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{{outdated|This format was [[Minecraft:Java Edition Alpha level format|replaced]] starting with [[Minecraft:Infdev]].|edition=java}}
The '''.mclevel map format''' is an old map format created by Notch. It is based on the [[Minecraft:NBT format]] and is GZip compressed.

The map format was in use since [[Minecraft:Java Edition Indev 0.31 20100122-2251|Indev 0.31 20100122-2251]] up until [[Minecraft:Java Edition Indev 20100223|Indev 20100223]], after which it became non-functional and would stay that way until [[Minecraft:Java Edition Infdev 20100327|Infdev 20100327]] when it was outright removed.

While Alpha (and Infdev) levels use NBT files, they have a very different file format.

For details on the infinite map format, see [[Minecraft:Java Edition Alpha level format]].

== NBT structure ==
<div class="treeview">
* {{nbt|compound|MinecraftLevel}}: The root tag.
** {{nbt|compound|About}}: Information about the level.
*** {{nbt|long|CreatedOn}}: The Unix time when the level was created.
*** {{nbt|string|Name}}: The name of the level, always "A Nice World."
*** {{nbt|string|Author}}: The name of the user who created the level.
** {{nbt|compound|Environment}}: Information about the level's environment, which varies based on the map generation settings.
*** {{nbt|short|TimeOfDay}}: The time in ticks affecting daylight cycle. Range 0 - 24000.
*** {{nbt|byte|SkyBrightness}}: The sky light level, 0 to 15.
*** {{nbt|int|SkyColor}}: The RGB color of the sky, 24 bits. Red is SkyColor >> 16 & 255, green is SkyColor >> 8 & 255, blue is SkyColor & 255.
*** {{nbt|int|FogColor}}: The RGB color of the fog, 24 bits. Red is FogColor >> 16 & 255, green is FogColor >> 8 & 255, blue is FogColor & 255.
*** {{nbt|int|CloudColor}}: The RGB color of the clouds, 24 bits. Red is CloudColor >> 16 & 255, green is CloudColor >> 8 & 255, blue is CloudColor & 255.
*** {{nbt|short|CloudHeight}}: The height of the clouds (Y coordinate).
*** {{nbt|byte|SurroundingGroundType}}: The block ID of the "surrounding ground".
*** {{nbt|short|SurroundingGroundHeight}}: The height of the "surrounding ground".
*** {{nbt|byte|SurroundingWaterType}}: The block ID of the "surrounding water".
*** {{nbt|short|SurroundingWaterHeight}}: The height of the "surrounding water".
** {{nbt|compound|Map}}: The actual map data.
*** {{nbt|short|Width}}: The width of the level.
*** {{nbt|short|Length}}: The length of the level.
*** {{nbt|short|Height}}: The height of the level.
*** {{nbt|list|Spawn}}: List of 3 TAG_Shorts for the X, Y, and Z spawn coordinates.
*** {{nbt|byte-array|Blocks}}: Width*Length*Height bytes of block IDs. (8 bits)
*** {{nbt|byte-array|Data}}: Width*Length*Height bytes of block data (4 bit) and light value (next 4 bit).
** {{nbt|list|Entities}}: List of TAG_Compounds for the entities in the level.
*** {{nbt|compound}} An entity. The player has its own entity, shown below as an example.
**** {{nbt|string|id}}: The entity ID. In this case, "LocalPlayer".
**** {{nbt|list|Pos}}: List of 3 TAG_Floats for the X, Y, and Z position of the player.
**** {{nbt|list|Rotation}}: List of 2 TAG_Floats for the yaw and pitch of the player's view.
**** {{nbt|list|Motion}}: List of 3 TAG_Floats for the X, Y, and Z motion in meters per tick.
**** {{nbt|float|FallDistance}}: How far the player has fallen.
**** {{nbt|short|Health}}: The number of hit points the player has. 20 is 10 hearts.
**** {{nbt|short|AttackTime}}: Number of ticks the player is immune to attacks.
**** {{nbt|short|HurtTime}}: Number of ticks the player is red from being attacked.
**** {{nbt|short|DeathTime}}: Number of ticks the player has been dead for - used for controlling the death animation.
**** {{nbt|short|Air}}: The number of ticks before the player starts to drown. It starts at 300.
**** {{nbt|short|Fire}}: When negative, the number of ticks before the player can catch on fire. When positive, the number of ticks before the fire is extinguished.
**** {{nbt|int|Score}}: The player's score.
**** {{nbt|list|Inventory}}: List of TAG_Compounds representing items in the player's inventory.
***** {{nbt|compound}} An item stack.
****** {{nbt|byte|Slot}}: The [[Minecraft:Java Edition data values#Inventory Slot Number|Slot]] the item is in.
****** {{nbt|short|id}}: The Item [[Minecraft:Java Edition data values#IDs|ID]].
****** {{nbt|short|Damage}}: The item's [[Minecraft:Java Edition data values#Data|data]] value, or damage value for tools.
****** {{nbt|byte|Count}}: The number of this item in the stack. Range -128 to 127. Values less than 2 are not displayed in-game.
** {{nbt|list|TileEntities}}: List of TAG_Compounds for the tile entities in the level.
*** {{nbt|compound}} A tile entity.
**** {{nbt|string|id}}: Tile entity id. In this case, "Chest".
**** {{nbt|int|Pos}}: Position of the tile entity, explained later.
**** {{nbt|list|Items}}: List of TAG_Compounds representing items in the chest.
***** {{nbt|compound}} An item stack.
****** {{nbt|byte|Slot}}: The [[Minecraft:Java Edition data values#Inventory Slot Number|Slot]] the item is in.
****** {{nbt|short|id}}: The Item [[Minecraft:Java Edition data values#IDs|ID]].
****** {{nbt|short|Damage}}: The item's [[Minecraft:Java Edition data values#Data|data]] value, or damage value for tools.
****** {{nbt|byte|Count}}: The number of this item in the stack. Range -128 to 127. Values less than 2 are not displayed in-game.
</div>Calculating "Pos" tag of the tile entity:

pos = x + (y << 10) + (z << 20)

Calculating X, Y, and Z from "Pos" tag:

x = pos % 1024

y = (pos >> 10) % 1024

z = (pos >> 20) % 1024

== Blocks ==
The block byte array is used to define the types of blocks that occupy a map.
The number of bytes in the array may be calculated by multiplying the dimensions of the map.
Y being the up direction rather than Z.
For hex values see [[Minecraft:Java Edition data values#Blocks|Block IDs]].

To access a specific block from either the block or data array from XYZ coordinates, use the following formula:

<math>array index = (y * length + z) * width + x</math>

== Data ==
The data byte array is used for lighting and extra block data.

For extended information on block metadata, refer to [[Minecraft:Java Edition data value/Indev]].

== Lighting ==
[[File:Lighting values.png]]

There are 16 levels of lighting for a block ranging from <code>0x0</code> (0, no light) to <code>0xF</code> (15, full light).

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100124075449/http://www.minecraft.net/docs/levelformat.jsp Indev level format specification on minecraft.net] <small>(archived)</small>

== Navigation ==
{{Navbox Java Edition technical|general}}

[[Category:Development]]

[[Minecraft:de:Spielstand-Speicherung/Indev Level Format]]
[[Minecraft:fr:Format de niveau de l'édition Java Indev]]
[[Minecraft:ja:Levelフォーマット/Java Edition Indev]]
[[Minecraft:nl:Indev level formaat]]
[[Minecraft:pt:Formato de nível da Edição Java Indev]]
[[Minecraft:ru:Формат файлов Minecraft (NBT)]]
[[Minecraft:zh:Indev世界格式]]

Minecraft:Java Edition Indev level format - Revision history

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