Aalu Shaders Wiki › FAQ
Aalu Shaders FAQ
10 questions players actually ask, answered.
How do I turn on Aalu Shaders?
Aalu loads through a shader loader such as Iris or OptiFine, like other shader packs. Open Options > Video Settings > Shader Packs, select Aalu in the list, then click Apply or Done. The world reloads with the new lighting.
How can I tell if Aalu is actually working?
Stand outside in daylight and look at trees, walls and terrain. You should see real-time shadows cast by the sun and by blocks. Then look at open water, which should show gentle ripples and simple reflections instead of the flat vanilla surface.
Will Aalu run on my low-end PC?
Yes. Aalu is built to run smoothly on budget computers without heavy lag spikes. If you still get stutters, lower your render distance first, since that usually has the biggest impact on frame rate.
Does Aalu change how Minecraft looks or make it realistic?
No. Aalu keeps the original vanilla art style and color palette, so blocks look the way you are used to. It adds shadows, soft sunlight, water reflections and balanced lighting on top for better depth.
Do I need to put Aalu on the server too?
No. Shader packs run only on your own client, so you can use Aalu on any server or in singleplayer without changing anything server-side. Other players only see Aalu's visuals if they enable it themselves.
Why don't the water reflections look like a perfect mirror?
Aalu uses simple, clean reflections with gentle wave motion, so it does not produce detailed mirror images. This keeps it fast on weaker hardware. For the best effect, look across a wide open body of water in daylight.
My nights feel too dark. What should I do?
Aalu aims for balanced nighttime lighting rather than pitch black, but unlit areas will still be dim. Place torches, lanterns or other light sources around your builds to brighten them and show off the lighting.
How can I use Aalu's shadows to make my builds look better?
Add depth to walls with overhangs, pillars, recessed windows and trims so the real-time shadows have edges to fall across. Check your build at different times of day, because the shadow direction moves with the sun.
My FPS dropped after turning on Aalu. What can I change?
Reduce render distance and close other heavy programs running in the background. Then compare by switching shaders off in the Shader Packs menu. Some drop compared to vanilla is normal, but Aalu should stay smooth on modest hardware.
How do I quickly turn Aalu off?
Go back to Video Settings > Shader Packs and choose the off or internal option instead of Aalu. If you use Iris, there is also a keybind to toggle shaders on and off, which you can find under Controls.