[1.14.4] What is IParticleData

[DavidM]

I was looking into particles in 1.14.4 when I found IParticleData.

As far as I can tell from the usage in vanilla, it is a way to sync particles to client via packets.

However, I am unsure if I completely understood it, and have the following questions regarding it:

1. If a particle is client-only, and is only created via client-side renderers (i.e. TESR), does that mean it does not need an implementation of IParticleData?

2. How does one register an implementation of IParticleData to its according particle?

Edited March 7, 2020 by DavidM

[Cyborgmas]

Definitely not an expert but hope i can help. For clarity there are 4 things that are needed

 

IParticleData, ParticleType<>, Particle & IParticleFactory

 

These are how they relate:

• When you extend ParticleType<>, it must have a class that implements IParticleData.
• You need a factory that implements IParticleFactory (I nested it in the Particle class)
• That factory will be registered during the ParticleFactoryRegisterEvent
• it's explained in the javadocs but during that event you register the factory in Minecraft.getInstance().particles.registerFactory
• The IParticleFactory will take a ParticleType<IParticleData> and give back a Particle

The Particle class needs to be client only, you can use @ OnlyIn or use a dist value in the mod bus subscriber for the particle factory.

 

You can aso take a look at BasicParticleType, it skips the need to have a separate class implementing IParticleData.

Edited March 7, 2020 by Cyborgmas

[DavidM]

Thanks.

 

I looked into the subject a bit more, and my current understanding is the following:

- The registration of particles have not changed much from earlier versions. However, it seems that in 1.14.4 modded particles use the same convention as vanilla particles, and IParticleData is a way to generalize the server's notifying the client of particle spawning.

- IParticleData is used in SSpawnParticlePacket to pass the relevant data of the particle to the client. There also needs to be an implementation of IDeserializer to read and write the content of IParticleData to and from a string (to be used in SSpawnParticlePacket).