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Software and preparation

Software and preparation

Before you can start creating add-ons, you first have to install the required tools and applications. While development will be easiest on Windows 10, we have provided mobile alternatives for both Android and iOS, where applicable.

This page will provide you a list of software to install, and configuration tips for setup.

Download Minecraft Bedrock Edition ​

Picking an Editor ​

Add-ons can be created using any text editor, however it's much more comfortable to work in a dedicated editor. A good editor can give you code-completion, error-detection, and in-editor documentation.

There are strong opinions about the best editor for beginners, but generally speaking you cannot go wrong selecting either VSCode, or bridge. If you are mobile, you will need to use a mobile alternative.

VSCode ​

VSCode is a general purpose text-editor and IDE. With VSCode, you will be able to edit your add-ons in plain-text, guided along by a powerful array of extensions and add-ons. VSCode is a great option for programmers and advanced users.

⚙️Install VSCode

Configuring VSCode

Many packages exist for VSCode that make editing add-ons easier:

bridge. ​

bridge. is a light-weight, dedicated IDE for Minecraft add-ons. It features innovative features such as entity and block previews, rich auto-completions and file validations and advanced file creation with presets. bridge. includes a regular text editor for experienced add-on creators and a tree editor to make it easy for beginners to get started with editing JSON files.

Configuring Bridge

Mobile Editors ​

Android ​

iOS ​

Blockbench ​

  • Blockbench is a 'boxy 3D model editor' typically used to create Minecraft models, textures and animations. Also provides a web-browser version which is compatible with mobile.

Image Editors ​

When choosing an image editor, it is important to keep in mind that the traditional Minecraft style is composed of simple 16X16 pixelart. There are plenty of powerful and free art programs available for you to use. However, many of these programs have more tools than you will need for Minecraft graphical design and these tools require time to learn.

TIP

Choose a program that feels comfortable and easy for you to use. Many Add-on creators use different art programs for different tasks. (Example: One might use paint․net for most of the art, and piskel for Minecraft block animations). Choose what works best for you!

Krita ​

Krita is a powerful open-source art programed with the goal of giving free powerful digital art tools to artists. Krita has more than enough features to cover your Minecraft needs and works on a MAC or PC.

  • + Pros: Plenty of features including a pixel brush with an intuitive user interface.
  • - Cons: Requires a little time to become familar with the tools.

Download Krita

GIMP ​

Gimp is similar to Krita in that it is a free and open source digital art program that has a vast arrays of tools. Where Krita focuses more on illustration, GIMP focuses more on image manipulation (think Photoshop). Gimp also works on MAC or PC.

  • + Pros: GIMP has more than enough tools for editing Minecraft art
  • - Cons: The interface is not intuitive. Even though GIMP is powerful, it requires a steep learning curve.

Download Gimp

Paint․net ​

Paint․net is a simple yet powerful image editing and art software. Paint․net may not have a vast array of tools like Krita and GIMP, but it does offer simplicity and ease of use.

  • + Pros: Easy to use and learn.
  • - Cons: Only works on Windows.

Download Paint.net

Pixilart ​

Pixilart is a web-based pixel art software. It is extremely simple to use since it is focused on pixel art. It also has a powerful resize option that may come in handy, so that you can resize your art without losing the pixelart details.

  • + Pros: Easy to use and learn. Curated specifically for pixel art.
  • - Cons: Must have internet connection. May be missing tools you want.

Use Pixilart

Piskel ​

Piskel is a web-based pixel art software with a focus of making pixelated sprites (or video game character animations). This tool, similar to Pixilart, is simple to use. This is also a great tool for making flipbooks (Minecraft block or skin animations).

  • + Pros: Easy to use and learn. Perfect for flipbook animations
  • - Cons: Must have internet connection. Only offers the most basic tools.

Download Piskel

Libresprite ​

LibreSprite is a free and open source program for creating and animating your sprites. Based on the last GPLv2 commit of aseprite.

  • + Pros: Basic & easy to use, customizable and curated for pixel artists.
  • - Cons: May not work on Mac, maintained only by a small community.

Additional Materials ​

TIP

This guide will walk you through the first stages of add-on development, but it is not comprehensive! To learn more about add-ons, you will have to use and reference other sources of information, which we will link to here.

Join the Discord ​

The best place to get help with this guide is to join the discord server(s).

Vanilla Packs ​

Minecraft's vanilla files are a good source of reference material. You should download these packs, and store them on a convenient location on your computer. When you need an example of an item, or entity, or animation, you can reference these files for inspiration.

Documentation ​

There are many good sources of Add-on documentation. Familiarize yourself with all of them, and consider bookmarking them.

Troubleshooting and Additional Help ​

Next ​

What you have learned

Next: Project Setup
Edit Software and preparation on GitHub