How to Add New Feature Types (Elements) to mDirt

🚧 This page is under construction and very unfinished 🚧

Expanding mDirt with new Minecraft feature types (like Biomes, Advancements, etc.) lets you grow the app’s capabilities and support more kinds of content.
This guide walks you through the process of adding a new element type to mDirt.

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Overview

Adding a new element type involves:

• Building the GUI
• Adding application logic
• Creating the generator

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Step 1: Build the GUI

1. Open lib/ui.ui in Qt Designer.
2. Add a new page to the QStackedWidget named elementEditor.
   Note the page number — you'll use it in code.
3. In the menu bar, add a new Action under "New Element" titled {Element}.
4. Add all necessary input widgets for the element. Name them clearly (e.g. elementNameInput, elementColorPicker, etc.)
5. Save the UI file.
6. In Qt Designer, go to: Form > View Python Code > Save
   • Save to src/ui/ui.py
   • Overwrite when prompted

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Step 2: Add Application Logic

2.1 - Update Enums

In src/utils/enums.py, under ElementPage, add your new element.

2.2 - Add Element Logic in main.py

In src/main.py, define the following methods for your element:

• new{Element}
• add{Element}
• edit{Element}
• validate{Element}Details

These can be modeled after how other elements are handled.

2.3 - Add Connections

In App.__init__:

• Connect the new menu action using .triggered.connect(self.new{Element})
• Connect any buttons or signals
• Add Drop Handlers if needed

2.4 - Setup Project State

In App.setupProjectData:

• Add a new dictionary for your element: self.{element} = {}
• Add a corresponding QTreeWidgetItem to the tree

2.5 - Save Project

In App.saveProjectAs:

• Add:

with open(projectDirectory / '{element}.json', 'w') as file:  
    json.dump(self.{element}, file, indent=4)

• Also add:

os.makedirs(projectDirectory / '{element}', exist_ok=True)

2.6 - Load Project

In App.loadProject:

• Load the file:

with open(projectDirectory / '{element}.json') as file:  
    self.{element} = json.load(file)

• Populate the tree:

for item in self.{element}:  
    # Create QTreeWidgetItem and add to tree

2.7 - Handle Selection

In App.elementClicked, add a block for your new element

2.8 - Hook Into Generation

In App.generate, pass self.{element} into the generator

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Step 3: Create the Generator

🚧 This page is incomplete! 🚧