Procedural Railway Mod: Setting Up File Structure

by Alex Johnson 50 views

Let's dive into creating a basic mod file structure for a Procedural Railway World Generator. This foundational setup is crucial for a well-organized and scalable mod. We'll outline the essential folders, Java packages, resource directories, and configuration files needed to kickstart your railway worldgen project. Whether you're aiming to integrate with Create and Steam 'n' Rails or building a standalone worldgen mod, this guide provides a solid starting point. Let’s break down each component.

1. Root Directory Structure

The root directory houses the core Java code that drives your mod's functionality. A well-structured root directory makes your code easier to navigate, maintain, and extend. Here's how you should organize your packages:

src/main/java/com/quibus7/proceduralrailway/

This path serves as the base for all your Java packages. The com.quibus7.proceduralrailway structure is based on a reverse domain name notation, a common practice in Java projects to ensure unique package naming. This helps prevent naming conflicts with other mods or libraries.

procedural/

The procedural package is dedicated to the algorithms and logic that define the procedural generation of railway paths. It includes classes responsible for determining the railway routes and characteristics.

  • PathGenerator.java: This class is the heart of the railway generation. It implements the algorithms to create railway paths based on various parameters and constraints. The PathGenerator might use techniques like random pathfinding, A* search, or spline interpolation to generate realistic and interesting railway routes. It should consider factors such as terrain, obstacles, and connectivity to existing railways.

  • HeightSampler.java: The HeightSampler class is responsible for sampling the terrain height at different points along the generated path. This is crucial for ensuring that the railway follows the contours of the landscape, creating a natural and visually appealing result. It might use interpolation techniques or access Minecraft's built-in heightmap data to accurately determine the terrain elevation.

  • TerrainDecider.java: This class makes decisions about the terrain modifications needed to accommodate the railway. It determines where to flatten terrain, create tunnels, or build bridges based on the path and height data. The TerrainDecider ensures that the railway integrates smoothly with the environment, avoiding abrupt changes or unrealistic features.

  • NoiseProvider.java: The NoiseProvider class generates coherent noise patterns that influence the railway generation. Noise functions can be used to add variation and realism to the paths, creating more organic and less predictable routes. This class might implement Perlin noise, Simplex noise, or other noise algorithms to achieve different effects.

worldgen/

The worldgen package focuses on the world generation aspects of the mod. It includes classes that handle the actual placement of railway structures in the Minecraft world.

  • RailwayWorldGen.java: This class orchestrates the entire railway generation process. It integrates the PathGenerator, HeightSampler, and TerrainDecider to create and place railways in the world. The RailwayWorldGen class might implement Minecraft's IWorldGenerator interface or use other world generation APIs to inject the railway structures into the game world.

  • StructurePlacer.java: The StructurePlacer class is responsible for placing the actual railway structures, such as tracks, bridges, and tunnels, along the generated path. It uses Minecraft's structure placement APIs to add these features to the world. The StructurePlacer might also handle the generation of supporting structures like pylons or retaining walls.

  • RailwayFeature.java: This class defines the characteristics of the railway feature, such as the type of tracks, the materials used, and the appearance of bridges and tunnels. It encapsulates the data needed to create visually appealing and consistent railway structures. The RailwayFeature might use Minecraft's block and item APIs to define the components of the railway.

util/

The util package contains utility classes that provide supporting functionality for the mod. These classes might include data structures, helper methods, or configuration management tools.

  • CoordinatePath.java: This class represents a railway path as a series of coordinates. It provides methods for manipulating and accessing the path data, such as calculating distances, finding closest points, and smoothing the path. The CoordinatePath class is a crucial data structure for representing the generated railway routes.

  • RailwayConfig.java: The RailwayConfig class handles the mod's configuration settings. It allows users to customize various aspects of the railway generation, such as the frequency of railways, the types of terrain they can generate on, and the appearance of the structures. The RailwayConfig class uses Minecraft's configuration APIs to manage the mod's settings.

Common.java

The Common class serves as a central point for initializing and managing mod-wide resources. It can handle tasks such as registering event handlers, loading configuration files, and initializing data structures. The Common class helps to keep the mod's codebase organized and maintainable.

2. Resource Folders

Resource folders are essential for storing assets, data, and metadata required by your mod. These folders reside under src/main/resources/.

assets/

The assets folder contains all the visual and audio assets used by your mod. This includes textures, models, sound effects, and other media files. The assets are organized into subfolders based on the mod's ID to prevent naming conflicts.

data/

The data folder stores data files that define various aspects of your mod, such as recipes, loot tables, and world generation settings. These files are typically in JSON format and are used by Minecraft to configure the mod's behavior.

META-INF/

The META-INF folder contains metadata about the mod, such as its name, version, and dependencies. This folder is required for Minecraft to recognize and load the mod.

3. Gradle and Configuration

Gradle and configuration files are essential for building and configuring your mod. These files define the mod's dependencies, build settings, and metadata.

build.gradle

The build.gradle file is the build script for your mod. It defines the mod's dependencies, build tasks, and output settings. This file is used by Gradle, a build automation tool, to compile and package your mod. Ensure you include dependencies for Create and Steam 'n' Rails, if you intend to integrate with these mods.

plugins {
    id 'java'
    id 'eclipse'
    id 'maven-publish'
    id 'net.minecraftforge.gradle.forge'
}

group = 'com.quibus7'
version = '1.0'
archivesBaseName = 'proceduralrailway'

java.toolchain.languageVersion = JavaLanguageVersion.of(17)

println "Java: ${System.getProperty('java.version')}, JVM: ${System.getProperty('java.vm.version')} (${System.getProperty('java.vendor')}), Arch: ${System.getProperty('os.arch')}"

minecraft {
    mappings channel: 'official', version: '1.18.2'

    runs {
        client {
            workingDirectory project.file('run')

            property 'forge.logging.markers', 'REGISTRIES'
            property 'forge.logging.console.level', 'debug'

            mods {
                examplemod {
                    source sourceSets.main
                }
            }
        }

        server {
            workingDirectory project.file('run')

            property 'forge.logging.markers', 'REGISTRIES'
            property 'forge.logging.console.level', 'debug'

            mods {
                examplemod {
                    source sourceSets.main
                }
            }
        }

        data {
            workingDirectory project.file('run')

            property 'forge.logging.markers', 'REGISTRIES'
            property 'forge.logging.console.level', 'debug'

            args '--mod', 'examplemod', '--all', '--output', file('src/main/resources/data'), '--existing', file('src/main/resources/data')

            mods {
                examplemod {
                    source sourceSets.main
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

configurations {
    // Necessary for Forge
    implementation.get().exclude group: 'cpw.mods',
            module: 'fml'
}

dependencies {
    minecraft 'net.minecraftforge:forge:1.18.2-40.1.0'

    // Example of how to include a mod as a compile-time dependency
    //compileOnly fg.deobf(