Minecraft guides — page 7 — page 7

Practical write-ups on commands, datapacks, building and server performance — each one paired with the tool that does the work.

Loot tables: pools, rolls and the difference between entries and functions

A loot table that drops nothing usually has its weights or its conditions in the wrong layer. Here is what each nesting level controls, and the functions worth knowing.

2026-07-12Commands & Data

Custom model data: giving one item many models without replacing anything

The item-model system replaced the old CustomModelData predicate. Here is the folder layout, the JSON that maps values to models, and why your texture shows as a purple cube.

2026-07-11Building & Resources

Reading level.dat: hardcore status, spawn point and what you can actually fix

A hardcore death is one boolean in level.dat. Here is what the file holds, what a corrupted save looks like, and the honest limits of what inspection can recover.

2026-07-10Troubleshooting

Converting .mrpack to a normal modpack zip — and why extractors fail

A .mrpack is a manifest, not an archive of mods. Unzipping it gives you a JSON file and no jars. Here is what is actually inside and what a converter has to do.

2026-07-09Troubleshooting

pack.mcmeta: pack_format numbers and the "incompatible" warning

One wrong integer makes Minecraft grey out your pack. Here is the format-to-version mapping, the supported_formats range that avoids the whole problem, and where the file must sit.

2026-07-08Troubleshooting

Finding a stronghold with two Eye of Ender throws

Triangulation works with two throws, not six eyes of guesswork. Here is the technique, the two mistakes that make it fail, and the coordinate maths behind it.

2026-07-07Building & Resources

Banner patterns: the six-layer limit, loom order, and copying a design

A loom allows six layers but a give command allows more. Here is how layers stack, which patterns need a banner pattern item, and how to duplicate a banner exactly.

2026-07-06Building & Resources

Why your mob farm is slow: spawn caps, not spawn rates

Mobs stop spawning because the cap is full of something else, somewhere else. Here is how the per-category cap works, what counts toward it, and how to empty it.

2026-07-05Building & Resources

/locate: finding structures, biomes and why it sometimes says nothing is nearby

locate searches a bounded radius and gives up rather than looking forever. Here is the difference between structure, biome and poi, and what to do when it fails.

2026-07-04Building & Resources

Datapack not loading? The folder structure and the three names that must match

A datapack that does not appear in /datapack list has a path problem, not a code problem. Here is the exact tree, the namespace rule, and the folders that got renamed.

2026-07-03Troubleshooting

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