Shader DevTools
Client-side Fabric mod for working on Minecraft core shaders, post shaders, post effects, and render pipelines without restarting the game or reloading the resource pack.
About this Mod
Shader DevTools
Client-side fabric mod for working on Minecraft core shaders, post shaders, post effects, and render pipelines without restarting the game or reloading the resource pack.
https://github.com/seailz/shader-devtools
Features
- Reload shaders, both core and post, on demand without having to fully reload the resource pack
- Live editing of shader files in-game with syntax highlighting
- When a shader exists in multiple packs (including vanilla), ability to edit each of those individually (except vanilla shaders, which are read-only) and force load them
- Ability to quickly visualize what a shader is rendering
- Parsing of post effect JSON files, and the ability to edit these too
- Parsing and visualization of all render pipelines
- Ability to override any value in the
Globalsuniform buffer
Shader Debug Logging
You can add calls like dbg("time=" + GameTime); to supported shader programs and the value will be written to logs/latest.log.
Notes:
- Works on both OpenGL and Vulkan
- ASCII string literals are supported
- Top-level string concatenation is supported, so
"abc" + someValueworks - Common scalar and vector values are converted to text automatically
Warning:
dbg(...)is still expensive in hot shaders, especially fragment shaders- Frequently changing values such as
GameTimecan reduce FPS if logged aggressively
Available Versions
How to Install Shader DevTools on Your Server
Order Server
Order a Minecraft Java server with at least 3 GB RAM (4 GB recommended).
Set fabric Loader
In the panel under "Egg", select the fabric loader and matching Minecraft version (26.2).
Install Mod
Open the mod browser in the dashboard and search for "Shader DevTools". Click "Install" – done! Alternatively, upload the .jar via SFTP to the /mods folder.
Compatibility
Mod Loaders
Minecraft Versions
26.2, 26.2-rc-2, 26.2-pre-6 (+6 more)
Server-side
✗ UnsupportedRecommended RAM
4 GB(min. 3 GB)Frequently Asked Questions
Shader DevTools server crashes on startup – what to do?
Most common cause: wrong fabric version or insufficient RAM. Check the server log (latest.log) for "OutOfMemoryError" or "Mixin" errors. With Mado Hosting: ensure at least 3 GB RAM is allocated and the loader matches the mod version (26.2). You can switch loaders with one click in the panel.
Is Shader DevTools compatible with fabric?
Shader DevTools officially supports fabric for Minecraft 26.2, 26.2-rc-2, 26.2-pre-6. The Mado dashboard automatically detects incompatible loader combinations.
Server lagging with Shader DevTools – how to optimize performance?
Recommended RAM: 4 GB (per 8 players). Use /spark profiler to check if Shader DevTools consumes the most tick time. Common fixes: reduce server view-distance to 8-10, install "performant" or "starlight" as supplementary mods on Forge. With Mado Hosting, your server runs on NVMe SSDs with dedicated CPU cores for minimal latency.
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Rent Modded Server
Install Shader DevTools with just one click on your server.