Adding a new species

Info

The last update on this page was on: 28th April 2026

Info

Replace [addon_name] and [animal_name] with your actual addon and animal names throughout this guide.

Structure

Let's start off with where to put these files If you haven't read the folder format please do that first.

So inside the [addon-names]'s addon-data folder we'll be making a new folder named "animals".

So your folder structure should look like this now:

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
        animals/
    data/
        data/
            [addon_name]/
        pack.mcmeta
    resources/
        assets/
            [addon_name]/
        pack.mcmeta

Warning

I won't reference pack.mcmeta anymore from this point forwards, it should still be there.

If that's done let's move onto the next part.

JSON File

Inside the animals folder create a new JSON file with the name of your desired animal.

Warning

An animal name can't contain capital letters!

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
        animals/
            [animal_name].json
    data/
    resources/

Let's start setting up the animal attributes!

Open the [animal_name].json Let's start by giving the animal an identifier!

{
    "id": "[addon_name]:[animal_name]"
}

This is how the game will recognize it, it will also be summoned that way!

Let's also pick an animation style. At this point in time only "simple" exists.

{
    "animation_style": "simple"
}

Let's start implementing each module individually.

Modules

Sounds Module

Info

This module is optional - all fields are optional.

The sounds module lets you assign sounds to various animal actions.

Field	Required	Description
`attack`	Optional	Sound that plays on attack
`ambient`	Optional	Sound that plays randomly in ambient state
`death`	Optional	Sound that plays on death
`hurt`	Optional	Sound that plays on hurt

{
    "sounds": {
        "attack": "[addon_name]:[animal_name]_attack",
        "ambient": "[addon_name]:[animal_name]_ambient",
        "death": "[addon_name]:[animal_name]_death",
        "hurt": "[addon_name]:[animal_name]_hurt"
    }
}

Warning

I won't show the full files going forwards, this would be to intensive. Every module's full json will be shown

Genetics

Danger

This is an mandatory module, without this your animal won't load

This module has some fields that are mandatory, and some that are optional.

Fields

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`growthStageScaling`	`float`	Required	-	Scale multiplier of the animal during the baby growth stage
`growthStageSize`	`[float, float]`	Required	-	Baby hitbox size as `[width, height]`
`growthNextStageScaling`	`float`	Required	-	Scale multiplier when transitioning to the next growth stage
`growthStageMaxGrowthDays`	`float`	Required	-	Max days the baby growth stage lasts
`growthProgressCapDays`	`float`	Required	-	Max days before growth progress is capped
`supportedGenes`	`string[]`	Required	-	List of gene resource keys supported by this animal
`defaultGenes`	`string[]`	Optional	`[]`	List of gene resource keys the animal spawns with by default
`growthProgressCap`	`int`	Optional	`72000`	Override growth progress cap in ticks
`eggRenderScale`	`double`	Optional	`1.0`	Scale of the egg when rendered in the world
`eggHatchTicks`	`int`	Optional	`1200`	Number of ticks before the egg hatches

"genetics": {
    "growthStageScaling": [Float],
    "growthStageSize": [[Float], [Float]],
    "growthNextStageScaling": [Float],
    "growthStageMaxGrowthDays": [Int],
    "growthProgressCapDays": [Int],
    "supportedGenes": [],
    "defaultGenes": [],
    "growthProgressCap": [Int],
    "eggRenderScale": [Float],
    "eggHatchTicks": [Int]
}

Metabolism

Danger

This is an mandatory module, without this your animal won't load

This module has some fields that are mandatory, and some that are optional.

Fields

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`diet`	`string`	Required	-	Diet type of the animal (e.g. `CARNIVORE`, `HERBIVORE`)
`maxWaterDays`	`float`	Required	-	Max days the animal can go without water
`maxFoodDays`	`float`	Required	-	Max days the animal can go without food
`stalkingSpeedMultiplier`	`float`	Optional	`1.0`	Speed multiplier when stalking prey
`accelerationSpeedMultiplier`	`float`	Optional	`1.0`	Speed multiplier when accelerating
`breedCooldown`	`int`	Optional	`24000`	Cooldown in ticks between breeding
`gestationTicks`	`int`	Optional	`6000`	Gestation period in ticks
`maxStamina`	`int`	Optional	`1000`	Maximum stamina of the animal
`canSleep`	`boolean`	Optional	`true`	Whether the animal can sleep
`canBreed`	`boolean`	Optional	`true`	Whether the animal can breed
`hungerEnabled`	`boolean`	Optional	`true`	Whether the animal has a hunger mechanic
`thirstEnabled`	`boolean`	Optional	`true`	Whether the animal has a thirst mechanic
`hasLiveBirth`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal gives live birth instead of laying eggs

Diet Types

Value	Description
`CARNIVORE`	Meat eater
`HERBIVORE`	Plant eater
`OMNIVORE`	Eats both
`PISCIVORE`	Fish eater
`INSECTOVORE`	Insect eater
`OVIVORE`	Egg eater
`NONE`	No diet

"metabolism": {
    "diet": [String],
    "maxWaterDays": [Float],
    "maxFoodDays": [Float],
    "stalkingSpeedMultiplier": [Float],
    "breedCooldown": [Int],
    "gestationTicks": [Int],
    "accelerationSpeedMultiplier": [Float],
    "canSleep": [Boolean],
    "canBreed": [Boolean],
    "hungerEnabled": [Boolean],
    "thirstEnabled": [Boolean],
    "hasLiveBirth": [Boolean],
    "maxStamina": [Int]
}

Misc

Danger

This is an mandatory module, without this your animal won't load

This module has some fields that are mandatory, and some that are optional.

Fields

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`era`	`string`	Required	-	Era the animal lived in (e.g. `JURASSIC`, `CRETACEOUS`)
`maxHeadRotation`	`[float, float]`	Required	-	Max head X and Y rotation
`babyAnimations`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal has baby animations
`genderedVariants`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal has gendered variants
`mammal`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal is a mammal
`requiresGlow`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal requires glow
`leashable`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal can be leashed
`guidebookPose`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal has a guidebook pose
`attacksCar`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal attacks cars
`isNew`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal is newly added
`disableCorpseDrops`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal's corpse drops items
`extinct`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal is extinct
`hasEyeLid`	`boolean`	Optional	`true`	Whether the animal has eyelids
`babyGuidebook`	`boolean`	Optional	`true`	Whether the animal has a baby guidebook entry
`showInGuidebook`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal appears in the guidebook
`machineScale`	`float`	Optional	`1.0`	Scale of the animal in machines
`corpseDropTimes`	`int`	Optional	`2`	How many times the corpse can be looted
`corpseMeatDropRange`	`[int, int]`	Optional	`[1, 4]`	Min and max meat drops from corpse
`corpseBoneDropRange`	`[int, int]`	Optional	`[1, 4]`	Min and max bone drops from corpse
`guidebookScaling`	`[float, float]`	Optional	`[1.0, 1.0]`	Baby and adult scale in the guidebook
`guidebookOffset`	`object`	Optional	`[0,0]`	Baby and adult position offset in the guidebook
`signColor`	`string`	Optional	-	Color override for the paddock sign
`version`	`string`	Optional	`1.0`	Version the animal was added

Eras

Era	Description
`NONE`	No era assigned
`CAMBRIAN`	Cambrian period
`ORDOVICIAN`	Ordovician period
`SILURIAN`	Silurian period
`DEVONIAN`	Devonian period
`CARBONIFEROUS`	Carboniferous period
`PERMIAN`	Permian period
`TRIASSIC`	Triassic period
`JURASSIC`	Jurassic period
`CRETACEOUS`	Cretaceous period
`PALEOGENE`	Paleogene period
`NEOGENE`	Neogene period
`QUATERNARY`	Quaternary period

Sign Colors

Color
`BLUE`
`GREEN`
`PURPLE`
`RED`
`WHITE`
`YELLOW`
`FACILITY`

"misc": {
    "era": [String],
    "maxHeadRotation": [[Float], [Float]],
    "babyAnimations": [Boolean],
    "genderedVariants": [Boolean],
    "mammal": [Boolean],
    "requiresGlow": [Boolean],
    "leashable": [Boolean],
    "guidebookPose": [Boolean],
    "attacksCar": [Boolean],
    "isNew": [Boolean],
    "disableCorpseDrops": [Boolean],
    "extinct": [Boolean],
    "hasEyeLid": [Boolean],
    "babyGuidebook": [Boolean],
    "showInGuidebook": [Boolean],
    "machineScale": [Float],
    "corpseDropTimes": [Int],
    "corpseMeatDropRange": [[Int], [Int]],
    "corpseBoneDropRange": [[Int], [Int]],
    "guidebookScaling": [[Float], [Float]],
    "guidebookOffset": {
        "baby": [[Float], [Float]],
        "adult": [[Float], [Float]]
    },
    "signColor": [String],
    "version": [String]
}

Danger

This is an mandatory module, without this your animal won't load

Fields

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`huntTargets`	`string[]`	Required	`[]`	List of fully qualified class names the animal will hunt
`scaredOf`	`string[]`	Required	`[]`	List of fully qualified class names the animal is scared of
`herdTargets`	`string[]`	Required	`[]`	List of fully qualified class names the animal will herd with
`maxDistanceToLeader`	`float`	Required	`500.0`	Max distance the animal can be from the pack leader
`minDistanceToLeader`	`float`	Required	`100.0`	Min distance the animal keeps from the pack leader
`maxHerdSize`	`int`	Required	`1`	Maximum number of animals in a herd
`naturalAggression`	`float`	Required	`0.0`	Natural aggression level, clamped between `0` and `5`
`herd_with_self`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal will herd with its own kind
`usesNest`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal uses a nest

"social": {
    "huntTargets": [String[]],
    "scaredOf": [String[]],
    "herdTargets": [String[]],
    "maxDistanceToLeader": [Float],
    "minDistanceToLeader": [Float],
    "maxHerdSize": [Int],
    "naturalAggression": [Float],
    "herd_with_self": [Boolean],
    "usesNest": [Boolean]
}

Items

Danger

This is an mandatory module, without this your animal won't load

Fields

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`eggType`	`string`	Required	`CHICKEN`	The type of egg the animal lays
`spawnEggColors`	`[int, int]`	Required	-	Primary and secondary color of the spawn egg
`spawnEggColorsMale`	`[int, int]`	Optional	-	Primary and secondary color of the male spawn egg
`sampleColour`	`string`	Optional	`RED`	Color of the sample item
`hasCoin`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal drops a coin
`hasMeat`	`boolean`	Optional	`true`	Whether the animal drops meat
`hasDrops`	`boolean`	Optional	`true`	Whether the animal has any drops
`hasFossil`	`boolean`	Optional	`true`	Whether the animal has a fossil item
`hasPlushie`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal has a plushie item
`hasEgg`	`boolean`	Optional	`true`	Whether the animal has an egg item
`bucketable`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal can be bucketed

Sample Colours

Value	Description
`EMPTY`	Empty sample
`DIRTY`	Dirty sample
`RED`	Red sample
`BLUE`	Blue sample
`INSECT`	Insect sample
`PLANT`	Plant sample

Egg Types

Value	Description
`FROG`	Frog egg
`CHICKEN`	Chicken egg
`OSTRICH`	Ostrich egg
`ALLIGATOR`	Alligator egg
`SPIDER`	Spider egg sac
`FISH`	Fish egg
`BASILISK`	Basilisk egg

"items": {
    "eggType": [String],
    "spawnEggColors": [[Int], [Int]],
    "spawnEggColorsMale": [[Int], [Int]],
    "sampleColour": [String],
    "hasCoin": [Boolean],
    "hasMeat": [Boolean],
    "hasDrops": [Boolean],
    "hasFossil": [Boolean],
    "hasPlushie": [Boolean],
    "hasEgg": [Boolean],
    "bucketable": [Boolean]
}

Base

Danger

This is an mandatory module, without this your animal won't load

Fields

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`animalType`	`string`	Required	-	The type of animal (e.g. `REPTILE`, `MAMMAL`)
`fov`	`int`	Required	-	Field of view of the animal in degrees
`maxTurnRate`	`float`	Required	-	Maximum turn rate of the animal
`turnSmoothRate`	`float`	Required	-	How smoothly the animal turns
`renderScale`	`float`	Required	-	Scale of the animal when rendered
`locator`	`string`	Required	-	The locator bone used for attachments
`sizeDimorphism`	`float`	Optional	`0`	Size difference in percent between male and female
`adult_only`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal only spawns as an adult
`has_genders`	`boolean`	Optional	`false`	Whether the animal has genders
`entity_properties`	`object`	Optional	-	Controller task configuration for the animal

Animal Types

Value	Description
`MAMMAL`	Warm-blooded vertebrates e.g. wolf, human
`AQUATIC_MAMMAL`	Water-dwelling mammals e.g. dolphin, seal
`SYNAPSID`	Mammal-like reptiles e.g. dimetrodon
`REPTILE`	Scaled vertebrates e.g. snake, lizard
`AQUATIC_REPTILE`	Water-dwelling reptiles e.g. crocodile, sea turtle
`AMPHIBIAN`	Cold-blooded vertebrates e.g. frog, salamander
`FISH`	Ray-finned fish e.g. cod, trout
`CARTILAGINOUS_FISH`	Cartilage-skeleton fish e.g. shark, ray
`BIRD`	Avians e.g. eagle, penguin
`ARTHROPOD`	Exoskeleton invertebrates e.g. crab, centipede
`INSECT`	Six-legged arthropods e.g. ant, beetle
`ARACHNID`	Eight-legged arthropods e.g. spider, scorpion
`CRUSTACEAN`	Hard-shelled arthropods e.g. lobster, shrimp
`MOLLUSK`	Soft-bodied invertebrates e.g. snail, octopus
`CEPHALOPOD`	Head-footed mollusks e.g. squid, cuttlefish

See Jurassic Saga Task Sheet for all the tasks and information about them.

"base": {
    "animalType": [String],
    "fov": [Int],
    "maxTurnRate": [Float],
    "sizeDimorphism": [Float],
    "turnSmoothRate": [Float],
    "renderScale": [Float],
    "locator": [String],
    "adult_only": [Boolean],
    "has_genders": [Boolean],
    "entity_properties": {
        "main_controller": [String | Object],
        "targeting_controller": [String | Object]
    }
}

Attributes

Danger

This is an mandatory module, without this your animal won't load

Fields

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`maxHealth`	`double`	Required	-	Maximum health of the animal
`dimensions`	`[float, float]`	Required	-	Hitbox size as `[width, height]`
`movementSpeedKmh`	`float`	Required	-	Movement speed of the animal in km/h
`attackDamage`	`float`	Required	-	Base attack damage of the animal
`animal_type`	`string`	Required	`land`	Entity type, one of `land`, `aquatic`, `avian`
`eyeHeight`	`float`	Optional	0.9	Eye height of the animal
`category`	`string`	Optional	CREATURE	Mob category (e.g. `CREATURE`, `MONSTER`)
`trackingRange`	`int`	Optional	32	Range in blocks at which the animal is tracked
`waterEfficiency`	`float`	Optional	-	How efficiently the animal moves in water
`runningSpeedMultiplier`	`float`	Optional	-	Speed multiplier when running
`flyingSpeed`	`float`	Optional	-	Flying speed, only used when `animal_type` is `avian`
`attackSpeed`	`float`	Optional	-	Attack speed of the animal
`attackKnockback`	`float`	Optional	-	Knockback applied on attack
`followRange`	`float`	Optional	32	Range at which the animal follows its target

Mob Categories

Value	Description
`MONSTER`	Hostile mobs e.g. zombies, skeletons
`CREATURE`	Passive or neutral mobs e.g. animals
`AMBIENT`	Ambient mobs e.g. bats
`AXOLOTLS`	Axolotl-type aquatic mobs
`UNDERGROUND_WATER_CREATURE`	Water creatures found underground
`WATER_CREATURE`	Surface water creatures e.g. squid
`WATER_AMBIENT`	Ambient water mobs e.g. fish
`MISC`	Miscellaneous mobs, no spawn cap

"attributes": {
    "maxHealth": [Double],
    "dimensions": [[Float], [Float]],
    "movementSpeedKmh": [Float],
    "attackDamage": [Float],
    "animal_type": [String],
    "eyeHeight": [Float],
    "category": [String],
    "trackingRange": [Int],
    "waterEfficiency": [Float],
    "runningSpeedMultiplier": [Float],
    "flyingSpeed": [Float],
    "attackSpeed": [Float],
    "attackKnockback": [Float],
    "followRange": [Float]
}

Client Animator

Info

This module is optional - all fields are optional.

Fields

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
`neck_pieces`	`string[]`	Optional	`[]`	List of bone names that make up the neck chain
`neck_rotation_divisor`	`float`	Optional	`1.0`	Divides the neck rotation amount, higher = less rotation
`tail_pieces`	`string[]`	Optional	`[]`	List of bone names that make up the tail chain
`max_tail_angle`	`float`	Optional	`180.0`	Maximum angle the tail can swing
`tail_buffer_time`	`int`	Optional	`4`	How many ticks the tail swing is buffered
`tail_angle_decrement`	`float`	Optional	`0.5`	How fast the tail angle decreases per tick
`tail_divisor`	`float`	Optional	`0.75`	Divides the tail swing amount, higher = less swing

"client_anim": {
    "neck_pieces": [String],
    "neck_rotation_divisor": [Float],
    "tail_pieces": [String],
    "max_tail_angle": [Float],
    "tail_buffer_time": [Int],
    "tail_angle_decrement": [Float],
    "tail_divisor": [Float]
}

And that's it! That should be everything you need to register an animal.

Resources

Info

Reminder: Replace [addon_name] and [animal_name] with your actual addon and animal names throughout this guide.

Now that the animal is registered, lets get into the asset distribution.

Reminder of the folder structure:

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
        animals/
            [animal_name].json
    data/
    resources/

Models

Animal Model Files

Let's start by adding the model files, but before we do that we have to find out a few things first.

What version did we use? (You can find this in "misc" under "version" in the JSON file, if it's not there use 1.0)

Info

Replace [version] with the version you've found above.

The version needs a v in front of it! so if you have 1.0 use v1.0

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
    data/
    resources/
        assets/
            [addon_name]/

Warning

An animal name can't contain capital letters!

Let's now add the geo and animal folder, and add our animal data in there.

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
    data/
    resources/
        assets/
            [addon_name]
                geo/
                    animal/
                        [version]/
                            [animal_name]/

Drop your geo files in there, with the following format.

Baby -> [animal_name]_baby.geo.json

Adult -> [animal_name]_adult.geo.json

So it'd look like this:

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
    data/
    resources/
        assets/
            [addon_name]
                geo/
                    animal/
                        [version]/
                            [animal_name]/
                                [animal_name]_baby.geo.json [*]
                                [animal_name]_adult.geo.json

Info

If you have "adult_only" set in "base" in the JSON file, you don't need the baby model file.

That's the animal model added.

Item Model Files

Let's start of figuring out where we will put our files!

Let's start by making a "models" folder, and an item folder in the same directory.

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
    data/
    resources/
        assets/
            [addon_name]
                geo/
                models/
                    item/

So for the items it's pretty simple, but first we'll have to figure some things out. All these questions can be answered with the item module in the JSON file:

Do we have a coin enabled? (or is the animal extinct? because extinct animals always have a coin)
Do we have meat enabled?
Do we have drops enabled?
Do we have fossil enabled?
Is the animal bucket-able?

Let's create files based of the questionnaire.

If you've answered yes to 3. you can skip this part of the guide.

...
    models/
        item/
            [animal_name]_coin.json [1.]
            [animal_name]_cooked.json [2.]
            [animal_name]_raw.json [2.]
            [animal_name]_hatch_egg.json
            [animal_name]_spawn_egg.json
            [animal_name]_fossil_remains.json [4.]
            [animal_name]_bucket.json [5.]

Info

Follow the questionnaire, add only the files where you've answered yes.

For the examples there are two last questions,

What eggType did we set?
- You can find eggType in the JSON file under the module items.
What kind of coin do we want?
- There are a few options:

File	Type	Used When
`coin_amphibian`	Animal Type	Animal type is `AMPHIBIAN`
`coin_bird`	Animal Type	Animal type is `BIRD`
`coin_fish`	Animal Type	Animal type is `FISH`
`coin_insect`	Animal Type	Animal type is `INSECT`
`coin_carnivore`	Diet Type	Diet is `CARNIVORE`
`coin_herbivore`	Diet Type	Diet is `HERBIVORE`
`coin_insectovore`	Diet Type	Diet is `INSECTOVORE`
`coin_none`	Diet Type	Diet is `NONE`
`coin_omnivore`	Diet Type	Diet is `OMNIVORE`
`coin_piscivore`	Diet Type	Diet is `PISCIVORE`

We'll reference the eggType as [egg_type] and the coin as [coin]. Make sure the types are always used in lowercase, so OSTRICH becomes ostrich!

Examples for the [animal_name].json files, reminder that these names aren't representative.

Use the format above for the actual file names.

{
    "parent": "minecraft:item/generated",
    "textures": {
        "layer0": "jurassicsaga:item/natural/entity/default_coins/coin_[coin]",
        "layer1": "[addon_name]:item/natural/entity/animal/[version]/extinct/[animal_name]/[animal_name]_coin"
    }
}

Info

Replace [version] with the version you've found above.

The version needs a v in front of it! so if you have 1.0 use v1.0

Replace [addon_name] and [animal_name] with your actual addon and animal names.

That should be all the animal item models!

Paddock Sign Model File

Let's add the paddock sign model now,

Let's start by making a "signs" folder inside the models folder, in their lets also add a "paddock" folder.

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
    data/
    resources/
        assets/
            [addon_name]
                geo/
                models/
                    item/
                    signs/
                        paddock/

In that folder we'll add a new file with our animal name:

[addon_name]/
...
    models/
        item/
        signs/
            paddock/
                [animal_name].json

Inside that file add the following:

{
    "parent": "minecraft:item/generated",
    "textures": {
        "layer0": "[addon_name]:block/manmade/other/paddock_sign/[animal_name]"
    }
}

Animations

Now let's continue with the animation files

Let's add an animations folder above the geo folder, and we'll follow the same structure as before, the animation files should be named appropriately:

Baby -> [animal_name]_baby.animation.json

Adult -> [animal_name].animation.json

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
    data/
    resources/
        assets/
            [addon_name]/
                models/
                animations/
                    animal/
                        [version]/
                            [animal_name]/
                                [animal_name]_baby.animation.json [*]
                                [animal_name].animation.json
                geo/

Info

[*] If you have adult only set in "base" in the JSON file, you don't need the baby animations file.

Or if you've set "babyAnimations" to False in "misc"

That's the animations added!

Textures

Animal Textures

Now let's add the animal base textures

Let's start off by creating a new folder named textures:

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
    data/
    resources/
        assets/
            [addon_name]/
                animations/
                models/
                geo/
                textures/

Add a few more folders like we've done previous, by starting of with a geo folder inside the textures folder and then an animal folder:

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
    data/
    resources/
        assets/
            [addon_name]/
                animations/
                models/
                geo/
                textures/
                    geo/
                        animal/
                            [version]/
                                [animal_name]/

Then inside the [animal_name] folder we'll add the textures needed for this animal

Naming scheme:

Adults:

Female -> [animal_name]_adult_female.png
Male -> [animal_name]_adult_male.png

Baby -> [animal_name]_baby.png

So it'd look like this:

...
    animal/
        [version]/
            [animal_name]/
                [animal_name]_adult_female.png
                [animal_name]_adult_male.png
                [animal_name]_baby.png [*]

Info

[*] If you have adult only set in "base" in the JSON file, you don't need the baby png file.

If you want to add variants that's done like this:

...
    animal/
        [version]/
            [animal_name]/
                variants/
                    [animal_name]_adult_chaos_effect.png
                [animal_name]_adult_female.png
                [animal_name]_adult_male.png
                [animal_name]_baby.png

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I've used chaos_effect as an example, but you can do this for any of the skin genes. _adult_female and _adult_male are only used when has_genders: true, otherwise use _adult.

Item Textures

Now let's add the item textures

Let's first of all figure out if the animal is extinct or extant, you can find this in "misc" under "extinct"

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Replace [extinct_or_extant] based of the found information, if you dont have extinct set, use extant.

Since some things like paddock signs use this for locating, this has to be very specific.

[addon_name]/
...
    textures/
        item/
            natural/
                entity/
                    animal/
                        [version]/
                            [extinct_or_extant]/
                                [animal_name]/
        geo/

Now that you have that structure implemented let's add the files necessary, but to do this we'll have to figure some things out first.

All these questions can be answered with the item module in the JSON file:

Do we have a coin enabled? (or is the animal extinct? because extinct animals always have a coin)
Do we have meat enabled?
Do we have drops enabled?
Do we have fossil enabled?
Is the animal bucket-able?

If you've answered no to 3, skip the following step.

...
    [extinct_or_extant]/
        [animal_name]/
            [animal_name]_coin.png [1.]
            [animal_name]_cooked.png [2.]
            [animal_name]_raw.png [2.]
            [animal_name]_fossil_remains.png [4.]
            [animal_name]_bucket.png [5.]

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Follow the questionnaire, add only the files where you've answered yes.

Paddock Sign Texture

Let's add the paddock sign, this step should be fairly simple.

You'll have to start with the block folder, because the paddock sign is on the block atlas:

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
    data/
    resources/
        assets/
            [addon_name]/
                animations/
                models/
                geo/
                textures/
                    block/

Let's now let's add the paddock sign to the designated folder:

...
    textures/
        block/
            manmade/
                other/
                    paddock_sign/
                        [animal_name].png

As you can see this is very specific again, and this is because the paddock sign renderer references it.

That's all from the texture side!

Sounds

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If you don't have a sounds module in your json file, you can skip this step.

Sounds JSON

Inside the assets folder's [addon_name] we'll add a new file called sounds.json

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
    data/
    resources/
        assets/
            [addon_name]/
                animations/
                geo/
                models/
                textures/
                sounds.json

The sounds.json file is where you register all the sounds for your animal. Each sound event follows the pattern [animal_name]_[event], and contains a list of sound file references in the format [addon_name]:animal/[animal_name]/[sound_file].

The four sound events you'll need are:

[animal_name]_death - played when the animal dies
[animal_name]_hurt - played when the animal is hurt, you can add multiple for variety
[animal_name]_ambient - played during idle/ambient behavior, you can add as many as you like
[animal_name]_attack - played when the animal attacks

{
    "[animal_name]_death": {
        "sounds": [
            "[addon_name]:animal/[animal_name]/[sound_file]"
        ]
    },
    "[animal_name]_hurt": {
        "sounds": [
            "[addon_name]:animal/[animal_name]/[sound_file]",
            "[addon_name]:animal/[animal_name]/[sound_file]"
        ]
    },
    "[animal_name]_ambient": {
        "sounds": [
            "[addon_name]:animal/[animal_name]/[sound_file]",
            "[addon_name]:animal/[animal_name]/[sound_file]"
        ]
    },
    "[animal_name]_attack": {
        "sounds": [
            "[addon_name]:animal/[animal_name]/[sound_file]",
            "[addon_name]:animal/[animal_name]/[sound_file]"
        ]
    }
}

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The sound files themselves are .ogg files and go in the sounds folder, which we'll set up in the next step.

Sound Files

Now let's add the actual sound files, these go inside a sounds folder in your assets:

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
    data/
    resources/
        assets/
            [addon_name]/
                animations/
                geo/
                models/
                textures/
                sounds/
                    animal/
                        [animal_name]/
                            [sound_file].ogg
                sounds.json

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Sound files must be in .ogg format. The file names here must match what you referenced in your sounds.json.

Repeat this process for every file you've referenced.

Language file

The language file is where you define all the display names for your animal. It goes here:

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
    data/
    resources/
        assets/
            [addon_name]/
                animations/
                geo/
                models/
                textures/
                sounds/
                lang/
                    en_us.json
                sounds.json

Inside en_us.json you'll want to add the following entries, replacing the values with your own:

{
    "entity.[addon_name].[animal_name]": "Display Name",
    "guidebook.[addon_name].[animal_name].description": "Guidebook description",
    "guidebook.[addon_name].[animal_name].scientific_name": "Scientific Name",
    "guidebook.[addon_name].[animal_name].source": "Region or source",
    "item.[addon_name].[animal_name]_coin": "[Animal Name] DNA",
    "item.[addon_name].[animal_name]_cooked": "[Animal Name] Cooked Meat",
    "item.[addon_name].[animal_name]_fossil_remains": "[Animal Name] Remains",
    "item.[addon_name].[animal_name]_hatch_egg": "[Animal Name] Hatched Egg",
    "item.[addon_name].[animal_name]_raw": "[Animal Name] Raw Meat",
    "item.[addon_name].[animal_name]_spawn_egg": "[Animal Name] Spawn Egg",
    "advancements.[addon_name].[animal_name].desc": "Advancement description",
    "advancements.[addon_name].[animal_name].title": "Advancement title"
}

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Not all entries are required - only add the ones relevant to your animal. For example if you have hasMeat: false you won't need the raw and cooked meat entries.

That should be everything from the resources!

Data

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Reminder: Replace [addon_name] and [animal_name] with your actual addon and animal names throughout this guide.

You are nearly there, it's just a few simple things now!

Let's start with the advancements for the cooking recipes. You can skip this if you don't have meats.

These go here:

[addon_name]/
    addon_data/
    data/
        data/
            [addon_name]/
                advancement/
                    recipes/
                        [animal_name]_cooked_campfire.json
                        [animal_name]_cooked_smelt.json
                        [animal_name]_cooked_smoke.json
    resources/

You'll need one advancement file per cooking method — campfire, smelting, and smoking:

{
    "parent": "minecraft:recipes/root",
    "criteria": {
        "has_[animal_name]_cooked": {
            "conditions": {
                "items": [{ "items": "[addon_name]:[animal_name]_cooked" }]
            },
            "trigger": "minecraft:inventory_changed"
        },
        "has_[animal_name]_raw": {
            "conditions": {
                "items": [{ "items": "[addon_name]:[animal_name]_raw" }]
            },
            "trigger": "minecraft:inventory_changed"
        },
        "has_the_recipe": {
            "conditions": {
                "recipe": "[addon_name]:[animal_name]_cooked_campfire"
            },
            "trigger": "minecraft:recipe_unlocked"
        }
    },
    "requirements": [["has_the_recipe", "has_[animal_name]_raw", "has_[animal_name]_cooked"]],
    "rewards": {
        "recipes": ["[addon_name]:[animal_name]_cooked_campfire"]
    }
}

Now let's add the actual recipes, these go here:

[addon_name]/
    data/
        data/
            [addon_name]/
                advancement/
                    recipes/
                        [animal_name]_cooked_campfire.json
                        [animal_name]_cooked_smelt.json
                        [animal_name]_cooked_smoke.json
                recipe/
                    [animal_name]_cooked_campfire.json
                    [animal_name]_cooked_smelt.json
                    [animal_name]_cooked_smoke.json

{
    "type": "minecraft:campfire_cooking",
    "category": "food",
    "cookingtime": 600,
    "experience": 0.5,
    "ingredient": {
        "item": "[addon_name]:[animal_name]_raw"
    },
    "result": {
        "count": 1,
        "id": "[addon_name]:[animal_name]_cooked"
    }
}

Next we'll register our items into the relevant tags, these go here:

[addon_name]/
    data/
        data/
            [addon_name]/
                advancement/
                recipe/
            jurassicsaga/
                tags/
                    item/
                        carnivore_edible.json
                        fertilized_eggs.json
                        fossil.json
                        dna.json

{
    "replace": false,
    "values": [
        "[addon_name]:[animal_name]_raw",
        "[addon_name]:[animal_name]_cooked"
    ]
}

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Only add the tags relevant to your animal based on what you enabled in the items module.

That's it, the whole guide!

Warning

Advancements are not covered in this guide as they depend on your animal type. If you need help with this, ask in the Discord.

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Structure

Warning

JSON File

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Modules

Sounds Module

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Warning

Genetics

Danger

Fields

Metabolism

Danger

Fields

Diet Types

Misc

Danger

Fields

Eras

Sign Colors

Social

Danger

Fields

Items

Danger

Fields

Sample Colours

Egg Types

Base

Danger

Fields

Animal Types

Attributes

Danger

Fields

Mob Categories

Client Animator

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Fields

Resources

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Models

Animal Model Files

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Warning

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Item Model Files

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Paddock Sign Model File

Animations

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Textures

Animal Textures

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Item Textures

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Paddock Sign Texture

Sounds

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Sounds JSON

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Sound Files

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Language file

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Data

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Warning

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