Revolutionizing Minecraft with Real-World Data
Building real places at a true-to-life scale in Minecraft is not a new concept. However, a recent breakthrough by Cornell Tech graduate Ryan Lewis has taken this idea to a whole new level. Lewis has developed a method to automatically generate a faithful Minecraft representation of the earth using data from Google Earth, and he is set to unveil his groundbreaking project at SIGGRAPH 2024 in late July.
By converting photogrammetry and high-resolution models from Google Earth into grids of voxels, Lewis's program transforms each voxel into a Minecraft block, accurately determining its color and material. This innovative approach allows for the recreation of intricate details like buildings, cities, forests, mountains, and bodies of water in Minecraft maps that users can explore and modify in real time.
Optimization techniques such as parallel processing and compression have been crucial in managing the vast amount of data from Google Earth. The mod only voxelizes new 3D tiles when they are loaded, and users have the flexibility to adjust the resolution scale to balance detail and performance. With further advancements in rendering and compression, the graphics and overall experience are expected to improve significantly.
Lewis's inspiration for this project stemmed from his love for Minecraft and his desire to simplify the process of recreating real-world locations in the game. By providing an interactive Earth simulator, Lewis hopes to cater to educators, architects, civil planners, and other professionals who can benefit from this innovative tool.
At SIGGRAPH 2024, attendees will have the opportunity to experience Lewis's voxelized Google Earth in various online platforms, including VR experiences and Minecraft servers. The project’s integration with the latest Google Earth data ensures that the Minecraft representation of Earth remains up-to-date and reflective of changes in the real world, aligning with Google’s no-cache policy.
As Lewis continues to expand the coverage of 3D tiles in Google Earth, his Minecraft-built version of Earth is poised to become even more detailed and realistic over time. With a vision to revolutionize the way we interact with virtual environments, Lewis's project represents a significant step forward in the world of Minecraft and beyond.
