The lens block is a directional block that takes in sunlight and possibly lava-light/glowstone light and sends it out of one side (depending on how you place it). It wouldn't be as hard to code as you might be thinking.
Coding/Mechanics:
The blocks would be placed similar to pumpkins: they would be placed facing towards the player. With sensor blocks it wouldn't matter because they would be the same on all sides.
There are 5 input faces and 1 output face, The block only takes in light if
1) the sky, in the daytime, is directly overhead.
2) if there is a full lava source (if you can't pick it up with a bucket, it doesn't work) directly adjacent to it (not diagonal) in an input face.
3) There is glowstone adjacent to one of its inputs. This way torches, which are too cheap, don't work for powerful applications.
The block would gain a light level (separate from the current lighting system) of 1 for every sunlight, lava, or glowstone intake. These would be added together, with a maximum of 5 (5 faces besides the output) for a single lens block. this would be sent out the output, the block it touches (not the ones on the side, like sunlight does) would light up as if it had sunlight on it no matter what the power of the beam is. If a receptor face of another lens block is at the end of the beam, the light level of the beam will add up with the input number of the other sides. The limit using multiple lens blocks, then, would be 16, which is the same amount as light levels are normally, so would not be too lag-inducing or powerful, yet not too weak, either.
Crafting
The stone holds it together, glass is intake, diamond is the lens that directs it all to the output. If diamond is too expensive, it could be a lens in the middle, the lens being crafted with a 1x3 of glass. However, I think a diamond is a fair price and would willingly spend a stack or so on lens blocks. The lens blocks would be retrieved by mining them with an iron or diamond pickaxe.
Graphics: Please note that all this is not as important as the rest, so could be changed around however the developers want.
The block could have a blueish tinted circle on each of its sides, surrounded by stone. When the block is emitting light, the output face will be a yellow-white. The beam of light could be visible or not, if it is it should be around a block in size and partially transparent like water, and not be visible for level 1 beams. It could perhaps change depending on high or low graphic settings.
Light sensor blocks would look very similar to lens blocks. All sides would look like input faces of the lens blocks, but with dark red in the middle to show the connection to redstone (like how repeaters, torches, powered rails are all dark red when off) and will turn red when the light is great enough (on any of its sides) to activate redstone. This also distinguishes between lens blocks and sensor blocks.
Beam Light Levels
Please note that all levels above a number will do the same, so level 2+ will also light like sunlight on the block it touches as well as 1. All effects only happen to blocks at the end, not ones the light passes by.
1) Lights up block with sunlight-level light (15) all blocks around will also lit appropriately (14 right next to, then 13, and so on). Zombies and skeletons catch on fire as if they were standing in sunlight. 2) Power to redstone blocks (if added) and iron blocks. 4) Flammable blocks catch fire. 5) Small damage to player/mob like standing in fire, will catch fire if staying there too long. 8) Slow damage to dirt and weak materials (not things like glass or glowstone), water boils. 10) Doubled damage of 5 beam- light levels, catch on fire twice as quickly. 12) Furnace smelts at 1/2 normal rate. Glass is created when sand is hit. 16) Furnace smelts at normal speed. Slow damage to cobblestone (but not smoothstone), fast to dirt/weak materials (around punching to low level tools).
Smoothstone would be impervious to lens block light so as to not allow mining lasers, though cobblestone wouldn't (but be destroyed slowly still). Thus cobble factories would be possible, but if you want diamonds (and such), you have to work for them. The explanation for this would just be that smoothstone's smooth surface doesn't absorb much light so it isn't damaged. If you look at cobblestone, you will see dark in-between stones, which seems to be mortar (stuff used to hold bricks and stones together). This would melt under enough heat, so the block would fall apart and drop.
Uses
Solar furnace* (12 power):
Compact Beam* (16 power):
*Both images show lens blocks spaced one apart, it would be a lot more space efficient if they were like this:
Other uses:
-Lava/glowstone furnace
-Fully automatic sugarcane farm (more space efficient than using pistons)
-Automatic cobblestone factory
-Automatic smoothstone factory (with hoppers putting cobblestone from the cobble factory in furnaces that are powered by lens blocks)
-Tree farm (only with auto-sapling plant from chopped trees)
-Tripwires
-Pixel art/things you don't want to cover in torches, if beam is visible maybe not at 1-level for this reason
-Light traps
-Fire traps
-Beam could be used aesthetically for things such as lighthouse beams
-Cacti farms without close-block glitch
-Sand/gravel traps (destroy block under sand/gravel)
-Hidden traps/doors in walls (just have some lens blocks destroy part of the wall)
-Long distance "transmission"
Any other ideas?
Support Banners
The Lens Block banner I made (if someone has another one/idea for another one, please post)
List of possibilities
(Blue=Approved)
-Filtered (colored) light through stained glass/gem blocks (if possible)
-Beams could travel more than 16 meters (Approved for 64 meters).
-Light level above 16? Might be hard to code
-Light sensors? (approved)
-Redstone blocks, if added, might be an input
-Only destroy a few blocks, including cobblestone and excluding smoothstone, to prevent mining beams. (approved)
-Pigs killed by it might drop cooked pork (Already implemented, because flaming pigs drop cooked pork, and lens blocks catch them on fire)
Any other ideas?
Past Poll Results
Although none of the "No"s were explained, many explained the "Yes, but with a few changes", I will now have a poll asking which of these changes people want.
As you can see here, the community is generally against lens blocks being able to destroy smoothstone. I have removed that part. It seems that people want lens blocks to damage mobs at the levels they are now, so I'll keep that there. I'll add in sensor blocks now.
Now the 3/4 speed has been changed to full speed, lens blocks damage mobs 3x at level 16 and zombies and skeletons in lens block light burn as if they were in sunlight.
Latest Poll:
Now beams will travel 64 blocks.
Current Topic
Lantern blocks: Use the light beam mechanic to project light in all 6 directions. Here is a picture:
As you can see in the picture, lantern blocks project light onto the walls, ceiling, and floor better than glowstone, even in small areas. With higher ceilings glowstone blocks project little light onto the floor, but lantern blocks will shed just as much light on the floor as they do here for up to 64 blocks!
Anyone have any ideas on crafting, different kinds of lantern blocks, or textures? I'm open to all ideas!
Could be interesting, but implementation is unlikely - not before pistons at any rate. Some kind of mirrors/cameras/light manipulation will be needed eventually though.
Could be interesting, but implementation is unlikely - not before pistons at any rate. Some kind of mirrors/cameras/light manipulation will be needed eventually though.
Mirrors wouldn't work for concentrating light, just redirecting it. Under no circumstances is it possible, with only mirrors, to get multiple beams into one. Besides, pistons are being added for 1.5, this is unlikely to be added for 1.5 as it is a new suggestion. Cameras, on the other hand, are too high tech (lenses are just glass, or in this case diamond, carved into a shape), although they could perhaps be explained with magic, like portals.
There is no mod, I don't know how to mod, but someone is welcome to make a mod for it if they give me credit. This thread is meant to suggest that it be added to the game.
=> I dont think it really is a good idea for it to destroy things. Maybe only get some special block on fire?(maybe black wool)
=> Furnaces smelting faster could work.
It could be also interesing to add light filters(Stained glass or minerals like ruby,saphire and emerald?) that changed the light color, blocks that would change color upon being hit by the light, and mirrors. This way we could make displays.
Now that the piston mods will be out, sugarcane farms will be automatic, however there are a few drawbacks to these farms, 2 of which could be fixed with lens blocks.
1) The farms take a TON of pistons, so it is extremely expensive to make one (pistons take a lot of iron, for a 100 sugarcane farm it takes 500 iron, and that would be a slow output)
2) The farms also take a TON of redstone and redstone repeaters, even for small farms (that is, if you want it to be fully automatic)
The solutions:
1) the lens blocks would replace the pistons. Instead of a 1:1 piston to sugarcane ratio, you'd be able to have each lens block for a row of sugarcane, but that is still a lot of lens blocks (just not as many as pistons)
2) The lens blocks could be on constantly, so no massive redstone circuits
=> I dont think it really is a good idea for it to destroy things. Maybe only get some special block on fire?(maybe black wool)
=> Furnaces smelting faster could work.
It could be also interesing to add light filters(Stained glass or minerals like ruby,saphire and emerald?) that changed the light color, blocks that would change color upon being hit by the light, and mirrors. This way we could make displays.
The problem with only black wool catching is that it burns too quickly, it would be neat to have a piston-floodgate that puts out fire in your front lawn at the beginning of the day and lens blocks that light it during the night (using a lens block day-night "timer"), but it would only work if it didn't burn out (netherrack).
Filters would be awesome, though I'm not sure if they are possible. Furnaces smelting with both fuel and light should go faster, but both should work separately.
=> I dont think it really is a good idea for it to destroy things. Maybe only get some special block on fire?(maybe black wool)
=> Furnaces smelting faster could work.
It could be also interesing to add light filters(Stained glass or minerals like ruby,saphire and emerald?) that changed the light color, blocks that would change color upon being hit by the light, and mirrors. This way we could make displays.
The problem with only black wool catching is that it burns too quickly, it would be neat to have a piston-floodgate that puts out fire in your front lawn at the beginning of the day and lens blocks that light it during the night (using a lens block day-night "timer"), but it would only work if it didn't burn out (netherrack).
Filters would be awesome, though I'm not sure if they are possible. Furnaces smelting with both fuel and light should go faster, but both should work separately.
filters wount be as usefull, and they would require a way to add colour lighting in minecraft.
And, probably, lens blosk should output more values then simply lighting, probably summarise all light levels on their sides and let out a value divided by two, so it would go up to 37 for a one surrounded by lighting, and then find the next lens/sensor and give it the value... probably value-15, and the 15 should be added as simple light.
Too bad adding an effect to the glass block will cost editing the default glass block, and, actually, melting sand into glass seems like a good Idea, among with setting wooden blocks on fire.
Though, it should be restricted to break such blocks as obsidian/stone (maybe, allow stone for higher energy values), and piston, to allow making sistems with it.
=> I dont think it really is a good idea for it to destroy things. Maybe only get some special block on fire?(maybe black wool)
=> Furnaces smelting faster could work.
It could be also interesing to add light filters(Stained glass or minerals like ruby,saphire and emerald?) that changed the light color, blocks that would change color upon being hit by the light, and mirrors. This way we could make displays.
The problem with only black wool catching is that it burns too quickly, it would be neat to have a piston-floodgate that puts out fire in your front lawn at the beginning of the day and lens blocks that light it during the night (using a lens block day-night "timer"), but it would only work if it didn't burn out (netherrack).
Filters would be awesome, though I'm not sure if they are possible. Furnaces smelting with both fuel and light should go faster, but both should work separately.
filters wount be as usefull, and they would require a way to add colour lighting in minecraft.
And, probably, lens blosk should output more values then simply lighting, probably summarise all light levels on their sides and let out a value divided by two, so it would go up to 37 for a one surrounded by lighting, and then find the next lens/sensor and give it the value... probably value-15, and the 15 should be added as simple light.
Too bad adding an effect to the glass block will cost editing the default glass block, and, actually, melting sand into glass seems like a good Idea, among with setting wooden blocks on fire.
Though, it should be restricted to break such blocks as obsidian/stone (maybe, allow stone for higher energy values), and piston, to allow making sistems with it.
It wouldn't destroy:
-Pistons
-Furnaces
-Redstone wires, blocks, and ore
-Other lens blocks
-Obsidian
-Bedrock
-dispensers
-Allocators (if added)
-etc.
I think that lenses are a great idea. Lenses being able to light stuff on fire and destroy blocks = not great idea. I'm not sure I just missed it, but I didn't see anything in your post about light sensors. It's hard for me to imagine implementing lenses and light beams without having light sensors (especially when the lens can be activated by redstone). I think the real value for these would be semi-long distance data transfer in conjunction with redstone circuits. Tinting the light with stained glass and/or tinting the lens itself would add new decoration possibilities, and if tinted light sensors were also added, it would be a huge help for the data transfer. I think you should develop your idea along these lines instead of solar powered furnaces and mining drills that most likely will never be implemented. Another new thought: lanterns and tinted lanterns as a light source for the lens system.
I think that lenses are a great idea. Lenses being able to light stuff on fire and destroy blocks = not great idea. I'm not sure I just missed it, but I didn't see anything in your post about light sensors. It's hard for me to imagine implementing lenses and light beams without having light sensors (especially when the lens can be activated by redstone). I think the real value for these would be semi-long distance data transfer in conjunction with redstone circuits. Tinting the light with stained glass and/or tinting the lens itself would add new decoration possibilities, and if tinted light sensors were also added, it would be a huge help for the data transfer. I think you should develop your idea along these lines instead of solar powered furnaces and mining drills that most likely will never be implemented. Another new thought: lanterns and tinted lanterns as a light source for the lens system.
You know, you'll have to explain to me, how the coloured glass/sensors should be able to help data transfer, unnless you make a coloured mirrors, and then it'll be slowed down...
And, acually, since the output is still a redstone, it has no need to make more lines of transfer.
Even if you use it as alarm, and will have to read the colour th know, where it is, it would be probably better just to give the lens the ability to light mobs/players on fire...
(also, could anyone explain, what has the redstone input to do with a lens? I mean, redstone is not used in it, and it will actually make it a bit overpovered as a block, don't you think?)
I think that lenses are a great idea. Lenses being able to light stuff on fire and destroy blocks = not great idea. I'm not sure I just missed it, but I didn't see anything in your post about light sensors. It's hard for me to imagine implementing lenses and light beams without having light sensors (especially when the lens can be activated by redstone). I think the real value for these would be semi-long distance data transfer in conjunction with redstone circuits. Tinting the light with stained glass and/or tinting the lens itself would add new decoration possibilities, and if tinted light sensors were also added, it would be a huge help for the data transfer. I think you should develop your idea along these lines instead of solar powered furnaces and mining drills that most likely will never be implemented. Another new thought: lanterns and tinted lanterns as a light source for the lens system.
You know, you'll have to explain to me, how the coloured glass/sensors should be able to help data transfer, unnless you make a coloured mirrors, and then it'll be slowed down...
And, acually, since the output is still a redstone, it has no need to make more lines of transfer.
Even if you use it as alarm, and will have to read the colour th know, where it is, it would be probably better just to give the lens the ability to light mobs/players on fire...
(also, could anyone explain, what has the redstone input to do with a lens? I mean, redstone is not used in it, and it will actually make it a bit overpovered as a block, don't you think?)
A redstone wire piece would not light it up. The redstone-activation would just mean it would be blocked by a piston if restone is on (and you put a piston in the right spot). However, if a redstone block was put by it (if they are added, that is) the LIGHT from the redstone block would act as an input (if a single redstone torch lights seven, using one unit of dust, you'd be able to achieve over 2 times that (15) with a block, like with glowstone and lava. And as I said in the main post, light of 2+(beam value) would activate redstone wires, so no sensors necessary.
I think that lenses are a great idea. Lenses being able to light stuff on fire and destroy blocks = not great idea. I'm not sure I just missed it, but I didn't see anything in your post about light sensors. It's hard for me to imagine implementing lenses and light beams without having light sensors (especially when the lens can be activated by redstone). I think the real value for these would be semi-long distance data transfer in conjunction with redstone circuits. Tinting the light with stained glass and/or tinting the lens itself would add new decoration possibilities, and if tinted light sensors were also added, it would be a huge help for the data transfer. I think you should develop your idea along these lines instead of solar powered furnaces and mining drills that most likely will never be implemented. Another new thought: lanterns and tinted lanterns as a light source for the lens system.
You know, you'll have to explain to me, how the coloured glass/sensors should be able to help data transfer, unnless you make a coloured mirrors, and then it'll be slowed down...
And, acually, since the output is still a redstone, it has no need to make more lines of transfer.
Even if you use it as alarm, and will have to read the colour th know, where it is, it would be probably better just to give the lens the ability to light mobs/players on fire...
(also, could anyone explain, what has the redstone input to do with a lens? I mean, redstone is not used in it, and it will actually make it a bit overpovered as a block, don't you think?)
A redstone wire piece would not light it up. The redstone-activation would just mean it would be blocked by a piston if restone is on (and you put a piston in the right spot). However, if a redstone block was put by it (if they are added, that is) the LIGHT from the redstone block would act as an input (if a single redstone torch lights seven, using one unit of dust, you'd be able to achieve over 2 times that (15) with a block, like with glowstone and lava. And as I said in the main post, light of 2+(beam value) would activate redstone wires, so no sensors necessary.
I perfectly understand that it's your idea (and sorry, I thought you were meaning direct input to the lens, ^_^"), but don't you think that direct input from light to redstone is a bit unrealistic even for minecraft? Also, some dividing of the input light is necessary not to make lens too overpowered. And light sensor would be a neat addition, anyway... Maybe, with some dark glass to judge the input level?
I mean,
Where - red dust for sensor, and, probably, add smelting recipe for dark glass?
Table of Contents (click to skip to that section)
-Coding/Mechanics (How it works)
-Crafting
-Graphics
-Beam Light Levels (what the different strengths of light do)
-Uses for Lens Blocks
-Support Banners
-Possible things that could be added
-Past Poll Results
_______________________________________________________________________
Coding/Mechanics:
The blocks would be placed similar to pumpkins: they would be placed facing towards the player. With sensor blocks it wouldn't matter because they would be the same on all sides.
There are 5 input faces and 1 output face, The block only takes in light if
1) the sky, in the daytime, is directly overhead.
2) if there is a full lava source (if you can't pick it up with a bucket, it doesn't work) directly adjacent to it (not diagonal) in an input face.
3) There is glowstone adjacent to one of its inputs. This way torches, which are too cheap, don't work for powerful applications.
The block would gain a light level (separate from the current lighting system) of 1 for every sunlight, lava, or glowstone intake. These would be added together, with a maximum of 5 (5 faces besides the output) for a single lens block. this would be sent out the output, the block it touches (not the ones on the side, like sunlight does) would light up as if it had sunlight on it no matter what the power of the beam is. If a receptor face of another lens block is at the end of the beam, the light level of the beam will add up with the input number of the other sides. The limit using multiple lens blocks, then, would be 16, which is the same amount as light levels are normally, so would not be too lag-inducing or powerful, yet not too weak, either.
Crafting
The stone holds it together, glass is intake, diamond is the lens that directs it all to the output. If diamond is too expensive, it could be a lens in the middle, the lens being crafted with a 1x3 of glass. However, I think a diamond is a fair price and would willingly spend a stack or so on lens blocks. The lens blocks would be retrieved by mining them with an iron or diamond pickaxe.
Graphics: Please note that all this is not as important as the rest, so could be changed around however the developers want.
The block could have a blueish tinted circle on each of its sides, surrounded by stone. When the block is emitting light, the output face will be a yellow-white. The beam of light could be visible or not, if it is it should be around a block in size and partially transparent like water, and not be visible for level 1 beams. It could perhaps change depending on high or low graphic settings.
Light sensor blocks would look very similar to lens blocks. All sides would look like input faces of the lens blocks, but with dark red in the middle to show the connection to redstone (like how repeaters, torches, powered rails are all dark red when off) and will turn red when the light is great enough (on any of its sides) to activate redstone. This also distinguishes between lens blocks and sensor blocks.
Beam Light Levels
Please note that all levels above a number will do the same, so level 2+ will also light like sunlight on the block it touches as well as 1. All effects only happen to blocks at the end, not ones the light passes by.
1) Lights up block with sunlight-level light (15) all blocks around will also lit appropriately (14 right next to, then 13, and so on). Zombies and skeletons catch on fire as if they were standing in sunlight.
2) Power to redstone blocks (if added) and iron blocks.
4) Flammable blocks catch fire.
5) Small damage to player/mob like standing in fire, will catch fire if staying there too long.
8) Slow damage to dirt and weak materials (not things like glass or glowstone), water boils.
10) Doubled damage of 5 beam- light levels, catch on fire twice as quickly.
12) Furnace smelts at 1/2 normal rate. Glass is created when sand is hit.
16) Furnace smelts at normal speed. Slow damage to cobblestone (but not smoothstone), fast to dirt/weak materials (around punching to low level tools).
Smoothstone would be impervious to lens block light so as to not allow mining lasers, though cobblestone wouldn't (but be destroyed slowly still). Thus cobble factories would be possible, but if you want diamonds (and such), you have to work for them. The explanation for this would just be that smoothstone's smooth surface doesn't absorb much light so it isn't damaged. If you look at cobblestone, you will see dark in-between stones, which seems to be mortar (stuff used to hold bricks and stones together). This would melt under enough heat, so the block would fall apart and drop.
Uses
Solar furnace* (12 power):
Compact Beam* (16 power):
*Both images show lens blocks spaced one apart, it would be a lot more space efficient if they were like this:
Other uses:
-Lava/glowstone furnace
-Fully automatic sugarcane farm (more space efficient than using pistons)
-Automatic cobblestone factory
-Automatic smoothstone factory (with hoppers putting cobblestone from the cobble factory in furnaces that are powered by lens blocks)
-Tree farm (only with auto-sapling plant from chopped trees)
-Tripwires
-Pixel art/things you don't want to cover in torches, if beam is visible maybe not at 1-level for this reason
-Light traps
-Fire traps
-Beam could be used aesthetically for things such as lighthouse beams
-Cacti farms without close-block glitch
-Sand/gravel traps (destroy block under sand/gravel)
-Hidden traps/doors in walls (just have some lens blocks destroy part of the wall)
-Long distance "transmission"
Any other ideas?
Support Banners
The Lens Block banner I made (if someone has another one/idea for another one, please post)
Looks like this:
Copy and paste this:
GTG3000's Banner:
Copy and paste this:
List of possibilities
(Blue=Approved)
-Filtered (colored) light through stained glass/gem blocks (if possible)
-Beams could travel more than 16 meters (Approved for 64 meters).
-Light level above 16? Might be hard to code
-Light sensors? (approved)
-Redstone blocks, if added, might be an input
-Only destroy a few blocks, including cobblestone and excluding smoothstone, to prevent mining beams. (approved)
-Pigs killed by it might drop cooked pork (Already implemented, because flaming pigs drop cooked pork, and lens blocks catch them on fire)
Any other ideas?
Past Poll Results
Although none of the "No"s were explained, many explained the "Yes, but with a few changes", I will now have a poll asking which of these changes people want.
As you can see here, the community is generally against lens blocks being able to destroy smoothstone. I have removed that part. It seems that people want lens blocks to damage mobs at the levels they are now, so I'll keep that there. I'll add in sensor blocks now.
Now the 3/4 speed has been changed to full speed, lens blocks damage mobs 3x at level 16 and zombies and skeletons in lens block light burn as if they were in sunlight.
Latest Poll:
Now beams will travel 64 blocks.
Back to Top
Please feel free to comment! Make sure to press the +1 button at the bottom right corner of the post to show your support!
Pipes
Mirrors wouldn't work for concentrating light, just redirecting it. Under no circumstances is it possible, with only mirrors, to get multiple beams into one. Besides, pistons are being added for 1.5, this is unlikely to be added for 1.5 as it is a new suggestion. Cameras, on the other hand, are too high tech (lenses are just glass, or in this case diamond, carved into a shape), although they could perhaps be explained with magic, like portals.
Pipes
Go ahead.
Pipes
In all seriousness though, this is a really good idea, and would provide an infinite source of power to furnaces.
NAO
Seriously, if there is a mod, GIVE ME THE DOWNLOAD
Pipes
=> I dont think it really is a good idea for it to destroy things. Maybe only get some special block on fire?(maybe black wool)
=> Furnaces smelting faster could work.
It could be also interesing to add light filters(Stained glass or minerals like ruby,saphire and emerald?) that changed the light color, blocks that would change color upon being hit by the light, and mirrors. This way we could make displays.
1) The farms take a TON of pistons, so it is extremely expensive to make one (pistons take a lot of iron, for a 100 sugarcane farm it takes 500 iron, and that would be a slow output)
2) The farms also take a TON of redstone and redstone repeaters, even for small farms (that is, if you want it to be fully automatic)
The solutions:
1) the lens blocks would replace the pistons. Instead of a 1:1 piston to sugarcane ratio, you'd be able to have each lens block for a row of sugarcane, but that is still a lot of lens blocks (just not as many as pistons)
2) The lens blocks could be on constantly, so no massive redstone circuits
Although, sugar isn't really that purposeful without something to do with it other than bookcases, maybe sugar cubes http://www.minecraftforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=165617
Pipes
The problem with only black wool catching is that it burns too quickly, it would be neat to have a piston-floodgate that puts out fire in your front lawn at the beginning of the day and lens blocks that light it during the night (using a lens block day-night "timer"), but it would only work if it didn't burn out (netherrack).
Filters would be awesome, though I'm not sure if they are possible. Furnaces smelting with both fuel and light should go faster, but both should work separately.
Pipes
filters wount be as usefull, and they would require a way to add colour lighting in minecraft.
And, probably, lens blosk should output more values then simply lighting, probably summarise all light levels on their sides and let out a value divided by two, so it would go up to 37 for a one surrounded by lighting, and then find the next lens/sensor and give it the value... probably value-15, and the 15 should be added as simple light.
Too bad adding an effect to the glass block will cost editing the default glass block, and, actually, melting sand into glass seems like a good Idea, among with setting wooden blocks on fire.
Though, it should be restricted to break such blocks as obsidian/stone (maybe, allow stone for higher energy values), and piston, to allow making sistems with it.
(terrain/mobs/armor)
It wouldn't destroy:
-Pistons
-Furnaces
-Redstone wires, blocks, and ore
-Other lens blocks
-Obsidian
-Bedrock
-dispensers
-Allocators (if added)
-etc.
Pipes
Meh, tried to decompile and compile my client - got 100 errors.
(terrain/mobs/armor)
I'm looking at this, seems simple, to an extent...
Creating Necromancy since 2011!
Necro-ing Necromancy threads since 2014!
Repeatedly restarting mods since 2015!
You know, you'll have to explain to me, how the coloured glass/sensors should be able to help data transfer, unnless you make a coloured mirrors, and then it'll be slowed down...
And, acually, since the output is still a redstone, it has no need to make more lines of transfer.
Even if you use it as alarm, and will have to read the colour th know, where it is, it would be probably better just to give the lens the ability to light mobs/players on fire...
(also, could anyone explain, what has the redstone input to do with a lens? I mean, redstone is not used in it, and it will actually make it a bit overpovered as a block, don't you think?)
(terrain/mobs/armor)
A redstone wire piece would not light it up. The redstone-activation would just mean it would be blocked by a piston if restone is on (and you put a piston in the right spot). However, if a redstone block was put by it (if they are added, that is) the LIGHT from the redstone block would act as an input (if a single redstone torch lights seven, using one unit of dust, you'd be able to achieve over 2 times that (15) with a block, like with glowstone and lava. And as I said in the main post, light of 2+(beam value) would activate redstone wires, so no sensors necessary.
Pipes
http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2 ... button.jpg
just for that + 1:Diamond:
I perfectly understand that it's your idea (and sorry, I thought you were meaning direct input to the lens, ^_^"), but don't you think that direct input from light to redstone is a bit unrealistic even for minecraft? Also, some dividing of the input light is necessary not to make lens too overpowered. And light sensor would be a neat addition, anyway... Maybe, with some dark glass to judge the input level?
I mean,
Where - red dust for sensor, and, probably, add smelting recipe for dark glass?
(terrain/mobs/armor)