Iris/docs/94 - API - Modded.md

94 - API - Modded

art.arcane.iris.modded.api is the surface a mod compiles against on Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge: detect Iris levels, drive pregeneration and mantle storage, and supply custom blocks/items/mobs to packs. It ships only in those mod jars, is absent from the Bukkit plugin jar, and shares no types with art.arcane.iris.api. Bukkit terrain, world events, pregen events, and tree-feller services do not exist here — see 90 - API - Getting Started.md through 93 - API - Tree Feller.md for the plugin surface.

Assumes Minecraft 26.2, Java 25, and Fabric, Forge, or NeoForge. Mod id is irisworldgen on all three.

Goal	Entry
Detect Iris, read engine token, start pregen, mantle R/W	IrisModdedAPI
Have Iris place your blocks/items/mobs	ModdedDataProvider
Alias one custom key onto a fixed vanilla state	IrisModdedAPI.registerCustomBlockData

---

Depending on Iris

No published Maven artifact for the mod jars. Root build has no maven-publish for them; JitPack for this repo resolves Bukkit-oriented sources, not the modded adapters. Build from source:

./gradlew buildFabric     # -> dist/Iris v<version> [Fabric] <mc>+<loader>.jar
./gradlew buildForge      # -> dist/Iris v<version> [Forge] <mc>+<loader>.jar
./gradlew buildNeoforge   # -> dist/Iris v<version> [NeoForge] <mc>+<loader>.jar

Each adapter is a standalone Gradle build (adapters/<loader>/settings.gradle includeBuild('../..')). Compile against the jar you run:

dependencies {
    compileOnly(files('libs/Iris-fabric.jar'))
}

Adapters are not in root settings.gradle by default. -PincludeModdedAdapters=true is for IDE import only and can close a composite-build cycle Gradle rejects.

Soft dependency

Fabric (fabric.mod.json) — suggests, not hard depends:

{
  "suggests": { "irisworldgen": "*" }
}

NeoForge (META-INF/neoforge.mods.toml):

[[dependencies.yourmod]]
modId = "irisworldgen"
type = "optional"
ordering = "AFTER"
side = "BOTH"

Forge (META-INF/mods.toml): same with mandatory = false instead of type.

Do not rely on load order for ServiceLoader discovery — Iris discovers providers itself.

Detecting Iris

Question	How
Is the mod present?	FabricLoader.getInstance().isModLoaded("irisworldgen") or ModList.get().isLoaded("irisworldgen")
Are Iris classes loadable?	Keep imports behind a presence check / separate class, or Class.forName("art.arcane.iris.modded.api.IrisModdedAPI")
Is this level Iris?	IrisModdedAPI.isIrisLevel(level)

Do not gate on version strings. Probe for the class or method you need. Servers mix Iris and vanilla dimensions freely.

private static final boolean IRIS_PRESENT = irisPresent();

private static boolean irisPresent() {
    try {
        Class.forName("art.arcane.iris.modded.api.IrisModdedAPI");
        return true;
    } catch (Throwable absent) {
        return false;
    }
}

---

IrisModdedAPI

All static, null-tolerant: null or non-Iris ServerLevel → false, null, or no-op.

Method	Behaviour
isIrisLevel(ServerLevel)	Chunk generator is IrisModdedChunkGenerator. Cheapest check
isStudioLevel(ServerLevel)	Throwaway pack-authoring world. Persist nothing
getEngine(ServerLevel)	Internal Engine or null. See stability note
pregenerate(ServerLevel, int radiusBlocks)	Cached async pregen around origin
pregenerate(ServerLevel, int, int centerX, int centerZ, boolean sync, boolean cached)	Same with centre and write mode
getMantleData(ServerLevel, int x, int y, int z, Class<T>)	Read per-block mantle
setMantleData(ServerLevel, int x, int y, int z, T)	Write (creates region; can touch disk)
deleteMantleData(ServerLevel, int x, int y, int z, Class<T>)	Remove type at position (creates region)
retainMantleDataForSlice(Class<?>)	Keep custom mantle types after trim
registerProvider(ModdedDataProvider)	Imperative provider registration
registerCustomBlockData(String namespace, String key, String state)	Static block-state alias

Threading (API entry)

Method	Thread guidance
isIrisLevel, isStudioLevel, getEngine	Safe from any thread once the level is loaded
Mantle get/set/delete	Safe off server thread but touch engine storage; writes can disk I/O
pregenerate, registerProvider	Server thread / mod setup / command
retainMantleDataForSlice, registerCustomBlockData	Mod setup

Engine is internal

getEngine returns art.arcane.iris.engine.framework.Engine. Internal; changes without deprecation. Treat as an opaque token to hand back to Iris. Prefer the wrappers on this class.

Never cache an Engine. Pack hotload or level unload replaces it. getEngine returns null while binding and during shutdown.

Pregeneration

Returns as soon as the job is queued. Progress is Iris logging and boss bar only — no caller callback (no modded equivalent of IrisPregenerationEvent; see limitations). One job server-wide; returns false if a job is already active or the level is not Iris — check isIrisLevel first to distinguish. Call on the server thread.

cached = true uses on-disk pregen cache for resume. sync = true writes chunks synchronously (slower; bypasses async write queue). Simple overload is pregenerate(level, radius, 0, 0, false, true).

Operator pregen concepts: 07 - Pregeneration.md. Platform matrix: 30 - Platform Differences.md.

Mantle data

Iris per-block sidecar, independent of chunk NBT.

1. Coordinates are world-space. y is translated by engine min height internally. Out-of-range y reads null / writes no-op.
2. Reads never create storage; writes do. getMantleData returns null when no mantle region exists for that column. set/delete create the region (possible disk).
3. Declare custom types or lose them.

IrisModdedAPI.retainMantleDataForSlice(MyMarker.class);

Registration is by canonical class name, process-wide, irreversible. All three mantle accessors throw IllegalStateException if the engine mantle is already closed.

---

ModdedDataProvider

public interface ModdedDataProvider {
    String modId();
    default boolean isReady();                                    // default true
    Collection<Identifier> getTypes(ModdedDataType type);
    boolean isValidProvider(Identifier id, ModdedDataType type);
    default ModdedBlockData getBlockData(Identifier blockId, Map<String, String> state);   // default null
    default void processBlockPlacement(ModdedBlockPlacementContext context);               // default no-op
    default Entity spawnMob(ServerLevel level, double x, double y, double z, Identifier entityId); // default null
    default void init();                                          // default no-op
}

ModdedDataType: BLOCK, ITEM, ENTITY. May gain constants — use default in switch expressions.

Contract

• modId() — identity for de-duplication and logging. Non-null and stable; null aborts discovery.
• isValidProvider — gate before every resolution callback on generation threads. Namespace or set lookup only.
• isReady() — late registries: Iris skips false rather than treating as absent.
• getTypes — suggestions/tooling only; empty collection, never null.
• getBlockData — state is parsed [prop=value] map, never null, possibly empty. Null return declines (next provider, then air). ModdedBlockData.direct(state) for final; deferred(placeholder) for second pass.
• processBlockPlacement — finishes deferred placement on server thread with chunk loaded. Only the first provider claiming the id runs for a position. Placeholder should match final shape/occlusion.
• spawnMob — server thread; null declines.
• init() — once after accept.

ModdedBlockPlacementContext record: engine, level, position, blockId, state (defensive copy, unmodifiable), blockState (current at position). Immutable; constructed by Iris. engine is internal.

ModdedBlockData: direct(BlockState) / deferred(BlockState); null state rejected.

Provider threading

Callback	Thread	Notes
isValidProvider, getBlockData	Generation threads, concurrent	Fast; no world mutation
processBlockPlacement	Server thread, chunk loaded	Safe block/entity writes
spawnMob	Server thread
init	Discovering/registering thread	No server/level assumed
modId, isReady, getTypes	Any

ServiceLoader registration

META-INF/services/art.arcane.iris.modded.api.ModdedDataProvider — binary names, one per line. Nested classes use $. Public no-arg constructor required.

Iris loads with its class loader: ServiceLoader.load(ModdedDataProvider.class, ModdedCustomContentRegistry.class.getClassLoader()). If the registration log never appears, fall back to registerProvider.

When discovery runs

ModdedCustomContentRegistry.discover() runs inside ModdedEngineBootstrap.bootCommon(...) at loader entry (IrisFabricBootstrap.onInitialize, Forge/NeoForge bootstrap construction) — before chunk-generator registration and long before a server starts.

• ServiceLoader providers are available before any world resolves blocks.
• Discovery once per process; second discover() is no-op.
• init() must not assume a server, level, or full game registry. Gate late work with isReady().

Imperative registration

IrisModdedAPI.registerProvider(provider) any time during setup. Providers registered after Iris's ServiceLoader pass are fine; after a world has generated, already-resolved blocks are not revisited. Duplicate modId() logged and ignored. init() runs during the call; throwables from imperative init are logged (provider stays registered).

Logging

Under the Iris logger:

Iris registered custom content provider 'yourmod'

Duplicates: already registered; ignoring duplicate.

Per-callback failures are caught, logged against modId(), and generation continues:

Iris custom content provider 'yourmod' failed resolving block yourmod:thing
Iris custom content provider 'yourmod' failed post-placement for yourmod:thing at BlockPos{...}
Iris custom content provider 'yourmod' failed spawning mob yourmod:critter
Iris custom content provider 'yourmod' failed to initialize

ServiceLoader init failure is all-or-nothing: aborts discovery, rolls back that pass, rethrows:

Iris custom content provider discovery failed at provider 'yourmod' (com.example.yourmod.iris.YourIrisProvider)

Static aliases

IrisModdedAPI.registerCustomBlockData("yourmod", "fancy_log", "minecraft:oak_log[axis=y]");

State string uses pack syntax; parsed immediately. Bad state logged and dropped at startup. Aliases take precedence over providers for the same key. Null args ignored.

Go through IrisModdedAPI, not ModdedCustomContentRegistry resolution methods (public only for Iris internal packages).

---

Pack paths and forced datapack (modded)

Paths relative to the loader config directory (config/):

Path	Role
config/irisworldgen/packs/<pack>/	Installed packs (dimensions/<dimension>.json required)
config/irisworldgen/generated/datapack/iris/	Generated forced datapack — Iris-owned
config/irisworldgen/modded.json	Default pack, auto-download, primary world routing
config/iris/	Engine data: settings and per-world engine state

Pack install root is config/irisworldgen/packs, not config/iris. Missing pack at world open is a hard failure with the expected absolute path (no silent vanilla terrain).

Async default-pack prefetch at boot when autoDownloadDefaultPack is set and defaultPack is missing (IrisDimensions/<pack> from master). Failures log a pointer to /iris download <pack>.

Forced datapack contributes presets, dimension types, and biomes under irisworldgen (ids from pack/dimension names). Regenerated on pack change / studio hotload. Failure to inject (mixin/event not applied) logs once:

Iris forced datapack 'iris_worldgen' was never loaded by this server.

That is a loader/environment problem, not a pack problem.

Commands (modded)

/iris (/ir, /irs), gamemaster level. Full tree: 04 - Commands & Permissions.md. Notable:

Command	Role
/iris pack validate [pack]	Validate packs on a worker
/iris pack status [pack]	Recorded validation results
/iris pack cleanup / restore	Unused resource preview/apply
/iris datapack status	Active vs pack dimension-type heights
/iris datapack install	Write pack dimension type override into world datapacks
/iris download <pack>	Install pack (dl alias)
/iris version	Version and loader

/iris datapack ingest|pull|remove refuse on modded (Bukkit Modrinth tooling). Native/datapack structure placement works: install into <world>/datapacks/ and restart. Structures overview: 22 - Native Structures & Datapacks.md.

---

Native worldgen passthrough over Iris terrain

Iris replaces the chunk generator. Vanilla/mod worldgen runs only if Iris runs it:

System	Over Iris?	Notes
Structures (vanilla, datapack, mod)	Yes, on by default	Vertical fit, stilts, vegetation clear. Deny: importedStructures.disabled
Placed features (ores, trees, plants, …)	Yes, off by default	Dimension importedFeatures.enabled
Carvers	Never	No noise router / aquifer for vanilla carvers
Mod biomes as sources	Only as derivative / scatter targets	Iris chooses biomes from the pack
Mob spawning (incl. mod mobs)	Yes	Merges pack biome table with vanilla derivative
Surface builders / rules	Never	Pack palettes

importedFeatures

Disabled by default. Absent or enabled: false → no feature table; terrain matches long-standing Iris-only output. Biome tags of the vanilla derivative are always inherited on custom biomes (not gated on this flag). Structure tags #minecraft:has_structure/* are not inherited.

{
  "importedFeatures": {
    "enabled": true,
    "steps": ["UNDERGROUND_ORES"],
    "disabledSteps": ["VEGETAL_DECORATION"],
    "disabled": ["minecraft:ore_diamond", "minecraft:trees"]
  }
}

Field	Meaning
enabled	Master switch; default false
steps	Allow-list of decoration steps; empty = all
disabledSteps	Deny-list after steps
disabled	Placed-feature key deny-list; prefix match on namespace///_ boundaries

Vanilla step order: RAW_GENERATION, LAKES, LOCAL_MODIFICATIONS, UNDERGROUND_STRUCTURES, SURFACE_STRUCTURES, STRONGHOLDS, UNDERGROUND_ORES, UNDERGROUND_DECORATION, FLUID_SPRINGS, VEGETAL_DECORATION, TOP_LAYER_MODIFICATION.

Features come from the biome's vanilla derivative. Feature seeds match vanilla derivation so denying one feature does not shift another's seed. Feature pass runs on the worldgen thread owning the chunk (not Iris gen pool), after Iris structures — early-step features can cut into placed structures. Feature-order cycles at bind degrade importedFeatures to off with ERROR log (no chunk crash). Same control exists on Bukkit with the same semantics.

Carvers

applyCarvers is empty by design. Use pack caves / carvings: 15 - Caves & Carving.md.

26.2 note: pointed_dripstone / speleothem

Registry	26.2 key
Block	minecraft:pointed_dripstone unchanged
Placed / configured feature	minecraft:pointed_dripstone unchanged
Feature type	minecraft:speleothem renamed

Pack palette / object / importedFeatures.disabled keys using the block or placed-feature id remain correct.

Biome tags

Custom biomes inherit derivative tag membership plus pack tags. Files use "replace": false. Details: 13 - Biomes.md.

---

What is not supported

• No published mod artifact — build from source.
• Core packages internal — engine.*, core.*, util.*, spi.*. Engine is the only internal type exposed (as a token) via getEngine / placement context.
• No event bus — IrisPlatform.callEvent is a no-op on mod loaders. No modded IrisWorldEngineEvent / IrisPregenerationEvent; poll isIrisLevel / getEngine.
• No art.arcane.iris.api in mod jars. No modded terrain-query service yet.
• No PlaceholderAPI — 09 - PlaceholderAPI.md is Bukkit-only.
• Datapack ingest commands Bukkit-only.
• Vanilla carvers and surface rules never run.
• ModdedCustomContentRegistry resolution APIs are Iris internals; use IrisModdedAPI.

Install and platform notes: 01 - Installation & Platforms.md, 30 - Platform Differences.md.