Tutorials/Navigation

In the hunt for new resources or interesting locations to build doom fortresses, many Minecraft players will wander absurd distances. It is quite possible to get lost in these travels, but with a little forethought it is easy to avoid wandering the earth for an eternity in search of your home base. This tutorial will focus on some of the easier ways of navigating Minecraft's landscapes.

Spawn Points
Every world has a set spawn point where players are placed when they first enter the game, and each time they die (but see below about beds). Many or most players in single-player modes will build their main bases on or close to their spawn points. It is important to note that the player will spawn on the highest block at their spawn point's coordinates, making it perfectly possible to build a safe tower to spawn in... or a safe pit. In multiplayer game play, however, spawn points work a little differently: The world has one spawn point, and all players spawn within a few blocks of that, but the exact location is randomized. Also the area around the spawn points will be "protected", so that only system operators can to build or destroy blocks there. Making a base too close to a multiplayer spawn area can also expose it to griefers, so in multi-player it's usually better to move some distance before settling in.

Each player can change their individual spawn point by sleeping in a bed, most often in their base. If the bed is removed, destroyed, or blocked, the new spawn point is lost, and the player might respawn at their original spawn point, or possibly at a previously used and still-functional bed). A world's spawn point can be found easily using a Compass, but this will always point at the player's or world's original spawn point, not a bed location.

X, Y, and Z coordinates
Before going on a long journey a good idea is to go to your house, then press (This opens up a debug screen of info, press  again to close) and write down X and Z coordinates. These coordinates show the distance east and south, respectively, of your original spawn point. (The Y coordinate displays the player's altitude in meters [sea level is 63 or 64, depending on version].)

(More accurately: The Y coordinate is the height of your head; subtract 1.62 to get the height of the ground you are on.) As of version 1.3.1 the debug screen now displays the Y position of your feet and your eyes separately.

Now, go on your journey! When you want to get back then you press and walk until your X and Z coordinates are the same as what you wrote down at your base.

This method of navigation is particularly helpful for exploring the Nether, as a compass does not work and maps have limited usage. Write down the coordinates of your portal or Nether Base, and you can go exploring the Nether. Also if you find a Nether Fortress far from your base but want to go back to it, write down the coordinates of the fortress and you can go back to it later.

The Poles
On a starry night, two poles can be clearly discerned, the axis around which the world turns, and about which the stars appear to turn. The stars appear to rotate clockwise around one pole, and counterclockwise (widdershins) around the other. It is natural to call the counterclockwise pole north and the clockwise pole south. The sun and moon then rise in the east, follow the same path as the stars, and set in the west.

Pillars
Build a very tall pillar (10 blocks high) of dirt or stone, with a torch on top. The basic method for building the pillar is pillar jumping -- Look down, jump, and while you're in the air, place a block. When 10 blocks high is reached, place a torch on top. Now, if you just build the pillar and jump off, that's going to hurt you, 3-4 hearts worth. You can survive that (and heal if you're not too hungry), but there is a better way to do this:

As you build your pillar, every 3 blocks you place a block to the same side of the pillar, as follows: If you hold down Shift, you can move just over the edge of the block you're standing on without falling. This will let you look down and target the side of the block beneath you, to place a block there. Don't let go of the Shift key until you've placed the new block! Now you can get down safely: stand on the topmost side block and mine it, so you drop down to the one beneath that (a 3 block fall, which won't hurt you). Repeat until you get to the bottom -- no hearts lost!

Clouds
Clouds always float west, and are visible above-ground during day and night, so it is an easy way to tell direction.

Sun and Moon
The Sun and the Moon have designated pathways across the sky that can be used to discern which direction is north. The moon and the sun rise in the east and set in the west.

Trail Markers
Not all players will be content to build directly on the spawn point or even in the prime world where compasses work. Often, the spawn point is a fairly dull beach or desert, and players that desire a savage looking mountain valley or inside the Nether may end up building far from their spawn. It is recommended in these cases to either mentally note or construct a series of landmarks to follow, especially if the path is long. The use of trail markers is far more resource and time efficient than building long roads. It's a good idea to place all trail markers in such a way so as you can always see two markers from the one you are standing at (the marker you came from, and the marker you are heading to). This prevents you from losing the trail. It is also advised to have your markers placed or designed in such a way that you can always know which direction leads to the origin of the trail. Here are some example methods of aboveground navigation.

Sand Towers
Sand is easily mined and extremely plentiful, and is very visible in most terrain. Building a series of small sand towers at the peaks of hills is a good way of marking a path. Placing another block on the ground near the tower to create a line between the tower and block is an easy method of orienting the player in the right direction. Sand block signs can be read extremely quickly at a distance, making them a great choice for players dashing through the countryside at night who don't have time to stop and read signs.

Many players prefer to construct just a few large towers, which can then be capped with torches, Lava, or burning Netherrack to create a series of very visble landmarks.

Gate markers
Gate markers consist of two blocks placed next to each other with a one block space between positioned along a trail. The space between the blocks orients the player to the next gate. A torch or other marker can be placed on the side of one of the blocks to indicate the origin of the trail. It is usually best to build the markers out of something that stands out, like Cobblestone or Sand.

Torches and Signs
Most useful at night, Torches offer an easy method of making quick visible markers to follow, and they ward off monsters from spawning. Signs are also useful -- while they don't glow, you can place a torch to light them, and you can put useful information or ASCII arrows on the sign. Make sure that neighboring markers can be seen in /both/ directions—if you plant a torch a distance downhill from the previous torch, the first torch may not be visible from the second's location.

Roads
If you decide to try and find a new place to build a house or a mine, a useful thing to do is to dig a two or three block wide trench as you move along. Once you find your new construction site, all you have to do is follow the trench back and forth between your mines/houses. Later in the game (or as you are digging, if you have the resources) you can fill in the trench with cobblestone or gravel to make a nice looking pathway. It would also be a good idea to place torches along the pathway to make night travel safer, and you could even place fences beside your road for a much more appealing look (and to fend off monsters). As you build more things, you can create forks in your road along with signs to direct you to where you want to go.

Using Block Markings
Cobblestone, Moss Stone and Netherrack have markings that are easily identifiable. Because these blocks always orient themselves the same way when placed, it is possible to use them to know which way is north, even while underground or while in the Nether, as illustrated in this video. Since the addition of dyed wool, you could also make short pillars of a single color leading to different towns, buildings, or whole biomes. A further method using blocks is to carve a simple arrow into the surrounding terrain and fill it with off-colored blocks, such as filling a stone mine wall with dirt pointing in the direction home.

Maps
As of Beta 1.6, Ingame maps are a viable supplement or replacement for trail markers for mid-range journeys. Maps cost a compass and 8 paper, so you will need a little redstone and iron plus some sugar cane for this. Craft a map midway between the two points you want to connect. One location will be at one edge, the other on the other side, depending on the distance. Also, it is advisable to create a large structure that is visible on the map at each location. Construct it out of a material that will stand out; colored wool, cobblestone, and moss stone all contrast against snow, and all but moss stone against trees and grass. (Note that all colors of wool (and all sorts of stone) will show gray on the map, but colors can help you spot the tower from a distance.)

Underground Navigation
Natural caverns are fairly easy to get lost in without a little forethought. Depending on a player's mining style, artificial mines might be fairly disorienting as well! Here are some tips for getting around. (Spoiler: If you have a pumpkin farm, nothing beats Jack-o-lanterns for pointing the way. Remember that digging your way to the surface is usually possible, but may be hazardous in its own right (water or lava being the major hazard).

Markers
There are a variety of markers you can leave behind to make trails.
 * Mushrooms:  Relatively easy to acquire if you're near a swamp biome, quick to harvest and will attach to nearly any block.  Space them close enough together so the last one is still visible behind you when you go to place the next.  With red and brown mushrooms, you can have two separate trails that are easy to retrace.  When you're done with them, you might try some mushroom stew.
 * Torches: You can place all your torches on the right side of the cave when you enter a new passage.  This allows you to find your way back to the entrance simply by keeping the torches on your left. When encountering multiple caverns, also known as a fork, put two torches at the exit to indicate the correct way to exit the cavern.   You can also place torches to point towards the exit.  Disadvantages:
 * If a cave loops back on itself at some point, there can be some confusion as to the shortest way out.
 * Also, it is unlikely that torches restricted to the right side will provide sufficient light to completely prevent mobs from spawning, so you will probably need to place additional torches on the cavern floor in caves and the wider passageways.
 * Signs at intersections, often with "ASCII arrows", such as --> or ^, to indicate the heading. Keep in mind that you will need to be able to see these signposts the most on your way back out of the cavern, so when placing them, it is important to position them where they will be easily visible from the other direction. Signs are reliable (lava notwithstanding) and (as of 1.3.1) fairly cheap (6 wooden planks and 1 stick produces 3 signs). As of the same version, signs can be stacked up to sixteen (16).  This may suffice for small cavern groups; for larger cave systems, you can bring a stack of wood and a crafting table to make signs as you go.  The table can be retrieved and taken with you after each use.  Normally you'll want to carry logs, but in abandoned mineshafts, planks are especially plentiful.
 * Cobblestone arrows at each intersection, pointing back towards the passage you just came from. A torch can be placed on the block at the tip of the arrow to ensure that the arrow is easy to spot. This method has the advantage of utilizing a resource (cobblestone) that is common in caverns and easily carried in bulk, making it suitable for aiding in the exploration of even the most massive caverns. These arrows can be placed on walls or embedded into the floor, and can point in any direction. Similarly to the signpost method, cobblestone arrows should be placed in locations that are easily visible on the way back out of the cavern.
 * Cobblestone can also be used for walls or barricades to block off dead-ends or previously explored cavern branches to find exits more quickly. This along with the "right-side" torch method work very well hand-in-hand and can guarantee a less confusing exit strategy for players in a hurry to end their cavern run.
 * In otherwise "cleaned-up" caverns or mineshafts, dead-ends that have already been "cleaned out" can be marked with a block of dirt.
 * Redstone: If you're not using it for other things, you can make simple "trails" from spare redstone dust.
 * You can also use redstone torches by placing them regularly within sight of each other, they are very easy to see and you can easily follow the torches back to where you first started placing them.  Note that redstone torches do not provide enough light to stop monster spawning.
 * Minecart tracks can also be used to mark trails. Of course, if you've laid down an actual track, it's easy to follow or ride that to either end.
 * Jack-o-lanterns can be placed at intersections with the face pointing towards the exit. This is useful as it acts both as a direction out, but also is its own source of light. Jack-o-lanterns are easy to acquire once you start a pumpkin farm, and give off more light than a torch. In cases where there is one path on top of the other one, place the jack-o-lantern higher (using piles of gravel or some other temporary block to place it on top of) to indicate the exit is the upper path. Make sure to place them at the middle of the intersecting paths, with the pumpkin easy to see from both directions.
 * If you've been to the Nether, netherrack is conspicuous. It is also very quick to mine, and not naturally occurring in the Overworld. When going back, you can set them alight, recovering torches and marking explored paths.
 * Wool is versatile and stackable, and comes in a variety of colors; find a sheep, fence it in, and paint it with your favorite color to get a supply of wool in that color. Use different colors for different symbols, e.g., "red" for "explored branch", or a combo of "white" and "yellow" to form an exit sign arrow. Beware that wool is flammable. Even underground you can get get string from spiders or cobwebs, and craft that into wool.  You can also get at least two, possibly three primary dyes, which you can use and combine to make your wool more conspicuous:  lapis lazuli from (moderately deep) ore, and bone meal from skeletons.  A large waterfall from the surface may also provide ink sacs from squid.
 * A short, distinctive stack of blocks with two torches: one on top to make the stack stand out from a distance, and one on the side of the stack that points toward the exit. A cobblestone block on top of a dirt block stands out and is quick and cheap to make.

Other hints

 * While it will not help you in navigating the cave itself, it may be wise to bring a map with you into a large cave, should you get lost and need to dig your way out. Note that most caves occupy less area horizontally than they might seem, but interconnected caves and abandoned mineshafts can sprawl over huge distances.  You might well map some new surface as you explore underground, but the cave itself will not be mapped.
 * A good mining practice is to fully explore and light a cave system before beginning to mine out any resources. It is extremely dangerous to stop and mine in a dark cave system, and you can lose your loot if you are killed. Check for "broken bridges" such as gravel masses or 2-block drops.  If monsters can come out of them, you may want to change that; once verified safe, you can save the blocked-off areas for later.
 * As part of exploration, try to "clean up" the area, taking off leftover blocks, filling small pits, and generally smoothing things out. In abandoned mineshafts, clear out most of the fence-and-plank "supports" as you "claim" an area.  This will improve both visibility and mobility, cutting down on unpleasant surprises.
 * Some water flows come from openings in the seafloor. With care (and perhaps a door or some ladders), you can swim up these and mark the entrance with a jack-o-lantern, which will generally be visible from the sea surface.  Such openings are also a quick way to get back to the surface if you've gotten lost.  With a bit more effort, you can seal the opening altogether, perhaps leaving a shaft with ladders for your own use.  (Remember that ladders and signs block water.)
 * When finished exploring a cave, you can make your own exit—just dig upwards to the surface in a staircase fashion, watching for drips and being careful not to dig the block just above you. This is especially useful for when you are lost and have not used any of the other plans.  When digging a staircase out of a cave, it can be useful to check your map to figure out where you will, or want to, emerge.  Coming out into the seabed can be tricky, especially if your torches get washed away.

Naval Navigation
If you travel through water with a Boat a lot, you may very well find yourself lost from home. There are a few ways to travel safely above and below water. maps are very useful here. You can also build towers from the seafloor to well above the surface, and top them with a Torch or Jack-o-lantern. (Advanced players might use Glowstone or burning Netherrack.)

If you have lily pads (found in rivers), you can use them to create small islands for navigation or minibases. You'll need a bucket of lava for this -- place the pad, then from as far as you can reach, dump the lava on top of the pad. The lava will form an island. At this point, you have a blazing landmark in the ocean. If you want to use the island for other stuff, you'll need to reclaim the lava source with your bucket, and wait for the flowing lava to cool. If you can't manage to grab the lava from the boat, you may be able to quickly jump onto the burning island (this will hurt and set you afire), bucket the lava source, and jump off into the water to put your flames out. Make sure you're at full health and fully fed before you try this! (You can use the same method to dump water on the lava to cool it more quickly.) Once the lava is gone, you'll have a nice small island, big enough for a chest, crafting table, and even a bed. (The new island may or may not show on your map.) Remember to stick a torch or jack-o-lantern on it to prevent monster spawning.