Talk:Opacity

Soul sand?
Isn't soul sand transparent? It has 9/10 height of usual blocks, much like farmland. Xeoxer 14:00, 28 February 2012 (UTC)
 * Soul sand is not transparent. Sort of the same way a fence positions things higher than it appears, soul sand positions them lower, but the block of soul sand occupies its entire cube visually and thus there is no need for Minecraft to consider it a transparent block, because it would never have to render anything through its block. --Munin295 04:00, 7 November 2012 (UTC)

TNT?
"TNT is transparent." Following to the wikipage about TNT, TNT is not transparant. I tested this and the light level reduces in a building made of TNT. TNT is not transparant –Preceding unsigned comment was added by 119.4.250.97 (Talk) 07:53, 11 July 2012‎ (UTC). Please sign your posts with
 * Confirmed (v1.4.2): TNT is not a transparent block. I'll change it. --Munin295 05:01, 6 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Actually, it may be more complicated than that. Looking at Orthotope's code decompilation summary, TNT, the block, has an opacity of 255 (like stone, etc.) and thus stops the propagation of light. But tnt, the material, has isTranslucent set to YES and isOpaque set to NO (incidentally, glowstone has all the same values). So there's actually three different values which define a block's "opacity". This is probably worth exploring/explaining in the Opacity article sometime, but I think elsewhere the term "opacity" should just be used to describe the propagation of light level (because that's what most players care about), so TNT should still be considered an opaque block. --Munin295 17:28, 7 November 2012 (UTC)

Comparators and Tripwire Hooks
It looks like this page hasn't been updated in a while, as comparators and tripwire hooks aren't on the chart of types of transparent blocks even though they are transparent. 50.47.89.63 05:52, 1 May 2013 (UTC)


 * On a similar note, it appears cobwebs have been overlooked. --Quartzmmn (talk) 03:29, 29 September 2013 (UTC)

About Redstone Block and TNT
"At first sorry for my bad english (I'm BR)

Theses blocks are transparent, but its partial. We need to create a new category in Types of Transparent Blocks, I think."

-Gerottinho 00:41, 27 July 2013 (UTC)
 * For the moment, I've just added them under "solid blocks". Contra Munin above, transparency is not just about blocking light, and there are other blocks which block light but otherwise act like Minecraft transparent blocks.  We probably do need a better discussion of the components of transparency:  Munin above cites isTranslucent, isOpaque, and the "opacity" of light transmission, and the texture itself is a fourth. --Mental Mouse 13:01, 27 July 2013 (UTC)

There are different types of transparency so should we have a special name for each
Blocks can be see-through (transparent) or semi see-through (translucent) which is one type of transparency like glass. Blocks can be so Steve will fall through them without resistance and so he will with resistance that is another type like torches or signs or buttons on the side of a block. Blocks can also not support other blocks to an extent like torches or redstone or signs; an example is glowstone and glass to an extent. ~ LABHOUSE (LH) 17:54, 19 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Aside from the four items I cited above (perhaps Munin can properly describe what each does), you are adding the issue of collision boxes, especially the difference between full and partial blocks. In fact, torches, redstone, saplings, etc can "support" other blocks just fine, but they themselves can only be attached to certain blocks, with individual restrictions by type (solid/opaque/full, dirt/farmland, top/sides, and so on).  --Mental Mouse 12:59, 20 August 2013 (UTC)


 * LABHOUSE, you are basically correct. There are block "behaviors" that are primarily associated with transparent blocks, but then exceptions get coded in that blur the definitions. Here are some behaviors that are associated with opacity:
 * rendering -- when the game renders the block, does it completely block rendering of everything behind it? Some blocks are transparent, allowing background to be seen through them, while others are partially opaque (like stairs), blocking part of the background and not the rest.
 * light propagation -- some blocks transmit light fully, some partially, and some not at all. Further compounded by the fact that some blocks (e.g., air, glass) treat sky light slightly differently than block light.
 * suffocation -- "opaque" blocks suffocate mobs while "transparent" blocks do not.
 * mob spawning -- mobs can spawn on "opaque" blocks, but not on "transparent" blocks. Interestingly, mobs can spawn on hoppers even though hoppers transmit sky light unchanged (maybe the condition has been changed to a solid upper surface?).
 * grass growth/death -- complicated.
 * chests opening -- can't with "opaque" block above
 * leaves growth -- leaves can replace "transparent" blocks when trees grow (is this still the case? I'm not sure).
 * fence/wall configuration -- will connect to "opaque" blocks (I believe this may have changed to a solid side condition?)
 * door orientation -- doors will try to position their hinge side next to an opaque block when placed.
 * particle drip -- water/lava particles will drop from opaque blocks under water/lava (I'm not sure if this is still the case)
 * cutting redstone dust -- "opaque" blocks will prevent redstone dust from connecting vertically diagonally.
 * block attachment -- "attachable" blocks (torches, buttons, etc.) can be attached to opaque blocks only (there are a lot of exceptions to this "rule"!).


 * I think a good project for someone would be to expand the list of transparent blocks to clearly describe all these behaviors and which blocks are exceptions. Those exceptions should also be listed in the individual block articles (as I did recently with [//www.minecraftwiki.net/index.php?title=Redstone_Lamp&action=historysubmit&diff=516607&oldid=510469 redstone lamp]).


 * &mdash;Munin295 &middot; Book and Quill.png Stone Pickaxe.png &middot; 17:54, 20 August 2013 (UTC)


 * Munin, apparently you have source access (which I don't) -- perhaps you could sort out which characteristics depend on which block flags? --Mental Mouse 14:39, 21 August 2013 (UTC)


 * I don't, sorry. Just things I've observed and discussions I've had with others who do have access. Orthotope's block decompilation is especially interesting -- there are three separate flags for opacity: block opacity, material isOpaque, and material isTranslucent (these are decompiled names, so no way to be sure of their actual intent), but these alone aren't sufficient to explain some exceptions, so there must be "hard-coded" exceptions.
 * &mdash;Munin295 &middot; Book and Quill.png Stone Pickaxe.png &middot; 16:10, 21 August 2013 (UTC)


 * Scaffolding in 1.14 (Village & /and Pillage Update) can be Placed-sideways (to about 5 [technically 4 PlayStation Edition or 6 Java /Bedrock ed's. ] Blocks, before-falling), and is "Transparent." Giant Mushrooms..? (Bone Meal'ing, Mushrooms into Giant Mushrooms, using-cover of easily-Placed and-Removed - New - Scaffolding..? [if wide-enough, from parallel-vertical tower, that is])


 * I mean, I've just read that Placing a Mushroom, Before-removing a Sun-Blocking, Block above ("semi-Transparent" ..? How [much?], "Transparent" ...??), Still-allows the Giant Mushroom to be Grown (via Bone Meal'ing, that is specifically). So how - "much" ..? - "Transparent," is for example (the New) Scaffolding?? (and wow, but it affects - Which, "Transparency," "amount" ? - Beds??) Yilante 9 /23 /19. 6:55 a.m. 76.209.248.192 14:15, 23 September 2019 (UTC)

Re-thinking this page
Transparent block behavior is extremely complicated and different for each block, and a lot of this isn't documented anywhere. It's definitely too complex to be split up into sections like "cube solids" or whatever. We need to rethink how we classify transparent blocks, and we need to retest a lot of blocks as transparency was changed for a lot of blocks in 1.14. -PancakeIdentity (talk) 18:33, 31 July 2019 (UTC)
 * Is there an official definition of transparent in Minecraft? If so, then all blocks would need to stay on this page. If not, we can split this article. The BlobsPaper.png 23:20, 31 July 2019 (UTC)
 * I'm against the idea of splitting, it would just confuse readers. The article is about all these propeties closely related/similar, comparison can make it easier to differentiate. Let's come up what categories do blocks even belong. I'm proposing "solid in shape","can see to the other side of it with or without light", and "considered transparent by the game". In a better sounding way. Similar to the Observer comparison table. Unless there's a relation. The "we can see behind it" part needs a new name, transparency as a game mechanic is well established if slightly modifying the article. Niutp (talk) 05:09, 1 August 2019 (UTC)


 * All this sounds great. Thanks for continuing this, folks.  Yilante 9 /23 /19, 6:58 a.m. 76.209.248.192 13:58, 23 September 2019 (UTC)

Jack o'Lantern
The Jack o'Lantern is listed as a transparent block. However, it does not prevent mob spawning at all (other than via its emitted light - not just slimes, but also ghasts and magma cubes can spawn on it), and it's a perfectly fine solid block in terms of redstone signal transmission. Apparently it also blocks (sky?) light already, so why is it mentioned as transparent at all? RealWormbo (talk) 09:29, 12 August 2020 (UTC)