Category Archives: software issues

MC Edit is frustrating

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I love how MC Edit lets me build geodesic domes. The same general technique lets you make oval shapes, lens shapes, and even disks.

However, I still haven’t mastered how to place things. Usually I just slap it down and say “close enough”. I make sure to save a backup of the world in case the new structure is really ugly.

Last night I tried to make a staircase out of disk-shaped platforms (rather than rectangular steps). I was able to place the center of each disk, more or less. But I couldn’t get the up / down location. The way I understand to do it is to use the mousewheel. So I placed a step, moved the mousewheel one click, placed another step…

In MC Edit it looked pretty good. The steps are circled in red.

Onekaytri Frustrated

But here’s how it looked in Minecraft. Not what I intended at all.

 

frustration 2

I suppose I could make traditional steps linking the disk-shaped platforms. But the platforms aren’t an equal distance from each other. I find that aesthetically offensive.

I think I’ll go back to the previous version of this world (with out the MC Edit edits) and try again. This time I’ll view the platforms from all different angles before I hit “save”.

OH HOW I WISH SOMEONE WOULD MAKE A PROGRAM WHERE YOU COULD ACTUALLY TYPE IN COORDINATE NUMBERS!!!

Something like this — where the centers of the disks would be at these points

graphThe disk starts out on the ground level, and with each new disk it goes up one (like normal steps) and over one.

There would have to be some sort of “translation of origin” thing going on, because I’m doing everything in relation to a point 0,0,0 and the actual Minecraft coordinates are

 

coordinates

I really don’t want to work with numbers like 343, 188, 201 — I would prefer 6, 0, 0.

So the coordinates would need to be changed from X,Y, Z to X-prime, Y-prime and Z-prime.

change coordinates

Meanwhile, Zeeprime might be a good name for the alien civilization that is trying to build these disk-shaped steps. Note they are taking a path from a verdant, jungle area over to a rocky area that is full of caves.

 

Zeeprimes

Clearly the Zeeprimes need a more advanced technology. Unless they have, like, REALLY LONG LEGS and can easily get up stairs that are spaced like that. Really long legs and a lousy sense of aesthetics. Ugh.

 

Where’s my brushes!!!

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I opened WorldPainter today and it said there was a new version, and would I like to update? Sure, why not. It will over-write your files, it said. Fine, that sounds nice and tidy to me! Then I opened the program again, and all my “Custom Brushes” were gone. brushes

OK, no biggie. I’ll download some more. Next time I’ll save back-ups, too!

Here’s a nice post at the Minecraft forums, explaining “Custom Brushes” and giving some resources. There’s links to a tutorial not to mention a couple of brushes that you can download from that page.

I also searched Google Images for “geometric fabric patterns” and will try making Custom Brushes from some of those.

 

 

Glitch

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I’m trying to make stairs in Avanti and move them around. First stage is to draw a triangle on the ground

glitch 2

And then “turn on end”. But it’s partly sunk into the ground. Using my cursor I can move the steps left / right and forward / back, but not up / down. I can’t pull them out of the dirt.

glitch

When I “orbit” the work area around just right, you can see part of the steps projecting below the surface of the ground.

glitch 3

I bet there is a way to move the steps up / down, but I can’t figure it out.

Meanwhile, when I go to Minecraft to see my handiwork, THIS is what appeared!!!!!

glitch 4

Notice the horse and sheep staring at it in bewilderment.

I’ll talk to my Computer Support team about this. Did Avanti save the wrong information (saved a file with different information than the image it showed me) or did the mess-up occur in the transfer between Avanti and Minecraft? …Or could it be a problem, not with the software, but…..WITH THE HARDWARE?!?!

scared_kitty