Hi all!

I am seeing more and more really ambitious projects...vast buildings and shapes of ungraspable nature! How do people make these - on the fly? Or is there a piece of software that people use to help?

I think it may be software because I see people seem to know how many of each kind of block they need.

Any insight you guys can give would be great

I have some ideas but no idea how to make them a bit closer to reality than merely 'somehow'.

Thanks!

The only tool that I know of, personally, is minedraft.. http://minedraft.net/

blender works well

I use graph paper
But ive never heard of mine draft

You can use design software to do it but its harder to do in my opinion. Better to build it as you go as this allows room for new inspirations and vast improvements

I use a client hack that allows you to fly, on Minecraft Classic not on survival.
Some minecraft classic servers allow the fly hack.

Or some simple rough calculations. Take some dimensions of your project.

Just go with the flow.

All of my creations are spontaneous and unplanned. BAFI included. By unplanned, I mean that I don't draft them or even draw a rough sketch before I start working. I do, however, spend many hours thinking of how I'll do it.

Thank you to all who have replied! A great deal more insightful as I had hoped!!

It is apparent that there seems to be no set way that are usually adopted by those crafters of the Minecraft greats we all know and love i.e. the ones that people like 'The Shaft' podcast talk about and are heavily marvelled at on YouTube.

blender works well

conathan

Wow that sounds like it might be complicated! Any tutes online for that sort of thing? Do you manually mould each block or are there templates/brushes/filter/whatever?

Fellow builders, rejoice! I have found EXACTLY what I was looking for!

It is, however, at another forum. I apologise if this breaks any rules and I can remove if nec.

Using Blender to create Minecraft bluepritns (Source: Minecraftforum.net)

Don't worry, Minecraft.net and the bukkit forums are all cool.

We just frown upon links to dubious/ illegal/ other servers websites.

i was searching through google and i found this, very nice and easy, im using it right now, you get a selection of textures and colours. and its free.

Its in Chinese i think, so use this:
File (F)
- New (N)
- Open (O)
- Save (S)
- ? (A)
- Terminate/Exit (T)

Options (O)
- Undo (U)
- Repeat (R)
- Reset Camera View to Default (C)

View (V)
- Paint Toolbar (P)
- Status Bar (S)

Help (H)
- Help (H)
- About (A)

Website: http://www.indiegames.com/blog/2009/06/freeware_app_pick_cube_kingdom.html

the ASA building was designed in 10minutes using paint and a blueprint of round shapes ranging with a diameter from 3 to 31.

paint is nice once you learn how to implement it in minecraft. 2d images are also easier to grasp (and think in 3d) than 3d images imo.