Minecraft:Missing textures and models

Minecraft makes use of missing textures and missing models to handle potential errors present in the game's resources as well as Minecraft:resource packs.

Missing texture

Template:FakeImage The missing texture is a dynamic Minecraft:placeholder texture used by Minecraft for handling cases where a suitable texture cannot be found. Outside of its use in missing models, this is almost always due to a texture being referenced which simply does not exist under that name.

The texture uses a prominent black Template:Color and magenta Template:Color checkerboard Template:In or a black Template:Color and magenta Template:Color checkerboard Template:In, in order to stand out as much as possible in most cases. Using bright colors to indicate missing textures is industry standard. The black and magenta combination is most typically employed by games developed using the Source video game engine,<ref>Template:Citation</ref> although Minecraft itself does not use the engine.

While internally referred to as missingno, there is no file for the missing texture Template:In, and it therefore cannot be changed under intended mechanics. It is possible to overwrite the copies of it which appear in Minecraft:texture atlases with another texture using atlas json files,<ref>Template:Bug</ref> although this is presumably not intended.

Template:IN, among other unknown occurences, the missing texture is rendered as HDR Minecraft:panorama for a brief moment while loading or quitting a world locked in an older version with Minecraft:Vibrant Visuals enabled.

As of Minecraft:Java Edition 1.21.9 Pre-Release 1, there are eleven main ways in which the missing texture can appear without using a resource pack, all of which require commands.

Occurrence	Example command	Bug report
Creating Template:Code particles for Minecraft:air, Minecraft:cave air or/and Minecraft:void air.	Template:Cmd	Template:Bug Template:Bug Template:Bug
Creating Template:Code particles for something using the air model.	see Template:Slink	Template:Bug
Giving an item with an invalid Template:Code component.	Template:Cmd	Template:Bug
Giving an item with an invalid Template:Code subcomponent.	Template:Cmd	Template:Bug
Specifying an incorrect texture for a Minecraft:player head.	Template:Cmd	Template:Bug
Viewing an entity with an invalid waypoint style.	Template:Cmd then Template:Cmd	Template:Bug
Specifying a text object with an invalid sprite name but with a valid atlas.	Template:Cmd	Template:Bug
Specifying a text object with an invalid profile texture.	Template:Cmd	Template:Bug
Specifying an incorrect texture for a Minecraft:mannequin skin.	Template:Cmd	Template:Bug
Specifying an incorrect texture for a mannequin Minecraft:cape.	Template:Cmd	Template:Bug
Specifying an incorrect texture for a mannequin Minecraft:elytra.	Template:Cmd	Template:Bug

History

History of the texture itself

Java Edition

Platform differences (Beta 1.4 – 13w17a)

The missing texture used in these versions would be generated differently depending on the operating system and Java version.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Texture		Operating system	Java version	Notes
b1.4 - 13w01b	13w02a - 13w17a
File:Missing Texture (Windows) JE1.png	File:Missing Texture (Windows) JE2.png	Windows XP	6.0.370.6<ref>Template:Cite bug</ref>	Appears standard across all Windows versions. No smoothing.
		Windows 7<ref>Template:Cite bug</ref>	7<ref>Template:Cite bug</ref> Update 11<ref>Template:Cite bugTemplate:Cite bug</ref> Update 13<ref>Template:Cite bug</ref> r15<ref>Template:Cite bug</ref> Update 17<ref>Template:Cite bug</ref>
		Windows 10	1.8.0_51<ref name="ClearedUp">Template:Citation</ref>
		Solaris 10<ref>https://discord.com/channels/361634042317111296/433407899403026434/1071555493904011294</ref>	1.6.0_37<ref>https://discord.com/channels/361634042317111296/433407899403026434/1074447704450670672</ref>
File:Missing Texture (Windows 10, Java 16.0.2) JE1.png	File:Missing Texture (Windows 10, Java 16.0.2) JE2.png	Windows 10	11.0.10<ref name="ClearedUp"/> 16.0.2	Minor differences in the x and u. No smoothing.
File:Missing Texture (MacOS 10.14.6, Apple legacy Java runtime 1.6.0 65-b14-468) JE1.png	File:Missing Texture (MacOS 10.14.6, Apple legacy Java runtime 1.6.0 65-b14-468) JE2.png	macOS 10.3.9<ref name="Mac1039">Template:Citation</ref>	4<ref name="Mac1039"/>	No smoothing - standard for non-Retina systems.<ref name="ClearedUp"/>
		macOS 10.5.8	1.5.0_30<ref>Template:Cite bug</ref>
		macOS 10.6.8<ref name="Mac1068">Template:Citation</ref>	6<ref name="Mac1068"/>
		macOS 10.14.6<ref name="ClearedUp"/>	Apple legacy Java runtime 1.6.0_65-b14-468<ref name="ClearedUp"/>
File:Missing Texture (MacOS 10.14.6, Apple legacy Java runtime 1.6.0 65-b14-468, antialiased) JE1.png	File:Missing Texture (MacOS 10.14.6, Apple legacy Java runtime 1.6.0 65-b14-468, antialiased) JE2.png	macOS 10.14.6<ref name="ClearedUp"/>	Apple legacy Java runtime 1.6.0_65-b14-468<ref name="ClearedUp"/>	Monochromatic smoothing - standard for Retina systems.<ref name="ClearedUp"/>
File:Missing Texture (MacOS 10.14.6, Apple legacy Java runtime 1.6.0 65-b14-468, smoothed) JE1.png	File:Missing Texture (MacOS 10.14.6, Apple legacy Java runtime 1.6.0 65-b14-468, smoothed) JE2.png	macOS 10.14.6	Apple legacy Java runtime 1.6.0_65-b14-468<ref>Template:Citation</ref>	Uses polychromatic smoothing instead of monochromatic smoothing like above.
	File:Missing Texture (MacOS 10.5.8) JE2.png	MacOS 10.3.9<ref name="comment9226">Template:Citation (also refer to other specifications in source)</ref>	4<ref name="comment9226"/>	Monochromatic smoothing. Almost identical to the previously-mentioned version, with almost unnoticeable single-pixel differences.
		macOS 10.5.8<ref>Template:Cite bug</ref>	Unknown
		Leopard (specific version unknown)<ref>Template:Bug</ref>	Unknown
	File:Missing Texture (MacOS 10.4.11) JE2.png	macOS 10.4.11	1.5.0_19<ref>Template:Cite bug</ref>	Polychromatic smoothing.
File:Missing Texture (MacOS UseQuartz) JE1.png	File:Missing Texture (MacOS UseQuartz) JE2.png	macOS 10.6.8	1.6.0_65 (UseQuartz set to true)<ref name="comment9226"/>	Polychromatic smoothing.
		Unspecified macOS versions<ref>Template:Bug, Template:Bug</ref>	UnknownTemplate:Verify
File:Missing Texture (MacOS 10.14.6, Java 1.7.0 80-b15) JE1.png	File:Missing Texture (MacOS 10.14.6, Java 1.7.0 80-b15) JE2.png	macOS 10.14.6<ref name="ClearedUp"/>	1.7.0 80-b15<ref name="ClearedUp"/> 1.8.0_51<ref name="ClearedUp"/>	No smoothing.
File:Missing Texture (MacOS 10.14.6) JE1.png	File:Missing Texture (MacOS 10.14.6) JE2.png	macOS 10.14.6<ref name="ClearedUp"/>	1.8.0_301, GraalVM EE 21.2.0 11.0.12, GraalVM EE 21.2.0 16.0.2, GraalVM EE 21.2.0	Monochromatic smoothing.
File:Missing Texture (MacOS 12.3.0, Java 1.8.0 74 64 bit) JE1.png	File:Missing Texture (MacOS 12.3.0, Java 1.8.0 74 64 bit) JE2.png	macOS 12.3.0<ref name="rightallalong">Template:Citation</ref>	1.8.0_74 (64-bit)<ref name="rightallalong"/>	Appears to have been smoothed monochromatically with all non-white pixels subsequently set to black.
File:Missing Texture (Old Linux) JE1.png	File:Missing Texture (Old Linux) JE2.png	Debian<ref name="Jan92023">https://discord.com/channels/361634042317111296/433407899403026434/1062142954837377105</ref>	1.8.0_351	No smoothing.
		Kubuntu 24.04	1.8.0_202 via Prism Launcher
File:Missing Texture (Linux) JE1.png	File:Missing Texture (Linux) JE2.png	Debian<ref name="Jan92023"/>	Zulu OpenJDK 1.8.0_352	No smoothing.
		Debian under WSL2<ref>Template:Citation</ref>	11.0.11
		Ubuntu	16.0.1<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
		Kubuntu 24.04	1.8.0_422 64bit
		FreeBSD	16.0.2
		OpenBSD	16.0.2
		Haiku OS<ref>https://discordapp.com/channels/361634042317111296/399390463930400778/1439762396754219128</ref>	1.8.0_432
		Solaris 11<ref>https://discord.com/channels/361634042317111296/433407899403026434/1074451519673483415</ref>	1.8.0_311<ref>https://discord.com/channels/361634042317111296/433407899403026434/1074447243018506280</ref>
File:Missing Texture (Arch) JE1.png	File:Missing Texture (Arch) JE2.png	Arch<ref>https://discord.com/channels/361634042317111296/433407899403026434/986983086845730856</ref>	Temurin-17.0.3+7	No smoothing.
		Ubuntu 23.10	default Java (from launcher)
	File:Missing Texture (Not Arch) JE2.png	Kubuntu 24.04	1.8.0_202 via Mojang's launcher	No smoothing.
	File:Missing Texture (Arch 6.1.1) JE2.png	Arch 6.1.1<ref>https://discord.com/channels/361634042317111296/433407899403026434/1061086331247284295</ref>	1.8.0_352 (64-bit)	No smoothing.

Missing model

File:Missing Model.png

Missing model

In an analogous fashion to the missing texture being used for instances where no texture is defined, the missing model is use in cases where no Minecraft:model is defined, or the model is invalid.

By default, the missing model is a full 16×16 cube which uses the missing texture on all six faces. These faces are culled accordingly where possible. Only two faces will have the same color at each vertex, rather than the three one may expect; Mojang has decided to not fix this.<ref>Template:Cite bug</ref>

The missing model is obviously also never intended to appear in standard gameplay, and uses the missing texture again to appear prominent and highlight errors to fix.

Contrary to popular belief, no central "missing texture block" has ever existed in the game; all cases of blocks which use this model are due to another block simply having no assigned texture or model.

As of Minecraft:Java Edition 24w36a, there is one main way in which the missing model can appear without using a resource pack, which requires commands.

Occurrence	Example command	Bug report
Giving an item with an invalid Template:Code component	Template:Cmd	Template:Bug

History

History of the model itself

Item

GUI

Ground

Fixed

On shelf

Held, first person

Held, third person/other entity

On head

Missing font character

Much like for missing textures and missing models, Minecraft also uses a graphic for rendering Unicode characters when it cannot find a valid texture. This appears as a hollow rectangle, sometimes referred to as "tofu".

Generally, in fonts, the .notdef character is used for this purpose, and is defined per-font. However, Minecraft's missing font character is hardcoded and cannot be configured by resource packs.

The missing font character is most often seen when trying to render a character for which no fonts currently define a glyph; this most often affects Private Use Area characters such as , as well as unassigned or recently assigned code points which are not covered by Minecraft:GNU Unifont.

It can also be seen when the game attempts to render a character with an invalid texture, such as one whose dimensions exceed 256 pixels on one or both axes. In this case, the horizontal width of the character will still be used, causing either large gaps in text or the missing glyph to intersect the next character, a bug which Mojang has decided not to fix.<ref>Template:Cite bug</ref> There is also no error produced in the log.<ref>Template:Bug</ref>

Other missing assets

Missing and misconfigured sounds are not played at all. Errors are still logged in the game output when attempting to play a sound event with no assigned sound, for example.

Missing post shaders (at least in 1.13's development phase) do not appear to load at all, and the view is normal without the expected modifications by the shader.

Translation strings which are not specified in any used lang files will display as they are.

"missingno" text

Template:Redirect The term "missingno" was used in previous versions for some cases where text could not be loaded, specifically for Minecraft:splash texts from Alpha v1.0.12 up to Minecraft:19w12b, for items with a CanDestroy NBT tag from Minecraft:14w02a to Minecraft:24w07a, and for items with a CanPlaceOn NBT tag from Minecraft:14w06a to 24w07a. All of these cases have since been removed in Minecraft:19w13a and Minecraft:24w09a respectively, and the term "missingno" is no longer used in-game in any known cases, besides when referring to missing texture and model assets.

• The "missingno" splash test
  The "missingno" splash test
• "missingno" on an item with CanDestroy NBT
  "missingno" on an item with CanDestroy NBT
• "missingno" on an item with CanPlaceOn NBT
  "missingno" on an item with CanPlaceOn NBT

Notable bugs

Examples of cases where the missing model is not used

By definition, any block which does not use a model does not use the cubic missing model. If a model is still not defined for the block, however, this will likely still reflect in the block's particles.

The vast majority of entity models are also completely hardcoded. There are two notable exceptions in the Minecraft:item frame and Minecraft:glow item frame, which do in fact have customizable models. Therefore, the item frame and glow item frame are the only two entities which are capable of using the missing model; all other entities may lose their texture, but retain the same model shape.

Entities that exist to extend the behavior of blocks, such as Minecraft:falling sand and Minecraft:primed TNT, reference block models, and therefore will use the missing model if required. In addition, other entities that incorporate block models, such as Minecraft:mooshrooms, Minecraft:endermen holding blocks, and Minecraft:minecarts containing blocks, will use the missing model for the part that references the block model, but the entity model itself will remain intact.

Minecraft:Horses are a particularly interesting example of an entity which are discussed further in a later section. In multiple version ranges, certain invalid horses can either appear completely invisible or have a solid white texture, neither of which are the missing model.

Translucency ordering

From 13w47aTemplate:Verify up to 19w38b, there existed a remarkable visual bug where missing models associated with blocks that used translucent rendering (such as ice, stained glass, stained glass panes and slime blocks) would interact anomalously with the rendering of transparent blocks in the world, as well as of entities, including the holder. Unlike normal missing models, translucent blocks and other entities would render in front of such a model when held, even if they were physically farther away from the camera. However, this only applies if the distant entity or transparent block in question is not first occluded by the player model. As a result, the held translucent block can form a player-shaped silhouette around the player model in front of a background made of entities (such as paintings) or translucent blocks.

This effect can be seen without the use of resource packs up to 17w46a simply by holding ice, stained glass, stained glass panes or slime blocks of an invalid data value. For versions 17w47a up to 19w38b a resource pack is required to break the model of an existing translucent item, and from 19w39a the bug is no longer present at all.

This only appears to affect items that are either equipped on an entity's head or held in their hand (in the case of the player, only in third person). This would not affect things held in first person, dropped on the ground, or in an item frame.

While observable in any version from 13w47a onward, changes in 14w25a resulted in item forms of transparent blocks rendering their interior faces instead of just their exterior faces, which resulted in the visibly bizarre geometry seen in practice with missing item models.

• Normal player model for shape reference
  Normal player model for shape reference
• Missing model belonging to a non-translucent item
  Missing model belonging to a non-translucent item
• Missing model belonging to a translucent item, resulting in a player outline forming behind it
  Missing model belonging to a translucent item, resulting in a player outline forming behind it

This effect also happened to particles and certain other objects in-game from 13w41a onwards.

Unloading the default resources

If a sufficiently broken resource pack is loaded, the game will catch such resource packs and unload them automatically if errors were detected. From 17w43a up to the full release of 1.13, this also included the default resources, meaning that applying a flawed resource pack would result in all assets being unloaded, and as such the missing error assets appearing everywhere.

• File:All textures unloaded.png

From 18w30a onwards, the game was made to unload all resource packs except the default resources in cases like these.<ref>Template:Cite bug</ref>

As Minecraft:textures-atlas becomes 16x16 (its minimum possible size), the Minecraft:enchantment glint looks much different from what may be expected otherwise. A table is provided on said page.

Layered textures

Certain game objects do not use textures in the standard way, instead layering them on top of each other. Horses use these for their pattern variants, and banners for each banner pattern. When there is no texture to pick from, these instead appear completely white. If the textures in question have already been loaded into the game, it is not possible to unload them even if all other textures are unloaded.

As shields use an item model, even though said item model points to an entity model, it appears as a missing model even though it makes use of texture layering.

Tropical fish, despite also using composite textures to distinguish variants, do not turn white if a texture cannot be loaded, and instead use the usual checkerboard (which is tinted in certain cases).

The screenshots below also demonstrate that player skins, despite not being layer-based, are also not unloaded due to not being resource pack dependent.

• Horses and banners with no textures loaded
  Horses and banners with no textures loaded
• Horses and banners with textures persisting after everything else has been unloaded
  Horses and banners with textures persisting after everything else has been unloaded

Main menu

It is interesting to note how this bug highlights different changes to parts of the game through 1.13's development. Focusing on the main menu, for example, reveals multiple details:

• From 17w43a up to 18w22c, the menu appears as in the first image. The panorama cube is clearly visible, with each square replaced with the missing texture.
• From 1.13-pre1 up to 1.13-pre5, the main menu background is now a large missing texture itself, obscuring the view of the panorama cube. This is likely due to the introduction of the panorama_overlay.png texture file in this version, which is responsible for the whitish gradient effect visible above the panorama; previously the gradient was hardcoded and unable to be changed with resource packs.
• In 1.13-pre6, the font does not seem to load at all.
• In 1.13-pre7 and 1.13-pre8, the newly-implemented missing font character is used for all non-space glyphs; in versions before 1.13-pre6, they instead used colors from the missing texture, implying that the font was reading from the missing texture itself as though it were a font texture file.
• From 1.13-pre9 up to the full release of 1.13, due to the missing font character visually changing, this also manifests visually; the interior is black rather than transparent.

• 17w43a - 18w22c
  17w43a - 18w22c
• 1.13-pre1 - 1.13-pre5
  1.13-pre1 - 1.13-pre5
• 1.13-pre6
  1.13-pre6
• 1.13-pre7 - 1.13-pre8
  1.13-pre7 - 1.13-pre8
• 1.13-pre9 - 1.13
  1.13-pre9 - 1.13

Font character sizes are variable in 1.13-pre5 and earlier, and appear to be inherited from whatever resource pack was active previously.

Contagious textures

In 1.8 snapshots 14w07a and 14w08a, in some cases, missing models would cause nearby blocks to display the missing textureTemplate:Verify. This could also affect the player's held item. Why exactly this happens is unknown, as it appears to be positional, and is somewhat unstable; placing some blocks such as ladders or vines nearby can nullify the effect entirely.

Blocks known to be affected include oak and iron Minecraft:doors, oak and iron Minecraft:trapdoors, Minecraft:pumpkin stems and Minecraft:melon stems, Minecraft:beds, Minecraft:tripwire, Minecraft:lily pads, Minecraft:flower pots and their contents, and Minecraft:cakes. In some cases, Minecraft:wooden slabs have been seen to be affected, however reproducibility of this case has not been achieved, and it is not known if slabs made of stone-like materials are also subject to this.

The following screenshots are triggered by a Minecraft:cocoa pod with metadata 12:

• A jungle log using the missing texture in first person
  A jungle log using the missing texture in first person
• A jungle log using the missing texture in third person
  A jungle log using the missing texture in third person
• Affected blocks; the pumpkin and melon stem are overgrown and one of the cakes is overeaten
  Affected blocks; the pumpkin and melon stem are overgrown and one of the cakes is overeaten

Trivia

• 14w04b is the last Java Edition version in which the missing texture cannot be encountered in the vanilla game without resource packs:
  • From 14w05a through 14w21b inclusive, the end portal item uses the missing texture.
  • In 14w25a, the version directly following 14w21b, the end portal item is removed, but all invalid data value items use the missing item model.
    • In addition, this is the first version that allows the use of the Template:Cmd command to generate block particles, which includes particles for invalid blocks such as air. This functionality is temporarily removed in later snapshots and the full release of 1.8, but returns soon after, and the missing texture can still be seen via invalid data value items.
  • In 17w47a, invalid data value items are effectively removed, however it is still possible to generate missing texture particles if the air item is specified. From 24w09a, this could crash the game, and from 1.20.5 Pre-Release 1, is now forbidden.
  • Since 21w42a, it has been possible to create block_marker particles which use the missing texture by referencing air, cave air or void air. This continues to the latest version.
• The missing texture can be seen in the official version banners for Minecraft:14w10a and Minecraft:17w47a, and is also referenced by the banner for Minecraft:13w24a.
• Minecraft:Minecraft Earth used Bedrock Edition's missing texture.<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/f3kekq/minecraft_earth_missing_texture/</ref> However, it is unknown if Minecraft:Minecraft Dungeons, Minecraft:Minecraft Legends, Minecraft:Minecraft Blast or either release of Minecraft:Minecraft Story Mode used a missing texture.

Gallery

Screenshots

• The 2019 Classic remake also has a missing texture.
  The 2019 Classic remake also has a missing texture.
• The missing HDR panorama texture.
  The missing HDR panorama texture.

Development images

• 13w24a's release banner, which references the texture
  13w24a's release banner, which references the texture
• 14w10a's release banner
  14w10a's release banner
• 17w47a's release banner
  17w47a's release banner
• A screenshot by Minecraft:Dinnerbone with no Minecraft:rain texture
  A screenshot by Minecraft:Dinnerbone with no Minecraft:rain texture
• A screenshot by Minecraft:Searge with no Minecraft:written book model
  A screenshot by Minecraft:Searge with no Minecraft:written book model
• A screenshot by Minecraft:jeb with no Minecraft:phantom texture
  A screenshot by Minecraft:jeb with no Minecraft:phantom texture
• Minecraft:Blaze3D UI rendering. Missing texture can be seen as part of the Minecraft:blocks.png-atlas.
  Minecraft:Blaze3D UI rendering. Missing texture can be seen as part of the Minecraft:blocks.png-atlas.

Notes

ID lists

Lists of relevant IDs for commands listed in previous sections.

<references group="ids"/>