Links and info:

Patreon seems to have changed how things work a little, and there is now the option for free followers too. While I'm checking this out, I just want to make sure everyone knows what's where since there are a few followers ( hi! ) and I'm not sure who came from where.

WHAT DO YOU GET AS A PATRON:

As a patron you get access to all of the things I'm working on. They aren't done, but I enjoy playing with them and I think you will to. They are:

-My Minecraft resource pack (HD version) https://www.patreon.com/posts/fixed-grass-for-97373690?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

-My Minecraft shaders (early access and buggy -please read about early access at the bottom of this post) https://www.patreon.com/posts/icarus-shaders-140388235?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link -if this link is outdated, check the 'Collections' tab for 'Icarus'

❗ the newest Icarus shader version is currently working on iris and Occulus, but not Optifine. Mac is not supported because they refuse to update to modern opengl and they limit texture buffers to a very small number. Optifine just lacks features that are used❗

 -Access to private discord channels where you can make requests and have some say in where these projects go. 

-My Thanks, as you are supporting these projects of mine and helping me to regain the financial independence I had before my injury. Thank you so much for your support!

DISCORD:

Here's My Discord where I post behind the scenes of what I'm working on.  https://discord.gg/S6F4r6K5yU  You can join the conversation in a community that is interested in better graphics, and see what's coming soon. It is public, -Patrons have access to private threads but there's a lot of public content to check out. I post there a lot more often than here.

You can learn more about the ctm-pom-fix technique to make better 3d textures on my discord. The "CTM-POM-FIX" and "timetravelbeard's Better 3D Textures" Patches for shaders are also currently only on discord.

YOUTUBE:

Here's my Youtube where i do casual gameplay videos and technical videos: https://www.youtube.com/@timetravelbeard3588

SHADERS and SHADER STUFF :

1) CTMPOMFIX (my first shader edit)

 In 2023 I started editing shaders so that I could make Better 3D Textures. I started with patches, but then made a shader edit that included them ready to go. Here's that free shader edit called CTMPOMFIX: https://legacy.curseforge.com/minecraft/shaders/ctmpomfix-shader-chocapic13-shaders-edithttps://legacy.curseforge.com/minecraft/shaders/ctmpomfix-shader-chocapic13-shaders-edit

It has a lot of cool features, like having my "Better 3D Textures Patch" with CTMPOMFIX built in, texture upscaling, and unique path tracing lighting . This free shader was built on an edit to get it out fast, but that makes it hard to work with. It's included here mainly for ease of finding it, as it's currently the easiest way to play with the new texture features I added a few years ago. Here's a post that has a video and more about it: https://www.patreon.com/posts/in-case-you-on-93303221?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link It is and always will be free. Alternatively I have the patches for a few popular shaders available on discord.

2) ICARUS SHADERS

If you want an even better looking, better performing, more cutting edge shader, you can support development by subscribing. I started a full shader rewrite in December to easily add more incredible features.  The new shader is written from the ground up and I plan on doing a lot of stuff with it, some of which has never been done before. Everything about it will probably change over time, so let me know anything you like and I'll save it as an option. It has the CTM/POM-FIX, extensive light simulation, a 360 environment capture for off screen reflections even on Low, nice water and waterfalls, rain ripples with 3d puddles and snow, hand held torch light with pbr and even light bouncing in pom, -and lots of other stuff. I keep adding stuff but it's far from done and will not feel finished.

3) Patches

are on discord, see link at top.

4) Simply Upscaled

 is a vanilla plus shader that's very fast and nostalgic.  I like to keep it clean and finished feeling. I have been told it's the fastest shader by several people. If your device struggles with shaders, try it.

https://modrinth.com/shader/simply-upscaled

https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/shaders/simply-upscaled

5) Pegasus 

is a mid-range shader built on the bones of 'Simply Upscaled' for speed, while adding some of Icarus's features. It tries to maintain a lot of fps and a lot of range. It is slowly becoming its own thing. Newer test builds and early access will occassionally be here on Patreon & on discord. 

https://modrinth.com/shader/pegasus

https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/shaders/pegasus

6) Just Colored Lighting

This shader aims to add colored Lighting to Minecraft as fast as possible for maximum fps. The default preset aims to look very similar to vanilla, but the other presets & options can add shadows, texture upscaling, godrays, and a few other things to just slightly enhance the look. Block Light sources have excellent PBR texture support to even have rough metallic reflections without any raytracing at all to remain exceptionally fast.

https://modrinth.com/shader/just-colored-lighting

https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/shaders/just-colored-lighting/gallery

RESOURCE PACKS:

The texture pack should be free here at the kind of bad 32x pixelated version, and the early access of the HD 256x version should be on here for Patrons, but you should ask about newer releases on Discord as I don't like to spam update here too often, -I probably have more done.

Here's the newest complete download, I sometimes update just parts of it: https://www.patreon.com/posts/heres-resource-95607215?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

My resource pack needs to be used in a CTMPOMFIX compatible shader to look its best. CTM-POM-FIX is code that fixes CTM (Connected Textures) and POM (3D Textures) to work together. You can use the free shader linked above, or you can patch an existing shader. I have patched a few shaders to use the technique. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's very difficult. You can get the patch or ask me to patch another shader on my discord. I can't guarantee I can get it to work in every shader. But I have patches you can download for Complementary and bliss, that don't require you to do any editing yourself.

❗ There is more info about the resource pack, including features, below.

COMPATIBILITY

At the time of writing this, the CTMPOMFIX shader and resource pack work in up to Minecraft version 1.21 and down to at least 1.19.2 in my testing, in Optifine or Iris/Continuity. The shader works on NVIDIA and AMD from what I've been told. I primarily played Minecraft 1.19.2 with forge and optifine on windows with an NVIDIA gpu, I now also use Iris on 1.20.4, I cannot guarantee compatibility with other setups but I am looking into incompatibilities as they are brought to my attention, thank you for your understanding and patience regarding that. Things take time.

The new shader, Icarus, is being developed foriris on 1.20.1 for distant horizons & physics mod compatibility. It is also tested on the newest version of the 'Fabulously Optimized' modpack. Optifine will not work, it lacks so many features. that porting to it is very unlikely, but is a small possibility for after the shader hits a release state.

The 'borders' part of the resource pack that does 3d block transitions will not work on iris after 1.19.2 until there is a sodium/indium update (from what I've been told).

MORE ABOUT MY RESOURCE PACK:
I recommend stacking my resource pack on top of your favorite one until I get more of it done. I am also focusing on the most common blocks first to maximize impact. If you want to replicate how I play in the gameplay videos, all the resource packs and mods and shaders should be listed in every video's description with links.
 My Resource Pack may require a decent GPU to run well. The 256x is a lot heavier than a regular 256x pack because it has a lot of variations for blocks, in some cases more than 100, and usually at least 48, -not counting the borders and transitions.
 If you want a medium resolution version that will run better than the 256x and is better looking than the 32x version, you need to subscribe and ask for it and be patient. These things take time and effort and I have so far decided that it's just a lot easier to maintain just one really good version and one really low end version. I've made several attempts to get other versions done and I just don't have internal motivation for it when there's so much else to do.

RESOURCE PACK FEATURES:

✅ CTM: "Connected Textures Mod" allows for variations of blocks of the same material, and transitional edges between materials as well as borders and edges. Most blocks have 48 - 100 variations, not including the edges and transitions.

⚙️ This requires Optifine, or Iris with Continuity.

✅ POM: "Parallax Occlusion Mapping" is a 3D Texture technique.

⚙️ POM is very common in shaders, but you may have to turn it on in shader settings.

✅ PBR: "Physically Based Rendering" is a set of texture formats and rendering techniques that allows for realistic materials. It includes per pixel shininess and reflections, roughness, ambient occlusion, sub surface scattering for light going through things, porosity for how things interact with water and look when wet, 3D normals for shading, emmissiveness for glowing things, and a height map for POM. I use PBR where I think the extra memory use is worth the impact.

⚙️ It requires a shader with labPBR support.

✅ CTMPOMFIX: CTM-POM-FIX is a special technique and texture format extension I made that allows for Seamless 3D Textures with Variations.

Most resource packs don't use CTM and POM together to thier fullest, as POM makes seams in CTM that ruins the effect of both. My technique is a FIX that removes that limitation, giving you seamless 3d textures to bring your game to the next level. It also allows for 3D transitions between materials, which coupled with variations can add a whole new look to the game.

⚙️ It requires a CTM-POM-FIX compatible shader or the CTMPOMFIX Patch.

The CTMPOMFIX shader is free on curseforge, the patch is free on my discord for Complementary and Bliss, and the code is there if you would like to patch another shader of your choice or ask me to patch another shader. Some shaders are easy to patch, some aren't, so I can't guarantee that I can patch a shader for you, but most shaders that have POM should be able to be patched pretty easily, and the ones I have ready to go patches for are some pretty good shaders.

If you use the resource pack in a shader without CTM-POM-FIX, POM will have seams between blocks and the transitions will override a lot of variations. It is recommended to use a CTM-POM-FIX compatible shader for Seamless 3D Texture Variations, or alternatively if you want to use an unsupported shader turn off POM and do not use the "borders" file.

✅ Mod Support: The texture pack includes some textures for mods I use. There are several textures for "Biomes o Plenty" and some for "Gravestones". You can ask me on discord about other mods and make requests there.

❌ Completion: This Resource Pack is a very early work in progress. It is recommended to stack it on top of your favorite pack until I get more done. I am mostly focusing on common overworld blocks first to maximize impact, and otherwise am just making textures that are missing from packs that I use or that I have an idea for that I think will look great.

The gameplay videos on YouTube should give a good idea of what I have done and how it looks. The descriptions of those videos will show what other resource packs are used under it, and what mods are used, to get that look. I am usually using it over the "Patrix" Resource Pack, which I recommend maybe using without the "add-ons" part as that can break some of the ctm in my pack.

✅ Requests: You can make requests for what blocks I do next on discord!

COMMISSIONS:

I sometimes also take paid commissions, and sometimes do requests for Patrons, both for art and for programming. Please dm me on discord. If you message me here (if that's even a thing) I probably won't see it for a long time.

MORE ABOUT MY DISABILITY:

Several years ago complications to a spinal injury left me essentially bed bound and completely upheaved my life.
 I had always wanted to make video games, and despite the new struggles of day to day living I have been teaching myself code and graphics so that I can still try to fulfill a part of that dream.
 I might not be able to touch much grass, but I can certainly try to make graphics so real that you don't need to.
 If you appreciate what I'm trying to do, please consider subscribing or leaving a tip here on my Patreon. I really appreciate every bit of support, as it shows that what I'm doing has value, and it helps me take another step towards the financial security and independence I had when I was healthy.
 It is because my condition can sometimes throw me for a loop and make progress hard to predict that I recommend seeing what's available before subscribing. The YouTube videos should give a good idea of what I have done.
 Please don't ask me about my injury. It defines most of my life and this is the one place it doesn't have to define my every action. I'm just sharing more details because my cousin thought that people would be interested to know more of the story and that I was selling myself short by being so vague.

ABOUT EARLY ACCESS SHADER:

Bugs/Errors: Shaders compile on your graphics card, so there can be errors and problems that happen on your PC that I just can't know about until you report them to me. Please be prepared that you may encounter bugs I haven't, and please send me your logs when this happens so that I can try to fix things. Logs are in the Minecraft folder in "logs/latest log". An f3 screenshot in game is also be helpful so that I can see info about your setup. If you want help you need to send me the latest log and the f3 screenshot.

Performance: I am really trying to make this shader as accessible as possible, and make as many features work on low settings as I can with as few compromises as possible, but some effects are just expensive.

I am aiming to hit certain fps goals on every preset, and am primarily testing in iris with distant horizons and the Patrix 128x resource pack. This is a pretty heavy resource pack to run as it has so many ctm variations, but I am also running it on a 4090 with a 7950x Cpu and a lot of RAM at 1080p.

Very low is trying to get maximum fps at close to vanilla, so people can add just the features they want.

Medium tries to look like high with close to 120fps.

High I am just trying to keep at 60 fps, I am primarily testing and designing in high.

Ultra tries to keep around 45 fps.

Cinematic aims for 30 fps. It should be full resolution on everything for a clear picture.

"Cook an egg" just doesn't care about fps and has a few settings turned stupidly high, but you can make it look even better and run even slower by far if you want to. Future proofing.

Menus/ Settings:

To Start: Please try Presets to start.

i recommend just medium. Low has no pathtraced light simulation.

New features: I try to keep new things I am working on in the "testing" menu and defaulted off.

I am hoping the presets are good enough to play with but then there's the Quick Style and Quick Performance menus to quickly get to things.

Other menus can get complicated, and I probably haven't removed options that were for testing from everything, so it's probably easily possible to make things look bad. If you have a look you like, I recommend saving the config before messing around too much. Choosing a Preset does not reset everything, only certain options, so if you want to start fresh use the reset option then choose a preset.

If anything outside the testing menu doesn't have tooltips or was hard to find, let me know and I'll add tool tips and put it in both places that make sense.

I am open to all feedback. I am making this for me and for you.

I hope you have a good day!