Hytale Text Holograms Skill

Use this skill when creating floating text displays (holograms) in the world. Holograms are invisible entities with a Nameplate component that displays text above them.

Quick Reference

Concept	Description
Nameplate	Component that displays text above an entity
ProjectileComponent	Used as an invisible entity shell for the hologram
TransformComponent	Positions the hologram in the world
NetworkId	Required for client-side synchronization
UUIDComponent	Gives the entity a unique identity
Holder	Used to stage components before spawning

How It Works

Text holograms work by spawning an invisible entity (using a ProjectileComponent as a shell) and attaching a Nameplate component to display floating text. The entity is invisible but the nameplate renders as floating text in the world.

Required Imports

java

import com.hypixel.hytale.component.Holder;
import com.hypixel.hytale.math.vector.Transform;
import com.hypixel.hytale.math.vector.Vec3d;
import com.hypixel.hytale.math.vector.Vec4f;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.entity.UUIDComponent;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.entity.entities.ProjectileComponent;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.entity.nameplate.Nameplate;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.modules.entity.component.TransformComponent;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.modules.entity.tracker.NetworkId;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.universe.PlayerRef;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.universe.Universe;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.universe.world.World;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.universe.world.storage.EntityStore;

Step-by-Step Process

1. Get World Reference

All entity operations must run on the world thread. First, obtain the world where the hologram will spawn:

java

// From a player context
UUID playerUUID = ctx.sender().getUuid();
PlayerRef playerRef = Universe.get().getPlayer(playerUUID);
World world = Universe.get().getWorld(playerRef.getWorldUuid());
Transform playerTransform = playerRef.getTransform();

2. Execute on World Thread

Entity operations must run on the world thread:

java

world.execute(() -> {
    // All hologram creation code goes here
});

3. Create Entity Holder

Create a holder to stage components before spawning:

java

Holder<EntityStore> holder = EntityStore.REGISTRY.newHolder();

4. Create Projectile Component (Entity Shell)

The projectile provides a valid entity shell. It won't move or behave like a real projectile:

java

ProjectileComponent projectileComponent = new ProjectileComponent("Projectile");

5. Add Position and Identity Components

Component	Purpose
`ProjectileComponent`	Provides a valid entity shell
`TransformComponent`	Sets the entity's position and rotation
`UUIDComponent`	Gives the entity a unique identity

java

holder.putComponent(ProjectileComponent.getComponentType(), projectileComponent);
holder.putComponent(
    TransformComponent.getComponentType(), 
    new TransformComponent(
        playerTransform.getPosition().clone(), 
        playerTransform.getRotation().clone()
    )
);
holder.ensureComponent(UUIDComponent.getComponentType());

6. Initialize the Projectile

Ensure the projectile entity is fully created before proceeding:

java

if (projectileComponent.getProjectile() == null) {
    projectileComponent.initialize();
    if (projectileComponent.getProjectile() == null) {
        return; // Initialization failed
    }
}

7. Add Network and Nameplate Components

Component	Purpose
`NetworkId`	Allows the entity to be synced to clients
`Nameplate`	The actual hologram text displayed

java

holder.addComponent(
    NetworkId.getComponentType(),
    new NetworkId(
        world.getEntityStore()
            .getStore()
            .getExternalData()
            .takeNextNetworkId()
    )
);

holder.addComponent(
    Nameplate.getComponentType(),
    new Nameplate("Your Hologram Text Here")
);

8. Spawn the Entity

Insert the hologram entity into the world:

java

world.getEntityStore()
    .getStore()
    .addEntity(holder, com.hypixel.hytale.component.AddReason.SPAWN);

Complete Example - Hologram Command

java

package org.example.plugin;

import com.hypixel.hytale.component.Holder;
import com.hypixel.hytale.math.vector.Transform;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.command.system.CommandContext;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.command.system.basecommands.CommandBase;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.entity.UUIDComponent;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.entity.entities.ProjectileComponent;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.entity.nameplate.Nameplate;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.modules.entity.component.TransformComponent;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.modules.entity.tracker.NetworkId;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.universe.PlayerRef;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.universe.Universe;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.universe.world.World;
import com.hypixel.hytale.server.core.universe.world.storage.EntityStore;

import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
import java.util.UUID;

public class TitleHologramCommand extends CommandBase {

    public TitleHologramCommand() {
        super("TitleHologram", "Create a title hologram.");
    }

    @Override
    protected void executeSync(@Nonnull CommandContext ctx) {
        UUID playerUUID = ctx.sender().getUuid();
        PlayerRef playerRef = Universe.get().getPlayer(playerUUID);
        World world = Universe.get().getWorld(playerRef.getWorldUuid());
        Transform playerTransform = playerRef.getTransform();

        world.execute(() -> {
            Holder<EntityStore> holder = EntityStore.REGISTRY.newHolder();
            ProjectileComponent projectileComponent = new ProjectileComponent("Projectile");

            holder.putComponent(ProjectileComponent.getComponentType(), projectileComponent);
            holder.putComponent(
                TransformComponent.getComponentType(), 
                new TransformComponent(
                    playerTransform.getPosition().clone(), 
                    playerTransform.getRotation().clone()
                )
            );
            holder.ensureComponent(UUIDComponent.getComponentType());

            if (projectileComponent.getProjectile() == null) {
                projectileComponent.initialize();
                if (projectileComponent.getProjectile() == null) {
                    return;
                }
            }

            holder.addComponent(
                NetworkId.getComponentType(),
                new NetworkId(
                    world.getEntityStore()
                        .getStore()
                        .getExternalData()
                        .takeNextNetworkId()
                )
            );
            
            holder.addComponent(
                Nameplate.getComponentType(),
                new Nameplate("Testing Holograms")
            );

            world.getEntityStore()
                .getStore()
                .addEntity(holder, com.hypixel.hytale.component.AddReason.SPAWN);
        });
    }
}

Spawning at Custom Position

To spawn a hologram at a specific position instead of the player's location:

java

Vec3d position = new Vec3d(100.0, 65.0, 200.0);
Vec4f rotation = new Vec4f(0, 0, 0, 1); // Identity quaternion

holder.putComponent(
    TransformComponent.getComponentType(), 
    new TransformComponent(position, rotation)
);

Utility Method Example

Create a reusable utility method for spawning holograms:

java

public static void spawnHologram(World world, Vec3d position, String text) {
    world.execute(() -> {
        Holder<EntityStore> holder = EntityStore.REGISTRY.newHolder();
        ProjectileComponent projectileComponent = new ProjectileComponent("Projectile");

        holder.putComponent(ProjectileComponent.getComponentType(), projectileComponent);
        holder.putComponent(
            TransformComponent.getComponentType(), 
            new TransformComponent(position.clone(), new Vec4f(0, 0, 0, 1))
        );
        holder.ensureComponent(UUIDComponent.getComponentType());

        if (projectileComponent.getProjectile() == null) {
            projectileComponent.initialize();
            if (projectileComponent.getProjectile() == null) {
                return;
            }
        }

        holder.addComponent(
            NetworkId.getComponentType(),
            new NetworkId(
                world.getEntityStore()
                    .getStore()
                    .getExternalData()
                    .takeNextNetworkId()
            )
        );
        
        holder.addComponent(
            Nameplate.getComponentType(),
            new Nameplate(text)
        );

        world.getEntityStore()
            .getStore()
            .addEntity(holder, com.hypixel.hytale.component.AddReason.SPAWN);
    });
}

Key Points

•World Thread Required: All entity operations must run inside world.execute(() -> { ... })
•ProjectileComponent: Used as an invisible shell - it won't move or behave like a projectile
•NetworkId Required: Without this, the hologram won't sync to clients
•UUIDComponent Required: Provides unique entity identity
•Initialize Projectile: Must call projectileComponent.initialize() before spawning
•Nameplate Text: The text passed to new Nameplate(text) will be displayed as floating text

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Hologram not visible	Ensure `NetworkId` component is added
Entity not spawning	Check that `projectileComponent.initialize()` succeeded
Wrong position	Verify `TransformComponent` has correct coordinates
Crashes on spawn	Ensure code runs inside `world.execute()`

Credits

Thanks to Al3xWarrior and Quito on Discord for initially discovering this feature, and Elie for the initial code snippet.

Reference

•Source: Hytale Modding - Text Hologram Guide