What are ModelParts
A ModelPart represents a Cube, Mesh, or Group from Blockbench.
Via scripting, ModelParts can be modified dynamically to do achieve whatever visuals you need (limited to Minecraft's rendering engine)
Accessing ModelParts
models is the global that acts as the Root of your avatar, and is where all ModelParts are stored, either as a child of models, a child of a child, or further down the tree.
Specifically, models's children are Blockbench models. When an avatar is selected, not only are a bbmodel's Cubes, Meshes, and Groups converted into ModelParts, but the bbmodel file itself is converted into ModelParts.
To access a child ModelPart from a parent ModelPart, index the parent using the child's name as a string.
Example:
local bbmodel = models["model"] // access the bbmodel "model.bbmodel"
This logic is the same for every single ModelPart. If you want to access a child, index the parent with the child's name.
Fun Fact: models itself is a ModelPart
The below example accesses the Head Group from the WikiExampleAvatar
local head = models["model"]["root"]["Head"]
If the above seems tedious, Lua provides a shorthand way of indexing with strings. It only works when the string contains no spaces or special characters.
local head = models.model.root.Head
// Below is invalid, as the name contains spaces
local superMegaAwsomeThing = models.model.root.Super Mega Awsome Thing
// Super Mega Awsome Thing would need to be index with the normal method
local superMegaAwsomeThing = models.model.root["Super Mega Awsome Thing"]
BBModels within folders
When a bbmodel is within a folder, Figura will actually turn the folder itself into a ModelPart. This can be confusing as ModelParts are the only thing that does this.
local folderHead = models.folder.model.root.Head
ModelPart ParentTypes
In Figura, a ParentType is applied to a ModelPart causing the ModelPart to behave in a predefined behaviour. This behaviour includes behaving like a vanilla part like the Head or LeftLeg, moving the rendering of special parts like held items, armor, and parrots, or binding the ModelPart to the World instead of the Player.
ParentTypes can either be applied in Blockbench itself, or via script.
ParentTypes via BlockBench
To define a ParentType in Blockbench, the name of a Group must begin with a ParentType
For example, the Head ParentType causes the ModelPart to move and rotate like the vanilla Head. If you name a Group the following, it will have this ParentType:
- Head
- HEAD
- Head2
- HeadPhones
If you name a group the following, it will not have the Head ParentType:
- head => `head` is not a valid ParentType. Capitalization matters!
- BigHead => Does not begin with ParentType
- HeAd => `HeAd` is not a valid ParentType. Capitalization matters!
Do note that some English words naturally start with a ParentType and can cause unintended behaviour!
For example, the word "Guitar". Seems innocent, right? Well, "Guitar" starts with "Gui", and "Gui" is an alias for the ParentType Hud, a ParentType that binds the ModelPart to the Heads Up Display where the hotbar and inventory reside. This causes the ModelPart to not be visible, as Hud parts have special rules. Be careful!
Note: ParentTypes are sometimes called Keywords by legacy Figura users
ParentTypes via Script
Calling the setParentType on any ModelPart will override it's ParentType.
Simply access the ModelPart, then call setParentType on it, passing in the ParentType as a string.
local head = models.model.root.Head
head:setParentType("RightArm")
To remove a ParentType from a ModelPart, call setParentType with the string "None"
local head = models.model.root.Head
head:setParentType("None")
ModelParts do not remember their original ParentType! If you need a ModelPart's original ParentType, store it in a variable for later:
local head = models.model.root.Head
local headParentType = head:getParentType()
head:setParentType("None")
ModelPart Methods
This is where the methods would go, if I bothered writing them right now