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Avoyd Release Streams and Minecraft Lit Materials

Doug Binks - Juliette Foucaut - 07 Feb 2023 - edited 01 May 2023


Release 0.13.0 of Avoyd is out. For the first time we're introducing specific builds for each of the full, beta and demo release streams. You can buy Avoyd and download the full and beta releases from our store.

Read about the full release features, how the demo is changing, how to teleport using the camera or Minecraft coordinates, and the workaround for exporting materials to Unreal Engine 5.1.

Avoyd 0.13.0 Full Release

Overview of the changes

The release focuses on the Voxel Editor with improved light emitting materials in Minecraft imports, fixed emissives rendering, and performance improvements:

  • Minecraft map import up to 10x faster.
  • New Minecraft blocks: light, honey_block, lava_cauldron, powder_snow_cauldron, water_cauldron.
  • New Minecraft light-emitting blocks: redstones, candles, campfires, furnaces, smoker.
  • Fixed Minecraft blocks materials emissive values.
  • Scattering render fix and speed boost up to 1.25x.

You'll find a more detailed list in the Change Log.

As always, remember to reimport your Minecraft map with the new version of Avoyd to get the fixed blocks.

Minecraft Lit Blocks

Until now the Minecraft light-emitting blocks you imported with your maps were all either lit or not. This means for example that all the redstone lamps always showed as lit in renders. This is because the importer ignored the "lit" block state.

To fix it, we improved the importer and added materials for each light-emitting block: one that is lit, and one that is unlit. We also took the opportunity to fix some missing or wrong emissive values. This should help make your renders more faithful to the original.

Screenshot of the 0.13.0 Avoyd voxel editor new Minecraft materials displayed over a night render of Minecraft map Mattupolis by mattuFIN.
The new Minecraft materials in the voxel editor, over a night render of Minecraft map Mattupolis by mattuFIN.

Avoyd Free Demo Update

Starting today the free demo version falls behind the full version. This means the 0.13.0 improvements listed above are not included in the demo for now. They will be available for free at a later date. You need to own Avoyd to get the latest functionality.

You can keep using the free demo for personal non-commercial projects, but you'll see an occasional reminder to buy Avoyd. It's a screen with a link to the store. It will show every 10 times you open the demo.

Avoyd demo screenshot of the main menu with the open screen reminder to Buy Avoyd
The demo occasional reminder to buy Avoyd (text enlarged).

Questions and Answers

We've answered several questions recently. Some will make their way to the user documentation, but in the meantime we thought you might find them interesting:

How to Move to a Specific Part of a World or of a Minecraft Map?

There are several ways to move the camera:

  • If you want to teleport to a place you can see on the map (this is the fastest), use the context menu Move Camera here as follows:
    1. Move the mouse cursor to point to the area of the map you want to go to
    2. Right-click to open the context menu
    3. Select the option Move Camera here. You'll instantly move above the position you were pointing to
  • If you've imported a Minecraft map and you want to move to a set of Minecraft coordinates, enter them in the camera position system as follows:
    1. Open the camera window: menu Tools > Camera
    2. Enter the Minecraft coordinates in the camera Position field:
      • If you have three coordinates (x, y, z): enter them in the three fields in that order.
      • If you have two Minecraft coordinates (x, z): enter them in the first and the last field in the same order. Make sure the middle value (y height) is positive or you might end up under or inside the landmass.
  • If you want to "fly" to a place on the map (similar to a FPS game), follow the instructions to use the First Person camera in movement mode.

Original question on Youtube.

How to Export Transparent and Emissive Materials from Avoyd to Unreal Engine 5.1?

Update 01 May 2023 - This workaround no longer works. See the Avoyd documentation on importing mesh, material and textures generated by Avoyd into Unreal Engine instead.

This is an issue in Unreal Engine 5.1 and above. Older versions up to 5.0.3 are unaffected. Someone posted a workaround in the Unreal Engine forum which worked when we tested it.

The workaround steps involve using the Console Variables Editor plugin as follows:

  1. In Unreal Engine, enable the Console Variables Editor plugin.
  2. In UE5 Editor, open Edit > Plugins.
  3. Search for Console Variables Editor and enable it.
  4. Restart the Editor.
  5. In the Editor, open Window > Console Variables.
  6. Search for import.obj. It should return the variable Interchange.FeatureFlags.Import.OBJ.
  7. Set Interchange.FeatureFlags.Import.OBJ to FALSE.
  8. Follow the Unreal instructions in the Avoyd User Documentation

Original question in the MagicaVoxel Discord channel #questions-and-help.

[Edit 01 May 2023 - Unreal workaround no longer works. Link to the Avoyd documentation.]

 › 2023
 ›› Avoyd Release Streams and Minecraft Lit Materials 
 › Avoyd Beta Stream
 › 2022
 › Isometric Render of a Minecraft Map in Avoyd Voxel Editor
 › 2021
 › Importing Minecraft maps in Avoyd Voxel Editor improved
 › 2020
 › Runtime Compiled C++ Dear ImGui and DirectX11 Tutorial
 › 2019
 › Boxes in Space: procedural generation of abstract worlds in Avoyd
 › Procedural python word generator: making user names out of 4 syllables
 › In-game building
 › Player-deployable turrets in Avoyd
 › 2018
 › Avoyd Game Singleplayer and Coop Multiplayer Test
 › Voxel Editor Evolved
 › 2017
 › Speeding up Runtime Compiled C++ compile times in MSVC with d2cgsummary
 › Multiplayers toxic last hit kill and how to heal it
 › Avoyd Editor Prototype
 › 2016
 › Black triangles and Peter Highspot
 › Colour palettes and lighting
 › Concept art by Rebecca Michalak
 › 2015
 › Internals of a lightweight task scheduler
 › Implementing a lightweight task scheduler
 › Feral Vector
 › Normal generation in the pixel shader
 › 2014
 › Python Google App Engine debugging with PyCharm CE
 › Lighting voxel octrees and procedural texturing
 › Patterns and spheres
 › Python Google App Engine debugging with PyTools
 › Interview
 › Domain masking using Google App Engine
 › Octree streaming - part 4
 › Black triangles and nervous_testpilot
 › Presskit for Google App Engine
 › Octree streaming - part 3
 › Octree streaming - part 2
 › Octree streaming
 › 2013
 › LAN discovery with multiple adapters
 › Playing with material worlds
 › Developer Diary archive
 › Website redesign
 › First Person Editor
 › First Avoyd tech update video
 › Implementing a static website in Google App Engine
 › Multiplayer editing
 › First screenshots
 › Thoughts on gameplay modes
 › Back in 1999
 › 2002
 › ECTS 2002
 › Avoyd Version 1.6.1 out
 › Avoyd Version 1.6 out
 › 2001
 › Biting the bullet
 › Avoyd version 1.5 out
 › Monday Mayhem
 › Avoyd version 1.5 alpha 1 out
 › Avoyd version 1.4 out
 › ECTS 2001
 › Fun with Greek letters
 › Closer just a little closer
 › Back already
 › Artificial Humanity
 › Products and promises
 › Ecommerce
 › Explosions galore
 › Spring fixes
 › Open source and ports to other operating systems
 › Avoyd LAN Demo Version 1.1 is out
 › Thanks for the support
 › Avoyd LAN Demo Ready
 › Game Tech
 › Importing Minecraft maps in Avoyd Voxel Editor improved
 › Runtime Compiled C++ Dear ImGui and DirectX11 Tutorial
 › Boxes in Space: procedural generation of abstract worlds in Avoyd
 › Procedural python word generator: making user names out of 4 syllables
 › Speeding up Runtime Compiled C++ compile times in MSVC with d2cgsummary
 › Internals of a lightweight task scheduler
 › Implementing a lightweight task scheduler
 › Normal generation in the pixel shader
 › Lighting voxel octrees and procedural texturing
 › Octree streaming - part 4
 › Octree streaming - part 3
 › Octree streaming - part 2
 › Octree streaming
 › LAN discovery with multiple adapters
 › enkiTS
 › Internals of a lightweight task scheduler
 › Implementing a lightweight task scheduler
 › RCC++
 › Runtime Compiled C++ Dear ImGui and DirectX11 Tutorial
 › Speeding up Runtime Compiled C++ compile times in MSVC with d2cgsummary
 › Web Tech
 › Procedural python word generator: making user names out of 4 syllables
 › Python Google App Engine debugging with PyCharm CE
 › Python Google App Engine debugging with PyTools
 › Domain masking using Google App Engine
 › Presskit for Google App Engine
 › Implementing a static website in Google App Engine
 › Avoyd
 ›› Avoyd Release Streams and Minecraft Lit Materials 
 › Avoyd Beta Stream
 › Isometric Render of a Minecraft Map in Avoyd Voxel Editor
 › Importing Minecraft maps in Avoyd Voxel Editor improved
 › Boxes in Space: procedural generation of abstract worlds in Avoyd
 › In-game building
 › Player-deployable turrets in Avoyd
 › Avoyd Game Singleplayer and Coop Multiplayer Test
 › Voxel Editor Evolved
 › Multiplayers toxic last hit kill and how to heal it
 › Avoyd Editor Prototype
 › Black triangles and Peter Highspot
 › Colour palettes and lighting
 › Concept art by Rebecca Michalak
 › Feral Vector
 › Patterns and spheres
 › Interview
 › Black triangles and nervous_testpilot
 › Playing with material worlds
 › Website redesign
 › First Person Editor
 › First Avoyd tech update video
 › Multiplayer editing
 › First screenshots
 › Thoughts on gameplay modes
 › Back in 1999
 › Avoyd 1999
 › Developer Diary archive
 › Back in 1999
 › ECTS 2002
 › Avoyd Version 1.6.1 out
 › Avoyd Version 1.6 out
 › Biting the bullet
 › Avoyd version 1.5 out
 › Monday Mayhem
 › Avoyd version 1.5 alpha 1 out
 › Avoyd version 1.4 out
 › ECTS 2001
 › Fun with Greek letters
 › Closer just a little closer
 › Back already
 › Artificial Humanity
 › Products and promises
 › Ecommerce
 › Explosions galore
 › Spring fixes
 › Open source and ports to other operating systems
 › Avoyd LAN Demo Version 1.1 is out
 › Thanks for the support
 › Avoyd LAN Demo Ready