# Photonics: A Raytracing Mod
\nAn Iris extension that adds voxel based raytracing to Minecraft.
\nWith a focus on performance, Photonics is able to deliver performance comparable to that of hardware raytracing.<\/p>\n
## Shaders that support Photonics:
\n* Euphoria Patches (requires 1.9.0+ and Photonics v0.3.4+)
\n* Photon (requires latest from Github & Photonics v0.3.4+)
\n* Eclipse (requires latest version from Github & Photonics v0.3.4)
\n* Shrimple (requires latest from GIthub & Photonics v0.3.4+)<\/p>\n
### Support patched in by the photonics mod:
\n* BSL (Photonics v0.3.0+ requires 10.1+, v0.2.9 or below requires 8.2.9)<\/p>\n
## Features
\nBy using it’s custom voxel raytracing, Photonics adds many visually stunning effects:<\/p>\n
### Soft Shadows
\nEvery block casts beautiful soft shadows from block lights!
\n<\/p>\n
### Global Illumination
\nTired of how dull the world is in shadow? Worry not! Photonics adds accurate Global Illumination to shadows.
\n<\/p>\n
### 3D Blocks
\nUsing its voxel raytracing, Photonics can render 16x16x16 block models directly!
\nCustom Models can also be implemented using MagicaVoxel.
\n<\/p>\n
### Colored Glass Lighting
\nPhotonics can tint the color of light that passes through glass, casting colored shadows over objects.
\n<\/p>\n
### Up to 20 lights per chunk
\nBy default, traces 20 lights per chunk, with shader settings allowing you to increase that number to 100!
\n<\/p>\n
# Notice
\n– Photonics doesn’t utilise Hardware Raytracing, and because Minecraft is built on OpenGL, building in Hardware Raytracing is unfortunately not possible
\n– This mod is still in Alpha, bugs and compatibility issues are to be expected
\n– Any mod that modifies Minecraft Rendering\/Chunk loading will affect compatibility
\n– MacOS is not supported!<\/p>\n
## Development
\nUpdates on the Development can be seen on its Discord server: Photonics Official<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A ray-traced voxel engine with a focus on performance and crisp shadows<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":121031,"template":"","meta":{"_minecraft_slug":"photonics","_minecraft_project_id":"MNlxJdtO","_minecraft_author":"Redi2Go","_minecraft_license":"LicenseRef-All-Rights-Reserved","_minecraft_downloads":185671,"_minecraft_follows":1038,"_minecraft_client_side":"required","_minecraft_server_side":"unsupported","_minecraft_storage_type":"zip","_minecraft_archive_name":"photonics.zip","_minecraft_size_bytes":8055322,"_minecraft_version_count":16,"_minecraft_updated_at":"2026-05-16T21:01:11.488974Z","_minecraft_date_created":"2024-05-21T02:16:20.111744Z","_minecraft_date_modified":"2026-03-28T18:02:38.057013Z","_minecraft_project_url":"https:\/\/modrinth.com\/mod\/photonics","_minecraft_icon_attachment_id":121031,"_minecraft_imported_at":"2026-06-07T02:52:21+00:00","_minecraft_import_hash":"330ed8d44749513f8f168289b2eed99c","_minecraft_versions":"","_minecraft_links":"","_minecraft_gallery":"","_minecraft_api_metadata":""},"mod_category":[156,97,123],"mod_loader":[99],"minecraft_version":[36,94,102,37,40,41,38,81],"class_list":["post-121030","mod","type-mod","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","mod_category-decoration","mod_category-fabric","mod_category-technology","mod_loader-fabric","minecraft_version-1-20-1","minecraft_version-1-20-4","minecraft_version-1-20-6","minecraft_version-1-21-1","minecraft_version-1-21-10","minecraft_version-1-21-11","minecraft_version-1-21-4","minecraft_version-1-21-8"],"yoast_head":"\n