Non-Square multiblock

[jmilthedude]

Hello, I have searched thoroughly on this and have so far come up with nothing. I would like to make a multiblock structure that has an odd shape. You can see what I mean in the image attached. 
I have been thinking of approaching this two ways. One would be utilizing a few different blocks that need to be placed a certain way, and then an item to activate the multiblock, which would change how it is rendered into one uniform model. The other approach is to have a tile entity that has a java model and is in essence a single block with a bounding box extending past the single block space.

 

The structure is going to be a table that is 3 wide and 2 deep, with 3 buckets along the back half. Thus a semi complicated model I think and I can't recall another structure out there that I can reference.

[Draco18s]

43 minutes ago, jmilthedude said:

The other approach is to have a tile entity that has a java model and is in essence a single block with a bounding box extending past the single block space.

You cannot do this. If it was even allowed, programmatically (it is not), it would play havoc on the AI pathfinding and "can the entity be here" checks.

[jmilthedude]

Alright then I need to have each piece of the multiblock have its own block and model (9 blocks total). Perhaps I can have the player place particular blocks and then their model changes when the multiblock is formed? I really don't know how to approach this. I suppose I should look at immersive engineering in how they form the coal coke furnace and apply one texture to the whole 3x3 side of it.

To determine what blocks are where I am thinking I can use a 3 dimensional array.. 

[Draco18s]

Pretty much. You can use blockstates to determine which textures to show, and have some manner by which you detect that the multiblock is complete.

Usually a central block that looks at the other positions around itself and if it finds them all, it says "hooray!" and the structure is built. Then when any of the blocks is broken, alert the central one and say "recheck!"

[jabelar]

Approach 1) You can basically do what doors and fences and beds do. Basically they sort of figure out what their neighbors are and the orientation and render accordingly.

 

Approach 2) If you want to allow the player to place it all at once, then you can just check when block placed (using event) and place all the blocks for the structure accordingly. Similarly, you can handle the breaking block event and break them all. That is if you really want it to be a single thing that gets placed and/or destroyed all at once.

[jmilthedude]

So, approach 2. This works, but I feel like there has to be a better way.. Seems excessive to me, the way I've done it.

	public static void onMiniPlaced(World worldIn, BlockPos pos, IBlockState state, EntityLivingBase placer, ItemStack stack) {
		String facing = placer.getHorizontalFacing().toString();

		if (facing == "north") {
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(-1, 0, 0), ModBlocks.BLOCK_FRONT_LEFT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(0, 0, 0), ModBlocks.BLOCK_FRONT_CENTER.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(1, 0, 0), ModBlocks.BLOCK_FRONT_RIGHT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(-1, 0, -1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_BACK_LEFT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(0, 0, -1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_BACK_CENTER.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(1, 0, -1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_BACK_RIGHT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(1, 1, -1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_TOP_LEFT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(0, 1, -1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_TOP_CENTER.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(-1, 1, -1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_TOP_RIGHT.getDefaultState());
		} else if (facing == "east") {
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(0, 0, -1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_FRONT_LEFT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(0, 0, 0), ModBlocks.BLOCK_FRONT_CENTER.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(0, 0, 1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_FRONT_RIGHT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(1, 0, -1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_BACK_LEFT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(1, 0, 0), ModBlocks.BLOCK_BACK_CENTER.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(1, 0, 1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_BACK_RIGHT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(1, 1, -1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_TOP_LEFT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(1, 1, 0), ModBlocks.BLOCK_TOP_CENTER.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(1, 1, 1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_TOP_RIGHT.getDefaultState());
		} else if (facing == "south") {
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(1, 0, 0), ModBlocks.BLOCK_FRONT_LEFT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(0, 0, 0), ModBlocks.BLOCK_FRONT_CENTER.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(-1, 0, 0), ModBlocks.BLOCK_FRONT_RIGHT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(1, 0, 1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_BACK_LEFT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(0, 0, 1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_BACK_CENTER.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(-1, 0, 1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_BACK_RIGHT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(-1, 1, 1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_TOP_LEFT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(0, 1, 1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_TOP_CENTER.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(1, 1, 1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_TOP_RIGHT.getDefaultState());
		} else if (facing == "west") {
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(0, 0, 1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_FRONT_LEFT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(0, 0, 0), ModBlocks.BLOCK_FRONT_CENTER.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(0, 0, -1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_FRONT_RIGHT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(-1, 0, 1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_BACK_LEFT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(-1, 0, 0), ModBlocks.BLOCK_BACK_CENTER.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(-1, 0, -1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_BACK_RIGHT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(-1, 1, 1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_TOP_LEFT.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(-1, 1, 0), ModBlocks.BLOCK_TOP_CENTER.getDefaultState());
			worldIn.setBlockState(pos.add(-1, 1, -1), ModBlocks.BLOCK_TOP_RIGHT.getDefaultState());
		}

	}

 

[Animefan8888]

1 hour ago, jmilthedude said:

Seems excessive to me, the way I've done it.

You could try implementing some kind of for loop. That should make your code cleaner, also you don't need to turn EntityPlayer#getHorizontalFacing into a string, it is an enum, and comparing strings with == will not work.

[jmilthedude]

got it. changed to EnumFacing and checked if EnumFacing.NORTH, etc. Though it worked the other way, I suppose this is better in the long run. Now to make sure that it will not place if any of the blocks will collide with existing blocks..