Creative Mode Tabs

The creative inventory in LCE is split into 8 tabs across the top of the screen. Each tab shows a grid of items that players can pick from. Unlike Java Edition where items register themselves into categories, LCE takes a different approach: every single item in every tab is listed by hand in one big function.

This guide covers everything about how the tab system works, what lives in each tab down to the exact item, and how to change things around.

The Creative Inventory UI End to End

When a player opens the creative inventory, here is what happens under the hood:

1. The game creates a UIScene_CreativeMenu (on PS3/PS Vita) or CXuiSceneInventoryCreative (on Xbox 360). Both inherit from IUIScene_CreativeMenu, which holds all the shared logic.

2. The constructor calls initialiseMovie(), which loads the SWF movie file for the creative menu. The movie name comes from getMoviePath():

wstring UIScene_CreativeMenu::getMoviePath()
{
    if(app.GetLocalPlayerCount() > 1)
        return L"CreativeMenuSplit";
    else
        return L"CreativeMenu";
}

In splitscreen, it loads a smaller layout (CreativeMenuSplit). In single player, it loads the full-size CreativeMenu.

3. The SWF file gets loaded at a resolution that matches the output: CreativeMenu1080.swf, CreativeMenu720.swf, or CreativeMenu480.swf. On PS Vita it loads CreativeMenuVita.swf. These are compiled Flash (SWF) movies rendered through RAD Game Tools’ Iggy library, which acts as a Flash player inside the game.

4. After the movie loads, mapElementsAndNames() runs. This wires up the C++ code to named elements inside the SWF. It maps 8 touch panels (TouchPanel_0 through TouchPanel_7) for the tab buttons, a TouchPanel_Slider for the scroll bar, a containerList for the 50-slot item grid, and two callable functions: SetActiveTab and SetScrollBar.

5. An ItemPickerMenu gets created. This is a special AbstractContainerMenu with 50 slots for the item grid plus 9 slots for the hotbar at the bottom.

6. The constructor sets m_curTab to eCreativeInventoryTab_COUNT (an invalid value) then calls switchTab(eCreativeInventoryTab_BuildingBlocks). Since the current tab differs from the target, updateTabHighlightAndText() fires. On Iggy platforms, this calls into the SWF movie using IggyPlayerCallMethodRS to run the SetActiveTab ActionScript function with the tab index as an argument. The SWF handles highlighting the right tab icon and dimming the rest.

7. The inventory title label gets set to the localized tab name (like “Building Blocks”) using app.GetString(specs[tab]->m_descriptionId).

8. populateMenu() fills the 50 container slots with the right items for the current page. The Iggy movie’s custom draw callback then renders each item’s icon into the grid cells.

That is the full pipeline: SWF movie provides the visual layout and tab highlighting, C++ code manages the data and input, and the Iggy library bridges the two.

The SWF/Iggy Movie System

Every UI screen in LCE on PS3, PS Vita, and PS4 is a compiled Flash movie (.swf file). These are not played as video. They are interactive vector-based layouts with named elements that the C++ code can talk to.

The game uses RAD Game Tools’ Iggy library as the Flash runtime. Iggy loads the SWF, renders it with the game’s GPU, and exposes an API for calling ActionScript functions and reading element positions.

Key Iggy API calls used in the creative menu:

Function	What It Does
IggyPlayerCallMethodRS()	Calls an ActionScript function in the SWF by name
IggyPlayerRootPath()	Gets the root path of the movie for element lookup
IggyExternalFunctionCallUTF16	Handles callbacks from the SWF back to C++

The Xbox 360 version uses Microsoft’s XUI framework instead of Iggy/SWF. XUI scenes are authored in Microsoft’s UI tool and use .xur binary files. The CXuiSceneInventoryCreative class maps tab icons and controls through XUI’s MAP_CONTROL macros:

MAP_CONTROL(IDC_Icon_1, m_hGroupIconA[0])
MAP_CONTROL(IDC_Icon_2, m_hGroupIconA[1])
// ... through ...
MAP_CONTROL(IDC_Icon_8, m_hGroupIconA[7])

MAP_CONTROL(IDC_TabImage1, m_hTabGroupA[0])
MAP_CONTROL(IDC_TabImage2, m_hTabGroupA[1])
// ... through ...
MAP_CONTROL(IDC_TabImage8, m_hTabGroupA[7])

Both systems end up doing the same thing: 8 tab buttons, an item grid, a scroll bar, and a hotbar. The shared logic in IUIScene_CreativeMenu does not care which UI backend is in use.

How It All Works

The creative menu lives in IUIScene_CreativeMenu, defined in Minecraft.Client/Common/UI/IUIScene_CreativeMenu.h and .cpp. There are two important layers to understand:

1. Inventory Groups are logical buckets of items (like “Building Blocks” or “Redstone” or “Transport”)
2. Tabs are what the player actually sees on screen. A tab can pull from one or more groups.

For example, the “Redstone & Transport” tab combines the Redstone group and the Transport group into a single tab. The Brewing tab combines the brewing ingredients group with four different potion tier groups.

Everything gets set up in IUIScene_CreativeMenu::staticCtor(), which runs once at startup.

The Two Enums

Tabs (What the Player Sees)

enum ECreativeInventoryTabs
{
    eCreativeInventoryTab_BuildingBlocks = 0,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Decorations,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_RedstoneAndTransport,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Materials,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Food,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_ToolsWeaponsArmor,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Brewing,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Misc,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_COUNT,
};

There are exactly 8 tabs. The UI has 8 touch panels hardcoded (TouchPanel_0 through TouchPanel_7), so adding a 9th tab means UI work too.

Groups (Logical Item Buckets)

enum ECreative_Inventory_Groups
{
    eCreativeInventory_BuildingBlocks,
    eCreativeInventory_Decoration,
    eCreativeInventory_Redstone,
    eCreativeInventory_Transport,
    eCreativeInventory_Materials,
    eCreativeInventory_Food,
    eCreativeInventory_ToolsArmourWeapons,
    eCreativeInventory_Brewing,
    eCreativeInventory_Potions_Basic,
    eCreativeInventory_Potions_Level2,
    eCreativeInventory_Potions_Extended,
    eCreativeInventory_Potions_Level2_Extended,
    eCreativeInventory_Misc,
    eCreativeInventory_ArtToolsDecorations,
    eCreativeInventory_ArtToolsMisc,
    eCreativeInventoryGroupsCount
};

Groups are just arrays of ItemInstance pointers. A tab references one or more groups and the TabSpec system handles stitching them together for display.

The last two groups (ArtToolsDecorations and ArtToolsMisc) are debug-only groups. They only show up when app.DebugArtToolsOn() returns true. In retail builds compiled with _CONTENT_PACKAGE defined, these groups do not exist at all.

The Grid Layout

Each tab shows a 10-column by 5-row grid, so 50 item slots per page:

struct TabSpec
{
    static const int rows = 5;
    static const int columns = 10;
    static const int MAX_SIZE = rows * columns;  // 50
    // ...
};

If a tab has more than 50 items, it gets multiple pages. Players scroll between pages with the right stick or the scroll bar on the side.

The ITEM/ITEM_AUX/DEF Macro System

All item lists in staticCtor() are built using three macros defined at the top of the file:

#define ITEM(id) list->push_back( \
    shared_ptr<ItemInstance>(new ItemInstance(id, 1, 0)) );
#define ITEM_AUX(id, aux) list->push_back( \
    shared_ptr<ItemInstance>(new ItemInstance(id, 1, aux)) );
#define DEF(index) list = &categoryGroups[index];

DEF(index)

Switches which group you are currently adding items to. The list pointer gets reassigned to point at a different vector in the categoryGroups array.

// From this point on, all ITEM() calls go into the Building Blocks group
DEF(eCreativeInventory_BuildingBlocks)

You can call DEF as many times as you want. Each call just redirects where ITEM() puts things. The groups in the source code are not separated into different functions. They are all in one big block inside staticCtor(), with DEF calls acting as section dividers.

ITEM(id)

Creates an ItemInstance with the given item/block ID, a stack count of 1, and an aux (damage/data) value of 0. This is what you use for items that only have one variant.

ITEM(Tile::stone_Id)      // Stone block, aux 0
ITEM(Item::diamond_Id)    // Diamond item, aux 0

ITEM_AUX(id, aux)

Same as ITEM() but lets you set the aux value. The aux value picks which variant of an item/block you want. This is how you get different wood types, dye colors, wool colors, potion types, and mob spawn eggs.

ITEM_AUX(Tile::wood_Id, 0)                    // Oak planks
ITEM_AUX(Tile::wood_Id, TreeTile::DARK_TRUNK)  // Spruce planks
ITEM_AUX(Tile::wood_Id, TreeTile::BIRCH_TRUNK) // Birch planks
ITEM_AUX(Item::dye_powder_Id, 4)               // Lapis (blue dye)
ITEM_AUX(Item::spawnEgg_Id, 50)                // Creeper spawn egg

The ItemInstance Constructor

Under the hood, both macros call new ItemInstance(id, count, aux):

• id: The numeric item or block ID
• count: Always 1 in creative tabs (how many in the stack)
• aux: The damage/data value (0 for default variant)

How the categoryGroups Array Works

The destination for all these items is a static array of vectors:

static vector< shared_ptr<ItemInstance> > categoryGroups[eCreativeInventoryGroupsCount];

There is one vector per group enum value. When staticCtor() runs, each DEF call switches the list pointer to a different vector, and each ITEM/ITEM_AUX call appends to that vector. After staticCtor() finishes, every group’s vector is fully populated and never changes again.

What’s in Each Tab (Complete Item Lists)

Here is every item in every group, in the exact order they appear in the source code. This is the order they show up in the creative grid.

Building Blocks

#	Item	Code
1	Stone	Tile::stone_Id
2	Grass Block	Tile::grass_Id
3	Dirt	Tile::dirt_Id
4	Cobblestone	Tile::cobblestone_Id
5	Sand	Tile::sand_Id
6	Sandstone	Tile::sandStone_Id
7	Smooth Sandstone	Tile::sandStone_Id aux TYPE_SMOOTHSIDE
8	Chiseled Sandstone	Tile::sandStone_Id aux TYPE_HEIROGLYPHS
9	Block of Coal	Tile::coalBlock_Id
10	Block of Gold	Tile::goldBlock_Id
11	Block of Iron	Tile::ironBlock_Id
12	Lapis Lazuli Block	Tile::lapisBlock_Id
13	Diamond Block	Tile::diamondBlock_Id
14	Emerald Block	Tile::emeraldBlock_Id
15	Block of Quartz	Tile::quartzBlock_Id aux TYPE_DEFAULT
16	Coal Ore	Tile::coalOre_Id
17	Lapis Lazuli Ore	Tile::lapisOre_Id
18	Diamond Ore	Tile::diamondOre_Id
19	Redstone Ore	Tile::redStoneOre_Id
20	Iron Ore	Tile::ironOre_Id
21	Gold Ore	Tile::goldOre_Id
22	Emerald Ore	Tile::emeraldOre_Id
23	Nether Quartz Ore	Tile::netherQuartz_Id
24	Bedrock	Tile::unbreakable_Id
25	Oak Planks	Tile::wood_Id aux 0
26	Spruce Planks	Tile::wood_Id aux DARK_TRUNK
27	Birch Planks	Tile::wood_Id aux BIRCH_TRUNK
28	Jungle Planks	Tile::wood_Id aux JUNGLE_TRUNK
29	Oak Log	Tile::treeTrunk_Id aux 0
30	Spruce Log	Tile::treeTrunk_Id aux DARK_TRUNK
31	Birch Log	Tile::treeTrunk_Id aux BIRCH_TRUNK
32	Jungle Log	Tile::treeTrunk_Id aux JUNGLE_TRUNK
33	Gravel	Tile::gravel_Id
34	Bricks	Tile::redBrick_Id
35	Mossy Cobblestone	Tile::mossyCobblestone_Id
36	Obsidian	Tile::obsidian_Id
37	Clay Block	Tile::clay
38	Ice	Tile::ice_Id
39	Snow Block	Tile::snow_Id
40	Netherrack	Tile::netherRack_Id
41	Soul Sand	Tile::soulsand_Id
42	Glowstone	Tile::glowstone_Id
43	Oak Fence	Tile::fence_Id
44	Nether Brick Fence	Tile::netherFence_Id
45	Iron Bars	Tile::ironFence_Id
46	Cobblestone Wall	Tile::cobbleWall_Id aux TYPE_NORMAL
47	Mossy Cobblestone Wall	Tile::cobbleWall_Id aux TYPE_MOSSY
48	Stone Bricks	Tile::stoneBrick_Id aux TYPE_DEFAULT
49	Mossy Stone Bricks	Tile::stoneBrick_Id aux TYPE_MOSSY
50	Cracked Stone Bricks	Tile::stoneBrick_Id aux TYPE_CRACKED
51	Chiseled Stone Bricks	Tile::stoneBrick_Id aux TYPE_DETAIL
52	Infested Stone	Tile::monsterStoneEgg_Id aux HOST_ROCK
53	Infested Cobblestone	Tile::monsterStoneEgg_Id aux HOST_COBBLE
54	Infested Stone Bricks	Tile::monsterStoneEgg_Id aux HOST_STONEBRICK
55	Mycelium	Tile::mycel_Id
56	Nether Bricks	Tile::netherBrick_Id
57	End Stone	Tile::endStone_Id
58	Chiseled Quartz	Tile::quartzBlock_Id aux TYPE_CHISELED
59	Pillar Quartz	Tile::quartzBlock_Id aux TYPE_LINES_Y
60	Trapdoor	Tile::trapdoor_Id
61	Fence Gate	Tile::fenceGate_Id
62	Wooden Door	Item::door_wood_Id
63	Iron Door	Item::door_iron_Id
64	Stone Slab	Tile::stoneSlabHalf_Id aux STONE_SLAB
65	Sandstone Slab	Tile::stoneSlabHalf_Id aux SAND_SLAB
66	Oak Wood Slab	Tile::woodSlabHalf_Id aux 0
67	Spruce Wood Slab	Tile::woodSlabHalf_Id aux DARK_TRUNK
68	Birch Wood Slab	Tile::woodSlabHalf_Id aux BIRCH_TRUNK
69	Jungle Wood Slab	Tile::woodSlabHalf_Id aux JUNGLE_TRUNK
70	Cobblestone Slab	Tile::stoneSlabHalf_Id aux COBBLESTONE_SLAB
71	Brick Slab	Tile::stoneSlabHalf_Id aux BRICK_SLAB
72	Stone Brick Slab	Tile::stoneSlabHalf_Id aux SMOOTHBRICK_SLAB
73	Nether Brick Slab	Tile::stoneSlabHalf_Id aux NETHERBRICK_SLAB
74	Quartz Slab	Tile::stoneSlabHalf_Id aux QUARTZ_SLAB
75	Oak Stairs	Tile::stairs_wood_Id
76	Birch Stairs	Tile::stairs_birchwood_Id
77	Spruce Stairs	Tile::stairs_sprucewood_Id
78	Jungle Stairs	Tile::stairs_junglewood_Id
79	Cobblestone Stairs	Tile::stairs_stone_Id
80	Brick Stairs	Tile::stairs_bricks_Id
81	Stone Brick Stairs	Tile::stairs_stoneBrick_Id
82	Nether Brick Stairs	Tile::stairs_netherBricks_Id
83	Sandstone Stairs	Tile::stairs_sandstone_Id
84	Quartz Stairs	Tile::stairs_quartz_Id
85	Hardened Clay	Tile::clayHardened_Id
86-101	Stained Clay (16 colors)	Tile::clayHardened_colored_Id aux 0-15

The 16 stained clay colors appear in this order: Red (14), Orange (1), Yellow (4), Lime (5), Light Blue (3), Cyan (9), Blue (11), Purple (10), Magenta (2), Pink (6), White (0), Light Gray (8), Gray (7), Black (15), Green (13), Brown (12).

Decorations

#	Item	Code
1	Skeleton Skull	Item::skull_Id aux TYPE_SKELETON
2	Wither Skeleton Skull	Item::skull_Id aux TYPE_WITHER
3	Zombie Head	Item::skull_Id aux TYPE_ZOMBIE
4	Steve Head	Item::skull_Id aux TYPE_CHAR
5	Creeper Head	Item::skull_Id aux TYPE_CREEPER
6	Sponge	Tile::sponge_Id
7	Melon Block	Tile::melon_Id
8	Pumpkin	Tile::pumpkin_Id
9	Jack o’Lantern	Tile::litPumpkin_Id
10	Oak Sapling	Tile::sapling_Id aux TYPE_DEFAULT
11	Spruce Sapling	Tile::sapling_Id aux TYPE_EVERGREEN
12	Birch Sapling	Tile::sapling_Id aux TYPE_BIRCH
13	Jungle Sapling	Tile::sapling_Id aux TYPE_JUNGLE
14	Oak Leaves	Tile::leaves_Id aux NORMAL_LEAF
15	Spruce Leaves	Tile::leaves_Id aux EVERGREEN_LEAF
16	Birch Leaves	Tile::leaves_Id aux BIRCH_LEAF
17	Jungle Leaves	Tile::leaves_Id aux JUNGLE_LEAF
18	Vines	Tile::vine
19	Lily Pad	Tile::waterLily_Id
20	Torch	Tile::torch_Id
21	Dead Shrub (tall grass)	Tile::tallgrass_Id aux DEAD_SHRUB
22	Tall Grass	Tile::tallgrass_Id aux TALL_GRASS
23	Fern	Tile::tallgrass_Id aux FERN
24	Dead Bush	Tile::deadBush_Id
25	Dandelion	Tile::flower_Id
26	Rose	Tile::rose_Id
27	Brown Mushroom	Tile::mushroom_brown_Id
28	Red Mushroom	Tile::mushroom_red_Id
29	Cactus	Tile::cactus_Id
30	Snow Layer	Tile::topSnow_Id
31	Cobweb	Tile::web_Id
32	Glass Pane	Tile::thinGlass_Id
33	Glass	Tile::glass_Id
34	Painting	Item::painting_Id
35	Item Frame	Item::itemFrame_Id
36	Sign	Item::sign_Id
37	Bookshelf	Tile::bookshelf_Id
38	Flower Pot	Item::flowerPot_Id
39	Hay Bale	Tile::hayBlock_Id
40-55	Wool (16 colors)	Tile::wool_Id aux 0-15
56-71	Carpet (16 colors)	Tile::woolCarpet_Id aux 0-15
72-87	Stained Glass (16 colors)	Tile::stained_glass_Id aux 0-15
88-103	Stained Glass Pane (16 colors)	Tile::stained_glass_pane_Id aux 0-15

All 16-color sets follow the same color order: Red (14), Orange (1), Yellow (4), Lime (5), Light Blue (3), Cyan (9), Blue (11), Purple (10), Magenta (2), Pink (6), White (0), Light Gray (8), Gray (7), Black (15), Green (13), Brown (12).

Debug only (ArtToolsDecorations): When debug art tools are on, this group adds all painting variants as individual items (each with a unique aux value from 1 through Painting::LAST_VALUE) plus 8 pre-built firework rockets in various shapes and colors.

Redstone

#	Item	Code
1	Dispenser	Tile::dispenser_Id
2	Note Block	Tile::noteblock_Id
3	Piston	Tile::pistonBase_Id
4	Sticky Piston	Tile::pistonStickyBase_Id
5	TNT	Tile::tnt_Id
6	Lever	Tile::lever_Id
7	Stone Button	Tile::button_stone_Id
8	Wooden Button	Tile::button_wood_Id
9	Stone Pressure Plate	Tile::pressurePlate_stone_Id
10	Wooden Pressure Plate	Tile::pressurePlate_wood_Id
11	Redstone Dust	Item::redStone_Id
12	Block of Redstone	Tile::redstoneBlock_Id
13	Redstone Torch	Tile::redstoneTorch_on_Id
14	Redstone Repeater	Item::repeater_Id
15	Redstone Lamp	Tile::redstoneLight_Id
16	Tripwire Hook	Tile::tripWireSource_Id
17	Daylight Sensor	Tile::daylightDetector_Id
18	Dropper	Tile::dropper_Id
19	Hopper	Tile::hopper_Id
20	Redstone Comparator	Item::comparator_Id
21	Trapped Chest	Tile::chest_trap_Id
22	Heavy Weighted Pressure Plate	Tile::weightedPlate_heavy_Id
23	Light Weighted Pressure Plate	Tile::weightedPlate_light_Id

Transport

#	Item	Code
1	Rail	Tile::rail_Id
2	Powered Rail	Tile::goldenRail_Id
3	Detector Rail	Tile::detectorRail_Id
4	Activator Rail	Tile::activatorRail_Id
5	Ladder	Tile::ladder_Id
6	Minecart	Item::minecart_Id
7	Minecart with Chest	Item::minecart_chest_Id
8	Minecart with Furnace	Item::minecart_furnace_Id
9	Minecart with Hopper	Item::minecart_hopper_Id
10	Minecart with TNT	Item::minecart_tnt_Id
11	Saddle	Item::saddle_Id
12	Boat	Item::boat_Id

The Redstone & Transport tab shows Transport group items first, then Redstone group items. This is because the TabSpec is created with {eCreativeInventory_Transport, eCreativeInventory_Redstone} in that order.

Materials

#	Item	Code
1	Coal	Item::coal_Id
2	Charcoal	Item::coal_Id aux 1
3	Diamond	Item::diamond_Id
4	Emerald	Item::emerald_Id
5	Iron Ingot	Item::ironIngot_Id
6	Gold Ingot	Item::goldIngot_Id
7	Nether Quartz	Item::netherQuartz_Id
8	Brick	Item::brick_Id
9	Nether Brick	Item::netherbrick_Id
10	Stick	Item::stick_Id
11	Bowl	Item::bowl_Id
12	Bone	Item::bone_Id
13	String	Item::string_Id
14	Feather	Item::feather_Id
15	Flint	Item::flint_Id
16	Leather	Item::leather_Id
17	Gunpowder	Item::gunpowder_Id
18	Clay Ball	Item::clay_Id
19	Glowstone Dust	Item::yellowDust_Id
20	Wheat Seeds	Item::seeds_wheat_Id
21	Melon Seeds	Item::seeds_melon_Id
22	Pumpkin Seeds	Item::seeds_pumpkin_Id
23	Wheat	Item::wheat_Id
24	Sugar Cane	Item::reeds_Id
25	Egg	Item::egg_Id
26	Sugar	Item::sugar_Id
27	Slime Ball	Item::slimeBall_Id
28	Blaze Rod	Item::blazeRod_Id
29	Gold Nugget	Item::goldNugget_Id
30	Nether Wart	Item::netherwart_seeds_Id
31-46	Dye (16 colors)	Item::dye_powder_Id aux values

The 16 dye colors appear in this order: Red (1), Orange (14), Yellow (11), Lime (10), Light Blue (12), Cyan (6), Blue/Lapis (4), Purple (5), Magenta (13), Pink (9), Bone Meal (15), Light Gray (7), Gray (8), Ink Sac/Black (0), Green (2), Cocoa/Brown (3).

Note: Dye aux values are inverted compared to wool/carpet. Wool Red is aux 14, but Dye Red is aux 1. This is just how Minecraft handles dye colors internally.

Food

#	Item	Code
1	Apple	Item::apple_Id
2	Golden Apple	Item::apple_gold_Id
3	Enchanted Golden Apple	Item::apple_gold_Id aux 1
4	Melon Slice	Item::melon_Id
5	Mushroom Stew	Item::mushroomStew_Id
6	Bread	Item::bread_Id
7	Cake	Item::cake_Id
8	Cookie	Item::cookie_Id
9	Cooked Fish	Item::fish_cooked_Id
10	Raw Fish	Item::fish_raw_Id
11	Cooked Porkchop	Item::porkChop_cooked_Id
12	Raw Porkchop	Item::porkChop_raw_Id
13	Steak	Item::beef_cooked_Id
14	Raw Beef	Item::beef_raw_Id
15	Raw Chicken	Item::chicken_raw_Id
16	Cooked Chicken	Item::chicken_cooked_Id
17	Rotten Flesh	Item::rotten_flesh_Id
18	Spider Eye	Item::spiderEye_Id
19	Potato	Item::potato_Id
20	Baked Potato	Item::potatoBaked_Id
21	Poisonous Potato	Item::potatoPoisonous_Id
22	Carrot	Item::carrots_Id
23	Golden Carrot	Item::carrotGolden_Id
24	Pumpkin Pie	Item::pumpkinPie_Id

Tools, Weapons & Armor

This group is organized in tiers. Each tier gets a full armor set, then a full tool/weapon set laid out together. There are also “spacer” items (compass, empty map, bow, arrow, flint and steel) that visually separate each tier on the 10-column grid.

#	Item	Code
1	Compass	Item::compass_Id
2	Leather Helmet	Item::helmet_leather_Id
3	Leather Chestplate	Item::chestplate_leather_Id
4	Leather Leggings	Item::leggings_leather_Id
5	Leather Boots	Item::boots_leather_Id
6	Wooden Sword	Item::sword_wood_Id
7	Wooden Shovel	Item::shovel_wood_Id
8	Wooden Pickaxe	Item::pickAxe_wood_Id
9	Wooden Axe	Item::hatchet_wood_Id
10	Wooden Hoe	Item::hoe_wood_Id
11	Empty Map	Item::emptyMap_Id
12	Chain Helmet	Item::helmet_chain_Id
13	Chain Chestplate	Item::chestplate_chain_Id
14	Chain Leggings	Item::leggings_chain_Id
15	Chain Boots	Item::boots_chain_Id
16	Stone Sword	Item::sword_stone_Id
17	Stone Shovel	Item::shovel_stone_Id
18	Stone Pickaxe	Item::pickAxe_stone_Id
19	Stone Axe	Item::hatchet_stone_Id
20	Stone Hoe	Item::hoe_stone_Id
21	Bow	Item::bow_Id
22	Iron Helmet	Item::helmet_iron_Id
23	Iron Chestplate	Item::chestplate_iron_Id
24	Iron Leggings	Item::leggings_iron_Id
25	Iron Boots	Item::boots_iron_Id
26	Iron Sword	Item::sword_iron_Id
27	Iron Shovel	Item::shovel_iron_Id
28	Iron Pickaxe	Item::pickAxe_iron_Id
29	Iron Axe	Item::hatchet_iron_Id
30	Iron Hoe	Item::hoe_iron_Id
31	Arrow	Item::arrow_Id
32	Gold Helmet	Item::helmet_gold_Id
33	Gold Chestplate	Item::chestplate_gold_Id
34	Gold Leggings	Item::leggings_gold_Id
35	Gold Boots	Item::boots_gold_Id
36	Gold Sword	Item::sword_gold_Id
37	Gold Shovel	Item::shovel_gold_Id
38	Gold Pickaxe	Item::pickAxe_gold_Id
39	Gold Axe	Item::hatchet_gold_Id
40	Gold Hoe	Item::hoe_gold_Id
41	Flint and Steel	Item::flintAndSteel_Id
42	Diamond Helmet	Item::helmet_diamond_Id
43	Diamond Chestplate	Item::chestplate_diamond_Id
44	Diamond Leggings	Item::leggings_diamond_Id
45	Diamond Boots	Item::boots_diamond_Id
46	Diamond Sword	Item::sword_diamond_Id
47	Diamond Shovel	Item::shovel_diamond_Id
48	Diamond Pickaxe	Item::pickAxe_diamond_Id
49	Diamond Axe	Item::hatchet_diamond_Id
50	Diamond Hoe	Item::hoe_diamond_Id
51	Fire Charge	Item::fireball_Id
52	Clock	Item::clock_Id
53	Shears	Item::shears_Id
54	Fishing Rod	Item::fishingRod_Id
55	Carrot on a Stick	Item::carrotOnAStick_Id
56	Lead	Item::lead_Id
57	Diamond Horse Armor	Item::horseArmorDiamond_Id
58	Gold Horse Armor	Item::horseArmorGold_Id
59	Iron Horse Armor	Item::horseArmorMetal_Id
60+	Enchanted Books (dynamic)	One per enchantment at max level

The enchanted books are generated in a loop at the end. It goes through every enchantment in Enchantment::enchantments, skips null entries and ones without a category, then creates an enchanted book at that enchantment’s max level. The exact number depends on how many enchantments are registered.

for(unsigned int i = 0; i < Enchantment::enchantments.length; ++i)
{
    Enchantment *enchantment = Enchantment::enchantments[i];
    if (enchantment == nullptr || enchantment->category == nullptr) continue;
    list->push_back(
        Item::enchantedBook->createForEnchantment(
            new EnchantmentInstance(enchantment, enchantment->getMaxLevel())
        )
    );
}

Debug only: When debug settings are on, a special “Sword of Debug” gets added. It is a diamond sword with Sharpness 50 and a custom hover name.

Brewing

This tab pulls from 5 groups total: the main Brewing group plus 4 potion tier groups.

Brewing Ingredients (eCreativeInventory_Brewing):

#	Item	Code
1	Bottle o’ Enchanting	Item::expBottle_Id
2	Ghast Tear	Item::ghastTear_Id
3	Fermented Spider Eye	Item::fermentedSpiderEye_Id
4	Blaze Powder	Item::blazePowder_Id
5	Magma Cream	Item::magmaCream_Id
6	Glistering Melon	Item::speckledMelon_Id
7	Glass Bottle	Item::glassBottle_Id
8	Water Bottle	Item::potion_Id aux 0

Potions Basic (eCreativeInventory_Potions_Basic):

Drinkable potions first, then their splash variants:

Potion	Drinkable	Splash
Regeneration	Yes	Yes
Speed	Yes	Yes
Poison	Yes	Yes
Instant Health	Yes	Yes
Strength	Yes	Yes
Instant Damage	Yes	Yes

Fire Resistance, Weakness, and Slowness are not in this tier. They show up in Level 2 instead.

Potions Level 2 (eCreativeInventory_Potions_Level2):

Potion	Drinkable	Splash
Regeneration II	Yes	Yes
Speed II	Yes	Yes
Fire Resistance (base)	Yes	Yes
Poison II	Yes	Yes
Weakness (base)	Yes	Yes
Strength II	Yes	Yes
Slowness (base)	Yes	Yes

Fire Resistance, Weakness, and Slowness appear here at base level because they cannot be upgraded to Level 2, but 4J grouped them with the Level 2 potions.

Potions Extended (eCreativeInventory_Potions_Extended):

Potion	Drinkable	Splash
Regeneration (extended)	Yes	Yes
Speed (extended)	Yes	Yes
Poison (extended)	Yes	Yes
Night Vision (base)	Yes	Yes
Invisibility (base)	Yes	Yes
Strength (extended)	Yes	Yes

Night Vision and Invisibility appear here (not in Basic) because they do not have a “weak” base variant. The 4J devs moved them here with a comment: // 4J- Moved here as there isn't a weak variant of this potion.

Potions Level 2 Extended (eCreativeInventory_Potions_Level2_Extended):

Potion	Drinkable	Splash
Regeneration II Extended	Yes	Yes
Speed II Extended	Yes	Yes
Fire Resistance (extended)	Yes	Yes
Poison II Extended	Yes	Yes
Instant Health II	Yes	Yes
Night Vision (extended)	Yes	Yes
Invisibility (extended)	Yes	Yes
Weakness (extended)	Yes	Yes
Strength II Extended	Yes	Yes
Slowness (extended)	Yes	Yes
Instant Damage II	Yes	Yes

This is the “everything” tier. It has the strongest and longest-lasting versions of all potions.

How Potion Aux Values Work

Potions use a macro to build their aux value from three parts:

#define MACRO_MAKEPOTION_AUXVAL(potion_type, potion_strength, potion_effect) \
    (potion_type | potion_strength | potion_effect)

The three parts are OR’d together as bit flags:

Part	Values	Hex
Type	Normal = 0, Splash = MASK_SPLASH	0x0000 or 0x4000
Strength	Regular = 0, Level 2 = MASK_LEVEL2, Extended = MASK_EXTENDED, Both = MASK_LEVEL2EXTENDED	0x0000, 0x0020, 0x0040, 0x0060
Effect	Regeneration = 0x2001, Speed = 0x2002, Fire Resistance = 0x2003, etc.	0x2001-0x200E

All functional potions have bit 13 (0x2000) set. This stops nether wart from “resetting” them during brewing. The effect ID occupies the lower bits.

So a Splash Potion of Speed II would be: 0x4000 | 0x0020 | 0x2002 = 0x6022.

Miscellaneous

#	Item	Code
1	Chest	Tile::chest_Id
2	Ender Chest	Tile::enderChest_Id
3	Crafting Table	Tile::workBench_Id
4	Furnace	Tile::furnace_Id
5	Brewing Stand	Item::brewingStand_Id
6	Enchanting Table	Tile::enchantTable_Id
7	Beacon	Tile::beacon_Id
8	End Portal Frame	Tile::endPortalFrameTile_Id
9	Jukebox	Tile::jukebox_Id
10	Anvil	Tile::anvil_Id
11	Bed	Item::bed_Id
12	Empty Bucket	Item::bucket_empty_Id
13	Lava Bucket	Item::bucket_lava_Id
14	Water Bucket	Item::bucket_water_Id
15	Milk Bucket	Item::bucket_milk_Id
16	Cauldron	Item::cauldron_Id
17	Snowball	Item::snowBall_Id
18	Paper	Item::paper_Id
19	Book	Item::book_Id
20	Ender Pearl	Item::enderPearl_Id
21	Eye of Ender	Item::eyeOfEnder_Id
22	Name Tag	Item::nameTag_Id
23	Nether Star	Item::netherStar_Id
24	Creeper Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 50
25	Skeleton Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 51
26	Spider Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 52
27	Zombie Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 54
28	Slime Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 55
29	Ghast Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 56
30	Zombie Pigman Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 57
31	Enderman Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 58
32	Cave Spider Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 59
33	Silverfish Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 60
34	Blaze Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 61
35	Magma Cube Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 62
36	Bat Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 65
37	Witch Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 66
38	Pig Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 90
39	Sheep Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 91
40	Cow Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 92
41	Chicken Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 93
42	Squid Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 94
43	Wolf Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 95
44	Mooshroom Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 96
45	Ocelot Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 98
46	Horse Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 100
47	Donkey Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 100 | ((TYPE_DONKEY+1) << 12)
48	Mule Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 100 | ((TYPE_MULE+1) << 12)
49	Villager Spawn Egg	Item::spawnEgg_Id aux 120
50	Music Disc (13)	Item::record_01_Id
51	Music Disc (cat)	Item::record_02_Id
52	Music Disc (blocks)	Item::record_03_Id
53	Music Disc (chirp)	Item::record_04_Id
54	Music Disc (far)	Item::record_05_Id
55	Music Disc (mall)	Item::record_06_Id
56	Music Disc (mellohi)	Item::record_07_Id
57	Music Disc (stal)	Item::record_08_Id
58	Music Disc (strad)	Item::record_09_Id
59	Music Disc (ward)	Item::record_10_Id
60	Music Disc (11)	Item::record_11_Id
61	Music Disc (wait)	Item::record_12_Id
62-66	Firework Rockets (5 variants)	Pre-built with BuildFirework()

The 5 firework rockets at the end are built programmatically using the BuildFirework() helper. Each one has different shapes, colors, flight durations, and effects:

1. Small burst, light blue, flight 1, flicker
2. Creeper shape, green, flight 2
3. Max size (no shape), red, flight 2, orange fade
4. Burst, magenta, flight 3, flicker, blue fade
5. Star shape, yellow, flight 2, trail, orange fade

Debug only (ArtToolsMisc): When debug art tools are on, this group adds skeleton horse, zombie horse, 3 cat variants (black, red, siamese), a spider jockey, and an ender dragon spawn egg.

How Spawn Egg Aux Values Work

Regular mob spawn eggs just use the entity type ID as the aux value (like 50 for Creeper, 90 for Pig).

Horse variants use a special encoding. The base horse type ID is 100, and the variant is packed into the upper bits:

// Donkey: base ID 100, variant TYPE_DONKEY (1), shifted left 12 bits
ITEM_AUX(Item::spawnEgg_Id, 100 | ((EntityHorse::TYPE_DONKEY + 1) << 12))
// Result: 100 | (2 << 12) = 100 | 8192 = 8292

The +1 offset means 0 in the upper bits means “no variant specified” (regular horse). The debug spawn eggs for skeleton and zombie horses follow the same pattern.

How Tabs Reference Groups

After all the groups are populated, staticCtor() creates TabSpec objects that wire groups to tabs:

specs = new TabSpec*[eCreativeInventoryTab_COUNT];

// Simple: one group, one tab
ECreative_Inventory_Groups blocksGroup[] = {eCreativeInventory_BuildingBlocks};
specs[eCreativeInventoryTab_BuildingBlocks] =
    new TabSpec(L"Structures", IDS_GROUPNAME_BUILDING_BLOCKS,
                1, blocksGroup);

// Combined: two groups merged into one tab
ECreative_Inventory_Groups redAndTranGroup[] = {
    eCreativeInventory_Transport,
    eCreativeInventory_Redstone
};
specs[eCreativeInventoryTab_RedstoneAndTransport] =
    new TabSpec(L"RedstoneAndTransport", IDS_GROUPNAME_REDSTONE_AND_TRANSPORT,
                2, redAndTranGroup);

The TabSpec constructor takes:

Parameter	What it does
icon	Wide string name used for the tab icon lookup
descriptionId	String ID for the tab label text
staticGroupsCount	How many groups this tab pulls from
staticGroups	Array of group enum values
dynamicGroupsCount	Groups that cycle with LT (unused in current builds, defaults to 0)
dynamicGroups	Array of dynamic group enum values (defaults to nullptr)
debugGroupsCount	Number of debug-only groups (defaults to 0)
debugGroups	Array of debug group enum values (defaults to nullptr)

Here is the full tab-to-group mapping as it appears in the source:

Tab	Groups	Notes
Building Blocks	BuildingBlocks	1 group
Decorations	Decoration + debug: ArtToolsDecorations	Debug group only shows in dev builds
Redstone & Transport	Transport, Redstone	Transport items appear first
Materials	Materials	1 group
Food	Food	1 group
Tools	ToolsArmourWeapons	1 group
Brewing	Brewing, Potions_Level2_Extended, Potions_Extended, Potions_Level2, Potions_Basic	5 groups, strongest potions first
Misc	Misc + debug: ArtToolsMisc	Debug group only shows in dev builds

Notice the Brewing tab lists the potion groups in reverse order: Level 2 Extended first, then Extended, then Level 2, then Basic. This means when you scroll through the Brewing tab, you see ingredients first, then the strongest potions, working down to the basic ones.

When a tab is selected, TabSpec::populateMenu() fills the 50-slot grid from its assigned groups, handling pagination automatically.

Tab Icons and Display

Each tab has an icon name (the first parameter of TabSpec) and a localized description string. The icon names map to UI assets:

Tab	Icon Name	Description String ID
Building Blocks	L"Structures"	IDS_GROUPNAME_BUILDING_BLOCKS
Decorations	L"Decoration"	IDS_GROUPNAME_DECORATIONS
Redstone & Transport	L"RedstoneAndTransport"	IDS_GROUPNAME_REDSTONE_AND_TRANSPORT
Materials	L"Materials"	IDS_GROUPNAME_MATERIALS
Food	L"Food"	IDS_GROUPNAME_FOOD
Tools	L"Tools"	IDS_GROUPNAME_TOOLS_WEAPONS_ARMOR
Brewing	L"Brewing"	IDS_GROUPNAME_POTIONS_480
Misc	L"Misc"	IDS_GROUPNAME_MISCELLANEOUS

The active tab gets highlighted through the SetActiveTab function call to the Iggy/XUI movie. On Iggy platforms, this works like:

void UIScene_CreativeMenu::updateTabHighlightAndText(ECreativeInventoryTabs tab)
{
    IggyDataValue value[1];
    value[0].type = IGGY_DATATYPE_number;
    value[0].number = static_cast<F64>(tab);
    IggyPlayerCallMethodRS(getMovie(), &result,
        IggyPlayerRootPath(getMovie()), m_funcSetActiveTab, 1, value);

    m_labelInventory.setLabel(app.GetString(specs[tab]->m_descriptionId));
}

The SWF receives the tab index (0 through 7) and handles the visual highlight. The tab label text appears as the inventory title (where it would normally say “Inventory” in the survival menu).

On Xbox 360/XUI, tab highlighting works through the CXuiControl tab image arrays instead. Each tab icon and tab image control gets toggled based on the active tab index.

The Pagination System

When a tab has more items than fit in the 5x10 grid, pagination kicks in. But it does not work in full “pages” of 50 like you might expect. Instead, it scrolls by one row at a time.

How Page Count Is Calculated

m_staticPerPage = columns; // 10 (one row of scrolling)
const int totalRows = (m_staticItems + columns - 1) / columns;
m_pages = std::max<int>(1, totalRows - 5 + 1);

The page count equals the total number of rows minus 4 (since 5 rows are visible). So if a tab has 103 items, that is ceil(103 / 10) = 11 rows, giving 11 - 5 + 1 = 7 pages. Each “page” scrolls the view down by exactly one row (10 items).

This means:

• Page 0 shows rows 1-5 (items 1-50)
• Page 1 shows rows 2-6 (items 11-60)
• Page 2 shows rows 3-7 (items 21-70)
• And so on…

How populateMenu() Fills Slots

The populateMenu() method is the workhorse. Here is how it works step by step:

1. If the tab has dynamic groups (unused in current builds), those items fill from the beginning of the grid.

2. For static groups, it calculates the start index: page * m_staticPerPage (page number times 10). So page 0 starts at item 0, page 1 at item 10, page 2 at item 20.

3. It walks through the group arrays to find which group and which item within that group corresponds to the start index. For tabs with multiple groups, the items flow from one group into the next.

4. It fills slots sequentially until it hits 50 or runs out of items.

5. Any leftover slots get cleared (set to null) so you do not see stale items.

6. In debug builds, if debug art tools are on, debug group items fill any remaining empty slots after the static items.

Navigation Controls

Players can scroll pages in three ways:

Input	Action
Right stick up/down	Scroll one row up or down
Scroll bar drag	Jump to any page based on vertical position
LT button	Cycle dynamic groups (unused in current builds, was originally for potion tier cycling)

The scroll bar position is sent to the SWF movie via the SetScrollBar function:

void UIScene_CreativeMenu::updateScrollCurrentPage(int currentPage, int pageCount)
{
    IggyDataValue value[2];
    value[0].type = IGGY_DATATYPE_number;
    value[0].number = static_cast<F64>(pageCount);
    value[1].type = IGGY_DATATYPE_number;
    value[1].number = static_cast<F64>(currentPage) - 1;
    IggyPlayerCallMethodRS(getMovie(), &result,
        IggyPlayerRootPath(getMovie()), m_funcSetScrollBar, 2, value);
}

On PS Vita, the scroll bar also supports touch input. Dragging your finger on the TouchPanel_Slider area calculates the relative position and jumps to the matching page.

How Search Works in Creative Mode

LCE’s creative mode does not have a search tab. Unlike Java Edition (which has a search bar in the creative inventory starting from 1.3), LCE never added search. If you want to find a specific item, you have to know which tab it is in and scroll to it.

This is one of the bigger differences from Java Edition’s creative inventory. Java has a dedicated search tab where you can type to filter all items. LCE keeps things simpler with just the 8 fixed tabs and manual browsing.

How the Survival Inventory Tab Differs

In Java Edition, the creative inventory has a “Survival Inventory” tab that shows your regular 2x2 crafting grid and armor slots. LCE does not do this.

In LCE, the creative inventory screen (UIScene_CreativeMenu / CXuiSceneInventoryCreative) and the survival inventory screen (UIScene_InventoryMenu) are completely separate UI scenes with different SWF movies and different C++ classes. They do not share tabs or a tab bar.

The creative menu shows:

• 8 category tabs across the top
• A 10x5 item selection grid
• A 9-slot hotbar at the bottom

The survival inventory shows:

• A 2x2 crafting grid
• Armor slots
• The full 4x9 player inventory
• No creative tabs at all

When a player in creative mode opens their inventory, the game checks the game mode and opens the creative scene. When a player in survival mode opens their inventory, it opens the survival scene. There is no way to switch between them from inside the UI.

The creative menu also has a special behavior with the X button: pressing it clears the entire hotbar. This is handled in handleValidKeyPress():

if(buttonNum == 1) // X button
{
    for(unsigned int i = TabSpec::MAX_SIZE; i < TabSpec::MAX_SIZE + 9; ++i)
    {
        shared_ptr<ItemInstance> newItem = m_menu->getSlot(i)->getItem();
        if(newItem != nullptr)
        {
            m_menu->getSlot(i)->set(nullptr);
            pMinecraft->localgameModes[iPad]->handleCreativeModeItemAdd(
                nullptr, i - (int)m_menu->slots.size() + 9 + InventoryMenu::USE_ROW_SLOT_START);
        }
    }
}

How to Reorder Items Within a Tab

Items show up in the grid in the exact order you list them in staticCtor(). To reorder items, just move the ITEM() or ITEM_AUX() lines around.

For example, to put Diamond Ore before Coal Ore in Building Blocks:

DEF(eCreativeInventory_BuildingBlocks)
    ITEM(Tile::stone_Id)
    // ... other items ...
    ITEM(Tile::diamondOre_Id)    // moved up
    ITEM(Tile::coalOre_Id)       // moved down
    ITEM(Tile::lapisOre_Id)

Keep in mind that the 10-column grid means position matters visually. Items at positions 1-10 fill the first row, 11-20 fill the second row, and so on. If you want to line up related items in columns, you might need to add or remove items before them to shift things around.

The Tools tab uses this trick nicely. Each armor/tool tier takes exactly 10 items (1 spacer + 4 armor + 5 tools), so each tier fills exactly one row on the grid. The spacer items (compass, empty map, bow, arrow, flint and steel) are not random. They are placed at the start of each row so the tiers line up perfectly.

Moving Items Between Tabs

Just cut the ITEM() line from one group’s section and paste it into another. There is no registration system to update. The item only exists in whatever group you put it in.

Want sponge in Building Blocks instead of Decorations? Remove it from the Decoration DEF block and add it to the Building Blocks DEF block. Done.

An item can exist in more than one tab too. Just add the same ITEM() call in multiple groups. The creative inventory creates new ItemInstance objects per group, so there is no conflict.

Adding Your Custom Item to an Existing Tab

The simplest mod: just add your item to a group. Open IUIScene_CreativeMenu.cpp, find the group you want, and add a line.

Say you made a Ruby item (ID 407) and want it in the Materials tab:

// Inside staticCtor(), in the Materials group section:
DEF(eCreativeInventory_Materials)
    ITEM(Item::coal_Id)
    ITEM_AUX(Item::coal_Id, 1)
    ITEM(Item::diamond_Id)
    ITEM(Item::emerald_Id)
    ITEM(Item::ruby_Id)           // <-- your new item
    ITEM(Item::ironIngot_Id)
    // ...

Order matters. Items show up in the grid in the exact order you list them.

For a new block, same deal. Say you added a Ruby Ore tile:

DEF(eCreativeInventory_BuildingBlocks)
    // ... existing ores ...
    ITEM(Tile::emeraldOre_Id)
    ITEM(Tile::rubyOre_Id)        // <-- your new block
    ITEM(Tile::netherQuartz_Id)

For items with variants, use ITEM_AUX():

// A Ruby Pickaxe with a variant for enchanted (aux 1) and normal (aux 0)
DEF(eCreativeInventory_ToolsArmourWeapons)
    // ... after diamond tools ...
    ITEM(Item::pickAxe_ruby_Id)          // normal
    ITEM_AUX(Item::pickAxe_ruby_Id, 1)   // enchanted variant

Adding a New Creative Group

If you want a new logical grouping (without adding a new tab), add an entry to the ECreative_Inventory_Groups enum:

enum ECreative_Inventory_Groups
{
    // ... existing groups ...
    eCreativeInventory_Misc,
    eCreativeInventory_MyNewGroup,    // <-- add before the count
    eCreativeInventory_ArtToolsDecorations,
    eCreativeInventory_ArtToolsMisc,
    eCreativeInventoryGroupsCount
};

Then populate it in staticCtor():

DEF(eCreativeInventory_MyNewGroup)
    ITEM(Item::ruby_Id)
    ITEM(Tile::rubyOre_Id)
    ITEM(Tile::rubyBlock_Id)

And wire it into a tab. You can either add it to an existing tab (the group’s items appear after the other groups on that tab) or create a new tab for it.

To add it to the Misc tab:

ECreative_Inventory_Groups miscGroup[] = {
    eCreativeInventory_Misc,
    eCreativeInventory_MyNewGroup   // items appear after Misc items
};
specs[eCreativeInventoryTab_Misc] =
    new TabSpec(L"Misc", IDS_GROUPNAME_MISCELLANEOUS,
                2, miscGroup, 0, nullptr);

Adding a New Tab

This is the big one. The UI only supports 8 tabs out of the box, so you either need to replace an existing tab or do UI work to add a 9th.

Replacing an Existing Tab

The easier path. Say you want to split “Redstone & Transport” into two separate tabs, and you are willing to fold Transport items into Misc:

1. Rename the tab enum value:

enum ECreativeInventoryTabs
{
    eCreativeInventoryTab_BuildingBlocks = 0,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Decorations,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Redstone,        // was RedstoneAndTransport
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Materials,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Food,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_ToolsWeaponsArmor,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Brewing,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Misc,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_COUNT,
};

2. Update the TabSpec creation to only reference the Redstone group:

ECreative_Inventory_Groups redstoneGroup[] = {eCreativeInventory_Redstone};
specs[eCreativeInventoryTab_Redstone] =
    new TabSpec(L"Redstone", IDS_GROUPNAME_REDSTONE,
                1, redstoneGroup, 0, NULL);

3. Add Transport to the Misc tab’s group array:

ECreative_Inventory_Groups miscGroup[] = {
    eCreativeInventory_Misc,
    eCreativeInventory_Transport
};
specs[eCreativeInventoryTab_Misc] =
    new TabSpec(L"Misc", IDS_GROUPNAME_MISCELLANEOUS,
                2, miscGroup, 0, NULL);

4. Update the SWF movie to change the tab icon from the redstone+transport icon to just a redstone icon (or create a new localization string for the tab name).

Adding a 9th Tab (Full Walkthrough)

If you really want more than 8 tabs, you need changes in three layers: the C++ enums, the C++ UI scene, and the SWF/XUI movie files.

Step 1: C++ Enum Changes

Add your new tab to the enum and bump the count:

enum ECreativeInventoryTabs
{
    eCreativeInventoryTab_BuildingBlocks = 0,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Decorations,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_RedstoneAndTransport,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Materials,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Food,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_ToolsWeaponsArmor,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Brewing,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Misc,
    eCreativeInventoryTab_Custom,         // <-- new
    eCreativeInventoryTab_COUNT,          // now 9
};

Step 2: Touch Panel / Input Changes

In UIScene_CreativeMenu.h, add a 9th touch panel:

enum ETouchInput
{
    ETouchInput_TouchPanel_0,
    ETouchInput_TouchPanel_1,
    ETouchInput_TouchPanel_2,
    ETouchInput_TouchPanel_3,
    ETouchInput_TouchPanel_4,
    ETouchInput_TouchPanel_5,
    ETouchInput_TouchPanel_6,
    ETouchInput_TouchPanel_7,
    ETouchInput_TouchPanel_8,     // <-- new
    ETouchInput_TouchSlider,
    ETouchInput_Count,
};

Add the new element mapping:

UI_MAP_ELEMENT( m_TouchInput[ETouchInput_TouchPanel_8], "TouchPanel_8" )

Step 3: Section Enum Changes

In UIEnums.h, add the new section for the 9th tab:

eSectionInventoryCreativeTab_8,  // <-- new, before eSectionInventoryCreativeSlider

Then add case handlers for eSectionInventoryCreativeTab_8 everywhere the other tab sections are handled: handleOtherClicked(), GetPositionOfSection(), GetItemScreenData(), and getSection().

Step 4: XUI Changes (Xbox 360)

In XUI_Scene_Inventory_Creative.h, expand the icon and tab image arrays from 8 to 9, and add the new control mappings:

CXuiControl m_hTabGroupA[eCreativeInventoryTab_COUNT]; // now size 9
CXuiControl m_hGroupIconA[eCreativeInventoryTab_COUNT]; // now size 9

// In the control map:
MAP_CONTROL(IDC_Icon_9, m_hGroupIconA[8])
MAP_CONTROL(IDC_TabImage9, m_hTabGroupA[8])

You also need to add IDC_Icon_9 and IDC_TabImage9 as control IDs in the XUI scene file, and add the matching visual elements in the XUI authoring tool.

Step 5: SWF Movie Changes (Iggy Platforms)

This is the biggest piece. You need to edit the Flash source files for the creative menu at each resolution:

• CreativeMenu1080.swf
• CreativeMenu720.swf
• CreativeMenu480.swf
• CreativeMenuVita.swf
• Plus the splitscreen variants (CreativeMenuSplit*.swf)

In each SWF, you need to:

1. Add a new TouchPanel_8 element positioned next to the existing 8 tab buttons. The tabs are probably laid out horizontally, so you need to make room by either shrinking the existing tabs or extending the tab bar.

2. Add a tab icon for the 9th tab. The icon gets loaded through the substitution texture system using the icon name from the TabSpec.

3. Update the SetActiveTab ActionScript function to handle index 8. Currently it probably only handles 0 through 7.

4. Make sure the tab highlight animation works for the new tab.

If you do not have access to the original Flash .fla source files, you can try using SWF decompilers (like JPEXS Free Flash Decompiler) to edit the compiled SWF directly. This is harder but doable for simple layout changes.

Step 6: Create the TabSpec

Finally, wire up the new tab in staticCtor():

// Create and populate your new group
DEF(eCreativeInventory_MyNewGroup)
    ITEM(Item::ruby_Id)
    ITEM(Tile::rubyOre_Id)
    ITEM(Tile::rubyBlock_Id)

// Wire it to the new tab
ECreative_Inventory_Groups customGroup[] = {eCreativeInventory_MyNewGroup};
specs[eCreativeInventoryTab_Custom] =
    new TabSpec(L"Custom", IDS_GROUPNAME_CUSTOM,
                1, customGroup, 0, nullptr);

You will also need to add IDS_GROUPNAME_CUSTOM to the string table so the tab has a localized name.

Tab Navigation (Input Handling)

Players switch between tabs using LB and RB (or L1/R1 on PlayStation). The input handling wraps around: pressing RB on the last tab goes back to the first tab, and pressing LB on the first tab goes to the last tab.

case VK_PAD_RSHOULDER:
    ECreativeInventoryTabs tab = static_cast<ECreativeInventoryTabs>(m_curTab + dir);
    if (tab < 0) tab = static_cast<ECreativeInventoryTabs>(eCreativeInventoryTab_COUNT - 1);
    if (tab >= eCreativeInventoryTab_COUNT) tab = eCreativeInventoryTab_BuildingBlocks;
    switchTab(tab);
    ui.PlayUISFX(eSFX_Focus);

This code works with any number of tabs automatically, since it uses eCreativeInventoryTab_COUNT for the wrap-around. So if you add a 9th tab, the bumper navigation will include it without any extra changes.

The LT button was originally used to cycle through “dynamic groups” (potion tiers). In earlier builds, the Brewing tab had potion groups as dynamic groups that you could cycle through with LT. In the current codebase, all potion groups are static, so LT does nothing visible. But the code still exists:

case VK_PAD_LTRIGGER:
    ++m_tabDynamicPos[m_curTab];
    if(m_tabDynamicPos[m_curTab] >= specs[m_curTab]->m_dynamicGroupsCount)
        m_tabDynamicPos[m_curTab] = 0;
    switchTab(m_curTab);

Picking Up Items

When a player clicks an item in the creative grid (A button), a copy of that item gets placed on the cursor. The game then automatically finds the best hotbar slot: either a slot that already has a matching stackable item, or the first empty slot.

If the player holds the quickkey (Y button), they get a full stack instead of 1.

Clicking a hotbar slot while carrying an item places it. The game syncs the change to multiplayer through handleCreativeModeItemAdd().

Players can also drop items by clicking outside the inventory area. Left-click drops the whole carried stack, right-click drops one at a time.

Working Examples

Example 1: Add All Hardened Clay Colors to Building Blocks

The stained clay is already in Building Blocks, but say you also wanted regular hardened clay variants in a different order. You could add a section like this:

DEF(eCreativeInventory_BuildingBlocks)
    // ... after existing stairs ...
    ITEM(Tile::clayHardened_Id)                    // Plain hardened clay
    ITEM_AUX(Tile::clayHardened_colored_Id, 0)     // White
    ITEM_AUX(Tile::clayHardened_colored_Id, 8)     // Light gray
    ITEM_AUX(Tile::clayHardened_colored_Id, 7)     // Gray
    ITEM_AUX(Tile::clayHardened_colored_Id, 15)    // Black

Example 2: Create a “Nature” Tab by Replacing Food

If you wanted a Nature tab that combines plants from Decorations with food items:

// 1. Add a new group for nature items
enum ECreative_Inventory_Groups
{
    // ... existing ...
    eCreativeInventory_Nature,    // new
    eCreativeInventoryGroupsCount
};

// 2. In staticCtor(), populate it
DEF(eCreativeInventory_Nature)
    ITEM_AUX(Tile::sapling_Id, Sapling::TYPE_DEFAULT)
    ITEM_AUX(Tile::sapling_Id, Sapling::TYPE_EVERGREEN)
    ITEM_AUX(Tile::sapling_Id, Sapling::TYPE_BIRCH)
    ITEM_AUX(Tile::sapling_Id, Sapling::TYPE_JUNGLE)
    ITEM(Tile::vine)
    ITEM(Tile::waterLily_Id)
    ITEM(Tile::cactus_Id)
    ITEM(Tile::flower_Id)
    ITEM(Tile::rose_Id)

// 3. Replace the Food tab
ECreative_Inventory_Groups natureGroup[] = {
    eCreativeInventory_Nature,
    eCreativeInventory_Food
};
specs[eCreativeInventoryTab_Food] =
    new TabSpec(L"Food", IDS_GROUPNAME_FOOD, 2, natureGroup);

The tab still uses the Food icon and name but now shows nature items first, then food items. You would want to update the icon name and string ID to match.

Example 3: Add Custom Firework Rockets

The BuildFirework() helper lets you create pre-made firework rockets. Here is how to add one to the Misc tab:

DEF(eCreativeInventory_Misc)
    // ... existing items ...

    // A big gold firework with flicker and trail, flight duration 3, blue fade
    BuildFirework(list, FireworksItem::TYPE_BIG,
        DyePowderItem::YELLOW, 3, true, true, DyePowderItem::BLUE);

The parameters for BuildFirework() are:

Parameter	What It Does
list	The vector to add the firework to (always list inside staticCtor)
type	Shape: TYPE_SMALL, TYPE_BIG, TYPE_STAR, TYPE_CREEPER, TYPE_BURST
color	Dye color index for the explosion color
sulphur	Flight duration (1-3, higher = longer fuse)
flicker	Whether the explosion twinkles (from glowstone dust)
trail	Whether particles leave trails (from diamond)
fadeColor	Optional: dye color index for the fade-out color (-1 for no fade)

Example 4: Add a Spawn Egg for a Custom Mob

If you added a new mob with entity type ID 130:

DEF(eCreativeInventory_Misc)
    // ... after existing spawn eggs ...
    ITEM_AUX(Item::spawnEgg_Id, 130)  // Custom Mob spawn egg

If your mob has variants (like horses do), pack the variant into the upper bits:

// Custom mob ID 130, variant 2
ITEM_AUX(Item::spawnEgg_Id, 130 | ((2 + 1) << 12))

Key Files

File	What’s in it
Minecraft.Client/Common/UI/IUIScene_CreativeMenu.h	Tab and group enums, TabSpec struct, ItemPickerMenu class
Minecraft.Client/Common/UI/IUIScene_CreativeMenu.cpp	staticCtor() with all item lists, tab wiring, pagination logic, input handling
Minecraft.Client/Common/UI/UIScene_CreativeMenu.h	Iggy-based UI scene (PS3, PS Vita, PS4) with touch panel mappings
Minecraft.Client/Common/UI/UIScene_CreativeMenu.cpp	Iggy UI input handling, movie loading, and rendering
Minecraft.Client/Common/XUI/XUI_Scene_Inventory_Creative.h	XUI-based UI scene (Xbox 360) with tab icon control mappings
Minecraft.Client/Common/UI/UIScene.h	Base class for all Iggy movie scenes
Minecraft.Client/Common/Potion_Macros.h	Potion aux value macros and bit masks
Minecraft.Client/Common/Media/movies1080.txt	List of all SWF movies loaded at 1080p (includes CreativeMenu1080.swf)

Related Guides

• Adding Items for creating items to put in creative tabs
• Adding Blocks for creating blocks to put in creative tabs
• Custom Potions for adding potions to the Brewing tab