Code Chicken Lib Wiki

Code Chicken Lib (also written CodeChickenLib or CCL) is a library / API mod by covers1624 and the TheCBProject team (originally ChickenBones). It adds no blocks, items, or creatures of its own. Instead it provides a large, well-tested toolbox of shared code that other mods build on top of, so every dependent mod does not have to re-implement the same low-level systems.

What Code Chicken Lib provides:

• a 3D math and transformation library (vectors, matrices, cuboids, rotations),
• a flexible model and block rendering framework,
• a packet / networking abstraction for sending custom data between client and server,
• a structured configuration system,
• colour and lighting helpers,
• ASM / bytecode helpers,
• and many common inventory, registration, and utility building blocks.

Because it is a dependency, you install Code Chicken Lib only because another mod asks for it.

Yes - if another mod tells you to. Code Chicken Lib is a required dependency for several mods by the same team - most notably Ender Storage, as well as Chicken Chunks, Translocators, Wireless Redstone and others. Those mods will crash or fail to load without it.

No - on its own. Installing Code Chicken Lib by itself does nothing visible in-game: it adds no mobs, blocks, items, recipes, or world content. There is nothing to "use" directly as a player.

Rule of thumb: if your modpack or a mod's install page lists Code Chicken Lib (CodeChickenLib / CCL) as a requirement, install it. Otherwise you do not need it.

1. Match the version. Always download the Code Chicken Lib build that matches both your game version and the version required by the mod that depends on it. A mismatched library is the number-one cause of crashes.
2. Drop the jar into .minecraft/mods alongside the mod that needs it (and your mod loader).
3. Launch. That is all - Code Chicken Lib works silently in the background, powering the dependent mod's rendering, networking, and configuration.

There is normally no config you need to touch; the library just needs to be present and version-correct.

Code Chicken Lib is best understood as a collection of reusable systems. The main ones:

A complete vector/matrix math package - Vector3, Matrix4, Cuboid6, Transformation and friends - used for positioning, rotating, and scaling models and rendered geometry. This is the backbone of much of the rendering code in the dependent mods.

Helpers for building and drawing custom block and item models, baked-model utilities, a CCRenderState render pipeline, and tools for dynamic/animated rendering. Mods use these to draw their custom blocks and tile-entities without writing low-level rendering code from scratch.

A simple packet system (PacketCustom) for sending arbitrary data between the server and clients. Dependent mods rely on this to keep custom block/entity state synced.

A structured configuration framework, colour and lighting helpers, ASM/bytecode utilities, inventory helpers, and assorted common utility classes. These remove a lot of repetitive boilerplate from the mods that depend on the library.

Modders depend on Code Chicken Lib to avoid re-implementing math, rendering, networking, and config plumbing. Add it as a dependency, then use its APIs.

Declaring the dependency (Gradle)

repositories {
    maven { url = "https://cursemaven.com" }
}

dependencies {
    // Replace with the build that matches your game/loader version
    implementation "curse.maven:codechicken-lib-1-8-242818:<FILE_ID>"
}

Also declare Code Chicken Lib as a required dependency in your mod metadata (e.g. neoforge.mods.toml) so the loader enforces correct load order.

3D math example

import codechicken.lib.vec.Vector3;
import codechicken.lib.vec.Matrix4;

Vector3 dir = new Vector3(1, 0, 0);
Matrix4 m = new Matrix4().rotate(Math.PI / 2, Vector3.Y_POS);
dir.apply(m); // dir is now rotated 90 degrees about the Y axis

Custom packet example

import codechicken.lib.packet.PacketCustom;

// build and send a packet to a player
PacketCustom packet = new PacketCustom(MY_CHANNEL, 1);
packet.writePos(pos);
packet.writeInt(value);
packet.sendToPlayer(player);

Always compile and test against the exact Code Chicken Lib version your release targets - the API surface can change between game versions.

My game crashes and the log mentions CodeChickenLib or a missing dependency. Install the correct Code Chicken Lib build, or update it to match the version the dependent mod requires.

I installed Code Chicken Lib but nothing changed. That is expected - it adds no content on its own. You need the mod that uses it (for example Ender Storage).

Can I remove it? Only if you also remove every mod that depends on it; otherwise those mods break.

Is it a performance / cheat mod? No. It is a code library with negligible direct gameplay impact, existing purely to support other mods.

There are several files with similar names - which do I pick? Pick the build whose version matches your game version and the requirement listed by the mod you are installing it for.