GradientChat - Donor Rewards v2.5

GradientChat 2.5
Shader Resource Pack Addon. GPU Chat Animation. Smarter Fallbacks.

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v2.5.0 ◆ Shader Addon ◆ Paper 1.21 ◆ Client 1.21.4+

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What Is New in 2.5

Version 2.5 introduces the Shader Resource Pack Addon: an optional pack shipped inside the plugin download under resourcepack/. Together with the updated plugin core, it moves animated chat off the server CPU and onto the client GPU.

Upgrading from 2.4 keeps all gradients, permissions, player data, and GUI behavior. Animation for inline tags and scrolling chat gradients now expects the addon when you want motion. Without the pack, the plugin still applies correct static colors through the same ColorUtil path used in the GUI preview.

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Shader Resource Pack Addon

The addon is not a separate plugin. It is a merge-ready resource pack with custom GLSL shaders for Minecraft text render types. Install it once per network, then every player with the pack sees smooth animation at display refresh rate with zero server tick loops for shader mode.

What the addon includes:

• rendertype_text and rendertype_text_see_through vertex and fragment shaders (chat uses see-through)
• rendertype_text_intensity hooks for glowing and intensity text paths
• gradientchat_effects.glsl shared decode logic for rainbow, gradient, pulse, and wave
• gradientchat_presets.glsl color stops for all configured chat gradients (auto-regenerated on plugin reload)
• pack_format 48 for Minecraft 1.21.4 and newer
• Integration stubs for Nexo, Oraxen, ItemsAdder, and vanilla ZIP hosting

How it connects to the plugin: the server encodes each character into trigger RGB values. The client shader detects those values, reads GameTime, and paints the final color every frame. No repeated chat packets. No AnimationEngine tick task for effect tags.

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Encoding and Animation

Path	Trigger	Behavior with addon	Behavior without addon
Selected chat gradient	R = 251	GPU scroll through preset colors	Static per-character hex (ColorUtil)
Inline tags	R = 253	Rainbow, gradient, pulse, wave on GPU	Static spectrum or tag colors (ColorUtil)

Inline tags (permission per tag):

• <rainbow>text</rainbow>
• <gradient:#rrggbb:#00ff00>text</gradient>
• <pulse>text</pulse>
• <wave>text</wave>

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Plugin Core Changes

◆ Removed server-side effect animation engine

• AnimationEngine and legacy TextEffect classes removed
• New ShaderEffectEncoder pipeline: RainbowEncoder, GradientEncoder, PulseEncoder, WaveEncoder
• EffectRegistry dispatches encoders instead of recalculating colors every tick

◆ Shader preset generator

• On /gradientchat reload the plugin writes plugins/GradientChat/generated/gradientchat_presets.glsl
• Copy that file into your merged Nexo or Oraxen pack so shader colors always match config.yml
• All ~36 built-in gradients included automatically

◆ New config options under effects:

• shader_mode master GPU encoding switch
• shader_fallback_static use ColorUtil when the client has no pack (default true)
• shader_force_gpu_encoding always encode for Nexo-only pack delivery
• shader_slide_seconds full scroll cycle duration for animated presets
• shader_char_spacing gradient width across characters

◆ Chat formatter compatibility

• AsyncChatEvent listener priority raised to HIGHEST for LPC and similar formatters
• %gradientchat_message% still caches the last outgoing line

◆ Shader compile fixes

• ColorModulator import fix for Minecraft 1.21.8+ text shaders
• see_through fragment shader uses color *= vertexColor so Text Display backgrounds stay correct
• Do not ship custom fog.glsl in the addon (use vanilla moj_import)

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Installing the Addon

Nexo (recommended for merged server packs)

• Copy the entire resourcepack/ folder to plugins/Nexo/pack/external_packs/GradientChat/
• Run /gradientchat reload, then copy generated/gradientchat_presets.glsl into the Nexo pack shaders include folder
• Reload Nexo and confirm the log shows Importing external-pack GradientChat
• Set effects.shader_force_gpu_encoding: true if Paper does not detect the Nexo pack on the player

Oraxen

• Merge resourcepack/assets/minecraft/shaders/ into plugins/Oraxen/pack/assets/

ItemsAdder

• Follow paths in resourcepack/integrations/itemsadder/

Vanilla

• Zip resourcepack/ and host via server.properties resource-pack URL

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Upgrade Notes from 2.4

• Replace the JAR. Run /gradientchat reload. No database migration required.
• If you used server-ticked animated placeholders only, they still work. Inline chat tags now prefer the addon for motion.
• If chat turns solid pink or purple, the client failed to load shaders. Check F3 client log, verify the addon is inside your merged pack, and copy the latest generated presets file.
• For static-only servers: keep shader_fallback_static: true and leave shader_force_gpu_encoding: false. No addon required.
• Clear client resource pack cache after a pack hash change, then rejoin.

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Requirements

Component	Requirement
Server	Paper 1.21.0 to 1.21.10, Java 21
Shader addon (optional)	Minecraft client 1.21.4+ with pack_format 48 support
Plugin without addon	Full static gradients, GUI, presents, custom builder, PlaceholderAPI

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GradientChat 2.5.0 plugin plus optional shader addon. Install both when you want GPU motion. Install the plugin alone when static gradients are enough.

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Gradient Builder GUI - Redesign:

• Preview screen now uses black glass pane as background on all 54 slots
• 5 gradient preview items placed in a structured layout (row 1: slots 10/12/14/16, row 2: slot 22)
• Color swatches (gray glass panes) added in row 3, centered based on color count
• Buttons reorganized: Start Over (slot 36), Back (slot 38), Save (slot 40), Cancel (slot 44)

Localization:

• All remaining hardcoded strings in the Gradient Builder removed - fully driven by messages.yml
• "Unlimited" in Custom Gradients button now uses messages.yml instead of a hardcoded English string
• Added color-swatch-lore key to messages.yml for color swatch tooltips

Bug Fixes:

• GUI click routing changed from inventory title matching to session step enum - fixes potential misrouting on Paper 1.21
• Rainbow gradient no longer erroneously flagged as animated
• Duplicate placeholders section in config.yml removed - previously caused settings like max-text-length and allow-styles to be silently ignored by SnakeYAML

Technical:

• Chat handling migrated from deprecated AsyncPlayerChatEvent to AsyncChatEvent with Adventure API (Paper 1.21 chat signing compatibility)
• Custom gradients with custom: key prefix now correctly resolved in chat

GradientChat v2.3.0 - Major Update
Performance Overhaul - Enhanced User Experience - Critical Bug Fixes​

Performance Improvements

• 60-80% Performance Boost
  • Gradient caching system - common messages like "Hello!" render instantly
  • ConcurrentHashMap stores up to 1,000 pre-calculated gradients
  • Servers with 100+ players will see significant CPU reduction
• DoS Protection
  • Max gradient length validation (500 chars default)
  • Automatic truncation with admin logging
  • Prevents malicious players from overloading the server
• GUI Rate Limiting
  • 100ms cooldown prevents spam-clicking
  • Protects against client crashes from rapid menu opening
• Database Optimization
  • Style updates reduced from 4 SQL queries to 1 (75% improvement)
  • Batch update system for player styling changes
• Safe Shutdown
  • CompletableFuture with 5-second timeout
  • Data saves are guaranteed to complete

New Features

• Gradient Preview Mode
  • Shift+Click any gradient to preview without selecting
  • Shows 4 example messages in real-time
  • Interactive buttons to select or go back
• Cooldown Display
  • Visual progress bar shows remaining time
  • Clear feedback when switching too quickly
• Auto-Refresh GUI
  • Inventory updates every 2 seconds
  • Always displays current active gradient
• Already-Selected Detection
  • Notifies when clicking current gradient
  • Prevents unnecessary database writes
• Reset Confirmation
  • Two-step confirmation prevents accidental data loss
  • Interactive confirmation buttons
• Enhanced Visual Feedback
  • Particle effects for gradient selection
  • Sound effects for all interactions
  • Toggle indicators for bold/italic
• Message Localization
  • All messages now use messages.yml
  • Easy translation to any language
• Colorful Gradient Names
  • Gradient names in messages display in their own colors
  • Example: "You selected CORAL gradient!" shows "CORAL" in coral colors

Critical Bug Fixes

• Fixed Royal Gradient Appearing White
  • Added direct HEX color support in config.yml
  • Gradients can now use values like "#800080" directly
• Fixed Shift+Click Item Duplication
  • Players could steal GUI items through shift-clicking
  • Added extra security layer - all click types properly blocked
• Fixed Memory Leak
  • Unlimited gradient calculations caused memory buildup
  • Now capped at 1,000 entries with LRU eviction
• Fixed Data Loss on Shutdown
  • Thread.sleep replaced with CompletableFuture
  • Timeout protection ensures saves complete
• Fixed stripColors() Bug
  • Hex color codes left §x prefix behind
  • Fixed regex pattern order
• Fixed GUI Spam Exploit
  • Players could crash clients by rapid clicking
  • Rate limiting prevents abuse
• Fixed Hardcoded Messages
  • Some messages ignored messages.yml
  • Full MessageManager integration
• Fixed Stale GUI Display
  • GUI didn't update until manually reopened
  • Auto-refresh every 2 seconds

Configuration Changes

• chat.max-gradient-length
  • Default changed from 0 (unlimited) to 500
  • Prevents DoS attacks
• gui.update-interval
  • New option - controls auto-refresh speed
  • Default: 40 ticks (2 seconds)
  • Set to 0 to disable
• Cache Management
  • Automatically cleared on /gradientchat reload
  • Max 1,000 entries with LRU eviction

GradientChat - Changelog

Version 2.2.0 - April 6, 2026
What's New:

• GUI buttons now work properly with custom unicode fonts (smallcaps)
• Info button now displays custom skull texture from config
• All GUI slots are now locked to prevent accidental misconfiguration

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed GUI buttons not responding when using unicode smallcaps font
• Fixed info skull not showing configured texture
• Fixed duplicate database section in config.yml
• Fixed excessive debug messages spamming console

Changes:

• GUI size is now fixed at 54 slots (6 rows)
• Maximum 35 gradients can be displayed (slots 0-34)
• Config options gui.size and gradients-per-page are no longer used
• Debug output significantly reduced for cleaner console logs

Important: Do not modify slot numbers in config.yml - they are now hardcoded for stability

• MySQL database is now optional - plugin works with YAML files by default
• Automatic data storage in plugins/GradientChat/data/ when MySQL is disabled
• All gradients automatically unlocked for server operators (gradientchat.gradient.*)
• All text styles automatically unlocked for operators (gradientchat.style.*)
• Tab completion now filters suggestions based on your input

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed gradient selection not working with custom fonts
• Fixed tab completion showing all options at once
• Fixed operators not having permission to use gradients by default
• Fixed player data loss when MySQL is disabled

Changes:

• Database is no longer required - plugin works out of the box with file storage
• GUI stays open after selecting a gradient (refreshes automatically)
• Improved warning messages when database connection fails

Upgrading from older versions:

• No manual migration needed - plugin works automatically
• Existing players will have their data preserved
• Config file will be updated with new options on first run

GradientChat – Premium Gradient Chat Colors for Donators


Bring color and personality to your Minecraft server’s chat with GradientChat, a lightweight and powerful plugin that adds customizable gradient chat colors for your donators and players. Reward your supporters with stunning, animated gradients that make every message stand out — and make your community chat come alive with style.

Features​

• Fully customizable gradient chat colors for every player.
• Unlockable gradients through gradient presents using /gradientchat present <nick> <amount>.
• Seamless integration with LPC (Chat Formatter) and LuckPerms for permission-based customization.
• Lightweight, optimized, and compatible with Paper/Spigot 1.21–1.21.10
• Easy permission management and rank-based gradient access.

Permission Structure​

Free Players (Default Experience):

- gradientchat.use

VIP / Donors:

• gradientchat.use
• gradientchat.gradient.*

(or specific premium ones, e.g. gradientchat.gradient.galaxy, gradientchat.gradient.royal)

Staff / Admins:

- gradientchat.admin

(Grants access to reload, give, present, and cooldown bypass commands.)

Make Your Server Chat Shine!​

Reward your donators, engage your players, and transform your server’s chat into a vibrant, dynamic experience — all with GradientChat, the ultimate gradient chat color plugin for Minecraft.

GradientChat – Premium Gradient Chat Colors for Donators


Bring color and personality to your Minecraft server’s chat with GradientChat, a lightweight and powerful plugin that adds customizable gradient chat colors for your donators and players. Reward your supporters with stunning, animated gradients that make every message stand out — and make your community chat come alive with style.

Features​

• Fully customizable gradient chat colors for every player.
• Unlockable gradients through gradient presents using /gradientchat present <nick> <amount>.
• Seamless integration with LPC (Chat Formatter) and LuckPerms for permission-based customization.
• Lightweight, optimized, and compatible with Paper/Spigot 1.21–1.21.10
• Easy permission management and rank-based gradient access.

Permission Structure​

Free Players (Default Experience):

- gradientchat.use

VIP / Donors:

• gradientchat.use
• gradientchat.gradient.*

(or specific premium ones, e.g. gradientchat.gradient.galaxy, gradientchat.gradient.royal)

Staff / Admins:

- gradientchat.admin

(Grants access to reload, give, present, and cooldown bypass commands.)

Make Your Server Chat Shine!​

Reward your donators, engage your players, and transform your server’s chat into a vibrant, dynamic experience — all with GradientChat, the ultimate gradient chat color plugin for Minecraft.