Add Custom Worlds to Minecraft Realms - A Step-by-Step Guide

Importing Worlds to Minecraft Realms

While beginning with a newly generated map offers a unique experience, the process of uploading existing Minecraft worlds to your Minecraft Realms server is both straightforward and enjoyable.

Uploading Your Own Creations

Worlds crafted by you personally can be readily transferred to your Realm. This allows you to share your building projects and adventures with others.

Alternatively, worlds obtained from online sources are also compatible with the upload process.

How the Upload Works

The upload functionality enables players to populate their Minecraft Realms with pre-built environments. This expands the possibilities for collaborative gameplay.

Whether the world originates from your own imagination or a community download, the import process remains consistent.

Benefits of Uploading Worlds

• Shared Experiences: Play with friends in a world you've designed or discovered.
• Expanded Gameplay: Explore diverse landscapes and structures created by others.
• Creative Collaboration: Build and adventure together in a shared environment.

Importing worlds to your Minecraft Realms server provides a convenient way to enhance your multiplayer experience.

It’s a simple method to introduce new content and foster a more engaging community within your Realm.

The Benefits of Utilizing Minecraft Realms

Minecraft Realms represents Mojang’s official server solution, the creators of the popular game Minecraft. It provides a straightforward and accessible method for hosting a remote server.

This allows you and your companions – or your children and their friends – to enjoy Minecraft collaboratively.

Related: A Guide to Establishing a Simple, Stress-Free Minecraft Server Using Minecraft Realms

Previously, our guide focused on initiating Minecraft Realms, detailing the creation of new worlds and the utilization of Mojang-provided maps.

Now, we will demonstrate the process of uploading custom worlds to your server.

This functionality extends beyond simply uploading worlds you’ve developed, either independently or with others.

It also enables the import of maps created and shared by the wider Minecraft community, offering a wealth of unique environments to discover.

Let's explore the necessary preparations for uploading your maps and identify resources for finding additional maps suitable for your Minecraft Realms server.

Preparing for Map Uploads

Before you begin the upload process, ensure your world adheres to specific requirements.

Minecraft Realms has limitations on world size and complexity to ensure optimal server performance.

Important considerations include:

• World size should be within the supported limits.
• Avoid excessive redstone circuitry, as it can impact server stability.
• Ensure the world is fully generated to prevent issues during upload.

Failing to meet these criteria may result in upload failures or performance problems within your Realm.

Locating Maps for Upload

Numerous online platforms host Minecraft maps created by players.

These resources offer a diverse range of worlds, from intricate cities to challenging adventure maps.

Some popular websites to explore include:

• Planet Minecraft: A vast repository of user-created maps and schematics.
• Minecraft Maps: Another extensive collection of downloadable worlds.
• CurseForge: While primarily known for mods, CurseForge also features a selection of maps.

When downloading maps, always exercise caution and scan files for potential security risks.

Preparing Your Minecraft Worlds for Realms

Minecraft Realms operates utilizing the latest publicly available Minecraft version. Currently, this is version 1.8.9, though Realms will be updated to 1.9 upon its release.

Minecraft worlds created in older versions can still be used, but potential compatibility issues should be considered.

Map Version Compatibility

Using a map from the current Minecraft version is generally recommended. If you intend to upload a map from a significantly older version, such as 1.6.4, be prepared for possible discrepancies.

A common issue involves noticeable and visually jarring transitions between older and newly generated chunks. This occurs where areas created with the older world generation system meet those created with the newer system.

If you are uploading a very old map, consulting a guide on upgrading older Minecraft maps for smoother biome transitions is highly advisable.

However, for many players, simply uploading their existing world will suffice. Understanding these potential nuances can prevent unexpected visual differences in your world.

Locating and Obtaining Maps

Before uploading, it’s important to know where your local maps are stored and where to find additional worlds online. The following sections will detail this process, followed by instructions on uploading to your Realms server.

Finding Your Minecraft World Save Location

Initiating the process of uploading a map, whether it's one you've created locally or a custom map obtained from elsewhere, requires identifying the location of your world save directory on your computer. A comprehensive guide on locating and backing up your Minecraft files can be found in our article, How to Backup Your Minecraft Worlds, Mods, and More. However, we will reiterate the steps here for convenience and to expedite the process.

While the location of your world saves may differ if you utilize a custom launcher such as MultiMC, the following are the standard save locations for the most common operating systems:

• Windows: %appdata%\.minecraft\saves\
• Mac OS X: ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/saves/
• Linux: /home/[username]/.minecraft/saves/

Inside the \saves\ directory, you’ll discover a dedicated folder for each world save, named according to the world's title (for example, \saves\My First World\). Consider this folder as an enclosure containing all essential data pertaining to your world, including the world map and associated metadata.

Creating a backup copy of your world data, stored in a secure location, is highly recommended at this stage. Uploading a world will not alter your original save, and the Realms server will not modify your local data once the upload is complete. However, establishing a routine of backing up valuable digital projects, such as extensive Minecraft maps, is always a prudent practice.

Even if your intention is solely to download custom content and bypass map creation, remember this directory; it’s crucial for the entire uploading procedure.

Locating and Downloading Minecraft Maps Online

Sharing your own Minecraft worlds is rewarding, but discovering and playing custom maps created by others can be equally enjoyable. If you are only interested in uploading worlds you’ve built yourself, you can proceed past this section, as the upload process remains consistent. However, if you wish to explore new content, this guide will detail how to find it.

For a comprehensive overview of various map types, including adventure and parkour maps, refer to Lesson 13 of our Minecraft Geek School series: Downloading and Installing Custom Maps.