Map generator

The map generator is the Minetest component that generates the map.

Overview

This complex program, integrated into the game, can generate procedurally the map, which is the world the player evolves in. It is based on Perlin noises, functions which allow associating to each point a random yet consistent value.

Generators

Overview

There are a number of different map generators. It is possible to choose between them when creating a map.
Some mods may change them radically, also all map generators allow for a lot of configuration.

• v5: The oldest map generator, renewed for newer Minetest versions to feature biomes. It generates landscape based on 3D Perlin noise and is notable for its unique and somewhat strange terrain shape and occasional floating islands.
  Like v7, the biomes have to defined by mods first, otherwise the landscape will only be made out of stone (or some other default block).
• v6: The successor of v5 and default map generator up to Minetest 0.4.14. Generated entirely using 2D noise and has somewhat more “realistic” terrain. The weirdness of v5 is gone.
  This map generator has predefined biomes which can't be modified by mods
  but mods also don't have to define their own biomes before this map generator becomes useful.
• v7: A map generator and successor of v6, with some innovations, uses 2D and 3D noise.
  It lets the modders define biomes in Lua. If no biomes are defined, then this generator only creates stone.
  This map generator is notable for many simple broad and deep “rivers” (or “ridges”) at Ocean level, but they can be disabled.
  This is the default map generator from Minetest 0.4.15 on.
• valleys (Minetest 0.4.14): Another map generator which generates a landscape featuring many hills, mountains and valleys. The valleys often contain rivers with River Water. The rivers are more sophisticated than in v7, since they are not at ocean level and change their height
• flat (Minetest 0.4.14): This generates an (almost) entirely flat world with some biomes like in v7. Caves can still appear underground (if not disabled) and the map generator can be configured to add occasional hills and lakes.
• fractals (Minetest 0.4.14): Generates a map based on a fractal. This is one of the more predictable map generators.
  It is possible to choose one of many fractals which are based on the Mandelbrot and Julia set, which is chosen with the advanced setting “mgfractal_fractal”.
• singlenode: By default, this produces a world with only air everywhere. To be precise, it produces only one type of block, air by default. This one is by far the simplest and fastest map generator, but in Minetest Game, it is mostly useless.
  It is useful for mapgen-mods which define their own map generation: first, air is generated, then the mod applies its own functions which generates the terrain. This map generator can not be selected in the main menu; it can only be enabled by mods.

Gallery

Here are examples of landscapes generated with the different map generators (using Minetest Game):

• 

  v5

• 

  v6

• 

  v7

• 

  valleys

• 

  flat

• 

  fractals

• 

  singlenode

See also

• Map Generator Evolution
• Biomes