Master Builder Power Up! Level 3: Minecraft Redstone for Advanced Players
64
Master Builder Power Up! Level 3: Minecraft Redstone for Advanced Players
64eBook
Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
Related collections and offers
Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781633195417 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Triumph Books |
| Publication date: | 11/15/2015 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 64 |
| File size: | 23 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Master Builder Power Up! Level 3
By Triumph Books LLC
Triumph Books
Copyright © 2015 Triumph Books LLCAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-63319-541-7
CHAPTER 1
Advanced Wiring Concepts and Terms
Before we jump into our final advanced build, let's talk a bit about some of the more advanced Redstone subjects. That's right kiddos; we're on to the crazy parts of Redstone now! Nice work making it this far.
In this chapter, we're going to give you an overview of some of the topics that Redstone engineers like yourself should start to tackle once they've got a firm foundation in the basics of Redstone. This is for when you'd like to kick things up a notch and learn more about the absolutely insane things people have been able to get Redstone to do when they really know their stuff.
We're just going to touch briefly on these advanced topics and give you a little info on each to get you familiar with them, as these topics could fill entire an entire book on their own and we just don't have the space. That being said, this brief overview will give you plenty of info to work with and should get you thinking about how to incorporate these advanced Redstone tactics into your own builds. If you're looking for more info, give each of these terms a search online, and you'll find more details by the truckload.
Transmission Circuits
On top of the basic transmission items like Redstone Repeaters and Dust and the circuits we've discussed in previous chapters like our chapter on logic gates, there are a few other constructs that are commonly used to transmit a Redstone signal.
Bridge: Bridges are when one Redstone wire crosses over another without interacting with it. These can be created in a variety of ways, but the basic idea is simply that they are constructs that keep the two wires or circuits from interacting while still passing very close to each other.
Pulsers: As the name would suggest, pulsers or pulse circuits are parts of Redstone systems that send a signal that turns ON, then OFF, then ON again. These can be created in a large variety of ways, with the difference being the frequency of the pulse, the way the pulse is able to be turned ON and OFF (or not) and whether the pulse sends a signal in an ON>OFF>ON pattern, or in an OFF>ON>OFF pattern.
Detectors: Detectors are a variant of pulsers that create a specific type of pulse when certain situations are detected. "Edge detectors," for instance, create a pulse output at the moment of either detecting the beginning, or the end of another Redstone signal. "Pulse length detectors" output a signal pulse when detecting another pulse that is of a specific length, and "Comparator update detectors" pulse when they detect a Comparator that is updated by a change in a storage item's inventory. A fourth kind of detector is the "block update detector," or BUD, which is a very special and useful kind of detector that we'll talk about in its own section in just a few pages.
Memory Circuits
Where Redstone gates are constructs that take certain input signals into them and then output a new signal, meaning that their state is always a result of what is currently being input into them, memory circuits are able to take certain combinations of inputs and store a state based on which inputs have been recently put in. Essentially, memory circuits remember what inputs have been put into them, and they will keep remembering until other inputs occur. This is very similar to very (very, very) basic computer memory, as memory circuits typically stores 1 bit of information (either 0/OFF or 1/ON), though they can also store more. While there are a huge number of types of memory circuits that can be made, there are a few basic versions that people tend to use most often in Minecraft.
Latches: There are two basic types of memory circuits called latches- the RS latch and the JK latch. The RS latch is a circuit that takes two inputs, one which sets the RS latch to have an ON output, and the other which sets the latch to have an OFF output. One of the most well-known and widely used Minecraft circuits outside of gates is called an RS NOR latch, which, as you might have guessed, uses a NOR gate. JK latches are very similar to RS latches, except that when both inputs are ON at the same time, it will toggle the output from ON to OFF.
Flip-Flops: Like latches, there are two basic circuits known as "flip-flops"- the T flip-flop and the D flip-flop. A T flip-flop is another type of circuit that is used very often in builds, and it is also known as a "toggle," because inputting a pulse of power into a T flip-flop will cause it to toggle between an output state of ON and OFF. This means that when a pulse of ON power goes into a T flip-flop that is already outputting an ON signal, the T flip-flop will start outputting an OFF signal and will keep doing so until another pulse of power goes through it. D flip-flops, on the other hand, have two inputs: a clock (or C) that pulses power and a "data" input (or D) that holds a current state. When the C input pulses through a D flip-flop, it causes the output of the D flip-flop to be equal to whatever state that the D input is in while between pulses.
Counters: Counters are memory circuits that can store not just two states, but many states.
Ladders, Torch Towers and Staircases
Redstone Dust is great for transmitting a Redstone signal horizontally, but when you need the signal to move vertically up or downwards, things get a bit tricky. Redstone Dust will typically only move a signal up in a staggered "staircase"-esque build, but creative players have managed to come up with a couple of other methods for vertically moving a signal, called Torch towers and ladders, respectively.
Staircase: The most basic method for moving a signal up or down, staircases look like their namesake, as they involve a block being one block above or below another and one block to the side. Redstone Dust can be placed on top of both blocks, connecting them, and a power signal can be sent through them.
Torch Tower: Torch Towers use the property of Redstone Torches that says that they will power an opaque block placed above them. By placing a block on top of a Redstone Torch, and then another Redstone Torch on top of that, and then repeating this a third time on top of this second Torch, we are able to move a Redstone signal straight upwards. This is actually creating multiple NOT gates stacked on top of each other, and is a very efficient way to transmit a signal vertically, though it does not work downwards.
Ladder: Ladders involve placing transparent blocks like Glowstone or Slabs in a vertical "checkerboard" pattern, placing Redstone Dust on each block as the ladder goes up. A signal can be hooked up to the bottom of a ladder, and because the blocks are transparent, it will propagate up the rest of the ladder. Also only works vertically.
Block Update Detectors
We talked about detectors a few pages ago, but to refresh, they are pulsers that create a signal pulse only when they detect certain conditions. Of the various detectors, block update detectors or BUDs are probably the most common and useful. These take advantage of a "bug" in Minecraft that causes Redstone circuits or mechanisms not to recognize that they should be receiving a signal until the game sends a "block update" to the area. Block updates are basically the game checking the state of each block and seeing if it should change, and they are triggered by actions or events in the game, including placing blocks nearby, Grass growing, a natural block of Redstone being punched or stepped on, and many other ways.
Though there are many types of BUDs, in all BUDs there is one block that is the "sensor" block, which is the block that does not realize it should be receiving an update. Players then force an update by causing one of the previously mentioned or other events to occur, the sensor block gets an update, and the circuit it is attached to receives a short pulse of power. The circuit then goes back to "sleep," and the power goes off.
Redstone Building Terms
As practitioners of very complex subject, Redstone engineers have come up with many special terms to describe what they are creating. You've already heard many of them, but here are a few more terms to use that will help you to communicate info about your builds, not to mention impress your friends and other engineers.
1-High (Flat)/1-Wide- Refer to the shape and dimensions of a build. 1-high or flat builds are only 1 block tall, while 1-wide are only 1 block across in one direction.
Analog/Binary/Unary: Refer to the transmission of power through certain circuits where the state of the power and the type of circuit are used to represent numbers. "Analog" transmission means that the power level of the input of the transmission is the same as the output, and it can have 16 states (0-15 power). "Binary" transmission refers to transmission where multiple lines of transmitted power each have their own state, and where each state makes up one digit in a single binary number (binary numbers look like this- 1101100, 001, 0100 etc.). "Unary" refers to multiple lines of transmission where the number represented is selected by which of the lines of transmission is powered. So, if the 9th line of transmission is powered, the number represented is 9.
Cannon names: This is maybe the most complex subject in this chapter, oddly enough, and we don't have space to fully explain the complexities of naming cannons, but suffice it to say that there is a very specific system that players have created to name cannons which quickly tells other players information about that cannon. The formula for naming cannons is, to give the simple explanation, as follows:
[DV].[EV].[TA].[MR] [Cannon nickname]
Each value is a number, except the last.
DV= damage value (accuracy, power and speed combined)
EV= ergonomic value, meaning difficulty of build (average of construction, Redstone and TNT values)
TA= amount of TNT used
MR= maximum block range can fire
Cannon nickname= what the player calls the cannon
To learn more about this, check out the extensive article on the Minecraft wiki.
Flush: Flush means that the build doesn't extend beyond a flat floor, wall or ceiling and which provides power to the other side of the floor, wall or ceiling.
Hipster: Doesn't mean what you think, but instead means that you don't see any Redstone components before or after a Redstone construct performs its operation. A build is still "hipster" if you can see them during operation.
Instant: The output of a build activates right away after the input activates, with 0 ticks of delay.
Seamless: Seamless means that the build is totally hidden behind a flat floor, ceiling or wall when not activated, but which when activated interacts with the other side of the wall.
Silent: As you'd expect, these are builds that don't make noise. So, Piston builds usually aren't silent.
Stackable/Tileable: Terms that are opposites of each other, where stackable means that you can place multiple exact copies of a build directly next to each other, and the builds can all be controlled together as one, and tileable means that copies of the build can be placed directly next to each other and still controlled separately.
CHAPTER 2Final Lesson: An Advanced Build
Now, it's time to put all of the knowledge you've (hopefully!) picked up from the rest of this book to work in a build that's more than a little complicated, and also more than a little awesome.
You know about Redstone gates, you've had a little bit of info on some advanced wiring concepts, and you've whetted your appetite for builds with a few beginner and intermediate options. But this, girls and boys, is the big one: the 3x3 Piston door.
Of course, the truth is that this build would actually be considered quite simple by many Redstone masters, but that's the beauty of Redstone: like all truly rich subjects of learning, each time you get to a point where you feel like you've understood something about Redstone, you realize that there's just so much more out there still to learn.
So, we aren't saying this is advanced by, say, Sethbling or pg5's standards (both could probably build this one handed and asleep), but for those who have just recently begun their journey toward Redstone engineering dominance, it most certainly earns the term advanced. Firstly because this build exemplifies many of the most important qualities about Redstoning, including elegance, efficiency, circuits working separately and together, gates and more. And secondly, because when you build this Piston door, you can truly say you've done something awesome with Redstone.
Think of this as at once your final Redstone exam, and your final lesson. It's fairly simple to follow the instructions to build this guy, but the important part here is to think about why each part does what it does. We'll give you a little bit of the info, but we'd like to encourage you to do some of the discovery on your own, as nothing will solidify a lesson better than that eureka moment when you realize through your own thought processes what it is that makes a complex Redstone build truly tick.
All the info you need to understand this build is in the pages of this book, and there's ever more out there online and in the heads of the Redstone engineers building on Minecraft servers across the world. Build it, think about it, and don't be afraid to go back through these pages or to seek out an expert to get more explanation.
Once you truly understand what's going on in this build, well, we'll just say this:
Welcome to the Redstone engineering corps, miner.
Mumbo Jumbo's Tiny 3x3 Piston Door
What it does: Uses just one Lever to open and close a door made out of a 3x3 section of blocks that, when open, hide away into the structure of the build
How it Works: Essentially, it's a series of Sticky Pistons that extend and retract blocks from the side and the top of the door frame so that all blocks in the door are removed (to open) and then replaced when closed. It does this using three circuits, all controlled by one Lever. The power signal from the Lever goes to each circuit in turn. Different parts of the build is receiving power at different speeds due to the Repeaters in the build and because of various broken and unbroken circuits, which all causes the various Pistons in the build to fire at different times, pushing and pulling the blocks involved in the door at just the right time.
It's a rather elegant and easy(ish) to build contraption, yet is also fairly advanced in its composition, involving NOT gates, a mini Torch ladder, delayed signals, breaking and creating circuits, a monostable circuit involving a Comparator, a Hopper and a Dropper (more on that in the instructions) and a double extender Piston array.
You'll Need: 12 Sticky Pistons, 1 Lever, 1 Comparator, 1 Dropper, 1 Hopper, 1 Detector Rail, 3 Repeaters, 18 Redstone, 3 Redstone Torches, many opaque blocks
The 3x3 Piston door is a bit of a legendary step in the process of becoming a master Redstone engineer. This is because it doesn't just involve solving a simple problem (i.e. "I need a door here"); it also contains a problem within itself. This is that a 3x3 door made of blocks has one block in the center that must be pushed and pulled along with the rest of the build to be truly well-done, but if we were just to build this door using Pistons surrounding a 3x3 space, no Piston would normally be able to reach that middle block. The other blocks in the door and the other Pistons would be in the way, meaning it would be left floating alone, looking terrible.
This means that we have to figure out a way to manipulate that block with Pistons as well as the others. This, oh miners, is the kind of problem that Redstone engineers love to solve. Being able to successfully create a build that solves problems like this is what separates a Redstone dabbler from a true member of the Redstone engineering corps, and it's a heck of a lot of fun along the way.
So how are we going to solve this problem? Well, as we said, we aren't going to give you the answers to how every single detail of how this build works, as we think it's important to leave some things for you to discover on your own, but the gist of it is this: we are going to set up some normal(ish) Sticky Piston arrays for the rest of the blocks around the middle block and the block below it, and we're going to build a special Piston design to take care of extending and retracting those two pesky middle blocks.
The basic idea of the build is that we're going to use a double Piston extender (aka a DPE) that will push first the middle, and then the bottom middle block up into the door one at a time. When it retracts, it will pull the bottom middle one out first, and then go back and grab the top middle one.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Master Builder Power Up! Level 3 by Triumph Books LLC. Copyright © 2015 Triumph Books LLC. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Advanced Wiring Concepts and Terms,Final Lesson: An Advanced Build,
The Redstone Mechanic Hall of Geniuses,
Redstone Gallery,
Wiring Up In Other Building Games,