I have a "generator" block that has an "active" state. I have 4 textures for the front of the block:

• generator_front
  
• generator_front_active1
  
• generator_front_active2
  
• generator_front_active3
  

When the generator is "active", I want the front of it to randomly switch between the 3 active textures (for a fire-effect). What is the best way to do this?

 

I tried adding an "active" property to the block class, and ended up with this as my .json model file:

 

{
    "variants": {
        "active=0,facing=east": { "model": “generator_front” },
        "active=0,facing=south": { "model": "generator_front", "y": 90 },
        "active=0,facing=west": { "model": "generator_front", "y": 180 },
        "active=0,facing=north": { "model": "generator_front", "y": 270 },
        "active=1,facing=east": { "model": "generator_front_active1” },
        "active=1,facing=south": { "model": "generator_front_active1”, "y": 90 },
        "active=1,facing=west": { "model": "generator_front_active1”, "y": 180 },
        "active=1,facing=north": { "model": "generator_front_active1”, "y": 270 },
        "active=2,facing=east": { "model": "generator_front_active2” },
        "active=2,facing=south": { "model": "generator_front_active2”, "y": 90 },
        "active=2,facing=west": { "model": "generator_front_active2”, "y": 180 },
        "active=2,facing=north": { "model": "generator_front_active2”, "y": 270 },
        "active=3,facing=east": { "model": "generator_front_active3” },
        "active=3,facing=south": { "model": "generator_front_active3”, "y": 90 },
        "active=3,facing=west": { "model": "generator_front_active3”, "y": 180 },
        "active=3,facing=north": { "model": "generator_front_active3”, "y": 270 }
    }
}

 

I also tried changing the "active" value in the random display tick method, but i got this weird problem where I would only see the block change textures 1 state at a time if I placed/broke a block nearby.

 

What is the right way to do this?

Just a guess here:

 

Try using

getActualState(IBlockState, IBlockAccess, BlockPos){}

 

And then using a value in the tile entity to cycle.

Are you trying to randomly select a model/texture to make each block "unique", or do you want programmatic control of the texture?

 

Minecraft's model system allows you to designate several models for 1 property definition line, and it will randomly pick a model using seeded ranomization, with the seed being fetched from the coordinates. This page has a little run-down of it.

 

 

So to sum it up, when the game looks for models, it looks for JSON objects (denoted by curly brackets), but it also looks for a JSON array (denoted by square brackets) of these JSON objects.

 

So rather than

"on=true": {"model":"mymodel"}

You can do

"on=true": [{"model":"mymodel"}, {"model":"mymodel2"}, {"model":"mymodel3"}]

Are you after an animated texture while your generator is active?

 

I have not yet made my animated textures so I can't verify if this works yet. But...

I made my animated textures and this works perfectly

 

Block and item textures support animation by placing each additional frame below the last. The animation is then controlled using using a .mcmeta file in JSON format with the same name in the same directory. For example, the .mcmeta file for stone.png would be stone.png.mcmeta.

(source: http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Resource_pack)

 

So in your case you'd make a new texture "generator_front_active.png" that is the same width as the ones you have now but is three times as tall that contains your original three.

 

next make a text file named "generator_front_active.png.mcmeta", with the following code:

{
    "animation": {
        "frametime": 2,
        "frames": [
            0,
            1,
            2,
            1
        ]
    }
}

 

You would no longer need the multiple active states a boolean would do.

while active=false you use the static "generator_front", and when active=true you use the animated "generator_front_active"