So after playing around with fireworks in the newest snapshot I came across a handful of discoveries purely by happenstance, and put together those discoveries to make a horizontal firework cannon.
The first discovery is that when a firework collides with a block it won't pass through it, and won't go up again until it's eventual horizontal drift moves it out from under that block.
A second discovery is that flowing water will influence a rockets trajectory. (In a minor way at first)
Third, I found that when a rocket will accelerate in any horizon direction it's forced to move in. So even though water only pushes the rocket a small amount, as it flies longer that small horizontal movement compounds into a massive arc.
Finally, to go along with the third discovery, as a firework gains horizontal speed it will lose vertical velocity.
After having played around to find these four properties of fireworks, I had a pretty good idea how to use those mechanics: Launching fireworks in any particular horizontal direction. And so I devised a design. It would use flowing water to direct the firework, and it would be covered as to limit the rocket's upward movement. I came up with something like this.
Except with a water block placed on top of where the gold block is. Basically all blocks are visible in this picture. And the design worked. I found that it was even more effective if you extended it out to have two cover blocks along a water stream, but past three the potential distance seems to fall off.
Usage is pretty simple. Just place a firework on the gold block (Where the water source block is placed) and it will do pretty much exactly what you want it to. In order to get any major distance, it is necessary to have a fuse length of three. (Place two additional gunpowder with the paper when crafting the rocket.)
I would be very happy if someone else tested this for themselves and confirmed that it works. I'd put up a demonstration video of it if I had a video capture program on my computer.
EDIT: zeel made a video demonstration of it, so all the thanks to him.
That's where I placed the roof. having it go up an extra block loses some of it's potential. I place the rocket on the gold block, not where the gold block is. Anyway, it's good to see that you get the same results. This has some potentially interesting applications.
As stated if you add additional roof blocks one or two blocks down the water stream you get a more horizontal flight.
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You can replace the slabs with trap doors and hook them up to a simple redstone circuits to have them open and close to get more variety in the location they explode in.
You can replace the slabs with trap doors and hook them up to a simple redstone circuits to have them open and close to get more variety in the location they explode in.
I've tested similar designs, and I can tell you that this specific layout doesn't work. Any layout that has a dispenser firing directly into water will result in the firework flying off, but not detonating correctly. I made a design that works with dispensers but it doesn't fire nearly as far because you have to bury the dispenser one block below where it is now and put a sign in front of it. That way it fires into air and still explodes properly.
EDIT: To be honest, both this design and even the one I posted is overdesigned. All you really need is a block on top of a water source, on top of another block. Then just put a hole in the group in the direction you want it to launch. (Diagonals work too.)
For example
B=Block
W=Water Source
H=Block that can be removed to fire in this direction.
A= Air
I've tested similar designs, and I can tell you that this specific layout doesn't work. Any layout that has a dispenser firing directly into water will result in the firework flying off, but not detonating correctly. I made a design that works with dispensers but it doesn't fire nearly as far because you have to bury the dispenser one block below where it is now and put a sign in front of it. That way it fires into air and still explodes properly.
EDIT: To be honest, both this design and even the one I posted is overdesigned. All you really need is a block on top of a water source, on top of another block. Then just put a hole in the group in the direction you want it to launch. (Diagonals work too.)
For example
B=Block
W=Water Source
H=Block that can be removed to fire in this direction.
A= Air
First level:
HHH
HBH
HHH
Second:
AAA
AWA
AAA
Third:
AAA
ABA
AAA
It's obnoxiously simple in design.
The design I posted works. I have built it myself and tested it. I would not post info on something unless I have made it and tested it.
The design I posted works. I have built it myself and tested it. I would not post info on something unless I have made it and tested it.
I wouldn't have said it didn't work if I hadn't recreated it and made it myself just to be sure. And after getting an idea I realized what the issue was. That design doesn't work with fireworks if they have a fuse length/flight duration of three. I'm assuming this is because the distance between where the launcher spits it out and where it explodes is actually too great to have loaded at one time. (At least in single player)
With a flight duration of two it functions properly.
Maybe I am doing it wrong, but when I try your setup about 90% of the rockets fly outside of the render distance (far btw.) before they explode.
My design? That's odd. When I use a dispenser they fly beyond the render distance, but if you do it by hand they don't. If you use a dispenser you have to use flight duration 2 rockets.
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I'm the bard. Always will be. And no one EVER respects the bard.
The first discovery is that when a firework collides with a block it won't pass through it, and won't go up again until it's eventual horizontal drift moves it out from under that block.
A second discovery is that flowing water will influence a rockets trajectory. (In a minor way at first)
Third, I found that when a rocket will accelerate in any horizon direction it's forced to move in. So even though water only pushes the rocket a small amount, as it flies longer that small horizontal movement compounds into a massive arc.
Finally, to go along with the third discovery, as a firework gains horizontal speed it will lose vertical velocity.
After having played around to find these four properties of fireworks, I had a pretty good idea how to use those mechanics: Launching fireworks in any particular horizontal direction. And so I devised a design. It would use flowing water to direct the firework, and it would be covered as to limit the rocket's upward movement. I came up with something like this.
Except with a water block placed on top of where the gold block is. Basically all blocks are visible in this picture. And the design worked. I found that it was even more effective if you extended it out to have two cover blocks along a water stream, but past three the potential distance seems to fall off.
Usage is pretty simple. Just place a firework on the gold block (Where the water source block is placed) and it will do pretty much exactly what you want it to. In order to get any major distance, it is necessary to have a fuse length of three. (Place two additional gunpowder with the paper when crafting the rocket.)
I would be very happy if someone else tested this for themselves and confirmed that it works. I'd put up a demonstration video of it if I had a video capture program on my computer.
EDIT: zeel made a video demonstration of it, so all the thanks to him.
As stated if you add additional roof blocks one or two blocks down the water stream you get a more horizontal flight.
D= dispencer
B=any block
W=water block
S=half slab
A=air
P=pressure plate
1st level:
BBBB
BWAP
BDBB
2nd level
AAAA
ASSA
AAAA
You can replace the slabs with trap doors and hook them up to a simple redstone circuits to have them open and close to get more variety in the location they explode in.
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I've tested similar designs, and I can tell you that this specific layout doesn't work. Any layout that has a dispenser firing directly into water will result in the firework flying off, but not detonating correctly. I made a design that works with dispensers but it doesn't fire nearly as far because you have to bury the dispenser one block below where it is now and put a sign in front of it. That way it fires into air and still explodes properly.
EDIT: To be honest, both this design and even the one I posted is overdesigned. All you really need is a block on top of a water source, on top of another block. Then just put a hole in the group in the direction you want it to launch. (Diagonals work too.)
For example
B=Block
W=Water Source
H=Block that can be removed to fire in this direction.
A= Air
First level:
HHH
HBH
HHH
Second:
AAA
AWA
AAA
Third:
AAA
ABA
AAA
It's obnoxiously simple in design.
The design I posted works. I have built it myself and tested it. I would not post info on something unless I have made it and tested it.
I wouldn't have said it didn't work if I hadn't recreated it and made it myself just to be sure. And after getting an idea I realized what the issue was. That design doesn't work with fireworks if they have a fuse length/flight duration of three. I'm assuming this is because the distance between where the launcher spits it out and where it explodes is actually too great to have loaded at one time. (At least in single player)
With a flight duration of two it functions properly.
I realize the quality is a bit poor. . .
My design? That's odd. When I use a dispenser they fly beyond the render distance, but if you do it by hand they don't. If you use a dispenser you have to use flight duration 2 rockets.
I have yet to see anyone say what happens when the fireworks hit a player or mob in flight. Any damage done?
No, they're harmless. They pass straight through mobs without influencing their flight pattern.