[1.7.10] Gui without tileEntity?

[Awesome_Spider]

So I'm looking at a tutorial for gui's and it talks about TileEntities, Blocks, Containers, etc. But the thing is I don't want to create a gui based off a block. I want to create a gui that just simply opens when a button is pressed. I have the key bindings ready but I'm just confused at how to make a gui that doesn't use TileEntities and such. Could anyone point towards a good tutorial?

[Draco18s]

Make your gui extend

GuiScreen

instead.

[Awesome_Spider]

ok, thank you.

[jabelar]

Yeah, I've been working a lot with custom block GUIs lately and I should probably write a tutorial.  Like the question in this thread, the first thing is to understand the gui needs to have a container/inventory and secondly whether it needs to have a tile entity associated with it.

 

Basically there are four possible scenarios:

1) Simple GUI without container or tile entity -- e.g. some sort of sign or simple information GUI that doesn't need player to put items in or out.

2) GUI with container but without tile entity -- if all the functionality of your GUI happens while the player is viewing the gui then you don't need a tile entity.  For example a crafting table.

3) GUI with container and tile entity -- if you need to have the block do functionality even while player is not in GUI, like how a furnace will cook/smelt over time, then you should use a tile entity.

4) GUI without container but with a tile entity -- like maybe a machine that you turn on in the GUI and then it continues to do something after you exit the GUI.

 

If you need an container then you need to associate it with something that implements IInventory.  That can either be a separate class, or can be the tile entity (if you have one).

 

Anyway, it sounds like you're just doing case #1.  For that you just need a GUI class and don't need a container or tile entity class.  Open the GUI just like you would in all cases -- in your block's onBlockActivated() method.

[Awesome_Spider]

Well, I'm actually doing more of situation #2, like a crafting table but without a block. It's a dismantler, an un-crafting table you might say.

[jabelar]

Well, I'm actually doing more of situation #2, like a crafting table but without a block. It's a dismantler, an un-crafting table you might say.

 

That's funny because that's exactly what I spent the weekend making.  But yeah I didn't need a tile entity for it since like a crafting table the output was instantaneous.

 

Some of the tricky things to think about with an un-crafting table:

1) Some crafting recipes produce multiple of an item (like 3 paper) so when you're uncrafting you need to decide what to do.  Right now I have mine working so you have to put the same amount (or more) into the input for it to decraft.  But my kids want me to make some exceptions, for example a door  takes 6 wood to make 3 doors so they want 1 door to un-craft to 2 wood.  I haven't coded that yet because it gets tricky -- there are some multiples that wouldn't work to divide the input like railroad tracks. 

2) You need to consider the damage values in some cases -- like you want magenta dye to return the proper result different from the default dye.  But damage values are also used on tools and weapons and armor to reflect actual damage, so you need to think through how to code this carefully.

 

Once I get it working a bit better I might write a tutorial on an uncrafting table (I call it a "deconstructor").  But it sounds like you're taking the right approach.

[Awesome_Spider]

Cool, I haven't coded the gui yet because i'm trying to get the functionality first. Also, another thing to think about: You can make it so if other mods want to add an item to un-craft they can. They would have to be an extension to your mod though.

 

The way mine works so far is using hashmaps (I like HashMaps). Probably not the most efficient way, but I can get to making it more efficient when I release the mod. Anyway, the Dismantler, that's what I'm calling it, has a method that adds an Item and an ItemStack array to the hashmap. The item is the key, the itemstack array is the value. It also takes a modid parameter just in case there is a duplicate so it can throw an exception. That way, other mods can add their items. There is also a retrieve method which is where I add all the items that can be dismantled that are in my mod and vanilla using the adding method.

 

The reason why I use an itemstack array is because than I can specify how much of the item there is, so it can stack in the gui.

 

Confusing? Yes. Not the most efficient way? Maybe. Will it work? I have no idea. lol

[Awesome_Spider]

Oh and I haven't worked out damage values yet.

[starwarsmace]

Oh and I haven't worked out damage values yet.

If the thing is a wooden pickaxe and its near close to being broken, try having a random chance and if it correct maybe have a random item, like a wooden plank or stick in this case is not given back or not give any of the items at all.

[Awesome_Spider]

Ya, that could work.