[1.7.10] Spawning Particles Around Blocks

[AgentUndertaker]

Hello,

I'm a beginning mod developer, this is only my second mod so I don't know much. I am currently trying to set up an ore so that it emits the "happy villager" particles in caves. I don't know much of java yet, so can someone help me with this or at least point me in the right direction?

[Ernio]

1. Read my caption.

2. Update to 1.9+ or you'll get close to none support.

3. Go to official Java tutorials - they are really good, study some java before modding.

4. Now back to MC - few things you need to know, some are in official docs (same link), but most importantly:

http://mcforge.readthedocs.org/en/latest/concepts/sides/

5. Particles are client-only, you basically need to grab a block and make it spawn particles on client whenever block is in cave (if i understood correctly).

6. I recommend looking up BlockFurnace - it has a method #randomDisplayTick (naming might vary) - it basically is used to spawn flame particles.

You want to override same method for your block (don't forget annotations).

7. For checking "if cave" - this is quite dynamic problem that has no good answer. How do you know block is in cave? Cave can be deep underground or inside mountain. Cave can have a hole in ceiling, tho it would still be underground - how would you define it that is a cave?

There are few things to check:

Skylight - that doesn't define if it is cave or room.

Depth (y coord) - well, there is a mountain problem.

Blocks around - you can check against surrounding blocks if they naturally spawn underground - like stone, ores, gravel (but the what about dirt?)

Scanning - scanning surrounding is generally considered very expensive. It has n^3 (box) checks so anything further than dozen or so becomes expensive. Happy for you - particles are client side and whole method #randomDisplayTick is also client only so whole process would go on client thread/side. basically you would have to write some dynamic algorithm that would know if the block is inside a "room".

Combine them all and you can somehow define "cave".

Point of interest (I don't remember if applies to 1.7):

When in cave there is a special "cave" music - try tracking down how MC knows about caves, apply similar checks (I think it probably checks some stuff I mentioned).