Overview#
Builder's Guides is inspired by the original OpenBlocks Building Guide, designed to help players who struggle with aligning blocks over long distances or visualizing complex structures. Unlike other mods that automate building, Builder's Guides provides a visual framework—ghost blocks and lines—that act as a blueprint for manual construction.
The mod is built around three core components: the Marker block, the Marker Card, and the Mallet. By combining these, players can generate guides for everything from simple walls to perfect spheres and chunk boundaries. It is a purely client-side visual aid, meaning it does not place blocks for you, but ensures every block you place is exactly where it needs to be.
Items and Blocks#
The mod adds a minimal set of items and blocks, focusing on high functionality through different modes and card types.
The Marker
The Marker is the central block of the mod. Once placed in the world, it acts as the anchor for all visual guides. It has a hollow center where the currently active Marker Card is displayed.
- Placement: Can be placed on any solid surface.
- Interaction: Right-click with a Marker Card to insert it. Shift-right-click with a Mallet (in Wrench Mode) to remove the card.
- Rotation: Can be rotated using the Mallet to change the orientation of the guides it produces.
The Mallet
The Mallet is the primary configuration tool. It does not have a GUI; instead, it uses different "Modes" to interact with the Marker. Players must bind a key (default is often 'M') in the Minecraft controls menu to cycle through these modes.
Marker Cards
Marker Cards define what the Marker will display. There is only one craftable card: the Blank Marker Card. To turn it into a specific guide card, the player must Shift-Right-Click on the ground while holding the card to cycle through the available types.
Marker Card Types#
Each card type provides a unique visual overlay. Once a card is inserted into a Marker, its parameters can be adjusted using the Mallet.
| Card Type | Function | Mallet Interaction (Hammer Mode) |
|---|---|---|
| Axis Card | Displays the positive and negative X, Y, and Z axes. | Toggles individual axes on/off. |
| Center Card | Calculates the distance and center point between two targets. | Adjusts target points. |
| Chunk Card | Displays the 16x16 boundary of the current chunk and its center. | N/A |
| Ghost Card | Displays ghost blocks in specific patterns (Floor, Wall, Cuboid). | Increases/Decreases dimensions. |
| Ghost Stairs | Displays ghost stair blocks for vertical alignment. | Extends or retracts the staircase. |
| Range Card | Calculates distance and center block from the Marker to a target. | Changes the target distance. |
| Spacing Card | Displays every Nth block in each direction (e.g., for pillars). | Changes the value of 'N'. |
| World Card | Displays a vertical guide from bedrock to world height. | N/A |
| Shape Card | Displays complex geometric shapes (Circle, Sphere, etc.). | Changes radius/dimensions. |
Shape Card Sub-Modes
When using the Shape Card, you can use the Mallet in Config Mode to cycle through the following geometries:
- Circle: A 2D ring with a configurable radius.
- Dome: A 3D half-sphere.
- Sphere: A full 3D sphere.
- Ellipse: An oval shape where X and Z radii can be configured independently.
Ghost Card Sub-Modes
The Ghost Card can be toggled between several modes using the Mallet in Config Mode:
- Single Mode: A simple row or column of blocks.
- Floor Mode: A horizontal plane of ghost blocks.
- Wall Mode: A vertical plane of ghost blocks.
- Cuboid Mode: A full 3D box outline.
Mallet Modes & Mechanics#
The Mallet's functionality changes based on its active mode. You must cycle these modes to fully configure your guides.
1. Wrench Mode
- Right-Click: Rotates the Marker block.
- Shift-Right-Click: Removes the current Marker Card from the Marker.
2. Config Mode
- Right-Click: Cycles through sub-types for specific cards (e.g., changing a Shape Card from 'Circle' to 'Sphere').
- Shift-Right-Click: Forces the Marker to recalculate and refresh the visual guide (useful if the world geometry has changed).
3. Decorate Mode
- Right-Click: Cycles through the available colors for the ghost blocks and lines. This allows you to color-code different parts of your build.
4. Hammer Mode
- Right-Click: Pushes out the guide (increases the size/dimension) in the direction the player is facing.
- Shift-Right-Click: Pulls in the guide (decreases the size/dimension) from the direction the player is facing.
Crafting Recipes#
All items in Builder's Guides are relatively inexpensive, allowing for early-game use.
| Result | Ingredients | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Marker | 4x Iron Ingot, 4x Glass Pane, 1x Gold Ingot | Iron in corners, Glass Panes on the edges, Gold in the center. |
| Mallet | 3x Iron Ingot, 2x Stick | Iron Ingots across the top row, Sticks in the middle-center and bottom-center slots. |
| Blank Marker Card | 4x Paper, 4x Iron Nugget, 1x Gold Nugget | Paper in corners, Iron Nuggets on the edges, Gold Nugget in the center. |
Additional Information#
Mobs, Biomes, and Dimensions
Builder's Guides is a utility-focused mod and does not add any new mobs, creatures, biomes, or dimensions to the game. It is designed to work within existing vanilla or modded environments to assist with construction.
Technical Notes
- Visuals: The ghost blocks are non-solid and do not have collision. They are only visible to the player who configured them or players looking at the Marker.
- Performance: The mod is optimized to have a minimal impact on frame rates, even when rendering large spheres or long axis lines.
- Compatibility: Works with most block-adding mods, as the ghost blocks simply occupy the same space as air or existing blocks without replacing them.
