Feature request: Drop leaves

[SlimeDog]

Consider the possibilities:

• Harder: Drop the leaves that are associated with the dropped logs. That is, apply gravity to the logs, then apply gravity to the leaves. That way, the leaves will be atop and around the fallen logs, sort of like a real tree. A configurable option, of course -- some people would not like the necessity of removing the leaves.
• Easier: Alternatively, just remove the leaves that are associated with the dropped logs. Again, a configurable option. Personally, I hate waiting for the leaves and saplings (and apples) to fall, long after the logs have dropped.

In either case:

• Only leaves of the appropriate type would be affected, even if they are touching affected logs or leaves.
• Max felling distance would apply, so that the leaves of nearby trees would not be removed.

[ShaneBeee]

I do like this idea. I will mark this as enhancement and start working on it. As I said on SpigotMC, due to the holidays this might not come anytime soon. I will keep you posted

[SlimeDog]

[Copied from the discussion thread] Some plausible heuristics:

• Limit actions to the type of leaf block associated with the felled log(s). Clearly, many trees in forests have leaves that connect trees together in ways that could cause this to fail badly (DARK_FOREST is a poster child), but it's a minimal requirement.
• Limit actions to a relatively small radius from the trunk column(s). This could be made slightly more complex by adjusting the radius based on the type of tree. For example, radius(birch)=radius(oak)=2, radius(dark_oak)=3. At present, max felling tree distance = 20, which seems (to me) overly generous.
• If connected leaves span trees, limit action to leaves that are less than the midpoint between the felled trunk column(s) and any adjacent trunk column(s).

In all cases, there should be heuristics to avoid felling houses. In other words, whatever is changed should not break the current behavior wrt houses.

[SlimeDog]

[Copied from the discussion thread] This might solve the more general kill-a-forest problem. For any logs or leaves that are connected (via branches or leaves) to multiple trees, do not act on any logs or leaves outside the midpoint between the targeted trunk and any adjacent trunk columns, as well as the limit imposed by max tree felling distance. I would be happy to test the proposition.

[SlimeDog]

[Copied from a different discussion] Steps:

• Calculate the footprint of the logs that will be dropped.
• Calculate a cube that encompasses the footprint, from ground to the height of the taller trees (20?).
• Drop the logs as now.
• Remove the leaves in the cube; even better (configurable), apply gravity to them. Of course, leaves should not be dropped as items, unless they are cut by shears.

[SlimeDog]

Any thoughts on this? I'm still interested.

[ShaneBeee]

Im going to mark this one as "Help Wanted" I personally like the idea, but I don't feel comfortable trying to implement it. I feel like its going to take a decent amount of work to make this work, and I just feel like I would totally screw it up.