XaeroPlus — extension and addon to improve the functionality of Xaero's Minimap and World Map in Minecraft

XaeroPlus — extension and addon to improve the functionality of Xaero's Minimap and World Map in Minecraft

XaeroPlus is a client-side mod for Minecraft Java Edition that expands the functionality of Xaero's WorldMap and Xaero's Minimap. The mod itself doesn't replace anything: it works on top of the two original maps and adds new chunk highlighting modes, map and waypoint interface improvements, performance optimizations, and specific features tailored for anarchy servers like 2b2t. The author is rfresh2; the project is not affiliated with the creator of the original Xaero (xaero96).

Chunk Highlighting

The core feature is colored overlays on the map that display the characteristics of individual chunks. Everything is shown on both the minimap and the full-screen world map.

• NewChunks — chunks that have just generated near the player in the current session. This allows you to see the actual border of the explored area and distinguish fresh generation from chunks that have been on the server for a long time.

• OldChunks — chunks created in Minecraft version 1.12.2 or older. The detection is based on natural blocks inside the chunk. Works in the Overworld and the Nether; the main scenario is finding "old" areas on 2b2t.

• Portals Highlighting — highlights chunks containing a Nether portal. Simplifies building portal networks and finding other players' structures.

• Portal Skip — a special mode that detects chunks where a portal might have generated past obstacles and remained unnoticed. Helps discover missed entry points while traveling through the Nether.

Performance and Map Saving

The mod contains several changes aimed at FPS and map data integrity.

The first is limiting the minimap update rate. By default, Xaero's Minimap redraws every frame, which noticeably loads the system at a high base frame rate. A separate setting allows you to lower this to a fixed value (for example, 30 frames per second) and gain a 1.5–3x overall FPS boost. 

The second is fast saving of map regions to disk. At high speeds (Elytra, flight mods, teleportation), the standard implementation sometimes fails to save loaded chunks in time, causing "holes" to appear on the map. XaeroPlus accelerates saving and reduces the chance of chunk loss.

The third change is support for simultaneous saving to a shared map from multiple Minecraft instances. If two clients are running and both are exploring different locations, the map data merges into a single set of files without conflicts.

Map and Waypoints Interface

There are many GUI extensions in the mod — below are the main ones.

World Map:

• The maximum map zoom limit has been removed.

• An input field for coordinates to center the map on.

• Follow mode — the map automatically follows the player.

• The F1 key hides the entire interface and overlays, leaving a clean map for screenshots.

• Hot-swapping dimensions directly from the map — without going through a separate menu.

Waypoints:

• Search through the waypoints list.

• A column showing the distance to the waypoint right in the list.

• Active waypoints are automatically sorted above disabled ones.

• A GUI button to mass enable or disable all waypoints in the list.

• Beacon mode — a vertical beam is drawn over the waypoint, visible from a distance as a landmark in the open world.

Working with Dimensions

A separate block of changes concerns how the mod handles dimensions and server folders.

• Nether → Overworld. You can configure waypoints so that creating a waypoint in the Nether also displays and creates it for the Overworld (with coordinates automatically multiplied by 8). The main scenario is building a portal network and coordinating coordinates between dimensions.

• Transparent Nether roof. An overlay makes the layer of bedrock under the Nether roof visually transparent. The main application is mapping the area above the Nether roof on 2b2t.

• Server render distance square. A border is drawn on the minimap to indicate the actual area the server is loading around the player. Useful for finding chunk loaders and understanding what exactly the client can see right now.

• Hot dimension switching. A dedicated key quickly switches the current map view between the Overworld, the Nether, and the End without changing folders.

• Folder structure. WorldMap and Waypoints can be indexed not by server IP (Xaero standard), but by server name from the Multiplayer list or by domain name. This is practical if a server changes IP frequently. When changing this setting, existing folders in .minecraft/xaero/minimap and .minecraft/xaero/world-map will need to be renamed manually.

Conclusion

XaeroPlus addresses the downsides of Xaero's WorldMap and Xaero's Minimap for long-term play over vast distances and on anarchy servers. OldChunks and NewChunks highlighting, transparent Nether roof, fast map saving, and hot dimension switching are the features for which the mod is most often installed. Therefore, XaeroPlus is primarily suitable for those who already play with Xaero on servers with large maps — especially on 2b2t and other anarchies; for regular single-player, most of the features will be overkill.