Implemented this SpecialRender system.

src/main/java/de/ellpeck/actuallyadditions/common/ActuallyAdditions.java

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import de.ellpeck.actuallyadditions.common.config.Config;
 import de.ellpeck.actuallyadditions.common.container.ActuallyContainers;
 import de.ellpeck.actuallyadditions.common.items.ActuallyItems;
 import de.ellpeck.actuallyadditions.common.tiles.ActuallyTiles;
+import de.ellpeck.actuallyadditions.special.SpecialRenderInit;
 import net.minecraft.client.renderer.RenderType;
 import net.minecraft.client.renderer.RenderTypeLookup;
 import net.minecraft.command.Commands;
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ public class ActuallyAdditions {
         eventBus.addListener(this::clientSetup);
 
         MinecraftForge.EVENT_BUS.addListener(this::serverLoad);
+        MinecraftForge.EVENT_BUS.addListener(SpecialRenderInit::onPlayerRender);
         MinecraftForge.EVENT_BUS.register(this);
     }
 
@@ -70,6 +72,8 @@ public class ActuallyAdditions {
         RenderTypeLookup.setRenderLayer(ActuallyBlocks.CRYSTAL_CLUSTER_DIAMATINE.get(), RenderType.getTranslucent());
         RenderTypeLookup.setRenderLayer(ActuallyBlocks.CRYSTAL_CLUSTER_EMERADIC.get(), RenderType.getTranslucent());
         RenderTypeLookup.setRenderLayer(ActuallyBlocks.GREENHOUSE_GLASS.get(), RenderType.getCutout());
+
+        SpecialRenderInit.fetch();
     }
 
     private void serverLoad(FMLServerStartingEvent event) {

src/main/java/de/ellpeck/actuallyadditions/special/RenderSpecial.java

@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+/*
+ * This file ("RenderSpecial.java") is part of the Actually Additions mod for Minecraft.
+ * It is created and owned by Ellpeck and distributed
+ * under the Actually Additions License to be found at
+ * http://ellpeck.de/actaddlicense
+ * View the source code at https://github.com/Ellpeck/ActuallyAdditions
+ *
+ * © 2015-2017 Ellpeck
+ */
+
+package de.ellpeck.actuallyadditions.special;
+
+import com.mojang.blaze3d.matrix.MatrixStack;
+import com.mojang.blaze3d.platform.GlStateManager;
+import com.mojang.blaze3d.systems.RenderSystem;
+import net.minecraft.client.Minecraft;
+import net.minecraft.client.renderer.IRenderTypeBuffer;
+import net.minecraft.client.renderer.RenderHelper;
+import net.minecraft.client.renderer.model.ItemCameraTransforms;
+import net.minecraft.client.renderer.texture.OverlayTexture;
+import net.minecraft.entity.player.PlayerEntity;
+import net.minecraft.entity.player.PlayerModelPart;
+import net.minecraft.item.BlockItem;
+import net.minecraft.item.ItemStack;
+import net.minecraft.util.Util;
+import net.minecraft.util.math.vector.Vector3d;
+import net.minecraft.util.math.vector.Vector3f;
+
+public class RenderSpecial {
+
+    private final ItemStack theThingToRender;
+
+    public RenderSpecial(ItemStack stack) {
+        this.theThingToRender = stack;
+    }
+
+    public void render(MatrixStack matrixStack, IRenderTypeBuffer buffer, int combinedLight, PlayerEntity player, float partialTicks) {
+        if (this.theThingToRender.isEmpty() || player.isInvisible() || !player.isWearing(PlayerModelPart.CAPE) || player.isElytraFlying()) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        matrixStack.push();
+
+        Vector3d currentPos = Minecraft.getInstance().player.getEyePosition(partialTicks);
+        Vector3d playerPos = player.getEyePosition(partialTicks);
+        matrixStack.translate(playerPos.x - currentPos.x, playerPos.y - currentPos.y, playerPos.z - currentPos.z);
+        matrixStack.translate(0D, 2.575D - (player.isSneaking()
+            ? 0.125D
+            : 0D), 0D);
+
+
+        matrixStack.push();
+
+        boolean isBlock = this.theThingToRender.getItem() instanceof BlockItem;
+        if (isBlock) {
+            matrixStack.translate(0D, -0.1875D, 0D);
+        }
+        matrixStack.rotate(Vector3f.ZP.rotationDegrees(180));
+
+        float size = isBlock
+            ? 0.5F
+            : 0.4F;
+        matrixStack.scale(size, size, size);
+
+        //Make the floaty stuff look nice using sine waves \o/ -xdjackiexd
+        //Peck edit: What do you mean by "nice" you jackass? >_>
+        double boop = Util.milliTime() / 1000D;
+        matrixStack.translate(0D, Math.sin(boop % (2 * Math.PI)) * 0.25, 0D);
+        matrixStack.rotate(Vector3f.YP.rotationDegrees((float) (boop * 40D % 360)));
+
+        GlStateManager.disableLighting();
+        matrixStack.push();
+
+        if (!isBlock) {
+            matrixStack.translate(0D, 0.5D, 0D);
+        }
+        matrixStack.rotate(Vector3f.XN.rotationDegrees(180F));
+        Minecraft.getInstance().getItemRenderer().renderItem(theThingToRender, ItemCameraTransforms.TransformType.FIXED, combinedLight, OverlayTexture.NO_OVERLAY, matrixStack, buffer);
+        matrixStack.pop();
+
+        GlStateManager.enableLighting();
+
+        matrixStack.pop();
+
+
+        matrixStack.pop();
+    }
+}

src/main/java/de/ellpeck/actuallyadditions/special/SpecialRenderInit.java

@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+/*
+ * This file ("SpecialRenderInit.java") is part of the Actually Additions mod for Minecraft.
+ * It is created and owned by Ellpeck and distributed
+ * under the Actually Additions License to be found at
+ * http://ellpeck.de/actaddlicense
+ * View the source code at https://github.com/Ellpeck/ActuallyAdditions
+ *
+ * © 2015-2017 Ellpeck
+ */
+
+package de.ellpeck.actuallyadditions.special;
+
+import net.minecraft.block.Block;
+import net.minecraft.item.Item;
+import net.minecraft.item.ItemStack;
+import net.minecraft.util.ResourceLocation;
+import net.minecraftforge.client.event.RenderPlayerEvent;
+import net.minecraftforge.eventbus.api.EventPriority;
+import net.minecraftforge.eventbus.api.SubscribeEvent;
+import net.minecraftforge.registries.ForgeRegistries;
+
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Locale;
+import java.util.Properties;
+
+public class SpecialRenderInit {
+
+    public static final HashMap<String, RenderSpecial> SPECIAL_LIST = new HashMap<>();
+
+    public static void fetch() {
+        new ThreadSpecialFetcher();
+    }
+
+    // TODO: [port][note] ensure that this still works with the special people stuff
+    public static void parse(Properties properties) {
+        for (String key : properties.stringPropertyNames()) {
+                ResourceLocation resLoc = new ResourceLocation(properties.getProperty(key));
+                ItemStack stack = findItem(resLoc);
+
+                if (!stack.isEmpty()) {
+                    SPECIAL_LIST.put(key.toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT), new RenderSpecial(stack));
+                }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static ItemStack findItem(ResourceLocation resLoc) {
+        if (ForgeRegistries.ITEMS.containsKey(resLoc)) {
+            Item item = ForgeRegistries.ITEMS.getValue(resLoc);
+            if (item != null) {
+                return new ItemStack(item);
+            }
+        } else if (ForgeRegistries.BLOCKS.containsKey(resLoc)) {
+            Block block = ForgeRegistries.BLOCKS.getValue(resLoc);
+            if (block != null) {
+                return new ItemStack(block);
+            }
+        }
+        return ItemStack.EMPTY;
+    }
+
+    public static void onPlayerRender(RenderPlayerEvent.Pre event) {
+        if (event.getPlayer() != null) {
+            String name = event.getPlayer().getName().getString();
+            String lower = name.toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT); // TODO: Maybe convert the special people list to UUIDs?
+            RenderSpecial render = SPECIAL_LIST.get(lower);
+            if (render != null) {
+                render.render(event.getMatrixStack(), event.getBuffers(), event.getLight(), event.getPlayer(), event.getPartialRenderTick());
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+}

src/main/java/de/ellpeck/actuallyadditions/special/ThreadSpecialFetcher.java

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+/*
+ * This file ("ThreadSpecialFetcher.java") is part of the Actually Additions mod for Minecraft.
+ * It is created and owned by Ellpeck and distributed
+ * under the Actually Additions License to be found at
+ * http://ellpeck.de/actaddlicense
+ * View the source code at https://github.com/Ellpeck/ActuallyAdditions
+ *
+ * © 2015-2017 Ellpeck
+ */
+
+package de.ellpeck.actuallyadditions.special;
+
+import de.ellpeck.actuallyadditions.common.ActuallyAdditions;
+import java.io.InputStreamReader;
+import java.net.URL;
+import java.util.Properties;
+
+public class ThreadSpecialFetcher extends Thread {
+
+    public ThreadSpecialFetcher() {
+        this.setName(ActuallyAdditions.MOD_ID + " Special Fetcher");
+        this.setDaemon(true);
+        this.start();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void run() {
+        ActuallyAdditions.LOGGER.info("Fetching Special People Stuff...");
+        try {
+            URL url = new URL("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Ellpeck/ActuallyAdditions/clean-start/specialPeopleStuff.properties");
+            Properties specialProperties = new Properties();
+            specialProperties.load(new InputStreamReader(url.openStream()));
+            SpecialRenderInit.parse(specialProperties);
+
+            ActuallyAdditions.LOGGER.info("Fetching Special People Stuff done!");
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            ActuallyAdditions.LOGGER.error("Fetching Special People Stuff failed! (You can ignore this error technically.)", e);
+        }
+    }
+}