Quote from Carmelpoptart

Nah. thats definatly not it. many people have found them. there rare, but not big enough to be the secret.
or maybe the wells are part of the puzzle....

Yes, if there's really a secret thing, then it has to be some sort of a puzzle like you said. I doubt it's a new item or mob because it would have already been discovered by modders.

Quote from Bindal

I still can't see how people complain about "lack of variete" when we got more than we ever had.
Now, we can have:
Plains
Mountains
Oceans
Mushroom
Deserts
Swamps

All with variating temperature zones (except swamps and mushroom) and LARGE in size, with or without forests, possible with rivers crossing it.


Before, we had:
Hills
Desert

In small size. A flat area was rare and not very large, usually filled with trees.


So, anyone, who says "we got less variation now" should take off those goddamn nostalgia-glasses and look what you REALLY had back then.

It's not about the amount of different biomes we are concerned, it's how they are generated and arranged, their topographical structure. Each individual biome looks almost the same, bland.

Yes, we have many biomes, you've named them already, but there is no variety whithin them.
It's about the random structures and formations we had prior to ver1.7.3.
With the new generator these things are now gone, or barely present. All biomes seem to be premade with some little variations, instead of random generation.

Yeah, every biome (except mountain one) is almost flat now, maybe with a few tiny little "bumps", but that's it.
And as someone said before, every seed feels and looks the same. There is little to no variation and the terrain structure is constantly repeating (even the mountian biome).

I don't know what they did there and why, but I really hope they're going to change it. I literally can't play Minecraft because of the dull world generator now.
That's currently the biggest issue I have with Minecraft.

This really needs brought to Mojang's attention.

Well, I like it but also dislike it.
What I don't like is that the bar drains very fast when jumping, and since you are jumping the most of the time (climbing hills etc.) it's sort of unbalanced.
But in general I like the hunger bar more than I dislike it.

Hold down right mouse button when eating :wink.gif:


edit: ninja'd by Cybercobra :dry.gif:

I know, this all doesn't seem very well thought out. I mean, either implement breeding in 1.8 or remove the current animal spawning behavior till 1.9 gets released; but don't split game changing mechanics into two updates, it doesn't make sense.

I think the new hunger system is pretty well balanced and requires a little bit of thinking/preparing when fighting enemies. Before, you could just spam the mouse button to eat food and instantly gain your health back.

Meh, I don't like the idea of splitting the update into two parts, i.e. 1.8 and 1.9. Sure, Mojang has their reasons to why they do it, it's probably easier to manage the bugs etc.
But think about it, when you start a new world with 1.8 and then 1.9 gets released, you have to start over again for the features to be present.

Just my thoughts about the 1.8 and 1.9 update.

Yeah, I'm also a little bit picky and want the small "unimportant" bugs to be fixed. That doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to 1.8 or other big content updates.

There's one small bug that annoys the hell out of me; When a chicken looks at the player, it moves its head down instead of up.

This bug exists fairly long (was working before, then got broken), I'm afraid that these kind of bugs get forgotten (grammar?), and over the time they will form to a huge pile of problems, which then are hard to deal with.

I hope someone videotapes the Q&A with Notch.

Introduction
Minecraft Skin Viewer is a simple tool that can display any Minecraft skin. You can type username, browse file or play with drag & drop - fast and simple. The best thing is the ability to pose the model manually, just like an action figure. You can move any body part with the left mouse button.



Features

• View Minecraft skins on the 3D model
• From players
• From files
• Pose the 3D model like an action figure
• Drag body parts with the mouse
• Use predefined positions
• Play the animation and adjust its speed
• Download skins of other users
• Export to image
• Change the background
• 12 languages*
• English
• Polish
• Dutch
• Norwegian
• French
• German
• Danish
• Swedish
• Slovak
• Czech
• Portuguese
• Lithuanian

*If you want to suggest new or better translation, write it here: Localizing Minecraft Skin Viewer.

Description

Play and see other players
Minecraft Skin Viewer does not use your GPU, so you can play Minecraft with the highest performance and have Minecraft Skin Viewer window open all the time. I've created my own 3D engine to achieve that. Works smooth on every creepy and slow machine.


For creating skins
Minecraft Skin Viewer is very useful for creating your own skin, because it automatically refreshes the skin when you save the file. I used to make skins in Photoshop, so now I can see my results very quickly without any additional clicks. Just press Ctrl + S in Photoshop and Minecraft Skin Viewer will update the skin immediately.


Show off your skin
With Minecraft Skin Viewer you can render your skin with high quality and transparent background - perfect as a layer for Photoshop or any other professional graphics editor.


Download skins
Minecraft Skin Viewer allows you to download any Minecraft skin.


*Extended
In the extended version you can view mobs, like Creeper, Skeleton etc. and set them your own textures.


Quick manual

1. Run the program, type your username, press 'Enter' and see yourself.
2. Hold the left mouse button and drag anything you want.
3. Click the right mouse button and choose something from the context menu.
4. Find some skin file and drag it into Minecraft Skin Viewer.
5. Click the right mouse button on some toolbar and change its docking.
6. Have fun.

Download for PC
Requirements

• Windows
• .NET Framework 4.0

Download for Windows Phone


Changelog

If you like this program, you can use my signature to promote it:

---

Table of Contents:

Overview
Changes in how things work
Frequently Asked Questions
[WIP] The Cubic Chunks Mod!
Gallery
Supporting this suggestion
Special thanks

[spoiler=Tl:dr]Q: Won't this increase lag?
A: Absolutely not. The title of this suggestion and big red letters at the top of this post aren't lying. If you want to know how, then I suggest you actually read this post.

Q: Will this change terrain? Will this break existing worlds?
A: No. Terrain change is not necessary. Existing worlds can be converted fairly easily with a process described later in this post.

Q: How can sunlight or rain work with infinite vertical space?
A: I suggest you read Coping with sunlight, because it's too complex for a tl;dr.

Q: I have a different question but still don't feel like reading this post. What do I do?
A: Too bad, read the FAQ. I put way too much work into this for the entirety of it to be ignored.[/spoiler]

---

Overview:

In Minecraft, the sky is the limit - literally. It doesn't matter how many thousands of blocks a player has traveled, or what dimension they're in, or even if they're playing in creative or survival, the highest they can ever build is up to a height of 256. Why is that? If Minecraft can have a world that's infinite in the north, in the south, in the east, and in the west, why can't that world be infinite up and down too?

In Minecraft's earliest days, in Classic and Indev, the world was not infinite in any direction. This was because the entire world needed to be generated at the same time, and the entire world needed to be simulated at the same time as well. This led to a conundrum - the bigger the world, the more it lagged.
Notch didn't like this. He knew his players liked to explore and build large creations, so he found a way to make the world truly infinite. When the Minecraft '' class='bbc'>Infdev came out, it brought with it truly infinite worlds. Suddenly, players could travel hundreds of thousands of blocks in any direction, and never encounter a barrier, or become too laggy.
The Infdev update brought about a very large change to Minecraft worlds to accomplish this feat. For the first time, instead every world being just a single huge piece, they were broken up into a two-dimensional grid of pieces, called chunks. Through breaking the world up into pieces, this 'chunk system' enabled infinite worlds by letting Minecraft create new pieces and simulate them only when it needs to.

Why does that not apply to the vertical axis? Because the type of 'chunk system' Minecraft uses right now is a linear one, which, by using only a two-dimensional grid to map out chunks, means that it is impossible for chunks to stack on top of one another, and by extension, meaning that a single chunk must cover the entire vertical space. This brings back the problem that the Infdev update was supposed to eradicate, now only with chunks, instead of an entire world; the bigger a chunk is, the more laggy it is. You can't just increase the height limit and make chunks taller, because it will become laggier, and laggier, and laggier to do it.
That's why, to fix this, Minecraft must change over to a cubic chunk system. Under this system, 16³ block chunks are aligned on a three-dimensional grid, completely eliminating maximum height as an aspect of lag.

The immediate benefits:
•Minecraft worlds become as virtually infinite vertically as they are horizontally: The absolute limit being Y = ±30,000,000.
•A large FPS increase: Alpha testers report an FPS increase of 100~200%.
•Increase in running capability: Computers running Minecraft on Tiny render distance will handle only 30% the blocks they do now.

The possible features:
•Spherical render/load distance: Reduce handled blocks by up to 30% by cutting corners made of unneeded chunks.
•Server chunk occlusion/exclusion: Reduce bandwidth usage and defeat hackers by only sending data for visible chunks.
•Three-dimensional biomes: Save biome data per chunk rather than per block column, create volcanoes with magma chambers, underground rivers, tropical skylands floating over icy taigas, and more.

The disadvantages:
•Unloaded gravity-pause: Falling non-player entities and fluids will be forced to pause their fall if they reach unloaded chunks, but will resume falling when those chunks are loaded.
•Slow falling-pause: Players with slower computers and smaller render distances will have falling occasionally paused as they fall into unloaded chunks, until new chunks can be loaded.

The problems:
•Current sunlight and rain calculation methods cannot work with infinite vertical space: The solution to this is described here.
•Current BiomeDecorator cannot work with multiple vertical chunks simultaneously: The BiomeDecorator code must be altered to function correctly with this, or removed.
•Current cave generation method is executed an extra time for each vertical chunk created simultaneously, leading to lag spikes on world generation: Cave generation's method must be altered to suit this system more.
•Current grass/dirt generation algorithm forces additional chunk requests when chunks are loaded, causing chunks to load slower than they should: This algorithm must be replaced with something else.

---

Changes in how things work:

Obviously, the implementation of this new chunk system will change quite a few things. These changes are mostly either necessary or in the interest of increased efficiency. Such changes are categorized and explained below.

How worlds will be stored:
[spoiler]How the current storage works, and what changes:
Interestingly enough, the current method of storage, the Anvil format, is derived from the storage method that the original Cubic Chunks mod used. The Anvil format stores individual chunk as a series of 16³ quasi-cubic chunks. These 'fake' cubic chunks allow for easier reference of specific data, but they still can't be separated from each other, meaning that it fails to reap the full benefits of this system. Even so, the change allowed Mojang to double the maximum height with no performance hit. Chunks are stored in groups of 32², inside 'MCRegion' files, for a total of 1024 chunks.
By nature, cubic chunks does away with the 'quasi-cubic' nonsense. In terms of chunk grouping, instead of using groups of 32³ chunks, new "3DRegion" files would contain groups of 16³. This means each 3DRegion file contains 4096 chunks, four times as many as MCRegion files. However, each 3DRegion contains only one fourth the amount of blocks. For per-chunk positional metadata, 3DRegion files would use the same number of bits as MCRegion files, after compression. Calculations show that the same area encompassed by a single MCRegion file would consume 64 kilobytes of extra space with 4 3DRegion files, which is nothing.

Converting existing worlds:
Most people are probably wondering something like "But won't this totally destroy all existing worlds?". Absolutely not; conversion could not be simpler. When a non-cubic world is loaded after the implementation of this system, a conversion process will begin and convert the entire world at once(To avoid making chunk loading take longer during play). First, all existing MCRegion files will be divided into quarters to create 3DRegion files. Then, all existing chunks are divided into sixteenths using the quasi-cubic properties to identify boundaries. After that, conversion is done.

The "isEmpty" flag optimization:
A 1-bit flag is added to each chunk, named "isEmpty". If the chunk consists of 100% air blocks, this bit is 1, any other case makes it 0. When the bit is 1, all data for the chunk besides the isEmpty flag is deleted and ignored, which reduces filesize. Empty chunks are never loaded, and locations where they occur are merely simulated as entities reside in them. The chunk will only load when something requires saving inside it.[/spoiler]

Changes to terrain, ores, etcetera:
[spoiler]Terrain:
By default, nothing will change. Small bits of terrain generation code need to be reconfigured to work properly with Cubic Chunks.

Biomes:
By default, nothing will change.

Ore generation:
By default, nothing will change.

Structures:
By default, nothing will change.

The Void:
After conversion to Cubic Chunks, the void and bedrock layer will still exist and generate as they always have. However, the void(Not the bedrock layer!) will not exist as a hard limit and is able to be moved, but not removed, by editing an associated NBT data tag inside a world's level.dat. This feature, that allows for increasing the maximum depth, is intentionally disabled without external programs, to prevent terrain change of any sort. It is intended to be used by experienced mapmakers and world generation mods only.

Superflat settings:
Existing superflat worlds will not change. However, new superflat worlds will gain a new decoration parameter, 'void'. Inclusion of this parameter will cause the void to form below the lowest defined layer. Exclusion of it will cause all layers below the lowest defined layer to copy the settings of that layer.[/spoiler]

Coping with sunlight:
[spoiler]There used to be a solution here, but it wasn't deemed good enough by Jeb. Suggest solutions in this thread.[/spoiler]

Changes to servers:
[spoiler]Settings:
There's a setting inside the Server.properties file called 'max-build-height'. The setting makes it impossible for any player to place or remove blocks above that height.
With the implementation of Cubic Chunks, a new setting named "maximum-generation-depth" would be added. The void, bedrock layers, and magma layers will generate normally at and above the Y level designated by the value of this setting.

Chunk occlusion/exclusion:
Using the raytracing methods already available in the code and used for explosion calculations, servers can identify which chunks are visible to a player, within safe assumptions, and only send the data for those chunks. This both reduces bandwidth usage, and cripples the usefulness of X-Ray cheats.[/spoiler]

Render/Load distance alterations:
[spoiler]After the implementation of Cubic Chunks, view distances' radii will apply to the vertical axis too. This reduces handled blocks in the cases of tiny and short render distances, and increases them in the cases of normal and far render distances. This can be optimized by utilizing a spherical render distance instead of a cubic one, which would reduce handled blocks in all distances except Far.[/spoiler]

---

Frequently Asked Questions:

[spoiler=FAQ]Q: This is impossible.
A: No it's not. See below.

Q: Is this available as a mod?
A: Not yet! But it will be!

Q: I like X-ray! What if I don't want it to be broken?
A: First of all, breaking X-ray hacks will only be possible to do in multiplayer. That said, the system that would break X-ray would be possible to disable by the server owner. If the owner doesn't disable the system, then they don't want you using X-ray, and you should not be doing what the server owner doesn't want in the first place.

Q: I play on a PvP/Anarchy/Raid/Faction server. Won't this system let people pillar up into the sky and create a base thousands of blocks in the air and never be found?
A: No.

Q: I like Minecraft's current height limits. What if I don't want to have an infinite sky or infinite underground?
A: If this system is added, all worlds will not automatically gain an infinite underground. As stated below, the Void will remain in all worlds, even after the conversion to Cubic Chunks. The ability to remove the Void will simply be there. As for infinite space in the sky, the current build limit is over one hundred blocks above any terrain that vanilla Minecraft can possibly generate. It is ENTIRELY your decision on whether or not you take advantage of this height. If you play on a server, like stated above, the server owner can set a maximum build height. If s/he doesn't, then don't play on their server - you don't play on servers where the server owners allow things you don't like. Why would you play on an anarchy server if you hate being stolen from and killed?

Q: Will this affect Redstone at all?
A: No. This system will simply make it possible to make larger redstone circuitry than before.

Q: Won't this break existing worlds?
A: No. Existing worlds can be easily converted by dividing each MCRegion file into 4 pieces, then slicing the existing 256 block-high chunks inside them into 16 individual chunks.

Q: Won't this affect mods? Won't mod authors have a hard time updating their mods?
A: The answer to this question depends solely on the answer to the following two questions: Do parts of the modification code rely on chunk data/metadata? Does the mod author want to take advantage of the features of the new chunk system? If the answers to the first and second question are both "No", then updating a mod to this system should be very easy and quick. If the answer to the first question is "Yes", then those parts of the code will need to be rewritten somewhat, but in most cases, the changes should be fairly quick and easy. The only time that it should be hard to update a mod to this system, is if the answer to the second question is "Yes".

Q: Won't this require a total rewrite of the mod API if that's released first?
A: No. Whether or not even a small part of the mod API needs to be rewritten depends on the way that it is implemented and whether or not there are API inclusions for chunk handling and other chunk-related behavior.

Q: Could a player fall into unloaded chunks if chunks aren't loaded fast enough?
A: No, they could not, and for several reasons. Minecraft has a terminal velocity, though it might not seem like it. This velocity is slower than it should take to load new chunks below the player. In cases with exceptionally slow computers, even if the player did manage to reach an unloaded chunk, their fall would be paused until that chunk can be loaded.

Q: What would happen when water, sand, or a mob falls into an unloaded chunk?
A: Nothing. The water/sand/mob would freeze in place until the chunk is loaded and it can continue moving. You can already see this same thing happening on the horizontal axis.

Q: What will happen to the Void?
A: It will still exist, along with all its effects. The only difference is that the Void is no longer a hard limit and it can be moved. After the conversion to Cubic Chunks, the Void's location will be stored in a world's ' class='bbc'>level.dat, and this location can be changed with NBT editing tools. When and where the Void exists, chunks will cease to generate.

Q: Will this affect terrain?
A: No. However, terrain generators will gain the ability to use infinite height.

Q: Will this affect ore generation?
A: No. Ore is a part of terrain generation. As stated above, terrain will not be changed.

Q: Won't all current terrain generators be incompatible with this system and need to be rewritten?
A: No. Terrain generators work independently of chunks. When a chunk is generated for the first time, it calls the terrain generator and receives a specific section of the resultant terrain to save inside itself. Because of this, some custom terrain generators can generate steep terrain all the way to Y256, where you can experience a large, flat cut-off. Since there are no chunks above Y256 to call the terrain generator for terrain, no terrain exists there.

Q: What would happen if there's a huge solid ceiling so far above you that it is unloaded? Wouldn't you just see the sky, just with everything being completely dark?
A: Yes. This already happens on the horizontal axis, and it is an issue with sky rendering, not this chunk system. As such, this has nothing to do with this suggestion. Please do not post about this.

Q: If you go deep underground, will your plants grow/ores smelt/animals grow?
A: No, because those chunks would be unloaded, just as if you had walked far away. This is a flaw with any chunk system, regardless of shape. It is a necessary evil that allows Minecraft to have infinite worlds. The only way to fix this would be to introduce a separate new system that works with chunks as they are loaded and unloaded. This suggestion deals with the chunk system itself, and not sister processes. Because of that, that is outside of the scope of this suggestion. Please do not post about this.[/spoiler]

---

[WIP] The Cubic Chunks Mod! (Tall Worlds Mod):

Cuchaz has taken it upon himself to bring us the glorious Cubic Chunks, since Mojang refuses to do so.

Cuchaz is using a API of his own creation to help assist in the making of this mod, and he's quite far along, as seen in these two tech demo videos:
[spoiler=T-Demo 1: Vertical chunk loading][/spoiler]
[spoiler=T-Demo 2: Broken height cap and no lag!][/spoiler]
With the basic functionality in place - a complete overhaul of the basic chunk system, and height limit removed - this whole concept can already be considered proven. What remains is making sure everything else functions correctly under the new chunk system. In any case, stay tuned for future updates if it interests you(If it doesn't, then you are the weakest link - goodbye!).

You can follow the mod's development in much more depth in its very own topic!

---

Gallery:

[spoiler=A mountainside with an experimental engine using Cubic Chunks designed by Nocte. 960 block view radius, and 30 FPS.][/spoiler]
[spoiler=A different view of the mountainside with the same engine by Nocte. This time, with 1600 block view radius and 15 FPS.][/spoiler]
[spoiler="A video demonstrating Nocte's engine."]

---

Support & Submission to Mojang:

If you support this, hit the rep button in the bottom-left corner of this post. It is the only good way of accurately measuring support here.

If you wish, you can put the following banner, courtesy of laz2727, into your signature. It helps to attract support from all parts of the forum!

 [url=http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1707097-cubic-chunks-infinite-height-elimination-of-x-ray-and-more-60-supporters/page__st__0][img]http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/443/hov.png[/img][/url]

Please help us get word out of this suggestion! Share this with your friends, with Minecraft celebrities if you're familiar with them, or even with Mojangsters like Jeb or Dinnerbone! (Do not share this with Notch. Notch doesn't work with Minecraft anymore.)

The purpose of this suggestion is to have Cubic Chunks implemented in Vanilla. Being available as a modification does not fulfill that purpose. The modification featured in this suggestion is to act as a proof-of-concept only(Note: Its being featured here is to act as a proof-of-concept. The modification itself is on its way to becoming a fully fledged modification).

---

Special thanks:
Cuchaz, for taking Barteks' proof and running with it, to give us a truly functional Cubic Chunks mod.
Barteks2x, for updating the Cubic Chunks mod to 1.6.2, proving that it is possible.
Azraile, for posting the original suggestion and allowing me to take ownership of it.
Nocte, for helping resolve flaws and designing Hexahedra.
MineCrak, for a large amount of valuable insight and enthusiasm into the topic of Cubic Chunks.
aaronfranke, for helping resolve flaws.
PanJouda, for creating the original banner.
Flexico, for creating the predecessor to the current banner.
laz2727, for creating the current banner.
Robinton, for creating the original Cubic Chunks mod.
The_Watchman13, for answering all those stupid questions so I don't have to.

---

Note: Many calculations and information can be found among the many posts of this topic. There are too many for me to cite here, but if you wish, you can search for them yourself.

This map was built around several excellent mods. Many thanks to all the coders out there.
I have used 128x textures, resource pack download below.

Mincraft 1.6.4 and Forge 965 Required

Mods Required: (Included in Mod files)
Aquaculture , Better Grass & Leaves Mod, BiblioCraft , Carpenters Blocks, ChickenBones Mods , Custom NPCs, Damage Indicators, DirectionHUD , Dungeon Tools, Eldritch Empires , Goblins, Meat Hooks, Mutant Creatures , Opis 1.0.0, Pistronics, Project: Red, Random Things, SecretRoomsMod, Statues, Warp Book , Wireless Redstone, XtraBlocks


Downloads:
Mod files: Place in .minecraft folder
Map: Plynth (Extract and place in saves folder.)
Resource pack: Smudge textures

If your having FPS issues you can adjust Better Grass & Leaves Mod using F10 default or just delete the mod from the mods folder.



Old Maps
Wall of Fury

Four Towers

Master of the Arena

Out of the Wild

Extreme jump Challenge

Quote from Glasscreeper

The Minecraft subreddit has always been terrible. Not all subreddits are the same (especially the small ones, those are the good ones)

Besides, either everyone on that thread is a fanboy, or they cannot point out the plethora of other issues the game has.

The problem with the Minecraft community (MCF included) is that many people don't realize that this game is really not optimized and has way too many unpolished, unfinished, and ultimately iffy features that need to be worked on. Instead, they ask for MOAR. Then MOAR gets implemented, and the community has fun for 1-2 weeks, and then everything gets boring again.

Cartograph G


Cartogaph G is a modified version of Cartograph with extra features implemented.
The original author of Cartograph (Zombuster) doesn't seem to be updating it anymore (or at least not fast enough for my taste).
I love the images rendered by it though, and since it's open source I made some changes to it.
At the beating heart is still Zombuster's original work and I am only responsible for the added features and interface.
There's also an image post processor and a new interface to accommodate the new features and make it more user friendly.
Screenshots are near the bottom of this post



Downloads

Most recent version (2012_10_25): cartograph_g_2012_10_25_bins.rar
Older version (2011_11_20): cartograph_g_2011_11_20_bins.rar
If it doesn't work right away, download this: C++ Package (32bits), (64bits)
Texture pack patcher: cartograph_g_2011_11_20_tpp.rar (obsolete)
Marking extraction pack: cartograph_g_2011_04_14_mep.rar
Modscript documentation (Cartograph G Script) with Aether example: cartograph_g_2011_08_20_cgs.rar
Translation documentation with templates:cartograph_g_2011_11_20_tlp.rar


New features

Most recent blocks (cake, note blocks, dyed wool, beds, slabs, portal fields, different trees)
Wooloscopy: all blocks are now wool; allows you to see data values
Force brightness: all blocks are now as bright as if exposed to sunlight
Select any number of layers to render them alone or exclude them in any view mode
Select any number of block types to render them alone or exclude them in any view mode
A built-in function to map all layers individually with any options in any view mode (like the broken batch file)
Easy selection screen for layers and blocks, with information on which is which and filters
Merge renders on top of each other (for example a render of lava only on top of a normal map)
Custom background colors (handy if you map only an ore and want more contrast)
A queue for multiple renders in one batch (you should suppress stacking though)
Easy human readable command line interface
All interface -> renderer and interface -> post processor commands go through a batch file, allowing for saving, editing and repeating.
Logging and concurrency: batch jobs log their progress, several jobs can work concurrently.
Orientation and mirroring: select the orientation of the map and optionally mirror it.
Automatic save file finder: finds your custom named world folders in the Minecraft save folder.
Native Beta 1.3 (McRegion) save file support
Custom map path history
Big maps, worlds of over a gigabyte have been reported working. Post your high score in this thread.
Partial map rendering by coordinates or markings
Exact coordinates of all blocks written to file (for finding dungeons for example)
Zooming, cropping, mirroring or rotating images
Mod script / Aether support (CGS)
Custom translations
Support for The End dimension
Block/layer presets
Anvil-region compatibility
Beacon beams
Texture file instead of PNG (old files still supported)



Changelog

2012_10_25; BINS: Renders anvil-regions normally. Includes all blocks from the Pretty Scary Update.
2011_11_20; CRG: Bugfix for remote areas, end dragon egg. CGI: Better orientations, windows, paths.
2011_11_05; CGI: The End dimension and blocks CGR: Oblique and libpng bugfix. Added license info.
2011_09_16; CGR: Added correct leaves interpretation.
2011_09_15; BINS: Included correct texture image this time.
2011_09_14; CGR: 1.8 blocks. CGI: 1.8 blocks and translation capability.
2011_08_20; CGR: Zooming, cropping, limited CGS support, current dir fix, leaves fix
2011_06_30; CGR: Added Pistons, lightmap feature, updated Readme. TPP: Pistons, redstone bug.
2011_05_26; CGI: saving advanced options, layer list improved. CGR: Trapdoor, tall grass and dead shrub.
2011_04_20; CGR: (auto)mirroring, libpng, saplings, tiles. CGI: layer custom name, new panes. TPP: MC1.5
2011_04_14; CGR: Filtered cave, memory, added location features. CGI: Location features. TPP overhaul. MEP.
2011_04_01; CGR: Tracks/snow now ceiling of block below. CGI: Log close fix, typo, spaced filename. More
2011_03_17; CGI: Verbosity, log typo, render progress. CGR: Support for more memory, tabular stats
2011_03_03; CGR: Fixed oblique cave mode. CGI: Added advanced path settings, custom path saving.
2011_02_27; CGR: Fixed chunk pattern, higher max filename (4x), resolution (10x). CGI: Server lag fix, IP parse
2011_02_25; CGI: World listing for with Windows 7 and Vista. CGR: Notification and visible blocks for interface
2011_02_24; CGR: Big map support, "folder" command. CGI: Shows custom save folders
2011_02_22; CGR: 1.3 Save file and blocks, fix to isometric, oblique and textures. Error, progress reports. More
2011_02_13; CGI: Fixed some logging issues, including Run-time error 70 for Vista and Windows 7.
2011_02_12; CGI: Log, concurrency, simple orientation and mirroring, saving defaults. CGR: Orientation
2011_02_10; CGI: Cobblestone now a common block, readme updated; CGPP transparency fix.
2011_02_08; TPP: Minor leaf update and text. Updated Faq, known issues and possible features on topic.
2011_02_03; CGPP: Compressed, may solve some issues. CGR: Fixed leaves and portal fields, new texture file
2011_01_31; CGI and readme file: typo fixed. CGR: wool fixed and tree textures perfected.
2011_01_30; CGI: Improved block names, nether filter. Changed file naming scheme.



Known issues

Leaves render strangely on older maps or near the edge (see FAQ)
Biomes are not supported
Mirroring 3D maps also mirrors orientation
May not render the same world twice without restarting Windows 7
Can not render huge images on 32bit OSses with little RAM
Non-ASCII characters in world/folder names may not work



Possible future features

Open source (it's still a mess)
Support for biomes
Automatic map name support
Partial rendering, making multiple cores possible
Smooth isometric style



License

Cartograph G itself is licensed under the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license, which can be found at: http://creativecommo...s/by-nc-sa/3.0/.
The original Cartograph renderer and its components were licensed as "Feel free to use any part of this code for your own projects enjoy your spaghetti!".
Third party libraries linked to by Cartograph G have their own licenses.
Corona and zlib are under the Zlib license: http://opensource.or...ib-license.html
Libpng is licensed under its own license: http://www.libpng.or...png-LICENSE.txt

You are forbidden to:

• Lie about authorship of any part of Cartograph G
• Remove or alter licensing information intended to inform users about this license
• Sell Cartograph G in whole or parts

You are allowed, but discouraged to:

• Mirror, copy, repack or redistribute Cartograph G
• Lie about the origin of maps generated by Cartograph G
• Sell maps generated by Cartograph G or use them for commercial activities
• Link to the Cartograph G files, or download link directly, instead of linking to the forum thread

You are allowed and encouraged to:

• Make texture packs, language files or mod scripts that can be used to alter Cartograph G
• Use maps generated by Cartograph G for your own projects or server, no watermark required

The reason i discourage commercial activities is because Cartograph G is freeware, and i do not accept donations for it.
It doesn't seem fair if anyone were to make money by using or selling a free product, it's like selling air.
I discourage redistributing because that way i can not count downloads.
The download count for a specific version can be retrieved by replacing "download.php" in the download link with "counter.php", leaving the rest of the path as is.
I discourage linking directly to the download link because that way visitors are unable to see which version is the most recent and troubleshooting information.



FAQ

Q: How do i install it?
A: You can not install it, you must extract all the contents of the rar file (with software such as winRAR) to a folder and run Cartograph_G.exe.

Q: Where do the images go?
A: In the same folder you extracted Cartograph G, if you use shortcuts they can go anywhere and i can't guarantee anything works.

Q: Can I map multiplayer maps?
A: Yes, but only if you're the server; select "custom" as map and copy the name of the directory to the textfield.

Q: Why doesn't it work?
A: I don't know. Make sure you have extracted every file to the same directory, make sure the proper permissions are granted and that you have installed the C++ package (download link).

Q: How can I contact you with suggestions, bug reports, rants?
A: I do read this topic, but you should send me a PM or email if you want a personal reply.

Q: Will this work on [operating_system]?
A: I don't know, if it can run windows executables (Wine for example) it might, but I haven't tested this.

Q: Why can't I map the Nether?
A: You can if you've been there at least once. The nether however has a solid Bedrock ceiling, so you'll need to remove a lot of layers from the top or make sure Netherrack and Bedrock are hidden. You could also check "render all slices" to get a thorough view of the Nether.

Q: Why are the leaves so strange?
A: The leaves of Birch and Redwood trees have different textures. Some trees on old maps and near the edge of new maps have leaves with mixed colors. It may be on the old maps because of some old leaf decay algorithm, and on the new maps to keep leaves on remote trees from calculating their decay. But that is speculation from my side, there seems to be nothing to do about it. You can however force all leaves to render as normal leaves if you use standardLeavesPatch.bat in the Texture Pack Patcher.

Q: Why does my virus scanner say it discovered a virus?
A: Few virus scanners, especially Norton, sometimes wrongly see parts of Cartograph G as a virus. As far as i know Cartograph G contains no dangerous elements. You have to set your virus scanner to make an exception and ignore Cartograph G if you want to use it.

Q: Why are chunks rendered so far away from the rest?
A: They exist in the actual save file, it may be a glitch connected to dying in the nether, teleporting or save file hacking. If blocks are not so far away, this is only an inconvenience for mapping. If the distance is too great Cartograph G will try to map the enormous empty space in between and possibly crash. If this happens you'll need to remove the far areas from your world or use the location pane to limit the range.



Troubleshooting

If you encounter problems running Cartograph G, please follow these steps in this order.

1. Make sure all files are extracted from the archive to the same folder
2. Make sure you have installed the C++ Package (32bits), (64bits)
3. If images don't show up, manually refresh the folder. (it does not always happen automatically)
4. Try to move your Cartograph G folder away from your desktop or documents, for example to C:\Cartograph_G, and try with administrator rights.
5. The minimum system requirement is Windows XP SP2, if you're running a newer version of Windows (such as Vista or 7) and encounter problems, try setting the compatibility for the three exe files to "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)" at their property settings (right click, properties, compatibility tab).
6. If some worlds can be mapped but not one that was recently played or mapped, make sure Minecraft itself is closed. If that doesn't help, try to restart your computer. Some locks may apply to the files preventing mapping.
7. Successful or not, when trying to render a world a batch file named renderJob0.bat and a text file named after your world should show up in the Cartograph G folder. The text file can contain an error message.
8. You can use the verbosity setting to get a clearer indication on what went wrong, it then writes a complete log so you can see what happened right before the crash.
9. Make sure enough memory is available, large worlds of hundreds of megabytes may require more ram than your computer can deliver, especially with 3D maps. Using a 64 bit OS and more than 2GB ram may help if you only have problems with such large tasks. On some Windows versions a 0kb image may be created instead of crashing.
10. If the above have no effect, leave a message at this topic or send a private message to Gameslinder, along with all information that may be relevant (What you were doing, your operating system, RAM size, Minecraft and Cartograph G version, Minecraft mods, texture packs, error messages, visible map glitches, world name and path, world size, render style, orientation, extra selected options, the contents of the batch file, problemTracker.txt file, world text file, what does and does not work, etc.)

Screenshots

Dyed wool, both new trees (near the bottom), wooloscopy mode to see data values (for example the water flow below the rainbow)




Easy block filter to exclude or only render selected blocks; example shows leaves and sand hidden.




Easy layer filter to exclude or only render selecter layers; example shows several layers cut from the middle.




Choose to render all layers individually with a simple checkbox instead of the broken batch file




Merge several renders (example shows lava rendered on top).




Log screen, showing the progress of tasks and (periodically) render progress




Texture pack patcher (add-on), allows usage of any texture pack and tools to ensure compatibility.




Marking extraction pack (add-on), allows rendering only a selected area.




Lightmap, shows which areas are dark enough to spawn monsters

Don't know if this has been mentioned before, but why don't they just make it so that when you hold down a letter on the keyboard, the log will be placed sideways? This could be used for other blocks as well.

...you realize you went to the nether without a flint & steel just as you kill the ghast that shut off your portal.

I'm liking what I'm seeing with the new features, NPC trading, sandstone stairs, silk touch that picks up ice, writable books, cocoa beans on trees, ender chests.. the list goes on. It's getting to the point where I can't wait to play the next release.

However, there's a down side. I am seeing an ever increasing list of bugs on http://www.minecraftwiki.net/wiki/Known_bugs. Some of these bugs have been around for a long time (more than 9 months some of them). I know that there's a lot more work to go into the next release for new features like the beginning of the Mod API, and therefore there's bound to be more bugs.

In addition it seems that every release of the game runs slower and slower, this is more likely a function of the number of lines of code, but it is still an ever increasing creep that is not really enjoyed.

I'm interested to know, after some bugs being on the list since before the game was released, who would like Mojang to just go on a bug killing spree.