Organic Building Generation in Minecraft

This research presents a novel procedural content generation (PCG) method for creating organic, non-rectangular building floor plans and exterior walls within the Minecraft environment. The primary objective is to move beyond template-based structure generation, which is common in the Generative Design in Minecraft (GDMC) competition, by utilizing a constrained growth algorithm combined with cellular automata. This approach allows for the automated creation of functionally connected, uniquely shaped structures that utilize the game's natural voxel-block units rather than rigid rectangular constraints.

The methodology involves two distinct phases: floor plan generation and external wall generation. The floor plan is created by placing rooms within a defined 3D space and allowing them to grow iteratively until they reach capacity, followed by a granular door-placement process that ensures all rooms remain connected. The exterior walls are then generated using cellular automata, which organizes solid blocks and glass windows to create aesthetically varied facades.

Performance analysis was conducted across three experiments involving 1,000 buildings each, ranging from small 7x7 structures to larger 15x15 layouts. Results indicate that the algorithm is highly efficient, with generation times ranging from approximately 7.9 seconds for small buildings to 154 seconds for larger, more complex structures. Data shows an exponential increase in average room area and door count as building dimensions grow, highlighting the algorithm's ability to scale. While the resulting structures are fully connected and visually distinct, the authors note that larger buildings can become disorienting, suggesting that future iterations should incorporate interior decoration or landmarks to improve navigation. The project provides a modular, open-source framework intended to serve as a foundation for more adaptive settlement generation within the Minecraft community.