Minecraft circle generator

How to build from the plan

• Set the diameter, then choose a thin outline, a thick wall or a filled shape.
• Turn on the row and column numbers, and count out from one corner of the shape.
• Lay the longest straight run first. It is the flat part at the top of the ring, and every other run is measured from it.
• Build one quarter, then copy it around. The shape is symmetric in all four directions, so three quarters of the counting is already done.
• Download the PNG to keep the plan on a second screen, or copy it as text for a sign or a build book.

Building a round base for a skin showcase? The skin editor paints the character that stands on it.

Questions

Can you build a real circle in Minecraft?

No. Every block is a cube on a grid, so a curve is always an approximation. What this page does is put a block in each cell the ring passes through, which is the closest a grid gets. At 5 blocks across the result still looks square. From about 15 blocks it reads as a circle, and past 30 it looks smooth.

Should I use an odd or an even diameter?

An odd number gives one block at the exact center, so you can build outward from a single point. An even number centers on a 2 by 2 square instead. Odd sizes are easier to lay out, and they make a symmetric shape in all four directions from the middle block.

What is the difference between a thin and a thick outline?

A thin outline uses the fewest blocks, and its ring steps diagonally. Two blocks meet at a corner, so there is a gap you can fall through and water runs out. A thick outline adds the blocks that bridge those corners, so every block touches the next one face to face. Use thick for a wall you walk along, a tower, or anything that must hold water.

How do I build a sphere?

Pick Sphere and set the diameter. The blueprint then shows one horizontal layer at a time, from the bottom up, which is the order you place them in. Build layer 1, stand on it, build layer 2, and keep going. The block count beside the slider is that layer alone. The count above is the whole ball.

How do I build a dome?

A dome is the top half of a sphere. Set Sphere, then use the layer slider from the middle layer upward and skip the lower half. For a flatter dome, raise the diameter and lower the layer count, which gives a squashed sphere.

How many blocks will I need?

The count is under the blueprint, in blocks and in stacks of 64. A filled shape also shows the outline and the fill apart, so you can carry two materials in the right amounts. Gather a little more than the number says, because a miscount costs a trip home.

Does this work for other block games?

Yes. The plan is a grid of squares, so it works anywhere you place cubes on a grid, including Terraria, Roblox Studio and voxel editors such as MagicaVoxel.

What is the largest circle I can plan?

256 blocks on a side, which is 16 chunks. Drag the blueprint to move around it and scroll to zoom in on a section while you build.