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Software occlusion culling in Block Game

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Blog Intermediate

Eniko Fox

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Description

Software occlusion culling in Block Game is a January 2026 Eniko Fox blog post on a CPU depth-buffer occlusion culler for an FNA block/chunk game aimed at weak integrated GPUs.

It describes hierarchical opaque subchunk occluders for 16-cubed chunks, a 256x128 float depth buffer, cheap view-space transforms with linear depth, edge-traced cube fills with a one-pixel inset against false culls, frustum culling in world space, threaded candidate tests, and measured cull rates from open horizons to caves. Optimization steps from slow full-projection prototypes to the final design are documented.

It is for intermediate game programmers targeting low-end hardware who understand frustum culling and chunk meshing. GPU hierarchical-Z or async readback is not required.

The article is free HTML on enikofox.com with diagrams, C# transform snippets, and performance anecdotes.

It is useful as a concrete software occlusion design when engine APIs limit GPU-assisted culling and caves hide most geometry.