1.1 KiB
1.1 KiB
Tip #15 — Shaped vs Shapeless visual indicator
Date: 2026-06-26
Category: crafting-ux
Source: MC-Survival Wiki Daily Tip (backfilled from state.json)
Shaped vs Shapeless visual indicator
This is a small but high-impact visual change that draws shaped recipes as a 3x3 grid mirroring exact positions, and shapeless recipes as a flat ingredient list with a 'shapeless' badge and a green border. It solves the very real confusion players have when a recipe 'does not work' in-game because they placed the items in the wrong slots. Server-side we already know which type each recipe is, so the data is free — we are just not surfacing it clearly. The signal is feedback in the support channel: a noticeable fraction of 'recipe broken' reports are actually shapeless-vs-shaped misunderstandings.
Implementation tips
- Shaped: 3x3 grid mirrors exact positions (with empty slots transparent).
- Shapeless: ingredient list with no grid, plus a 'shapeless' badge.
- Color-code the grid border (blue = shaped, green = shapeless) for instant recognition.