User blog comment:LOTRMod/Joetater: A Region Saver/@comment-24.236.183.171-20160828154313

Hello, I am the Owner of PrimaCraft: The Lord of the Rings and I have tried this in the past. There are a few issues with this. From Mod update to Mod update the terrain generation is typically fiddled with, so there are times when you will have the old map (the region you are saving and moving) being against the new map (a completely new region). When this happens there can be large changes in generation, maybe a cliff face, maybe a waterfall that now takes up hundreds of blocks.

"Well if its just 1 region file that shouldn't be hard"

1 Region file is 32x32 Chunks, which are 16x16 Blocks

So 1 Region file is 512x512 blocks, however on my server only Dol Guldur fits on 1 Region, and thats in a forested area. Terraforming Forested areas are only the second hardest ones to deal with, the worst are mountains. (Mountains Gandalf, Mountains!).

Erebor on our server consists of 2 Region Files by 8 Regions files (16 total) thats a span of 18432 Blocks (2 Region files (North Side) = 1024) + (8 Region Files (East Side) = 8192) + (2 Region Files (South Side)= 1024) + (8 Region Files (South Side) = 1024). That would require me and my team days to fix that kind of range, and that is one of 24+ Builds.

Now I don't like sharing how we do things, but since you have taken your time to propose this way in an effort to keep this community going and growing, I will show mine.

This requires 1 Server Owner and at least 2 Server Staff.

Step 1a (Server Owner). Get a copy of your old map with the builds.

Step 1b (Server Staff). Get the coordinates of each build (I wish the mod wikia had this for us all to use but alas)

Step 2. Make sure the new update for the mod has its final version (For example 27.1 (I think?) had terrain generation issues, and we had to restart because we jumped the gun)

Step 3a (Server Owner). Use a program called MCEdit to copy the schematics of the builds from the old map. *8 Gigs of Ram required, or ask me kindly and I can try and do it for you.

How to copy:

Load up the old map and go the coordinates, select a region of the build that encompasses it (Larger builds have to be split up, i have 12 gigs of Ram and don't go over 50 million^2). I typically make sure that the height is always 256 so I know that a build (Isengard) won't get cut off because it is too tall. Then press copy and then when it does that click save and call it "Minas Morgul Front.schematic"

(Make like 16 copies of your schematics. I have one on a usb in a tuperware container in the middle of my lake. I am not kidding, I take this shit seriously)

Step 3b (Staff). From the coordinates that were recently gained have staff Fly around and render the new areas on the map.

Gonna take a minute to answer questions

"How do I know what to render?"

On our server we use factions and you can get a rough estimate of the size using /f map.

Or there are minimaps that will have the old rendered area shown.

"What is rendering"

Rendering is simply getting chunks to load. You do not have to see them ALL load for it to be loaded. For example: If you are standing there and the chunk in front of you doesn't load, but the ones to the right and left, and even one behind it  load. You are good to go. Its the edges you have to be careful for

"Why do I have to do this"

You do not have to do this techincally, but if you place a build in a un-rendered map, you will have "Voids"

"What are voids"

Okay you havea build and it is 510 by 510, it almost takes up that last chunk but only goes in 2 blocks (so 2x16 out of the 16x16) For the remainding 10x16 it will void. No blocks, no generation, nothing. Simply void. Doesn't take long to fix, but with a little planning you can a-void this (see what I did there?) by rendering.

Step 4a (Server Owner). Get the NEW map that your Staff  have rendered and get it on your computer, make sure you have your schematics.

Step 4b (Optional, Server Staff). Find new builds or better ones that your team thinks can replace other ones.

Step 5. Import the builds with MCEdit into the new map, try to fit them with the terrain.

Step 6. Upload map and have you and your team look around to see if anything is missing or needs terraforming.

Total estimated time ~1 Day of work.

this is mainly work on the server owner, and trust me when I tell you, your team hates terraforming and if you ask them to terraform 2048m of minecraft for 1 region file, imagine telling them to do it for 100(20,480m). You're gonna lost some staff.

I will make a video about this at another time

-SlayingSlayer, Owner of PrimaCraft: The Lord of the Rings