Community Support
Visual Effects+ is and will remain completely free. The next update will be released whether the support goal is reached or not. Nothing is locked behind this goal. It is simply an optional way for anyone who enjoys the pack to support the time and work that goes into its development.
Every contribution helps me dedicate more time to creating new effects, fixing issues, making backports, and supporting newer Minecraft versions. Using the pack, sharing it, reporting bugs, and leaving feedback already helps a lot too.
Thank you for supporting Visual Effects+ in any way!
Visual Effects+ transforms Minecraft's atmosphere with dynamic biome fog, custom particles, weather effects, reworked skies, clouds, and much more.
Latest Update Trailer
Features
Configuration screen
Requirements
- Polytone — required
- Additional performance mods — recommended
Recommended settings
Open settings guide
1. Pack should be on top!
Your pack should be always on top to prevent any polytone related issues.
2. Turn off fog occlusion!
You can find this option in "Performance" tab.
For low-end PC left it turned on
Recommended render distance is 12 - 16 chunks, but you can modify this value as you want
CREDITS
View full credits
Tealover - testing, suggestions and other help.
sapling. - testing, suggestions and other help.
Cubert - helped to decide a title for a project, testing, suggestions and other help.
Peanut Butter Jelly - testing and suggestions.
VFX+ discord server - big thank you for community feedback and support.
sapling. Mods discord server - big thank you for community feedback and support.
MehVahdJukaar - helping out with polytone.
All Versions
+ Add Version
- fixed sky core shader issue with big visible octagon when on high attitude ( [reported by @kchongz on discord server](https://discord.com/channels/1380447830317203597/1545498588505710722) )
- fixed sky core shader issue with small bobbing when walking
- Fixed a bug with red square under player model when "Run and jump dust" option was on.
- Fixed a bug with red square under player model when "Run and jump dust" option was on.
- Fixed a bug with red square under player model when "Run and jump dust" option was on.
This update mainly focuses on rebuilding fog, rain, wind, and lens flare effects.
### Volumetric Fog
- Completely rebuilt fog fx using GPU particles.
- Replaced the old block-based emitters with a unified system centered around the player.
- Added separate light and dense fog variants for different biomes.
- Particles now follows the terrain heightmap.
- Fog color now dynamically follows the current in-game fog color with a slightly brighter tint.
- Added smooth lifetime and distance-based fading.
- Fog can now remain visible during rain.
- Unified fog coverage across most surface biomes and The End.
- Volumetric Fog is now enabled by default.
### Rain FX
- Converted regular and heavy rain effects to GPU particles.
- Added four different rain sprite variants.
- Increased rain coverage around the player.
- Added smoother fade-in and fade-out.
- Improved collision with terrain and roofs using the heightmap.
### Lens Flare
- Sun and moon lens flares now smoothly fade in and out when obstructed instead of disappearing instantly ( 1.21.11 only for now ).
- Improved visibility detection around the edges of blocks and terrain.
- Reduced the intensity of lens ghosts to make the effect less intrusive.
- Renamed “Glare shaders” to “Lens flare” in the configuration menu.
- The blue moon variant is now selected by default.
### Wind and Ambient Effects
- Expanded the wind animation from 30 to 60 frames.
- Wind gusts are now larger, softer, and move at a more consistent speed.
- Wind can no longer spawn closer than 10 blocks from the player.
- Increased the size of light ray particles.
- Birds can no longer appear outside the Overworld.
### Tumbleweed
- Reworked tumbleweed movement and rolling.
- Tumbleweeds can now climb over small obstacles instead of getting stuck.
- Added fake collision that gently pushes tumbleweeds away from the player.
- Increased their lifetime and improved movement stability.
- Reduced the maximum amount from 24 to 12.
### Movement Dust
- Reworked running and jumping dust to use player-based emitters.
- Improved player tracking and movement detection.
- Slightly increased the size of jump dust particles.
### Textures and Colormaps
- Updated the moon textures with a cooler blue tone.
- Adjusted snowy biome sky sunset colors with cooler blue and cyan transitions.
- Updated the fallback grass and foliage color.
- Pink petals and wildflowers are no longer affected by the grass colormap.
### Other Changes
- Updated internal shader and post-processing structure.
- Removed several unused legacy textures and particle definitions.
- Performance increase up to **40%** compared to version **1.1.5** ( In very specific conditions )
- Average performance increase: around **10–15%**
- Atmospheric Fog particles, also known as **Fog FX**, are now turned off by default for better performance
- Run and jump dust particles are now turned off by default for better performance
- Underwater FX has been simplified for better performance
## Spawn Behavior Improvements
The spawn behavior of several effects has been remade or improved to reduce unnecessary checks and improve performance:
- Birds spawn behavior remade / improved
- Wind spawn behavior remade / improved
- Pollen particles spawn behavior remade / improved
- Acacia leaves group spawn behavior remade / improved
- Cherry leaves group spawn behavior remade / improved
## Weather Effects Rework
Several weather systems have been remade, including both particle behavior and spawn conditions:
- Snowy weather remade
- Added a new snowflake particle group
- Desert weather remade
- Rain and thunder weather remade
## Particle Reworks
- Tumbleweed particle remade
- Updated particle behavior
- Updated spawn conditions
## Visual Updates
- Added a new sun and moon textures option
- Added a new sky shader that creates a haze effect
- Added new sunset colormaps
- Added new sky and fog colormaps
- Lens flare post shader improved
- Added a yellow lens flare option for the moon
## Fixes and Miscellaneous
- Fixed several bugs
- Miscellaneous small improvements
- and anything else I might have forgotten*
