If mirrors are placed in an area of high light, they would deflect a "stream" of light in the direction it's facing.
the stream of light would decrease in intensity the farther it has to go.
Here's an example: If you have ever used a flashlight, and pointed it out in front of a wall, it will be pretty bright. But if you point the flashlight at a wall a far distance from where you're standing, the light will be barely visible.
Also, depending on the level of light the mirror is on, it will transfer "heat", which will also have the same diminishing effect as light. Heat could be used to catch thing on fire, such as leaves, grass, or cotton. This could lead to interesting traps involving the breaking of a block in front of the mirror, which would set cotton on fire, which will set off dynamite, etc.
Here's how i think it would work.
= air
= glass
[iron] = iron
= plank
How about an emitter of some sort that throws a beam of light?
Combine that with mirrors at 45 degree angles, and you have a reliable method of lighting a mine without requiring torches. If the mirrors don't require wood, you wouldn't even need wood.
[iron]
[iron]
Just 4 blocks, 2 iron ingots, and a stone block, and sand=nothing.
And if you could create a prism out of glass to split beams, you could light up multiple paths!
How about an emitter of some sort that throws a beam of light?
Combine that with mirrors at 45 degree angles, and you have a reliable method of lighting a mine without requiring torches. If the mirrors don't require wood, you wouldn't even need wood.
[iron]
[iron]
Just 4 blocks, 2 iron ingots, and a stone block, and sand=nothing.
And if you could create a prism out of glass to split beams, you could light up multiple paths!
The wood is for the frame. And i don't think Notch would like laser beams, no matter how epic it would be.
Hm. It seems like it might be difficult to implement with the current lighting, but who knows. It could be worth a shot.
I think it'd be pretty neat to bounce light around. I was thinking maybe a mirror block that would simply send out light in all four directions if it's lit up, to keep things simple. I don't see the need for direction-specific mirrors in many cases.
I think it'd be nice to have a block that mirrors sunlight online, so need in a mine if I have a tunnel going straight up, then in the daytime sunlight would come down which I could deflect around for mob defense.
In terms of making mirrors, I rather think it might go better to just have a new material: silver.
Mine silver, smelt silver, 1 silver ingot turns into 1 panel mirror, turning one face of one block into a light source that re-emits at whatever level it receives. Or, make 9 ingots into a silver block that works like a mirror on all sides. Maybe 1 panel mirror plus some sticks for a standing mirror.
A shaft lined completely with mirrors (either mirrors or silver blocks) should be able to carry light with no attenuation as far as the mirror shaft goes.
Hm. It seems like it might be difficult to implement with the current lighting, but who knows. It could be worth a shot.
I think it'd be pretty neat to bounce light around. I was thinking maybe a mirror block that would simply send out light in all four directions if it's lit up, to keep things simple. I don't see the need for direction-specific mirrors in many cases.
That would be good, but the outgoing light should be stronger or weaker depending on how many of the "output" sides of the mirror block are blocked.
Huh. I mentioned this as an idea to a friend while on their server the other day, and thought I'd look it up to see if it was already suggested. And lo! It is here. I would suggest a few things to change/add, however.
1. The re-direction of light and it's effects. As we know, sunlight currently is cast as a bean straight down. Doesn't matter how deep the hole, sunlight will go all the way to the bottom at full strength. I don't see why that should be changed for the mirror re-directing that light, just how much the light travels outside the re-directed ray. I'd say have the light rapidly degrade by 30% (rounded down) each square away from the light ray itself, regardless of the light source. Basically, you'd always end up with a ray of light, with 3 squares of illumination around the light itself. This will make it ineffective at keeping mobs from spawning, but still allow light to be re=directed with some illumination. Mirrors will also reflect torch/lantern/jack-o-lantern light, though the strength of the light is relevant to the strength when it reaches the mirror, so placing a mirror right next to the source would be the best way. I'd say the degradation of the light should be 1/10th of the norm. This basically means that each light level of the source light will be lost every 10 spaces, instead of every space. That may need to be tested and modified, but that should be adequate. There, is, of course, a way to make the light extend further, and that is one of the additions to the idea I'd like to touch on next.
2. Prisms. Where's the fun in redirecting light a little if you can't split or focus it? Prisms either split one ray of light into two, or combine two into one. Split light will lose 20% (rounded down) of the ray's light level for the two new rays, and combined light will be 62.5% (rounded up) of the combined light levels. This is to prevent people abusing the mechanics and using a prism/mirror array to create lasers from one light source, basically. You'll have to combine multiple sources if you want to create stronger light. Two rays or light combined in this method will create a stronger ray with a higher light intensity. This is just a quick guesstimate, so feel free to play around with the numbers. So if you focus the light into a stronger ray, you get far more range from it on a mirror. There should also be something to do with that light besides making it stronger and redirecting, so:
3. Crystal Foci. Basically, a crystal ball that refracts light around it at the strength of the highest light source that hits it. Basically a torch/lantern that uses directed light. Aim a mirror at it, and the Crystal lights up with the light strength of the ray hitting it, degrading outwards just like any normal torch or lantern. This would make for some very interesting light setups... Now, what else to do with all this enhanced light?
3. Light properties. Light above a certain strength should be able to deal burning damage (as if on fire while in the light), and a bit higher, actually set things on fire. Rays from mirrors should be able to affect undead the same way sunlight does, as long as the light strength is 15 or higher. This could be used for defenses, traps, monster farming, you name it. Now onto the devices themselves and how they'd be made & modified...
4. Construction. I think mirrors should be constructed a little differently:
(Horizontal redirecting mirrors) Makes 3 HMirrors
&
(Vertical redirecting mirrors) Makes 3 VMirrors
This would give 2 ways to redirect light, while being relatively inexpensive to create. Changing the direction of a mirror is also as simple as tapping the side you'd like the mirror to face. Redstone circuits can also change mirror facing; tap the direction you'd like it to go while the circuit is active, and it'll switch between the two facings you've applied before and after. This also applies to prisms. As for prisms, this should easily suffice:
[] [] []
Makes 1 Prism
[] []
Now for the crystal foci/crystal ball:
[] []
Makes 1 Glass Foci/Ball
[] []
This should allow for easy construction and fairly inexpensive materials (minus the diamonds for the crystal foci/balls).
that just about sums it up. You could use these tools to create elaborate light setups, beacons to locate important landmarks you've found/discovered, true redstone lighthouses, underground lamps, giant light flarebombs, hallway death traps, etc. As always, your imagination is the only limit to what you could do. Thoughts? Suggestions? "This should go elsewhere you noob!"'s? Heh. Let me know.
I would like the addition of colored light beams, so we could make color displays and communication. The colors could be just red,green and blue, with them mixing when they overlap.They wouldnt be lasers trought.
I also think the mirror should be transparent, so we could build screens like this:
\
\
\
[] [] [] [] []
[] [] [] [] []
[] [] [] [] []
[] [] [] [] []
Furnace=beam emitter,
red/green/blue wool=light beam,
Glass=mix of the colors
Obsidian=special kind of block that changes color according to light it recieves
The beam emitter,when powered with redstone on it's back, would turn on or off. When powered on its sides it would change the strenght of the color. The color mixing would be like on a RGB color system, for example: 50% blue + 50% green= dark cyan.
The block that changes color according to the color of the light it recieves would send redstone power only when hit by a color you can select after placing it, similarly to note blocks.
*only clicks on the 2 next to mirrors and finds that somehow, someone created the exact same idea a month ago* .... this is what I get for not perusing the forums completely before posting. Time to edit out my post...
Quote from Bard »
I'd love having mirrors too, so +1 (I actually found this topic because I was thinking of proposing the same thing, so I checked the list and found this.)
My idea was using iron and glass, something like...
[]
[]
To create a block with a 45° tilted mirror that would reflect sunlight at 90* angle in the direction the block is pointing (so creating a horizontal beam if hit by a vertical one towards the direction it's facing, or a vertical beam if hit by a horizontal one facing up or down based on the side hit).
It would also the distance covered by light, doubling it or so, except for sunlight that would have no limit (or, if there are limits created by the game engine, the distance should reset everytime it hits a mirror or another item such as a block of glass or a "lens" block, for example made with:
[] []
[] []
[] []
Also mirrors ideally if activated by a redstone wire it would turn facing the direction of the redstone.
Another useful item would be a "prism" block, harder to make that would create a light source with power based on the intensity of the light beam that hits it. (stopping or not the beam, dunno)
[] []
[] []
(Instead of the diamond that I feel being too rare for a lightsource, a stone like lapis lazuli or another block of glass could be used)
The uses would be burning mobs and bringing daylight underground, but it could also be used as a base for more complex stuff like for example:
(just writing stuff off the top of my mind...)
A laser beam to emulate sunlight all the day (maybe without the burning mob part? maybe to transport redstone activation? maybe with only the burning part, but against everyone to make fences?) made by placing a "lens block" next to a lightsource like a fire block or a redstone torch.
A solar panel made with multiple mirrors and redstone that would switch on during the day, making a nice daytime indicator in the tunnels and also if engines or pumps are added providing energy for them.
A huge reflector that put in the middle of 4 fire blocks/torches woudl project a beam of light into the sky that could be used to indicate your bases position during the night without the need of building huge towers.
Etc.. You add some :tongue.gif:
What do you guys think? (also sorry for the wall of text)
Kudos to you for hitting a lot of the topics before me Bard! And sorry for not checking first... Props to you sir.
the stream of light would decrease in intensity the farther it has to go.
Here's an example: If you have ever used a flashlight, and pointed it out in front of a wall, it will be pretty bright. But if you point the flashlight at a wall a far distance from where you're standing, the light will be barely visible.
Also, depending on the level of light the mirror is on, it will transfer "heat", which will also have the same diminishing effect as light. Heat could be used to catch thing on fire, such as leaves, grass, or cotton. This could lead to interesting traps involving the breaking of a block in front of the mirror, which would set cotton on fire, which will set off dynamite, etc.
Here's how i think it would work.
= air
= glass
[iron] = iron
= plank
[iron]
Combine that with mirrors at 45 degree angles, and you have a reliable method of lighting a mine without requiring torches. If the mirrors don't require wood, you wouldn't even need wood.
[iron]
[iron]
Just 4 blocks, 2 iron ingots, and a stone block, and sand=nothing.
And if you could create a prism out of glass to split beams, you could light up multiple paths!
The wood is for the frame. And i don't think Notch would like laser beams, no matter how epic it would be.
I think it'd be pretty neat to bounce light around. I was thinking maybe a mirror block that would simply send out light in all four directions if it's lit up, to keep things simple. I don't see the need for direction-specific mirrors in many cases.
The mirror would be slanted at a 45o angle.
It's purpose would to turn vertical light pathing into horizontal light pathing, and the other way around, too.
It would mount similar to torches on the ground, on the wall, as well as on the ceailing.
Smacking it once would rotate it 90o, so mounting it on a certain face, as well as rotating it, would result in re-directing light wherever you want.
Mine silver, smelt silver, 1 silver ingot turns into 1 panel mirror, turning one face of one block into a light source that re-emits at whatever level it receives. Or, make 9 ingots into a silver block that works like a mirror on all sides. Maybe 1 panel mirror plus some sticks for a standing mirror.
A shaft lined completely with mirrors (either mirrors or silver blocks) should be able to carry light with no attenuation as far as the mirror shaft goes.
That would be good, but the outgoing light should be stronger or weaker depending on how many of the "output" sides of the mirror block are blocked.
1. The re-direction of light and it's effects. As we know, sunlight currently is cast as a bean straight down. Doesn't matter how deep the hole, sunlight will go all the way to the bottom at full strength. I don't see why that should be changed for the mirror re-directing that light, just how much the light travels outside the re-directed ray. I'd say have the light rapidly degrade by 30% (rounded down) each square away from the light ray itself, regardless of the light source. Basically, you'd always end up with a ray of light, with 3 squares of illumination around the light itself. This will make it ineffective at keeping mobs from spawning, but still allow light to be re=directed with some illumination. Mirrors will also reflect torch/lantern/jack-o-lantern light, though the strength of the light is relevant to the strength when it reaches the mirror, so placing a mirror right next to the source would be the best way. I'd say the degradation of the light should be 1/10th of the norm. This basically means that each light level of the source light will be lost every 10 spaces, instead of every space. That may need to be tested and modified, but that should be adequate. There, is, of course, a way to make the light extend further, and that is one of the additions to the idea I'd like to touch on next.
2. Prisms. Where's the fun in redirecting light a little if you can't split or focus it? Prisms either split one ray of light into two, or combine two into one. Split light will lose 20% (rounded down) of the ray's light level for the two new rays, and combined light will be 62.5% (rounded up) of the combined light levels. This is to prevent people abusing the mechanics and using a prism/mirror array to create lasers from one light source, basically. You'll have to combine multiple sources if you want to create stronger light. Two rays or light combined in this method will create a stronger ray with a higher light intensity. This is just a quick guesstimate, so feel free to play around with the numbers. So if you focus the light into a stronger ray, you get far more range from it on a mirror. There should also be something to do with that light besides making it stronger and redirecting, so:
3. Crystal Foci. Basically, a crystal ball that refracts light around it at the strength of the highest light source that hits it. Basically a torch/lantern that uses directed light. Aim a mirror at it, and the Crystal lights up with the light strength of the ray hitting it, degrading outwards just like any normal torch or lantern. This would make for some very interesting light setups... Now, what else to do with all this enhanced light?
3. Light properties. Light above a certain strength should be able to deal burning damage (as if on fire while in the light), and a bit higher, actually set things on fire. Rays from mirrors should be able to affect undead the same way sunlight does, as long as the light strength is 15 or higher. This could be used for defenses, traps, monster farming, you name it. Now onto the devices themselves and how they'd be made & modified...
4. Construction. I think mirrors should be constructed a little differently:
(Horizontal redirecting mirrors) Makes 3 HMirrors
&
(Vertical redirecting mirrors) Makes 3 VMirrors
This would give 2 ways to redirect light, while being relatively inexpensive to create. Changing the direction of a mirror is also as simple as tapping the side you'd like the mirror to face. Redstone circuits can also change mirror facing; tap the direction you'd like it to go while the circuit is active, and it'll switch between the two facings you've applied before and after. This also applies to prisms. As for prisms, this should easily suffice:
[] [] []
Makes 1 Prism
[] []
Now for the crystal foci/crystal ball:
[] []
Makes 1 Glass Foci/Ball
[] []
This should allow for easy construction and fairly inexpensive materials (minus the diamonds for the crystal foci/balls).
that just about sums it up. You could use these tools to create elaborate light setups, beacons to locate important landmarks you've found/discovered, true redstone lighthouses, underground lamps, giant light flarebombs, hallway death traps, etc. As always, your imagination is the only limit to what you could do. Thoughts? Suggestions? "This should go elsewhere you noob!"'s? Heh. Let me know.
-Shiar
I also think the mirror should be transparent, so we could build screens like this:
\
\
\
[] [] [] [] []
[] [] [] [] []
[] [] [] [] []
[] [] [] [] []
Furnace=beam emitter,
red/green/blue wool=light beam,
Glass=mix of the colors
Obsidian=special kind of block that changes color according to light it recieves
The beam emitter,when powered with redstone on it's back, would turn on or off. When powered on its sides it would change the strenght of the color. The color mixing would be like on a RGB color system, for example: 50% blue + 50% green= dark cyan.
The block that changes color according to the color of the light it recieves would send redstone power only when hit by a color you can select after placing it, similarly to note blocks.
Kudos to you for hitting a lot of the topics before me Bard! And sorry for not checking first... Props to you sir.