Triggering a dispenser-type block automatically? Plus GUI questions

[LaDestitute]

Okay, so main question first:
I have a custom block named an Arrow Trap that extends a custom ContainerBase (which implements BlockContainer) and the class itself uses dispenser code. I do have a tile entity to go with the trap (which extends dispenser for the TE) but due to an issue below, I'm just currently having the block partially use Dispenser instead as the TE for now until I can fix the issue. 

 

How do I get it to auto-trigger if any entity walks up to seven blocks away from it's south-face (if that's possible or if it's a limit of one block?), while accounting for blocks blocking line of sight (a block blocking in any portion of the range of line = no activation)? I have a hunch I'd have to use raytracing, probably, right? Not gonna post my TE code cause it's 95% vanilla code.

Now, regarding GUI:

 I do know how to override onBlockPlacedBy and createNewTileEntity and while that gives me the custom GUI name I needed, I can't figure out how to make it so the dispensing function works...even with overriding, the dispensing breaks. Either method is fine, whether overriding and using vanilla-derived guis or creating a new one altogether, assuming I can fix the dispensing issue, though a custom GUI would be nice.
 

How would I go about implementing a custom GUI/container, the GUI handler, etc without breaking how my arrow trap block is setup, code wise? I tried once (from Shadowfact's tutorial) and it did work once, at least to the point of being able to open the inventory and close it with no issues but due to how my mod registers blocks/items (with a static list and "ModBlocks.BLOCKS.add(this);" and "ModItems.ITEMS.add(new ItemBlock(this).setRegistryName(this.getRegistryName()));" ), it kind of breaks the blockstates for my trap and the constructor/constructor values like Hardness.

GUI class works out fine but it's the GuiHandler that gives me errors with my code, other the aforementioned way of how I'm registering things. I know setting up a custom GUI/handler for things like furnaces and chests is easy as pie but I haven't seen many "dispenser"-like examples in the GUI tutorials I've found. Maybe an unique case, given there aren't really tutorials on custom dispenser-like blocks, short of odd old threads and online questions.

Arrow Trap code:

https://pastebin.com/A4MYmdbe

[Cadiboo]

  On 4/23/2019 at 9:52 PM, LaDestitute said:

ContainerBase (which implements BlockContainer)

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Don’t extend BlockContainer, it’s legacy vanilla code. Simply override Block#hasTileEntity(IBlockState) and Block#createTileEntity(IBlockState)

 

  On 4/23/2019 at 9:52 PM, LaDestitute said:

How do I get it to auto-trigger if any entity walks up to seven blocks away from it's south-face (if that's possible or if it's a limit of one block?), while accounting for blocks blocking line of sight (a block blocking in any portion of the range of line = no activation)? I have a hunch I'd have to use raytracing, probably, right? Not gonna post my TE code cause it's 95% vanilla code.

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Tickable tile entities can do whatever they want in their onUpdate method (renamed tick in 1.13). You can use TileEntity#getPos, BlockPos#offset(EnumFacing, int), AxisAlignedBB(BlockPos) and World#getEntitiesInsideAABB to find all entities up to 7 blocks away from your TE in any direction. As a general rule, don’t copy the vanilla code exactly, it’s usually not very good (vanilla operates in an “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” way) and Forge usually has better ways of doing what you want. That said, vanilla is an excellent reference, but it’s not great to just copy paste vanilla code.

 

  On 4/23/2019 at 9:52 PM, LaDestitute said:

due to how my mod registers blocks/items (with a static list and "ModBlocks.BLOCKS.add(this);" and "ModItems.ITEMS.add(new ItemBlock(this).setRegistryName(this.getRegistryName()));" ), it kind of breaks the blockstates for my trap and the constructor/constructor values like Hardness.

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This likely means you followed a sub-par YouTube tutorial about how to setup your mod. Don’t use static initialisers (see http://www.minecraftforge.net/forum/topic/70095-1122-custom-tree-problems/?do=findComment&comment=339598 for an explanation), your registration can be massively simplified and clean up (see https://gist.github.com/Cadiboo/b825d62fb46538e7b7b262c5612d62aa and https://gist.github.com/Cadiboo/3f5cdb785affc069af2fa5fdf2d70358)

[LaDestitute]

  On 4/23/2019 at 10:14 PM, Cadiboo said:

Don’t extend BlockContainer, it’s legacy vanilla code. Simply override Block#hasTileEntity(IBlockState) and Block#createTileEntity(IBlockState)

 

Tickable tile entities can do whatever they want in their onUpdate method (renamed tick in 1.13). You can use TileEntity#getPos, BlockPos#offset(EnumFacing, int), AxisAlignedBB(BlockPos) and World#getEntitiesInsideAABB to find all entities up to 7 blocks away from your TE in any direction. As a general rule, don’t copy the vanilla code exactly, it’s usually not very good (vanilla operates in an “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” way) and Forge usually has better ways of doing what you want. That said, vanilla is an excellent reference, but it’s not great to just copy paste vanilla code.

 

This likely means you followed a sub-par YouTube tutorial about how to setup your mod. Don’t use static initialisers (see http://www.minecraftforge.net/forum/topic/70095-1122-custom-tree-problems/?do=findComment&comment=339598 for an explanation), your registration can be massively simplified and clean up (see https://gist.github.com/Cadiboo/b825d62fb46538e7b7b262c5612d62aa and https://gist.github.com/Cadiboo/3f5cdb785affc069af2fa5fdf2d70358)

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Thanks for the advice. Also yeah, I was screwing around with AxisAlignedBB earlier. I was actually pondering if I should get rid of static initializers and IHas Model, just to make my code a bit cleaner. Also just so I'm correct, with the format of Thing#thing, the latter thing (such as TileEntity#getPos) refers to a method classed under that class, right?

[Cadiboo]

  On 4/23/2019 at 10:18 PM, LaDestitute said:

with the format of Thing#thing, the latter thing (such as TileEntity#getPos) refers to a method classed under that class, right?

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It’s in the format

Class#instanceThing (Field or method)

or

Class#instanceMethod(args).

You might also see people use the format

Class::method

which means a static or instance method