Map Rendering Update

Hello! I have great news about the server map renders! We are now using BlueMap to generate world maps to explore in your browser. I will explain why below, as well as some of the plus sides and limitations of the switch.

Why switch now?

So glad you asked. It all started when I upgraded the SMP server to Minecraft 1.20, and suddenly any chunks that had been visited in the new version were not rendered at all. A quick visit to Minecraft Overviewer’s website tells me that the project is no longer updated.

So I began the search for new map rendering software to replace Overviewer. Their blog post suggested BlueMap so I gave it a try. It seemed to check all the boxes I was looking for and I really like the way maps turned out after a few tests and learning how to configure it.

Pros and Cons

BlueMap seems to be an improvement in all ways. It renders a full 3D model so you can explore worlds in much greater detail like never before. It also has the advantage of taking up less space (costing me less money to store). On average, maps are about 30% smaller, as an extreme example though, the Castles & Casinos & VIllages map render was a whole 30GB, and now it is 8.5GB.

BlueMap lets you view a 2D map, a perspective view, or even go through the world in first person, similar to spectator mode in-game. Be sure to check it out on the server map, or on any of the past maps!

Like most renderers, it does not render entities, so you will still need to download the world and play it to see your pets, read your signs or look at item frames and banners. Overviewer couldn’t do it either, nor would it even let you zoom in enough to see enough detail anyways so I don’t see this as an issue with BlueMap.

Overall I am quite happy with BlueMap and the significant upgrade in map quality. Thanks for reading!