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This article is about the map used to find rare structures. For the craftable map, see Map.

Explorer maps are special maps used to aid in finding rare generated structures.

Obtaining

Trading

Woodland and ocean explorer maps can be bought from cartographer villagers by unlocking their tier 4 trades. An ocean explorer map is sold for 12–20 emeralds and a compass, and a woodland explorer map is sold for 16–28 emeralds and a compass.

Natural generation

Item Structure Container Quantity Chance
Java Edition
Buried Treasure Map Shipwreck Map chest 1 100%
Underwater ruins Small ruins chest 1 41.7%
Big ruins chest 1 43.5%
Bedrock Edition
Buried Treasure Map Shipwreck Map chest 1 100%
Underwater ruins Small ruins chest 1 41.7%
Big ruins chest 1 43.5%

Usage

Locating structures

There are two‌[upcoming] (three‌[upcoming: Lua error in Module:Version_link at line 112: attempt to concatenate local 'text' (a nil value).]) types of explorer maps: woodland, ocean, and buried treasure‌[upcoming: Lua error in Module:Version_link at line 112: attempt to concatenate local 'text' (a nil value).]. The maps differ from a normal map, in that it shows the area's land-water outline, as well as an orange striated texture for areas below sea level, and the blank map texture for land above sea level. The maps show a section of land that contains a woodland mansion, ocean monument or buried treasure[upcoming: Lua error in Module:Version_link at line 112: attempt to concatenate local 'text' (a nil value).] respectively. This may not be the nearest such structure to the player. The structures are displayed as a small icon. If the player icon is smaller than it would be on a normal map, that means the player is a great distance away. When the player is less than 1027 blocks away from the map border, the icon will return to the proper size. When the player reaches the map's area of land (512*512), the map will fill in like a normal map.

The basic functions of a buried treasure explorer map are similar to that of the other two. However, instead of showing the structure icon on the map, it shows a red X instead. The buried treasure structure is located on the same X and Y coordinates as the middle of the X.‌[upcoming: Lua error in Module:Version_link at line 112: attempt to concatenate local 'text' (a nil value).]

Cloning

Ingredients Crafting recipe Description
Empty Map +
Ocean Explorer Map or
Woodland Explorer Map or
Buried Treasure Explorer Map
The output will have the same map center as the input map, and the same ocean monument, woodland mansion or buried treasure[upcoming: Lua error in Module:Version_link at line 112: attempt to concatenate local 'text' (a nil value).] marker. Cloned maps are stackable.

The parts of the world that have already been explored and mapped will be copied, and newly explored areas will appear on both instances. In Creative mode, cloned explorer maps can be obtained by pick blocking on the explorer map displayed on item frames (make sure the map is out of your inventory when using pick block, or else that map will just be moved into your active hotbar slot).

Data values

ID

Explorer maps use the item id of regular maps, filled_map in Java Edition and map_filled in Pocket Edition.

Item data

An explorer map differs from a map in that its display tag is set, which includes a Mapcolor and a LocName; also its Decorations list includes an entry for its target monument or mansion. Its map item entry is identical to that of a normal map, except that by the time the player sees it, its colors byte array is pre-filled with explorer maps' characteristic land-water boundary lines and water shading.

It should be noted that this additional data is stored in the Cartographer's NBT data and in the inventory item's NBT data, and not in the map file (e.g. map_0.dat). If you were to use the /give command to give yourself a map with the same map ID as an existing explorer map, it will still have the Ocean Monument/Woodland Mansion icon on the map, but it will simply be named "Map" instead of, for example, "Ocean Explorer Map".

  • Item data
    •  tag:
      •  display: How the map looks in an item slot. See also Player.dat_format#Display Properties.
        •  Name: The name the map is given. In this case, they are localized strings: either {"translate":"filled_map.monument"},{"translate":"filled_map.mansion"} or {"translate":"filled_map.buried_treasure"}.‌[upcoming: Lua error in Module:Version_link at line 112: attempt to concatenate local 'text' (a nil value).]
        •  MapColor: Color codes are calculated from the Red, Green and Blue components using this formula:
          Red<<16 + Green<<8 + Blue.[note 1] Monument maps use 3830373, which is
          rgb(58,114,101)
          . Mansion maps use 5393476, which is
          rgb(82,76,68)
          . Buried treasure explorer maps do not use a color code.
      •  Decorations:
        • : One of these for each icon on the map. Explorer maps always have at least one representing their target.
          •  id: An arbitrary unique string identifying the decoration. For explorer map target structures, this is "+".
          •  rot: The rotation of the icon. For explorer map target structures, this is always 180.
          •  type: The ID of the map icon: 8 for a mansion map, 9 for a monument map, 26 for a treasure map.‌[upcoming: Lua error in Module:Version_link at line 112: attempt to concatenate local 'text' (a nil value).]
          •  x: The world x-coordinate of the target structure icon.
          •  z: The world z-coordinate of the target structure icon.
Notes
  1. For positive values larger than 0x00FFFFFF, the top byte is ignored. All negative values produce white.

In Bedrock Edition, the item Data Value distinguishes explorer maps from one another and from filled locator maps:

Data Value Map Type
0 Filled Locator Map
3 Ocean Explorer Map
4 Woodland Explorer Map
5 Buried Treasure Map ‌[upcoming: BE 1.2.20]

Achievements

Icon Achievement In-game description Actual requirements (if different) Gamerscore earned Trophy type (PS4)
PS4 Other
Treasure HunterAcquire a map from a cartographer villager, then enter the revealed structureVisit the structure indicated while the purchased map is in your main hand (hotbar).40GSilver

History

release
1.1116w39aWoodland and ocean explorer maps added.
16w41aExplorer maps can no longer be zoomed out.
upcoming
1.1318w10aBuried treasure explorer maps added.
18w11aBuried treasure explorer maps now generate in the chests of shipwrecks.
Pocket Edition
1.1build 1Added explorer maps,[1] though they are not obtainable in Survival mode.
build 3Explorer maps are now obtainable as trades from Cartographer villagers.
Upcoming Bedrock Edition
1.2.14build 1Added buried treasure explorer maps.
Legacy Console Edition
TU54CU44 1.52 Patch 24Patch 4Added explorer maps.

Issues

Issues relating to "Explorer Map" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia

  • When a cartographer generates the trade offers for the explorer maps, it chooses the location of one of the nearest structures of the respective type (ocean monument or woodland mansion) in a chunk that has not yet been generated. This means that it will always select a structure that no player has visited yet. This is especially useful in SMP for finding unraided ocean monuments in order to obtain sponge blocks.
  • For the reason above, explorer maps obtained from one cartographer will always be the same. Also, if two cartographers unlock the explorer map trades approximately at the same place and the same time, the map locations will usually be identical.
  • Explorer maps fill as the chunks are generated, rather than when the player holds them while in the area; leaving an explorer map at home while exploring the area will still fill the map.

Gallery

References

  1. "The Discovery Update: on Pocket and Win 10 soon" – Minecraft.net, March 29, 2017
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