Tuning Label Distances, Minimum Rate, Normalization, and Entity Limits in Observable

guide

Observable is a server-side entity profiler for Minecraft, and its settings let you control how much information appears on screen and how that information is filtered. This guide covers the options that shape what you see: label distances, the minimum rate threshold, result normalization, and the entity count cap.

What These Settings Do

Observable displays labels in the world to help you identify what is lagging a server. Four settings determine which labels appear and how they are presented:

maxBlockDist — sets the maximum distance, in blocks, at which block labels are drawn.
maxEntityDist — sets the maximum distance, in blocks, at which entity labels are drawn.
minRate — sets the minimum rate, measured in microseconds per tick (μs/t), that a result must reach before it is visualized.
Normalize results — toggles whether results are normalized.
maxEntityCount — sets the maximum number of entities shown.

Each of these is adjusted through the mod's interface. There is no crafting step and no item to hold; you change values directly in the settings screens the mod provides.

Adjusting Label Distances

maxBlockDist and maxEntityDist both take a distance in blocks. Lowering either value reduces how far from your position the corresponding labels will render. Raising it lets labels appear farther away.

If your view is crowded with labels, reducing these distances is the straightforward fix. If you are trying to survey a wider area at once, increase them. The two are separate, so you can keep block labels close while allowing entity labels to reach farther, or the reverse.

Setting the Minimum Rate

minRate filters out low-activity results. Its unit is microseconds per tick, written as μs/t. Any result below the threshold you set is not visualized.

A higher value hides minor contributors and leaves only the heavier ones visible. A lower value shows more results, including small ones. If you are hunting for the biggest source of lag, raise this value so the display stays focused. If you suspect many small contributors are adding up, lower it to bring them into view.

Normalization

Normalize results is a toggle. Turning it on normalizes the results being displayed; turning it off leaves them as they are. Use the toggle in the interface to switch between the two states.

Limiting Entity Count

maxEntityCount caps how many entities are shown. Once the number of entities reaches the limit you have set, no further entity labels are drawn.

This is useful when a large number of entities would otherwise flood the display. Set it lower for a cleaner view, or higher when you need a broader picture of entity activity.

A few other parts of the mod relate to these settings:

The Show profiler screen action opens the profiler screen.
Profile with sampler runs a profile using the sampler, which adds overhead.
get field lets you enter a profile URL or hash.
When a profile starts, you will see profile started with the running duration in seconds.
Completed profiles may be uploaded, saved locally, or fail to upload, with corresponding messages.

Messages You May Encounter

Observable reports several conditions directly:

unavailable — the mod is not present on the server.
no permissions — you lack permission to start a profiler.
Error performing action: — an action did not complete.
Entity not found. Perhaps it died or was otherwise removed? — the target entity is gone.
upload failed — the profile could not be uploaded.
suggest — the server appears slow based on its tps, with a prompt to find lag sources.
suggest action — a suggestion to consider using Observable.
announce — a notice that the pack includes Observable for finding lag sources.

If an error persists, the mod directs you to report it at github.com/tasgon/observable/issues.

Practical Order of Operations

Start by setting minRate to a level that hides noise. Then adjust maxBlockDist and maxEntityDist so labels appear only within a range you can actually read. If the display is still busy, lower maxEntityCount. Toggle Normalize results depending on whether you want normalized values. Revisit each setting as your investigation changes, since the right balance depends on what you are looking for at that moment.