Minecraft How To Change Your Background With A Texture Pack
Some people love Minecraft’s 8-bit chunky look, while others can’t believe a game would look like that these days. Whether you want to make Minecraft look chunkier, smoother, or somewhere in between resource packs make it easy to do so on the PC, pocket, and console editions of Minecraft.
For those of you with a bit of video game experience under your belt, you’re likely well familiar with the concept of “skin packs,” “texture packs,” and “resource packs” as the things have been known over the years and across various video game genres. Many videos games have distinct directories and locations within the game’s resource archives devoted just to providing visual and audio assets for the game.
Typically, these assets are identified by file name and are not otherwise verified in any way such as by file size or creation date. As such, it’s pretty easy in many cases to simply swap one asset file for another asset file as long as the filename remains the same. Let’s say you’re playing an old simulation game like Command and Conquer wherein a simple file like “completed.wav” announces the completion of a new base by saying “Base deployed!” or the like. All you’d need to do to jazz up your experience and say, have the game scream, “Goooooood morning, Vietnam!” in Robin William’s voice, would be to download a.wav file of said clip from the 1987 film of the same name and rename it “completed.wav” to replace the old game asset. Minecraft, like many other games past and present, supports resource packs. Let’s take a look at what we can accomplish with them (no game modification necessary). Understanding the Terminology Before we proceed, let’s clear up the different terms used past and presently, and for different editions of Minecraft.
Prior to Minecraft PC Edition 1.6.1, the packs were known as “texture packs” because at the time, they simply replaced the surface textures of in-game objects. After the 1.6.1 release they were renamed to “resource packs” because they not only replaced the in-game textures but language packs and audio files as well.
Despite the change many sites that catalog and organize resource packs still refer to them (both in the site name and on the site itself) as “texture packs.” Be aware that resource packs for the PC edition will list not only the version number of the game they should be paired with but also typically, the resolution of the textures inside the pack. The default texture resolution in Minecraft PC Edition is 16×16 pixels per block-face.
Textures can be increased incrementally from that original 16×16 pixel size all the way up to 512+ pixels on a side. It should be noted that high-resolution textures are pretty but do increase the load on your GPU as they require more rendering. The on the left half of the screenshot for example, took almost a minute to load on our more-than-powerful-enough gaming PC but offers a significant step up the realism scale from the basic Minecraft look. The Pocket Edition supports texture packs, but unlike the PC Edition, there is no way to easily swap them. You have to manually replace the “terrain.png” file in the Minecraft system directory and restart the game to replace the textures. If you want to return to using the old textures, you need to replace the updated texture with the original. We recommend making a copy of the original texture named “terrain.old” so you always have a local backup.
The Console Edition also supports packs, known as “texture packs,” but these are distributed via the marketplaces and range in price from free to a dollar or two. Be advised that the Xbox Live marketplace is littered with scummy looks-like-a-texture-but-isn’t entries that are actually just wallpaper collections of texture packs applied so shop cautiously. With that clarification out of the way, let’s look at where to find texture packs for the PC.
Discovering Texture Packs for the PC Edition As you may recall from our original Minecraft series, version numbers can be quite important when dealing with Minecraft as the game has undergone many minor modifications and several major overhauls in the last few years. When browsing resource pack websites or reading forum entries about them, make sure to keep an eye out for what version of Minecraft the pack is intended for (remember, the pack system was totally overhauled between 1.6 and 1.6.1.) Before we start recommending sites to visit, let’s highlight one of the cardinal rules of downloading any kind of Minecraft mod (even light non-permanent modifications like resource packs): never download an.exe file (or the equivalent for your operating system) when searching for Minecraft stuff. There is no reason for a resource pack to be packaged in any sort of installation file. Resource packs should be.ZIP archives that you absolutely do not need to interact with or install beyond extracting them to your Minecraft folder so that the Minecraft app itself can handle them. It’s unfortunate, but there are a lot of web sites out there that take advantage of Minecraft’s popularity with children to serve up viruses, malware, and other nasty content because the kids downloading it don’t know any better. With that said, there are some pretty fantastic and legitimate resources to find Minecraft resource packs.: The first and most active place to find resource packs is the official Minecraft forums.
If you’re not active in the forums or very familiar with modding, it will take you a little while to get your bearings and learn to read all the shorthand codes in the subject lines, but the forums offer the most diverse and frequently updated source of resource packs around.: We introduced you to this resource in the as a great place to find maps. It’s also a great place to find resource packs (labeled as “texture packs” on the site) with plenty of sorting features and clear labeling.: More minimalistic in design and content than Planet Minecraft, it still has a wide assortment of great skins to pick from.: ResourcePack.net’s strong suite is clear categories. Whether you’re looking for modified default skins, realistic skins, RPG or horror-themed, or other genres, it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. Again, let us emphasize that resource packs should always be.ZIP files, and in the case of downloading packs for Minecraft PE, they may just be a plain.PNG file with no compressed container at all. Don’t download resource packs from websites that want you to download an executable! Activating Resource Packs in Minecraft PC Edition Once you’ve found a resource pack you’d like to try, simply download it and save it to the /resourcepack/ subdirectory of the Minecraft profile you wish to apply the resource pack.
Fire up Minecraft and open a world or join a server. Because resource packs are a completely client-side modification that don’t alter any gameplay mechanics you can use resource packs on both local and server-based worlds without any issue. Once you’ve saved the resource pack.ZIP file to the proper folder and started Minecraft, you can load and unload your resource packs on the fly by pressing “ESC” to bring up the in-game menu and selecting “Options.” Under the Options menu, select “Resource Packs” at the bottom of the left hand column. The resource packs system is laid out clearly. All available packs are listed on the left and all loaded packs are listed on the right. Hover over the pack you want to load or unload and click the arrow that appears, as seen in the screenshot above. The default resource pack is always loaded and cannot be unloaded.
As of Minecraft 1.7 you can load multiple resource packs but the last loaded pack will take precedence in any conflicts that arise. This is useful if you have a resource pack with textures you really like, but you’ve found another resource pack that’s just new background music — you can load the first pack with the textures and then the second pack with the music to get the best of both worlds. For our demonstration we’re using the. Here we are at a lovely little desert village before loading the pack: After loading the pack, the village takes on a much darker appearance with textures heavily influenced by the Legend of Zelda game Majora’s Mask.
Not only are the in-game textures changed, but this comprehensive resource pack also changes the in-game sounds to those from Majora’s Mask and other popular Zelda games. It also changes the menus, on-screen display, and in-game objects and resources to match the styling of the Zelda game too. Here’s the default combat menu in a Minecraft creative-mode game, for example. Here is that same menu with the resource pack loaded. Fans of the Zelda franchise will find quite a few familiar sights just in this sub-menu alone, let alone in all the music, in-game sound effects, and other fun little Zelda-esque references sprinkled throughout the pack. You may notice that the redstone tab seen in the screenshot above, for example, is marked by a red rupee – this skin changes the piles of redstone dust into Hyrulian rupees. That’s all there is to it!
With very little effort (and typically little strain on performance) you can completely change the look of Minecraft with a resource pack.
A minecraft texture pack is a great way to customize the look and feel of your minecraft world, but it also allows you to create various tricks and hidden items by altering specific items, like paintings or lava. By creating a texture pack, you can also change blocks to look like something else, which is perfect for blocks you rarely or never use normally, for example, you could change the sponge block to look like a different kind of stone. Creating a texture pack may seem quite difficult, especially finding the files you need to alter may seem a bit tricky, but it’s actually quite easy, depending on how experienced you are with graphic editing. Note that this guide will not tell you how to make something look like stone, grass or wood, but instead we will tell you where you can find each file and a few basic tips and tricks to help you create your own texture pack.
Finding the textures Of course, before you can alter any texture, you first need to find them. Like most files, the textures are inside the Minecraft jar file, which can be found in the.Minecraft folder.
To find the.Minecraft folder, either go to C:Documents and Settings.USER.Application Data.Minecraft (replace.USER. with your windows account name) or enter%appdata% in the windows search bar, then open roaming - application data -.Minecraft. Note, you may need to reveal hidden files before you can see the application data folder. This is done by opening any folder, then click on “tools” in the tools bar at the top, then click folder options. A pop up will appear with a list, click on the view tab and scroll down to “Hidden files and folders”, tick the “Show hidden files and folders” box. Once you’ve found the.Minecraft folder, open the bin folder and then open the Minecraft.jar file with a program like 7zip or winzip. You may need to right click the file and select “open with” and select the program manually.
If you don’t have such a program, you can download for free. All the textures you need are in this jar file, but they’re not all in the same place. Most textures can be found in the folders inside the jar file, for example, the mob textures are inside the mob folder and the armour textures are inside the folder called armor. However, you’re probably after the block textures, which aren’t inside a separate folder but somewhere in the long list of the files in the jar folder. The file you need is called terrain.png Terrain.png contains all the textures used for all the blocks in Minecraft, but it’s important to know that many blocks use more than 1 texture and many blocks share the same textures.
For example, a pumpkin has a texture for the sides, the face and the top. The texture for the top is also applied to the bottom. You may also have noticed many of the nature-type blocks, like grass, vines and ferns, are gray.
This is because a light shader is applied to them in game, which is what makes every biome look different. If you want to change the colour of the grass in biomes, you will have to alter the shader, which can be found in the misc folder in the Minecraft.jar, the files are called foliagecolor.png and grascolor.png, however, editing these files isn’t as easy as editing the other textures, so I’d advise you to leave this file alone until you’ve gained some experience. Editing the textures Now that you know how to access the files it’s time to edit them to your pleasing. Note that a full list of all the textures and their position in the jar file can be found lower in this article.
Editing the files can be done with any image editing program, though keep in mind that some blocks may need to be transparent, depending on how you edit them. This means you cannot use paint, as it won’t allow you to make or save the files with transparency. If you’re looking for a program which does allow this, can be downloaded for free and is one of the programs used by most texture pack creators. While there isn’t really a right or wrong way of creating textures, some will, of course, look better than others. If you’re new to texture editing, you may want to start with simply recolouring the default texture pack and adding small changes, this will give you some experience and make you more familiar with how textures are created, how they look and how they affect the look of the game. Note that it’s important to keep all the files the same size and the same format (.png), as well as the same name. So don’t save terrain.png as terrain.gif or blocks.png, your textures will not be loaded if you do.
List of textures terrain.png Found in the Minecraft.jar file and contains all the textures for all the blocks in Minecraft. Note that the texture for the chests is no longer used, instead, the texture for chests can be found in the item folder. Particles.png Found in the Minecraft.jar file and contains all the textures for smaller particle effects, like torch flames, fishing rod bobbers and rain drops hitting the ground. Pack.png Found in the Minecraft.jar file. It’s an image used as a thumbnail for the texture pack in the list of texture packs, this image has to be 128×128 pixels.
Pack.txt Found in the Minecraft.jar file and is used to write a description for your texture pack. Note that the description has to be short or it won’t show up under the thumbnail in the texture pack list. Title folder This folder contains the Minecraft and mojang logo, as well as panorama pictures and the splashes.txt file. The splashes.txt file contains all the short messages you see in the main menu of Minecraft. This folder also contains the bg folder, which contains 6 panorama images used for the main menu background.
Environment folder Contains the textures for clouds, light, rain and snow. Font folder Contains the font styles used for Minecraft. These are the fonts used for all text written in Minecraft, like everything you write on a sign. Terrain folder Contains the textures for the sun and the moon. Note that the sun and moon move in circles, so any images or texts you put on it will be flipped upside down for half the time of the day and night (when both them are setting).
Also note the texture is mirrored horizontally in Minecraft, so will look like. Item folder Contains the textures for books, arrows, boats, signs, xporbs, chests and minecarts. Note that the and the will use the furnace and chest texture, they don’t have a separate texture. Gui folder Contains the textures for all the interfaces of the game (except for the achievement gui), like your inventory, the enchantment table interface, as well as textures for all the item images for your inventory, textures for the game icons (like the health bar) and other small icons. Art folder Contains the image used for all the paintings in game. Note that all the paintings will have to be the same size as the original. Also note that adding paintings on the empty spaces will not give you more paintings (without using mods).
Mob folder Contains all the textures for all the mobs. The textures for the villagers and the Ender dragon have been placed in a separate folder (enderdragon and villager) and they contain multiple textures. Alter ender.png in the enderdragon folder to change the look of the ender dragon. Armor folder Contains the textures for all the armour pieces in Minecraft.
Minecraft How To Change Your Background With A Texture Packs
Achievement folder Contains the textures used for the achievement interface. Misc folder Contains the textures used for the biome shaders (grass and foliage colours), the pumpkin helmet view, the background for the maps, water colours, explosions and various other (light) effects.