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Chunky is a server-side pre-generation mod or plugin for Minecraft Java servers. It creates terrain in a defined area before players reach it, reducing the pauses and CPU spikes that occur when a server has to generate unexplored terrain during play. The dependable workflow is to choose the world, define a shape and center (or import a world border), set a block radius, start the job, and monitor or pause it as needed.
What Chunky does
Minecraft worlds are divided into chunks. Normally, a server generates each chunk when a player moves close enough to unexplored terrain. That on-demand work can cause temporary lag, high CPU use, and delayed exploration. Chunky moves the work to a controlled server task: it generates the chunks inside a selection while you choose when and where the work happens.
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Chunky is intended for Java server platforms, with builds for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, and Paper. It is not a client-only visual mod; installation and commands belong on the server (or on the integrated server used by a single-player installation).
Before you start
Install the matching build
Download and install the Chunky build that matches the platform running your world: Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, or Paper. A build for the wrong platform will not load even if the game and mod versions appear similar, so verify the server loader and Minecraft version before copying files into the server’s mod or plugin directory.
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Check command permissions
On a dedicated server, you generally need operator permission to run Chunky commands. In single-player, cheats may need to be enabled, depending on the Minecraft and Chunky versions. Make sure you can issue server commands before planning a long generation run.
Plan resources and a recovery point
- Keep a current world backup before starting a large job or using maintenance commands.
- Leave enough free disk space for the generated region and the server’s normal operation.
- Expect sustained CPU and storage activity while chunks are being generated and saved.
- Choose a time when players are unlikely to be affected, especially for a large selection.
Install Chunky and verify that it loaded
- Stop the server before installing or replacing the mod or plugin.
- Place the platform-specific Chunky build in the location required by your server loader.
- Start the server and wait for startup to finish.
- Run
chunkyin the server console or an authorized in-game command channel. - Confirm that Chunky’s help menu appears. If the command is unknown, recheck the platform build, file location, Minecraft-version compatibility, and server restart. If the help menu appears but a player cannot use the command, check operator or cheat permissions.
Running the bare command is a useful verification because it tests both loading and command registration before you begin a time-consuming task.
The basic pre-generation workflow
Each job has four decisions: which world, what shape, where the shape is centered, and how far it extends. Radius values are measured in blocks, not chunks. The selected shape and radius together determine the boundary of the generated area.
1. Select the world
If the required world is not already selected, use:
chunky world <world>
Replace <world> with the world name recognized by your server. Selecting the world first prevents you from configuring a task for a different dimension than intended.
2. Choose a shape
For a square selection, run:
chunky shape square
For a circular selection, run:
chunky shape circle
A square is convenient when you want a regular grid aligned with the world axes. A circle follows a radial boundary and can avoid generating the square corners outside a roughly round playable area. In both cases, the radius is a distance in blocks; it is not a count of chunks.
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3. Set the center
Specify coordinates directly with:
chunky center <x> <z>
For a selection centered on the world’s default spawn point, use:
chunky spawn
Coordinates use the normal Minecraft X and Z axes. Confirm the intended center before starting, particularly on an established world where spawn is not the center of the area players use.
4. Set the radius in blocks
For example, a 5,000-block radius is configured with:
chunky radius 5000
The number describes the distance from the center to the selection boundary. A larger radius increases the area—and therefore the amount of terrain, disk space, and processing time—rapidly. Start with a bounded area that matches the playable region instead of selecting an entire world by habit.
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Start the configured job with:
chunky start
The concise project-guide example is:
chunky radius 5000
chunky startThose commands use the currently selected world, shape, and center. If you need a one-command setup, Chunky also documents this direct form:
chunky start world square 0 0 1000It starts a square selection in world, centered at X 0, Z 0, with a 1,000-block radius. Use the multi-step form when you want to inspect or change each setting before committing to the job.
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Use an existing Minecraft world border
A vanilla world border is useful when the playable area has already been defined for players. Configure the border in the target world first, select that world in Chunky, and then run:
chunky worldborder
chunky startThe worldborder selection imports the center and radius from the active border of the currently selected world. This avoids manually transcribing coordinates and keeps pre-generation aligned with the area players are allowed to use.
Check which world is selected before importing the border. A border belongs to a dimension, so importing it while another world is selected can produce a selection that does not match the border you intended.
Pre-generate another dimension
Dimensions must be selected explicitly. After selecting one, repeat the same shape, center, radius, and start sequence. For example:
chunky world the_nether
chunky shape circle
chunky spawn
chunky radius 1000
chunky startDimension identifiers vary with the server setup and Minecraft version. Use the exact name shown by your server rather than assuming that every installation uses the same spelling. The same method applies to the Overworld, Nether, End, or a custom dimension exposed by the server.
Monitor and control a running job
Check progress
Run:
chunky progress
The progress display reports active tasks and can include the processed count, percentage complete, estimated time remaining, generation rate, and current location. Use those values to decide whether the current schedule is practical instead of guessing from server load alone.
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Pause and resume safely
To pause generation and save its progress, run:
chunky pause
Resume the saved task with:
chunky continue
Pausing is useful when players need the server’s CPU or disk bandwidth, when a backup is due, or when the job is running into a busy period. Check progress after resuming to confirm that the expected task is continuing.
Cancel a job
Stop the active task with:
chunky cancel
Cancel when the selection is wrong, the server is under unacceptable load, or the planned area has changed. Reconfigure the world, shape, center, or radius before starting a replacement task.
Understand trim before using it
The command:
chunky trim
removes chunks outside the current selection. This is a destructive maintenance operation, not a routine progress command. Verify the selected world and every selection setting, make a backup, and confirm that removing out-of-area chunks is genuinely wanted before running it.
Choose a selection method
| Approach | How it is defined | Best fit | Main consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual square | World, center, and block radius with shape square |
Regular bases, maps, or regions aligned to X and Z | Generates square corners that may be outside a naturally round play area |
| Manual circle | World, center, and block radius with shape circle |
Areas that should expand evenly from a center | Boundary is radial; confirm that important edge locations fall inside it |
| World-border selection | Imports the active border’s center and radius | Servers whose playable area is already governed by a vanilla border | The correct world must be selected and its border configured first |
| Direct start command | World, shape, center, and radius in one start command |
Repeatable console procedures and small, known selections | Less opportunity to inspect each setting before starting |
Manage CPU, disk, and player impact
Pre-generation exchanges unpredictable exploration lag for planned background work; it does not make terrain generation free. A large selection can keep CPU cores and storage busy for a substantial period. The eventual time depends on the size and shape of the selection, the server hardware, storage speed, other mods or plugins, and what players are doing at the same time. Chunky’s progress rate and ETA are the useful operational measurements for your server, not a universal benchmark.
Use a staged rollout
- Start with a radius that covers the area players will use first.
- Run
chunky progressand note the reported rate and ETA under normal server conditions. - Let the job run during a maintenance window or a period of low player activity.
- Pause with
chunky pauseif interactive performance degrades, then resume withchunky continuelater. - Expand with another bounded selection only after confirming that storage and performance remain acceptable.
Account for map-output work
The project guide notes that map plugins may be worth disabling temporarily during generation to improve speed and map output. If you use one, test the effect in your own maintenance window and re-enable it after the pre-generation run. Keep ordinary backups and monitoring active even when optional map rendering is disabled.
Do not confuse radius with workload
Doubling a radius increases the covered area by more than a simple twofold amount for square or circular selections. That is why a seemingly modest increase can turn a short task into a long one. Define the intended playable boundary first, then choose the smallest radius that covers it.
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Troubleshooting common problems
The chunky command is unknown
- Confirm that the installed file matches Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, or Paper as appropriate.
- Check that it is in the server’s correct mods or plugins location.
- Restart the server after installation.
- Review startup logs for a loading or version error.
Run chunky again after correcting the installation. The help menu should appear before you attempt a generation command.
A player cannot execute commands
Grant the required operator permission on a dedicated server. In single-player, enable cheats if the version requires them. Console execution can also avoid in-game permission limitations when you are performing administrative work.
The job is generating the wrong area
Stop it with chunky cancel, then explicitly select the intended world, shape, center, and radius. For border-based work, select the target world before running chunky worldborder. Do not use chunky trim as a correction until you have verified the selection and made a backup.
The server becomes hard to play
Use chunky progress to observe the generation rate and current task, then pause with chunky pause. Reschedule the run for quieter hours, reduce the initial radius, or stage the work in smaller regions. Large selections should not be allowed to compete indefinitely with active players for CPU and disk resources.
A dimension name does not work
List or inspect the worlds recognized by your server and use the exact dimension name it reports. Names differ across server setups and versions, especially when custom dimensions are installed.
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Operational checklist
- Install the build matching the server platform and Minecraft version.
- Confirm that
chunkydisplays its help menu. - Back up the world before a large run or any trim operation.
- Select the correct world before configuring the region.
- Choose square or circle intentionally.
- Set a center with coordinates or
chunky spawn. - Remember that the radius is measured in blocks.
- Use
chunky worldborderonly after selecting the world whose border you want to import. - Start with
chunky startand watchchunky progress. - Pause, continue, or cancel when player activity or maintenance requires it.
- Use
chunky trimonly after checking the selection and accepting its destructive effect.
Why this workflow is safer than generating an entire world
Chunky does not require you to pre-generate every possible location. By tying the selection to a defined center, shape, radius, or world border, you can prepare the area players are actually expected to explore and leave the rest untouched. That limits storage growth, shortens maintenance windows, and makes it easier to stop or resume the work without abandoning the whole plan.
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