mcview vs Tectonicus

mcview is a top-down 2D map viewer for Minecraft Java and Bedrock. It is listed for iOS, macOS, and Windows, with Windows releases and links to the Microsoft Store, plus Mac releases and an Apple App Store link. Release notes state support for Minecraft 1.21.10 and mention a renewed world list along the left side of the window. The project is GPLv3 licensed and described as free; the plan is free. Its README acknowledges JUCE, Google Material Design Icons, colormap-shaders, je2be-core, libminecraft-file, and Android SDK sources, but does not describe third-party service integrations. Release tags are marked as signed with the committer’s verified signature. The project pages reviewed do not state a support policy or contact. The repository’s Security and quality section provides no security or compliance details in the project description.

Tectonicus generates a detailed, zoomable map from a Minecraft Java world by building a 3D model and rendering map images. Its stated aim is to make maps resemble what players see in Minecraft. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows; maps can be viewed offline or served from a web server. Setup involves downloading a release, preparing an XML configuration file, and running the program from the command line with Java. Later runs using the same options are quicker after the initial render because only changed tiles are rendered. Players can filter which signs appear, and signs marked with #view can create first-person views with configurable height, angle, field of view, and nighttime rendering. Release 2.31 supports Minecraft 1.21 through 1.21.11, but not Minecraft 26.1. It also adds rectangular world subsets and arm64 LWJGL libraries for M-series Macs and possibly other ARM systems. Generated images can consume gigabytes of disk space depending on world size; WebP or JPG output and closestZoomSize can reduce storage use. Copper golem statues do not work, and shelves render only partially.