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Displays, Holograms, and Visual FX

CraftingEngine utilizes native Minecraft TextDisplay and ItemDisplay entities to provide clear, real-time in-world visual feedback without relying on legacy armor stands or invisible entities.

1. Floating Hologram Presets (presets/holograms/*.yml)

Floating holograms display process progress, stage timers, required strikes, and completion status directly above the workstation:

       [Ancestral Runic Forge]
       Stage: Forging Ingot (3/5 Strikes)
       [■■■■■■■■■■□□□□□] 60%
       Time: 4.2s

Hologram YAML Configuration

id: "default_progress_hologram"
height_offset: 1.2 # Height above the workstation block in meters
billboard: "CENTER" # CENTER | VERTICAL | HORIZONTAL | FIXED


background:
  color: "#40000000" # ARGB hex format for semi-transparent dark background
  see_through: false


lines:
  - "<bold><gradient:#ff9800:#f44336>%process_name%</gradient></bold>"
  - "<gray>Stage:</gray> <white>%stage_name%</white>"
  - "%progress_bar%"
  - "<dark_gray>Strikes: <white>%strikes_current%/%strikes_required%</white></dark_gray>"


progress_bar:
  length: 15
  completed_char: "■"
  remaining_char: "□"
  completed_color: "<gradient:#4caf50:#8bc34a>"
  remaining_color: "<dark_gray>"

2. Zero-Orphan Lifecycle Management

A common flaw in Minecraft display plugins is leaving behind “ghost” or “orphan” holograms when servers crash, reload, or chunks unload. CraftingEngine implements guaranteed cleanup mechanisms:

  • Persistent Data Tags: All spawned display entities carry UUID tags linked to the active process session.
  • Server Shutdown Hook: Flushes and despawns all active displays during plugin disable.
  • Chunk Unload Interception: Unloaded display entities are automatically deregistered and cleaned from memory.

3. 3D Display Placement Presets (presets/placements/*.yml)

Display placement presets configure static or resting items placed on workstation blocks before crafting begins:

id: "anvil_resting_ingot"
translation: [0.0, 0.95, 0.0]
rotation: [90.0, 0.0, 0.0] # Flat on top of the anvil face
scale: [0.65, 0.65, 0.65]
billboard: "FIXED"
item_transform: "GROUND"

Next Steps

  • Virtual Animations - Combine holograms with dynamic packet-level keyframe animations.
  • GUI Matrix Menus - Offer players alternative 2D inventory interfaces alongside in-world holograms.