Hero Studios

Tutorial

Redstone Debugger

Record, visualize, and analyze redstone circuits with professional tooling.

Product page Downloads Documentation Roadmap

Install Redstone Debugger #

Install Fabric Loader for 1.21 (plus Fabric API if the downloads page asks for it), place the JAR in your mods folder, and launch with the Fabric profile.

  1. Install Fabric and drop the Redstone Debugger JAR for your Minecraft version into your mods folder — best-tested on 1.21.11.
  2. Launch the game and open a single-player world; stand near the circuit you want to understand.
  3. Run /rd help to explore the command suite: recorder, timeline, clear, export and perf.
  4. Press R near the circuit to start recording, then R again to stop — events land in a timeline with atomic tick ranges.
  5. Open the timeline and step through recorded events one tick at a time; world overlays highlight the corresponding blocks.
  6. Run diagnostics to surface problems in the recorded activity — /rd explain or /rdebug diagnose <n>.
  7. Optionally configure an AI provider (including local Ollama) for AI-assisted insights — all core diagnostics work without one.
  8. Export a recording to share it — the recipient can replay and re-diagnose without your world.

Working with Redstone Debugger #

Product-specific steps, separate from the general install guide above.

Install and open a world

Install the Fabric JAR matching your Minecraft version. **Best-tested on 1.21.11** — some advertised versions lack version-specific compat code, so verify before relying on them. Launch a single-player world and stand near the circuit you want to understand. Run `/rd help` to see the command suite.

What you'll see. The HUD shows a recording status indicator once the mod is active. /rd help lists the recorder, timeline, clear, export and perf commands.

Record a circuit

Press **R** near the circuit to start recording, flip your levers/pressures/buttons and watch the torches and pistons, then press **R** again to stop. The recorder captures redstone events into a timeline with atomic tick ranges — **25 event types** via mixins: wire, lever, repeater, comparator, observer, torch, button, piston, pressure plate and more.

What you'll see. World overlays show signal states directly on the blocks — lit/unlit paths are colour-coded so you can see the signal travel while recording.

  • Recording auto-stops at extreme event counts to protect performance.
  • The performance manager keeps a profiler, metrics, caching and a memory monitor behind the recorder.

Step through the timeline

Open the timeline from the HUD or command suite and step back through recorded events one tick at a time. This is how you find the exact moment a signal dropped, a repeater misfired or a piston lost power — inspect, don't guess.

What you'll see. The timeline is a tick-ordered event list; stepping through it highlights the corresponding blocks in the world.

Ask for an explanation

It auto-diagnoses in chat and understands plain questions:

  • The diagnostic engine is a heuristic analyzer that identifies signal paths, problems and scoring.
  • 12 analysis algorithms run under the hood: signal tracing, dependency chains, root cause, SCC cycles, critical path and clock detection.
  • AI-assisted insights are optional — including local Ollama — and all core diagnostics work fully offline.
/rd explain
/rdebug diagnose <n>

Export and share

Use the export command from the suite to export a recording for later analysis or sharing with another player. Recordings capture the event timeline, so the recipient can replay and re-diagnose without your world.

/rdebug export

Best version and honest limits

Best-tested on **1.21.11** — 26.x builds are newer with bundled mappings; keep the build matched to your Minecraft version. It operates **client-side**, and recording is single-player oriented.

Tips

  • Isolate one faulty sub-circuit per recording — short, focused timelines diagnose faster.
  • Use the timeline before reaching for the AI: 12 algorithms already pinpoint root cause.
  • Export recordings from bug-prone builds so you can compare behaviour after updates.

Common problems

Recording did not capture the circuit
Stand closer — the recorder only captures events in loaded chunks near you. Also confirm the build matches your Minecraft version.
Will it slow the game down?
The recorder auto-stops at extreme event counts and is backed by a profiler, caching and a memory monitor. If a machine struggles, record shorter windows and step the timeline instead.
The AI explanation is missing
AI insights are an optional add-on — configure a provider (including local Ollama). Every core diagnostic runs offline without one.

Folder locations by platform #

Platformmods / resourcepacks folderconfig folder
Windows%appdata%\.minecraft\mods · \resourcepacks%appdata%\.minecraft\config
macOS~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/mods~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/config
Linux~/.minecraft/mods · ~/.minecraft/resourcepacks~/.minecraft/config

MultiMC / Prism users: these folders live inside Instances/<instance>/.minecraft/. Match the build to your exact Minecraft version — the compatibility table in the docs lists every supported version.

Configure #

Settings live in the config folder (JSON5 files you can edit by hand) and, where available, in the in-game settings screen the mod adds. The exact keys and keybinds are listed in the documentation and the FAQ below.

Tips for Redstone Debugger #

  • Keep Redstone Debugger on the version range shown on its product page.
  • If it doesn't load, confirm the JAR is in the right mods folder for the launcher and version you chose.
  • Bedrock Edition, mobile, and console can't run Java Edition mods or packs — for a port or custom variant, request a commission.

Redstone Debugger FAQ #

Does it slow the game down?
The recorder is lightweight and auto-stops at extreme event counts, backed by a performance manager with profiler, metrics, caching and a memory monitor.
Do I need an AI provider?
No — all core diagnostics work fully offline. AI insights are an optional add-on, including local Ollama.
Is it server-side or client-side?
It operates client-side; recording is single-player oriented.
What can it record?
25 event types via mixins — wire, lever, repeater, comparator, observer, torch, button, piston, pressure plate and more — captured into a timeline with atomic tick ranges.
Is there a command interface?
Yes — /rdebug covers recorder, timeline, clear, export and perf, plus world and HUD overlays. /rd explain and /rdebug diagnose <n> run the diagnostics.
Can it explain my circuit?
Yes — the AnalysisEngine runs 12 algorithms (signal tracing, dependency chains, root cause, SCC cycles, critical path, clock detection) and can call an optional AI provider (including local Ollama).
Which Minecraft version should I use?
Best-tested on 1.21.11 — some advertised versions lack version-specific compat code, so verify before relying on them. 26.x builds are newer with bundled mappings; keep the build matched to your Minecraft version.
Can I share a recording?
Yes — export a recording from the command suite. The recipient can replay and re-diagnose the event timeline without your world.
Still stuck? Open a guided request — every message is tagged and answered from support@herostudios.dev. Always include your Minecraft version and product version.
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