Overview#
Tree Chop Mod (officially known as HT's TreeChop) is a comprehensive overhaul of the wood-gathering experience in Minecraft. Unlike traditional "timber" mods that instantly break an entire tree upon destroying the bottom block, TreeChop introduces a balanced, progressive system.
When a player strikes a log, the block does not disappear; instead, it becomes "notched," visually getting thinner with each hit. Once the player has performed enough chops—determined by the size of the tree—the entire structure, including logs and leaves, collapses into item drops. This mod is designed to feel like a natural extension of vanilla gameplay, rewarding the use of axes and supporting cooperative play where multiple players can chop the same tree to bring it down faster.
Core Mechanics#
The mod changes the fundamental way wood blocks are harvested. Instead of a single break event, harvesting is divided into two phases: Chopping and Felling.
The Chop System
When you hit a log with a tool (or your hand), it registers as a "chop."
- Visual Feedback: The log block physically shrinks, showing a notch that deepens with every strike.
- Progressive Difficulty: Larger trees require more chops to fell. By default, this follows a logarithmic scale, meaning a 1-block tree takes 1 chop, while a 100-block tree takes approximately 25 chops.
- Tool Efficiency: Using an axe significantly speeds up the process. The mod respects tool tiers and enchantments like Efficiency.
- Sneak to Bypass: Holding the Sneak key (Shift by default) allows you to break individual blocks normally, which is essential for building or precise terraforming.
Felling
Once the required number of chops is reached, the tree "fells." All connected log blocks and their associated leaves are instantly destroyed and dropped as items.
- Leaf Logic: The mod intelligently detects which leaves belong to the tree to prevent floating foliage.
- Durability: Axe durability is consumed based on the number of chops performed, not the number of blocks in the tree, making it more durable than instant-break mods.
Affected Blocks and Items#
While TreeChop does not add new items or mobs, it fundamentally alters the behavior of existing wood-related content.
Choppable Blocks
| Block Type | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Vanilla Logs | All types (Oak, Birch, Spruce, etc.) are choppable by default. |
| Modded Logs | Automatically supports logs from mods like Biomes O' Plenty and Oh The Biomes You'll Go. |
| Mushrooms & Fungi | Huge Mushrooms and Nether Fungi (Crimson/Warped) can be chopped down like trees. |
| Player-Placed Blocks | By default, the mod can distinguish between natural trees and blocks placed by players to protect wooden houses. |
Tools and Interaction
- Axes: All vanilla and modded axes are supported. Higher-tier axes (Netherite, Diamond) reduce the time needed per chop.
- Special Tools: Compatible with tools from Tinker's Construct (Broad Axes) and Silent Gear (Saws), which may perform multiple chops at once.
- Hand Chopping: You can chop trees with your bare hands, but it is extremely slow and inefficient.
In-Game Settings and UI#
TreeChop features a robust in-game settings menu, typically accessed by pressing N or F6. This allows players to customize their experience without leaving the game.
Key Settings
- Chopping Enabled: Toggles the entire mod on or off.
- Felling Enabled: Toggles whether the whole tree breaks at once or just the chopped block.
- Sneak Inverts: Changes whether sneaking enables or disables chopping.
- Only Chop with Tool: If enabled, you must use an axe to trigger the chopping mechanic.
- Trees Must Have Leaves: A safety feature that prevents you from accidentally "chopping" wooden structures that don't have leaf blocks attached.
Configuration#
For server administrators, the mod provides extensive configuration via the treechop-common.toml file.
Chop Counting Algorithms
The mod allows you to choose how many chops a tree requires:
- Logarithmic (Default):
chops = a * log(blocks) + 1. This provides a balanced feel where large trees are harder but not tedious. - Linear:
chops = (blocks * multiplier) + offset. Allows for a 1-to-1 ratio if desired. - Constant: Every tree takes the same number of chops regardless of size.
| Option | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
maxTreeBlocks |
512 | The maximum number of logs a tree can have before the mod ignores it. |
maxLeavesBlocks |
1024 | Limits how many leaves are destroyed during felling. |
breakLeaves |
true | Whether leaves should be destroyed when a tree is felled. |
copyShearsEffect |
false | If true, felling leaves will act as if you used shears (dropping the leaf block). |
Commands#
The mod includes several administrative commands for testing and server management:
/treechop chop <x> <y> <z>: Simulates a chop at the specified coordinates./treechop fell <x> <y> <z>: Instantly fells the tree at the specified coordinates./treechop configure: Opens the configuration menu (same as the hotkey)./treechop reload: Reloads the configuration files from the disk.
Compatibility#
TreeChop is built with high compatibility in mind and integrates with several popular utility mods to provide better information to the player.
- Jade / WTHIT / TheOneProbe: When looking at a tree, these mods will display a progress bar showing how many chops are needed and how many have been completed.
- Project MMO: Chopping trees with this mod grants Woodcutting XP.
- Multi Mine: Fully compatible; the mod ensures that partial block breaking from other mods does not interfere with the chopping visual.
- Physics Mods: Works with various physics mods to ensure that when a tree fells, it interacts correctly with gravity and block fragments.
