Datapack authoring
Start here for datapack formats, file paths and reload behavior.
ntm-next uses datapacks for recipes, hazards and radiation, custom machines, in-game manuals, fluid and machine settings, world generation, loot, tags and advancements. This guide targets Minecraft 26.2, on Fabric and NeoForge. Start with the datapack catalog for formats and file paths.
| You want to… | Start here |
|---|---|
| Add or override in-game manuals and help triggers | Manuals (QMAW) |
| Change an existing recipe | Datapack Quick Start |
| Write inputs, outputs, probabilities, or conditions | Recipes |
| Find a machine's recipe format | Machine Recipes |
| Match container contents or item components | Ingredients and Components |
| Define a custom multiblock machine and its processes | Custom Machines |
| Change machine settings or an existing fluid's properties | Datapack Settings |
| Look up all machine-setting keys or fluid traits | Machine Settings Reference, Fluid Trait Reference |
| Set hazards, radiation sources or dimension radiation | Hazards and Radiation |
| Change generation, structures, processors or template pools | World Generation |
| Change loot, tags, damage data, songs or advancement criteria | Loot, Tags and Advancements |
| Find inherited Minecraft datapack entry points | Vanilla Data |
Start from the version you actually run
Open the version selector beside the theme switch to select Minecraft, the NTM release, and the loader. All revisions shows the documented history with since, until, deprecation and removal labels. Both loaders shows loader-specific forms side by side. Selecting an exact release or loader shows the content that applies to that choice. This wiki currently covers NTM 1.0.0+mc26.2 on Minecraft 26.2.
Open your installed ntm-next .jar with a ZIP viewer and inspect its data/ directory. This is the reference for that build's identifiers, recipe types, conditions, and default values. Copy a relevant file into your own pack and make a small change.
Most examples work identically on both loaders. See Recipe Conditions for conditional recipes and Ingredients and Components for custom ingredient forms.
Datapacks refer to registered items, blocks, fluids and recipe types. Custom-machine definitions are an NTM data-loaded registry that uses the existing controller item.
What can be reloaded?
| Data | Location pattern | When changes take effect |
|---|---|---|
| Recipes | data/<namespace>/recipe/<path>.json | /reload |
| Item tags | data/<namespace>/tags/item/<path>.json | /reload |
| QMAW manuals | data/<namespace>/qmaw/<path>.json | /reload; the catalog is sent on join and reload |
| Fluid properties | data/<fluid-namespace>/fluid_property/<fluid-path>.json | /reload; properties are sent to connected clients |
| Custom-machine definitions | data/<namespace>/hbm/custom_machine/<path>.json | World load: reopen singleplayer or restart the server |
| Machine settings | data/hbm/hbm/machine_config/<machine>.json | World load: reopen singleplayer or restart the server |
| Hazards and radiation registries | data/<namespace>/hbm/<registry>/<path>.json | World load; see the catalog for each ID's meaning |
| Worldgen registry definitions, damage types, songs | Vanilla registry directories | World load |
| Structure templates | data/<namespace>/structure/<path>.nbt | Resource-manager reload clears the template cache |
| Loot, advancements, functions, predicates, item modifiers | Corresponding vanilla directories | /reload |
The extra hbm/ in NTM's custom-registry paths names the registry's namespace. Reopen the world for changes to these registries. Template-resource reload is separate from the worldgen registry entries which reference the templates.
Translated names under assets/<namespace>/lang/ belong in a resource pack.
Example packs
Each ZIP contains one datapack. Put one ZIP in the world's datapacks/ directory and enable it.
| Pack | Change |
|---|---|
| Apple yield | One apple produces two sugar in the shredder. |
| Custom paper press | Adds a separate paper press definition, recipe and controller. |
| Centrifuge time | Sets centrifuge processing time to 100 ticks. |
| Diesel colour | Changes the diesel fluid colour. |
| Workshop manual | Adds a server-owned manual page triggered by paper. |
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