Here's a challenge that could be fun to puzzle out. Let's design a machine that can be given a block and then tell you which block it is.
The more kinds of blocks it can recognize the better. Obviously there are some blocks too similar to tell apart, so it's fine for the machine to sometimes provide a list of several possibilities instead of one definite answer.
The machine can destroy the block as part of its testing. And it can run on finite resources, or even be one use only. Bonus points if it can preserve the block and is infinite use, but being able to recognize as many blocks as possible is the most important goal here.
The only rule is that its test must be fully automatic. The player can't give it hints or guide it in any way.
Here are some block traits off the top of my head that it could test for:
1. Movability - is it obsidian, bedrock, chest, dispenser?
2. Conductivity - is it transparent, a stair, a slab, etc.?
3. Destroyed By Light - is it ice?
4. Destroyed by pistons - is it leaves, pumpkin, melon, etc.?
5. The piston test - does it move adjacent blocks when powered?
6. Slab absorbtion - if it's a slab, another slab of the same material pushed on top will combine with it
7. Size test - is it a slab, a stair, a fence, soul sand, any non standard size block? Perhaps test by trying to push snow golems onto it or across it
8. Dirt square spreading - is it grass or mycelium?
9. Mycelium test (does it cause saplings/flowers to pop out? or hopefully a more infinitely reusable test)
10. Detonation test - is it TNT?
11. Light test - is it glowstone?
12. Flow test - is it a liquid?
13. Lava test - does it burn items/destroy a boat/etc.?
14. Burn test - is it wood/wool/etc.?
15. Drop test - upon destruction, how many items does it drop? could be used to detect something that drops multiple items on being destroyed like melon or redstone ore
16. Spawn test - Can hostile mobs spawn on it? This might require a dungeon spawner to be efficient
17. Slow down test - Does it delay a dropped item from falling, proving that it's cobweb?
18. Blast test - can TNT destroy it?
19. Snow trail test - can a snow golem create snow on it?
20. Rail test - can a minecart travel across it? If so, can it accelerate the minecart or cause a redstone signal when the cart travels across?
21. Gravity test - does it fall, proving that its sand or gravel?
Ok, this all sounds amazing, but how would you get the machine to "output" the data to tell you waht block it is? sorry im really scratching my head on this one haha.
Wow, I'd love to see this a reality. It's like some sorta 20 questions deal. I don't know how you would be able to incorporate all of these but a few would seem easily possible.
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"I'm learning real skills that I can apply throughout the rest of my life ... Procrastinating and rationalizing.
I understand my tests are popular reading in the teachers' lounge." -Watterson
Ok, this all sounds amazing, but how would you get the machine to "output" the data to tell you waht block it is? sorry im really scratching my head on this one haha.
Have a torch for each type of block and have it light up.
EDIT: Can you place the block multiple places, like have a block for each detector like tnt and so on?
That's a good question. Are we allowed to have just one block of the material being tested, so we have to move it and preserve it for more testing as long as possible, or can we have multiple blocks in order to conduct different destructive tests?
I think we should view a machine that can analyze a single block and move it around between separate tests as the ultimate goal, but in working towards that we can have machines that test multiple blocks. So multiple blocks are allowed but not ideal.
And even if we design a more precise machine that needs multiple blocks, we should also build an inferior model that only needs a single block too. Just to see what the best single block machine is possible.
So far the machine analyzes:
-Grass/Mycelium (only works during day)
-Sand/Gravel
-Unmovables
Most sensors require you to remove the block you placed.
The entire machine, the lever is meant to be held down until the the next block is put in.
The analyzation panel (with obsidian in the sensor).
Most of the first picture is made up of the grass/mycelium test, which includes a BUD Switch, T-Flip Flop, and a mechanism to turn the sensor block back into regular dirt.
You put the sand/gravel/TNT in here. If it's sand/gravel it will be destroyed by the torch and sent to a wooden pressure plate. If it's TNT it'll be ignited and destroy the sand block and the redstone torch will light up.
I have found a way for testing if a block is TNT or Sand/Gravel that doesn't destroy machine parts. Push the block over a hole and power it. Have the block fall down to a BUD switch, with water where the block falls down. If the BUD switch is triggered, then the block is Sand/Gravel. If the BUD switch doesn't trigger, then the block is TNT. No pics yet, I'm still working on ways to make it seem well with other parts.
It probably would be pretty simple to make distinct detectors to test for each of those things separately, but to do it with just one block... Some of the tests inherently destroy the tested object or change it in some way, so those need to go at the end... The very first test must be is it normal, unmovable, or destroyed by pistons, and it must be able to tell all of those in a single test.
The only thing I can think is, pushing an unmovable block probably wouldn't cause a block update while anything else would, and things which are destroyed by the piston would not support gravity blocks above them no matter what. I can't think of anything else which would be unable to support sand that was on top, as long as it didn't fall first.
I think the TNT bit will be hard because you have to cram all this other testing equipment in and the TNT would probably destroy everything...
You could have it fall into a chute but then you would have to test sand/gravel there too.
However, if you've already tested if its sand or gravel then theres no problem this is not just about testing the block its about the order you do the tests in.
I gave up on the all-in-one system, it was waaaaaaay to bulky!
So I decided to post separate checking systems that could interact with one another!
TNT Detector without block destruction:
The system works because anything but TNT blocks would pass through the check. Sand/Gravel will not fall because there is no air below.
This can be improved to check for Pumpkin/Jack-o-Lanterns/Enderdragon Eggs (because they will also drop to the pit):
This system works because TNT will ignore waterflow, but dropped items won't. In this case though it will also detect torches, cactuses, etc. (though I imagine you wouldn't be able to check the cactus unless the piston was 1 block away)
Obsidian checker was made a few posts before, but it can be combined with redstone to check if it's obsidian, or a chest/furnace:
Chests and Furnaces do not let redstone currents through.
Sand/Gravel Check without block destruction:
It's really easy, actually. The sticky piston should retract while taking the block with it, but sand/gravel will fall back down. Any other block that passed the obsidian check will be retracted for further tests :smile.gif:.
Of course, you could do this instead, but it uses more pistons:
Glowstone Check:
Change the glass with opaque blocks. Chickens are always attracted to the highest amount of light, providing they are in range. With any other block they would prefer the torch, but with glowstone they would be attracted to it.
Another problem.
I just tried to make check for cactus, mushroom , flower, reed.
The block you place your test block on must be switchable since you can place some stuff only on specific blocks.
Like Cactus only on sand , flowers/saplings only on dirt etc.
a really nice project but What is the purpose of it when it's built?
It's a design challenge. There is no purpose.
Just kidding. This is to increase our knowledge, plus we could make adventure maps where we need a certain block to pass through a gate or something.
It's also fun.
The more kinds of blocks it can recognize the better. Obviously there are some blocks too similar to tell apart, so it's fine for the machine to sometimes provide a list of several possibilities instead of one definite answer.
The machine can destroy the block as part of its testing. And it can run on finite resources, or even be one use only. Bonus points if it can preserve the block and is infinite use, but being able to recognize as many blocks as possible is the most important goal here.
The only rule is that its test must be fully automatic. The player can't give it hints or guide it in any way.
Here are some block traits off the top of my head that it could test for:
1. Movability - is it obsidian, bedrock, chest, dispenser?
2. Conductivity - is it transparent, a stair, a slab, etc.?
3. Destroyed By Light - is it ice?
4. Destroyed by pistons - is it leaves, pumpkin, melon, etc.?
5. The piston test - does it move adjacent blocks when powered?
6. Slab absorbtion - if it's a slab, another slab of the same material pushed on top will combine with it
7. Size test - is it a slab, a stair, a fence, soul sand, any non standard size block? Perhaps test by trying to push snow golems onto it or across it
8. Dirt square spreading - is it grass or mycelium?
9. Mycelium test (does it cause saplings/flowers to pop out? or hopefully a more infinitely reusable test)
10. Detonation test - is it TNT?
11. Light test - is it glowstone?
12. Flow test - is it a liquid?
13. Lava test - does it burn items/destroy a boat/etc.?
14. Burn test - is it wood/wool/etc.?
15. Drop test - upon destruction, how many items does it drop? could be used to detect something that drops multiple items on being destroyed like melon or redstone ore
16. Spawn test - Can hostile mobs spawn on it? This might require a dungeon spawner to be efficient
17. Slow down test - Does it delay a dropped item from falling, proving that it's cobweb?
18. Blast test - can TNT destroy it?
19. Snow trail test - can a snow golem create snow on it?
20. Rail test - can a minecart travel across it? If so, can it accelerate the minecart or cause a redstone signal when the cart travels across?
21. Gravity test - does it fall, proving that its sand or gravel?
I understand my tests are popular reading in the teachers' lounge." -Watterson
Have a torch for each type of block and have it light up.
- Squarest of the Dogs
That's a good question. Are we allowed to have just one block of the material being tested, so we have to move it and preserve it for more testing as long as possible, or can we have multiple blocks in order to conduct different destructive tests?
I think we should view a machine that can analyze a single block and move it around between separate tests as the ultimate goal, but in working towards that we can have machines that test multiple blocks. So multiple blocks are allowed but not ideal.
And even if we design a more precise machine that needs multiple blocks, we should also build an inferior model that only needs a single block too. Just to see what the best single block machine is possible.
Interested in pro redstone? Check out ORE at openredstone.org
-Grass/Mycelium (only works during day)
-Sand/Gravel
-Unmovables
Most sensors require you to remove the block you placed.
The entire machine, the lever is meant to be held down until the the next block is put in.
The analyzation panel (with obsidian in the sensor).
Most of the first picture is made up of the grass/mycelium test, which includes a BUD Switch, T-Flip Flop, and a mechanism to turn the sensor block back into regular dirt.
You could have it fall into a chute but then you would have to test sand/gravel there too.
Interested in pro redstone? Check out ORE at openredstone.org
You put the sand/gravel/TNT in here. If it's sand/gravel it will be destroyed by the torch and sent to a wooden pressure plate. If it's TNT it'll be ignited and destroy the sand block and the redstone torch will light up.
Interested in pro redstone? Check out ORE at openredstone.org
The only thing I can think is, pushing an unmovable block probably wouldn't cause a block update while anything else would, and things which are destroyed by the piston would not support gravity blocks above them no matter what. I can't think of anything else which would be unable to support sand that was on top, as long as it didn't fall first.
still, good challenge, I want to see some of these!
Glowstone Wire | MCF Modlist
However, if you've already tested if its sand or gravel then theres no problem this is not just about testing the block its about the order you do the tests in.
For All Your Clay Soldiers And Arena Needs...
I think the first tests should be for items that get destroyed when trying to move with piston.
Like is it a torch is it a cactus or a mushroom etc.
So I decided to post separate checking systems that could interact with one another!
TNT Detector without block destruction:
The system works because anything but TNT blocks would pass through the check. Sand/Gravel will not fall because there is no air below.
This can be improved to check for Pumpkin/Jack-o-Lanterns/Enderdragon Eggs (because they will also drop to the pit):
This system works because TNT will ignore waterflow, but dropped items won't. In this case though it will also detect torches, cactuses, etc. (though I imagine you wouldn't be able to check the cactus unless the piston was 1 block away)
Obsidian checker was made a few posts before, but it can be combined with redstone to check if it's obsidian, or a chest/furnace:
Sand/Gravel Check without block destruction:
It's really easy, actually. The sticky piston should retract while taking the block with it, but sand/gravel will fall back down. Any other block that passed the obsidian check will be retracted for further tests :smile.gif:.
Of course, you could do this instead, but it uses more pistons:
Glowstone Check:
Change the glass with opaque blocks. Chickens are always attracted to the highest amount of light, providing they are in range. With any other block they would prefer the torch, but with glowstone they would be attracted to it.
That's all for now.
Glowstone Wire | MCF Modlist
I just tried to make check for cactus, mushroom , flower, reed.
The block you place your test block on must be switchable since you can place some stuff only on specific blocks.
Like Cactus only on sand , flowers/saplings only on dirt etc.
It's a design challenge. There is no purpose.
Just kidding. This is to increase our knowledge, plus we could make adventure maps where we need a certain block to pass through a gate or something.
It's also fun.
Glowstone Wire | MCF Modlist