I do have one little tip for lazy people: MC edit. Select one block of portal A (referring to the guide) then fly over to portal D (the duplicate portal created on the surface), and select a block there, too. I don't use MCedit very much and don't know how to do anything fancy, but it gave me a little prompt that showed the dimensions of the selected area. For me, it was 60x160 (WxL.) Divide those two numbers by 8 (7x20 for me), and then build the portal in the nether in the corresponding area. If your portals are far apart or separated by rough terrain, this will make it easier to count.
For the people who are happy using MCEdit (even just to view, not modify), then there's another technique: once you've built your normal world portal and discovered that it doesn't link where you want it to, then using MCEdit fly over to one of the spaces inside the portal itself and then hit Go To Nether. You'll appear in precisely the spot that your nether portal should be constructed at (though remember you can go up/down as needed, just not sideways), so you can see what is in the way.
This is probably slightly more "cheating" than using Cartographer, but less than actually editing blocks or inventory.
Updated "the Basics" with a new rule of thumb, the minimal distance.
I actually have 2 portals in the Nether separated by just 1 block in one plane. I have 3 portals very close together in the Nether(less than 8 blocks), and they all work. The key to creating these portals close together was building them in pairs instead of allowing the game to spawn any of them.
To create these pairs, I built the frame(s) in both the Nether and the surface before I activated either one. This works because the game will first check for any portal frame on the other side before creating one. If you have already built a frame on the other side in the right location, or very near it, that frame will then link.
Thanks for the response. I haven't had a chance to test this yet because the portals I am talking about all happen in my Let's Play series and I am currently 10 episodes ahead so I am waiting a few more days before I record anymore. I trust that this will work but I will let you know either way.
Updated "the Basics" with a new rule of thumb, the minimal distance.
I actually have 2 portals in the Nether separated by just 1 block in one plane. I have 3 portals very close together in the Nether(less than 8 blocks), and they all work. The key to creating these portals close together was building them in pairs instead of allowing the game to spawn any of them.
To create these pairs, I built the frame(s) in both the Nether and the surface before I activated either one. This works because the game will first check for any portal frame on the other side before creating one. If you have already built a frame on the other side in the right location, or very near it, that frame will then link.
Sorry you must have missed my post.
I've had portals work with less than 16 blocks between them in the Nether, but i believe they were in their own Nether chunks.
To avoid frustration make sure there is at least 16 blocks in between your Nether portals, 128 blocks in between your surface portals.
Smaller Nether distances as close as 2 blocks away are theoretically possible but unlikely to work unless you can see where your chunks are with a map editor and avoid building Nether portals within the same Nether Chunk or juust get lucky with your placement.
For example: Building a portal in the center of a Nether chunk will restrict any portals from working as 2 way portals within 8 blocks in every direction, building on the edge of a Nether chunk will restrict 2 way portals for 1 block in one direction and 16 blocks in another direction.
If you can find out where your Nether chunks are you could possibly build portals with only a single block in between them but this is just a hypothesis for now.
Stick to 128 surface blocks, 16 Nether blocks between portal for worry free portal placement.
I too have portals only a few blocks apart on one of my maps but have been unsucessful at recreating the short distance with 100% accuracy.
I'm pretty sure it has to do with the Nether Chunks.
I'm guessing that you have built your portals on the edge of chunks and both portals are inside of their own chunks.
Try and build your nether Portals 3 blocks away in other directions, you will run across problems building multiple Nether portals within the same Nether chunk.
As i said, this is a variable rule of thumb and I'm still working out the specifics but i feel that I'm getting close.
Thanks for the response. I haven't had a chance to test this yet because the portals I am talking about all happen in my Let's Play series and I am currently 10 episodes ahead so I am waiting a few more days before I record anymore. I trust that this will work but I will let you know either way.
I'm 99.99% sure this will work if you follow the instructions correctly.
BUT in a way i hope it doesn't...
Im still waiting for a portal problem that i simply can't fix.
Problems are how we will learn solutions.
I've had numerous problems with portals and i've fixed them all.
If i can find a new problem that i haven't fixed before this will give me new insight into the problem.
So please, if you try and try but still can't fix your portals I'd love a crack at it myself, upload your save and i'll see what i can do.
Well, this is quite helpful once I set up portals to the Nether... Still deciding whether each home/mountain would be connected by tunnel or portal...
As I wrote earlier in the thread, for shorter distances, I would suggest investigating the TeleportSigns mod. It can theoretically handle distances of only a single block, whereas Nether portals become difficult to implement reliably, within 128 overworld blocks of each other, as Addicted has said.
Well, this is quite helpful once I set up portals to the Nether... Still deciding whether each home/mountain would be connected by tunnel or portal...
As I wrote earlier in the thread, for shorter distances, I would suggest investigating the TeleportSigns mod. It can theoretically handle distances of only a single block, whereas Nether portals become difficult to implement reliably, within 128 overworld blocks of each other, as Addicted has said.
Well, I can easily connect nearby mountains with tunnels, and the far, far away ones with portals.
This is a well written and clearly explained guide to the portal problem. I never thought of using time taken as a measure of distance, that is much more sensible than counting each block between portals. Thanks.
Updated "the Basics" with a new rule of thumb, the minimal distance.
8. The minimal distance between portals is at least 80 blocks on the surface, 10 blocks in the Nether as in my example, but for the best results I suggest at least 128 blocks between portals on the surface, and 16 blocks distance in the Nether. There seems to be a 1 portal per Nether chunk (16x16 area) limit...
This is wrong. The only reason it doesn't work is because your initial portals aren't perfectly aligned. Align them perfectly and enjoy the fruits of your labour. It seems like you've done extensive testing as this method is exactly how I've been fixing my portals yet I can recreate tiny distances perfectly. Note that there needs to be perfect alignment in both planes for small distances to work 100%. It's a bit of a pain and its practical uses are questionable but it works.
You are correct and i have adjusted that line.
The minimal distance is only 1* block of space in between Nether portals if they are aligned perfectly.
*Building a portal with zero space in between another portal seems to simply extinguish the other portal.
It appears the test portal i've been using to test minimal distance is not aligned properly... i will have to conduct my tests again on a new portal.
For now I still recommend 64(8) and 128(16) as the minimal distances to absolutely ensure successful portals.
There are programs and mods that display coordinates for aligning portals perfectly. That is what I used to place 3 portals within 8 blocks of each other. I used the SimpleMap mod, but there are other mods like sign tags for example, and there is even a program called MinecraftGPS that you can use to show your coordinates. I use these tools instead of counting blocks or time to precisely align portal placement.
There are programs and mods that display coordinates for aligning portals perfectly. That is what I used to place 3 portals within 8 blocks of each other. I used the SimpleMap mod, but there are other mods like sign tags for example, and there is even a program called MinecraftGPS that you can use to show your coordinates. I use these tools instead of counting blocks or time to precisely align portal placement.
There are programs and mods that display coordinates for aligning portals perfectly. That is what I used to place 3 portals within 8 blocks of each other. I used the SimpleMap mod, but there are other mods like sign tags for example, and there is even a program called MinecraftGPS that you can use to show your coordinates. I use these tools instead of counting blocks or time to precisely align portal placement.
Mr B, can you explain how to convert between Nether and overworld coordinates? I found out when using TeleportSigns that they're on different systems, but I don't know how great the divergence is, in terms of numbers.
Also...I just found this on YouTube:-
Minecraft is a lot of different things to a lot of people, but I could see having a scenario like the one in that show. I've already read one story from someone who opened a portal a very long way from his spawn point. It was awesome.
1. Count the distance between Portal D and Portal A, in this case you said it was 30 minutes away.
2. Divide by 8, 30/8 = 3.75 minutes.
Just a quick note that measuring by time means by how the crow flies, unfortunately not how the miner walks. Hills, cliffs, water and lava mean timing is difficult unless you have brute-forced a straight line through the landscape. It is true though that making approximate measures should still let you align most portals correctly provided they're not too close in Netherland.
I regret I have to leave the game grid and use Minecraft GPS to make far-Nether portal placement effective. I wish we had an in-game tool that allowed us to measure distance in blocks and align cardinal directions in the Nether, without necessarily being a full "GPS."
Using MGPS, the process is the same - divide the location difference in blocks by 8, then add to your Nether coordinates and go geocaching!
Mr B, can you explain how to convert between Nether and overworld coordinates? I found out when using TeleportSigns that they're on different systems, but I don't know how great the divergence is, in terms of numbers.
Also...I just found this on YouTube:-
Minecraft is a lot of different things to a lot of people, but I could see having a scenario like the one in that show. I've already read one story from someone who opened a portal a very long way from his spawn point. It was awesome.
Not to scoop Mr. B, but I can speak to Minecraft GPS.
I'm not sure your very first portal, the one that creates the Nether map, is ever moved any distance at all like subsequent Nether portals must be (to avoid solid walls & lava). I've taken my first portal in the Nether, and its corresponding portal in the real world, as "zero" coordinates.
Stand at the threshold of your first real world portal (the one that created the Nether map), and make a bookmark. Go through it and you should still be at that bookmark: the Nether 'overlays' the real world. Thus while you are in the Nether, your distance from the real world bookmark, times 8, is exactly where that Nether coordinate maps to in the real world.
Makes portal generation... er, not easy, but way easier than trying to count blocks yourself. I think of it as arcane magickal reckoning.
Everytime you create a new portal (portal D) it just links back to your Portal B.
Here is how to fix.
Find out where your game wants to make Portal C, in this picture it is marked with an X.
You have no choice but to build Portal C yourself in the Nether.
1. Count the distance between Portal D and Portal A, in this case you said it was 30 minutes away.
2. Divide by 8, 30/8 = 3.75 minutes.
3. Face the direction of Portal D
4. Enter Portal A, walk 3.75 minutes and build Portal C.
I can tell you right now there is an obstruction in the way. Since it is 3.75 minutes wide it is probably a lava lake or a pretty massive mountain.
Clear the obstruction, build Portal C.
Time the distance between your new portal C and portal B, it should be exactly 1/8th the distance between A and D in the same exact direction.
What I do instead, and what I find much easier, is copy your World data into a different world folder, delete the DIM-1 folder, and then enter Portal D. The initial portal will be generated with a link to Portal D. Reload your world, and then build Portal C in exactly the same spot the game indicated.
And presto! You'll have a pair of linked two-way portals. =D
I'm not sure your very first portal, the one that creates the Nether map, is ever moved any distance at all like subsequent Nether portals must be (to avoid solid walls & lava). I've taken my first portal in the Nether, and its corresponding portal in the real world, as "zero" coordinates.
There's no difference between your first portal and subsequent ones; it's just as subject to relocation as any others. But in the process of juggling around the other portals you should be able to get your first one realigned as well, especially if you're using a GPS program or MCEdit.
Not to scoop Mr. B, but I can speak to Minecraft GPS.
Thank you, but unfortunately that program is apparently Windows only. I am using Linux, and do not have a copy of Windows available currently.
On the positive side, however, I am using TeleportSigns, which also has the functionality of SignTags. SighnTags is a mod that can use a sign to view the coordinates of the block the sign is on; if I can put a sign within the event horizon of a portal, I should be able to find them out, and work from there. It will be a little slower going than having a live tool, perhaps, but if I go cautiously, it should be doable.
Stand at the threshold of your first real world portal (the one that created the Nether map), and make a bookmark. Go through it and you should still be at that bookmark: the Nether 'overlays' the real world. Thus while you are in the Nether, your distance from the real world bookmark, times 8, is exactly where that Nether coordinate maps to in the real world.
So if I take the three coordinate numbers of a gate's position in the real world, and then multiply each number by 8, will that give me the coordinates in the Nether? I apologise if that sounds stupid; mathematics is not a strong point of mine. If that is correct, however, that should be quite simple.
For the people who are happy using MCEdit (even just to view, not modify), then there's another technique: once you've built your normal world portal and discovered that it doesn't link where you want it to, then using MCEdit fly over to one of the spaces inside the portal itself and then hit Go To Nether. You'll appear in precisely the spot that your nether portal should be constructed at (though remember you can go up/down as needed, just not sideways), so you can see what is in the way.
This is probably slightly more "cheating" than using Cartographer, but less than actually editing blocks or inventory.
To create these pairs, I built the frame(s) in both the Nether and the surface before I activated either one. This works because the game will first check for any portal frame on the other side before creating one. If you have already built a frame on the other side in the right location, or very near it, that frame will then link.
The Real Mindcrack- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAgKV0orNvE
Minecraft Mindcrack Let's Play - http://www.youtube.com/user/GuudeBoulderfist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry you must have missed my post.
I too have portals only a few blocks apart on one of my maps but have been unsucessful at recreating the short distance with 100% accuracy.
I'm pretty sure it has to do with the Nether Chunks.
I'm guessing that you have built your portals on the edge of chunks and both portals are inside of their own chunks.
Try and build your nether Portals 3 blocks away in other directions, you will run across problems building multiple Nether portals within the same Nether chunk.
As i said, this is a variable rule of thumb and I'm still working out the specifics but i feel that I'm getting close.
Thanks for your help!
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=93046&start=30
I'm 99.99% sure this will work if you follow the instructions correctly.
BUT in a way i hope it doesn't...
Im still waiting for a portal problem that i simply can't fix.
Problems are how we will learn solutions.
I've had numerous problems with portals and i've fixed them all.
If i can find a new problem that i haven't fixed before this will give me new insight into the problem.
So please, if you try and try but still can't fix your portals I'd love a crack at it myself, upload your save and i'll see what i can do.
Thanks!
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=93046&start=30
As I wrote earlier in the thread, for shorter distances, I would suggest investigating the TeleportSigns mod. It can theoretically handle distances of only a single block, whereas Nether portals become difficult to implement reliably, within 128 overworld blocks of each other, as Addicted has said.
Well, I can easily connect nearby mountains with tunnels, and the far, far away ones with portals.
What do you mean it doesn't work? - Flint Generator
Once upon a time in Minecraft... - The Three Little Pigs
Ready! Set! Go! - Speedboat Racecourse
Look out below! - Death From Above
You are correct and i have adjusted that line.
The minimal distance is only 1* block of space in between Nether portals if they are aligned perfectly.
*Building a portal with zero space in between another portal seems to simply extinguish the other portal.
It appears the test portal i've been using to test minimal distance is not aligned properly... i will have to conduct my tests again on a new portal.
For now I still recommend 64(8) and 128(16) as the minimal distances to absolutely ensure successful portals.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=93046&start=30
MinecraftGPS: http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=57715
Sign Tags: http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=80246
SimpleMap: http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=55700
I will use these mods to solve the minimal distance problem without resorting to hours of trial and error.
Thanks!
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=93046&start=30
Mr B, can you explain how to convert between Nether and overworld coordinates? I found out when using TeleportSigns that they're on different systems, but I don't know how great the divergence is, in terms of numbers.
Also...I just found this on YouTube:-
Minecraft is a lot of different things to a lot of people, but I could see having a scenario like the one in that show. I've already read one story from someone who opened a portal a very long way from his spawn point. It was awesome.
Just a quick note that measuring by time means by how the crow flies, unfortunately not how the miner walks. Hills, cliffs, water and lava mean timing is difficult unless you have brute-forced a straight line through the landscape. It is true though that making approximate measures should still let you align most portals correctly provided they're not too close in Netherland.
I regret I have to leave the game grid and use Minecraft GPS to make far-Nether portal placement effective. I wish we had an in-game tool that allowed us to measure distance in blocks and align cardinal directions in the Nether, without necessarily being a full "GPS."
Using MGPS, the process is the same - divide the location difference in blocks by 8, then add to your Nether coordinates and go geocaching!
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=93046&start=30
Not to scoop Mr. B, but I can speak to Minecraft GPS.
I'm not sure your very first portal, the one that creates the Nether map, is ever moved any distance at all like subsequent Nether portals must be (to avoid solid walls & lava). I've taken my first portal in the Nether, and its corresponding portal in the real world, as "zero" coordinates.
Stand at the threshold of your first real world portal (the one that created the Nether map), and make a bookmark. Go through it and you should still be at that bookmark: the Nether 'overlays' the real world. Thus while you are in the Nether, your distance from the real world bookmark, times 8, is exactly where that Nether coordinate maps to in the real world.
Makes portal generation... er, not easy, but way easier than trying to count blocks yourself. I think of it as arcane magickal reckoning.
What I do instead, and what I find much easier, is copy your World data into a different world folder, delete the DIM-1 folder, and then enter Portal D. The initial portal will be generated with a link to Portal D. Reload your world, and then build Portal C in exactly the same spot the game indicated.
And presto! You'll have a pair of linked two-way portals. =D
There's no difference between your first portal and subsequent ones; it's just as subject to relocation as any others. But in the process of juggling around the other portals you should be able to get your first one realigned as well, especially if you're using a GPS program or MCEdit.
Thank you, but unfortunately that program is apparently Windows only. I am using Linux, and do not have a copy of Windows available currently.
On the positive side, however, I am using TeleportSigns, which also has the functionality of SignTags. SighnTags is a mod that can use a sign to view the coordinates of the block the sign is on; if I can put a sign within the event horizon of a portal, I should be able to find them out, and work from there. It will be a little slower going than having a live tool, perhaps, but if I go cautiously, it should be doable.
So if I take the three coordinate numbers of a gate's position in the real world, and then multiply each number by 8, will that give me the coordinates in the Nether? I apologise if that sounds stupid; mathematics is not a strong point of mine. If that is correct, however, that should be quite simple.