Litematica guide: how to use the mod step by step

What Litematica is and what it's for

Litematica is a client-side Fabric mod by masa, the same author behind the Tweakeroo, MiniHUD and MaLiLib mods. Its main job is to save any build from the game into schematic files (.litematic) and display them as a translucent hologram in the world. Instead of counting blocks on a screenshot and recreating the structure by hand, you see everything right in Minecraft. The hologram shows exactly where each block should go, and once you place the right block, it disappears from the preview.

Litematica has three main uses. The first is recreating other players' projects: you download a schematic from the internet (a house, a farm, a megaproject) and build it step by step. The second is moving your own builds between worlds or servers: you select an area, save it to a file and load it in the new world. The third is planning: you create the skeleton of a structure and add the rest later, knowing the dimensions line up.

Unlike server-side tools such as WorldEdit, Litematica doesn't place blocks automatically in survival mode. It only shows where they should go. That's why it works on vanilla servers, doesn't break fair play rules and fits technical Minecraft well.

Requirements: Fabric, MaLiLib, Minecraft version

The most common installation mistake is downloading a Litematica build that doesn't match your MaLiLib version. Both mods have to be built for the same Minecraft version. If you drop mismatched versions into the mods folder, the game either won't launch or will hang on the mod loading screen at startup.

Installation step by step

Installing Litematica takes about 10 minutes and is very similar to installing any other client-side mod. If you've never installed mods before, start with our guide on how to install mods in Minecraft, which walks through the whole process from scratch.

Step 1: Install Fabric Loader

1. Go to the official fabricmc.net site and download the installer (Windows/macOS/Linux).
2. Run the installer and choose the Client tab.
3. Pick the Minecraft version (e.g. 1.21.1). It has to match the Litematica version you'll download.
4. Click Install. The installer adds a new profile to the Minecraft launcher.
5. Open the Minecraft launcher, go to Installations and check that there is a "fabric-loader-x.x.x" profile.

Step 2: Download MaLiLib

MaLiLib is a library required by all of masa's mods. Litematica won't start without it. Download it from CurseForge (Files tab, pick the version that matches your Minecraft). Don't put it in the mods folder yet. Download Litematica first, so you can match the versions.

Step 3: Download Litematica

On CurseForge or Modrinth, pick the Litematica version for your Minecraft version. Make sure it is built for the same Minecraft version as the MaLiLib file you downloaded.

Step 4: Put the files in the mods folder

1. Press Win+R (Windows) and type %appdata%/.minecraft/mods. On macOS open ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/mods, on Linux ~/.minecraft/mods.
2. If the mods folder doesn't exist, create it manually.
3. Copy both .jar files (Litematica and MaLiLib) into this folder.
4. Optionally add Fabric API. It's recommended if you run more mods.

Step 5: Launch the game

1. In the launcher, choose the Fabric profile.
2. Start the game. The first launch may take longer.
3. Open any world and press M. The Litematica menu should open.

Hotkeys and the Litematica menu

Litematica is controlled mainly from the keyboard. You can change the default shortcuts in the Configuration menu (M → Configuration menu → Hotkeys tab), but we recommend beginners stick with the defaults.

The main menu opens with the M key. Among other things, it has buttons for Load Schematics (loading an existing schematic), Area Editor (the selection editor), Schematic Manager and Configuration menu (the mod's settings). If M doesn't work, check whether another mod uses the same key. In that case, change the shortcut in Configuration menu → Hotkeys.

Creating your own schematic from an existing build

The most common use of Litematica is saving your own build as a schematic, so you can move it to another world or share it with friends. The process has three stages: selecting an area, saving it to a file and, optionally, loading it again.

Step by step: saving a schematic

1. Stand near the build. Selecting an area requires you to be within chunk render range of the structure. It's best to stand on the roof or next to a wall.
2. Open the selection menu. Press M and open the Area Selection browser.
3. Create a new selection. Click New selection, type a name (e.g. "my-house") and confirm.
4. Choose the simple cuboid mode. Start with Simple mode. It's easier for beginners than Normal mode.
5. Mark the first corner. With the selection tool in your hand (a stick by default), left-click the block that will be one corner of the area (Pos 1).
6. Mark the second corner. Right-click the opposite block (Pos 2). A translucent frame appears around the selection.
7. Check the bounds. In the Area Editor menu you can fine-tune the coordinates numerically.
8. Save the schematic. Press M → Area Editor → Save Schematic. Type a file name (e.g. "my-house.litematic") and confirm.
9. Check the folder. The file is saved in .minecraft/schematics/. You can copy it to a USB stick or send it to friends.

Selection modes: Simple vs Normal

Simple mode is a cuboid defined by two corners: fast and intuitive. Normal mode lets you build selections made of multiple "sub-regions". You could save, say, a mushroom farm together with a separate redstone system, even if the two areas aren't adjacent. Simple mode is enough for most uses. Normal mode only pays off in very advanced projects.

Modes: Material List, Easy Place, Render Layers

Litematica has more than a dozen working modes. Below we cover the three most important ones, which handle 90% of use cases.

Material List

This is the mod's most used feature. After loading a schematic, open the Material List (hold M and press L) and Litematica displays the complete list of blocks needed for the build, with quantities. The list also shows how many of those blocks you already have in your inventory (in survival) and what's missing. You can export it to a text file or a CSV file.

Easy Place: smart block placement

Easy Place works in survival mode. Once you turn it on (M → Configuration menu → Generic → easyPlaceMode), Litematica makes it easier to place complex blocks (stairs, fences, repeaters, comparators) by automatically choosing the right block variant and rotation. Without Easy Place you have to look in the right direction yourself to get a block to face correctly. With Easy Place you just click, and the game sets it to match the hologram.

Render Layers: rendering by layer

With very large schematics the hologram can block your view or strain your computer. Render Layers lets you display only a chosen range of Y levels. To change the range, open M → Configuration menu → Render Layers. Typical layer modes show a single layer, everything above a chosen Y level, or a range of layers.

Material list: how to check how many blocks you need

Generating a material list is one of the most important Litematica features. It lets you plan your resources before you start building. Without the list you'd have to guess how many oak planks a two-story house needs. With the list you know it's exactly 1,247.

How to generate the list

1. Load the schematic: M → Load Schematics → pick the file → Load Schematic.
2. Set the schematic's origin point in the world (by default, where you're standing).
3. Open the Material List (hold M and press L).
4. You'll see a table: block name, required count, count in your inventory, missing.
5. Click Write to file to export the list to a text file (.minecraft/config/litematica/). Hold Shift while clicking to get a CSV file instead.

Reading the list: what to look at

• Hard-to-get blocks. Check whether the list contains blocks that need rare resources (obsidian, Nether blocks, beacons).
• Repeated blocks. If the build needs 3,000 stone blocks, consider building a stone farm instead of mining by hand.
• Block variants. The list tells apart, for example, plain oak from stripped oak, and it's easy to mix up variants while gathering materials.
• Items to place by hand. Torches, doors, signs: check that they were counted correctly, since they aren't blocks in the full sense.

If you're planning a megaproject, take a look at our roundup of mega builds in Minecraft. You'll find inspiration there and material estimates for typical scales.

Litematica on servers: limitations

Litematica is a client-side-only mod, so it needs no installation on the server. Only the player who has the mod installed sees the hologram. Other players don't. That's a huge advantage on public vanilla servers.

Even so, there are limitations you should be aware of:

• Easy Place can be blocked. Some plugins block fast place / block place. Litematica isn't precise enough in that situation, so blocks end up placed incorrectly.
• Server rules. Check the rules before playing with Litematica. Anarchy servers (e.g. anarchy servers) usually allow any client-side mods, but PvP servers may ban them.
• Ping and lag. With very large schematics (over 100,000 blocks), rendering the hologram puts a heavy load on the CPU, and on servers with a high render distance it causes extra lag.

Common problems and fixes

The hologram isn't showing

1. Check that the schematic is active: press M, open Schematic Placements and make sure the Placement and Rendering toggles are ON.
2. Check that rendering is switched on: M → Configuration menu → Visuals → enableRendering and enableSchematicRendering must both be enabled.
3. Check Render Layers: if you've limited the Y range, the hologram may be out of view. Set the layer mode back to All in the Render Layers tab of the Configuration menu.
4. Check the Litematica and MaLiLib versions. Both must be built for your Minecraft version.
5. Restart the game. Sometimes that helps.

Wrong blocks in the hologram

If the hologram still shows a block as missing after you placed what looks like the right one (say, oak), you probably used the wrong variant (oak vs stripped oak, oak log vs stripped oak log). Open the Material List and check the exact block name. The usual mix-ups: oak planks and stripped oak logs, regular sand and red sand, stone and deepslate.

Lag and FPS drops

1. Turn on Render Layers and limit the view to a single layer.
2. Temporarily disable schematics you aren't using right now (Schematic Placements → Disable).
3. Consider installing an optimization mod: see our guide to boosting FPS.
4. If Java has 4 GB of RAM allocated, increase it to 6-8 GB in the profile settings.

Easy Place isn't working and blocks are placed wrong

Make sure that: (1) you're holding exactly the block shown in the hologram; (2) you're looking at the block face in the direction Easy Place requires; (3) the server has no plugin that blocks fast place.

The schematic is too big for one file

.litematic files are compressed, but with megaprojects (a million blocks or more) they can exceed 20 MB. The fix: split the build into several smaller schematics (for example ground floor, upper floor and roof) and load them one by one.

FAQ: frequently asked questions

Does Litematica work on Forge?

Not in the official version. The original Litematica is a Fabric and Quilt mod only. A community-maintained port called Litematica (Forge Edition) exists, but the author doesn't support it.

Does Litematica work on phones or Bedrock?

No. Litematica is a Minecraft Java Edition mod only. There is no equivalent with full functionality for Bedrock Edition. The closest are tools like MCBedrock Schematic Viewer (preview only, no building).

Does Litematica corrupt worlds?

The mod itself doesn't modify the world, it only displays a hologram. The only features that physically place blocks are the creative-mode tools, such as Paste Schematic in World. In survival, Litematica never places blocks without your click.

Where can I download schematics from the internet?

The most popular sources are litematica.com, planetminecraft.com (Projects section), minecraft-schematics.com and Discord servers run by the technical Minecraft community. You'll find a detailed guide in our guide to Litematica schematics.

Can I convert .schem to .litematic?

Yes, with online converter tools or in the game itself: load the .schem file with WorldEdit, then save the selected area again with Litematica.

Can I rotate or mirror a schematic?

Yes. After loading the schematic, open its placement settings (press M, open Schematic Placements and click Configure) and use the Rotation and Mirror buttons to turn it in 90-degree steps or flip it.

How do I unload a loaded schematic?

Press M, open Loaded Schematics, select the schematic and click Unload. Unload removes the schematic from memory; the file on disk stays untouched.

How is Litematica different from Schematica?

Schematica is an older Forge mod, supported only up to Minecraft 1.12.2. Litematica is its modern successor on Fabric. It supports all newer versions of the game (1.14 and up) and has more features, including the material list, Easy Place and block verification.