# Chunky Minecraft: pre-generate your map and reduce lag **URL:** \ **Category:** Minecraft\ **Tags:** english, minecraft\ **Created:** [Juin 13, 2026, 3:47 UTC](https://forum.boxtoplay.com/t/chunky-minecraft-pre-generate-your-map-and-reduce-lag/31784 "2026-06-13T15:47:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BoxToPlay-helper](https://forum.boxtoplay.com/user_avatar/forum.boxtoplay.com/boxtoplay-helper/32/5468_2.png) [@BoxToPlay-helper](https://forum.boxtoplay.com/u/BoxToPlay-helper)\ **Post date:** [Juin 13, 2026, 3:47 UTC](https://forum.boxtoplay.com/t/chunky-minecraft-pre-generate-your-map-and-reduce-lag/31784/1 "2026-06-13T15:47:37Z")
![Chunky Minecraft: pre-generate your map and reduce lag](https://forum.boxtoplay.com/uploads/default/original/2X/9/92c476a074f982be59bff6925460c36f4b4cad89.jpeg) Pre-generating chunks is one of the best ways to improve the smoothness of a **Minecraft server**. With [Chunky](https://github.com/pop4959/Chunky) (available on our site as a [Modrinth mod](https://www.boxtoplay.com/en/minecraft-hosting/minecraft-server/modrinth-mods/chunky-88) or a [CurseForge plugin](https://www.boxtoplay.com/en/minecraft-hosting/minecraft-server/curseforge-plugins/curse-chunky-pregenerator-113)), we tell the server to generate map areas in advance instead of waiting for players to discover them live. The result is fewer generation spikes, less stutter during exploration, and a cleaner base for map renders. At BoxToPlay, we recommend doing this before opening a world to players, especially if you want exploration to stay smooth from the start. ![View of a pre-generated Minecraft map](https://forum.boxtoplay.com/uploads/default/original/2X/d/d7671ad59482afb5bd0b88bc167db97707226f5a.jpeg) ## Why Chunky is so useful When a player moves into unexplored terrain, the server has to generate chunks on the fly. That process uses CPU, memory, and disk access. On a small map, you may barely notice it, but on an active world, with multiple players or several dimensions, the impact becomes much more visible. With **Chunky** , you can: - **pre-generate** a specific area of your world - run generation for the **Overworld** , **Nether** , or **End** - monitor progress with processed chunks, percentage, ETA, and generation rate - **pause** and continue later - use different selection shapes depending on your project Chunky is designed to generate chunks efficiently, and it relies on the server for the actual world generation. That means it usually works well with custom generation too. ## Before you start A few best practices make a real difference before launching a pre-generation task: - do it **before players join** whenever possible - start with a reasonable radius, such as **5000 blocks** , then expand later if needed - remember that larger worlds can use **a lot of disk space** - if you use a map rendering plugin, it is often better to **disable rendering temporarily** during generation - confirm that Chunky is installed correctly by simply running **/chunky** ## The simplest command to pre-generate a map In the most common case, you want to generate an area around the center of the world. Chunky lets you do that with two very simple commands: ```bash /chunky radius 5000 /chunky start ``` By default, Chunky typically works with a square selection in the Overworld centered at **0 0**. If you have not changed anything, this starts generation around the center of the map. If you prefer to define everything directly in one start command, you can also specify the world, shape, center, and radius explicitly. ```bash /chunky start world square 0 0 5000 ``` This is useful when you want to be very clear about the active selection. ## Pre-generating the Nether and the End Chunky is not limited to the Overworld. You can target other dimensions as well. The exact world name depends on your setup, but common names are usually: - **world** or **overworld** for the Overworld - **world\_nether** or **the\_nether** for the Nether - **world\_the\_end** or **the\_end** for the End Example for the Nether: ```bash /chunky world world_nether /chunky radius 5000 /chunky start ``` If you are unsure, display the current selection first with: ```bash /chunky selection ``` ## Choosing the right generation shape Radius is not the only useful setting. Chunky also lets you choose a **shape** for the area you want to generate. The most practical options are usually: - **square** , for a simple, easy-to-manage area - **circle** , for a more natural radius around a center point - selections based on **corners** , if you want to frame an exact region Example with a circular generation around spawn: ```bash /chunky shape circle /chunky spawn /chunky radius 3000 /chunky start ``` Example with a selection defined by two corners: ```bash /chunky corners -500 -500 500 500 /chunky start ``` This is very handy when you already know the exact limits you want. ## Using the native world border If you have restricted your world limits using Minecraft’s native world border (configured via the `/worldborder` command), Chunky can automatically import its center and radius. This is one of the best ways to avoid generating too much terrain without having to re-enter coordinates. ```bash /chunky worldborder /chunky start ``` This matters because even a slightly larger radius can dramatically increase final world size. It is better to stay aligned with the playable area. ## Tracking progress clearly When the task starts, Chunky normally prints useful information in the console: - number of processed chunks - completion percentage - estimated time remaining - chunks per second - current chunk location If you do not see these updates in game, you can request them manually: ```bash /chunky progress ``` You can also reduce message frequency: ```bash /chunky quiet 5 ``` Here, Chunky will wait 5 seconds between progress messages. ![Chunky console and CPU load during generation](https://forum.boxtoplay.com/uploads/default/original/2X/0/0b6b814b3ee8494c77fb01831e124dbee55107cd.png) ## Pause, continue, and cancel On a **Minecraft server hosting** environment, pre-generation can take a long time. The good news is that you do not have to finish everything in one run. To pause and save progress: ```bash /chunky pause ``` To continue later: ```bash /chunky continue ``` To fully cancel a running or saved task: ```bash /chunky cancel ``` Keep in mind that canceling does not delete chunks that were already generated. It only stops the task itself. ## Which pattern should you use? Chunky also lets you define the generation order with **patterns**. This does not change how many chunks are generated, only the order in which the work is done. The main patterns are: - **region** , the default and recommended mode - **concentric** , from the center outward - **loop** , from one side to the other - **spiral** , in a square spiral In most cases, **region** remains the best choice. It is the recommended default because it is efficient for traversing the selected area. ```bash /chunky pattern region ``` If you have a very specific use case, you can test another pattern, but for standard use there is usually no need to change it. ## Practical tips to reduce lag during pre-generation Chunky is already designed to run as fast as possible, but final performance still depends on your server. To get better results: - use a **fast CPU** , because chunk generation is very sensitive to processor performance - make sure you have **enough threads** available - run the server and world on a **fast SSD** - allocate **enough RAM** , often at least 4 GB depending on the project - on **Paper** , chunk generation behavior can benefit from the platform’s performance improvements - if map rendering is active, generate first and render afterward ![Diagram of Chunky generation patterns](https://forum.boxtoplay.com/uploads/default/original/2X/4/4e205364971750dab3e63579d458771fafac59a0.png) > **BoxToPlay Hosting Recommendation:** > Pre-generating with Chunky is tolerated on our game servers, even though it consumes a massive amount of CPU and disk resources. This works fine for standard map sizes (typically with a radius up to 5,000 or 10,000 blocks maximum using `/chunky radius 5000` and `/chunky start`), as long as you are not trying to generate a huge 400 GB world that runs for an entire day. > If you plan to have a gigantic map, we highly recommend running the generation locally on your own computer first. You can then zip your world folder, upload it via FTP using a client like FileZilla, and use the unzip button in the FTP file manager on your BoxToPlay panel to extract it. ## Common mistakes to avoid ### Starting with a huge area immediately This is the classic mistake. A slightly bigger radius can mean far more chunks than expected. Start smaller, check the required time and world size, then increase gradually. ### Rendering the map at the same time If a map renderer is working in parallel, generation can be slower and the final render may be less clean. It is better to separate the two steps. ### Forgetting that some add-ons can cause issues Plugins, mods, or data packs can sometimes cause slowdowns, deadlocks, or crashes during generation. If something goes wrong, try a lighter setup first to isolate the cause. ### Assuming Chunky replaces server world generation Chunky does not generate terrain by itself. It asks the server to do it. If custom world generation has a problem, the issue often comes from the world setup or the related add-on. ### Misaligning your world border If the world border or other server limits are smaller than the generated area, you can run into strange behavior, including spawn-related issues outside the intended zone. It is better to verify those settings before launching a long task. ## Can you pre-generate an existing world? Yes, and that is a very common use case. Chunky **skips chunks that already exist** and only generates missing ones. This makes it very practical for expanding an active map without rebuilding everything. ## What if you generated too much? Chunky also includes the **/chunky trim** command to delete chunks outside your selection. It is powerful, but it must be used carefully, because deleting chunks cannot be undone without a backup. Before using that kind of action, always make a **full backup** of the world. ## Our recommended workflow at BoxToPlay If you want a simple and reliable method, this is the workflow we often recommend: 1. install Chunky and verify that **/chunky** responds 2. define the target world 3. choose a simple shape, usually **square** or **circle** 4. start with a moderate radius 5. monitor progress and ETA 6. pause if needed 7. render the map again after generation if you use a map tool For many projects, this preparation alone is enough to make exploration much smoother for players. If you want to set up Chunky in the right conditions on reliable and high-performance **Minecraft server hosting** , we at BoxToPlay offer a simple way to test your project at no cost: [Start your free trial](https://www.boxtoplay.com/en/minecraft-hosting/minecraft-server).