In this introductory video, the concept of vanilla shaders in Minecraft is explored, along with a tutorial on text animation using shaders. But before diving into the world of shaders, it’s important to understand what a shader is and how it functions.
A shader is a program that runs on the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Unlike the CPU (Central Processing Unit), which handles the gameplay aspects of a game, the GPU is responsible for rendering the graphics. The CPU sends important information to the GPU, which then uses shaders to process the input data and transform it into output data, which is what we see on the screen.
In Minecraft, the language used for rendering is GLSL (OpenGL Shading Language). If you’re familiar with C or C++, learning GLSL will be relatively easy, as they share common foundations. The GLSL ES Specification document provides detailed information on the language’s specificities.
To further understand shaders, The Book of Shaders is an excellent resource. It contains a comprehensive list of algorithms executed in shaders, with detailed explanations. This resource is available in both English and French.
Now, let’s explore the rendering pipeline, which is the process by which the game renders an image. Two steps in the pipeline are particularly relevant to vanilla shaders: the vertex shader and the fragment shader. In vanilla Minecraft, access is limited to these two shaders.
The vertex shader deals with the different points in a 3D object. Each point is executed individually, allowing for code execution for each point. On the other hand, the fragment shader is responsible for assigning a color to each pixel on the screen. The GPU projects the 3D elements onto the 2D surface of the screen, transforming them into a matrix of pixels. The fragment shader then calculates the color for each pixel.
To familiarize oneself with GLSL syntax and fragment shaders, Shader Toy is a useful online tool. It allows for live visualization of changes made to a fragment shader. The fragment shader has a return value, fr_color, which represents the final color of the pixel. The UV coordinates, ranging from (0,0) at the top left to (1,1) at the bottom right, are used to calculate the color of each pixel.
With a basic understanding of shaders and GLSL, it’s time to explore vanilla shaders in Minecraft. The provided resources, such as the Vanilla Shaders Wiki and mcmeta, offer valuable information on creating and implementing shaders in the game.
In conclusion, vanilla shaders in Minecraft provide a way to enhance the visual experience of the game. By utilizing GLSL and understanding the rendering pipeline, players can create stunning effects and animations, such as text animation, using shaders. So, grab your creativity and dive into the world of vanilla shaders in Minecraft!