PixelBlocks

PixelBlocks

Design and build your own custom Minecraft blocks. In Minecraft.

No resource packs. No client mods. 100% server-side.

PixelBlocks lets your players create their own blocks: place a pixel block, walk inside it, and build its appearance pixel by pixel in a dedicated building dimension. Every block placed inside becomes one pixel of the custom block (16×16×16 by default), just like a Minecraft block texture, but in 3D and made of real blocks.

Since everything is rendered with vanilla display entities, custom blocks are visible to every player instantly: nothing to install, nothing to download.

✨ Why PixelBlocks?

• Custom blocks without mods or resource packs: everything is rendered with vanilla display entities; clients need nothing installed.
• Portable builds: break a pixel block and it drops as an item, contents included. Place it somewhere else, give it away, or collect them.
• Real block feel: the design is rendered in the world with real block models, including correct rotations and orientations, scaled down to a single block.
• Ownership built in: the first player to place an empty pixel block becomes its owner; editing and breaking can be restricted to owners via config.
• Made for vanilla, survival and SMP servers: pixel blocks are earned in-game through a late-game crafting recipe that players discover naturally, no commands or admin intervention needed.
• Localized: English and German out of the box, following each player's client language.

🧭 How it works

1. Craft a pixel block and place it anywhere in the world.
2. Right-click it to enter its building dimension: a floating grass platform with a marked build area and an exit portal.
3. Build the block's look inside the marked area, pixel by pixel. Leave through the portal (or /pixelblocks exit) and the placed block now shows your design.
4. Break the block to pick it up. Item and design travel together.

The building dimensions are fully protected: no mob spawns, no explosions, no redstone contraptions escaping the build area, no liquids flowing out, and players cannot open containers that don't belong there.

🛠️ Crafting

The recipe unlocks for a player as soon as they click a Heart of the Sea or an End Crystal in their inventory.

| | | | |---|---|---| | Glass | End Crystal | Glass | | Diamond Block | Heart of the Sea | Diamond Block | | Grass Block | Grass Block | Grass Block |

⌨️ Commands & permissions

Root command: /pixelblocks (alias /pb)

| Command | Description | Permission | Default | |---|---|---|---| | /pixelblocks create | Creates a pixel block at your position | pixelblocks.command.create | op | | /pixelblocks give [uuid] | Gives a pixel block item | pixelblocks.command.give | op | | /pixelblocks exit | Leaves the current pixel block | pixelblocks.command.exit | everyone | | /pixelblocks destroyall | Destroys all pixel blocks | pixelblocks.command.destroyall | op |

⚙️ Configuration

pixelsPerBlock: 16           # resolution of the miniature (don't change once blocks exist)
onlyBreakableByOwners: false # only the owner may break a pixel block
onlyEditableByOwners: true   # only the owner may enter and edit a pixel block

📦 Requirements

• Paper 1.21 or newer (built against the latest release)
• Java 21+ (Java 25 for current Paper versions)

🔗 Links

• Source code