Block Types: Terrain & Vegetation Roadmap

[MichaelFisher1997]

Block Types: Terrain, Vegetation & Building Roadmap

Comprehensive checklist of terrain, vegetation, and building blocks for a complete voxel game. Checked items are already implemented.

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📐 Rendering Notes

Cross-Billboard Vegetation

Flowers, grass, and small plants should use cross-billboard rendering - two 2D textured quads intersecting at 90° to create an X shape when viewed from above:

    Top View:
       │
    ───┼───
       │

This applies to:

• All flowers (poppies, dandelions, tulips, etc.)
• Tall grass and short grass
• Ferns
• Saplings
• Small mushrooms
• Dead bushes
• Sugar cane
• Crops

Full cube rendering should still be used for:

• Leaves (solid blocks with transparency)
• Cactus (special face culling)
• Melon/Pumpkin (solid blocks)
• Large mushroom caps/stems

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🪨 Stone & Terrain Blocks

Base Stone

• stone - Basic stone
• cobblestone - Broken stone
• bedrock - Indestructible base
• gravel - Loose stone aggregate
• smooth_stone - Smelted stone
• mossy_cobblestone - Aged cobblestone

Stone Variants

• granite - Pink igneous stone
• diorite - White igneous stone
• andesite - Gray igneous stone
• slate - Layered metamorphic
• marble - Decorative white stone
• basalt - Dark volcanic stone
• tuff - Volcanic ash stone
• calcite - White calcium stone
• deepslate - Deep underground stone

Polished/Brick Variants

• stone_bricks - Crafted stone blocks
• polished_granite - Smooth granite
• polished_diorite - Smooth diorite
• polished_andesite - Smooth andesite
• polished_deepslate - Smooth deepslate
• cracked_stone_bricks - Aged stone bricks
• mossy_stone_bricks - Overgrown stone bricks
• chiseled_stone - Decorative carved stone

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🟫 Soil & Ground Blocks

Basic Soil

• dirt - Basic soil
• grass - Grass-topped dirt
• sand - Desert/beach sand
• red_sand - Badlands sand
• clay - Wet clay deposit
• mud - Wet soil
• gravel - Loose rocks
• coarse_dirt - Non-spreadable dirt
• rooted_dirt - Dirt with roots
• farmland - Tilled soil for crops
• dirt_path - Packed walking path
• podzol - Forest floor soil
• soul_sand - Nether slow sand
• soul_soil - Nether soil

Snow & Ice

• snow_block - Packed snow
• snow_layer - Thin snow covering
• ice - Frozen water
• packed_ice - Dense ice
• blue_ice - Ultra-dense ice
• frosted_ice - Temporary ice

Specialty Ground

• mycelium - Mushroom biome soil
• terracotta - Hardened clay
• white_terracotta - Dyed terracotta
• orange_terracotta - Dyed terracotta
• yellow_terracotta - Dyed terracotta
• brown_terracotta - Dyed terracotta
• red_terracotta - Dyed terracotta
• light_gray_terracotta - Dyed terracotta

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🪵 Wood Types

Oak (Standard)

• wood - Oak log
• leaves - Oak leaves
• oak_planks - Oak wood planks
• oak_sapling - Oak tree sapling (cross-billboard)
• stripped_oak_log - Bark removed

Birch

• birch_log - White bark tree
• birch_leaves - Birch foliage
• birch_planks - Light planks
• birch_sapling - Birch sapling (cross-billboard)
• stripped_birch_log - Bark removed

Spruce (Taiga)

• spruce_log - Dark conifer log
• spruce_leaves - Needle leaves
• spruce_planks - Dark planks
• spruce_sapling - Spruce sapling (cross-billboard)
• stripped_spruce_log - Bark removed

Jungle

• jungle_log - Jungle tree log
• jungle_leaves - Jungle foliage
• jungle_planks - Jungle planks
• jungle_sapling - Jungle sapling (cross-billboard)
• stripped_jungle_log - Bark removed

Acacia (Savanna)

• acacia_log - Orange-tinted log
• acacia_leaves - Acacia foliage
• acacia_sapling - Acacia sapling (cross-billboard)
• acacia_planks - Orange planks
• stripped_acacia_log - Bark removed

Dark Oak

• dark_oak_log - Dark forest log
• dark_oak_leaves - Dense foliage
• dark_oak_planks - Dark planks
• dark_oak_sapling - Dark oak sapling (cross-billboard)
• stripped_dark_oak_log - Bark removed

Mangrove (Swamp)

• mangrove_log - Swamp tree log
• mangrove_leaves - Mangrove foliage
• mangrove_roots - Above-ground roots
• mangrove_planks - Red-tinted planks
• stripped_mangrove_log - Bark removed
• muddy_mangrove_roots - Roots in mud

Cherry (Special)

• cherry_log - Pink-tinted log
• cherry_leaves - Pink blossoms
• cherry_planks - Pink planks
• cherry_sapling - Cherry sapling (cross-billboard)

Bamboo

• bamboo - Bamboo stalk (cross-billboard)
• bamboo_block - Bundled bamboo
• bamboo_planks - Bamboo planks
• bamboo_mosaic - Decorative bamboo

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🍄 Mushrooms & Fungi

Small Mushrooms (cross-billboard)

• red_mushroom - Small red mushroom
• brown_mushroom - Small brown mushroom
• crimson_fungus - Nether red fungus
• warped_fungus - Nether blue fungus

Giant Mushroom Blocks (full cube)

• mushroom_stem - Giant mushroom stem
• red_mushroom_block - Giant red cap
• brown_mushroom_block - Giant brown cap
• mushroom_stem_stripped - Cleaned stem

Nether Fungi

• crimson_stem - Red nether wood
• warped_stem - Blue nether wood
• nether_wart_block - Red nether growth
• warped_wart_block - Blue nether growth
• shroomlight - Glowing fungus (light source)

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🌿 Grass & Ground Cover (cross-billboard)

Tall Plants

• tall_grass - Basic grass
• short_grass - Shorter grass variant
• fern - Forest ground cover
• large_fern - Double-tall fern
• tall_seagrass - Underwater grass
• seagrass - Short underwater grass

Vines & Climbers (special: wall-attached)

• vine - Hanging/climbing vines
• cave_vines - Glowing cave vines
• weeping_vines - Nether hanging vines
• twisting_vines - Nether climbing vines
• glow_lichen - Glowing cave cover

Moss & Lichen

• moss_block - Lush cave moss (full cube)
• moss_carpet - Thin moss layer (flat quad)
• hanging_roots - Cave ceiling roots (cross-billboard)
• spore_blossom - Dripping cave flower (cross-billboard)

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🌸 Flowers & Small Plants (cross-billboard)

Common Flowers

• flower_red - Red flower (poppy/rose)
• flower_yellow - Yellow flower (dandelion)
• blue_orchid - Swamp flower
• allium - Purple flower
• azure_bluet - White-blue flower
• tulip_red - Red tulip
• tulip_orange - Orange tulip
• tulip_white - White tulip
• tulip_pink - Pink tulip
• oxeye_daisy - White daisy
• cornflower - Blue flower
• lily_of_the_valley - White forest flower
• wither_rose - Dark rose (damage)

Tall Flowers (double cross-billboard)

• sunflower - Double-tall yellow
• lilac - Double-tall purple
• rose_bush - Double-tall red
• peony - Double-tall pink

Special Plants

• dead_bush - Desert/badlands plant (cross-billboard)
• cactus - Desert cactus (special cube, inset faces)
• sugar_cane - Riverside plant (cross-billboard)
• kelp - Underwater plant (cross-billboard)
• lily_pad - Water surface plant (flat quad)
• sweet_berry_bush - Taiga berry bush (cross-billboard)
• dripleaf - Lush cave platform (special)
• azalea - Flowering bush (full cube)
• flowering_azalea - Pink azalea (full cube)
• pitcher_plant - Exotic plant (cross-billboard)
• torchflower - Glowing flower (cross-billboard)

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🎃 Produce & Crops

Fruit Blocks (full cube)

• melon - Melon block
• pumpkin - Orange pumpkin
• carved_pumpkin - Face carved
• jack_o_lantern - Glowing pumpkin
• hay_block - Bundled wheat

Crop Blocks (cross-billboard)

• wheat_crop - Wheat field
• beetroot_crop - Beetroot field
• carrot_crop - Carrot field
• potato_crop - Potato field

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🌊 Water & Liquid Related

Liquids

• water - Water block
• lava - Lava block (light + damage)

Underwater Blocks

• coral_block_tube - Blue coral (full cube)
• coral_block_brain - Pink coral (full cube)
• coral_block_bubble - Purple coral (full cube)
• coral_block_fire - Red coral (full cube)
• coral_block_horn - Yellow coral (full cube)
• dead_coral_block - Gray dead coral
• coral_fan - Coral decoration (cross-billboard)
• sponge - Water-absorbing block
• wet_sponge - Saturated sponge
• prismarine - Ocean monument block
• sea_lantern - Underwater light

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🧱 Building Blocks - Bricks & Masonry

Clay Bricks

• bricks - Red clay bricks
• brick_slab - Half brick block
• brick_stairs - Brick staircase
• brick_wall - Brick wall/fence

Stone Bricks

• stone_bricks - Standard stone bricks
• stone_brick_slab - Half stone brick
• stone_brick_stairs - Stone brick stairs
• stone_brick_wall - Stone brick wall
• mossy_stone_bricks - Overgrown variant
• cracked_stone_bricks - Damaged variant
• chiseled_stone_bricks - Decorative variant

Nether Bricks

• nether_bricks - Dark Nether bricks
• red_nether_bricks - Red Nether variant
• chiseled_nether_bricks - Decorative Nether

Specialty Bricks

• mud_bricks - Dried mud blocks
• deepslate_bricks - Deep stone bricks
• polished_blackstone_bricks - Dark polished
• end_stone_bricks - End dimension bricks
• prismarine_bricks - Ocean bricks
• dark_prismarine - Dark ocean variant

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🪟 Glass & Transparent Blocks

Clear Glass

• glass - Clear glass block
• glass_pane - Thin glass window
• tinted_glass - Light-blocking glass

Stained Glass

• white_stained_glass - White tinted
• orange_stained_glass - Orange tinted
• magenta_stained_glass - Magenta tinted
• light_blue_stained_glass - Light blue tinted
• yellow_stained_glass - Yellow tinted
• lime_stained_glass - Lime tinted
• pink_stained_glass - Pink tinted
• gray_stained_glass - Gray tinted
• cyan_stained_glass - Cyan tinted
• purple_stained_glass - Purple tinted
• blue_stained_glass - Blue tinted
• brown_stained_glass - Brown tinted
• green_stained_glass - Green tinted
• red_stained_glass - Red tinted
• black_stained_glass - Black tinted

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🎨 Colored Building Blocks

Wool

• white_wool - White wool
• orange_wool - Orange wool
• magenta_wool - Magenta wool
• light_blue_wool - Light blue wool
• yellow_wool - Yellow wool
• lime_wool - Lime wool
• pink_wool - Pink wool
• gray_wool - Gray wool
• light_gray_wool - Light gray wool
• cyan_wool - Cyan wool
• purple_wool - Purple wool
• blue_wool - Blue wool
• brown_wool - Brown wool
• green_wool - Green wool
• red_wool - Red wool
• black_wool - Black wool

Concrete

• white_concrete - White concrete
• orange_concrete - Orange concrete
• magenta_concrete - Magenta concrete
• light_blue_concrete - Light blue concrete
• yellow_concrete - Yellow concrete
• lime_concrete - Lime concrete
• pink_concrete - Pink concrete
• gray_concrete - Gray concrete
• light_gray_concrete - Light gray concrete
• cyan_concrete - Cyan concrete
• purple_concrete - Purple concrete
• blue_concrete - Blue concrete
• brown_concrete - Brown concrete
• green_concrete - Green concrete
• red_concrete - Red concrete
• black_concrete - Black concrete

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🔩 Metal & Processed Blocks

Metal Blocks

• iron_block - Compressed iron
• gold_block - Compressed gold
• diamond_block - Compressed diamond
• copper_block - Compressed copper
• exposed_copper - Oxidized copper
• weathered_copper - More oxidized
• oxidized_copper - Fully green copper
• netherite_block - Ultimate material
• coal_block - Compressed coal (fuel)
• lapis_block - Compressed lapis
• redstone_block - Compressed redstone
• emerald_block - Compressed emerald
• raw_iron_block - Raw ore block
• raw_gold_block - Raw ore block
• raw_copper_block - Raw ore block

Cut Metal Variants

• cut_copper - Decorative copper
• cut_copper_stairs - Copper stairs
• cut_copper_slab - Copper slab
• copper_grate - Copper mesh

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🚪 Functional Building Blocks

Doors & Trapdoors

• oak_door - Wooden door
• iron_door - Metal door
• oak_trapdoor - Floor hatch
• iron_trapdoor - Metal hatch

Fences & Gates

• oak_fence - Wooden fence
• oak_fence_gate - Fence gate
• nether_brick_fence - Nether fence
• iron_bars - Metal bars/window

Slabs

• oak_slab - Half wood block
• stone_slab - Half stone block
• cobblestone_slab - Half cobble
• smooth_stone_slab - Smooth half block

Stairs

• oak_stairs - Wood staircase
• stone_stairs - Stone staircase
• cobblestone_stairs - Cobble stairs

Walls

• cobblestone_wall - Stone wall
• stone_brick_wall - Brick wall
• mossy_cobblestone_wall - Mossy wall
• sandstone_wall - Sand wall

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🏛️ Decorative Building Blocks

Sandstone

• sandstone - Desert building block
• smooth_sandstone - Polished sandstone
• cut_sandstone - Patterned sandstone
• chiseled_sandstone - Carved sandstone
• red_sandstone - Red desert variant
• smooth_red_sandstone - Polished red
• cut_red_sandstone - Patterned red
• chiseled_red_sandstone - Carved red

Quartz

• quartz_block - White crystal block
• smooth_quartz - Polished quartz
• quartz_bricks - Quartz bricks
• quartz_pillar - Column block
• chiseled_quartz - Carved quartz

Purpur (End)

• purpur_block - Purple End block
• purpur_pillar - Purple column
• purpur_stairs - Purple stairs
• purpur_slab - Purple slab

Miscellaneous

• bookshelf - Book storage/decoration
• chiseled_bookshelf - Functional bookshelf
• hay_block - Straw bale
• bone_block - Skeletal block
• dried_kelp_block - Compressed kelp
• honeycomb_block - Bee honeycomb
• slime_block - Bouncy green block
• honey_block - Sticky yellow block

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💡 Light Sources

Natural Light

• glowstone - Bright yellow light
• shroomlight - Fungal light (Nether)
• sea_lantern - Blue underwater light
• glow_berries - Dim orange (cave vines)
• jack_o_lantern - Pumpkin light

Crafted Light

• torch - Basic wall/floor light (special placement)
• soul_torch - Blue flame torch
• lantern - Hanging/floor lantern
• soul_lantern - Blue flame lantern
• redstone_lamp - Powered light
• end_rod - White light rod
• candle - Small wax light
• campfire - Fire pit (cooking)
• soul_campfire - Blue fire pit

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📊 Summary

Category	Implemented	Planned	Total
Stone & Terrain	4	22	26
Soil & Ground	10	18	28
Wood Types	13	34	47
Mushrooms & Fungi	3	11	14
Grass & Ground Cover	1	12	13
Flowers & Plants	5	24	29
Produce & Crops	1	8	9
Water Related	1	13	14
Bricks & Masonry	0	20	20
Glass & Transparent	1	17	18
Colored Blocks	0	32	32
Metal & Processed	0	18	18
Functional Blocks	0	18	18
Decorative Blocks	0	22	22
Light Sources	1	13	14
TOTAL	40	282	322

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Render Type Legend

Type	Description	Examples
Full Cube	Standard 6-face block	Stone, dirt, planks
Cross-Billboard	Two quads in X shape	Flowers, grass, saplings
Flat Quad	Single horizontal quad	Lily pad, moss carpet
Wall-Attached	Quads on block faces	Vines, glow lichen
Special	Custom geometry	Cactus, doors, fences

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Priority Recommendations

Phase 1: Core Building (High Priority)

• Implement cross-billboard mesh type for vegetation
• Planks for all existing wood types
• Lava
• Stone bricks + mossy/cracked variants
• Bricks (clay)
• Slabs and stairs (wood + stone)
• Doors and trapdoors
• Torch and lantern
• Iron block, gold block, coal block
• Glass pane

Phase 2: Variety & Color (Medium Priority)

• Spruce and birch trees
• Stone variants (granite, diorite, andesite)
• 4-6 wool colors
• 4-6 concrete colors
• Sandstone variants
• Fences and walls
• More flower types (cross-billboard)
• Small mushrooms (cross-billboard)

Phase 3: Polish & Special (Lower Priority)

• All 16 wool/concrete colors
• Stained glass
• Copper aging variants
• Nether bricks and blocks
• Quartz variants
• Coral blocks
• Decorative specialty blocks

[MichaelFisher1997]

/oc
Analyze this issue. You have access to the codebase context.

        1. **Classify**: Determine if this is a Bug, Feature Request, or Question.
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        3. **Analyze**:
           - If a stack trace or error is provided, analyze the codebase to find the root cause.
           - If it's a feature request, briefly summarize the architectural impact.
        4. **Action**:
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           - If the issue is vague, spam, or you have nothing valuable to add: **DO NOT COMMENT**.

[opencode-agent]

Analysis

Classification: Feature Request / Roadmap

Current State Assessment:
Based on my analysis of the codebase:

1. Core block system is in place (src/world/block.zig:76-123) - 45 block types currently defined
2. Block registry with properties (src/world/block_registry.zig) - defines solid/transparent/fluid properties and render passes
3. Greedy meshing for cubes (src/world/chunk_mesh.zig) - efficient mesh generation for 6-face blocks

Key Finding: The current meshing system (chunk_mesh.zig) is designed exclusively for full cube blocks. Cross-billboard rendering (for flowers, saplings, etc.) requires a fundamental addition:

Missing Infrastructure for Cross-Billboard Rendering

Location: src/world/block_registry.zig:10-29 and src/world/chunk_mesh.zig

The RenderPass enum lacks a billboard variant, and the meshSlice/addGreedyFace functions only generate 3D cube faces.

Required Changes (in priority order):

1. Add billboard render type in block_registry.zig:13-29
2. Extend BlockDefinition with billboard properties (rotation, scale)
3. Add billboard mesh generation in chunk_mesh.zig:475-619 - separate path from cube meshing
4. Update texture atlas to handle billboard UV mapping
5. Add billboard instances to render pipeline

Phase 1 items from roadmap that can be implemented:

• Cross-billboard mesh type (infrastructure)
• Planks for wood types (simple texture changes)
• Stone bricks (new block type + textures)
• Slabs/stairs (new block types with special geometry)
• Doors/trapdoors (new block types + special geometry)

Recommendation: Start with infrastructure for billboard rendering, then add the simpler block types. The roadmap is well-structured - the main gap is the rendering system not supporting non-cube geometry yet.

opencode session  |  github run

[MichaelFisher1997]

Closing as superseded by #616.

This roadmap is now stale: cross/billboard rendering has been implemented via #373, current block definitions live under modules/world-core, and the full 322-block list exceeds the current u8/MAX_BLOCK_TYPES = 256 architecture. The replacement epic splits this into block capacity, render shape, natural block packs, and biome dependency sub-issues.