Tectonicus vs Worldlens
Tectonicus
github.comWorldlens
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Tectonicus | Worldlens |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · Minecraft World Map Viewers | 7.7 (#10) | 7.1 (#20) |
| License | The repository provides Tectonicus under the BSD 3-Clause license. | The repository states that Worldlens is MIT licensed. |
| Maker | The repository copyright notice names John Campbell and Tectonicus contributors. | The repository is published under the Ding-Ding-Projects GitHub organization; the opened pages do not state a headquarters or founding date. |
| Purpose | Tectonicus generates a 3D model of a Minecraft Java world and uses it to create detailed, zoomable maps. | Worldlens is a TypeScript port of BlueMap for rendering Minecraft worlds into 3D maps and browsing them. |
Plans
In their own words
Tectonicus
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.
Worldlens
Worldlens is a TypeScript port of BlueMap for rendering Minecraft worlds into 3D maps and browsing them. The project describes a Windows desktop app, two container images, and a separate Wharf desktop app for deploying a container locally or over SSH. The desktop app can render local worlds offline using BlueMap’s Java renderer, which requires Java, or connect to remote BlueMap servers through a token-gated proxy. A standalone CLI renders and serves the map web app, with a watch mode for map updates. Rendering can also run on another machine over SSH, in Docker, or through GitHub Actions. Documented integrations include Docker, SSH, GitHub Actions, GitHub Pages, remote BlueMap servers, and Home Assistant boolean entities for scheduled settings. The stated target world versions range from Minecraft 1.12.2 through 26.x. The repository is MIT licensed. Its public 1.0 compatibility contract is Windows-only, and Windows releases are unsigned and may prompt a SmartScreen unknown-publisher warning. An add-on system, static export, and multi-server dashboard are listed as future work.