Structure Expansion Wiki › Guides › Using /structure clean to Strip Air Blocks From a Saved Structure
Using /structure clean to Strip Air Blocks From a Saved Structure
Why Remove Air
Saved structures store every block in the bounding box, including empty space. When you paste a large build, that trapped air overwrites whatever is already in the target area — carving holes in terrain, walls, or existing builds. The mod's /structure clean <name> command rewrites the saved file so air blocks are dropped from the data, leaving only solid blocks. The result is a smaller file and a paste that only places real blocks.
Running the Command
1. Save your structure first so the file exists.
2. Open chat and run /structure clean <name>, replacing <name> with the exact structure name you saved.
3. Large structures take a moment to process.
4. Load the cleaned structure somewhere safe to verify it looks correct.
Cautions
- Cleaning is destructive to the file — keep a backup copy if you might want the air back.
- A structure that is *mostly* air (like a floating island) will lose its empty volume, so pasting it no longer clears the space around it.
- Clean before distributing a structure file to keep it lightweight.