User:Eevee 27/Schematica & Litematica Guide

This guide by  eevee_27 is for players who wish to use "schematic" blueprint files to build things in Minecraft, with instructions on how to comply with MinecraftOnline's rules. Guide for Litematica will be written at a later date.

What is a schematic?

Many modern players in MinecraftOnline are reliant on schematics to build large-scale structures, such as skyscrapers or maparts.

Schematic, in this context, is a solution that saves a select area of blocks and virtually places them elsewhere in the world or even in a different world. These essentially are visualised blueprints of what you want to build.

In the vanilla game (without mods), a  Structure Block does the function; players can load a file of a structure via the block with various property options. However, it is only available with commands /setblock or /give. Even in post-1.19, operator privileges are necessary to obtain it from the Creative Mode inventory. As such, using mods is simpler and does not require administrative permission for many actions.

In fact, schematic mods are so dangerous that they are forbidden in many servers. Why?

• Without restrictions, mods like these allow stealing structures that users did not build. Copyright infringement.
• In SMP worlds, this allows finding ores in saved areas externally, which obviously destroys the nature of survival mode. This also allows instant replication of a schematic using the printing function.

MCO is one of them where saving and printing schematics are cheating and would result in a permanent ban when notified. Though it is possible to use the save function when an admin allows to, but commonly overground structures that a player built for archival purposes.

.nbt and .schematic

Files used for schematics have one of the file formats.

• .nbt files are used for Structure Blocks but can also be used by schematic mods. These files are not optimised storage-wise.
• .schematic files are used for schematic mods. These files are optimised storage-wise. .litematic files are one of these.

Install mods

For 1.12.2 users:

1. Install Forge mod loader for 1.12.2, then download Schematica and LunatrisCore.
   • WorldEdit and WorldEdit CUI mods also help when creating schematics.
   • These mods require you to assign a lot of keys for controls. Consider adding the Macro Keybind mod. This allows key combinations for key assignments.
2. Set up a game profile for 1.12.2 Forge.
3. Once the game is launched, check the game controls and assign keys for Schematica, WE controls, and the WE CUI area display cleaner.

Create a schematic

If you already have a schematic file, skip this section.

You can create your very own schematic with these methods.

• Use a schematic creation tool in-game in a singleplayer world - either with mods or using a Structure Block
• Use an external site to produce a schematic

Schematic creation

Let's use Schematica to save an area to a schematic file.

Using an external site

There are websites and tools where you can create a schematic. Mapart creators often use MapartCraft to make a blueprint out of images.

Follow a schematic

Now let's load a schematic to follow.