Vanilla Essentials: Technical Tools

Vanilla Essentials

A mod that adds useful tools for technical players, command block users, and mapmakers

Feel free to send feedback here

Features

Entities

• Hitbox entity

Commands

• /raycast
• /compare
• /rename
• /advancedsummon
• /count
• /activate
• /convert
• /iftick
• /distance
• /rtp
• /coords
• /nearfill
• /scan
• /ifat
• /area
• /findblock
• /ifpowered
• /wait

Keybinds

• Copy block position (F6)
• Change fly speed (backtick)
• Quick fill (F8)
• Activate (unset)

Scoreboard Criteria

• Right-click
• OP permission

Other

• Antikill
• Antitp
• Entity selector count argument
• Exclude self argument
• Adds a custom_data NBT tag to every entity

Usage

Hitbox Entity

• An invisible entity with a hitbox.
• Has NBT data scale to adjust its size and IsEnabled to toggle collision.
• This is a server-side feature.

Commands

/raycast

• Performs a raycast from the player's perspective to detect a block.
• Usage:
  • /raycast <player> block <axis> [<max_distance>]
  • /raycast <player> ifblock <block> [<max_distance>]
• With block, returns the coordinate along the given axis (x, y, or z) of the block the player is looking at.
• With ifblock, returns 1 if the block the player is looking at matches the given block state.
• If no block is hit, the command fails.
• Returns the result or error if conditions are not met.
• Runs on the server side.

/compare

• Runs command on entities whose NBT values match a comparison source (another entity or storage).
• Usage:
  • /compare <target> <target-path> entity <compare-target> <compare-path> <command>
  • /compare <target> <target-path> storage <storage-id> <storage-path> <command>
• Runs on the server side.

/rename

• Renames the item you're holding in your main hand.
• Usage: /rename <text>
• Supports only plain text — no color codes or JSON components.
• Runs on the client side.

/advancedsummon

• Spawns entities with advanced options.
• Usage:
  • /advancedsummon area <from> <to> <entity> [<nbt>] — summons one entity per block in the cuboid area.
  • /advancedsummon multiple <amount> <entity> [<nbt>] — summons the specified number of entities.
• Runs on the server side.

/count

• Counts entities and players matching the target selector.
• Usage: /count <target>
• Returns the count as the command result.
• Runs on the server side.

/activate

• Toggles interactable blocks at the specified position.
• Can activate command blocks.
• For levers, it flips the state (on/off).
• For buttons and pressure plates, it simulates pressing and automatically releases after 1 second.
• Usage: /activate <pos>
• Runs on the server side.

/convert

• Converts blocks into entities.
• Usage: /convert <from> <to> (falling_block|block_display) [<nbt>]
• Runs on the server side.

/iftick

• Checks if the current game tick matches the specified tick number.
• Usage: /iftick <tick>
• Succeeds only if the current tick count modulo <tick> is zero.
• Useful for timing functions to run periodically.
• Runs on the server side.

/distance

• Measures the straight-line (Euclidean) distance between two blocks or two entities.

• Usage:

  • /distance block <from> <to>
  • /distance entity <from> <to>

• Outputs the integer distance in chat.

• Returns the integer distance as the command result.

• Runs on the server side.

/rtp

• Teleports target entities to a random grid-aligned position within the specified cuboid area.
• Usage: /rtp <targets> <from> <to>
• Runs on the server side.

/coords

• Client-side command to save, list, remove, and copy named block positions.
• Positions are saved per world/server in a JSON file (saved_cords.json) inside your Minecraft folder.
• Usage:
  • /coords save <name> — saves your current player block position under <name>.
  • /coords list — lists all saved positions for the current world/server.
  • /coords remove <name> — deletes the saved position <name>.
  • /coords copy <name> — copies the saved coordinates <name> to your clipboard as x y z.
• Saved coordinates persist between Minecraft sessions.
• Runs on the client side.

/nearfill

• Fills a volume relative to the player’s position using an offset.
• Usage:
  • /nearfill <dx> <dy> <dz> <block> — fills the block at the offset from the player with <block>.
  • /nearfill <dx> <dy> <dz> <block> replace <replace> — replaces blocks.
• Runs on the server side.

/scan

• Returns the specified block count in an area.
• Usage: /scan <from> <to> <block>
• Runs on the server side.

/ifat

• Executes a command as all targets in an area.
• Usage: /ifat <from> <to> <command>
• Runs on the server side.

/area

• Executes a command for every block in an area.
• Usage: /area <from> <to> <command>
• Runs on the server side.

/findblock

• Finds the closest block in a radius and returns the axis.
• Usage: /findblock <block> <radius> [<axis>]
• Runs on the server side.

/ifpowered

• Detects if a block is powered.
• Usage: /ifpowered <pos> [<not>]
• The command fails if the block is not powered but succeeds if the not boolean is set to true.
• Runs on the server side.

/snapshot

• Used to restore areas.
• Usage:
  • /snapshot save <from> <to> <name> [<filterAir>]
  • /snapshot restore <name>
  • /snapshot remove <name>
• Runs on the server side.

/wait

• Delays command block chains
• Usage: /wait <ticks>
• Runs on the server side.

Keybinds

Copy Block Position (F6)

• Press F6 while looking at a block to copy its coordinates to your clipboard.
• Coordinates format: x y z.

Change Fly Speed (backtick)

• Scroll while holding backtick to change fly speed.

Quick fill (F8)

• Press the key once to select the first corner of an area.
• Press again to select the second corner — the area will be filled with the block in your hand.
• Press Ctrl + key to manually clear the selection.
• If only the first point is selected, it will auto-clear after 30 seconds.

Activate (unset)

• It runs /activate on the block you are looking at

Scoreboard Criteria

Right-click

• Tracks when the player right-clicks with any item.

OP Permission

• Custom scoreboard criteria that detects if a player has operator permissions.

Other

Antikill

• Entities tagged antikill cannot be killed by /kill.

Antitp

• Entities tagged antitp cannot be teleported by /tp.

Entity selector count argument

• Can be used in any entity selector (@e[...]) with the count argument.
• Supports a single number (count=2) or a range (count=2..3).
• The selector only targets entities if the number of matches falls within the specified range.
• If the number of matching entities is outside the range, no entities are targeted.

Exclude self argument

• When added to an entity selector (exclude_self=true), it excludes the executor entity (@s) from the targets.