Trail Compass

Go deeper. Your compass remembers the way out.

Trail Compass gives the vanilla compass a new survival purpose: record the exact path you travel and follow it back through caves.

Instead of adding a minimap, coordinates, commands, or floating text, the mod displays a depth-tested 3D trail directly inside the world. Cave walls naturally hide sections behind them, preventing the route from behaving like x-ray.

Showcase

Watch the showcase on YouTube

How does it work?

1. Hold a fresh compass.
2. Sneak and use it to begin recording.
3. Place the compass anywhere in your inventory and continue exploring.
4. Sneak and use it again when you want to return.
5. Follow the compass needle, 3D trail, directional chevrons, and next-point marker.

Recording continues while you hold a pickaxe, weapon, food, torches, or any other item.

To erase a route, sneak and use the compass on a water-filled cauldron.

A route that understands caves

Trail Compass records your precise position instead of snapping the route to the center of blocks.

The trail follows:

• Tight corners
• Stairs and slabs
• Jumps and drops
• Changes in elevation
• Winding tunnels
• Separate cave levels

The route uses normal world depth. If part of it is behind a wall, you cannot see it through the terrain.

Visual language

• Amber trail: your route is being recorded.
• Cyan trail: you are following a saved route.
• Directional chevrons: show which way to travel.
• Gold diamond: marks the next route point.
• Compass glint: indicates an active route.
• Sounds: confirm state changes and reached points.

Everything is communicated through the compass and the world. There are no additional HUD elements or status messages.

Features

• Records while the compass remains anywhere in your inventory
• Precise 3D routes with fractional block heights
• Depth-tested rendering without x-ray
• Reusable routes stored inside individual compasses
• Support for long and complex cave systems
• Routes persist through containers, death drops, anvils, logout, and server restarts
• Physical route clearing using a water cauldron
• No new blocks, items, ores, structures, or world generation
• No configuration menus or custom keybinds
• Designed for vanilla-friendly modpacks
• Works in singleplayer and on dedicated servers