Code Chicken Lib Wiki

Code Chicken Lib (also written CodeChickenLib or CCL) is a library / API mod. 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, it is present in your game only because another mod relies on it.

Yes - if another mod relies on it. Code Chicken Lib is a required dependency for several mods - 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. 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 lists Code Chicken Lib (CodeChickenLib / CCL) as a requirement, it needs to be present. Otherwise it serves no purpose alone.

Code Chicken Lib works silently in the background, powering the dependent mod's rendering, networking, and configuration. As a player there is nothing to do with it directly - it simply needs to be present and version-correct for the mod that relies on it.

There is normally no config you need to touch.

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

Declare Code Chicken Lib as a required dependency in your mod descriptor so the game enforces correct load order, and reference it from your build configuration.

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. Make sure the correct Code Chicken Lib build is present, 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.