Map

The map is an item used to view explored terrain.

While the object is being held in the player's hand, a map is constructed as the player explores the world. When the item is later selected, the player can see the explored world on a paper held in front of them.

Each map is 128x128 total pixels, with each pixel representing an 8x8 block area of world space. A map therefore covers a 1024x1024 block area, or 64x64 chunks.

Since Infdev (and including Alpha, Beta, and Official versions), Minecraft worlds are essentially infinite in horizontal space, so one map can not remotely accommodate an entire world. Multiple maps can be crafted, although the area they cover is determined at crafting time, by the location in which they are crafted (see Multiple maps below).



Crafting
To craft a map from scratch, you will need at least 9 sugar canes (3 sugar cane -> 3 pieces of paper), 4 iron ore (requires a stone pickaxe or better), fuel to smelt the ore into ingots, and 1 piece of Redstone Dust (requires an iron pickaxe or better).

Behavior
Each map is created with three parameters: A map's parameters are fixed when the map is created. This means the map does not remain centered on the player, as happens in some games. When a player moves off the edge of a Minecraft map, the position/direction pointer disappears, and will not reappear until the player re-enters the area covered by that map. To cover a new region, a new map must be crafted.
 * A map type, which can either be overworld, nether, or as of the 1.0 update, The End. Overworld maps are created with a regular compass on the overworld. Nether maps are created in the nether, End maps in the End. If a map of any type is viewed in another realm, it does show whatever information had already been collected but it does not show the position/direction pointer, and moving about does not update it.
 * A center, which is where the map was created.
 * A zoom level, which will somehow be decided at the time the map is created. This feature was mentioned by Notch, but is not used at present. All maps currently have a scale of 1 pixel to an 8&times;8 block square.

To record the world on a map, that specific map item must be held in the player's hands while the player moves about the world. The world will be recorded as it is at exploration time, meaning that if the world is modified a player must revisit the area while holding the map in order to update the map's view. Maps are positioned low down in the player's field of view so as not to obstruct the player's view in front of them. The player must look down to view a map.

Multiple maps
In order to map a new area, the map must be crafted in that area (rather than carrying a previously-crafted map to the new area). The point where a map is crafted becomes its permanent center, and can never be changed. This means that:


 * Two maps crafted from the same location will always have the same center point, and will therefore be redundant. Maps need to be crafted in different locations in order to map different areas. Crafting a supply of maps at one time to prepare for a long exploration of the level will only waste resources. All of the maps will have the same center point.
 * In order to properly map a new area, you should carry the necessary ingredients to craft a map (1 Compass, 8 Paper), along with a Crafting Table, in your inventory.
 * If a player travels just off the edge of an old map before craftng a new one, there will be a significant overlap between the old map and the new one. The edge of the old map would become the center for the new one. This can make it difficult to use maps efficiently.

For some guidelines on making and using multiple maps, please refer to this Mapping Tutorial.

Only the map being held will be drawn, even if another map covers the same area. A map that is never held will remain blank, even if another map in the player's inventory has already drawn its area.

In vanilla release version 1.0.0 survival mode, to obtain a new map the user must not hold down shift when picking up the created map from the crafting table: holding shift while picking up the map will always create a clone of map_0, the first map created in that world. Every map cloned this way is named exactly the same (map_0) and is automatically updated with all the rest.

In Creative mode, map_0 is automatically created, centered at the initial spawn point, and all maps taken from the creative mode inventory will be map_0. Maps of other regions can still be obtained by crafting them.

Map display
Each pixel of a map corresponds to an 8&times;8 block area of the world, and is always aligned to X and Z coordinates that are multiples of 8. Generally, the color of a map pixel matches the color of the most common opaque block in the corresponding 8x8 area, as seen from the sky. However, some blocks are seemingly colored incorrectly. For instance, sandstone, gold blocks, Huge Red Mushroom and netherrack are drawn in gray. Blocks in the 8&times;8 area other than the most common type do not affect the color of the pixel, thus small features tend to be undetectable on maps.

Each map is 128&times;128 pixels in size, and therefore covers a total area of 1024&times;1024 blocks, or 64&times;64 chunks.

Multiplayer
In multiplayer, the maps have a strong social aspect, since it is possible to give one map to another player so they can observe what has been explored. Maps are able to be "cloned" so that players with the same map can combine the results of their exploration. The position of other players holding the same map is visible.

Usage
Maps are mostly used to give the player a sense of direction when lost. In SSP it can also be used to re-locate mineral deposits. In SMP, players are able to view others' maps and explorations by giving one another different maps. Maps created in the Overworld will not track player position or record explored areas while in the Nether, and vice versa.

While maps in the Nether work, it has a ceiling, and all that will be shown is red and gray. The only useful function is finding where you are in relation to where you made the map. Additionally, the direction indicator rapidly spins and is not a good indicator of direction. Remembering that maps are north at the top and that the L corner of nether blocks points west is more reliable. And as long as the map was created near a portal, that map's center will always be that portal. Maps are only partially useful for knowing which parts of The Nether you have explored.

Maps made in the End show a similar red and gray pattern, despite the lack of a (visible) ceiling. The direction indicator does work properly, however.

Maps can also show elevation. Higher elevations in the world mean lighter colors on the map, and vice versa.

History
On April 27, 2011, Notch unveiled screenshots of the map.

In update 1.6.6, the ability to auto-craft using shift-click was disabled and then restored in update 1.8. Map cloning was therefore unavailable for a period of time.


 * As of Beta 1.8.1, the map will work both while walking and flying.
 * In Beta 1.8.1 3 new symbols were added to the mapicons.png in minecraft.jar/misc.

Prior to Beta 1.9.5, the Minecraft sun rose in the North, which threw off many players and led to a common misconception that Minecraft maps/worlds were oriented with East at the top. The sun now rises in the east and sets in the west, making navigation much more intuitive.

Before the change in sun position, it was commonly said that Minecraft maps/worlds are oriented with East at the top; sunrise, by definition, occurs at the East, which means it is certainly true that the maps were oriented "East" since the Sun rose from the top (North). However, Jeb asserted (and Notch agreed) that the Sun rose in the north. Most mods and map-making tools, however, used the terms East and North consistent with their actual definitions (e.g. a Cartograph-generated map with North at the top is rotated 90 degrees from the in-game map).

Bugs

 * If you try to look at a map while in 3rd or 2nd person, it will just appear that the player is holding the inventory picture of a map, instead of displaying the land around the player.
 * If you hold a map and enter a boat or minecart in 1st person view, switch to 3rd person view, then return to 1st person, the left hand is out of position. This can also happen if you open your inventory while sitting in a boat or minecart.
 * Maps can rarely map void areas but more often than not cause a saving chunks screen to appear followed by a crash. This is because maps aren't programmed to show the Void.
 * Maps do not work correctly on some servers with low viewing distances, and walking around only produces a few mapped pixels.
 * When holding a map while breaking a block, the map clears and increments the map index to the next number. (map_0 to map_1, etc.) (not in 1.0.0)
 * When loading your world, if you turn to the left, the player arrow will become off by a pixel (about 22.5 degrees); if you rotate right it will be fine. It also 'tracks' the number of rotations you've made in either direction.
 * Some maps in SMP will display normally while exploring, but once the user relogs vertical lines appear in the map that will go away. Giving the map to another player to look at for a moment most often seems to fix the issue.
 * When creating a new map in SMP, previously created maps currently in the player's inventory may become the new map.
 * All colors of wool show up as light gray on a map.
 * When you craft and look at a map with a structure at 230 blocks high, it will display "Saving chunks" and crash. (reported once)
 * In 1.2 if you make multiple maps it will only create a duplicate of map_0.

Trivia

 * In PVP Multiplayer servers, be cautious making/using maps as it will reveal your position and if another player makes a map at another time or is currently using a map you will show up on their map, revealing your base location if it was hidden. Note: This can be used to find other players bases but it is highly advised to craft your map at spawn or away from your base so they cannot use their map to find your base as stated above.
 * The map will record the surface even as you move through a cave, making it useful for determining if there are hazards (water, sand, lava) above you when you're digging a tunnel to the surface.
 * Maps and the drawn bow are the only two items in Minecraft that require two hands to hold.
 * When the player walks off the edge of a map, their location will momentarily jump to the other side of the map.
 * When edited into the player's inventory, the map's name (unless damage value was correctly specified) is always "map_x", where x is the number of the map. The first one will be map_0.
 * When the player is holding the map, and he/she presses for 3rd-person view, it does not show the player looking at the map. It simply shows the player holding the inventory icon of the map in one hand.
 * Maps, despite being made of paper, can be used in the rain and underwater.
 * Maps are currently the most heavily detailed object in Minecraft, having several times more pixels than a large painting.
 * Notch said that maps' ability to save custom data could lead to the creation of real books written by players, or even paintings/signs that use custom textures.
 * There can be no more than 65536 (216) unique maps per world.
 * If there are too many maps, when trying to craft one it will relay the message "Can't craft map: too many maps".
 * A map created using the "give" command will always be Map_0. If Map_0 has not ever been crafted, it will be centered on the original spawn point (not moved with beds).
 * The map item currently only maps the surface, but Notch said that having "cave maps is an interesting idea".
 * Notch said that he would try to make maps place-able on walls. This feature is not currently in the game however.
 * The maps are stored separately as their own data (.dat) file as map_x.dat with (x) being the map number, see Map Item Format for more info. By manipulating this number, players can organize their maps to suit them, or if they accidentally create a map in the same location, they can delete their extra map so as to save the number they make.
 * Maps can map the void in SMP.
 * The center of the map is the block you were standing on when it was created, not at the point where it was first used, and not (necessarily) exactly the same location as the workbench it was crafted on.
 * Arm textures are rotated and show the back of the arm, because the player is holding the map in the palms of their hands.
 * Unlike compasses brought into The Nether or The End, the direction indicator of the map crafted in the Nether rapidly spins in slow motion.
 * In the Xbox 360 Version, you will have a map in your inventory when you spawn in a world for the first time.