🌄 Version 1.7.0 - Fixes

Fixes some issues a user found with the realistic clouds and restores the stars.

🌄 Version 1.7.0

Blimey! that took a while! version 1.7.0 Release irons out the initial hiccups from Beta 1, and 2, and beyond, and packs in even more refinements. As always, your feedback is crucial, so dive in, break it, and let me know what else you find!

Gee, are we past 550k already?! We're closing in on 560K downloads on modrinth alone + closing in on 10k on Curseforge???!! Insane! Unreal! Ludicrous and insane!

Thanks and thanks again and again and again...

Join the community on Discord – espens-shaderpacks

Major Fixes and Improvements

• Performance Recovery
  Fixed a major oopsie from Beta 1 where some experimental SSAO settings slipped through, causing significant performance hits. SSAO is now back to being efficient and reliable!

• Dimension Compatibility Restored
  Addressed critical issues that broke rendering in the Nether and the End dimensions. Adventure away, interdimensional travelers!

• CurseForge is Here!
  Good news—CurseForge download is now officially available and live. Check it out if that's your preferred platform!

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Recap: New Features from Beta 1

Enhanced Distant Horizons Support

• Fully overhauled backend integration for smoother distant rendering.
• Stability and visual improvements for expansive vistas.

Held Items Now Emit Light

• Holding torches or glowstone lights your surroundings dynamically—perfect for caves and building sessions.

Optional Pixelated Effects

• Nostalgia mode activated: pixelate your world for some retro charm.

Slick Motion Blur

• New cinematic motion blur—adds fluidity and depth to movement.

Improved Underwater Fog

• Simplified, efficient, and visually superior underwater effects—clearer and richer underwater exploration.

Cleaner Water Reflections

• New clarity-enhancing settings for pristine reflective surfaces, enhanced by SSR.

Revamped Volumetric Mist

• Improved visuals and performance—optimized for gameplay clarity, lighting, and more options coming soon.

Rewritten Fog Density System

• Fog visuals are now simpler, more stable, and visually consistent even at extreme distances.

Square Highlights (Experimental)

• Optional Minecraft-authentic highlights, available as a beta setting.

Volumetric Self-Shadowing

• Adds extra realism and depth to mist and fog environments.

Extended Shadows (Fake Shadow Drawing)

• Enhanced shadow coverage option, ideal for distant LoD views—choose between real and simulated shadows.

Skybox & Nametag Enhancements

• Skybox rendering now supported.
• Nametag stability and rendering greatly improved.

Tons of Under-the-Hood Tweaks

• Countless minor fixes, tweaks, and code optimizations for overall stability and polish.

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Dive in, enjoy, and keep the feedback flowing! Let's keep pushing forward!

– Espen

🌄 Public Beta – Version 1.7.0 (Beta 2)

Here we go again—round two! This second beta for version 1.7.0 irons out the initial hiccups from Beta 1 and packs in even more refinements. As always, your feedback is crucial, so dive in, break it, and let me know what else you find!

And yes, we're closing in on half a million downloads—almost 500k! Absolutely wild. Thanks again, everyone, for your amazing support.

Join the community on Discord – espens-shaderpacks

What's Improved in Beta 2

Major Fixes and Improvements

• Performance Recovery
  Fixed a major oopsie from Beta 1 where some experimental SSAO settings slipped through, causing significant performance hits. SSAO is now back to being efficient and reliable!

• Dimension Compatibility Restored
  Addressed critical issues that broke rendering in the Nether and the End dimensions. Adventure away, interdimensional travelers!

• CurseForge is Here!
  Good news—CurseForge download is now officially available and live. Check it out if that's your preferred platform!

---

Recap: New Features from Beta 1

Enhanced Distant Horizons Support

• Fully overhauled backend integration for smoother distant rendering.
• Stability and visual improvements for expansive vistas.

Held Items Now Emit Light

• Holding torches or glowstone lights your surroundings dynamically—perfect for caves and building sessions.

Optional Pixelated Effects

• Nostalgia mode activated: pixelate your world for some retro charm.

Slick Motion Blur

• New cinematic motion blur—adds fluidity and depth to movement.

Improved Underwater Fog

• Simplified, efficient, and visually superior underwater effects—clearer and richer underwater exploration.

Cleaner Water Reflections

• New clarity-enhancing settings for pristine reflective surfaces, enhanced by SSR.

Revamped Volumetric Mist

• Improved visuals and performance—optimized for gameplay clarity, lighting, and more options coming soon.

Rewritten Fog Density System

• Fog visuals are now simpler, more stable, and visually consistent even at extreme distances.

Square Highlights (Experimental)

• Optional Minecraft-authentic highlights, available as a beta setting.

Volumetric Self-Shadowing

• Adds extra realism and depth to mist and fog environments.

Extended Shadows (Fake Shadow Drawing)

• Enhanced shadow coverage option, ideal for distant LoD views—choose between real and simulated shadows.

Skybox & Nametag Enhancements

• Skybox rendering now supported.
• Nametag stability and rendering greatly improved.

Tons of Under-the-Hood Tweaks

• Countless minor fixes, tweaks, and code optimizations for overall stability and polish.

---

Dive in, enjoy, and keep the feedback flowing! Beta 2 brings 1.7.0 even closer to prime-time, thanks entirely to your testing and support. Let's keep pushing forward to 500k!

– Espen

🌄 Public Beta – Version 1.7.0

It’s that time again! This is one of the biggest leaps yet and kicks off a whole new round of testing for everyone who loves to live on the bleeding edge. As always, your feedback is what keeps things moving forward—so please, try it out, break things, and let me know what you find!

And yes, we just hit 465k downloads. Absolutely wild. Thank you, everyone.

Join the community on Discord – espens-shaderpacks

What’s New in This Beta

Much Better Distant Horizons Support

• Major internal overhaul for how Distant Horizons is handled.
• Lots of fiddly under-the-hood fixes—should be much smoother, more reliable, and just work better.

Held Items Can Now Cast Light

• Torches, glowstone—if you hold it, it lights up the world.
• Makes caving, building, and exploring that much more immersive.

Pixelated Effects – Because Why Not?

• It’s trending, it’s fun, and now it’s here.
• Optional! Flip it on in settings for those classic retro vibes.

Motion Blur

• New for 1.7.0—motion blur is in!
• Looks slick, especially in motion.

Underwater Fog Overhaul

• Way faster and much simpler under the hood.
• Improved clarity and vibe—should look awesome in oceans, rivers, and caves.

Cleaner Water Reflections

• New setting for those who want super clear water reflections.
• Looks great, especially with the new SSR modes.

Major Volumetric Mist Improvements

• Totally reworked—now, bit cheaper bit better.
• Tuned to be much better for gameplay: more visibility, better lighting, and more options coming soon.

Fog Density System Reworked

• The fog density math has been rewritten: simpler, just as good, and much easier to maintain.
• The way fog works has also been tweaked to stay visually solid even at massive distances.
• Should be more consistent and reliable, no matter how big your world is.

Square Highlights – Beta Feature

• For that authentic Minecraft look.
• Still experimental, but available under beta settings.

Volumetric Self-Shadowing

• Adds extra depth and realism to mist and fog.
• Makes everything feel just a bit more dramatic.

Extended Shadows (Fake Shadow Drawing)

• New option for shadow lovers: draw fake shadows even beyond the shadowmap.
• In Distant Horizons, you can now choose between real or fake shadows—trade off sharper close-up shadows for better LoD coverage.

Skybox Support & Better Nametags

• Skybox rendering is now an option!
• Nametag fixes are even more robust (again).

And So Many Fixes…

• Honestly, I can never keep track of all the changes—there’s just a ton of little improvements and code cleanups under the hood, as usual.
• If you find something that works better, it was definitely intentional, for sure.

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Note:
If CurseForge is more your cup of tea, it should be an option soon—just pending approval.!

That’s it for now—enjoy testing, and keep the feedback coming! 1.7.0 is shaping up to be something special, and it’s all thanks to you.

– Espen

🌟 Public Release – Version 1.6.1

It’s here! After extensive testing and refinements, this version is ready for full release. Packed with new features, optimizations, and quality improvements, this update is the biggest step forward yet.

As always, feedback is incredibly valuable, and I appreciate everyone who's supported the project so far.

Join the community on Discord – espens-shaderpacks

What’s New in This Release

Expanded Screen Space Reflections (SSR)

Three SSR modes are now available for both translucent and solid materials, with massive performance enhancements:

• Sky Only SSR
  Perfect for adding a subtle shine to metals or polished blocks.
  Reflects only the sky, delivering a clean, atmospheric effect.

• Simplified SSR
  Designed for everyday use with proper reflections and roughness.
  Takes a few creative liberties in accuracy, but the results are great – most won’t notice the trade-offs!

• Accurate Reflections
  Built on the old SSR solution but with reduced noise and improved speed.
  Doesn’t take as many shortcuts as the simplified method – ideal for powerful rigs or when you need that perfect screenshot.

Performance Enhancements

Performance has improved significantly across the board, especially on the default Medium profile.

• Bloops’ lowest-end profile remains as optimized as ever and is now nearing the limits of what can be achieved without sacrificing shadows, textures, or other fundamentals.
• Work continues on a shadowless version, and I’m looking for ways to work around some remaining bottlenecks when running on low-end hardware.

Bug Fixes & System Tweaks

• Fixed issues with distant horizons and the global illumination system, ensuring a smoother experience across the board.
• Various smaller improvements to refine rendering quality.

New Feature: Litematica Support

Litematica support has now been added! You can find this under Misc Settings.

What’s Next?

While 1.6.1 brings major improvements, the next version will introduce some highly requested features from the community.

For now, enjoy the update! 🎉 Thank you all for your incredible support.