Generation commands create geometric structures from block patterns.

This page covers:

Requirements

Most generation commands use the current WorldEdit placement position instead of a selection.

Placement Position

These shapes use the current placement position as their center or origin:

• Spheres and domes
• Cylinders
• Pyramids
• Toruses

Toggle the placement mode with:

;toggleplace

The exact alternate placement behavior depends on the current session and installed version. Test with a small shape before generating a large one.

line uses selection positions 1 and 2.

gen fills the exact bounding box of the current cuboid selection.

Loft points are stored directly in world coordinates.

Directions

Flags that receive a direction accept absolute and relative values.

Absolute Directions

Relative Directions

Relative directions depend on the camera. Use absolute directions for reproducible results.

Patterns

Every generation command that accepts <pattern> supports standard WorldEdit patterns.

stone
stone,andesite,gravel
70%stone,20%andesite,10%gravel
*log
#hand
#clipboard
#blob6(stone,andesite,cobblestone)
80%stone,20%void
$rock.rad

void skips a position. It is different from air, which removes an existing block.

Pattern syntax is documented in the Pattern section.

Global Mask

Generation operations can be restricted by the active global mask.

;gmask air
;sphere stone 10
;gmask

;gmask #existing
;sphere moss_block 10
;gmask

Clear old masks before diagnosing incomplete generation:

;gmask

Lines

line creates a three-dimensional line between selection positions 1 and 2.

Syntax

;line <pattern> [-t <thickness>]

Selection Requirement

line requires the selection mode to be exactly cuboid.

;sel cuboid
;pos1 100 64 100
;pos2 130 75 115

Then create the line:

;line stone

extend is not accepted even though it also represents a cuboid region.

Thickness

Default:

thickness = 0

Examples:

;line stone
;line stone -t 0
;line stone -t 3

Thickness behaves as an approximate radius around the route, not an exact diameter.

The maximum value depends on the configured maximum brush radius.

Pattern Examples

;line oak_log
;line 70%stone,30%andesite -t 2
;line #blob5(stone,andesite) -t 4
;line $pipe.rad -t 4

A radial gradient can follow the line and its thickness.

Global Mask

;gmask air
;line glass -t 2
;gmask

History

The complete line is recorded as one action. Its history bounds expand around the two points according to the thickness.

;line stone -t 3
;undo

Spheres and Domes

WorldEdit can create:

• Solid spheres
• Hollow spheres
• Spheroids
• Ellipsoids
• Domes or half-spheres in six directions

The minimum radius is 0.01.

Radius Forms

One radius applies to every axis:

<radius>

Two radii separate horizontal and vertical size:

<radiusXZ> <radiusY>

Three radii control every axis:

<radiusX> <radiusY> <radiusZ>

Solid Spheres with ;sphere

Syntax

;sphere <pattern> [-h] [-r] [-d <dome>] <radius>

;sphere <pattern> [-h] [-r] [-d <dome>] <radiusXZ> <radiusY>

;sphere <pattern> [-h] [-r] [-d <dome>] <radiusX> <radiusY> <radiusZ>

The installed help may display flags in a different position. Follow the syntax shown by ;help sphere when needed.

Solid Sphere

;sphere stone 10

Hollow Sphere with -h

;sphere -h glass 10

This is equivalent to ;hsphere glass 10.

The shell is approximately one block thick.

Spheroid

;sphere stone 10 20

Meaning:

X radius = 10
Y radius = 20
Z radius = 10

Ellipsoid

;sphere stone 15 8 5

Meaning:

X radius = 15
Y radius = 8
Z radius = 5

Raise from the Base with -r

-r shifts the center upward by the Y radius.

;sphere -r stone 10

Without -r, the placement position is near the center.

With -r, the bottom of a normal vertical sphere is approximately placed at the origin.

The shift always occurs along world Y. Combining -r with lateral domes can produce unintuitive placement.

Domes with -d

The direction selects the half of the sphere that remains.

;sphere -d up stone 10
;sphere -d down stone 10
;sphere -d north stone 10
;sphere -d south stone 10
;sphere -d east stone 10
;sphere -d west stone 10

Hollow Domes

;sphere -h -d up glass 15

Equivalent:

;hsphere -d up glass 15

Approximate Bounds

For an integer radius r, a full uniform sphere uses an approximate bounding box of:

(2r + 1) × (2r + 1) × (2r + 1)

A radius of 10 uses an approximate 21 × 21 × 21 box, although the sphere does not fill every position in the box.

Decimal radii are supported and mapped to the block grid.

Hollow Spheres with ;hsphere

hsphere creates a hollow sphere, spheroid, ellipsoid, or dome directly.

Syntax

;hsphere <pattern> [-r] [-d <dome>] <radius>

;hsphere <pattern> [-r] [-d <dome>] <radiusXZ> <radiusY>

;hsphere <pattern> [-r] [-d <dome>] <radiusX> <radiusY> <radiusZ>

Examples

;hsphere glass 10
;hsphere -r glass 10
;hsphere -d up glass 15
;hsphere calcite 15 8 10

These commands are equivalent:

;sphere -h glass 10
;hsphere glass 10

Cylinders

Cylinders can be:

• Circular or elliptical
• Solid or hollow
• Vertical or horizontal
• Generated with a custom height

The minimum radius is 0.01.

Height is an integer with a minimum and default value of 1.

Solid Cylinders with ;cyl

Syntax

Circular section:

;cyl <pattern> [-h] [-r] [-d <direction>] <radius> [height]

Elliptical section:

;cyl <pattern> [-h] [-r] [-d <direction>] <radiusX> <radiusZ> [height]

Vertical Cylinder

;cyl stone 5 10

Meaning:

radius = 5
height = 10
axis = Y

Without a height, the command creates a one-block-high disk:

;cyl stone 5

Elliptical Cylinder

;cyl stone 8 4 12

Meaning:

local radius 1 = 8
local radius 2 = 4
height = 12

Hollow Cylinder with -h

;cyl -h glass 5 10

Equivalent:

;hcyl glass 5 10

The hollow form creates the lateral shell according to the internal thickness algorithm.

Raise from the Base with -r

;cyl -r stone 5 10

For a vertical cylinder, -r shifts the center upward by approximately half its height so the base is near the placement origin.

The current shift is applied on world Y before orientation. Use -r mainly for vertical cylinders.

Direction with -d

Vertical axis:

;cyl -d up stone 5 10
;cyl -d down stone 5 10

North-south axis:

;cyl -d north stone 5 10
;cyl -d south stone 5 10

East-west axis:

;cyl -d east stone 5 10
;cyl -d west stone 5 10

Opposite directions select the same geometric axis because a cylinder is longitudinally symmetrical.

For oriented elliptical cylinders, the two section radii are local to the rotated shape. Test visibly different radii to confirm their orientation.

Approximate Dimensions

A vertical circular cylinder uses approximately:

X width = 2r + 1
Y height = height
Z length = 2r + 1

A vertical elliptical cylinder uses approximately:

X width = 2rX + 1
Y height = height
Z length = 2rZ + 1

Hollow Cylinders with ;hcyl

hcyl creates a hollow cylinder directly.

Syntax

;hcyl <pattern> [-r] [-d <direction>] <radius> [height]

;hcyl <pattern> [-r] [-d <direction>] <radiusX> <radiusZ> [height]

Examples

;hcyl glass 5 10
;hcyl -r stone_bricks 8 20
;hcyl -d north copper_block 4 15
;hcyl quartz_block 8 3 12

These commands are equivalent:

;cyl -h glass 5 10
;hcyl glass 5 10

Pyramids

WorldEdit pyramids:

• Have a square base
• Grow upward
• Use the placement position as the center of the base
• Do not accept a direction
• Do not support independent base dimensions and height

Solid Pyramids with ;pyramid

Syntax

;pyramid [-h] <pattern> <size>

size is an integer with a minimum of 1.

Dimensions

For a size s:

height = s
base width = 2s - 1
base length = 2s - 1

For s = 5, the pyramid is 5 blocks high with an approximate 9 × 9 base.

Solid Pyramid

;pyramid sandstone 10

Hollow Pyramid

;pyramid -h sandstone 10

Placement

The placement position is the center of the lowest layer.

The pyramid grows toward positive Y.

Pattern Examples

;pyramid 70%sandstone,30%cut_sandstone 20
;pyramid $pyramid.up 20
;pyramid #blob6(sandstone,smooth_sandstone) 20

Limitations

pyramid cannot:

• Change direction
• Generate downward
• Create a rectangular base
• Set height and base size independently

Use ;gen for custom variants.

Hollow Pyramids with ;hpyramid

hpyramid creates a hollow square pyramid directly.

Syntax

;hpyramid <pattern> <size>

Example

;hpyramid glass 15

These commands are equivalent:

;pyramid -h glass 15
;hpyramid glass 15

Toruses

A torus is a ring or doughnut-shaped structure.

It uses two radii:

outerRadius = distance from the shape center to the tube center
innerRadius = tube radius

The approximate total outside radius is:

outerRadius + innerRadius

Solid Toruses with ;torus

Syntax

;torus [-h] <pattern> <outerRadius> <innerRadius> [-d <direction>]

Both radii are decimals with a minimum of 0.01.

Basic Torus

;torus stone 12 3

Meaning:

circular route radius = 12
tube radius = 3
approximate total radius = 15

Approximate Horizontal Bounds

With the Y axis:

X width = 2(outerRadius + innerRadius) + 1
Y height = 2(innerRadius) + 1
Z length = 2(outerRadius + innerRadius) + 1

Hollow Torus with -h

;torus -h glass 12 3

Equivalent:

;htorus glass 12 3

Orientation with -d

Horizontal ring:

;torus stone 12 3 -d up
;torus stone 12 3 -d down

Ring perpendicular to the north-south axis:

;torus stone 12 3 -d north
;torus stone 12 3 -d south

Ring perpendicular to the east-west axis:

;torus stone 12 3 -d east
;torus stone 12 3 -d west

Opposite directions produce essentially the same orientation.

No -r Flag

The current torus parser exposes:

• -h
• -d <direction>

It does not expose -r.

Use:

;torus stone 12 3 -d up

Do not document ;torus -r.

Radius Relationship

For a recognizable open ring, outerRadius is normally greater than innerRadius.

When the tube radius is too large relative to the circular route radius, the tube can overlap near the center and produce a closed mass.

Hollow Toruses with ;htorus

htorus creates a hollow torus directly.

Syntax

;htorus <pattern> <outerRadius> <innerRadius> [-d <direction>]

Examples

;htorus glass 12 3
;htorus copper_block 15 4 -d north
;htorus $ring.rad 20 5 -d east

These commands are equivalent:

;torus -h glass 12 3
;htorus glass 12 3

Lofts

A loft creates a surface that connects multiple curves or frames.

Typical uses include:

• Flags
• Ramps
• Wings
• Sails
• Curved roofs
• Organic walls
• Transition surfaces

A loft produces a surface. It does not automatically create a closed solid volume.

Concept

Each frame is an ordered curve:

Curve A: A1 → A2 → A3
Curve B: B1 → B2 → B3
Curve C: C1 → C2 → C3

WorldEdit interpolates along each frame and between neighboring frames, then triangulates the resulting surface.

Commands

;loft start_curve [coordinates]
;loft add_point [coordinates]
;loft set <pattern>
;loft remove
;loft clear

Start a Loft Curve

start_curve creates a new loft frame and adds its first point.

Syntax

;loft start_curve [coordinates]

Use the current position:

;loft start_curve

Use absolute coordinates:

;loft start_curve 100 64 100

Use relative coordinates:

;loft start_curve ~ ~ ~
;loft start_curve ~10 ~5 ~

Coordinates are converted to block positions by flooring their values.

Running start_curve again adds another frame to the current loft.

Add Loft Points

add_point adds a point to the most recently created frame.

Syntax

;loft add_point [coordinates]

Use the current position:

;loft add_point

Use coordinates:

;loft add_point 110 70 100

Complete one frame:

;loft start_curve 100 64 100
;loft add_point 105 68 100
;loft add_point 110 64 100

Generate a Loft

loft set generates the surface from the stored frames.

Syntax

;loft set <pattern>

Pattern Examples

;loft set wool
;loft set 70%white_wool,30%light_gray_wool
;loft set $fabric.up
;loft set $fabric.rad

Minimum Structure

A useful loft normally requires:

• At least two curves
• At least two points per curve
• Similar point counts when practical
• Points marked in the same direction

Recommended:

Curve A: left → right
Curve B: left → right

Avoid reversing one frame:

Curve A: left → right
Curve B: right → left

A reversed frame can twist the surface.

Curves can contain different numbers of points because the implementation samples their splines, but similar structures usually produce cleaner results.

Global Mask

;gmask air
;loft set glass
;gmask

Reuse

Generating a loft does not clear its stored points.

You can generate another version with a different pattern until the definition is modified or cleared.

History

The generated surface is recorded as a history action.

;loft set wool
;undo

Remove Loft Points

loft remove removes the most recently added point.

Syntax

;loft remove

Behavior:

1. Removes the last point from the last curve.
2. Removes the curve if it becomes empty.
3. Removes the complete loft definition if no curves remain.

Repeat the command to step backward through the definition.

Clear a Loft Definition

loft clear removes all stored loft frames and points.

Syntax

;loft clear

It does not remove blocks from a previously generated loft surface.

Use ;undo immediately after ;loft set to remove the generated surface, or edit the blocks separately.

Complete Loft Workflow

Create the lower frame:

;loft start_curve 100 64 100
;loft add_point 105 66 100
;loft add_point 110 64 100

Create the upper frame:

;loft start_curve 100 74 110
;loft add_point 105 78 110
;loft add_point 110 74 110

Generate the surface:

;loft set white_wool

Correct the last point:

;loft remove
;loft add_point 110 76 110
;loft set white_wool

Clear the stored definition:

;loft clear

Custom Shapes

gen generates a custom shape inside a cuboid selection from a mathematical expression.

Alias:

;g

Syntax

;gen [-h] <pattern> "<expression>"

Selection Requirement

Use a cuboid or extend selection:

;sel cuboid
;pos1
;pos2

Then evaluate an expression:

;gen stone "x^2+y^2+z^2 <= 1"

Expression Result

The expression is evaluated for every block in the selection.

A block is generated when the result is:

• true
• A number greater than 0

A block is skipped when the result is:

• false
• 0
• A negative number

Hollow Mode with -h

;gen -h glass "x^2+y^2+z^2 <= 1"

The implementation checks six orthogonal neighbors. Interior positions are omitted when all six neighbors are also part of the shape.

The result is an approximately one-block-thick shell.

Quote the Expression

Expressions containing spaces must be enclosed in quotes.

Correct:

;gen stone "x^2+y^2+z^2 <= 1"

Without quotes, command parsing splits the expression into separate arguments.

Patterns and Masks

;gen 70%stone,30%andesite "x^2+y^2+z^2 <= 1"
;gen $shape.rad "x^2+y^2+z^2 <= 1"

gen also respects the global mask:

;gmask air
;gen glass "x^2+y^2+z^2 <= 1"
;gmask

Normalized Coordinates

Custom expressions use:

x
y
z

Each axis is normalized approximately from -1 to 1 across the selection.

Axis meaning:

x = west ↔ east
y = bottom ↔ top
z = north ↔ south

Conceptually:

normalized = (relative / max(axisSize - 1, 1)) × 2 - 1

The same expression adapts to the dimensions of the selection.

A sphere equation in a cubic selection produces a sphere. In a rectangular selection, it produces an ellipsoid fitted to that box.

Expression Operators

Arithmetic

+  addition
-  subtraction
*  multiplication
/  division
%  modulo
^  power

Use ^ for powers:

x^2

Do not use **.

Comparison

<   less than
<=  less than or equal
>   greater than
>=  greater than or equal
==  equal
!=  not equal

Logical

&&  AND
||  OR

Precedence

Approximate precedence from highest to lowest:

1. Parentheses and functions
2. Power ^
3. Multiplication, division, and modulo
4. Addition and subtraction
5. Comparisons
6. Logical operators

Use parentheses to make expressions explicit.

The parser also recognizes assignment and bit-shift operators, but they are not recommended for normal shape expressions.

Mathematical Functions

Supported functions include:

abs
acos
asin
atan
atan2
cbrt
ceil
cos
cosh
exp
floor
ln
log
max
min
round
sin
sinh
sqrt
tan
tanh

Constants:

pi
e

Useful examples:

sqrt(x^2+z^2)
abs(y)
max(abs(x),abs(z))
sin(x*pi*4)

Do not depend on undocumented functions such as log10, random, sign, or pow.

Use ^ instead of pow.

Custom Shape Examples

Sphere or Ellipsoid

;gen stone "x^2+y^2+z^2 <= 1"

Hollow:

;gen -h glass "x^2+y^2+z^2 <= 1"

Vertical Cylinder

;gen stone "x^2+z^2 <= 1"

Because Y is unrestricted, the shape fills the selection height.

Horizontal Cylinders

X axis:

;gen stone "y^2+z^2 <= 1"

Z axis:

;gen stone "x^2+y^2 <= 1"

Cone

;gen stone "sqrt(x^2+z^2) <= (1-y)/2"

Double Cone

;gen stone "sqrt(x^2+z^2) <= 1-abs(y)"

Inner Box

;gen stone "max(abs(x),abs(y),abs(z)) <= 0.75"

Hollow:

;gen -h glass "max(abs(x),abs(y),abs(z)) <= 0.75"

Upper Dome

;gen stone "x^2+y^2+z^2 <= 1 && y >= 0"

Flat Ring

;gen stone "x^2+z^2 <= 1 && x^2+z^2 >= 0.5 && abs(y) < 0.1"

Torus

;gen stone "(0.75-sqrt(x^2+y^2))^2+z^2 < 0.25^2"

Saddle Surface

;gen -h stone "y < x^2-z^2"

Radial Cosine Wave

;gen -h stone "y < cos(sqrt(x^2+z^2)*pi*4)/2"

Hollow Egg

;gen -h calcite "x^2+z^2+(y*0.75)^2 <= 1"

Longitudinal Wave

;gen -h stone "abs(y-sin(x*pi*4)*0.25) < 0.08"

Two Spheres

;gen stone "(x+0.45)^2+y^2+z^2 <= 0.35 || (x-0.45)^2+y^2+z^2 <= 0.35"

Positive X Half

;gen stone "x^2+y^2+z^2 <= 1 && x >= 0"

Performance and History

Generation cost depends on:

• Shape bounding volume
• Radius or size
• Thickness
• Pattern complexity
• Global mask complexity
• Loaded chunks
• Expression cost for gen
• Frame and sampling complexity for lofts

Hollow shapes still evaluate their full bounding region before deciding which positions belong to the shell.

gen evaluates the expression for every block in the selected cuboid.

Large lofts can become expensive when they use many curves, many points, or long spans.

Review the current limit before generating a large structure:

;limit 100000

Cancel an active job:

;cancel

Canceling does not guarantee a complete rollback of partial changes.

Completed generation operations are normally stored as one history action:

;undo

Redo restores the saved result:

;redo

Loft definition commands such as start_curve, add_point, remove, and clear modify session data rather than world blocks. The generated result from loft set is the part recorded in world history.

Common Errors

Using // Instead of ;

WorldEdit-BE uses semicolon-prefixed commands.

Using extend for line

line requires the mode to be exactly cuboid.

Forgetting an Active Global Mask

Clear it with ;gmask.

Confusing Thickness with Diameter

Line thickness is an approximate radius.

Combining -r with Lateral Domes

The raise offset uses world Y, so lateral dome placement can be unintuitive.

Combining -r with Horizontal Cylinders

The current raise offset is applied before orientation and can shift the result vertically.

Using -r with a Torus

The current torus parser does not expose -r.

Reversing Torus Radii

The first radius is the circular route radius. The second is the tube radius.

Creating a Loft with One Curve

At least two curves are needed to create a surface between frames.

Reversing One Loft Frame

Mark all curves in the same direction to avoid twisting.

Expecting a Solid Loft

Lofts generate surfaces, not automatically closed solid volumes.

Forgetting Quotes in gen

Wrap the complete mathematical expression in quotes.

Using ** for Powers

Use ^.

Expecting World Coordinates in gen

The variables x, y, and z are normalized to approximately -1 through 1.

Using a Non-Cuboid Selection with gen

Use cuboid or extend.

Generating a Shape That Is Too Large

Test with smaller radii, sizes, selections, or thickness values first.

Quick Reference

;line <pattern> [-t <thickness>]

;sphere <pattern> [-h] [-r] [-d <dome>] <radius>
;sphere <pattern> [-h] [-r] [-d <dome>] <radiusXZ> <radiusY>
;sphere <pattern> [-h] [-r] [-d <dome>] <radiusX> <radiusY> <radiusZ>

;hsphere <pattern> [-r] [-d <dome>] <radius>
;hsphere <pattern> [-r] [-d <dome>] <radiusXZ> <radiusY>
;hsphere <pattern> [-r] [-d <dome>] <radiusX> <radiusY> <radiusZ>

;cyl <pattern> [-h] [-r] [-d <direction>] <radius> [height]
;cyl <pattern> [-h] [-r] [-d <direction>] <radiusX> <radiusZ> [height]

;hcyl <pattern> [-r] [-d <direction>] <radius> [height]
;hcyl <pattern> [-r] [-d <direction>] <radiusX> <radiusZ> [height]

;pyramid [-h] <pattern> <size>
;hpyramid <pattern> <size>

;torus [-h] <pattern> <outerRadius> <innerRadius> [-d <direction>]
;htorus <pattern> <outerRadius> <innerRadius> [-d <direction>]

;loft start_curve [coordinates]
;loft add_point [coordinates]
;loft set <pattern>
;loft remove
;loft clear

;gen [-h] <pattern> "<expression>"
;g [-h] <pattern> "<expression>"

Flags

Permissions