What tools do you use to help you build structures? [closed]

When looking at Minecraft pictures, I see that lots of people build lots of really neat structures, but I really wonder how they build some structures. Are the using some external tool to help them plan?

For example, let's take the case of a simple sphere, dome, or arch. How do you figure out where the blocks should be placed? Do you simulate the structure in some other tool? Do you use a calculator and the appropriate equations?

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13 Answers

If you want to make circles, spheres, or toruses (donuts) by hand, use some pixel templates like this one:

To build a sphere for example (one method of many), pick the diameter you want and build up circles as layers. For example, if you want to build a sphere with diameter 21, you would

1. Start with a circle of diameter 7 on the bottom (according to the preceding template, some can vary), as the first "slice" up from the bottom is 7 across.
2. The next slice is 11 across, so you would build a circle of diameter 11 on top, with the same center.
3. Continue on, building circles of diameters 13, 15, 17, 19, 19, 21, 21, 21, and another 21 would be the equator of the sphere.
4. That would make a hemisphere, continue on to make the full sphere.

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There's a map generator that specifically does that called Planetoids. It was featured on the Yogscast:

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For simple structures trial and error would probably be an adequate solution. After all it doesn't take long to hack out any incorrectly placed blocks.

More complicated structures will require more thought and planning, but by taking things in stages you can break the problem down into more simple steps.

As for an external tool - pencil and squared graph paper might be all you need!

Just thought of something else - if you use sand or gravel as scaffolding then it's relatively easy to remove the excess material when you've finished. Just stand at ground level and hack away.

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If you're a Bukkit junkie like me, utilize the miraculous in-game editor WorldEdit to generate custom spheres at will. To make a floating sphere, build yourself up on a pillar of sand and:

//hsphere glass 10

More info here.

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For obvious reasons I'd suggest using the Minecraft Structure Planner. It's free, and you can download it from

Minepedia has many map editors that provide 2d or 3d interfaces for rapid map editing. 2d and 3d brushes (rectangles, circles, spheres), copy and paste, block search and replace, and other functions are available.

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Full Glass Empty Clip has a great article on using Google sketchup to model your objects in proper 3D before you go off and build. There is a template linked in there with all the Minecraft blocks in and instructions to get you started. Not sure if you can export directly into a schematic to load into MCEdit yet, but your need for that depends if you want to build it by hand or not.

I generally build a foundation for the structure out of gravel or dirt. From there, I slowly build more of it, and tweak as I go.

I try to build the important parts of the structure first (the skeleton of it), and worry about details later.

If you want to make perfect spheres, the 3D plans are available in this Minecraft Forum thread. I've built some cool stuff with these!

Use wood for scaffolding or for your base, it will be easily burned and will be little effort.

I make my own tools, such as my voxel sphere generator.

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Use MS Paint and zoom in up to maximum.

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I have found that plotz.co.uk is the most commonly used website for large scale ellipse, sphere, torus and tower building on Minecraft, and it has adjustable dimensions. I used it to build a 254 diameter death star on MC X360.