RealMaps: Using real maps in Minecraft
Sindre Helleborg, Tellef Møllerup Åmdal · BIBSYS Brage (BIBSYS (Norway)) · 2015
The project was to create an automated system that would take publicly available geographic data and use them to create to playable Minecraft worlds. These maps where to be accessible through a web server running our system. The focus of the project was the technical simplicity to the end user and the similarity between our maps and those generated by an ordinary minecraft version, both aesthetically and gameplay wise. Our solution ended up being 2 different java applications working in a pipeline. We created these two and a proof of concept website made with django. The first program handles downloading the relevant geographical data and processing it into a form that can be used to directly converted to a Minecraft map. The second one being a Minecraft mod, used for generating the actual Minecraft world. It uses Minecrafts own built in generator with our code running on top. We also did some user tests. We let people navigate through the generated Minecraft worlds. We gave them a map of a real world location and tasked them with finding the corresponding location in Minecraft. We also did the opposite where we had them try and mark a location on the map based on a location in Minecraft.