Features Reference

Overview

The features/ directory contains configuration files that determine how structures are placed in the world. Features control the distribution, location, and placement logic for everything from trees to ore veins.

Features define placement rules for structures. The actual structure files are stored in the structures/ directory.

Directory Structure

features/
├── boulders/
│   ├── boulders.yml
│   ├── granite_boulders.yml
│   ├── granite_boulders_canyon.yml
│   ├── mossy_boulders.yml
│   └── dripstone_caves_boulder_patches.yml
├── deposits/
│   ├── deposits/          # Dirt, gravel, andesite patches
│   └── ores/
│       └── veins/         # Ore vein generation
├── misc/
│   ├── travertine/        # Travertine formations
│   └── volcano/           # Volcano features
├── slabs/                 # Smooth terrain with slabs
├── vegetation/
│   ├── trees/
│   ├── flowers/
│   ├── bushes/
│   ├── coral/
│   ├── crops/
│   ├── dripleaf/
│   ├── sculk/
│   └── underwater/
└── rearth/                # Original Origen features

Feature Configuration Structure

Every feature config follows this basic structure:

id: FEATURE_ID
type: FEATURE

distributor:
  # Controls WHERE features attempt to spawn
  
locator:
  # Controls AT WHAT HEIGHT features spawn
  
structures:
  # Defines WHICH structures to place

Components

Distributors

Distributors determine the horizontal placement pattern for features.

PADDED_GRID

Places features in a grid with random padding.

distributor:
  type: PADDED_GRID
  width: 8          # Grid cell size
  padding: 5        # Random padding (0 to this value)
  salt: 2315        # Random seed

Good for evenly distributed features like trees.

SAMPLER

Uses noise to determine spawn chance at each location.

distributor:
  type: SAMPLER
  sampler:
    type: PROBABILITY
    sampler:
      type: OPEN_SIMPLEX_2
      salt: 8244
      frequency: 0.01
  threshold: 0.2    # Spawn if noise > threshold

Good for clustered or organic patterns.

AND

Combines multiple distributors - all must pass.

distributor:
  type: AND
  distributors:
    - type: PADDED_GRID
      width: 8
      padding: 5
    - type: SAMPLER
      sampler:
        type: PROBABILITY
        sampler:
          type: OPEN_SIMPLEX_2
          frequency: 0.01
      threshold: 0.3

Useful for grid-based placement with noise variation.

Combines multiple distributors - any can pass.

distributor:
  type: OR
  distributors:
    - type: PADDED_GRID
      width: 16
    - type: SAMPLER
      threshold: 0.8

Locators

Locators determine the vertical position where features spawn.

SURFACE

Spawns on the terrain surface.

locator:
  type: SURFACE
  range:
    min: ${meta.yml:ocean-level}
    max: ${meta.yml:top-y}

Most common locator for surface features.

PATTERN

Spawns at heights matching a noise pattern.

locator:
  type: PATTERN
  pattern:
    type: OPEN_SIMPLEX_2
    frequency: 0.02
  range:
    min: -64
    max: 320

Good for cave features or scattered vertical placement.

TOP

Spawns at the highest solid block.

locator:
  type: TOP
  range:
    min: 0
    max: 320

UNDERWATER

Spawns on the ocean floor.

locator:
  type: UNDERWATER
  range:
    min: -64
    max: ${meta.yml:ocean-level}

Structure Selection

Defines which structures to place when feature spawns.

structures:
  distribution:
    type: CONSTANT      # Or WEIGHTED for multiple structures
  structures: tree_oak  # Single structure ID

For weighted selection:

structures:
  distribution:
    type: WEIGHTED
  structures:
    tree_oak: 3
    tree_birch: 2
    tree_spruce: 1

Feature Categories

Boulders

Boulders add large rock formations to terrain.

Example: Granite Boulders

reference

/home/daytona/workspace/source/features/boulders/granite_boulders.yml

Full configuration:

id: GRANITE_BOULDERS
type: FEATURE

distributor:
  type: AND
  distributors:
    - type: PADDED_GRID
      width: 8
      padding: 5
      salt: 2315
    - type: SAMPLER
      sampler:
        type: PROBABILITY
        sampler:
          type: OPEN_SIMPLEX_2
          salt: 8244
          frequency: 0.01
      threshold: 0.2

locator:
  type: SURFACE
  range:
    min: ${meta.yml:ocean-level} + 3
    max: $meta.yml:top-y

structures:
  distribution:
    type: CONSTANT
  structures: granite_boulder

Available boulder types:

granite_boulders.yml
granite_boulders_canyon.yml - Variant for canyon biomes
mossy_boulders.yml
dripstone_caves_boulder_patches.yml

Vegetation

Vegetation features are organized by type:

Trees

Procedural and structure-based tree generation.

Large tree varieties (oak, spruce, jungle, etc.)
Procedural generation using Terra’s tree system
Custom structures for special trees (giant sakura, redwood)
Density controlled by biome configs

Flowers

Small flower patches and individual flowers.

Distributed using sampler-based patterns
Different flower types per biome
Can generate as patches or individual plants

Bushes

Berry bushes and decorative shrubs.

Sweet berry bushes
Decorative leaf clusters
Often combined with flower generation

Coral

Underwater coral formations.

Requires underwater locator
Various coral types and colors
Fan corals and brain corals

Underwater

Kelp, seagrass, and other aquatic plants.

Kelp forests
Seagrass patches
Sea pickles

Deposits

Deposits include both decorative patches and ores.

Surface Deposits

Patches of alternate blocks in terrain.

Dirt patches
Gravel deposits
Andesite/diorite/granite patches
Clay deposits

Ore Veins

Underground mineral generation.Located in features/deposits/ores/veins/:

Iron, gold, copper, coal
Diamond, emerald, lapis
Redstone and other minerals
Height ranges vary by ore type

Special Features

Travertine

Travertine formations in specific biomes.Located in features/misc/travertine/:

Travertine cascades
Hot spring formations
Calcite deposits

Volcano Features

Special volcano-related features.Located in features/misc/volcano/:

Lava pools
Volcanic vents
Obsidian formations

Slabs

Smooth terrain transitions using slabs.Located in features/slabs/:

Places slabs on terrain to smooth transitions
Makes terrain look more natural
Applied in preprocessor stage

Rearth Features

Original Origen content in features/rearth/:

Dinosaur fossils
Giant sakura trees
Unique structures specific to Origen biomes

Generation Stages

Features are applied in stages defined in pack.yml:

stages:
  - id: global-preprocessors
    type: FEATURE
  - id: preprocessors
    type: FEATURE
  - id: landforms       # Boulders
    type: FEATURE
  - id: slabs           # Terrain smoothing
    type: FEATURE
  - id: ores
    type: FEATURE
  - id: deposits        # Dirt/gravel patches
    type: FEATURE
  - id: river-decoration
    type: FEATURE
  - id: trees
    type: FEATURE
  - id: underwater-flora
    type: FEATURE
  - id: flora           # Flowers, grass
    type: FEATURE
  - id: postprocessors  # Snow on trees
    type: FEATURE

Stage Assignment

Biomes assign features to stages in their config:

stages:
  trees:
    - id: OAK_TREES
      feature: features/vegetation/trees/oak_tree.yml
    - id: BIRCH_TREES
      feature: features/vegetation/trees/birch_tree.yml
  flora:
    - id: GRASS
      feature: features/vegetation/grass.yml
    - id: FLOWERS
      feature: features/vegetation/flowers/meadow_flowers.yml

Feature Configuration Tips

Density Control

Using Grid Width

Smaller width = more dense placement

distributor:
  type: PADDED_GRID
  width: 4    # Very dense
  width: 16   # Sparse

Using Sampler Threshold

Higher threshold = less frequent placement

distributor:
  type: SAMPLER
  threshold: 0.1   # 10% spawn chance
  threshold: 0.9   # 90% spawn chance (very rare)

Combining Distributors

Use AND to make features rarer

distributor:
  type: AND
  distributors:
    - type: PADDED_GRID
      width: 8
    - type: SAMPLER
      threshold: 0.5  # Only 50% of grid positions

Height Ranges

# Surface features
range:
  min: ${meta.yml:ocean-level}
  max: ${meta.yml:top-y}

# Cave features
range:
  min: -64
  max: 40

# Deep underground
range:
  min: -64
  max: -32

Structure Variation

Use weighted structures for variety:

structures:
  distribution:
    type: WEIGHTED
  structures:
    common_variant: 5
    uncommon_variant: 2
    rare_variant: 1

Structures

Structure files that features place in the world

Math Functions

Noise samplers used in feature distribution

Configuration Overview

How features fit into the overall config structure

Get Started

Biomes

Customization

Configuration Reference

Features Reference

Overview

Directory Structure

Feature Configuration Structure

Components

Distributors

Locators

Structure Selection

Feature Categories

Boulders

Vegetation

Deposits

Special Features

Rearth Features

Generation Stages

Stage Assignment

Feature Configuration Tips

Density Control

Height Ranges

Structure Variation

Structures

Math Functions

Configuration Overview

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Biomes

Customization

Configuration Reference

​Overview

​Directory Structure

​Feature Configuration Structure

​Components

​Distributors

​Locators

​Structure Selection

​Feature Categories

​Boulders

​Vegetation

​Deposits

​Special Features

​Rearth Features

​Generation Stages

​Stage Assignment

​Feature Configuration Tips

​Density Control

​Height Ranges

​Structure Variation

​Related References

Structures

Math Functions

Configuration Overview

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Directory Structure

Feature Configuration Structure

Components

Distributors

Locators

Structure Selection

Feature Categories

Boulders

Vegetation

Deposits

Special Features

Rearth Features

Generation Stages

Stage Assignment

Feature Configuration Tips

Density Control

Height Ranges

Structure Variation

Related References