CraftStudio

CraftStudio is a client-side visual IDE for creating Minecraft resource packs without manually extracting the Minecraft JAR or assembling asset paths by hand.

Version 1.0.0 targets Minecraft: Java Edition 1.21.11, Fabric Loader, and Java 21.

What CraftStudio does

• Creates safe, version-specific resource-pack projects.
• Browses the Minecraft 1.21.11 block and item catalog.
• Resolves blockstates, item definitions, model parents, texture variables, textures, animation metadata, and atlas dependencies.
• Shows why each resolved dependency is needed.
• Adds complete, unique-only, or custom dependency bundles to a project.
• Previews supported block and item models using project overrides layered over clean vanilla assets.
• Watches project files and refreshes affected previews.
• Opens textures in the system or a preferred external editor.
• Validates JSON, images, dependency graphs, atlas usage, metadata, and export readiness.
• Exports a root-correct ZIP directly into the current instance's resourcepacks directory or a custom directory.
• Stages and verifies exports, blocks invalid packs, and backs up an existing ZIP before an approved replacement.

Requirements

• Minecraft: Java Edition 1.21.11
• Fabric Loader 0.19.3 or newer
• Fabric API for Minecraft 1.21.11
• Java 21

Mod Menu is optional. CraftStudio does not require it.

Installation

1. Install Fabric Loader for Minecraft 1.21.11.
2. Install a compatible Fabric API build.
3. Place craftstudio-1.0.0.jar in the instance's mods directory.
4. Start Minecraft and verify that CraftStudio appears in the loaded mod list.

CraftStudio is client-only. It is not installed on a dedicated server.

Quick start

1. Enter a world and press F8.
2. Create a project or open an existing CraftStudio project.
3. Open Browse Vanilla Assets and search for a block or item.
4. Open its details and review the resolved dependencies.
5. Choose Add Complete, Add Unique Only, or Choose Files.
6. Preview the asset and edit copied textures with an external editor.
7. Run Validate & Export.
8. Export to Current Instance to create a ZIP directly in the instance's resourcepacks directory, or choose a custom destination.
9. Enable the ZIP from Minecraft's Resource Packs screen.

F8 is the default key. It can be changed from Minecraft's normal Controls screen under the CraftStudio keybinding category.

Project layout

project-name/
├── craftstudio.project.json
├── README.txt
├── pack/
│   ├── pack.mcmeta
│   └── assets/
└── .craftstudio/
    ├── backups/
    ├── cache/
    ├── exports/
    └── logs/

Only the contents of pack/ are eligible for export. CraftStudio project metadata and .craftstudio/ internals are rejected if they appear inside the pack.

Export safety

Every exported pack is a ZIP. CraftStudio:

• validates the source project;
• copies through a task-owned staging directory;
• validates the staged pack again;
• rejects unsafe ZIP paths and symbolic links;
• verifies that pack.mcmeta is at the ZIP root;
• excludes CraftStudio project metadata;
• requires confirmation before replacing an existing output;
• stores a verified backup before replacement; and
• records an export report and SHA-256 hash.

Generated metadata targets resource-pack format 75.0 for Minecraft 1.21.11.

External editing and reload

The settings screen can use the operating system's default application or a preferred editor executable. CraftStudio never executes content from the resource pack itself.

Auto-reload is optional. Manual preview refresh remains available when Minecraft should not reload all resources after every file save.

Known limitations

CraftStudio 1.0 focuses on the reliable block and item workflow defined by the project specification.

• Only Minecraft 1.21.11 is supported.
• The visual catalog currently covers blocks and items.
• GUI textures, entities or mobs, sounds, fonts, paintings, particles, and sky assets are planned for later releases.
• CraftStudio is not an image, animation, or model editor; it integrates with external tools.
• Special renderers and complex item dispatch types may be detected but cannot always be rendered as an ordinary model.
• Imported third-party packs and multi-version conversion are not part of version 1.0.
• Export is ZIP-only; unpacked folder export is intentionally unavailable.

Privacy and security

CraftStudio:

• works without telemetry;
• does not upload project files;
• does not require a network connection;
• reads vanilla game assets and user-selected project files; and
• writes only to CraftStudio paths, project paths, and explicit export destinations.

Building from source

Clone the repository, use Java 21, and run:

./gradlew clean build

The release JAR is written to build/libs/. The build also runs the project, catalog, resource-source, block resolver, item resolver, bundle, preview, reload, validation, and export verification suites.

Run a development client with:

./gradlew runClient

Reporting problems

When reporting a problem, include:

• Minecraft, Fabric Loader, Fabric API, and CraftStudio versions;
• whether the asset is a block or item;
• the validation issue code, if present;
• the shortest reproducible steps; and
• the relevant log excerpt without private project contents.

Use the GitHub issue tracker.

Version history

1.0.0

• Added project creation and recent-project support.
• Added the Minecraft 1.21.11 block and item catalog.
• Added block and item dependency resolution and grouped dependency details.
• Added complete, unique-only, and custom bundle extraction.
• Added interactive block/item previews and external editor integration.
• Added project file watching, targeted refresh, and optional auto-reload.
• Added validation, verified ZIP export, overwrite backups, and export reports.

License

CraftStudio is source-available under the CraftStudio Source-Available License 1.0.

You may view, study, compile, privately modify, and privately use the code for personal, non-commercial purposes. You may also submit patches or pull requests to the official repository.

You may not publicly upload, reupload, redistribute, republish, sell, bundle, or release CraftStudio or a modified version without prior written permission from ARCn09.

Because redistribution is restricted, this is not an OSI-approved open-source license. The source remains publicly readable and open to contributions.

Author: ARCn09