Explorer Map (2024)

This article is about the map used to find rare structures. For the craftable map, see Map. For others, see Map (disambiguation).

This article needs to be updated.

Please update this page to reflect recent updates or newly available information.
Reason: Add info on the new jungle, swamp, and village maps in Java 1.20.2 Pre-Release 1

An explorer map is a special map used to aid in finding rare generated structures, including woodland mansions, ocean monuments, and buried treasures.

1 Obtaining
- 1.1 Trading
- 1.2 Chest loot
2 Usage
- 2.1 Locating structures
- 2.2 Cloning
3 Sounds
4 Data values
- 4.1 ID
- 4.2 Metadata
- 4.3 Item data
5 Achievements
6 History
7 Issues
8 Trivia
9 Gallery
10 See also
11 References
12 External Links

Obtaining[]

Trading[]

Apprentice-level cartographer villagers sell ocean explorer maps for 13 emeralds and a compass. Journeyman-level cartographer villagers sell woodland explorer maps for 14 emeralds and a compass.

In Java Edition, if the cartographer is in the Nether or the End, either spawned or transported, the trades for the map do not unlock. However, in Bedrock Edition, the cartographer trades for the map are unlocked, but the purchased map shows the same layout as in the corresponding dimension and shows no destination structure, but if cartographer trades are unlocked in an old world type (prior-1.11.0), the game stops ticking.

In Java Edition, each cartographer sells its own unique explorer map that points to a different location than other cartographers. Purchasing another explorer map from the same cartographer results in the same explorer map. In Bedrock Edition, a cartographer sells an explorer map that points to the nearest location, regardless of whether it is explored or previously mapped by another cartographer.

Chest loot[]

Treasure maps, in contrast to explorer maps, generate in underwater ruins or in shipwrecks.

Item	Structure	Container	Quantity	Chance
Java Edition
Buried Treasure Map	Shipwreck	Mapchest	1	100%
	Underwater ruins	Smallruinschest	1	41.7%
	Underwater ruins	Bigruinschest	1	43.5%
Bedrock Edition
Buried Treasure Map	Shipwreck	Mapchest	1	100%
	Underwater ruins	Smallruinschest	1	41.7%
	Underwater ruins	Bigruinschest	1	43.5%

Usage[]

See also: Map§Mapping and Map§Map content

Locating structures[]

There are three types of explorer maps: woodland, ocean, and buried treasure. The maps differ from a normal map, in that it shows the area's land-water outline, with an orange striated (striped) texture for water^[1], and the blank map texture for land. The maps show a section of land that contains a woodland mansion, monument or buried treasure respectively. This may not be the nearest such structure to the player. The structures are displayed as a small icon. If the player icon is smaller than it would be on a normal map, that means the player is a great distance away. When the player is less than 1027 blocks away from the map border, the icon returns to the proper size. When the player reaches the map's area of land (512×512), the map fills in like a normal map.

The basic functions of a buried treasure explorer map are similar to that of the other two. However, instead of showing the structure icon on the map, it shows a red X instead. The buried treasure structure is located on the same X and Z coordinates as the middle of the X (the player marker may need to be aligned with the bottom of the middle 2×2 pixel square of the X). To locate the chest spot, hold the treasure map with both hands, not in the offhand slot.

Cloning[]

Ingredients	Crafting recipe	Description
Empty Map+ Ocean Explorer Mapor Woodland Explorer Mapor Buried Treasure Map	23456789	The output has the same map center as the input map, and the same monument, woodland mansion or buried treasure marker. Cloned maps are stackable.

The parts of the world that have already been explored and mapped are copied, and newly explored areas appear on both instances. In Creative mode, cloned explorer maps can be obtained by pick blocking on the explorer map displayed on item frames (the map needs to be out of the player's inventory when using pick block, or else that map moves into the active hotbar slot).

Sounds[]

Java Edition:

Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Map drawn	Blocks	When an explorer map is edited using a cartography table	`ui.cartography_table.take_result`	`subtitles.ui.cartography_table.take_result`	1.0	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition: None

Data values[]

ID[]

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Translation key
Map	`filled_map`	Item	`filled_map.mansion` `filled_map.ocean` `filled_map.buried_treasure`

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Alias ID	Numeric ID	Form	Translation key
Map	`filled_map`	`map`	`358`	Item	`item.map.exploration.monument.name` `item.map.exploration.mansion.name` `item.map.exploration.treasure.name`

Metadata[]

	DV	Description
	0	Map
	2	Map (locator)
	3	Ocean Explorer Map
	4	Woodland Explorer Map
	5	Treasure Map
	6	Locked Map

Item data[]

An explorer map differs from a map in that its display tag is set, which includes a Mapcolor and a LocName; also its Decorations list includes an entry for its target monument, mansion or buried treasure. Its map item entry is identical to that of a normal map, except that by the time the player sees it, its colors byte array is pre-filled with explorer maps' characteristic land-water boundary lines and water shading.

It should be noted that this additional data is stored in the Cartographer's NBT data and in the inventory item's NBT data, and not in the map file (e.g. map_0.dat). If the player were to use the /give command to give themselves a map with the same map ID as an existing explorer map, it would still have the Ocean Monument or the Woodland Mansion icon on the map, but it would simply be named "Map" instead of, for example, "Ocean Explorer Map".

Item data
- tag:
  - display: How the map looks in an item slot. See also Player.dat_format#Display Properties.
    - Name: The name the map is given. In this case, they are localized strings: either {"translate":"filled_map.monument"},{"translate":"filled_map.mansion"} or {"translate":"filled_map.buried_treasure"}.
    - MapColor: Color codes are calculated from the Red, Green and Blue components using this formula:
      Red<<16 + Green<<8 + Blue.^{[note 1]} Monument maps use 3830373, which is
      rgb(58,114,101)
      . Mansion maps use 5393476, which is
      rgb(82,76,68)
      . Buried treasure explorer maps do not use a color code.
  - Decorations:
    - : One of these for each icon on the map. Explorer maps always have at least one representing their target.
      - id: An arbitrary unique string identifying the decoration. For explorer map target structures, this is "+".
      - rot: The rotation of the icon. For explorer map target structures, this is always 180.
      - type: The ID of the map icon: 8 for a mansion map, 9 for a monument map, 26 for a treasure map.
      - x: The world x-coordinate of the target structure icon.
      - z: The world z-coordinate of the target structure icon.

Notes

↑ For positive values larger than 0x00FFFFFF, the top byte is ignored. All negative values produce white.

Achievements[]

Icon		Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS4)
PS4	Other	Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS4)
		Treasure Hunter	Acquire a map from a cartographer villager, then enter the revealed structure	Visit the structure indicated while the purchased map is in your main hand (hotbar).	40G	Silver

History[]

Java Edition
1.11		16w39a			Added woodland and ocean explorer maps.
1.11		16w41a			Explorer maps can now no longer be zoomed out.
1.13		18w10a			Added buried treasure explorer maps.
1.13		18w11a			Buried treasure explorer maps now generate in the chests of shipwrecks.
1.14		18w43a			The textures for explorer maps have now been changed.
1.20.2		1.20.2 Pre-release 1			Updated structure icons on explorer maps sold by cartographers.
Villager Trade Rebalance (Experimental)		1.20.2 Pre-release 1			Added seven new maps which cartographers can sell.
Pocket Edition
1.1.0		alpha 1.1.0.0			Added explorer maps.^[2]
		alpha 1.1.0.0			Explorer maps are not yet obtainable in survival mode.
		alpha 1.1.0.3			Explorer maps are now obtainable as trades from cartographer villagers.
Bedrock Edition
1.4.0		beta 1.2.14.2			Added buried treasure explorer maps.
1.4.0		beta 1.2.20.1			Treasure maps now generate in underwater ruins chests.
1.10.0		beta 1.10.0.3			The textures for explorer maps have now been changed.
1.11.0		beta 1.11.0.4			Trading has now been changed, woodland and ocean explorer maps now cost a compass and 12 emeralds.
					Journeyman-level cartographer villagers no longer sell 2 type of explorer map as they now have ¹⁄₃ chance to sell woodland explorer maps, ¹⁄₃ chance to sell ocean explorer maps, or ¹⁄₃ chance to sell other items as part of their trades.
					Woodland explorer maps can now be bought from fletcher villagers.
1.12.0		beta 1.12.0.3			Journeyman-level fletcher villagers no longer sell woodland explorer maps.
1.13.0		beta 1.13.0.1			The textures of explorer maps have now been changed.
1.16.100		beta 1.16.100.56			The ID of maps has been changed from `map` to `filled_map`.
Legacy Console Edition
TU54	CU44	1.52	Patch 24	1.0.4	Added explorer maps.
PlayStation 4 Edition
1.90					The textures for explorer maps have now been changed.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
1.9.19					Added explorer maps.

Issues[]

Issues relating to "Explorer Map" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia[]

When a cartographer generates the trade offers for the explorer maps, it chooses the location of one of the nearest structures of the respective type (monument or woodland mansion).
For the reason above, explorer maps obtained from one cartographer are always the same. Also, if two cartographers unlock the explorer map trades approximately at the same place and at the same time, the map locations are usually identical. This sometimes also happens when finding multiple treasure maps from ocean ruins.
Explorer maps fill as the chunks are generated, rather than when the player holds them while in the area; leaving an explorer map while exploring the area still fills the map.
Buried treasure explorer maps are named Buried Treasure Map in Java Edition while in Bedrock Edition, they are named Treasure Map.
It is possible for a cartographer to give a monument or woodland mansion explorer map for areas where the structures would have spawned in the world, but were unable to as a result of terrain generation. As a result, explorer maps, unfortunately, don't always guarantee that a structure exists at the purported location. This is most common with woodland mansion explorer maps, due to its generation algorithm.
On Bedrock Edition, inventory editors and add-ons can be used to create Explorer Maps that lead to any structure.

Gallery[]

An ocean explorer map in the off-hand, a woodland explorer map in the main hand, and a cartographer villager in between them.
A partially-explored explorer map.
Two fully-explored maps of the same place, one of which is a woodland explorer map.
An item frame holding a buried treasure explorer map. The player can see the red X on the left side of the map.
Purchasing explorer maps from a cartographer.