How do I apply an OptiFine cape?

Many players often have trouble understanding how OptiFine capes work with MCSkinHistory. This page was created to help understand this issue.

Why can I not directly apply an OptiFine cape from MCSkinHistory?

Minecraft Skins on MCSkinHistory have the option to be directly applied with the click of a button. Unfortunately, OptiFine capes do not have this option, due to a technical limitation from OptiFine's side. The same goes for direct file uploads.

MCSkinHistory only has the option to store the actual image file of an OptiFine cape and does not have any way of understanding what banner combination that cape uses. However, this is necessary information for applying an OptiFine cape to a Minecraft player.

This means that the only way this functionality will ever be implemented, is if OptiFine's developers add an API to make this possible.

What can I do about this?

If you find an OptiFine cape on MCSkinHistory that you like, the only way to use that cape is to recreate it. You can download the cape file and use it as a guide when using OptiFine's cape creator. Occasionally, you can also find banner creation guides for popular capes on the internet.

Using other modifications

Another way of applying an OptiFine cape is to simply use another modification. There are many Minecraft mods in existence that allow users to upload custom files and capes. That way, you can simply download the cape file from MCSkinHistory and apply it to that modification.