Minecraft Resource Pack Skill

What Is a Resource Pack?

A resource pack is a folder (or

.zip

) that overrides or adds Minecraft's visual and audio assets: textures, models, sounds, language files, and fonts. No Java or mod loader is required for those vanilla assets.

Routing Boundaries

```
Use when
```
: the deliverable is visual/audio assets (textures, models, sounds, fonts) in resource-pack format.
```
Do not use when
```
: the task requires gameplay logic or runtime behavior changes (use
```
minecraft-datapack
```
,
```
minecraft-plugin-dev
```
, or
```
minecraft-modding
```
).
```
Do not use when
```
: the task is server infrastructure/runtime administration (
```
minecraft-server-admin
```
).

Pack Metadata

Minecraft Version	Preferred `pack` metadata
1.21 / 1.21.1	`pack_format: 34`
1.21.2 / 1.21.3	`pack_format: 42`
1.21.4	`pack_format: 46`
1.21.5	`pack_format: 55`
1.21.6	`pack_format: 63`
1.21.7 / 1.21.8	`pack_format: 64`
1.21.9 / 1.21.10	`min_format: [69, 0]` , `max_format: [69, 0]`
1.21.11	`min_format: [75, 0]` , `max_format: [75, 0]`
26.1	`min_format: [84, 0]` , `max_format: [84, 0]`
26.2	`min_format: [88, 0]` , `max_format: [88, 0]`
26.3	`min_format: [97, 1]` , `max_format: [97, 1]`

Use legacy

pack_format

only for resource formats below 65 (through 1.21.8). Resource format 65 and later require both

min_format

and

max_format

; use

[major, minor]

for exact patch targeting, including

.0

such as

[84, 0]

. An integer or

[major]

min_format

means

[major, 0]

; an integer or

[major]

max_format

permits every minor version on that major line. Do not write decimal JSON numbers. A legacy-only pack can use its integer

pack_format

alone. A range whose

min_format

includes a legacy format needs integer

pack_format

and

supported_formats

; do not include

supported_formats

for a modern-only range.

Directory Layout

my-pack/
├── pack.mcmeta
├── pack.png                   ← 64×64 icon (optional)
└── assets/
    └── minecraft/             ← override vanilla (or <namespace>/ for new packs)
        ├── models/
        │   ├── block/
        │   │   └── stone.json
        │   └── item/
        │       └── diamond_sword.json
        ├── items/              ← 1.21.4+ item model definitions
        │   └── diamond_sword.json
        ├── blockstates/
        │   └── stone.json
        ├── textures/
        │   ├── block/
        │   │   └── stone.png
        │   ├── item/
        │   │   └── diamond_sword.png
        │   ├── gui/
        │   │   └── sprites/
        │   │       └── my_sprite.png
        │   └── entity/
        │       └── zombie/
        │           └── zombie.png
        ├── sounds/
        │   └── custom/
        │       └── my_sound.ogg
        ├── sounds.json
        ├── font/
        │   └── default.json
        └── lang/
            └── en_us.json

Client-mod-specific files such as OptiFine CIT and Iris shader packs use their own formats. Read conditional assets before adding them.

pack.mcmeta

1.21.8 and earlier

json

{
  "pack": {
    "pack_format": 64,
    "description": "My Custom Resource Pack v1.0"
  }
}

1.21.9 / 1.21.10

json

{
  "pack": {
    "min_format": [69, 0],
    "max_format": [69, 0],
    "description": "My Custom Resource Pack v1.0"
  }
}

1.21.11

json

{
  "pack": {
    "min_format": [75, 0],
    "max_format": [75, 0],
    "description": "My Custom Resource Pack v1.0"
  }
}

26.3

json

{
  "pack": {
    "min_format": [97, 1],
    "max_format": [97, 1],
    "description": "My Custom Resource Pack v1.0"
  }
}

Block Models

assets/minecraft/models/block/my_cube.json

Full cube — all six faces use the same texture:

json

{
  "parent": "minecraft:block/cube_all",
  "textures": {
    "all": "minecraft:block/stone"
  }
}

Column block (like logs):

json

{
  "parent": "minecraft:block/cube_column",
  "textures": {
    "end": "mypack:block/my_pillar_top",
    "side": "mypack:block/my_pillar_side"
  }
}

Different sides:

json

{
  "parent": "minecraft:block/cube",
  "textures": {
    "up":    "mypack:block/my_block_top",
    "down":  "mypack:block/my_block_bottom",
    "north": "mypack:block/my_block_side",
    "south": "mypack:block/my_block_side",
    "east":  "mypack:block/my_block_side",
    "west":  "mypack:block/my_block_side",
    "particle": "mypack:block/my_block_side"
  }
}

Cross model (flowers, plants):

json

{
  "parent": "minecraft:block/cross",
  "textures": {
    "cross": "mypack:block/my_flower"
  }
}

Custom geometry (elements)

json

{
  "credit": "Custom model",
  "ambientocclusion": true,
  "textures": {
    "0": "mypack:block/panel",
    "particle": "mypack:block/panel"
  },
  "elements": [
    {
      "from": [0, 0, 7],
      "to": [16, 16, 9],
      "faces": {
        "north": { "texture": "#0", "uv": [0, 0, 16, 16] },
        "south": { "texture": "#0", "uv": [0, 0, 16, 16] }
      }
    }
  ],
  "display": {
    "thirdperson_righthand": {
      "rotation": [75, 45, 0],
      "translation": [0, 2.5, 0],
      "scale": [0.375, 0.375, 0.375]
    }
  }
}

from
and
to
are in 1/16th block units (0–16).
uv
is
[x1, y1, x2, y2]
in 0–16 units.

Item Models

For 1.21.4 and later, use item definitions in

assets/<namespace>/items/

. For 1.21.3 and earlier, use the legacy model

overrides

array. Read conditional assets for the string-based current

custom_model_data

selector and the legacy numeric predicate; their values are not interchangeable.

Blockstate Definitions

Simple block (no variants)

json

{
  "variants": {
    "": { "model": "mypack:block/my_block" }
  }
}

Facing block (4 rotations)

json

{
  "variants": {
    "facing=north": { "model": "mypack:block/my_block" },
    "facing=south": { "model": "mypack:block/my_block",  "y": 180 },
    "facing=east":  { "model": "mypack:block/my_block",  "y": 90  },
    "facing=west":  { "model": "mypack:block/my_block",  "y": 270 }
  }
}

Random texture (weighted variants)

json

{
  "variants": {
    "": [
      { "model": "minecraft:block/grass_block",  "weight": 3 },
      { "model": "minecraft:block/grass_block_2" }
    ]
  }
}

Multipart (slabs, fences, walls)

json

{
  "multipart": [
    { "apply": { "model": "mypack:block/my_slab_bottom" }, "when": { "type": "bottom" } },
    { "apply": { "model": "mypack:block/my_slab_top"    }, "when": { "type": "top"    } },
    { "apply": { "model": "mypack:block/my_block"        }, "when": { "type": "double" } }
  ]
}

Textures

Format: PNG, RGBA (32-bit)
Standard block/item size: 16×16 px
Textures can be larger (32×32, 64×64) — Minecraft scales them, but stick to powers of 2
Animation requires height = N × width (e.g., 16×64 for 4 frames)
Place block textures in
```
assets/<namespace>/textures/block/
```
Place item textures in
```
assets/<namespace>/textures/item/
```
All textures are referenced without the
```
.png
```
extension in JSON

Animated texture MCMETA

assets/minecraft/textures/block/fire_0.png.mcmeta

json

{
  "animation": {
    "frametime": 2,
    "frames": [0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
  }
}

frames

is omitted, all frames play sequentially.

frametime

is in game ticks (default 1).

GUI sprites (1.20.2+)

Place sprites at

assets/minecraft/textures/gui/sprites/<category>/<name>.png

. Reference them with

<category>/<name>

in code/JSON.

26.1 block-model texture entries

For 26.1, a block-model

textures

entry may remain a sprite string or use an object. The object must have a string

sprite

;

force_translucent

, when set, must be a boolean.

json

{
  "textures": {
    "all": {
      "sprite": "mypack:block/frosted_panel",
      "force_translucent": true
    }
  }
}

Both forms identify a sprite without

.png

. Use

force_translucent

only when the geometry must render in the translucent pass despite its sprite pixels.

Sounds

An event's namespace comes from the namespace containing

sounds.json

; a sound entry's

name

identifies the sound-file namespace. Sound files are Vorbis

.ogg

under

assets/<namespace>/sounds/

. Read conditional assets for a correct event example, aliases, sound-source selection, and replacement behavior.

Language Files

assets/minecraft/lang/en_us.json

json

{
  "block.mypack.my_block": "My Custom Block",
  "item.mypack.my_item": "Magic Wand",
  "entity.mypack.my_mob": "Forest Guardian",
  "death.attack.mypack.laser": "%1$s was zapped by %2$s"
}

Use the exact translation key format for your mod/datapack namespace
File name is the locale code (e.g.,
```
fr_fr.json
```
,
```
de_de.json
```
)
Always provide
```
en_us.json
```
as the primary fallback

Fonts

Read conditional assets for bitmap provider layout and private-use icon guidance.

OptiFine and shaders

OptiFine CIT and Iris shader packs have client-mod-specific formats. Read conditional assets before adding either; they are not portable vanilla resource-pack features.

Installation

bash

# Singleplayer: place in
~/.minecraft/resourcepacks/my-pack/
# or
~/.minecraft/resourcepacks/my-pack.zip

# Server-side (forces on clients):
# Set in server.properties:
resource-pack=https://example.com/my-pack.zip
resource-pack-sha1=<sha1 hash>
resource-pack-prompt={"text":"Required pack","color":"gold"}

Common Issues

Problem	Cause	Fix
Model not showing	Wrong JSON path or syntax error	Check `assets/<namespace>/models/` path; validate JSON
Black/pink checkerboard	Texture path wrong or missing	Check `textures/` path, file extension not in JSON
Blockstate not applying	Wrong state property name	Use F3 to inspect block state; use `/data get block <x> <y> <z>` for block-entity NBT
Animation not working	Wrong MCMETA location	Must be same folder as texture, named `texture.png.mcmeta`
Custom sound not playing	Not in `sounds.json`	Register sound event in `sounds.json` , match namespace
Pack not loading	Wrong `pack_format` or `min_format` / `max_format` values	Update `pack.mcmeta` for the exact 1.21.x patch

Validator Script

Use the bundled validator script before shipping a resource-pack update:

Unbundled references to another namespace's models, textures, sounds, or fonts are warnings requiring runtime verification with the dependency present. Missing files in the current namespace fail; strict mode also fails unresolved warnings.

bash

# Run from the installed skill directory (for example `.claude/skills/minecraft-resource-pack`):
./scripts/validate-resource-pack.sh --root /path/to/resource-pack

# Strict mode treats warnings as failures:
./scripts/validate-resource-pack.sh --root /path/to/resource-pack --strict

What it checks:

JSON validity for
```
pack.mcmeta
```
and
```
assets/**/*.json
```
Legacy versus modern
```
pack.mcmeta
```
field shape, including integer,
```
[major]
```
, and
```
[major, minor]
```
versions
Model/blockstate/font/sounds references resolve to real files
Current
```
custom_model_data
```
select cases use strings; 26.1 texture objects use a string
```
sprite
```
and optional boolean
```
force_translucent
```
Same-namespace
```
type: "event"
```
sound aliases name an event in that
```
sounds.json
```
Every
```
*.png.mcmeta
```
has a matching
```
*.png
```

The validator cannot resolve a sound event owned by another namespace, or prove that a command or mod code invokes an event with the intended sound source. Those cases warn and require an exact-client runtime check.

References

Mojang: Java Edition 1.21.4
Mojang: Java Edition 1.21.9
Mojang: Java Edition 26.1
NeoForge 1.21.8: Sounds
Misode's model viewer: https://misode.github.io/
OptiFine CIT guide: https://optifine.readthedocs.io/cit.html
Mojang: Java Edition 26.3

minecraft-resource-pack

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Minecraft Resource Pack Skill

What Is a Resource Pack?

Routing Boundaries

Pack Metadata

Directory Layout

`pack.mcmeta`

1.21.8 and earlier

1.21.9 / 1.21.10

1.21.11

26.3

Block Models

`assets/minecraft/models/block/my_cube.json`

Custom geometry (elements)

Item Models

Blockstate Definitions

Simple block (no variants)

Facing block (4 rotations)

Random texture (weighted variants)

Multipart (slabs, fences, walls)

Textures

Animated texture MCMETA

GUI sprites (1.20.2+)

26.1 block-model texture entries

Sounds

Language Files

Fonts

OptiFine and shaders

Installation

Common Issues

Validator Script

References