
VanillaMaps
An easy-to-use custom map generator that keeps in the spirit of Minecraft, that isn’t just uploading an image from the internet!
Screenshots



About this Mod
Overview

A "Vanilla" style way of creating custom maps without having to place 16000 blocks or just grabbing a random image off the internet! Supporting Paper & Fabric 1.21-26.1.2
This was originally created in mind for an SMP I play on to start a newspaper but a lot other players found it fun to use for making playing cards, advertisements etc.
So I thought there may be others out there interested in something like this!
Development is still in early days however the core functionality is there, and after play testing it on a server for a few days everything seems in a good place for an initial public release.
Features
- Map Drawing GUI that allows the player to draw on a 128x128 pixel grid in an intuitive way
- The ability to save & edit maps, as to allow you to go back and make adjustments
- A way to copy and paste maps, ideal for duplicating maps without keeping the same map ID
- 16 colours to pick from
- Fill, Rectangle, Line & Undo tools
- Background generation (i.e noise, checkerboard etc)
- Text writing tool, allowing the user to easily type text onto the map!





Command Usages
/map create [ratio] | Required to initalize the MapDataStore
Ratio refers to the size of a pixel
A ratio of 1 (default) gives access to the full 128x128 grid
A ratio of 16 reduces it to an 8x8 grid (essentially a larger brush)
A map is NOT locked to the ratio given during its creation
/map edit [ratio] | Loads the help map's custom data store into the Drawing GUI
Editing a map using different ratios is OK
The plugin will automatically convert the map's current pixels to the appropriate size without compromising quality
/map write <line> <colour> <alignment> <text...>| Writes <text> onto the <line> given (1-18), the player can use any of the 16 colours found in the Colour Palette GUI. Alignment is chosen by [L]eft, [R]ight, and [C]enter
Supports A-Z, 1-9, !?.-,
The font is currently 4x4 pixels, in future I may make the font editable in the plugin's config if thats something people want.
/map copy | Copies the held map's custom data to the players clipboard
Honesty I just didn't know about the cartography table but it still has use in terms of creating the same map with separate IDs
For example, you have a master copy of your map created with this command, then the other copy is used at a cartography table and placed all around wherever you want it to be
Now if a player picks up your map and edits it, you can always /map copy your master, and paste it back onto the "public" map
/map paste | Pastes the players clipboard to the held map's data store
Self explanatory + above
/map publish | Locks the map help by the player
Prevents a map from being editted, still allows for /map copy & /map paste
/map or /map help
Lists all commands available and their correct usage
Roadmap
I want to keep the plugin relatively "vanilla like" as possible, with that being said I also want to create a fun and usable player experience.
With that in mind all this is subject to change and would LOVE to hear your thoughts & ideas!
- Easier-to-use map drawing GUI for Fabric versions.
Potential**** Features
- Due to the limited GUI size, it can be awkward working on the 128x128 grid, to combat this I was thinking of creating a web designer to allow the creation of more intreciate maps. However at this point it feels though the player should just place it by hand. I am not currently seeking to fully develop this idea and want to hear peoples thoughts first.
Conclusion
You can follow development, report bugs, and suggest ideas in the VanillaMaps discord
I hope you have as much fun with this as I have!
Known Bugs
None
Available Versions
How to Install VanillaMaps on Your Server
Order Server
Order a Minecraft Java server with at least 3 GB RAM (4 GB recommended).
Set fabric Loader
In the panel under "Egg", select the fabric loader and matching Minecraft version (26.1.2).
Install Mod
Open the mod browser in the dashboard and search for "VanillaMaps". Click "Install" – done! Alternatively, upload the .jar via SFTP to the /mods folder.
Compatibility
Mod Loaders
Minecraft Versions
26.1.2, 26.1.1, 26.1 (+12 more)
Server-side
✗ UnsupportedRecommended RAM
4 GB(min. 3 GB)Frequently Asked Questions
VanillaMaps server crashes on startup – what to do?
Most common cause: wrong fabric version or insufficient RAM. Check the server log (latest.log) for "OutOfMemoryError" or "Mixin" errors. With Mado Hosting: ensure at least 3 GB RAM is allocated and the loader matches the mod version (26.1.2). You can switch loaders with one click in the panel.
Is VanillaMaps compatible with fabric and paper?
VanillaMaps officially supports fabric, paper for Minecraft 26.1.2, 26.1.1, 26.1. The Mado dashboard automatically detects incompatible loader combinations.
Server lagging with VanillaMaps – how to optimize performance?
Recommended RAM: 4 GB (per 8 players). Use /spark profiler to check if VanillaMaps consumes the most tick time. Common fixes: reduce server view-distance to 8-10, install "performant" or "starlight" as supplementary mods on Forge. With Mado Hosting, your server runs on NVMe SSDs with dedicated CPU cores for minimal latency.
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