_cow = <<EOC;
    Your ASCII art goes here
    between the EOC markers
EOC
  • $the_cow = <<EOC; — Starts the cow art
  • EOC — Ends the cow art (must be on its own line)
  • The art goes in between

The Special Variables

You can use special variables in your cow art:

Variable What It Does Example
$eyes Shows the eye characters oo
$tongue Shows the tongue characters
$thoughts Shows the thought bubble character \

Example with Variables

$the_cow = <<EOC;
        \\   ^__^
         \\  ($eyes)\\_______
            (__)\\       )\\/\\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||
EOC

Now when someone uses forgum -Eyes '@@', the cow will show @@ instead of oo!

Example Cows

Simple Cat

$the_cow = <<EOC;
    /\\_/\\
   ( o.o )
    > ^ <
   /|   |\\
  (_|   |_)
EOC

Robot

$the_cow = <<EOC;
    _____
   |     |
   | [$eyes] |
   |  ___  |
   | |   | |
   |_|___|_|
     |   |
    [_____] 
EOC

Ghost

$the_cow = <<EOC;
     .-.
    (o o)
    | O |
    |   |
    '~~~'
EOC

UFO

$the_cow = <<EOC;
        __
   \\  /  /
    \\/  /
     \\ /
     / \\
    /   \\
   /_____\\
      |
     [\\0/]
      |
     / \\
EOC

Testing Your Cow

  1. Save your .cow file in Data/Cows/
  2. Run this command:
forgum -Text "Hello from my cow!" -CowFile 'mycow'

Tips for Good Cows

1. Keep It Small

Cows should fit in a terminal window. Aim for 20-30 characters wide.

2. Use Consistent Spacing

Line up your characters so the cow doesn't look crooked.

3. Test with Different Messages

Make sure your cow looks good with short and long messages.

4. Use the Variables

Use $eyes and $tongue so people can customize your cow.

5. ASCII Characters Only

Stick to standard ASCII characters (letters, numbers, symbols). Some special characters might not display correctly.

Where to Find More Cows

  • Look at the existing cows in Data/Cows/ for inspiration
  • Search online for "ASCII art" — there are thousands of designs!
  • Try converting images to ASCII art with online tools

Troubleshooting

"Cow file not found"

  • Make sure the file is in Data/Cows/
  • Make sure the filename is lowercase
  • Don't include the .cow extension in the command

Cow looks weird

  • Check for extra spaces or missing characters
  • Try a different terminal font
  • Make sure the art is properly aligned

Cow is too big

  • Make the art smaller
  • Increase maxWidth in your config: $config.output.maxWidth = 80

Back: Configuration | Next: Custom Fortunes →

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