# First Steps

## First Steps

Now that you have BuildersWand installed and running, let's walk through your first experience with the plugin. This guide assumes you've already given yourself a basic wand using `/bw give`.

### Understanding Your Wand

When you first receive a wand, take a moment to examine it. The item will show:

* A custom name (like "Basic Builder's Wand")
* Lore text explaining its capabilities
* Current durability and maximum range
* Information about available modes

The basic wand is intentionally limited to help you learn the fundamentals. It has a shorter range and fewer features than advanced wands, making it perfect for understanding how the plugin works.

### Your First Building Session

#### Starting Simple

Begin with a basic wall construction:

1. Place a single stone block on the ground
2. Hold your wand and look at that block
3. Right-click to see the selection preview (particles will appear)
4. Right-click again to place blocks in the selected area

You'll notice the wand automatically detects connected spaces and places blocks where they logically belong. This is the core concept behind BuildersWand - it understands building patterns and extends them automatically.

#### Understanding the Selection

The particle effects show you exactly what the wand will affect. Red particles typically indicate blocks that will be placed, while the selection area shows the maximum range of the operation. This visual feedback is crucial for understanding how your wand will behave.

### Exploring the GUI

Open the wand settings by sneaking and left-clicking while holding your wand. The GUI contains several buttons:

* **Mode Button**: Switch between place and break modes
* **Distance Button**: Adjust how far the wand can build
* **Particles Button**: Toggle the visual feedback on/off
* **Storage Button**: Access your wand's built-in inventory
* **Auto-Refill Button**: Enable automatic refilling from your inventory

Try clicking each button to see how it affects your wand's behavior. The GUI is designed to be intuitive - you can experiment without breaking anything.

### Common First-Time Experiences

#### "Nothing Happens When I Click"

This usually means you're not looking at a valid target block. Make sure you're pointing at a solid block (not air or water) and that you have the appropriate permissions.

#### "The Selection Looks Wrong"

The wand selects connected blocks of the same type. If you're looking at a stone block, it will select other stone blocks. Try looking at a different block type or adjust your position or where you're facing.

#### "I Can't Place Blocks"

Check that you have the required blocks in your inventory. The basic wand consumes blocks from your inventory when placing them. Make sure you have enough of the block type you're trying to place.

**"There's No Selection Preview Particles"**

You either have particles disabled, or you may be aiming at a blacklisted block. It could also be due to you trying to use the wand in a restricted area.

### Building Your First Project

Try constructing a simple structure:

1. Create a foundation using your wand to place multiple blocks at once
2. Build walls by looking at the foundation blocks and extending upward
3. Use the distance setting to control how high your walls go
4. Experiment with different block types to see how the selection changes

### Moving Forward

Once you're comfortable with basic placement, you can:

* Try the break mode to quickly remove large areas
* Experiment with line mode for straight paths and walls
* Use the storage system to keep your most-used blocks handy
* Upgrade to higher-tier wands for more advanced features

The key to mastering BuildersWand is practice. Start with simple projects and gradually increase complexity as you become more familiar with how the selection algorithms work.
