Hi everyone! I’m Henry, a web developer and Minecraft fan. I want to share my journey of building a tool that solved a real problem for me—and, hopefully, for many other players and builders out there!
The Problem: Building Circles in Minecraft Is... Hard!
Like a lot of Minecraft players, I love experimenting with creative builds—towers, domes, pixel art, you name it. But one thing always drove me crazy: making perfect circles. Minecraft is all about blocks and right angles, so trying to make a round shape often ends up looking like a lumpy potato (I’m sure many of you can relate 😅).
At first, I tried drawing circles by hand or following tutorials, but it was slow and never quite right. That’s when I realized—maybe I could build my own!
Learning as a Newbie: Starting with Next.js
When I first got into web development, I was still learning the ropes. I heard about Next.js as a great starting point for building modern, fast web apps. It has built-in routing, server-side rendering, and works nicely with React, which I was also learning at the time.
Here’s how I tackled the project, step by step:
Identifying the Core Features
- Generate pixel-perfect circle layouts for any given diameter.
- Let users preview, adjust, and export patterns.
- Mobile-friendly, clean UI that feels like Minecraft.
Setting Up the Project
- Created a new Next.js app (npx create-next-app@latest).
- Planned out basic pages: home, generator tool, about.
Building the Circle Generator Logic
- Wrote a simple function to plot pixels in a 2D grid, based on the classic “midpoint circle algorithm.”
- Rendered the grid using React components, updating in real time as users changed the size.
Design & User Experience
- Used Tailwind CSS for easy styling and dark/light modes.
- Focused on making everything beginner-friendly and easy to use—no sign up, no ads, just the tool.
Testing & Iterating
- Played around with the generator myself, tested with friends, and got tons of feedback from the Minecraft community.
What I Learned
Building this tool taught me a lot—not just about coding, but about finding real-world problems and creating solutions. Next.js made it surprisingly straightforward to turn an idea into a live, working site. Plus, it was super rewarding to see other Minecraft fans using and enjoying something I built from scratch!
Want to Try It?
If you’re a Minecraft player who’s ever struggled with building circles, feel free to check out my site. It’s totally free and beginner-friendly:
You can generate perfect circles, ellipses, and even use advanced builder modes to plan your builds—no more block-counting headaches!
Final Thoughts
If you’re new to coding or web development, my advice is simple: start with a problem you care about. It makes learning so much more meaningful and fun. Whether you use Next.js, React, or anything else, just keep building, keep experimenting, and don’t be afraid to share your work with the world.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or want to chat about Minecraft, web dev, or anything tech, I’d love to connect with you here.
Happy building! 🚀
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