How to Use Litematica

.litematic files are a schematic format commonly used with the Litematica mod. They are popular because they let you load a build as an overlay, check placement, and follow an in-game guide while building.

If you want to learn how to install schematic files first, refer to How to Install Schematics for DonutSMP. This page is about actually using Litematica once the file is already loading in-game.

The most useful Litematica hotkeys

Litematica uses MaLiLib's own keybind system, so the important controls live in the mod config rather than the normal Minecraft controls page. These are the defaults most players care about first:

• M opens the main Litematica menu.
• M + C opens the config and hotkeys screens.
• M + R toggles all rendering.
• M + G toggles schematic rendering.
• M + T toggles the tool item on or off.

If a hotkey does nothing, open M + C and check the Hotkeys section. Non-QWERTY layouts can also make the displayed keys look different from US-layout examples.

Tool item and placement control

• Many players use a stick as the Litematica tool item for controlling placements.
• The exact tool item can be changed in Litematica, so stick is common but not mandatory.
• If placement controls stop responding, check M + T before assuming the schematic is broken.
• Use the tool item when you need to move, adjust, or manage the active placement more precisely.

Best practices when using a .litematic file

• Keep rendering toggles in mind so you can quickly hide the overlay if it blocks visibility.
• Check orientation before you commit to a build path, especially for farms and storage systems.
• Adjust the placement before building instead of trying to compensate manually afterward.
• Use the overlay as a block-by-block guide rather than rushing the entire structure at once.
• When a file looks wrong, suspect version mismatch before assuming the build itself is bad.

What to do when a file looks broken

• If only the overlay vanished, try M + R or M + G first.
• If controls seem dead, verify the tool item behavior with M + T.
• If keybinds do nothing, review the Litematica and MaLiLib hotkeys in the config menu.
• If blocks look wrong, check whether the file was created in a different game version.

DonutSMP rule of thumb

On DonutSMP, .litematic is usually the best format to work with because the common use case is following a build overlay in survival. That is why learning the Litematica controls matters more than older editor-style workflows here.

Need the setup steps first?

If you still need help getting the file loaded or installed in the first place, refer to How to Install Schematics for DonutSMP.