Vanilla RTX v1.20.5: Autumn's End Update (Release)

The Vanilla RTX v1.20.5 Autumn’s End Update has arrived, bringing with it a host of huge new features, improvements, and fixes! This update revisions a number of items that desperately needed it, introduces general tweaks for some blocks across the board, and most importantly, unveils a whole new set of features!
Let’s delve into the changelogs to find more about this massive update along with detailed explanation & its highlights.

Vanilla RTX & Vanilla RTX Normals v1.20.5: Autumn's End / Release Notes:

• Launch of the Experimentals Option:
This is a new subpack which will be used for anything experimental from here on out.
Future features in experimentals subpack option might not be intended for every-day gameplay, so they may or may not be added to Vanilla RTX, think of it as a playground for testing and exploration. Keep an eye out on the changelogs for information on what's new in experimentals.
You can enable this option through the updated resource pack settings menu:

• The first batch of new experimental features and updates:
• Implemented dynamic sun azimuth, allowing diagonal shadows and a more dynamic day-night cycle, significantly enhancing your gameplay experience by bringing more realistic outdoors lighting.

The previous sun angle was at 0°, which led to shadows lining up with blocks, resulting in a far less than ideal visuals. The new sun azimuth leads to possibility of diagonal godrays/shadows and a dramatically improved visual experience.

The sunlight will now pass in various directions instead of being parallel with the entire Minecraft world, making the environment much more dynamic.
Known issue: At certain times of day, the sun's directional light may momentarily appear to come from the opposite direction, this will be addressed in a future update.

This feature does not require preview!
You can enable it right now on both preview and regular version of Minecraft, no additional experimental toggle is required in the world options! All you need to do is to change Vanilla RTX's settings to experimental & you will be able to use this feature on servers, worlds and realms.

• Default materials for unsupported textures will now appear fully rough.

• Implemented a workaround fix for decorated pot texture glitches.

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• Prismarine has undergone a major overhaul with significant improvements.
- Materials for all prismarine blocks (Sea lantern, rough prismarine, prismarine bricks and dark prismarine) have been revamped, as a result:
- Rough prismarine now boasts more details.
- Consistency issues between prismarine blocks have been resolved; all prismarine blocks now share a unified appearance.
- Incorrect height values on rough prismarine heightmap have been corrected.
- Prismarine bricks and Dark Prismarine normal maps have been revamped; angles on dark prismarine have been fixed & perfected; prismarine bricks now sport a completely new look.

• End Portal material no longer appears glossy, it is now pitch black instead.

It is not possible to faithfully recreate the green moving dots of default graphics, however a void black replacement can still be thought of as a suitable alternative to the (likely unintentional) default oily material.

• Updated Manifest and Metadata & Restructured Vanilla RTX
- Added URL and License to the official repository & new PBR capabilities required for new experimental features.
• Added new short, comprehensive description of each subpack in resource pack's setting menu, can be viewed underneath the slider while changing subpacks
• Modified all texture set jsons within the package to be in a correct and human-readable json format

• Updated mushroom blocks (stem, red, brown, inside and red/brown fungi)
- Normal maps have been overhauled for better natural aesthetics & improved tiling.
- Decreased all heightmap contrast with more subtle details.
- Updated MERs, filled in missing details, all mushroom blocks now appear consistent.

• Revamped Observer
- Different types of stone parts & redstone parts now match their respective materials.
- Remade all heightmaps along with new hand made normal maps to be up to the standard.

• Mortar texture parts on cobblestone related blocks (such as Pistons, Dropper, Dispenser, Furnaces, etc...) now have been updated for enhanced detail and consistency.
• Issus with tall seagrass top and bottom normal maps appearing disconnected have been fixed; similar issues with Kelp top have also been addressed; missing information for some normal maps has been filled in.
• Adjustments to regular bricks and pots roughness to more closely match other types of bricks
• Updated Cobblestone and Mossy Cobblestone MERs, added in missing details
• Corrected a wrong emissive pixel on sculk catalyst side
• New icons!

Notes:
Ultimately, what Autumn's End brings for Vanilla RTX is quite remarkable as Vanilla RTX gets ever closer to truly realize the long-standing vision of an ideal baseline Minecraft RTX experience.

In other news, I might be brewing up an special version of Vanilla RTX for the Halloween season! (Similar to last year's Vanilla RTX 2022 Winter Edition)
If that doesn’t materialize, I will see you all in the next RTX Reactor release post!
Stay tuned.