Map generator/settings

Settings for the Mapgenerator can be made in the minetest.conf file. You can choose different generators, enable dungeons, create flat maps and many more.

Example settings can be found in the minetest.conf.example file.

mg_name

v7 - currently in development

v6 - current standard

indev - just like v6 but with experimental features (e.g. flolands)

math - mathematical structures/fractals

singlenode - total void

Perlin noise attributes

These noise attributes are used for map generation parameters, such as mgv6_np_beach, mgv7_np_heat, and mgindev_np_terrain_higher. An example usage would be mgv6_np_apple_trees = 0, 1, (100, 100, 100), 342902, 3, 0.45. These numbers are used in the order of: Offset, scale, (spread factor), seed offset, number of octaves, persistence.

Offset and Scale

Offset and scale should be left alone unless you know what you are doing, these define the average value and amplitude of the noise value output. 0, 1 is standard and matches the older lua perlin functions whose scale and offset are always set to 0 and 1. 0, 1 means the noise value has an average value of 0 and varies very roughly between -1 and 1, although depending on octaves and persistence the output can occasionally be as large as -2 to 2.

Spread factor

Written as (x,y,z) e.g. (250,250,250). Those numbers are in nodes (or meters) and very roughly define the maximum scale of that perlin structure. So the spread factor of the biome perlin noise is very roughly the maximum size in nodes of the biomes. To make biomes twice as big try (500, 500, 500). These three numbers enable setting the maximum structure scale independently for x y and z. So you could create biomes stretched in the z direction by using (250, 250, 500).

Seed and Seeddiff

A perlin function needs a 'seed', this is just any old random whole number that acts as a seed to 'grow' a particular noise pattern, same seed same noise pattern.

Seeddiff = seed difference. Perlin functions that use 'seeddiff' instead of 'seed' are 'world dependant'. The value used as a seed is worldseed + seeddiff. Seeddiff creates perlin functions with different patterns but they also remain world dependant, meaning in different worlds you get different patterns but also in the same world you get the same pattern.

Number of octaves

More octaves means more details and more calculation.

Persistence

Persistence defines how strong the details are visible, it does not add more of them. A low persistence will cause the terrain to be smooth, a high (max 1) causes strong ups and downs.