Tutorials/Mechanisms

Mechanisms are simple systems of blocks used to perform complex tasks, such as opening a door from afar or revealing a hidden staircase. These complex systems are built from simple components, and involve some kind of user input, like breaking a torch, and some kind of result, like a door being revealed. Mechanisms can range from simple switches that open and close doors from a safe distance, to complex devices such as combination locks that prevent intruders from entering your fort.

This page is a work in progress, so feel free to add your own components and mechanisms as you build and the game develops. Pictures are encouraged, but not required.

Components
These are the basic, modular parts which can be combined to form any complex mechanism. Please note that individual items in the game are not considered components.

Physical Components

 * Sand Switch
 * Sand placed above a torch will not fall until the torch is broken. This can be used to control water flow above the user or cause torches connected to the falling sand to break.


 * Pit
 * Pit into which sand or water may fall.


 * Reservoir
 * Natural or user-made lake which stores water to be used in a mechanism.


 * Water Channel
 * A channel in which water can flow. Often used to break torches, causing things to fall

Electrical Components
See Crafting:Mechanism_Recipes and Redstone circuits for these components.

Mechanisms
Useful devices made from the combination of components.

Standard Mechanisms

 * Airlock

Hidden Mechanisms

 * Traps
 * Hidden Door
 * Simple hidden opening revealed by breaking a torch.
 * Make a sand switch which opens a reservoir allowing water to flow down a short channel to a pit. The pit allows the water to drop below floor level and break torches supporting a sand wall above a pit. When the sand wall falls, an opening is revealed.


 * Hidden Floor Staircase
 * Hidden staircase in the floor revealed by breaking a torch.
 * Make an inverted sand or gravel staircase in the floor of a room(one block wide), supported by torches. Make a water channel or water channels adjacent to the torches so that when they are filled, the torches break and the stairs will fall. (IMPORTANT: make sure that that the sand or gravel will cover the water hole after it falls to avoid flooding) Make a sand switch which opens a reservoir allowing water to flow down a short channel to a pit. The pit allows the water to drop beneath the floor and run to the torches holding the staircase.


 * Hidden Ceiling Staircase
 * Hidden staircase in the ceiling of a room
 * Make a gravel or sand straircase in the ceiling of a room supported by torches connected to blocks of sand supported by more torches. Make a channel run next to the lower torches and back to a reservoir. Make a sand switch that can open the reservoir. When the torch in the sand switch is broken, water should flow down the channel breaking the first set of torches causing the sand to fall. The sand would both close off the channel to negate flooding and break the torches attached to it, causing the staircase to fall.
 * Example of one 'step' and the reservoir system

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %%+%%%%%%%%%% %%       %%+%%%%%%%%%%+ ~ %%  %%+%%%%%%%%O + ~ %% %%^+%%%%%%%%%+%%%%%% %% ^O%%%%%%%%+%%%%%% %% %%%%%%%%%%+%%%%%% % %+%%%%%%             % %+%%%%%%             % ^%%%%%%              % % %%%%%%             %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%


 * % = Stone
 * + = Sand
 * ~ = Water
 * ^ = Torch
 * O = Channel running 'into the page'


 * Assuming the two channels in this picture are connected, when the torch near the floor level is broken water from the resivour will flow to the other torchs and drop the 'step' down to the floor. other sequential steps can be added to make a staircase.

Electronic Mechanisms

 * Item Activated Door
 * A door that only opens when an item is dropped into a pit of water.
 * Make three-deep a pit near a metal door. Build a level channel away from the base of the pit. Place a wood pressure plate in the channel no more than 8 blocks from the base of the pit. Wire the plate to the door( not through the channel). You will have to run the wire back up to the surface, or very nearly so, but it can be concealed under well-placed walls. Cover the channel and place a block of water at the top of the pit, allowing water to flow down the channel. Any item thrown in the pit should flow down to the plate and cause the wire to activate, thus opening the door.


 * Flashing Indicator Light
 * A blinking red torch activated when a pressure plate is stepped on. Can be used to tell if mobs are sneaking through your caves.
 * Make a pressure plate wired to the input of a red torch. Wire the output of the first torch to the input of a new red torch. Run the output of the new torch to its own input, creating a blinking loop. Wire the output of the new torch to the input of any other torch to carry the blinking effect.
 * Example:

O-+^+^ | |                 |____|


 * O = Pressure Plate
 * + = Block
 * ^ = Redstone Torch (stuck to side of block)
 * All others = Wires


 * The loop on the right will flicker on and off when the plate is stepped on.


 * Combination Lock
 * A door that opens when a certain sequence of buttons has been pressed.
 * (Note: A moderate understanding of logic gates is needed for this device.)
 * Connect a series of buttons to the S-input of RS Latches. Feed the Q or ~Q (choose which one for each latch to set the combination) outputs of the RS Latches into a series of AND gates, and connect the final output to an iron door. Finally, connect a single button to all the R-inputs of the RS Latches.
 * Example:



Cannons

 * A cannon is a mechanism that can be used to launch TNT that explodes, making it a powerful weapon against mobs.
 * It can also be used as a transport system, as it can launch humans, however this is not recommended. Even if you survive the actual launch, you might not survive the fall.
 * Cannons range from small (about 3-5 blocks large) to REALLY large cannons as seen in this video


 * To build a cannon, you will need some kind of material to make it. Some popular choices are Cobblestone, Rock & Obsidian.
 * The best block to use would be Obsidian, because if the cannon misfires, it won't be ruined.