ChunkAnchor

A Paper plugin that keeps chunks loaded when players are online - perfect for automated farms and redstone contraptions.

Features

• Simple Commands: Create named anchors with /chunkanchor add <name>
• Per-Player Namespaces: Each player manages their own anchors independently
• Configurable Area: Default loads 7x7 chunks (49 chunks) per anchor
• Visual Boundaries: See exactly which chunks are loaded with particle effects
• Load Modes: Choose between ALWAYS (24/7) or PLAYER_ONLINE loading per anchor
• Enable/Disable: Temporarily disable anchors without deleting them
• Persistent Storage: Anchors survive server restarts
• Performance Friendly: Uses Paper's chunk ticket API for proper chunk ticking

Commands

Command	Description	Permission
/chunkanchor add <name>	Create anchor at your current location	chunkanchor.use
/chunkanchor remove <name>	Remove an anchor by name	chunkanchor.use
/chunkanchor list	List all your anchors with status	chunkanchor.use
/chunkanchor show <name>	Visualize anchor boundaries for 30 seconds	chunkanchor.use
/chunkanchor mode <name> <mode>	Set load mode (DEFAULT/ALWAYS/PLAYER_ONLINE)	chunkanchor.use
/chunkanchor enable <name>	Enable a disabled anchor	chunkanchor.use
/chunkanchor disable <name>	Disable an anchor (doesn't count toward limit)	chunkanchor.use

Alias: /ca

Permissions

Permission	Description	Default
chunkanchor.use	Access to all chunk anchor commands	op

Behavior

How It Works

1. Anchor Creation: Stand where you want chunks loaded and run /chunkanchor add farm
2. Area Loading: The plugin loads a configurable radius of chunks around the anchor point
3. Activation: Depends on load mode:
   • PLAYER_ONLINE: Chunks load when first player joins, unload when last player leaves
   • ALWAYS: Chunks load at server startup and stay loaded 24/7

Load Modes

Mode	Description
DEFAULT	Uses server's default-load-mode from config
ALWAYS	Chunks stay loaded even when no players are online
PLAYER_ONLINE	Chunks only load when at least one player is online

Enable/Disable

• Disabled anchors don't load chunks and don't count toward your anchor limit
• Useful for temporarily pausing farms without losing the anchor location
• Re-enabling checks the limit - you can't enable if you're already at max active anchors

Chunk Loading

• Uses Paper's addPluginChunkTicket() API for proper chunk ticking
• Loaded chunks behave as if a player is nearby:
  • Redstone circuits operate
  • Crops grow
  • Furnaces smelt
  • Mob spawning works (within spawn limits)

Visualization

Run /chunkanchor show <name> to see:

• Corner Pillars: 4 vertical particle columns at the outer corners
• Ground Outline: Particles tracing the perimeter at ground level
• Particles last 30 seconds (configurable)

Configuration

config.yml

# Maximum anchors per player
default-limit: 3

# Chunk radius around anchor point
# 3 = 7x7 chunks (49 total)
# 4 = 9x9 chunks (81 total)
chunk-radius: 3

# Visualization duration in seconds
show-duration: 30

# Default load mode for new anchors
# ALWAYS - chunks are loaded even when no players are online
# PLAYER_ONLINE - chunks are only loaded when at least one player is online
default-load-mode: PLAYER_ONLINE

anchors.yml

Anchor data is stored in plugins/ChunkAnchor/anchors.yml:

players:
  550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000:
    farm:
      world: world
      x: 100
      z: -200
      load-mode: ALWAYS
      enabled: true
    base:
      world: world
      x: 0
      z: 0
      load-mode: DEFAULT
      enabled: false

Installation

Download

• Latest Release: https://s3.psalkowski.pl/minecraft-plugins/chunk-anchor/ChunkAnchor.jar
• Snapshot (dev): https://s3.psalkowski.pl/minecraft-plugins/chunk-anchor/ChunkAnchor-SNAPSHOT.jar
• GitHub Releases: https://github.com/HomeCraftMC/chunk-anchor/releases
• Modrinth: https://modrinth.com/plugin/chunkanchor

Steps

1. Download ChunkAnchor.jar
2. Place in your server's plugins/ folder
3. Restart the server
4. Use /chunkanchor add <name> to create your first anchor

Compatibility

Plugin Version	Minecraft	Paper	Java
1.0.x	1.21.4	1.21	21+

Server Software: Paper or Paper-based forks (Purpur, Pufferfish, etc.)

Building from Source

mvn clean package

Output: target/ChunkAnchor-<version>.jar

CI/CD

Builds are automated via Woodpecker CI:

• Push to main: Builds and uploads ChunkAnchor-SNAPSHOT.jar to S3
• Tag vX.Y.Z: Builds release and:
  • Uploads to S3: ChunkAnchor.jar (latest) + ChunkAnchor-X.Y.Z.jar
  • Creates GitHub Release with JAR attached

License

MIT