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Item Animations

Items can be animated in panels to cycle through different appearances, such as changing colors or materials. This allows for dynamic, visually engaging menus that update over time.

Animations are defined using the animate property on an item, and they cycle through a sequence of items before returning to the original item. The items will change at the same speed as the update delay value, by default that is every 20 ticks.

How Animations Work​

  • The animate field defines the next item to display in the animation sequence.
  • When the item with animate is shown in a slot, it will automatically switch to the item defined in the animate field after a short interval.
  • If an item in the sequence does not have an animate field, the sequence will reset to the original item and repeat the cycle endlessly.
  • All commands and interactions triggered by the item will be taken from the original item only. Animated frames do not require commands to be redefined.

Example: Simple Animation Loop​

title: 'Example Menu'
type: inventory

rows: 1

layout:
  4:
    - red_item

items:
  red_item:
    material: 'RED_WOOL'
    name: 'Click to continue'
    animate: 'green_item'
  green_item:
    material: 'LIME_WOOL'
    name: 'Click to continue'
    animate: 'blue_item'
  blue_item:
    material: 'BLUE_WOOL'
    name: 'Click to continue'
    # No animate value, will go back to the original item (red_item)

Explanation:​

  1. The item in slot 4 starts as red_item.
  2. After a short time, it animates to green_item, then to blue_item.
  3. Since blue_item does not have an animate value, the animation returns to red_item, starting the loop again.
  4. The command say You clicked the menu! will only be executed when any of the animated items are clicked, as the command is defined only on red_item.

Animation Behavior Summary​

BehaviorDescription
animate definedItem will transition to the defined next item.
No animate on last itemResets to the original item, loops animation.
CommandsAlways taken from the original item.
Other properties (e.g., lore, name)Defined per animated item; only visuals change unless stated otherwise.

Best Practices​

  • Keep animated items simple — only define material, name, or lore if needed.
  • Do not duplicate commands in animated items.
  • Use animations to create visual interest or feedback loops, like pulsing colors or indicating activity.

Longer Animation Chains​

Animations can be as short or as long as desired.

Example with 5-frame animation:

items:
  frame1:
    material: 'RED_WOOL'
    name: 'Click Me'
    animate: 'frame2'
    actions:
      commands:
        - '[msg] Item has been clicked.'
  frame2:
    material: 'ORANGE_WOOL'
    name: 'Click Me'
    animate: 'frame3'
  frame3:
    material: 'YELLOW_WOOL'
    name: 'Click Me'
    animate: 'frame4'
  frame4:
    material: 'LIME_WOOL'
    name: 'Click Me'
    animate: 'frame5'
  frame5:
    material: 'BLUE_WOOL'
    name: 'Click Me'
    # No animate value; loops back to frame1