What is Mineways?
Mineways is a free, long-running desktop program that exports part of a Minecraft Java Edition world as a 3D model. You open a save, draw a box around a build on the top-down map, set the height range, and export it for 3D printing or rendering. It has been developed since 2012 and still gets updates for new Minecraft blocks.
For printing, Mineways writes STL and other mesh formats, and its README also lists OBJ, VRML, USD and 3MF. Color formats keep the block textures, which is how full-color printing services print Minecraft builds, while a plain STL suits a single filament. The program is built on the open-source Minutor map viewer and runs natively on Windows, with a less frequently updated Mac build and Linux through WINE.
It suits players who want a castle, a village or a whole island on the shelf. Expect some cleanup: floating torches, thin fences and hollow interiors can need trimming in the slicer before a build prints well.
What you can make
- Minecraft builds as 3D prints
- Minecraft world terrain sections
- Color models for full-color print services
How to use Mineways
- Download Mineways from the GitHub releases or mineways.com
- Open your Minecraft Java world save
- Drag a box around the build and set the depth
- Use the export for 3D printing and pick STL or a color format
- Check thin parts in your slicer, then print
What you'll need to print it
Filament and parts that suit what you make with Mineways.
Matte PLA
Multicolor PLA
6 x 2 mm magnets
Also handy
Print removal and cleanup tools
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Mineways pros
- Exports real builds straight from your own Minecraft save
- Free, with more than a decade of updates for new blocks
- Several export formats, including color models
Mineways cons
- Desktop only, and the Mac build lags behind the Windows one
- Large or detailed builds can need cleanup before they print
- Java Edition worlds only, not Bedrock
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