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External View

Mod that changes the distance of the camera from the player in third person mode.

NeoForgeForge
Loaders
NeoForgeForge
Downloads on Modrinth
2.7K
Followers on Modrinth
1
versions
6
Updated
May 13, 2026May 13
Published
in 2026

At a glance

Runs on NeoForge and Forge
For Minecraft 1.20.1–1.20.5, 1.21–1.21.8 …
Needed in the game; optional on the server
Latest version — 2.3.1b-1.16.5 from May 13, 2026
License LGPL-2.1-or-later — free
Where it's needed
In gamerequiredOn serveroptional

Needed in the game; optional on the server

Game versions1.16.5, 1.20.1–1.20.5, 1.21–1.21.8

External View Reloaded

A Forge / NeoForge mod for Minecraft 1.16.5+ based on External View Reload.
Provides adjustable third-person camera distance and optional long reach functionality.

CurseForge: https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/mc-mods/external-view
Modrinth: https://modrinth.com/mod/external_view


Features

  • Adjustable third-person camera distance (default: Page Up / Page Down)
  • Long Hand Mode (default: K) – increases interaction reach
  • Camera collision option (prevents clipping through blocks)
  • Fully configurable via TOML
  • Works client-only (with command fallback)
  • Optional server-side networking support
  • Permission API support
  • Languages: English, Russian, Simplified Chinese

Configuration

File:

config/externalview-common.toml

Camera

  • cameraSpeed (default: 0.5) – zoom step size
  • viewDistance (default: 56) – maximum camera distance
  • cameraCollision (default: true) – prevent camera clipping

Reach

  • reach (default: 40.0) – reach in Long Hand Mode
  • defaultReach (default: 5.0) – default reach (vanilla = 5.0)

WARNING: Changing defaultReach may cause issues on some servers.

Forge 1.16.5 Note

Forge 1.16.5 config files do not support reliable hot reload.
Some configuration changes may require a full game restart to take effect.


Command Fallback (Client-only)

Used when the server does not have the mod installed.

Forge 1.16.5

blockReachCommand = "attribute @s forge:reach_distance base set {value}"

Forge 1.20.1

blockReachCommand = "attribute @s forge:block_reach base set {value}"
entityReachCommand = "attribute @s forge:entity_reach base set {value}"

NeoForge 1.21+

blockReachCommand = "attribute @s minecraft:player.block_interaction_range base set {value}"
entityReachCommand = "attribute @s minecraft:player.entity_interaction_range base set {value}"
  • {value} will be replaced automatically
  • Invalid commands fallback to default values
  • Requires permission to use /attribute

Server Compatibility

Client-only

  • Uses commands to modify reach
  • Requires OP or permission from the server
  • Works on vanilla / Bukkit hybrid / most servers if /attribute is allowed

With server installed

  • Uses custom network packets (more reliable)
  • Supports permission control
  • Automatically resets reach when permission is lost

Permission node:

externalview.reach

Default: OP only

Compatible with permission systems such as:

  • LuckPerms
  • Forge Permission API
  • NeoForge Permission API

Version Notes

Forge 1.16.5

Uses Forge reach attribute:

forge:reach_distance

Forge 1.20.1

Uses Forge reach attributes:

forge:block_reach
forge:entity_reach

NeoForge 1.21+

Uses vanilla player interaction range attributes:

minecraft:player.block_interaction_range
minecraft:player.entity_interaction_range

Notes

  • If /attribute is blocked, client-only mode will not work
  • Reach changes affect both block and entity interaction range
  • Command fallback mode is best-effort (no strict failure detection)
  • Supports hybrid servers such as Mohist and Youer

License

LGPL-2.1-or-later

FAQ

How to install External View?

Install NeoForge for your Minecraft version, download External View for the same version and loader, put the file into the mods folder and launch the game with the loader profile.

Which Minecraft versions does External View support?

External View has builds for Minecraft 1.16.5, 1.20.1–1.20.5, 1.21–1.21.8.

Is External View needed on the server?

Needed in the game; optional on the server

License and source
GNU Lesser General Public License v2.1 or laterfree to use and share; changes to the mod itself must be published under the same license
Original — Modrinth↗Files unchanged, verified with SHA-512Is this your mod? For rights holders

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