Bring a Blockbench lamp into Fabric

01 / 10

The model is only the beginning

Connect your Blockbench creation to the game.

Simon has created light.bbmodel in Blockbench. Connect its geometry, textures, resource JSON, Java registration and client rendering so the lamp can be obtained with /give, placed in the world and emit light level 15.

1. Explain why a .bbmodel cannot simply be copied into Fabric resources.
2. Export blockstates, a block model, an item model and separate PNG textures.
3. Complete registration, creative tab integration, transparent rendering, building and client troubleshooting.

1. Inspect the bbmodel
2. Bake transforms
3. Generate resources
4. Register LIGHT_BLOCK
5. Set Cutout
6. Build and test

02 / 10

Inspect light.bbmodel

Check format, geometry, rotations and textures.

Format: free

It is not in Minecraft Java Block format and cannot be used by simply renaming the file.

Geometry: 45 elements

Includes cubes and zero-thickness planes. Inspect the structure from several angles.

Embedded textures: 2

Two PNG images, 128 × 128 and 64 × 64 pixels.

Special rotations: 90°

These editor rotations cannot be used directly as Java block model rotations and must be baked by the converter.

03 / 10

Run the model converter

Convert editor data into Minecraft resources.

Run the supplied tools/import-bbmodel.mjs from the mod project root. Replace the input file and output directory with your own paths; this script is not a built-in Minecraft command.

$modelFile = "C:\TeacherMa\Student\SimonJF2027\light.bbmodel"
$resourceDir = "C:\TeacherMa\Mod\simon-minecraft-template-1.20\src\main\resources"
node tools/import-bbmodel.mjs $modelFile $resourceDir "simon-minecraft" "light"

Read the hierarchy

Read elements, groups, outliner and textures.

Bake geometry

Combine rotations, origins and coordinate offsets.

Process textures

Extract PNG images and convert UV coordinates to the 0–16 scale.

Write resources

Write the blockstate, block model and item model.

04 / 10

Give each resource its job

These paths are relative to assets/simon-minecraft/.

blockstates/light.json

The block state entry point, referencing simon-minecraft:block/light.

models/block/light.json

The world model, containing 45 elements and two texture references.

models/item/light.json

The inventory model, inheriting block/light.

textures/block/light_texture.png

The body texture extracted from the bbmodel.

textures/block/light_upper.png

The upper texture has transparency and needs Cutout rendering.

lang/zh_cn.json + en_us.json

Provide the Chinese and English display names for Light.

The full registration ID is simon-minecraft:light. Omit file extensions from resource references, and omit textures/ from texture IDs.

05 / 10

Register the lamp in IntelliJ

Reuse the block-and-item registration helpers from lesson 2.

public static Block LIGHT_BLOCK;

public static void registerModBlocks() {
    LIGHT_BLOCK = registerBlock("light",
            new Block(FabricBlockSettings.create()
                    .strength(1.0f)
                    .luminance(state -> 15)
                    .nonOpaque()));
    ItemGroupEvents.modifyEntriesEvent(ItemGroups.FUNCTIONAL)
            .register(entries -> entries.add(LIGHT_BLOCK));
}

registerBlock("light")

Calls the template helper to register both the block and its BlockItem.

strength(1.0f)

Sets breaking hardness.

luminance(state -> 15)

Makes the placed lamp emit the maximum light level of 15.

nonOpaque()

Tells the lighting system that it is not an opaque full block.

ItemGroups.FUNCTIONAL

Adds the item to the functional blocks creative tab.

06 / 10

Transparency and display names

Use a client render layer together with the opacity setting.

public void onInitializeClient() {
    BlockRenderLayerMap.INSTANCE.putBlock(
            ModBlocks.LIGHT_BLOCK,
            RenderLayer.getCutout()
    );
}

import net.fabricmc.fabric.api.blockrenderlayer.v1.BlockRenderLayerMap;
import net.minecraft.client.render.RenderLayer;
import com.malaoshi.simon.block.ModBlocks;

Merge the call into the existing client initializer and keep its other initialization code. Both textures contain fully transparent pixels. Cutout discards those pixels and keeps sharp edges; nonOpaque() does not replace the render layer. Keep client rendering classes out of the server initializer.

{ "block.simon-minecraft.light": "\u540a\u706f" }

{ "block.simon-minecraft.light": "Light" }

/give @s simon-minecraft:light

07 / 10

Follow the JSON chain to the textures

Distinguish complete files from a structural outline.

{
  "variants": {
    "": { "model": "simon-minecraft:block/light" }
  }
}

{
  "parent": "simon-minecraft:block/light"
}

{
  "ambientocclusion": false,
  "textures": {
    "0": "simon-minecraft:block/light_texture",
    "1": "simon-minecraft:block/light_upper",
    "particle": "simon-minecraft:block/light_texture"
  },
  "elements": [ ... 45 elements ... ]
}

08 / 10

Test the glowing lamp in game

After a successful build, verify the rendered result.

.\gradlew.bat build
.\gradlew.bat runClient

1. Model: the wooden frame, chains and shade are complete.
2. Transparency: no black background or purple-and-black missing textures.
3. Lighting: the dark room walls and floor are lit, with the registered light level set to 15.
4. Resources: the log contains no model or texture loading errors for light.

The original lesson recorded a successful Gradle build, entry into an existing world with runClient, and a screenshot saved by Minecraft ScreenshotRecorder. Repeat these checks in your own project.

09 / 10

Fix an IntelliJ launch configuration

If the command line works but the IDE fails, check the run module first.

ClassNotFoundException: net.fabricmc.devlaunchinjector.Main

In the original lesson, command-line runClient worked, but IntelliJ Minecraft Client was bound to the root module without the runtime dependencies. Check the classpath before changing Java code or reinstalling textures.

<module name="simon-minecraft-template-1.20.main"/>

.\gradlew.bat ideaSyncTask
.\gradlew.bat build

Reload all Gradle projects, then select Minecraft Client again. The module name must match your actual project; the example name belongs to the supplied template.

10 / 10

Make the import workflow your own

Choose a challenge and keep a repeatable test.

A · Model

Change one frame dimension in Blockbench, convert again and verify the result.

B · Lighting

Change the light level to 10 and compare nighttime illumination.

C · Resource debugging

Intentionally break a texture path, then use the log to find and fix the missing texture.

D · Interaction

Try a BooleanProperty to toggle the lamp on right-click; lesson 6 develops this idea.

E · Converter

Add a size report and out-of-range warnings to import-bbmodel.mjs.

1. Explain how bbmodel, blockstates, block model, item model, textures and Java registration connect.
2. Build successfully after converting again, then obtain and place the lamp with the expected transparency and lighting.