Template:BlockTileEntity
The dropper is a block that can be used to eject items, or push items into another container.
The dropper is not available in the Xbox 360 or PS3 editions.
Obtaining
Droppers can be mined using any pickaxe. If mined without a pickaxe, it will drop nothing.
Crafting
| Ingredients | Crafting recipe |
|---|---|
| Cobblestone + Redstone |
Usage
A dropper can be used as a container or as a redstone component.
To place a dropper, use the "Use Item/Place Block" control (right-click, by default). A dropper can be placed so that its output faces in any direction, including up or down. When placed, the dropper's output will face in the direction it was placed from.
To remove a dropper, use the "Attack/Destroy" control (left-click, by default). Removing a dropper by hand takes 17.5 seconds (or much faster with a pickaxe) and it will drop itself as an item as well as any contents.
Container
A dropper has 9 slots of inventory space.
To open the dropper GUI, use the Use Item/Place Block control. To move items between the dropper inventory and the player inventory or hotbar while the dropper GUI is open, drag or shift-click the items. To exit the dropper GUI, use the Esc control.
By default, the GUI of a dropper is labeled "Dropper". A dropper's GUI label can be changed by naming the dropper in an anvil before placing it, or by using the blockdata command (for example, to label a dropper at (0,64,0) "Alice's Dropper", use blockdata 0 64 0 {CustomName:"Alice's Dropper"}).
A dropper can be "locked" (or subsequently unlocked) by setting the dropper's Lock tag with the blockdata command. If a dropper's Lock tag is not blank, the dropper cannot be accessed except by players holding an item with the same name as the Lock tag's text. For example, to lock a dropper at (0,64,0) so that only players holding an item named "Alice's Key" can access the dropper, use blockdata 0 64 0 {Lock:"Alice's Key"}.
Redstone component
A dropper can be used to eject items, or push items into another container.
- Activation
- A dropper can be activated by:
- an adjacent active power component (Exceptions: a redstone torch will not turn ON a dropper it is attached to)
- an adjacent powered opaque block (strongly-powered or weakly-powered)
- a powered redstone repeater or redstone comparator facing the dropper
- powered redstone dust configured to point at the dropper, or on top of it, or a directionless "dot" next to it; a dropper is not activated by adjacent powered redstone dust which is configured to point in another direction.
- In addition to the methods above, droppers can also be activated by quasi-connectivity (aka "connectivity" or "indirect power"). A dropper will be activated if one of the methods above would activate a mechanism component in the block above the dropper, even if there is no mechanism component there (even if the block above the dropper is air or a transparent block), but only when the dropper receives a block update (including a redstone update within two blocks of the dropper).
- A dropper will not activate if it has been less than 1 redstone tick (0.1 seconds, barring lag) since its last activation ended.
- Behavior
- When activated, a dropper ejects one item from its inventory. If multiple slots are occupied by items, a random occupied slot will be chosen for ejection.
- If the dropper is facing a container, the ejected item will be transferred into the container. Otherwise, the item is ejected in the direction the dropper is facing, as if the player had used the Drop control.
- A delay of 2 redstone ticks (0.2 seconds, barring lag) occurs between when the dropper is activated and when it ejects an item. However, the dropper doesn't decide which item to eject until the moment it ejects it, and can even eject an item that was moved into the dropper during the delay.
- A dropper makes a clicking noise (the
random.clicksound event) when activated empty or when ejecting items into air, but is silent when it successfully transfers an item into another container.
A dropper is an opaque block, so powering it directly can cause adjacent mechanism components (including other droppers) to activate as well.
A line of droppers, each pushing items into the next dropper, is known as a dropper pipe. A dropper pipe must be clocked to move items, but can be clocked to move items faster than a hopper pipe's transfer rate. When a dropper pipe pushes items upwards, it is known as a droppervator (short for "dropper elevator").
Data values
A dropper has an ID name of minecraft:dropper, and is further defined by its block data and block entity. A dropper also has a block state which is expected to replace the functionality of block data in a future version.
Block data
A dropper's block data specifies its orientation and activation status:
| Bits | Values |
|---|---|
| 0x1 0x2 0x4 |
A three-bit field storing a value from 0 to 5 specifying which direction the dropper is facing:
|
| 0x8 | Set if dropper is activated. |
Block entity
Every dropper has a block entity associated with it that holds additional data about the dropper:
- Block entity data
- id:
Dropper - x: X coordinate of the Block Entity.
- y: Y coordinate of the Block Entity.
- z: Z coordinate of the Block Entity.
- CustomName: Optional. The name of this dropper, which will display in its GUI where the default name ordinarily is.
- Lock: Optional. When not blank, prevents the dropper from being accessed unless the opener is holding an item whose name matches this string.
- Items: List of items in the dropper.
- : An item, including the slot tag. Dropper slots are numbered 0-8 with 0 in the top left corner.
- See Item Format.
- : An item, including the slot tag. Dropper slots are numbered 0-8 with 0 in the top left corner.
- id:
Block state
Dropper/BS
Video
Dropper/video
History
The 13w03a banner featuring a dropper and a minecart with hopper.
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1.5
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| 13w03a | Added droppers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13w04a | Droppers can now face all six directions. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Changed dropper crafting recipe (removed hopper). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13w10b | Activated droppers now do not fire if they receive a block update. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Issues
Issues relating to "Dropper" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.