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Overview

The palettes/ directory contains configuration files that define what blocks make up the terrain. Palettes are used by biomes to determine the surface and subsurface block composition.
Palettes control the block composition of terrain, not its shape. Terrain shape is determined by noise samplers and biome configs.

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Directory Structure

palettes/
├── arid/              # Desert and badlands palettes
│   ├── sand.yml
│   ├── red_sand.yml
│   ├── badlands_strata.yml
│   ├── terracotta_strata.yml
│   ├── terracotta_strata_gold.yml
│   ├── terracotta_strata_red.yml
│   ├── terracotta_strata_vertical.yml
│   ├── terracotta_slant.yml
│   ├── sand_canyon.yml
│   ├── salt.yml
│   ├── xeric.yml
│   ├── xeric_light_gray_terracotta.yml
│   ├── xeric_sandstone.yml
│   ├── arid.yml
│   └── frozen_canyon.yml
├── temperate/         # Forest and plains palettes
│   ├── grass.yml
│   ├── podzol.yml
│   ├── coarse_dirt.yml
│   ├── mossy_stone.yml
│   └── ...
├── cold/              # Snow and ice palettes
│   ├── snow.yml
│   ├── ice.yml
│   ├── packed_ice.yml
│   └── ...
├── ocean/             # Ocean floor palettes
│   ├── ocean_floor.yml
│   ├── gravel.yml
│   ├── sand_ocean.yml
│   └── ...
├── cave/              # Underground palettes
│   ├── stone.yml
│   ├── deepslate.yml
│   ├── dripstone.yml
│   └── ...
└── special/           # Unique palettes
    ├── mycelium.yml
    ├── volcanic.yml
    └── ...

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Palette Configuration Structure

Basic palette structure: 
id: PALETTE_ID
type: PALETTE

layers:
  - materials:        # Top layer
      - minecraft:block_id: weight
    layers: count     # How many blocks deep
  - materials:        # Next layer down
      - minecraft:block_id: weight
    layers: count
  # ... more layers

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Simple Example

Here’s the sand palette:
reference
/home/daytona/workspace/source/palettes/arid/sand.yml

id: SAND
type: PALETTE

layers:
  - materials:
      - minecraft:sand: 1
    layers: 2
  - materials:
      - minecraft:sandstone: 1
    layers: 2
  - materials:
      - minecraft:stone: 1
    layers: 1
This creates:
  • 2 layers of sand on top
  • 2 layers of sandstone below
  • 1 layer of stone (extends to bedrock)
The last layer always extends down to bedrock unless explicitly limited.

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Layer Configuration

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Materials

Materials can be: 
materials:
  - minecraft:grass_block: 1

materials:
  - minecraft:grass_block: 3
  - minecraft:dirt: 1
75% grass blocks, 25% dirt blocks (3:1 ratio)
materials:
  - minecraft:oak_leaves[persistent=true]: 1
Terra provides shortcuts for common blocks:
materials:
  - GRASS: 1      # Grass block
  - DIRT: 1       # Dirt
  - STONE: 1      # Stone

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Layer Depth

layers:
  - materials:
      - minecraft:grass_block: 1
    layers: 1          # Exactly 1 block deep
  
  - materials:
      - minecraft:dirt: 1
    layers: 4          # 4 blocks deep
  
  - materials:
      - minecraft:stone: 1
    layers: 1          # Extends to bedrock (last layer)

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Palette Categories

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Arid Palettes

For desert, badlands, and dry biomes.
  • sand.yml - Standard yellow sand
  • red_sand.yml - Red desert sand
  • sand_canyon.yml - Mixed sand for canyons
  • sand_ocean.yml - Sand with sandstone base
Colorful stratified palettes for badlands:
  • badlands_strata.yml - Classic badlands layers
  • terracotta_strata.yml - Standard terracotta layers
  • terracotta_strata_gold.yml - Gold-tinted variant
  • terracotta_strata_red.yml - Red-tinted variant
  • terracotta_strata_vertical.yml - Vertical banding
  • terracotta_slant.yml - Diagonal layers
These use multiple weighted terracotta colors to create natural banding.
  • xeric.yml - Dry cracked earth
  • xeric_sandstone.yml - Sandstone variant
  • xeric_light_gray_terracotta.yml - Gray terracotta mix
  • arid.yml - General arid surface
  • salt.yml - Salt flat appearance

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Temperate Palettes

For forests, plains, and moderate climate biomes.
  • grass.yml - Standard grass and dirt
  • podzol.yml - Podzol surface (forests)
  • mycelium.yml - Mushroom biome surface
  • coarse_dirt.yml - Coarse dirt variant
  • stone.yml - Exposed stone
  • mossy_stone.yml - Moss-covered stone
  • andesite.yml - Andesite surface
  • granite.yml - Granite surface
  • diorite.yml - Diorite surface

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Cold Palettes

For snowy and frozen biomes.
  • snow.yml - Snow layers over dirt
  • snow_stone.yml - Snow over stone
  • ice.yml - Ice surface
  • packed_ice.yml - Packed ice
  • frozen_canyon.yml - Mixed ice and stone

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Ocean Palettes

For underwater terrain.
  • ocean_floor.yml - Standard gravel/dirt mix
  • sand_ocean.yml - Sandy ocean floor
  • gravel.yml - Pure gravel
  • clay.yml - Clay deposits
  • coral_ocean.yml - Coral block base

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Cave Palettes

For underground and cave biomes.
  • stone.yml - Standard stone
  • deepslate.yml - Deep underground
  • dripstone.yml - Dripstone caves
  • moss_cave.yml - Lush caves
  • sculk.yml - Deep dark

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Advanced Palette Features

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Noise-Based Variation

Palettes can use noise for dynamic variation: 
id: VARIED_PALETTE
type: PALETTE

layers:
  - materials:
      - minecraft:grass_block: 1
    layers: 1
  - materials:
      - minecraft:dirt: 3
      - minecraft:coarse_dirt: 1
    layers:
      type: NOISE
      sampler:
        type: WHITE_NOISE
      min: 3
      max: 6
  - materials:
      - minecraft:stone: 1
    layers: 1
This varies the dirt layer depth between 3-6 blocks using noise.

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Slant-Based Palettes

Different blocks on slopes vs flat terrain: 
layers:
  - materials:
      - minecraft:grass_block: 1
    layers: 1
    slant:
      min: 0.0
      max: 0.3    # Only on flat/gentle slopes
  - materials:
      - minecraft:stone: 1
    layers: 1
    slant:
      min: 0.3
      max: 1.0    # Only on steep slopes
Slant calculation is configured in pack.yml: 
slant:
  calculation-method: DotProduct  # Or NormalVector

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Conditional Palettes

Palettes can include conditions: 
layers:
  - materials:
      - minecraft:snow_block: 1
    layers: 1
    y:
      min: 100    # Only above Y=100
      max: 320

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Using Palettes in Biomes

Biomes reference palettes in their configuration: 
id: BIOME_ID
type: BIOME

palette:
  - GRASS: 1          # Single palette

# Or multiple palettes with noise blending
palette:
  - GRASS: 3
  - PODZOL: 1
  sampler:
    type: CELLULAR
    frequency: 0.02

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Palette Blending

Multiple palettes can be blended: 
palette:
  - GRASS: 2
  - COARSE_DIRT: 1
  sampler:
    type: OPEN_SIMPLEX_2
    frequency: 0.05
This creates patches of different palettes using noise.

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Palette Design Tips

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Layer Ordering

  1. Top layer - Surface appearance (grass, sand, snow)
  2. Subsurface layers - Transition materials (dirt, sandstone)
  3. Base layer - Deep underground (stone, deepslate)

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Material Weights

Use weights to create natural variation: 
materials:
  - minecraft:grass_block: 8    # 80% grass
  - minecraft:dirt: 2           # 20% exposed dirt

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Layer Depth Guidelines

  • Surface: 1-2 layers (grass, snow, sand)
  • Subsurface: 3-5 layers (dirt, sandstone)
  • Base: 1 layer (extends to bedrock)

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Creating Strata

For layered rock formations: 
layers:
  - materials:
      - minecraft:red_terracotta: 2
      - minecraft:orange_terracotta: 1
    layers: 3
  - materials:
      - minecraft:yellow_terracotta: 1
    layers: 2
  - materials:
      - minecraft:white_terracotta: 1
    layers: 2
  - materials:
      - minecraft:light_gray_terracotta: 1
    layers: 3
  # Repeat for depth

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Palette Inheritance

Palettes can extend others to reduce duplication: 
id: SNOWY_GRASS
type: PALETTE

extends: GRASS

layers:
  - materials:
      - minecraft:snow_block: 1
    layers: 1
  # Inherits remaining layers from GRASS

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Testing Palettes

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Single Biome Testing

Use the single biome preset to test palettes: 
# In pack.yml
biomes: $biome-distribution/presets/single.yml:biomes

# In single.yml
biomes:
  type: SINGLE
  biome: YOUR_TEST_BIOME

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Superflat Testing

Create a biome with flat terrain to see palette layers clearly: 
noise-equation: "0"  # Perfectly flat
palette:
  - YOUR_PALETTE: 1

Configuration Overview

How palettes fit into the overall config structure

Math Functions

Samplers used for palette variation and blending

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