Ascii Craft Shaders Wiki › FAQ
Ascii Craft Shaders FAQ
10 questions players actually ask, answered.
How do I turn on Ascii Craft Shaders?
Open Video Settings, go to the Shader Packs menu of your shader loader (such as Iris or OptiFine), select Ascii Craft Shaders and click Apply or Done. Your world should immediately redraw as ASCII text characters, like an old command line terminal.
I installed it but my game still looks normal, what did I do wrong?
The pack is probably sitting in your shader list without being selected. Make sure it is highlighted as the active pack in the Shader Packs menu and that you applied the change. Also check that a shader loader is installed, because Minecraft cannot run shader packs on its own.
Will this shader lag my low end PC?
It is built to run smoothly on low and medium setups and has low system impact on budget graphics cards. If you still drop frames, lowering your render distance is usually the quickest fix.
Does it really turn mobs and items into text too, or just blocks?
It renders blocks, mobs and items all as ASCII text characters, so the entire world looks like a terminal screen.
How am I supposed to tell a creeper from grass when everything is ASCII?
Watch for movement, because mobs shift around while blocks stay still, and listen for mob sounds like hissing or footsteps. If you need to see clearly in a dangerous moment, disable the pack from the Shader Packs menu or with your shader loader's toggle key, then turn it back on.
Can I quickly switch the ASCII look off and back on?
Yes. Use your shader loader's shader toggle key if it has one, or open the Shader Packs menu and choose to turn shaders off. Your world is untouched, so switching back restores the terminal look right away.
Do I need to put this on my server for it to work?
No. It is a purely visual, client side shader, so it only changes what you see on your own screen. Other players on the server will see the normal game unless they turn it on themselves.
Can I run Ascii Craft Shaders together with another shader pack?
No, only one shader pack can be active at a time. Selecting a different pack in the Shader Packs menu will replace the ASCII look with that pack.
What's the best way to take cursed ASCII screenshots?
Press F1 to hide your hotbar and crosshair so only the text-rendered world is visible, then press F2 to save the screenshot. Scenes with lots of mobs, items or varied blocks in view give the most chaotic terminal look.
Does this shader change my world or blocks permanently?
No, it only changes how the game is drawn on your screen. Your blocks, items and saves stay exactly the same, and disabling the pack brings back the normal visuals instantly.