Falling Leaves Mod Wiki

The Falling Leaves Mod is a visually appealing addition to Minecraft that introduces a subtle yet impactful particle system. It causes leaf particles to realistically drift down from tree canopies, mimicking the natural behavior of falling foliage. Unlike vanilla Minecraft, where leaves are static, this mod breathes life into biomes by adding movement and environmental depth.

Key Features

• Dynamic Particles: Leaves fall randomly from foliage blocks and drift toward the ground.
• Environmental Interaction: Particles are affected by wind and will settle on the surface of the ground or water for a short duration before disappearing.
• Broad Compatibility: Works with all vanilla leaf types and most modded trees (e.g., BYG, Biomes O' Plenty).
• Highly Configurable: Users can adjust spawn rates, particle sizes, and wind effects to suit their preference.
• Client-Side Only: This mod does not need to be installed on a server for multiplayer use; it only affects the player's visual experience.

The mod operates through a specialized particle engine that monitors leaf blocks in the player's vicinity.

Particle Spawning

Particles are generated from the underside of leaf blocks. For a particle to spawn, the mod checks for a minimum amount of free space (air) directly beneath the block. This prevents leaves from spawning inside other blocks or in cramped spaces.

Physics and Behavior

• Wind Effects: Particles do not fall in a perfectly straight line. They are influenced by a global wind system that causes them to drift horizontally as they descend.
• Surface Collision: When a leaf particle hits a solid block or a water source, it stops its descent and rests on the surface. This adds a layer of realism as forest floors appear to accumulate fallen foliage.
• Lifespan: Each particle has a defined lifespan. Once this timer expires, the particle fades away to maintain performance and prevent visual clutter.

The mod can be customized via the fallingleaves-client.toml (Forge) or fallingleaves2.json (Fabric) configuration file. Below are the primary values available for modification:

The mod allows for extensive customization of specific leaf blocks through resource packs and datapacks. This is useful for adding support for other mods or changing the look of vanilla leaves.

Modern Customization (Version 2.x.x+)

To change settings for a specific leaf block, create a JSON file at: assets/<modid>/fallingleaves/settings/<blockid>.json

Example JSON Content:

{
 "spawnrate": 1.5,
 "leaf_type": "fallingleaves:default",
 "consider_as_conifer": false
}

Creating Custom Leaf Types

Leaf types define which textures are used for particles. You can create a new type by placing a JSON file at: assets/<modid>/fallingleaves/leaftypes/<type>.json

Example JSON Content:

{
 "textures": [
 "minecraft:particle/falling_leaf_1",
 "minecraft:particle/falling_leaf_2"
 ]
}

Legacy Customization (Version 1.x.x)

For older versions, the mod uses a datapack-style system located at: data/<modid>/fallingleaves/<blockid>.json

Example JSON Content:

{
 "spawnrate": 1.0,
 "isConifer": true
}

Falling Leaves is designed to be highly compatible with the Minecraft ecosystem.

Serene Seasons

The mod features built-in integration with Serene Seasons. The seasonFallRate configuration allows the frequency of falling leaves to change dynamically with the seasons. For example, you can set a higher fall rate during Autumn and a zero fall rate during Winter when trees are bare.

Modded Biomes

• BYG (Oh The Biomes You'll Go): Includes pre-built integrations for various cherry and autumn trees.
• Automatic Detection: The mod attempts to detect if a block is a "leaf" block based on its tags and properties. If a modded leaf block is not dropping particles, it can be manually added via the settings JSON files described in the Customization section.

Texture Packs

All textures used by the mod are located in assets/fallingleaves/textures/particle/. Resource pack creators can overwrite these files to change the shape or color of the falling leaves globally.

Why are no leaves falling?

1. Conifer Settings: By default, conifer trees (Spruce) often have a spawn rate of 0. Check the coniferLeafSpawnRate in the config.
2. Space Requirements: Ensure there is at least one block of air beneath the leaves. If the branches are too low to the ground, particles will not spawn.
3. Client-Side Check: Ensure the mod is installed in your local mods folder. Since it is client-side, it will not show up in server-side mod lists.
4. Particle Settings: Check your vanilla Minecraft video settings. If particles are set to "Minimal," the number of falling leaves will be significantly reduced or hidden entirely.