So I want to use tile entity data to control what texture the related block uses, a bit like how IndustrialCraft fits so many types of blocks into a single ID, but the problem is that the client stubbornly refuses to store any tile entity data.  How can I make the server send tile entity data?    I've tried using tile entity description packets but I can't seem to make the client process them.

 

EDIT: So I've figured out how to sync server and client data, but on world load/unload the client's tile entity resets.  Is there any way to automatically send a tile entity description packet when the tile entity's chunk is loaded?

So I want to use tile entity data to control what texture the related block uses, a bit like how IndustrialCraft fits so many types of blocks into a single ID, but the problem is that the client stubbornly refuses to store any tile entity data.  How can I make the server send tile entity data?    I've tried using tile entity description packets but I can't seem to make the client process them.

If it renders as a normal block, you can't use TE data.

If it renders as a normal block, you can't use TE data.

 

Isn't there a method (getBlockTexture) that takes IBlockAccess as a parameter and returns an icon to display?  I was under the impression that the method could be used to grab a block's TE and use data from that to choose a texture to display on a certain side.

Server and Client Tile Entities are synchronized via the Container class.

check out detectAndSaveChanges(), updateProgressBar(), addCraftingToCrafters() methods in the ContainerFurnace class and make you Tile Entity update itself the same way. Otherwise your client and server Tile entities will desync after you log out from the world or unload the chunk it is in.

Isn't there a method (getBlockTexture) that takes IBlockAccess as a parameter and returns an icon to display?  I was under the impression that the method could be used to grab a block's TE and use data from that to choose a texture to display on a certain side.

That is indeed true. Just make sure you sync your TE fields with Packets, the client version is usually dumb and holds no data.

>.>

Thanks for solving my problem. I thought that method had been removed as of 1.5.2.

Server and Client Tile Entities are synchronized via the Container class.

check out detectAndSaveChanges(), updateProgressBar(), addCraftingToCrafters() methods in the ContainerFurnace class and make you Tile Entity update itself the same way. Otherwise your client and server Tile entities will desync after you log out from the world or unload the chunk it is in.

 

Aren't containers designed to be used with GUIs?  I'm trying to use TE data to control what textures a block should be rendered with, similar to how signs use TE data to control what text to display.

 

I've tried using getTileEntityDescriptionPacket(), but I can't make the game process built-in (or custom!) TE description packets.  I'm working on using Forge's packet handling structure, but although I've managed to send xyz coordinates from server to client I have no idea how to send which world the coordinates originate from.

 

(Strangely, neither Packet132TileEntityData nor Packet130UpdateSign seem to have a "world" field, yet both obviously allow minecraft to identify where the described TE is located. . . must look into that.)

 

You are right about the getDescriptionPacket. What you need to "receive" it on the client side is the onDataPacket method in the tile entity. It will be called when the packet from getDescriptionPacket arrives on the client.

Thanks for that, onDataPacket did the trick. 

(I can't help but wonder why most vanilla TE classes don't override it. . . ah well, the packet must be handled elsewhere in the code)

So. . . new problem: I've figured out how to sync server and client data, but on world load/unload the client's tile entity resets.  Is there any way to automatically send a tile entity description packet when the tile entity's chunk is loaded?

It is automatically send on a chunk load (and also on a chunk "refresh"). Are you sure your TE is doing its work on a server side?

are you sure you're implementing writeEntitytoNBT and readEntityToNBT (or wtv the f they're called) in your tile entity ?

can we have the code of your tile entity ?

So I was double-checking my read/writeFromNBT methods and in the process noticed that the onDataPacket method didn't actually change the tile entity's data. . . thanks for the suggestions, though.  Problem's fixed, for now.

 

God only knows how onDataPacket could somehow not change the tile entity's data while sneakily appearing to.  (Although LexManos would probably know better. . .)