SCHEMATICRAFT

Minecraft schematic formats and the tools that read them

Every schematic tool saves its own format, and most only work with some Minecraft versions. Pick your game to see which tools fit.

Find the tools for your game

Edition

9 tools, from 2010 to today.

The versions each tool covers

  • 1.0 (2011): Official release
  • 1.9 (2016): Structure blocks
  • 1.13 (2018): The Flattening: numeric block IDs become named block states
  • 1.18 (2021): World height grows to 384
  • 26.1 (2026): Releases are numbered by year

The tools

MCEdit

Legacy

.schematic

Java Edition, Minecraft Alpha 1.0 to 1.12.2

The original external schematic editor. MCEdit created the .schematic format, which was the common standard for years.

Best for: Editing worlds outside the game, before 1.13

For Minecraft after 1.12.2, use Amulet Editor.

Schematica

Legacy

.schematic

Java Edition, Minecraft 1.5.2 to 1.12.2

The Forge mod that first showed schematics inside the game, with a printer that placed blocks for you. Litematica took its place.

Best for: Survival building before 1.13

For Minecraft after 1.12.2, use Litematica.

Litematica

Active

.litematic

Java Edition, Minecraft 1.12.2 and later

A client-side mod that shows the build as a hologram to build over, with detailed material lists. The modern replacement for Schematica.

Best for: Survival building, material planning, exact placement

Building Gadgets

Legacy

.json

Java Edition, Minecraft 1.12.2 to 1.20.1

Direwolf20's survival-friendly building tools. Templates are JSON with Base64 NBT inside, so they copy and paste as text. Building Gadgets 2 replaced it from 1.20.

Best for: Survival-friendly building before 1.20

For Minecraft after 1.20.1, use Building Gadgets 2.

Create Mod

Active

.nbt

Java Edition, Minecraft 1.14.4 and later

The automation mod with its own schematic system. It saves vanilla .nbt structure files and prints them with the Schematicannon.

Best for: Automation builds, printed with the Schematicannon

Building Gadgets 2

Active

.json

Java Edition, Minecraft 1.20.1 and later

Direwolf20's rewrite of Building Gadgets for current Minecraft. Its JSON templates are a new format and do not open in the first Building Gadgets.

Best for: Survival-friendly building, sharing templates

Common questions about formats

Why can't I open my old .schematic in Minecraft 1.20?

The .schematic format stores numeric block IDs, which Minecraft replaced in 1.13, the update known as the Flattening. Tools built for current versions save .schem or .litematic instead, and some cannot read the old IDs at all. Convert the file to the format your tool reads.

What's the difference between .schematic and .schem?

.schematic is the format from before 1.13. It stores numeric block IDs, at most 4,096 kinds of block. .schem, the Sponge schematic format, stores named block states such as minecraft:oak_stairs[facing=north], with no limit on block kinds. WorldEdit switched to .schem in version 7.

Can I convert between formats?

Yes. Drop the file on the converter and pick the format your tool reads. Each conversion has its own page listing what the target format cannot store.

Which format should I use?

For Java 1.13 and later: .litematic for survival building with Litematica, or .schem for WorldEdit on servers and in creative. For Create, .nbt. For Building Gadgets, .json. For Bedrock, .mcstructure with structure blocks.

Have a file in the wrong format?

Convert it to the format your tool reads, and see what carries over before you download.

Open the converter

For tool creators

Do you make or maintain one of these tools? We would like to work with you on two things.

Format support

Share edge cases and check our reading of your format, so your users get accurate analysis and conversions.

In-game access

Connect your tool to Schematicraft so players browse, download and upload without leaving the game. We provide the API.

Reach us through the support chat in the bottom-left corner.