Overview#
The Mighty Architect (TMA) is a client-side utility mod designed to bridge the gap between creative vision and the repetitive nature of large-scale building. Rather than placing blocks one by one, players use a 'Composer' interface to sketch out the footprint and height of a building. The mod then procedurally generates walls, roofs, towers, and decorations based on a selected Theme.
Once a design is generated, players can apply a Material Palette to determine exactly which blocks are used in the final construction. The resulting structure can be printed directly into the world (in Creative mode) or saved as a schematic for survival building. TMA is particularly powerful when used alongside the Create mod, as it allows for the rapid creation of complex factory shells and townscapes.
Getting Started#
In modern versions of the mod (1.14.4 through 1.18.2), The Mighty Architect does not require a physical item to function. Instead, it is accessed entirely through keybindings and a dedicated User Interface.
Primary Controls
| Keybind | Action |
|---|---|
| G | Open the Architect's Menu / Start Composing |
| Alt + Scroll | Cycle through tools while in the Composer |
| Left Ctrl | Hold for secondary tool functions (e.g., grid snapping) |
| Right Click | Place, finalize, or interact with tools |
| Mouse Wheel | Adjust floor counts, heights, or cycle styles |
| Shift + G | Quickly unload the current blueprint |
To begin building, find a flat area and press G. This will prompt you to select a Theme, which determines the architectural style of the structure.
The Building Process#
Building with The Mighty Architect follows a structured four-phase workflow:
Phase 1: Composing (Sketching)
In this phase, you draw the 'blueprint' of your building. You are provided with a set of tools to define the shape:
- Cuboid Tool: Click and drag to draw rectangular rooms. Scroll up/down to add or remove floors.
- Cylinder Tool: Used for creating towers. Functions similarly to the cuboid tool but generates circular footprints.
- Adjust Tool: Allows you to point at existing rooms to move them or resize them in three dimensions.
- Roof Style Tool: Point at a room stack and scroll to cycle through available roof types (Gable, Flat, Conical, etc.).
Phase 2: Previewing
After pressing 'Finish' in the G-menu, the mod generates a holographic preview of the building. This is a non-solid visualization that allows you to see how the mod has interpreted your ground plan.
Phase 3: Customization
While in the preview phase, you can further refine the building:
- Wall Styles: Change specific sections to be 'Foundations', 'Regular Walls', or 'Open Arcs'.
- Palettes: Choose which materials (wood, stone, brick) should be used for the walls, trim, and roofing.
Phase 4: Finalizing
Once satisfied, you have three options:
- Print into World: Instantly places the blocks (Creative mode only).
- Save Schematic: Saves the design to your local schematics folder.
- Unload: Clears the preview without building.
Included Build Styles (Themes)#
Themes are collections of 'Design Pieces' that the mod uses to assemble buildings. Each theme has a unique aesthetic and set of rules.
| Theme Name | Designs | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Medieval | 183 | The classic TMA style. Features stone foundations, timber-framed walls, and steep gabled roofs. Highly varied. |
| Modern | 51 | A minimalist style focusing on flat roofs, large windows, and clean lines. Does not support round towers. |
| Town House | 147 | Optimized for dense, narrow housing. Great for creating city streets and row houses. |
| Cattingham Palace | 184 | A highly detailed, ornate style with complex arcs and grand roofing. Ideal for landmarks and mansions. |
Material Palettes#
Palettes define the block types used for different architectural elements (e.g., 'Wall Fill', 'Roof Edge', 'Window Glass').
Creating Custom Palettes
If the 21 included palettes do not fit your needs, you can create your own:
- Open the G-menu and select Choose Palette > Create Palette.
- The mod will spawn a series of holographic block placeholders around you, each labeled with its role (e.g., 'Primary Wall').
- Right-click these holograms with the block you wish to use.
- Once all roles are filled, press G and select Save Palette. This allows you to use modded blocks from other mods in your TMA designs.
Architect's Mode (Custom Themes)#
For advanced users, TMA includes a 'Design Mode' to create entirely new Themes. This is accessed via the command /architect design.
The Design Process
In Design Mode, you build individual 'Design Pieces' (e.g., a 5x5 wall section with a window). You then use special utility blocks to define the piece:
- Design Anchor: Placed at the corner of a design to define its origin.
- Design Exporter: Used to select the area of the design and assign it a 'Type' (Wall, Corner, Roof, etc.) and 'Traits' (Window, Door, etc.).
Once a collection of pieces is exported, they are compiled into a .json theme file located in the themes folder of your Minecraft instance.
Commands#
The mod provides several commands for management and theme creation:
/architect design: Teleports the player to a flat 'Design World' for creating custom themes./architect palette: Opens the palette management interface./architect design export <theme_name>: Exports all currently tagged design pieces into a new theme file./architect design import <theme_name>: Imports an existing theme into the design world for editing.
Configuration#
The configuration file (the_mighty_architect-client.toml) allows players to customize the UI and performance settings:
- client.overlay.showTooltips: Toggles the instructional tooltips at the top of the screen.
- client.overlay.gridColor: Changes the color of the blueprint grid.
- client.rendering.previewOpacity: Adjusts how transparent the holographic preview appears.
- client.rendering.enableShaders: Toggles custom rendering effects for the blueprint mode.
