I've seen a couple suggestions for pipes and I wanted to expand on the idea and post my ideas to see what people think. most of the other threads I've seen on the topic just use the example for moving water or lava, but I have a broader idea that would allow not only transportation but the building of simple machinery for mass processing of resources.
recipe for creating pipe
[]
[] = pipe
[]
pipes would be one block in size and can be connected and directed similar to train tracks only they're able to be directed horizontally as well.
once a section of pipe is creating any object you toss next to one end with the Q button will get sucked in and pop out the other end. objects need to be in the adjacent block next to the pipe mouth to get sucked in. There could be a limit on how far an object can travel in the pipe similar to the restriction on redstone dust. so if your pipe is longer than 15 blocks then you will need to add a "pump" block to extend that. by default if a pipe goes downhill at all it will naturally "flow" that way so you will have a designated "entrance" and "exit" end. but if the pipe is completely horizontal or you want to move stuff uphill you will need to add a pump block. the pump blocks will have a toggle switch on them to determine which way the pipe flows.
if there's not enough power to get the object through the pipe or if the other end is blocked by something then the object will just pop back out the end you threw it in.
this could be used to create trash chutes, or alternative ways to carry ore and materials to the surface since it can be more vertical than minecart tracks.
in addition to this connecting pipe to other objects can link them together in a sort of assembly line machine.
for example
=pipe
[] [] [] [] []
[] [] [] [] []
[] [] [] [] [] []
we have a section of pipe connected to a furnace, then more pipe coming out the other side of the furnace and into a storage chest.
with this machine you would be able to toss in some pork chops. they'll go down the pipe (one at a time since you can't stack food) they'll be cooked and once they're done the next section of pipe will automatically pull them out of the furnace, and they'll be taken to the storage chest and dumped in there.
so instead of "babysitting" your porkchops or fish you could toss the days catch into the pipe and they would automatically be cooked and stored while you work on something else.
one thing I"m not sure on, and hopefully some of you will have an idea to remedy this is with moving water or lava. should the pipe actually grab the source block and spit that out the other end? and if it does then there wont be a source block next to the pipe entrance after that so how will it grab more water? also on the exit side.. if the source block then appears at the back end of the pipe and stays there then it will be blocking the exit allowing more water to come through.
the only thing I can think of is if notch changed water/lava source blocks so that they can be shoved by other blocks rather than just replaced. but then could flowing water push another water source block? if it could it would make it possible to hook up some pipe next to a pond and pump the water out.. but it would be a big change for now water behaves in the world now. not sure how difficult it would be.
regardless I think having pipe implemented could add alot to the gameplay. and if notch ever implements independent block entities and other simple machinery such as propellers, wheels etc. I can see even greater possibilities like building a harvester.
]" title="-<->" /> = propeller
=wheels
=pipe
]" title="-<->" />
[] [] []
with this you could roll forward, the powered propeller would cut down would into a a pickup object which would then be sucked into the pipe and put in the storage box and shazam, now you can go clear cut some forests.
recipe for creating pipe
[]
[] = pipe
[]
pipes would be one block in size and can be connected and directed similar to train tracks only they're able to be directed horizontally as well.
once a section of pipe is creating any object you toss next to one end with the Q button will get sucked in and pop out the other end. objects need to be in the adjacent block next to the pipe mouth to get sucked in. There could be a limit on how far an object can travel in the pipe similar to the restriction on redstone dust. so if your pipe is longer than 15 blocks then you will need to add a "pump" block to extend that. by default if a pipe goes downhill at all it will naturally "flow" that way so you will have a designated "entrance" and "exit" end. but if the pipe is completely horizontal or you want to move stuff uphill you will need to add a pump block. the pump blocks will have a toggle switch on them to determine which way the pipe flows.
if there's not enough power to get the object through the pipe or if the other end is blocked by something then the object will just pop back out the end you threw it in.
this could be used to create trash chutes, or alternative ways to carry ore and materials to the surface since it can be more vertical than minecart tracks.
in addition to this connecting pipe to other objects can link them together in a sort of assembly line machine.
for example
=pipe
[] [] [] [] []
[] [] [] [] []
[] [] [] [] [] []
we have a section of pipe connected to a furnace, then more pipe coming out the other side of the furnace and into a storage chest.
with this machine you would be able to toss in some pork chops. they'll go down the pipe (one at a time since you can't stack food) they'll be cooked and once they're done the next section of pipe will automatically pull them out of the furnace, and they'll be taken to the storage chest and dumped in there.
so instead of "babysitting" your porkchops or fish you could toss the days catch into the pipe and they would automatically be cooked and stored while you work on something else.
one thing I"m not sure on, and hopefully some of you will have an idea to remedy this is with moving water or lava. should the pipe actually grab the source block and spit that out the other end? and if it does then there wont be a source block next to the pipe entrance after that so how will it grab more water? also on the exit side.. if the source block then appears at the back end of the pipe and stays there then it will be blocking the exit allowing more water to come through.
the only thing I can think of is if notch changed water/lava source blocks so that they can be shoved by other blocks rather than just replaced. but then could flowing water push another water source block? if it could it would make it possible to hook up some pipe next to a pond and pump the water out.. but it would be a big change for now water behaves in the world now. not sure how difficult it would be.
regardless I think having pipe implemented could add alot to the gameplay. and if notch ever implements independent block entities and other simple machinery such as propellers, wheels etc. I can see even greater possibilities like building a harvester.
]" title="-<->" /> = propeller
=wheels
=pipe
]" title="-<->" />
[] [] []
with this you could roll forward, the powered propeller would cut down would into a a pickup object which would then be sucked into the pipe and put in the storage box and shazam, now you can go clear cut some forests.
what do you guys think?