piston Minecraft Block
Minecraft BlockPistons are one-block mechanisms capable of pushing most other blocks. They are Redstone-activated blocks and require the most other items to make than other Redstone blocks. Pistons can face all six directions: up, down, north, east, south, and west.
Piston
| Type of Block | Solid Block |
| Stackable? | Yes |
| Tool Used | Pickaxe |
| Data Values | Hex: 33 Dec: 21 |
| Obeys Physics? | No |
| Luminosity | No |
| Transparency | Yes |
Functionality
- Pistons will be facing the Player when placed.
- Pistons are redstone triggered. When powered, their wooden surface extends outwards by 1 block, pushing up to a maximum of 12 blocks.
- Similarly, if a block pushed by a piston is pushed into a player/mob, the player/mob will get pushed if there is space. If there is no space, the block will start to occupy the same space as the player/mob and cause suffocation if the block is opaque.
- When blocks are pushed by a piston, they are momentarily non-solid and cause any players/items on the moving block to fall through the moving block.
- Pistons can be used to toggle fluid flows like a flood gate by extending into or retracting from the space where the fluid would flow through.
- Pistons can push Minecarts and Boats. Note that if the minecart is on a rail, the rail will also get pushed, making it a drop.
- Pistons are usually used to create doors or traps such as massive opening pits.
- Adding a Slimeball to a Piston on a Crafting Table creates a Sticky Piston .
- If a piston pushes a Slime Block which has any movable blocks attached to it, than the Blocks will move as well. This method won't push un-movable blocks. You can create "flying machines" with this function. A piston with a Slime Block can only push up to 12 blocks.
- This method won't push un-movable blocks.
- You can create "flying machines" with this function.
- A piston with a Slime Block can only push up to 12 blocks.
Blocks
- Some blocks cannot be pushed by Pistons and the piston head will not extend: Obsidian , Bedrock , Furnaces , Chests , etc.
- Pistons will not push blocks into The Void or the top of the map.
- Pumpkins , Cobwebs , Dragon Egg and Jack-O-Lanterns are turned back into items when pushed. (If trying to create extendable/retractable lighting, one can use Glowstone instead.)
- Melons will turn into slices if pushed by a piston.
- Pistons cannot push water or lava , only obstruct it. A piston head extending into a water or lava source block will destroy the source block.
- Pistons cannot push most blocks that are "attached to a block” such as levers , torches , redstone , signs , etc. They will be detached and drop as an item. Exceptions include: Trapdoors , as long as their hinged side remains attached to a solid block in their new position; Rails (and Powered Rail , Detector Rail , Activator Rail ) as long as they remain on top of a solid block in their new position. Rails will re-orient themselves after being pushed just as they do when placed manually.
- Trapdoors , as long as their hinged side remains attached to a solid block in their new position;
- Rails (and Powered Rail , Detector Rail , Activator Rail ) as long as they remain on top of a solid block in their new position. Rails will re-orient themselves after being pushed just as they do when placed manually.
- Blocks that are attached to pushed blocks will be broken off unless the block which is now under/behind them is also acceptable; for example, torches can be placed on a "self-repairing" cobblestone structure.
- Pistons cannot push a chain of blocks more than 12 blocks long, or else they will not extend.
- If a block that is extended by a piston upwards by one and it does not obey physics, it will float in mid-air when the piston is retracted.
- Pistons Corrupt in the Far Lands .
Trivia
- If a piston pushes a gravity-affected block over a hole, the block will fall, even if attached to a sticky piston.
- Pistons cannot be used to 'crush' players or mobs against walls. A piston will simply pass through them if this is attempted. However, blocks being pushed by piston will crush players and mobs and suffocate them, making it useful for traps , and pistons can be used to make pits appear/disappear and start/stop flows of liquids, which can also help with traps.
- Pistons were first introduced in the "Piston Mod", then they were implemented in the game officially.
- In beta 1.7.1 there was a block duplicating glitch using pistons and sticky pistons.
See also
- Sticky Piston
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