Is it possible to have a custom block renderer without needing a block entity?

[SnakerBone]

Hi,

So I've been wanting to try and find out how to have a custom block renderer without having to use a block entity (for optimization purposes).

My actual block does not actually use anything block entity related (like saving and loading data). It's really only a block entity for the custom renderer.

If normal blocks can have their own custom renderer without needing a block entity then how would I go about doing this? 

To be more in depth on what I'm actually doing; I have GLSL shaders and I'm basically wanting to render the shader as simple block (Here is my utility class that draws the block).

Thanks

 

 

[warjort]

If what you are drawing is relatively static, i.e. doesn't depend upon dynamic data beyond things like the block properties in the BlockState,

then you can create your own model loader:

https://docs.minecraftforge.net/en/1.20.x/rendering/modelloaders/

 

This basically lets you setup most things at resourcepack loading time during the model bake.

At runtime it will ask you for your quads (you should have prebaked these for each BlockState of your block):

https://docs.minecraftforge.net/en/1.20.x/rendering/modelloaders/bakedmodel/#getquads

https://github.com/MinecraftForge/MinecraftForge/blob/1.20.x/src/main/java/net/minecraftforge/client/model/IDynamicBakedModel.java#L35

 

This is not something I have ever done myself. I just know it exists. So I can't really help you with the details.

Forge has a builtin OBJ model loader: https://github.com/MinecraftForge/MinecraftForge/tree/1.20.x/src/main/java/net/minecraftforge/client/model/obj

and I know immersive engineering uses some custom models: https://github.com/BluSunrize/ImmersiveEngineering/tree/1.19.2/src/main/java/blusunrize/immersiveengineering/client/models

Edited August 13, 2023 by warjort