CurseForge Shader Updates CurseForge, a popular platform for downloading and sharing Minecraft mods, has recently announced some exciting updates to their shader pack offerings. Shaders are add-ons that improve the visual experience of the game, enhancing lighting, shadows, and other graphical elements. One of the main **highlights** of the CurseForge shader updates is the addition of new shaders to their library. This means that Minecraft players will have even more options when it comes to customizing the look of their game. The new shaders vary in style and intensity, allowing players to choose the one that best suits their preferences. In addition to expanding their shader library, CurseForge has also made efforts to improve the performance and compatibility of their shaders.
Other kits are available, including the Christmas wand, decorate your own stocking and the mini Christmas decoration kit.
Original material offered in Bloodstone is a non-commercial product of the Vintyri Project , solely owned by Steigerwald EDV USA, Copyright 1993-2005, Steigerwald EDV USA. As an individual plant it would not be one of my first choices for a garden but when you see it as part of a mass planting you realize just how much its olive hue lights up the more intense colours.
In addition to expanding their shader library, CurseForge has also made efforts to improve the performance and compatibility of their shaders. Minecraft players with lower-end PCs or older graphics cards often struggle to run shaders smoothly. However, CurseForge has implemented optimizations to make the shaders more accessible to a wider range of players.
Magic Wands: cornus, salix, acer varieties spell winter colour
Many varieties of cornus, the dogwoods, are outstanding, as are some salix, willows, and some varieties of Acer palmatum, the Japanese maples. Of the latter Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ (‘Senkaki’), the Coral bark maple is the one to grow if you want colourful stems. . This is a slender, upright plant when young, with fine twigs carrying delicate, light-green foliage. The leaves turn a soft canary-yellow in autumn, before they fall to reveal the brilliant coral- red young stems. Although this maple grows into a small tree with age it is slow, and therefore suitable for the small garden and perfect for a large pot. In a container I love it underplanted with the black grass-like perennial Ophiopogon planiscarpus ‘Nigrescens’
The glowing twigs of the willow, Salix alba ‘Britzensis’ are a familiar sight against blue winter skies. Although the scarlet willow is a large, graceful tree it can also be grown as a shrub if the stems are cut back to a little above ground level each spring. Willows are excellent plants for wet and heavy soil, and they grow easily from rooted cuttings. The cut stems of willow will even root in water if you leave them in a vase for a few weeks. Grown as shrubs these stooled willows (in other words cut back to just above ground level each spring) are lovely planted along side water where their glowing wands are reflected in still, cold water.
The red-barked dogwood, Cornus alba is perhaps the best known shrub grown for its winter stems, and there are several varieties with coloured and variegated foliage which add colour to the garden throughout the summer. The variety which produces the most intensely coloured stems is the plain green-leaved Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’, this has glowing scarlet winter bark on the vigorous upright stems. I’ve never been that positive about its other attributes, but having really noticed its crimson autumn leaf colour last fall I have completely changed my mind.
To encourage vigorous growth, and fine upright stems you need to prune hard in early spring, to just a little above ground level. This may seem harsh but your plant will respond with glorious straight wands that grow quickly and light up the garden the following winter. The long, wand-like stems of this cornus are flexible and can be cut and made into Christmas wreaths or garlands for decoration. The cut stems also look effective in a glass vase and remain in good condition for several weeks.
Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ is the green-leaved dogwood with greenish-yellow stems that is often planted with Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’. As an individual plant it would not be one of my first choices for a garden but when you see it as part of a mass planting you realize just how much its olive hue lights up the more intense colours. It’s also good in gold and green planting schemes, with yellow variegated evergreens, adding green leaves in summer and gold stems in winter.
Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ lives up to its name; this is my favourite dogwood for winter colour. The branched stems are orange-gold at the base, and flame orange at the tips of the shoots. Even a single plant is a real feature in the winter garden, even on dull cloudy days. This cornus grows well on wet or dry soil and is a good subject for a pot for a season or two. Again hard pruning in late winter is essential for the showiest shoots; having said that I have seen specimens left to grow into large shrubs. They have quite a horizontally branched habit and the youngest wood is still flame orange in winter. This can be very effective under deciduous trees where shafts of sunlight light them in winter.
There are a number of newer cultivars. ‘Midwinter Flame’ I noticed this autumn for its sensational golden fall foliage. ‘Anny’s Winter Orange’ is a more scarlet orange for the length of the stems. Last winter it looked particularly sensational underplanted with Hedera colchica ‘Dentata Variegata’.
These Cornus sanguinea varieties all have light green foliage which mixes well with other shrubs and perennials. They also colour brilliantly in autumn. They make a great backdrop for any garden feature or piece of sculpture as these objects become even more significant in the winter garden.
Of course any of these plants grown for their winter stems look spectacular against freshly fallen snow. However, not all of us can rely on a generous sprinkling to enhance our plants. So for best effect it is best to underplant shrubs for winter stems grown in beds with evergreen ground cover subjects such as vinca, hedera or carex, these will show them off so much more than a background of bare earth.
Savill Garden, Windsor Great Park, Berkshire and The Winter Garden at The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire are two great gardens in the UK to see winter stems at their best. I’d love to hear about other gardens where you’ve admired winter stems, and of course your favourite shrubs for magic wands.
Andy McIndoe
. Read more Andy McIndoe is our Chief Blogger, and teaches five courses on the site. Andy has over thirty years experience as a practical horticulturist and consultant. He has designed and advised on gardens of all sizes and was responsible for the Hillier Gold Medal winning exhibit at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower for 25 years. A regular contributor to magazines, newspapers and BBC Radio, Andy lectures widely at home and abroad. Special interests include hardy shrubs, trees, herbaceous perennials, flower bulbs, wildlife and garden design; he has authored books on all of these subjects. A keen gardener Andy and his wife Ros have a two acre garden in Hampshire, U.K. that is open to groups by appointment. Started from scratch fifteen years ago, the garden is naturalistic in style, with an extensive wildflower meadow and informal planting. The emphasis is on foliage to provide colour and texture. W W . Read more
Another important **point** to note is that CurseForge now offers a more streamlined installation process for shaders. Previously, players had to manually download and install each shader pack, which could be cumbersome for newcomers. With the new update, users can simply click a button to install a shader directly from the CurseForge website or launcher. Lastly, CurseForge's shader updates also bring improvements to the user interface. The website and launcher now have a more intuitive layout, making it easier for players to browse and manage their shaders. This enhanced user experience allows for a more seamless and enjoyable modding experience. In conclusion, CurseForge's shader updates bring new options, better performance, streamlined installation, and improved user interface to the Minecraft modding community. These updates enhance the visual experience of the game, allowing players to customize and personalize their Minecraft worlds to their liking..
Reviews for "The Evolution of Shaders on Curse Forge: A Look at Past Updates"
- John Doe - 2/5 rating - The curse forge shader updates are a major disappointment. The performance is terrible and the visuals are underwhelming. I expected so much more from this update, but it seems like they just slapped on a few effects and called it a day. The shaders feel clunky and unpolished, and it's honestly not worth the hassle of trying to get them to work properly. Overall, I'm really let down by this update and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a decent shader experience.
- Jane Smith - 1/5 rating - I absolutely hate the new curse forge shader updates. The performance is so bad that it's practically unplayable. Not to mention, the visuals are just mediocre at best. I expected much better from a supposedly updated version of the shaders. The lighting and shadows look completely off, and it ruins the whole Minecraft experience for me. I've tried tweaking the settings and installing different versions of the shaders, but nothing seems to improve the performance or graphics. I'm really disappointed with this update and I hope they fix it soon.
- Chris Johnson - 2/5 rating - The curse forge shader updates are a huge letdown. The performance hit is just not worth it for the minor improvements in visuals. I've noticed a significant drop in FPS and constant stuttering while using these shaders. The water reflections are nice, but other than that, there's not much to be excited about. It's a shame because I was really looking forward to an enhanced Minecraft experience, but instead, I'm left with a laggy mess. I'll be uninstalling these shaders and sticking to the vanilla game until they can fix the performance issues.
- Sarah Thompson - 2/5 rating - I have mixed feelings about the curse forge shader updates. On one hand, the visuals can be stunning at times, with vibrant colors and realistic lighting. However, on the other hand, the performance is terrible. I experience constant lag and FPS drops, which make the game almost unplayable. It's frustrating because I really wanted to enjoy these shaders, but the technical issues just ruin the whole experience for me. I would only recommend these shaders to someone with a high-end gaming setup who doesn't mind sacrificing performance for visuals.