Server-side dynamic lighting for Minecraft 1.17-26.1x

➜ The data pack version of this mod can be found here

For heavily modded setups, modpacks, as well as for playing on external servers, I recommend LambDynamicLights or similar client-side mods instead.
There is a dedicated page about this in the wiki with more info.

💡 Features

This mod brings dynamic lighting to Minecraft without any client-side requirements. Supported entities and items (like torches, glowstone, or enchanted gear), held or worn by players, mobs, or placed in item frames, will emit light using the light block added in Snapshot 21w13a.

50+ supported vanilla items out of the box
Multiple light levels: 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15
Water-sensitive behavior with sounds for some items
Enchanted items glow by default (light level 6), with special cases for Fire Aspect, Riptide, Channeling (light level 9)
Amethyst-trimmed armor emits light
Mobs, falling blocks, and display entities can emit light if carrying a supported item
Curios API support for modded inventory slots See issue #76

Since this project is completely server-side, players joining a server with Dynamic Lights installed will not need to install anything on their end for it to work! However, you can still use the mod version on the client for single-player worlds only. Joining a server that does not have Dynamic Lights installed will have no effect.

➜ For a complete list of supported items & entities, and available settings, take a look at the wiki

ℹ️ Limitations

Since this is a data pack at its core, there are some limitations compared to other purely modded solutions.

Dynamic Lights may stutter while moving around. This project solely relies on vanilla light blocks, which are restricted to the block grid. Smooth transitions between blocks are not feasible
This pack currently uses marker entities to keep track of dynamic light positions. If these entities are cleared by you or plugins like EntityTrackerFixer, light blocks will be left behind. See issue #25
Vanilla light blocks are unfortunately immovable by pistons and block explosion damage. This can cause some redstone contraptions to malfunction. Please report any issues, I try to prevent common cases. See e.g. fixed issues #51, #15, #12, #10
In Minecraft 1.21.4 and below, dynamic light updates will always trigger block updates. This could cause floating blocks affected by gravity, like sand or gravel, to fall
Some shader packs that ignore the vanilla lightmap, such as Rethinking Voxels, will not display the dynamic lights. See issue #59
Dynamic Lights cannot function in 1x1 block spaces occupied by non-solid blocks, as there is simply no space for placing light blocks. See issues #39 and #43
Dynamic Lights per player operate globally. See a detailed explanation here

🔧 Installation & Use

Download the mod and put the mod .jar file into your .minecraft/mods folder.

Install MidnightLib alongside Dynamic Lights for a global settings menu across all worlds.

To manage settings, reset, or uninstall the pack, use /trigger tschipcraft.menu or /function #tschipcraft:menu.

🧩 Compatibility

Supported Minecraft versions

Forge is only natively supported until Minecraft 1.21.5.

This project implements the Smithed and essential MC Datapacks Discord Server Conventions to ensure data pack compatibility.

🔗 External Links

🤝 Partner Offers

Want to buy Hytale or upgrade your edition? Use creator code Tschipcraft upon checkout for me to receive a commission! (The price for you stays the same)