Delta Resources and Compatibility FAQ - pearuhdox/Cartographer GitHub Wiki

As of 1.19.4, Cartographer now uses the Delta Library for Player Motion. This provides seemless and effective player motion creation that Custom Enchantments and Mob Abilities use for various purposes (examples: Recoil enchantment, Zephyrous Mob Trait)

Using the Delta resourcepack is not strictly required, as in Cartographer will still work without it. However, using the Delta Resourcepack will allow custom knockback effects to look seamless and not play explosion sound effects. Thus using the Resource Pack is highly recommended.

If your map does not feature another resource pack, or your own resource tools, using the Delta Resource Pack is as simple as installing it into your Resource Pack directory, and loading it, or compiling it in your map as your "resources.zip" file.

If your map does use an additional resource pack or resources, the Delta Resource Pack will have to be combined with your other resource pack. Instructions and help for how to do this are detailed below. Again if you are not, simply play with the Delta Resource Pack and bundle it into your map as "resources.zip" as a completed zip file. [Renaming the pack and zipping it as "resources.zip" and placing it into your world.]

Basic Steps:

  1. Open both the Delta Resource Pack and your Resource Pack in separate File Explorer / Finder windows.

  2. Open both Resource Packs "assets" folders. You should see inside the Delta Resource Pack a folder called "minecraft" and a folder called "delta". Your own Resource Pack structure may vary, but you will at least see a "minecraft" folder.

  3. Copy all folders inside the Delta Resource Pack assets folder (delta and minecraft) and Paste them into the assets folder of your Resource Pack. Do not paste them inside one of the folders of your Resource Pack, be sure to paste them into the assets folder directly. This will add in any files from the Delta packs that are not currently in your Resource Packs, and if there are no Replace message conflicts, your combined pack is good to go!

  4. It is potentially possible that you encounter a file replace while you attempt Step 3. Do NOT replace your own files with the files in Delta. Any file that has a conflict like this will need to be manually combined and merged together. For information on how to do this, see the below information in "Solving Conflicts". Generally you are not likely to experience conflicts if your Resource Pack is early in development or relatively small. Delta's Resourcepack modifies specific files relating to displaying the explosion particle and removing the explosion sound (as it adds in its own custom versions that are called via commands instead). If you don't touch these files, you will not experience any conflicts.

Solving Conflicts: The files most likely to have conflicts are:

  • blocks.json and particles.json (in the minecraft/atlases folder)

  • lingering_potion.json (in the minecraft/models/item folder)

  • explosion.json (in the assets/minecraft/particles folder)

  • sounds.json (in the assets folder)

Conflicts will only arise in relation to the "minecraft" folder and can arise anywhere but for most packs will not arise outside of the above mentioned folders. Generally, if you are using a Resource Pack you made, unless you specifically edited or created any of the files that are conflicting, REPLACING your Resource Pack's files with Delta's is okay. If you made specific changes to any file with a conflict, you will need to open both files in a text editor and combine the two together in the correct format. (e.g for JSON the format must match the proper format for a JSON file in a Resource Pack). This is to ensure both Delta's changes and your changes can work together.

As an example, if the sounds.json folder has a conflict, you will want to copy the sounds from the Delta Resource Pack sounds.json via a text editor directly into your RP's sounds.json folder, above or below your sounds, adding necessary JSON structure (such as a commas between sounds) to ensure the file is still valid.

If you have yet to do Resource Pack development, but plan on doing so for your project, you are free to develop your resourcepack inside the Delta Resource Pack structure. Delta API is a free library by BigPapi licensed via MIT. You do not have to credit BigPapi for using the Delta Resource Pack or developing Resources inside the Delta Resource Pack (though I am sure they would not mind credit in releases :D.)

DELTA USE FAQ:

  1. You have for a long time stated that Cartographer will never require a Resource Pack. Why the change?

  • Seamless and good player motion utilities do not exist outside of Delta, and unfortunately do not exist without the Resource Pack to remove "real" Creeper explosions and add them back in manually. The addition of Delta to Cartographer's Libraries allows me to create much better tuned mechanics that can move the player rather than relying on inconsistent mechanics as the pack did previously. While the addition of a Resource Pack makes Cartographer a more involved installation for maps with Custom Resource Packs, for many mappers looking to experiment with the pack or use the pack in their work without a resource pack, this change will not affect them as much.

  • In short, mechanics such as Recoil are far more consistent and better for a player experience, and the difficulty in merging or installing a Resource Pack is (in my opinion) a worthwhile cost to improve player and mapper experience.

  1. So it improves mechanics, how much measurably?
  • Recoil (for example) was a very inconsistent enchantment that had to have multiple performance issues specifically built in to counter inconsistencies or potential exploits. Without the use of Delta, Recoil had to operate on a timed based system, emitted visual particles that were unwanted, knocked mobs around in unintended ways, and was inconsistent timing because it relied on AECs, which cannot be triggered instantly or consistently based on movement (rapid movement which was common on Recoil.) Delta has removed all of these issues and made Recoil much more consistent and useful for actual players and mappers. Knockback causing attacks in Mob Abilities were coded with large limitations, either purely vertical such as with Zephyrous, or slightly horizontal. These player movements relied on strange tech that was also, inconsistent and had unintended behvaior. Adding Delta in theory allows for potential customization, such as specific and mapper specified knockback amounts, or knockback for custom projectiles. Some behavior has been updated with this functionality, with potentially more on the way soon.

Aditionally, performance can be improved in several key areas it could not be improved in before, particularly when it comes to mechanics involving Creepers.

  • These are tradeoffs that benefit mappers interested in also using Cartographer's libraries and map players more than introductory mappers, which is why I am committed to helping others properly utilize Delta and the Delta Resource Pack.
  1. Does this mean that Cartographer will integrate other Resource Pack features for other mechanics?
  • Unless a very good reason can be made, No. Cartographer will operate on the same philosophy it always has minus this exception. Mechanics will not be added to the pack that require an additional "Cartographer Resource Pack". While this is technically feasible now, it has a couple issues. First, it would make installing and merging Resource Packs more difficult. I intend for Delta pack usage to be as seamless as I can possibly make it, and adding custom assets for mechanics would only make the process harder and potentially cause more pack merge conflicts. Second, Cartographer has always been designed around a set of enhancements to Vanilla with a CTM focus, and adding in custom textures for work like custom items or mobs would go against that philosophy.
  1. Does this mean I can use Delta in my maps with Cartographer installed?
  1. I have heard that Delta uses Creepers to create motion. Will this affect Creepers in my map?
  • No. Cartographer interfaces with Delta to make all spawned creepers (unless given a specific tag) act as "normal". Cartographer has recoded the logic of Creepers, Primed TNT, and Ghast Fireballs so that they are more interfaceable for mechanics, primarily to recreate their visual and sound effects. Unless specified otherwise with a specific tag, all Creepers summoned will behave as expected and intended in Vanilla.
  1. I've heard that the Delta Resourcepack has to remove particles and sounds to work. What does this mean for my map?
  • That is correct, Delta removes the vanilla explosion particle and sounds and uses datapack functionality and resourcepack magic to bring the explosion particles and sounds back into the game.
  • The calls for creating the sounds and particles can be found on the Delta Github Readme. Fireballs, Creepers, and TNT automatically create these particles and sounds for you, so they work as intended for the vanilla game.
  1. I am not really a fan of this change. Will other versions of Cartographer be supported?
  • As one dev, there is a limit to the number of versions I can support, primarily only focusing on the latest version of the pack for the latest version of Minecraft. This will not change. However, I will (for the forseeable future) leave the 1.19.3 download available, as that will be the most up to date version of the pack without Delta. I will not be supporting new features to this pack or improvements to it outside of critical bug fixes.
  • As another note: Cartographer is licensed under GPL3, so anyone is free to maintain a version of Cartographer without Delta on their own, provided they credit me for my work and link the download of the original version of Cartographer provided by me.
  • And as a final note: I am willing to help aspiring mappers and event leaders merge existing Resource Packs with Delta's Resourcepack, to ease players into using what in my experience and opinion is a better version of Cartographer with better mapmaker features. If this is something you need assistance with, please reach out to me personally on Discord (tag and id below) as that is where I will answer you back the fastest.
  1. Can I use my own version of Delta that I already have installed and downloaded?
  • As with all other library packs, Delta bundled with Cartographer will feature warning and reload menu compatibility, but versions outside of Cartographer should work just fine with Cartographer.
  1. Where can I get the Delta Resourcepack?
  • It is bundled in Cartographer as of 1.19.4 but you can also get it from Delta's actual github.

Any further questions you have about Delta Resource Pack compatibility can be sent to me on Discord via my handle @PearUhDox#6920. Please be as concise as possible with questions so I can best be of assistance. I will not answer to questions already stated in this FAQ or on this wiki page, but I am happy to clarify confusion with steps for pack merging. My goal is to make Cartographer the best it can be, but it is also to help others enjoy and use the pack. I believe that that will be best achieved with Delta.