WarpDrive Celestials

WarpDrive Celestials is a visual addon for WarpDrive that turns its flat planet renders into 3D celestial bodies. The mod can be used client-side only, so individual players can enable 3D planets even on servers that do not require it. For full server-wide support, including proper shared visuals for all players, custom rings, custom day/night textures, and additional render-layer behavior, the mod should also be installed on the server.

Planets render as Minecraft-style cubes by default, with an optional sphere render mode available in the config. Sphere rendering also includes LOD settings to reduce mesh complexity for smaller or distant objects, with Performance, Balanced, and Quality presets.

WarpDrive Celestials was originally made for The Empire Strikes Block server.

Features

3D celestial bodies for WarpDrive planets
Cube planets by default
Optional sphere rendering
Sphere LOD presets for better performance
Subtle randomized planet tilt and rotation
Client-side-only visual support for individual players
Server-side support for shared custom render layers
Automatic cubemap texture detection
Support for planet, cloud, and render-layer cubemaps
Automatic night-side shading
Optional custom night textures
Horizontal and vertical planet rings
Support for multiple ring layers
Configurable star rendering presets

Planet Rendering

By default, planets render as cubes to better match Minecraft’s visual style while still making celestial bodies feel more dimensional than WarpDrive’s original flat renders.

Sphere rendering can also be enabled in the config for a smoother planet look. When spheres are used, the LOD preset controls how detailed the sphere mesh is, which can help reduce rendering cost for smaller or distant objects.

Client and Server Usage

WarpDrive Celestials can be installed client-side only if you just want the visual upgrade locally. This lets players see 3D planets even on servers that do not require the addon.

For servers and modpacks that want everyone to see the same custom visuals, the mod should also be installed on the server. Server installation is needed for proper shared support of custom ring layers, custom day/night textures, and additional celestial render-layer behavior.

Cubemap Texture Support

WarpDrive Celestials supports cubemap textures for planets, clouds, and similar render layers. A normal single-face texture uses a 1:1 aspect ratio, meaning the image is square, such as 512x512 or 1024x1024. A cubemap texture uses a 2:1 aspect ratio, meaning the image is twice as wide as it is tall, such as 1024x512.

When a compatible 2:1 texture is detected, the mod automatically maps it across the planet model’s faces. This allows planets to use proper multi-sided textures instead of repeating the same image on every side.

Day and Night Textures

Planets receive automatic night-side shading by default, giving them a more natural day-night appearance as the lighting changes.

Creators can also add dedicated night textures for more detailed effects, such as glowing city lights or illuminated regions. To add a custom night texture, place an additional render layer directly after the planet’s normal base texture and use the same texture file name with night_ added to the front.

Example:

<render texture="warpdriveaddon:textures/cosmos/celestial/coruscant.png" />
<render texture="warpdriveaddon:textures/cosmos/celestial/night_coruscant.png" />

WarpDrive Celestials detects the matching pair automatically and uses the night texture on the dark side of the planet.

Planet Rings

WarpDrive Celestials also supports custom planet rings through additional render layers. To add rings, place one or more ring render layers directly after the planet’s normal base texture and use ring_ at the front of the texture file name.

Example:

<render texture="warpdriveaddon:textures/cosmos/celestial/saturn.png" />
<render texture="warpdriveaddon:textures/cosmos/celestial/ring_saturn_1.png" />
<render texture="warpdriveaddon:textures/cosmos/celestial/ring_saturn_2.png" />

Additional ring layers can be used for wider or farther-out rings. The mod also supports vertical rings by using ring_vertical_ at the front of the texture file name.

Example:

<render texture="warpdriveaddon:textures/cosmos/celestial/uranus.png" />
<render texture="warpdriveaddon:textures/cosmos/celestial/ring_vertical_uranus.png" />

WarpDrive Celestials detects these ring layers automatically and renders them around the matching planet.

Star Rendering Presets

The mod includes several configurable star rendering presets:

Custom WarpDrive Celestials star colors
WarpDrive’s default star colors
All-white stars
No stars

This makes it easier to match the visual style of different modpacks, whether you want a more colorful space backdrop, a cleaner Minecraft-style sky, or no background stars at all.