Stephen R. Foster

Article / Updated 08-11-2023

You can earn a few different kinds of Minecraft badges. Here, you find out how to earn Scramble badges, which are different from the other types: All the code blocks you need are already in the programming area — they’re just scrambled around on the screen in an animation. To earn a Scramble badge, follow these steps: Test the correct version of the code in the simulator or Minecraft to see what it’s supposed to do, like saying “Hello, World!” Gather together all blocks that have been scrambled on the screen, by dragging them near each other. Unscramble the blocks, and test your mod to see whether it matches the correct version that you test in Step 1 of this list. To find all the blocks you need in order to complete the badge (sometimes, the blocks that have been scrambled are offscreen), you move around by using the scroll bars on the right side and bottom of the programming environment. Earn the Saying Hello badge: Scramble Edition Open the Saying Hello (Scramble) challenge by clicking on the badge. You see ten blocks scrambled on the screen. Follow these steps to solve the challenge and earn the badge: Click the blue Test button to test the correct version in Minecraft, or click the orange Test button to test the correct version in the simulator. Then observe what happens. Gather the ten blocks and begin to arrange them in such a way that when you run the mod, it does exactly the same thing that the correct version did. Test your mod in Minecraft or the simulator to see whether it has the same effect as the correct version. If it doesn’t, edit the blocks arrangement and test again. Continue this edit-test cycle until you have put together the correct arrangement of blocks. Communicate with your computer Writing code is the way that programmers communicate with their computers, and the way that you communicate with Minecraft. The problem, however, is that computers do exactly what you tell them to do, not what you think they should do. For example, in the Saying Hello (Scramble) challenge, you may have noticed that the answer looks strange if you expected the messages to be sent in numbered order, like this: One Mississippi Two Mississippi Three Mississippi and instead they’re sent out of order, like this: Two Mississippi One Mississippi Three Mississippi If you were told, “Go to your shoes and put on your room,” you probably would figure out that what you should do is go to your room and put on your shoes. If you told a computer, “Go to your shoes and put on your room,” the computer would literally go to its shoes and then try to put on its room, which is impossible, so it would probably display an error message. You must be precise when you write code, and — more ­importantly — you should test your code often and in small increments to catch mistakes. At the bottom of any Scramble challenge are two videos that you can watch to see strategies for completing this type of badge. Though the videos aren’t specific to each challenge, watching them can help you with any badge that asks you to unscramble code.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-24-2022

Modding Minecraft allows players to make large interactive modifications to their Minecraft worlds with a simple click of a button. Although you can build infinite mods, this book focuses on creating Minigames within Minecraft, where players can compete in single-player and multi-player mode. Designing and coding the Minigames requires coding, but with the help of LearnToMod, you can create your own Minigame to play with friends!

Article / Updated 01-24-2022

Modding (adding modifications to the game) is a great way to customize your experience in the game, and mods allow players to inject their own creativity into their open Minecraft worlds. One of the great things about Minecraft modding is that anyone and everyone can add their own spin on things. You have the ability to create your own mods, share them with the community, and gain notoriety for creating some cool in-game ideas! You can also download, install, and remix other player-made mods, creating a constant evolution of the ways to play the game. So, How Do You Download & Install Mods in Minecraft? Unless your writing unique code from scratch and building your own mod, the best way to start to experience this world of customization is to download other players already-created mods. After downloading, you can then easily install them into your game and begin using them immediately! Follow the instructions below. Downloading Mods Thousands of people from around the world are sharing their mods every day. To download a Minecraft mod, go to a trusted site like MinecraftMods or your LearnToMod account, browse the list of user-created mods, and click on one that you find interesting. You can read its description to find out more, then click the Code or Download button, and add a copy of it in your own LearnToMod account. Installing Mods Once you have downloaded the mod that you want, it’s time to install it into your game so that you can begin using it. Each mod may have a unique installation guide associated with it, but for most popular mods, you can use a tool called Minecraft Forge for help with installation. To install a Minecraft mod, follow these steps: Make a backup file of your Minecraft world. It’s important to save your existing world in case the something goes wrong with the new mod. This will allow you to have access to your original folder and preserve your original game, settings, and creation. Download Minecraft Forge. This third-party tool will help with easily adding mods to your different Minecraft worlds. Next time you launch the game, you should have a new profile entitled Forge. Logging into this will provide access to a new menu option called Mods, where you can apply them to your new gameplay. Download compatible mods. Make sure you have your newly downloaded add-ons ready to be accessed. We will need to move these to a new folder for complete installation. Install mods by copying the files into the /mods/ folder. Select your mods and run them. Once you run your mods, you will see them applied directly to your game! Customizing Other Players Mods An extra challenge for you is to try to figure out how to add something neat to a mod that someone else has made. Follow these steps: Test the mod to see what it does, and compare that to what it is supposed to do. Read the code, and draw it out. (It’s sort of the reverse step of designing code.) Design one addition to the code and figure out where it should go (for example, in its own function or inside another function). As you add code, test, test, test! After you have remixed the mod, share it with everyone else on the LearnToMod site to see how other coders can take it even further.

Article / Updated 09-22-2017

Before writing all the code to make a Minecraft Minigame, you need to design your game. The Gameplay Loop is a simple process that you can follow to make sure your game is fun, challenging, and complete. The Gameplay Loop has four parts: Start: Create a basic scene. Goal: Add a way to win and lose. Challenges: Make winning more difficult. Rewards: Make your players want to win. The Gameplay Loop. You iterate (repeat) this loop until you are happy with the game you have. For example, if you were making the game of Spleef, you might do the following: Iteration 1: Start: Make an arena: Where kind of arena will you make for your player? Goal: Make it so that the player starts in the middle of the arena if they respawn: Remember to think about what the player will see as a result of your code. Iteration 2: Challenge: Make blocks disappear below the player: Don’t forget code to make the blocks disappear. Reward: Congratulate the player on destroying blocks: Players always appreciate a pat on the back. Don’t forget to test your Minecraft Minigame often and with friends!

Article / Updated 09-12-2017

When players refer to Minecraft functions, it is referencing one of two scenarios: using functions when writing code for your own mod OR the in-game /function command that allows a player to run a specific list of commands. We’ll go through how, in both instances, functions can be used to effectively by players to manipulate the game, execute specific actions, and ultimately make the game easier. Minecraft functions are useful because they can run multiple commands in sequential order to launch a specific sequence of events or actions. Command blocks are an alternative but often tend to induce additional lag that can slow down your game. Using Functions to Write Minecraft Mods The following content references how to acquire your Write Your First Mod badge through the LearnToMod program. It’s a great introduction for learning how to use Minecraft functions to build useful blocks of code. Let’s go through how to write a Minecraft mod that has a function named main. From now on, it will be called the main function. When you run a mod, your mod always starts running from the main function. Notice that the Saying Hello badge is similar to the Write Your First Mod badge, except that it has three messages instead of two. Below is the code you should write to complete the Saying Hello badge. Again, notice how the code includes 3 specific actions merged into 1 function entitled “main”. To get help with completing badges, click the Click for Hints link on the progress bar at the top of the mod, or watch the video to see how to solve the challenge. Sometimes it’s tricky to position the blocks in the right spot, so you can always reorder them after you have applied them to your programming environment, though. To earn the badge, you have to test your mod in the Minecraft simulator on the LearnToMod site. The progress bar in this mod says that you have completed writing 100 percent of the code using functions, but it reminds you to test the code in the simulator. To test your mod in the simulator, click the Simulator button, which is next to the Mod button. The Minecraft simulator sometimes doesn’t work in older versions of browsers. If you download the Unity Player plugin and the simulator still doesn’t work, update your browser or use a different one. You can download free and reliable browsers such as Chrome, Safari, or Firefox. Unity Player is the third-party software that supports your being able to see Minecraft in the browser. When you click the Simulator button, the simulator pops up. To test your mod in the simulator, simply press the M key on the keyboard. After the mod runs, you earn the badge. You see a screen shot of you completing the badge. To enter the simulator, drag the mouse into it and click anywhere. To exit the simulator, press the Esc key on the keyboard. Now that you have completed writing a specific mod with a basic function, start testing adding more advanced variables to your function to create a longer chain of actions! The Function Command (In Game) In addition to using functions in your Minecraft mods, you can also use the /function command in-game to run a specific function. However, these functions need to be stored as text files and saved in the appropriate folder within your Minecraft folder. For more about function syntax and the requirements to setup functions, visit Minecraft Gamepedia. For individual usage, the player can simply type the following while logged into the game: /function namespace:path/to/function/file (if|unless selector) Namespace refers to the text file that hosts the function code. The if arguments are optional and will make the function only run if the selector was found or not found within the world.

Step by Step / Updated 09-12-2017

After you have earned at least ten badges, you might have an idea for your own creative Minecraft mod that you want to write. Just have your idea handy and follow these steps:

Article / Updated 09-09-2017

Minecraft modding can offer you a way to show your individuality in the gaming world. Video games are made up of thousands of lines of code. Code makes players (like you) able to explore new worlds, interact with characters, and have fun. Some games, like Minecraft, allow players to add their own code to the games to create new worlds, challenges, or even characters. You can learn how to write these game modifications — or mods — and you can then see how to write code. Perhaps you have already begun to explore the world of Minecraft mods. Programmers all around the world have created their own mods and then shared them with Minecraft players — for free. Learn how to download and install Minecraft mods from other players. Mods can consist of almost any task; this list describes a few tasks that you can accomplish by using mods: Texture: Change the way the Minecraft world looks by applying a new texture pack. Block interaction: Cause an explosion whenever the player destroys a block of type wood. New block: Create new blocks. Minigame: Create a minigame to play within a Minecraft world. Large structure: Create huge structures to explore and personalize — ones that would take a long time to make by hand but take only a short time to make with code.

Article / Updated 09-06-2017

You can make art in many ways in Minecraft, but one of the most fun is making Pixel art. Pixel art is a great way to expand your game and make it more exciting for players who visit your world (server). What is pixel art in Minecraft? Pixel art is a new phenomenon that has become very popular in Minecraft. A player can create basically anything by placing enough blocks in the correct pattern. Since the world of Minecraft is made of only cubes, anything you create has an old arcade game look to it. Minecraft players from all over the world have taken the challenge of creating both two-dimensional and three-dimensional structures of their favorite characters or superheroes in the video game. It might be tedious to create a huge statue one block at a time, but you have the advantage of programming drones in LearnToMod, which really speeds up the process…or you can simply use Creative Mode. If you decide to use programming drones, you will need to know how to trace the drone very accurately, so if you haven’t already, make sure you earn all of the drone badges in LearnToMod. Making Pixel Art In-Game Anyone can take part in making pixel art, even if you are a beginner programmer or have little artistic experience. Creating Minecraft pixel art requires creativity, imagination, and most importantly – careful planning. Since you are working with three-dimensional blocks in an open world, the possibilities are endless. Learn how to make pixel art in Minecraft by following this common process below: Decide on an image to create. Browse the web for ideas or start drawing out your own creation. Plan your work of art. Understand what type of colors you will need to be and what type of Minecraft materials will be required to build out your image. Using graphing paper or computer programs like Paint (with grid lines) makes planning and scaling the size of your artwork much simpler. Obtain your resources or use Creative mode. Collect the appropriate blocks. However, most Minecraft artists will use Creative mode as you have unlimited resources, can fly, and your artwork typically can’t be harmed by enemies or world events. This makes crafting a piece of artwork much easier and faster. An alternative solution would be to use drones, as described in the next section. Start building. Place blocks in the appropriate locations to start building your artwork. Zoom out to get an overview of your creation! Example: Making an Art Statue To create a simple artistic statue (that somewhat resembles a Minecraft zombie), follow the steps outlined here. Start with a simple two-dimensional creation of the head, like the one below. Start this by planning out how many green blocks and black blocks you will need to recreate the face. Simple pixel art is easy. Once comfortable with this type of art design and build, add detail and depth like this: Your creation can be simple or complicated. You now have a basic, green 3D statue in your Minecraft world. You can go even further by creating arms for the structure and changing the color of the middle blocks to add the appearance of clothing (blue shirt and purple pants). The possibilities are endless! Drafting your pixel art The position of every block is very important in this type of project, which is why it’s such a great idea to make a draft before starting to code. Graph paper can be very helpful for making custom drafts. You can treat each square as a block in Minecraft. They can draw the image they like and then fill in the square around it to give it the shape it will take in Minecraft. Start simple, then add detail. Graph paper is a handy tool for pixel art. Drafting on a website often goes more quickly. Editing color and deleting blocks is much easier when you do it online. Many websites are available that provide a canvas to create pixel art. Piskel is a good choice. Piskel at work. Making the art Once the draft is done, you can start building directly in your Minecraft code (in Creative mode, as mentioned earlier) or use programming drones. If programming drones, it’s time to start writing the code. Choose a block as a starting point in the draft. Usually one of the bottom edges is the best starting point. The next step is to program the Drone to place blocks where needed. For simple two-dimensional creations, a single Drone can be programmed to place all the blocks in the right place one row at a time using a printer type pattern. The Drone would only move in horizontal or vertical lines placing a block where needed. For large projects, it is a good idea to break up the part of your creation and use different drones to put them together. This way, a single Drone doesn’t have to be traced through hundreds of commands, and the code will be easier to debug. Practice makes perfect Pixel art can be simple or it can be taken into an intense level of complexity. It is important to start simple then add details in the end. As more blocks are used and the structure increases in size, the art piece will begin to lose its pixelated effect. Take a previous a project idea and make it your own! Practice and your creations will quickly improve. Finding Inspiration & Ideas Pixel art is a great activity for practicing using drones, and it can be a fun way to decorate your Minecraft world. You can create your favorite characters in pixel art or design your own characters! You can also find pixel art on the internet and recreate it on LearnToMod using drones. There are many websites that provide templates and ideas for pixel art creations, such as Minecraft Pixel Art Templates.

Article / Updated 09-03-2017

To mod Minecraft, you have to write code. Luckily, the LearnToMod Software walks you through that! One of the first things that you should learn is how to make drones in Minecraft and use them to build structures. Drones are invisible robots that can move and place blocks of certain types, or even spawn entities (like Creepers)! For example, this code: Creates a Drone and names it d. Tells d to place a Brick block in Minecraft. The code you use tells your drone what to do. Since Minecraft always starts with the function named ‘main,’ what you will see when you run this mod in Minecraft is this: You can do cool stuff with your code. You can also move drones. For example, if you wanted to make a row of bricks, you could do this: Make your drones do your bidding.

Article / Updated 09-03-2017

A drone in Minecraft is an invisible, flying robot that can move around and place blocks and entities at its location. Building large structures is made much easier when you can use drones. Minecraft drones move faster than typical player movement and can more easily reach higher places, as opposed to having to craft and use player-made items like ladders. Utilize our guide below which will help you learn how to make a drone and use it to your advantage! How to Create a Drone in Minecraft Creating a drone in Minecraft isn’t complicated, but it does require you to use a new coding feature: variables. A variable is a way to name an object. For these instructions, you can follow along with the description of the Drones challenge in the LearnToMod online software. Open the Drones challenge, and follow these steps to make a Minecraft drone: To be able to give commands to the drone, you need to name it. You name an object, like a drone, by assigning it to a variable. First drag a variable block into the main function. Always give objects names that make sense to you and that you can easily remember. In this example, create a new variable by clicking on the arrow next to item. Name it d for drone. To create a drone, you have to assign a new one to the variable you just made. This is where you find the new Drone block. This is where you put it in the d assign block. Now that you have learned how to build a drone using mods, custom coding, and variables, it is now identified as an object that can be used in the game. You can access it by using its name, d, and you can tell it to perform certain actions, such as place blocks or spawn entities. Setting Up Your Flying Drone As previously mentioned, after you give the new flying drone a name, you now have the ability to give it commands. However, you must still setup the commands in the modding interface to efficiently operate it. Using the interface below, you will be able to add block codes, assign them key binds, and fully control the drone. Use the following settings below to begin adding functionality to use, move, and control your drone: This code block requires you to specify a type of block that the drone will put down, like a brick or diamond block. This is where you can find the brick type. Here’s the completed code. If you run this code in Minecraft or the simulator, you see a scene like this. Your structure appears in the area in which you’re looking, so move to an empty area when you build. You can even go into Creative mode and build in the sky: Double-click the spacebar to hover, and then press the spacebar again to move upward. How to Move and Use a Drone in Minecraft Now that you know how to add code blocks to your drone mod, you can utilize additional coding and commands to properly move and control it. Continuing with Step 3 of the Drones challenge, you should add a move block to your mod. You can find the block under the Minecraft category and then Drones, just like the place block code block you found. If you run the code again, you see the same result. The drone is invisible, so moving it around has no visible effect. Continue working to complete this challenge by adding three more lines of code. Check out the completed code needed to earn this badge. Before you run the mod, predict on paper what you will see. Then run the mod in the simulator, and compare your prediction to what you see. If your prediction was incorrect, go back to the code and trace it either on paper or on the computer. To trace using the computer, disable all blocks of code by right-clicking and choosing Disable Block. Then reenable one block at a time, testing the mod every time you enable one, to see whether you understand what is going on. Congratulations. You have learned how to use modding, coding, and creative thinking to build a drone in Minecraft. Use the drones to help make your virtual life easier by placing blocks more easily and safely spawning entities (like creepers).