Unlocking Custom Recipe Displays with the Patchouli Pedestal Crafting Template
Minecraft modpacks thrive on custom recipes, but showing them off inside an in-game guidebook can be a real headache. The Patchouli mod already makes documentation a breeze, yet complex multiblock setups like pedestal crafting often require clunky workarounds. That is exactly where this dedicated template steps in—it gives you a clean, repeatable way to display recipes that use a central pedestal surrounded by up to eight outer pedestals, all inside your Patchouli book entries.
What the Template Actually Does
At its core, this is a pre-built visual layout for Patchouli pages. It does not add any gameplay content by itself; instead, it acts as a formatting shortcut. Instead of manually describing every pedestal arrangement with text or static images, you can drop a simple template call into your book JSON and let the template render the center item, the surrounding input stacks, the output, and a crafting time indicator. The result is a professional-looking recipe page that matches the style of any well-documented modpack.
Why Modpack Creators Love This Approach
When you are juggling dozens of custom recipes across multiple mods, consistency becomes a superpower. Using these templates means every pedestal recipe follows the same visual language, which helps players learn the system faster. The template handles the heavy lifting of positioning icons, drawing the hourglass for time display, and keeping the layout responsive across different screen sizes. You just fill in the blanks with your items and durations.
Getting Started: Requirements and Setup
Before you can use the pedestal crafting templates, you need two supporting mods already present in your modpack: Patchouli (the documentation mod) and Resource Loader (which allows custom assets to be loaded without altering base files). Both are widely available and often included in modern modpacks by default. If you are assembling a pack from scratch, you can install them through any standard launcher. For instance, using the foxygame.net launcher, you can simply select these mods from the built-in mod browser and install them directly from the menu, keeping your entire modlist organized without juggling external downloads.
Installing the Template
The process is refreshingly straightforward:
- Obtain the template archive (a .zip file) from the modpack creator’s resources or the template author’s page.
- Extract the contents directly into your main modpack folder. The internal folder structure is already set up to place everything where Resource Loader expects it.
- Launch the game once, and the templates become available for use in your Patchouli book entries.
There is no complex configuration file to edit, and the templates work immediately after extraction. If you later update your modpack, you can simply re-extract the template zip to ensure everything stays current.
Understanding the Template Variants
The templates follow a simple naming convention: pedestal_crafting_X, where X is a number from 1 to 8. This number corresponds to how many outer pedestals your recipe uses, not counting the center pedestal. So pedestal_crafting_3 would render a center pedestal with three surrounding input pedestals, while pedestal_crafting_8 shows a full ring of eight. You pick the variant that matches your recipe’s actual structure, and the template automatically spaces the pedestals correctly.
Filling in the Recipe Details
Each template expects a handful of parameters inside your book’s JSON entry. The most important ones are:
- center – the item placed on the middle pedestal, specified as an ItemStack string (e.g.,
"minecraft:diamond"). - output – the item produced by the recipe, also an ItemStack string.
- input1 through input8 – the items on the surrounding pedestals. Input1 is the top-center pedestal, and the numbering continues clockwise. You only need to define as many inputs as your chosen template variant requires.
- time – a text string displayed next to an hourglass icon. This can be anything from
"3 seconds"to"1 minute"or even"410 ticks". Since it is pure text, you can format it creatively, such as"~5s"or"Very fast".
For example, a simple recipe that turns an iron ingot and a redstone dust into a comparator on a two-pedestal setup would use pedestal_crafting_2 with center: "minecraft:quartz", input1: "minecraft:iron_ingot", input2: "minecraft:redstone", output: "minecraft:comparator", and time: "2 seconds". The template handles all the visual arrangement.
Customizing the Time Display
One of the most flexible features is the time parameter. Because it accepts any string, you are not locked into a specific format. If your pack uses a custom tick speed or you want to add flavor text, you can do so freely. Just remember that the hourglass icon appears automatically, so your string should complement it rather than repeat the word “time.” A value like "3 heartbeats" or "1 moon cycle" can add thematic depth to a magic-themed modpack.
Tips for a Smooth Integration
When building your Patchouli book, keep these practices in mind:
- Always test the template with a few recipes first to ensure the item icons render correctly. Some modded items might require the full registry name.
- If a recipe uses fewer than eight outer pedestals, pick the exact matching template variant. Using an eight-pedestal template for a three-pedestal recipe will leave empty pedestals that may confuse players.
- Combine the template with descriptive text on the same page to explain any special conditions, such as requiring a specific structure or biome.
Giving Credit Where It Is Due
The template author kindly allows use in any modpack, with credit appreciated but not required. If you do include a shout-out, a simple line in your pack’s credits or on the book’s introduction page goes a long way toward supporting community creators.
Final Thoughts
The Patchouli Pedestal Crafting template fills a specific gap for modpack developers who rely on pedestal-based crafting mechanics. It removes the friction of designing custom recipe pages and lets you focus on the creative side of your pack. With a quick extraction, a handful of JSON parameters, and a bit of imagination, your guidebook can showcase every intricate recipe in a clean, player-friendly format. Whether you are building a tech-heavy automation pack or a mystical ritual system, this template is a small addition that makes a big difference in presentation quality.