I Remade Minecraft But It's Optimized

Summary

This script details the process of creating a Minecraft clone with a focus on performance optimization. It discusses the importance of minimizing GPU load by smartly rendering block faces, organizing blocks into chunks to reduce draw calls, and using efficient data structures like one-dimensional byte arrays. The video also touches on memory savings, frustum culling, and the challenges of implementing lighting and block states. The creator's goal is to evolve the project beyond a clone, seeking input on game design and planning future videos on world generation and water rendering.

Takeaways

• 😀 The project aims to create a fast-running Minecraft clone, starting with the fundamental building block, which is composed of six faces made from two triangles each.
• 🏗️ Optimization is crucial for performance, especially when rendering blocks and their adjacent blocks, to avoid unnecessary GPU rendering of unseen faces.
• 📦 Minecraft organizes blocks into chunks for efficient rendering, with the script suggesting that 32x32x32 chunks offer better performance than the standard 16x16x16.
• 🔢 Storing blocks in a three-dimensional array is memory-intensive; instead, using a one-dimensional byte array can significantly reduce memory usage.
• 🔬 Memory optimization can be further enhanced by replacing layers of identical blocks with a single reference, drastically cutting down on memory consumption.
• 🚫 The downside of using a byte array is the limitation to 256 block IDs; upgrading to shorts may be necessary for more block variety.
• 🌄 The script demonstrates a memory optimization technique that reduced the RAM usage from 1.3 gigabytes to just 200 megabytes for a flat world demo.
• 📈 Implementing frustum culling can greatly improve performance by only rendering chunks within the camera's view, skipping unnecessary draw calls.
• 🛠️ An additional optimization mentioned is occlusion culling, which hides chunks blocked by other objects, though it has not yet been implemented in the script's engine.
• 💡 Future work includes implementing lighting and block states, which are expected to be optimized using the same memory-saving techniques as blocks.
• 🔑 The project's creator is open to feedback and ideas for improving the game design and plans to tackle world generation and water rendering in the next video.

Q & A

What is the basic unit of a Minecraft-like game?

The basic unit is a block, which is made out of six faces, each face consisting of two triangles.

Why is it important to consider adjacent blocks when adding new blocks in a Minecraft clone?

Considering adjacent blocks helps to avoid rendering unnecessary faces, thus improving performance by reducing the workload on the GPU.

How does rendering extra faces inside a glass block affect performance?

Rendering extra faces inside a glass block is bad for performance because it forces the GPU to render faces that would not be visible to the player.

What is the purpose of organizing blocks into chunks in a Minecraft clone?

Organizing blocks into chunks reduces the number of draw calls needed to render the scene, which can improve performance.

What is the optimal chunk size according to the script?

The script suggests that 32 by 32 by 32 blocks per chunk provided more performance than the standard 16 by 16 by 16.

Why is storing blocks in a three-dimensional array considered bad for performance?

Storing blocks in a three-dimensional array can consume a lot of memory, leading to increased garbage collection and potential crashes due to memory exhaustion.

How can storing blocks in a one-dimensional byte array improve memory usage?

Using a one-dimensional byte array allows for more efficient memory usage as each byte corresponds to a block ID, reducing the memory footprint compared to object references.

What is the advantage of separating a chunk into wide layers and replacing same-type blocks with a single reference?

This method can significantly reduce memory usage, as it only requires storing a single block reference for layers where all blocks are the same, instead of storing each block individually.

What is frustum culling and how does it improve performance in a Minecraft clone?

Frustum culling is a technique that checks whether the bounding box of a chunk is within the camera's point of view. If it's not, the chunk doesn't need to be rendered, saving on GPU resources.

What is the potential downside of using a byte array to store block data?

The downside is that a byte array can only store 256 block IDs. If more block types are needed, the data structure may need to be upgraded to use shorts instead of bytes.

How can pre-computing the visibility of adjacent chunks improve rendering performance?

Pre-computing visibility allows for a more efficient rendering process by hiding chunks that are not visible due to being blocked by other chunks, reducing the number of unnecessary draw calls.

What are the two additional features mentioned that could impact performance when implemented in a Minecraft clone?

The two features are lighting and block states, which are important for realistic rendering but can be computationally expensive.

What memory optimization techniques can be applied to lighting and block states?

The same techniques used for blocks, such as reducing memory usage by only storing necessary data, can be applied to lighting and block states to optimize memory usage.

What is the creator's ultimate goal for the Minecraft clone project?

The creator plans to eventually make the project into a game of its own, distinct from being just a Minecraft clone.

What is the next step in the project as mentioned in the script?

The next step is tackling world generation and rendering water in the game.