Home / Classes / Block

Block

One voxel as a 16-bit value: block type in the high 12 bits, metadata in the low 4.

Location

Headerinclude/GalaxyEggbert/Worlds/Block.hpp (header-only)
NamespaceGalaxyEggbert::Worlds
Block type namesinclude/GalaxyEggbert/BlockTypes.hpp (namespace GalaxyEggbert::BlockTypes)

Purpose

Block is a small value type wrapping one uint16_t. It is what World and Chunk store per cell and what the palette of a chunk holds. 

bits 15..4   block type   0..4095
bits  3..0   metadata     0..15
raw = (type << 4) | metadata          raw 0 = Air

The block type is the icon number of the tile in the original game's terrain sheet Content/icons/object-m.png, icons 0-440. BlockTypes.hpp names the ones the code refers to, for example Ground = 10, Lava = 68, HubDoor = 182, GoldDoor = 183, FlightBarrier = 214, Saw = 378. What a type does (how it is drawn, whether it is solid, whether it kills) is not in Block; it is looked up in the BlockDefinitionRegistry.

The metadata nibble is unused by the shipped game. As of 2026-11-10 no world in worlds3d/ has a block with non-zero metadata, and no game system interprets it; the editor's clipboard only carries it along when it swaps the icon of a turned or mirrored side fan or wind tile (src/GalaxyEggbert/Editor/Clipboard.cpp). Per-cell state such as a turned plate or fan is stored as sparse extra metadata instead (see The .vwr Format).

Public API

Verified in Block.hpp as of 2026-11-10.

MemberDescription
MetadataMask = 0x000F, TypeMask = 0x0FFFField masks.
constexpr Block()Air (raw 0).
explicit constexpr Block(std::uint16_t rawValue)From a packed value, no validation (used when reading palettes).
static constexpr Block air()The canonical air block.
static Block make(std::uint16_t type, std::uint8_t metadata = 0)Validated constructor; throws std::out_of_range if the type exceeds 4095 or the metadata 15.
static Block make(std::uint16_t type, BlockMetadata metadata)The same with a BlockMetadata helper.
rawValue()The packed 16 bits.
type()The 12-bit type.
metadata()The 4-bit metadata as uint8_t.
blockMetadata()The metadata as a BlockMetadata object.
isAir()rawValue() == 0.
operator==, operator!=Compare packed values.

Usage

Opening a hub's completed world sign, from GalaxyEggbertGame::AdaptHubDoors() (src/GalaxyEggbertCNA/GalaxyEggbertGameMissions.cpp):

terrain.setBlock(x, y, z, GalaxyEggbert::Worlds::Block::make(
                              GalaxyEggbert::CompletedWorldSignIcon(terrain.getBlock(x, y, z).type())));

Reading a type for a registry lookup, from BlupiController:

const auto block = world.getBlock(gx, gy, gz);
return !block.isAir() && !GalaxyEggbert::GetBlockDefinition(block.type()).decor;

Tests

Related pages