Core concepts#
A few Minecraft terms come up throughout these docs. This page explains what each one means and which module handles it.
Term |
What it is |
Module |
|---|---|---|
Launcher |
The official app that players use to start the game |
|
Game directory |
The |
|
Version |
A playable build of the game, vanilla or with a mod loader |
|
Mod loader |
Software that lets the game load mods: Forge, NeoForge, Fabric or Quilt |
|
Modpack |
A list of mods and settings that are meant to be played together |
|
Instance |
A folder with one modpack’s mods, settings and saves |
|
Platform |
A site that hosts mods: Modrinth or CurseForge |
|
How they fit together#
A modpack is a recipe. It names a Minecraft version, a mod loader and a list of files.
Installing one touches two separate places:
- Game directory
Shared by every pack. Modsmith installs Minecraft and the mod loader here, so two packs on the same loader share one copy.
- Instance
Belongs to one pack. Modsmith puts its mods and settings here, so packs never affect each other.
A launcher profile ties them together. It says which version to start and which instance to run it in.
Warning
An instance should be its own folder. Do not use the game directory as an instance, because a sync manages the files in that folder.
Three independent choices#
Where a pack came from, what format it is in and which loader it uses are separate. You can read a CurseForge pack that runs on Fabric, or a Modrinth pack that runs on NeoForge, with the same code. That is why these are separate modules, and why you can add to each one on your own. See Extend Modsmith.
Common arguments#
Long-running calls share the same optional arguments:
sessionA
modsmith.net.Sessionto reuse. Without one, the call creates its own.progressA function that receives updates. See Show progress and cancel.
cancelA
modsmith.CancelTokenthat stops the call.
Every error Modsmith raises derives from modsmith.errors.ModsmithError. See Handle errors.