Minecraft coordinates, explained
Almost every build command needs a position. Minecraft gives you three ways to write one — and knowing which to use is the difference between a build that lands at your feet and one that ends up in the sky.
Exact world coordinates. X is east/west, Y is height, Z is north/south. Always the same spot no matter who runs the command.
Offset from the command’s position. ~ means "no change" on that axis; ~1 means "one more." Great for building around wherever you are.
Offset from the direction you’re facing: left/right, up/down, forward/back. ^ ^ ^2 is "two blocks ahead of where I look."
The X, Y, Z axes
- · X — east (+) and west (−).
- · Y — up (+) and down (−); this is height/elevation.
- · Z — south (+) and north (−).
Press F3 on a keyboard, or turn on Show Coordinates in world settings, to see your current position while you build.
Why relative coordinates matter for packs
If your function builds at absolute coordinates like 0 64 0, it always builds in the same world spot — often far from the player. Using ~ ~ ~ builds relative to whoever runs the function, so your house appears right where you stand. That's exactly why a build function typically uses tildes:
fill ~-3 ~ ~-3 ~3 ~4 ~3 oak_planks hollowPut coordinates to work.
See them in action in the build commands.
The /fill command