Pieces and sockets
The twelve sockets, what sits on each, and how a piece takes its colour.
A piece is real geometry hung on the body, not paint on the texture: a model in a resource pack, a greyscale master texture, and a small data file that says which socket it fits and what it does. Every socket has at least six pieces to choose from in the mod alone, so the choice is the expressive act.
The sockets
| Socket | Armor | Where | Mirrored |
|---|---|---|---|
crest | helmet | the top of the head | no |
brow | helmet | the front of the head: browbands, circlets, visors | no |
horns | helmet | the sides of the head | yes |
pauldrons | chestplate | the shoulders | yes |
back | chestplate | the back: banners, cloaks, quivers | no |
collar | chestplate | the neck | no |
vambraces | chestplate | the forearms | yes |
belt | leggings | the waist | no |
tassets | leggings | the hips | yes |
knees | leggings | the knees | yes |
spurs | boots | the heels | yes |
greaves | boots | the shins | yes |
A mirrored socket is modelled once and drawn on both sides. The pieces on the arms are also drawn on the first-person hand, close to the camera and meant to be; first_person_parts in the config turns that off.
Colour
One greyscale master per piece is mapped onto each trim material’s own palette at load time, the same palette vanilla uses for the trim. A circlet applied with gold is gold; with amethyst, amethyst. A new trim material, from vanilla or another mod, costs a piece no new art at all. A piece may also carry a static layer, painted in real colour, for whatever on it is never the material: a feather, a leather strap.
Fittings
A piece can declare places for a second material. See Fittings.
Behaviour
A piece may carry effects, configured in the same data file: attributes, mob effects, a dodge, gliding. The pinions are a cut-down elytra that actually flies. Effects can be gated on a fitting, so the circlet grants Hero of the Village only with an emerald in it. The authoring guide lists every effect type.