LiveMaps - Real-Time Player Tracking on In-Game Maps!
️ Dynamic, High-Performance Map Tracking
LiveMaps is a powerful and highly optimized Spigot/Paper plugin that transforms standard Minecraft maps into dynamic, real-time tracking screens. Perfect for large map walls, command centers, or strategic display areas on your server.
Forget static maps! Every player's position, direction, and automatically assigned color are rendered live, updating in fluid intervals without impacting server TPS (at least in my small scale testing).
✨ Key Features
This project was initially developed for personal use on my own server and is being shared because I believe others may find it useful for their servers. It was created by a non-seasoned developer with significant assistance from AI tools. A conscious effort was made to implement unique, useful features while carefully trying to avoid overlap with existing popular map plugins.
Performance Note: This plugin has been tested exclusively on a small, private server. While the rendering logic is optimized, the performance impact on very large, high-player-count production servers is not fully verified. Please test thoroughly before deployment!
Commands/Permissions
All commands use the base alias /lm or /livemap.
️ Installation
Note: This plugin has only been tested on a Paper/Spigot server running Minecraft version 1.21.
Check out the GitHub repository for source code and development updates!
️ Dynamic, High-Performance Map Tracking
LiveMaps is a powerful and highly optimized Spigot/Paper plugin that transforms standard Minecraft maps into dynamic, real-time tracking screens. Perfect for large map walls, command centers, or strategic display areas on your server.
Forget static maps! Every player's position, direction, and automatically assigned color are rendered live, updating in fluid intervals without impacting server TPS (at least in my small scale testing).
✨ Key Features
- Real-Time Rendering: Player locations and orientations are updated directly on the map item, even when displayed in Item Frames.
- Intuitive GUI Generator: Use the /livemap grid command to easily select the size (e.g., 3x3, 5x5) and auto-generate a centered map wall spanning multiple chunks.
- Performance First: Built with optimization in mind, using smart caching and rendering cycles to keep the server running smoothly.
- Configuration Control: Toggle features like player name tags above cursors and Y-level tracking instantly with in-game commands.
- Persistent Tracking: Renderers are tied to the map IDs, ensuring that your tracking systems remains active after reloads or restarts.
- Invisibility: Players currently affected by the Invisibility effect will not be rendered on the map, regardless of permissions, to preserve the spirit of the effect.
- Border Clipping: Player names or icons may be cut off slightly when a player is positioned exactly on the map's boundary (e.g., at coordinates 64 or -64).
- Map Update Lag: Maps placed in item frames update significantly slower than a map held directly in a player's inventory, unless the player viewing the framed map also has a copy of that same map in their inventory. This is due to a limitation in how vanilla Minecraft updates item frames.
This project was initially developed for personal use on my own server and is being shared because I believe others may find it useful for their servers. It was created by a non-seasoned developer with significant assistance from AI tools. A conscious effort was made to implement unique, useful features while carefully trying to avoid overlap with existing popular map plugins.
Performance Note: This plugin has been tested exclusively on a small, private server. While the rendering logic is optimized, the performance impact on very large, high-player-count production servers is not fully verified. Please test thoroughly before deployment!
Commands/Permissions
All commands use the base alias /lm or /livemap.
Spoiler: Commands/Permissions
Command: /lm use - Permission: livemap.use
Applies the LiveMap renderer to the map you are holding.
Command: /lm create - Permission: livemap.create
Generates a single new LiveMap centered on your current location.
Command: /lm grid - Permission: livemap.create
Opens the GUI to generate multi-map walls (e.g., 5x5 grid).
Command: /lm togglenames - Permission: livemap.config
Toggle visibility of player name tags on the map.
Command: /lm setupdaterate <ticks> - Permission: livemap.config
Set the map refresh speed (e.g., 5 for 4 times per second).
Command: /lm reload - Permission: livemap.config
Reload the plugin configuration.
Command: /lm toggley - Permission: livemap.config
Toggles the display of player Y-Level (altitude) on the cursor.
Command: /lm refresh - Permission: livemap.config
Forces a refresh of all currently rendered maps.
Command: /lm togglenameplate - Permission: livemap.config
Toggles the visibility of the Item Frame's nameplate (if named).
Applies the LiveMap renderer to the map you are holding.
Command: /lm create - Permission: livemap.create
Generates a single new LiveMap centered on your current location.
Command: /lm grid - Permission: livemap.create
Opens the GUI to generate multi-map walls (e.g., 5x5 grid).
Command: /lm togglenames - Permission: livemap.config
Toggle visibility of player name tags on the map.
Command: /lm setupdaterate <ticks> - Permission: livemap.config
Set the map refresh speed (e.g., 5 for 4 times per second).
Command: /lm reload - Permission: livemap.config
Reload the plugin configuration.
Command: /lm toggley - Permission: livemap.config
Toggles the display of player Y-Level (altitude) on the cursor.
Command: /lm refresh - Permission: livemap.config
Forces a refresh of all currently rendered maps.
Command: /lm togglenameplate - Permission: livemap.config
Toggles the visibility of the Item Frame's nameplate (if named).
️ Installation
- Download the LiveMaps.jar file.
- Place the file into your server's plugins/ folder.
- Start or reload your server.
Note: This plugin has only been tested on a Paper/Spigot server running Minecraft version 1.21.
Check out the GitHub repository for source code and development updates!
Quick facts
- Edition: Minecraft Java
- File type: .jar
- Minecraft version listed: 1.21
- How to install: Install the matching mod loader (Forge, Fabric or NeoForge) for your Minecraft version. → Download the .jar. → Put it in the .minecraft/mods folder and launch that loader profile.
- Where to get it: Opens on Spigot — not every file is mirrored on our own servers.
Install steps are the general flow for this file type — How to install Minecraft Java mods & modpacks walks through it step by step.
LiveMaps is a free Minecraft Java mod. Compatible with Minecraft 1.21. Downloaded 203 times (via Spigot). Download it and open it directly in the game.