Does Optimum Realism work with Distant Horizons (and shaders)

Distant Horizons (DH) adds huge render distances by drawing simplified LOD (level-of-detail) terrain beyond your normal chunks. Optimum Realism works with it — but it helps to know exactly what you'll see.

Textures-only (no shaders): DH builds its distant LODs from the average colour of each block's texture, so your far hills take on Optimum Realism's palette. They won't carry the full high-res detail — that's by design, LODs are simplified geometry — but the colour and feel match.

With shaders, you need the right versions:

• Distant Horizons 2.1+ — only 2.1.0 and newer work with Iris shaders; DH 2.0 and older don't.
• Iris 1.7+ — older Iris can't drive DH's LOD lighting.
• A DH-aware shader. The shader must ship DH-specific programs (e.g. dh_terrain). If it doesn't, Iris marks it incompatible with DH and the far terrain won't shade correctly. Many popular packs have added DH support; check the shader's notes.

Set expectations: close-up blocks get the full Optimum Realism treatment — PBR, POM, emission. The distant LODs are averaged colour under shader lighting, so don't expect carved depth or reflections way out at the horizon. That's a DH limitation, not the pack's.

Performance: DH likes about 6 GB of RAM. If you're already running a high-res pack and a cinematic shader, watch your memory — see RAM for shaders. And keep your Iris + Sodium versions matched, or you'll hit the incompatible-mods error.

Optimum Realism works with Distant Horizons on the versions above — we just don't bundle DH itself; install it like any other mod.