[Still open] Recruitment for BetterGen: a world generator that bests the default

I'm sure many minecrafters have had this dilemma: the default terrain has just gotten worse through the updates, and now it just looks really messy and strange. Not to mention there is no real replacement for it yet; The world generator tab is really lacking. I think that if we could get a few plugin developers together, we can build something that has better, more extreme mountains, prettier swamps, better plains for building, as well as solve a major issue with the default generator; new versions of minecraft breaking old terrain. We have the technology. We have the man power. We have the passion. We have the pizza.

I still haven't hammered out a plan for it, but I have set up a github group, and I am working on a base project to work from. I haven't used github much, so if there is anything I should do, tell me. If you can help in any way, let me know, and I will add you to the organisation. One goal of the project is to have the cleanest code possible, so if somebody could write up some good coding standards, that would be great. Also, I think that it will be very important to discuss the design of the generator, so we will need to find a way to do that.

https://github.com/BetterMinecraftGeneratorTeam/The-better-generator-bukkit-plugin

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. For now, I am on skype @ jtjj222.

Devs who might be interested (I just picked out the top devs in the wgen catagory):
@codename_B
@daddychurchill
@Jacek
@Khoorn
@mysource
@Cayorion
@escortkeel
@richie3366
@Canis85
@magnificence7
I can't think of anyone else off the top of my head right now, but if you know of someone who could help, tag 'em! I know for me, this will be a great learning experience, and if we can get enough interest in it, it will be epic.

I am interested in this project. Although I've been programming for several years now, I am still fairly new to Java and Bukkit development, and even less experienced with world generation so I am not too sure about how much I can contribute (it depends who else will be contributing: given enough time I can do anything, but others may beat me to it due to prior experience), but I do write very clean code, and I really like to stick to standards. Also when programming, I often try thinking ahead to see if additional functionality will be added, and I code my classes anticipating those changes, so when the time comes to apply changes, it is a simple process and a minimal amount of code needs to be rewritten.

I'm really interested in this. I already tried to make a generetor for beta 1.7.3 terrain *_*
But minecraft has changed too much so i failed... I've been programing java for now 2 years and I now really much about plugin programming and a bit about worldgeeration too and i have basic experience with github too.

I love your signature

While I disagree about having the pizza, I agree with the rest of it

Me, and my giant bank of populators, are with you!

Great! You see, I love terrain generation, but I was never formally taught java (or any programming language for that matter). You will make a great addition to the team. . What is your github username?

. What is your username on github? EDIT: I added sd5, seems like it's you

I would be glad to help you! I just started on a World Gen project for someone not too log ago porting a mod to a plugin.

My username is DavidSkrundz

@jtjj222 how does this look for a base terrain btw?

@codename_B
Awesome! I am curious to see how you did that. My guess is about 5 or so 2d noise generators for the top, two for the bottom, with 3d noise in between, but I honestly have no idea. Did you push it to github yet? On an unrelated note, how are we going to tackle biomes? Will we just have an array of noise generators for each biome, then mix the generators when there are two biomes close to each other? Something else?
On a different note, I think I am going to start working on the noise generators. I'm guessing so far that we are going to need 2d perlin, 2d/3d simplex with different interpolation options, and maybe a voronoi generator?

@codename_B
I would like for you to put this on the github so we can see/use this. I would like to do a few tweaks with it if you wouldn't mind =)

One 3d noise generator (perlin)

Sure. For now, come onto my test server?

141.255.189.33:25567

Code:

package de.bananaco.gen;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Random;

import org.bukkit.Material;
import org.bukkit.World;
import org.bukkit.block.Biome;
import org.bukkit.generator.BlockPopulator;
import org.bukkit.util.noise.OctaveGenerator;
import org.bukkit.util.noise.PerlinOctaveGenerator;
import de.bananaco.gen.populator.*;

public class ChunkGenerator extends org.bukkit.generator.ChunkGenerator {
    double scale = 24.0; //how far apart the tops of the hills are
    double threshold = 0.07; // the cutoff point for terrain
    int middle = 64; // the "middle" of the road
    
    Material ground = Material.STONE;
    Material water = Material.WATER;
    Material surface = Material.GRASS;
    Material lining = Material.DIRT;
    
    List<BlockPopulator> pops = new ArrayList<BlockPopulator>();
    
    public ChunkGenerator() {
        PopulatorWrapper pops = new PopulatorWrapper();
        // underground stuff
        pops.add(NewCavePopulator.class);
        pops.add(LapisRing.class);
        pops.add(EmeraldRing.class);
        pops.add(OrePopulator.class);
        // advanced underground stuff
        pops.add(DungeonPopulator.class);
        pops.add(NewMineshaft.class);
        // above ground stuff
        pops.add(LakeAndCreek.class);
        pops.add(LakePopulator.class);
        pops.add(PumpkinPopulator.class);
        pops.add(MelonPopulator.class);
        pops.add(FlowerPopulator.class);
        pops.add(WildGrassPopulator.class);
        pops.add(TreePopulator.class);
        pops.add(SugarcanePopulator.class);
        // now add the main bit
        pops.save();
        this.pops.add(pops);
    }

    public List<BlockPopulator> getDefaultPopulators(World world) {
        return pops;
    }

    /*
     * Gets a block in the chunk. If the Block section doesn't exist, it allocates it.
     * [y>>4] the section id (y/16)
     * the math for the second offset confuses me
     */
    byte getBlock(int x, int y, int z, byte[][] chunk) {
        if (chunk[y>>4] == null)
            chunk[y>>4] = new byte[16*16*16];
        if (!(y<=256 && y >= 0 && x <= 16 && x >= 0 && z <= 16 && z >= 0))
            return 0; //Out of bounds
        try {
            return chunk[y>>4][((y & 0xF) << 8) | (z << 4) | x];
        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
            return 0;
        }
    }

    /*
     * Sets a block in the chunk. If the Block section doesn't exist, it allocates it.
     * [y>>4] the section id (y/16)
     * the math for the second offset confuses me
     */
    void setBlock(int x, int y, int z, byte[][] chunk, Material material) {
        if (chunk[y>>4] == null)
            chunk[y>>4] = new byte[16*16*16];
        if (!(y<=256 && y >= 0 && x <= 16 && x >= 0 && z <= 16 && z >= 0))
            return; //Out of bounds
        try {
            chunk[y>>4][((y & 0xF) << 8) | (z << 4) | x] = (byte)material.getId();
        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
    
    @Override
    //Generates block sections. Each block section is 16*16*16 blocks, stacked above each other. //There are world height / 16 sections. section number is world height / 16 (>>4)
    //returns a byte[world height / 16][], formatted [section id][Blocks]. If there are no blocks in a section, it need not be allocated.
    public byte[][] generateBlockSections(World world, Random rand,
            int ChunkX, int ChunkZ, BiomeGrid biomes) {
        Random random = new Random(world.getSeed());
        OctaveGenerator gen = new PerlinOctaveGenerator(random, 10);
        
        byte[][] chunk = new byte[world.getMaxHeight() / 16][];
        
        gen.setScale(1/scale); //The distance between peaks of the terrain. Scroll down more to see what happens when you play with this
        
        double threshold = this.threshold; //scroll down to see what happens when you play with this.

        int smidle = middle-32;
        int mmidle = middle+64;
        
        for (int x=0;x<16;x++) {
            for (int z=0;z<16;z++) {
                // set things to default "plains"
                biomes.setBiome(x, z, Biome.PLAINS);
                
                int real_x = x + ChunkX * 16;
                int real_z = z + ChunkZ * 16;
                
                setBlock(x, 0, z, chunk, Material.BEDROCK);
                setBlock(x, 1, z, chunk, Material.BEDROCK);
                for(int y=2; y<smidle; y++) {
                    setBlock(x, y, z, chunk, ground);
                }
                
                for (int y=smidle; y<mmidle; y++) {
                    double noise = gen.noise(real_x, y, real_z, 0.5, 0.5);
                    double variable = (y-middle)/48.0; // this will generate the offset
                    //variable = Math.abs(variable); // skylands?
                    noise = noise - variable; // scale the terrain    
                    if(noise > threshold) //explained above
                        setBlock(x, y, z, chunk, ground);
                    else if(noise <= threshold && y < middle)
                        setBlock(x, y, z, chunk, water);
                }
                
                
                for (int y=smidle; y<mmidle; y++) {
                    int id = getBlock(x, y, z, chunk);
                    int idu = getBlock(x, y+1, z, chunk);
                    if(id == ground.getId() && idu == 0) {
                        setBlock(x, y, z, chunk, surface);
                        if(getBlock(x, y-1, z, chunk) != 0)
                            setBlock(x, y-1, z, chunk, lining);
                        if(getBlock(x, y-2, z, chunk) != 0)
                            setBlock(x, y-2, z, chunk, lining);
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        return chunk;
    }
}

Initially I was thinking we should have a different generator per-biome (but our own custom biome determiners perhaps?)

I think so too

I think this project is awesome. @codename_B Did you develop all those populators yourself?

No, but those other folks who did are credited in comments

If you need me to do something just let me know. I'll be working on some school work for the next few week so I won't be able to actively participate, but I'd be glad to help wherever it is needed during my 'breaks'.

Also, how could I set up eclipse with github so I can have everything in one place? I haven't worked with git in eclipse yet.

Looks like I'm a bit late to the party, but I'd be happy to pitch in! This looks brilliant!

I'm escortkeel on github.

Do you use windows? If you do, github has GitHub:Windows out which is really great for repo management. Also, git integration with eclipse is pretty well detailed here.

Thanks,
Keeley

Sorry that I'm so stupid, but how can I add the project to github? Normally I uploaded all files to GitHub, .project and .classpath too and the root folder contained the src and bin folder like here: sd5/PVPLogger

I've spent absurd amounts of time working with TerrainControl and have a very good idea of how the generator should work. I recommend first getting rollings hills and cool caves and then working from there.

Also, I'm willing to help with whatever I can.

I hope you're kidding...

That was my code that had that comment originally... Also, is this really a productive thing to post on a recruitment forum?

Yes, because if even codename_B didn't understand this then you would have a problem

I just like to leave other peoples comments intact wherever possible, it's a manners thing

Also 3d perlin with a shift (based around the water level) as seen in the screenshot I posted there is by far the best looking terrain I've been able to produce.

Anyone got anything better looking yet?

well i got a good plains going here using 2 3d simplex




Minus the random pillars, that's a 3rd simplex i was toying with xD

For plains, we're as well using 2d (performance reasons) do you not think?

i've used 2d vs 3d and 2d is faster but i dont like 2d =P

For desert the same as for the plains would be good, maybe a bit more hilly...