Your First Blueprint

In this guide we’ll create a simple Blueprint of a spinning cube, export it to a Minecraft world, and summon it in-game. This will introduce you to the full workflow of Animated Java.

Prerequisites

• Animated Java is installed. See Installing Animated Java if needed.
• You have a Minecraft world with a Data Pack folder and a Resource Pack folder you can write to.

Part 1: Creating the Blueprint

1. Create a New Blueprint

   Navigate to File New Animated Java Blueprint or select Animated Java Blueprint from the startup screen. A new empty Blueprint will open.

2. Create a Group

   In the Outliner, click the Add Group button to create a new bone. Rename it to cube_bone. Bones are the animated containers for your cube geometry.

3. Add a Cube

   Click the Add Cube button to create a new cube. In the Outliner, drag the cube onto cube_bone to parent it. Adjust the cube’s position and size as desired.

4. Apply a Texture

   Open the Textures panel and create or import a texture. Assign it to all faces of your cube.

Part 2: Configure Blueprint Settings

Before exporting, you need to tell Animated Java where to write your files.

1. Open Blueprint Settings

   Click Animated Java Blueprint Settings in the menu bar.

2. Set the Blueprint ID

   Under General, set the Blueprint ID to something unique, for example: my_pack:spinning_cube. This becomes your function namespace.

3. Set the Target Version

   Set Target Minecraft Version to match your Minecraft installation.

4. Set the Resource Pack Path

   Under Resource Pack, click the folder icon and navigate to your Minecraft resource pack directory (the one containing pack.mcmeta).

5. Set the Data Pack Path

   Under Data Pack, click the folder icon and navigate to your Minecraft world’s data pack directory.

6. Save

   Click Confirm to close the settings dialog.

Part 3: Create an Animation

1. Switch to the Animate Tab

   Click the Animate tab at the top of Blockbench.

2. Create a New Animation

   In the Animations panel, click + to create a new animation. Name it spin. Right-click it and open Animation Properties to set the Loop Mode to loop.

3. Add Rotation Keyframes

   Select cube_bone in the Outliner. At time 0, add a rotation keyframe with Y rotation = 0. Move the timeline to the last frame and add another keyframe with Y rotation = 360.

Part 4: Export and Test in Minecraft

1. Export the Blueprint

   Click Animated Java Export (Debug) in the menu bar. This will export your Blueprint’s model and animation functions to the specified data pack and resource pack folders.

2. Load the Packs in Minecraft

   Open your Minecraft world. Enable your resource pack in the Resource Pack menu, then run /reload to reload the data pack.

3. Summon Your Rig

   Run the following command to summon your spinning cube rig at your feet:

execute positioned ~ ~ ~ rotated ~ 0 run function my_pack:spinning_cube/summon {args: {}}

To start the spin animation, run:

execute as @e[tag=my_pack.spinning_cube.root] run function my_pack:spinning_cube/animations/spin/play

To remove the rig:

execute as @e[tag=my_pack.spinning_cube.root] run function my_pack:spinning_cube/remove/this

Next Steps

• Learn about Blueprint Settings for all available configuration options.
• Explore Variants to give your model multiple appearances.
• Read the full Function API reference to control rigs from your own data pack.