1.7 Patch Notes

+ Added lots of new biomes!
+ Added “AMPLIFIED” world type
+ Added Acacia and Old Oak wood types
+ Added Stained Glass
+ Added Packed Ice, Red Sand, Podzol
+ Added a bunch of new flowers, including double-height flowers and grass
+ Added more types of fish
+ Fishing rods can be enchanted
+ Achievements are now world specific
+ Gaining achievements now announced to other players
+ Added a few new achievements
+ Servers can now have a “server-icon.png” that is displayed in the multiplayer list
+ You can see who’s online before joining, just hover the player count number in the server list
+ New /summon command
+ Added Command Block minecart
+ Links in chat are now clickable
+ Click on somebody’s name to send a private message
+ Added a bunch of new graphics options
+ Added some shader tests (click on the “Super Secret Settings” a couple of times…)
* Biome placement has been improved, and oceans are smaller
* Portals to the Nether can now have different shapes
* Fishing is now more interesting
* Maps in item frames are now extra big
* The achievement screen is zoomable
* Preparations have been made to offer name change in the future
* You can now have multiple resource packs loaded at the same time
* Resource packs can now hold sound effects
* Servers can recommend resource packs
* Network code has been rewritten
* Sound manager has been rewritten
* Many many bug fixes…
- Removed the Rose flower
- Removed Herobrine

1.6 Patch Notes

General

• Resource Packs
  • Replace texture packs
  • Also allow for language packs and sounds to be changed
• Added some splash screens
  • "HURNERJSGER"
  • "What's up Doc?"
• Re-enabled crash reporting
• Improved internal chat mechanics
  • Many messages previously untranslated are now translated properly
• Overhauled the attribute system
  • Many properties were moved over to NBT tags
  • Items and entities are now more customizable using NBT tags
  • Attributes can be additive using a set value, or multiplicative or additive based on percentage
  • Some items already have default modifiers
  • Attributes can apply to the holder as well
• Updated language files
  • Fixed missing strings
• Improved Minecraft Realms
  • Added handling of invitations
  • Added resetting realm with one of provided realm templates
  • Added viewing backups for a realm and the ability to restore them
  • Added setting the owner of a realm as game master operator
  • Added confirmation screens for various actions such as deleting a realm
  • Ability to leave someone else’s realm that previously accepted invitation for
  • Fixed game mode and game difficulty issue
  • Minor GUI fixes for better usability

Gameplay

• Added & improved a few commands
  • /spreadplayers to spread players/teams around a given coordinate with
  • /gamerule: Added doDaylightCycle & naturalRegeneration, changed doFiretick to not affect fire extinguishing
  • /playsound to play specified sound files to specified players with optionally altered volume, pitch and minimum volume as well as "source coordinates" to emulate the sound coming from a certain place
• Added & changed many minor things
  • Natural health regeneration now costs hunger/saturation points
  • Improved riding things: dismounting is now only possible by sneaking, mob health is displayed when ridden & ridden things can no longer be hit
  • The Respiration enchant now helps seeing underwater
  • Swords no longer break blocks in Creative mode
  • The Creative Mode Item Selection Screen Search tab now shows origin tab on items' tooltip
  • Regional difficulty: The longer players spend in one area, the harder the mobs there get
• Added and changed some effects
  • Instant Health was nerfed 33%
  • Regeneration was nerfed 50%
  • Health Boost adds 2 extra hearts per level
  • Absorption adds 2 non-regenerating golden hearts per level which reappear every 30 seconds
  • Saturation fills up players' hunger bars and saturation
• Fixed many bugs
  • Fixed Resistance V and above stopping /kill from working
  • Fixed /scoreboard syntax missing from /help
  • Fixed /whitelist list not displaying the full list of players
  • Fixed Silverfish breaking blocks when mobGriefing gamerule is set to false
  • Fixed the persistenceRequired tag freezing mobs
  • Fixed the "team" argument not working with "!" for other players
  • Fixed "seeFriendlyInvisibles" not always working
  • Fixed it being possible to create a scoreboard objective without a name, but impossible to use/delete it
  • Fixed the death counter not updating
  • Fixed team names containing "-" not working with the selector argument for seeing if anyone is in the team
  • Fixed teleporting to Large Numbers producing a broken error
  • Fixed Command Blocks disregarding which dimension players are in
  • Fixed incorrect and inconsistent command success criteria breaking expected command block comparator behavior
  • Fixed some crashes because of trash files in assets
  • Fixed the game crashing randomly when playing on servers
  • Fixed attempting to move servers in the server list without selecting a server crashing the game
  • Fixed a client crash in MP
  • Fixed a crash when closing the game
  • Fixed pressing *Ctrl + Alt + Esc crashing the game
  • Fixed scoreboard health objective crashing the game
  • Fixed a crash when language file of currently selected language is missing
  • Fixed the game not opening
  • Fixed being unable to play game on some configurations unless LWJGL is manually replaced
  • Fixed running the game at a high resolution causing large portions of the screen to be unclickable
  • Fixed some mouse buttons behaving unexpectedly
  • Fixed the item counts in inventory screens flickering
  • Fixed keys becoming sticky and unregistering
  • Fixed the keyboard becoming unresponsive on OS X
  • Fixed large texture pack resolutions causing massive performance drop.
  • Fixed the character looking up into the sky and spinning around quickly when toggling fullscreen mode
  • Fixed cloud textures of size 4096x4096 or larger not working correctly
  • Fixed Clock and Compass textures being limited to 16x16
  • Fixed a memory leak when switching texture packs
  • Fixed switching from windowed to fullscreen and back moving the point of view
  • Fixed Jukebox music volume not decreasing
  • Fixed the green arrow in Maps in Item Frames remaining on the Map after destroying the Item Frame
  • Fixed part of the Beacon texture missing when placed next to other blocks
  • Fixed Brewing Stands' feets' sides being transparent when placed against a wall
  • Fixed landing Splash Potions' particles using the wrong texture
  • Fixed part of the Cactus texture missing when placed next to another block
  • Fixed the name of the Jack-o-lantern being mis-punctuated
  • Fixed several Minecart-related visual and hitbox issues
  • Fixed the "The End?" achievement being unachievable
  • Fixed "We Need to Go Deeper" achievement being rewarded for going through an End Portal
  • Fixed the text on 'Direct connect' and 'Rename World' screens being misplaced
  • Fixed Command Block UI text merging when in windowed mode
  • Fixed biome color corrupting when toggling 3D anaglyph
  • Fixed certain death message printing "null" as the player/mob name that caused the death
  • Fixed death messages in MP always being in english regardless of the selected language
  • Fixed the language files for en_US being grammatically incorrect for 'death.fell.finish.item'
  • Fixed being unable to use the scroll wheel in crash reports
  • Fixed hostile mobs spawning and despawning right away in peaceful
  • Fixed Endermen becoming hostile when taking environmental damage
  • Fixed tamed Wolves and Cats despawning
  • Fixed mobs not realizing they killed their attacker and trying to attack empty space
  • Fixed Dogs not stopping to snarl when punched by someone else
  • Fixed Anvils charging levels for nothing when using other languages than English in MP
  • Fixed Zombie Villagers in the process of curing despawning
  • Fixed the Looting effect being applied when a mob killed by a player dies while the player is holding a Looting sword, even when the mob died of fall, fire damage or similar
  • Fixed duplicating phantom Bows appearing after being used up
  • Fixed damaged Anvils not showing damage status in the inventory or in Item Frames
  • Fixed sleeping while riding a Minecart producing a graphical glitch
  • Fixed Squids taking damage while in water
  • Fixed Eyes of Ender not directing players to the nearest stronghold
  • Fixed entities other than the player being unable to leave the end
  • Fixed mounting rideable entities underwater desyncing the client and the server
  • Fixed receiving high amounts of damage at once causing ghost mode in multiplayer
  • Fixed Weighted Pressure Plates' being too long to be renamed using Anvils
  • Fixed tamed Wolves' health being depleted upon world loading
  • Fixed it being possible to become permanently stuck in a Minecart in a Portal
  • Fixed Witches targeting themselves under certain circumstances
  • Fixed placing liquids into certain blocks yielding no drops
  • Fixed Skeletons not using their Bows when hit in Creative mode
  • Fixed Skeleton's melee damage being unaffected by their swords' type
  • Fixed Furnace Minecarts consuming Coal in Creative
  • Fixed using Pick Block on an active Furnace returning an active Furnace
  • Fixed picking blocks that exist in the Survival mode inventory already maximizing the stack size after moving the existing stack into the selected hotbar slot
  • Fixed shift clicking the destroy item button in MP not working
  • Fixed log files increasing loading time
  • Fixed stacked entity Spawners creating mass duplicate ghost entities

World Generation

• Chests now generate in Nether Fortresses
• Small water lakes no longer spawn in deserts

1.5 Patch Notes

* Added Redstone Comparator (used in Redstone logic)
* Added Hopper (collects items and moves them to containers)
* Added Dropper (similar to Dispensers, but always drops the item)
* Added Activator Rail (activates TNT Minecarts)
* Added Daylight Sensor
* Added Trapped Chest
* Added Weighed Pressure Plate
* Added Block of Redstone
* Added Nether Brick (item)
* Added Nether Quartz and ore
* Added Block of Quartz, with half blocks and chiseled variants
* New command: /scoreboard
* New command: /effect
* Containers and mobs can have custom names
* Inventory management has been changed, for example you can drag-place items over slots
* Texture packs now have separate images for each block and item, and can have animations
* Nether Quartz Ore now spawns in the Nether
* Smooth lighting now has three settings (none, minimal, maximum)
* More detailed death messages
* Some hostile mobs now are harder in Hard difficulty
* Many, many, bug fixes
* Removed Herobrine

1.4.6 Patch Notes

1.4.6 Changelog:

Gameplay

• Added Thorns enchant
  • Armor enchant
  • 3 tiers
  • Deals damage to attackers depending on tier
  • Wears armor out quicker
• Improved some enchants
  • Fire Protection now extinguishes fire more quickly
  • Blast Protection now reduces explosion recoil
  • Protection no longer is as good as all specific Protection enchants combined
• Added Touchscreen Mode setting
  • Mainly for inventories
  • You can drag and drop items - Press long to halve the stack before dragging
• Added & changed many minor things
  • Made item drops and framed items render in 3D when using fancy graphics - Screenshot 
    
  • Added tool highlight when switching items in the hotbar - After switching, its name shortly appears above the hotbar - options.txt:heldItemTooltips - Screenshot
  • Right-clicking while sneaking now uses the held item instead of the selected block
  • Dropping items while holding ctrl now drops the whole stack
  • Added a default resolution setting - options.txt: overrideWidth:0 & overrideHeight:0
  • Added a warning for users playing Minecraft on soon unsupported systems (PowerPCs and Java 5)
  • Death messages now appear in server log files
• Fixed many bugs
  • Fixed passive mob spawn eggs not depleting when used on a mob
  • Fixed minecarts and falling entities flickering
  • Fixed using number keys on smelted items in furnaces not giving experience
  • Fixed boats always getting placed in the same orientation
  • Fixed switching between dimensions resetting the selected hotbar slot
  • Fixed leaves obtained using Silk Touch having the wrong tooltip and data value
  • Fixed /enchant not accepting Protection enchant id
  • Fixed the level up sound not playing
  • Fixed F3+B displaying invisible entities' hitboxes
  • Fixed the Wither's projectiles sometimes destroying the Nether Star
  • Fixed mobs being able to trample farmland when the mobGriefing gamerule is set to false
  • Fixed endermen not teleporting away when set on fire
  • Fixed endermen still being set on fire when hit with a flaming arrow
  • Fixed endermen not opening their mouth when attacked by other mobs
  • Fixed arrows shot at endermen disappearing
  • Fixed animals on fire not running away
  • Fixed staying under water in Creative still causing the drowning effects
  • Fixed animals appearing to walk through fences in SP
  • Fixed some items with multi-layer textures rendering both layers separately when on the ground
  • Fixed tools differing only in damage not being swappable in the inventory
  • Fixed some Z-Fighting with the beacon
  • Fixed a graphical issue in the trading GUI
  • Fixed /say not showing the text in the original purple color
  • Fixed Pick Block giving double slabs
  • Fixed minecarts not travelling through Nether portals
  • Fixed lightning not flashing
  • Fixed FallingSand spawners failing to save properly and causing crashes
  • Fixed the blocks in lowest layer of the map not being recognized by beacons
  • Fixed enchants not showing in item frames and on the ground
  • Fixed mobs walking slowly for a short while after being hit
  • Fixed chests becoming out of sync when a user right-clicks it twice quickly
  • Fixed flaming arrows not catching on fire immediately
  • Fixed zombies sometimes stopping their attack
  • Fixed /xp -1L not working to remove partial xp bars when between level 0 and 1
  • Fixed the cursor being positioned wrongly in fullscreen mode

World Generation

• Added enchanted books to village and dungeon chests

Blocks & Items

• Mob spawners
  • Can now spawn differently configured mobs with different spawn chances
• Nether Brick Slabs
  • Screenshot
  • Crafting Recipe
• Enchanted books
  • Screenshot
  • Enchant books to receive a single enchant on them
  • Can be applied to items using anvils, consuming the book - Enchants can be applied to any item inCreative
  • Sold by villagers and found in dungeon and village chests
  • Can now be found in loot chests and by trading with villagers
  • Unbreaking can be applied to anything with durability
  • Efficiency and Silk Touch can be applied to shears, allowing the harvesting of cobwebs
  • Sharpness, Smite and Bane of Arthropods can be applied to axes
• Firework Star
  • Screenshot
  • Used to create Firework Rockets
  • Combine gunpowder with dyes to get a Firework Star with those colors used for the sparkles
  • Also add glowstone, a fire charge, a diamond, a gold nugget, feather or a mob head to make the firework twinkling, big, trailing, star-shaped, bursting or creeper-shaped
  • Craft a Firework Star with dye to change the color the sparkles fade to
• Firework Rocket
  • Screenshot
  • Non-destructive, rise up in the air and create colorful patterns when shot by dispensers or placed by players
  • Combine paper with gunpowder to get a Firework Rocket
  • Also add a Firework Star to add effects or gunpowder to increase the flight duration
• Bow
  • A sound indicates when you hit a player with an arrow
  • Arrows now render from farther away

Mobs

• Skeletons, Zombies & Zombie Pigmen
  • The armor and enchants they spawn with now are even harder on harder difficulties

1.4 Patch Notes

The Pretty Scary Update!

+ Added a beacon
+ Added flower pots
+ Added item frames
+ Added anvils
+ Added cobblestone walls
+ Added pumpkin pies
+ Added carrots and potatoes
+ Carrots can be put on a stick to control pigs while riding
+ Added a boss mob
+ Added a new skeleton type
+ Added witches
+ Added bats
+ Added mob heads that can be placed
+ Zombies now infect villagers, but can also be cured
+ Added wooden button
+ Items can be cloned with the “pick block” action in Creative Mode
+ Items can be quickly moved to the hotbar by pressing 1 through 9 while hovering an item
+ Added /difficulty, /spawnpoint, /weather, /gamerule and /clear commands
+ Added “target selectors” for commands
+ Added option to hide capes
+ Added option to toggle vertical synch
+ Added customization to superflat worlds
+ Minor additions to the world generator
+ New potion recipes
+ Leather armor can be dyed
* Maps now start more zoomed in, and can be extended
* Redstone repeaters can now be set into a “locked” position
* New sound effects
* Portals to the Nether can now transport items and mobs
* Adventure mode now allows placing and removing blocks, but only when using the correct tools
* Changed method of placing sideways wood logs
* Improved server list
* Improved debug (F3) options
* Spawn protection is now automatically disabled if there are no defined admins
- Removed Herobrine

1.3 Patch Notes

+ Single-player now runs a server internally
+ Publish the single-player instance to LAN
+ Automatically detect LAN worlds in multi-player screen
+ Added “cheats” option in single-player (enables commands)
+ Added “bonus chest” option to give players a quicker start in a new world 
+ Added adventure mode (work in progress)
+ Added trading with villagers
+ Added emeralds, emerald blocks and emerald ore
+ Added cocoa beans to jungles
+ Added the Ender Chest
+ Added tripwires
+ Added new creative mode inventory with search functionality
+ Made it possible to gain enchantment orbs from mining ore and smelting
+ Added writeable books
+ Added “large biomes” world type
+ Added temples to jungles and deserts
+ Added chat settings
+ Added option to turn off and view snooper data
+ Added more information on the debug screen (F3)
+ New launcher with “Play Demo” button if not premium user
+ Added /seed command to see map seed
+ Added /defaultgamemode to set default game mode in a world (affects new players)
+ Added /debug command for profiling
+ Added SRV record lookup support
* Decreased max enchantment level from 50 to 30
* The /tp command can now send players to a specific coordinate
* Mobs can spawn on flat surfaces (such as up-side-down stairs)
* Updated language files
* Mobs are much less likely to glitch through blocks
* Server list can be reordered
* Nearby items in the world will auto-stack
* Stars are smaller and brighter
* Sky color in The End has been changed
* The “pick block” functionality has been improved
* Certain items that previously wasn’t stackable can now be stacked
* Hill biomes are slightly taller
* Wooden log blocks can now be placed side-ways
* Wooden half-blocks now act as wood
* Water slowly drips through leaves during rain
* Minecarts and boats will be placed by dispensers, if possible
* Gravel texture has been modified
* Levers can be placed in the roof
* Creepers’ explosions damage is now modified by difficulty
* Performance improvements
* Other bug fixes…
- Removed Herobrine

1.2 Patch Notes

1.2.1 Changelog:
General:
Bug fixes
Removed portal/water flow/crafting bench item duplication bug
Mob Spawners show the right mob in SMP now
Redstone dust can be placed on glowstone again
Mobs' legs now are hittable in SMP at all times - Jebplanation
Wheat doesn't deplete anymore when used for breeding in Creative mode
Fixed lava lakes generating over bedrock
You can now put out fire without destroying an extra block in Creative
Ambience works in SMP now
Updated launcher
Put in new logo
Should properly select 64 bit Java installations on Mac OS X
Removed Herobrine
XP is now unlimited in Creative mode
Black hitbox lines on blocks turn off with the HUD when pressing F1 now
Dispensers will place mobs instead of releasing the spawner egg
Glass can't be picked up using Silk Touch enchanted gear anymore
New values in F3 overlay
lc = highest section height
b = biome
rl = raw brightness
sl = sky brightness
bl = block brightness
Dead Bush can be collected with shears now
Vines now are climbable if they have a block behind them
Lava has a new sound
SMP light calculations are done by the client now
Added slight delay between death and the death screen
Sky color now changes with biome
Torches and redstone torches can now be placed on top of glass
Added support for folder-based texture packs
Updated language files
Added at least one language
Removed a few profanities
Fixed typos
New world file format called Anvil
Doubled world height
Current maps will be converted and get 128 air blocks on top
Biomes are saved with the map now
World Generation:
Abandoned Mineshafts now bridge over ravines
Sandstone wells in deserts
Added jungle biome
Mobs:
All mobs:
Improved path finding
Better movement in water
Added Ocelot, a new jungle-specific mob
Screenshot
Sprint most of the time
Don't take fall damage
Turn into cats when tamed with fish
Cats can be told to stay by sitting
Added Iron Golem to defend the villagers
Screenshot
Craftable similar to the way Snow golems are crafted - Screenshot
Easily attacks and kills all hostile overworld mobs except creepers and slimes by throwing them in the air
Walks slowly, swaying from side to side
Sounds mechanical
Picks up roses - Screenshot and offers them to villagers
Has 50 hearts of health
Drops iron ingots and roses on death
Respawns if 15 villagers are nearby
Can't swim
Doesn't take fall damage
"It's the moss covered guardian from Laputa: Castle in the sky"
Villagers:
They open and close doors
They will detect village houses and live in them
They rush inside their houses at night or rain and leave afterwards
They will socialize with each other
They run away from mobs
They will produce baby villagers after falling in love with each other
They will repopulate villages based on how many houses there are available
Children play tag
Wolves:
They can now be bred when tamed
Zombies:
They will break down wooden doors on hard difficulty and knock on other difficulties.
They are hostile towards villagers
When killed by the player, they rarely drop iron ingots, iron swords, iron shovels and iron helmets
They seldomly mass-attack villages
Skeletons:
They try to avoid sunlight
When killed by the player, they rarely drop bows with a chance to be enchanted
Creepers:
They are afraid of ocelots and cats now
When killed by the player, they rarely drop iron helmets
They will stare and wait for you to move after trying to reach you and running away a few times
Zombie Pigmen:
When killed by the player, they rarely drop golden swords with a chance to be enchanted, golden helmets and gold ingots
Blocks & Items:
Added Redstone Lamp, a redstone-controlled light source
Screenshot
Acts as a full block
Crafted by surrounding a block of glowstone with 4 redstone dust
Added new Stone Brick in Creative mode
Added upside-down stairs
Added upside-down half slabs
Changed crafting recipe to produce 6 slabs instead of 3
Added an experience item to creative mode
Screenshot
Can be shot using dispensers
Added Fire Ball
Sets stuff on fire, just like Flint & Steel
Can be shot using dispensers
Craftable with coal, blaze powder and gunpowder
Changed textures for dispensers and saplings
Added tree and leaf type for jungles
Added Jungle tree saplings
Placing them in a 2x2 grid and bonemeal'ing one of them produces a huge jungle tree
Doors have been changed to properly detect if they are open or closed - Jebplanation
Double doors in old maps need to be updated
Now double doors only require the most basic redstone knowledge
Ladders
Changed crafting recipe to produce 3 ladders instead of 2
Regained their collision box

Android App

The Android application is finally here!

Go download it from the Android Market absolutely free: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.poyo.minecraftcraftingguide

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How to Make a Sand Generator

Say you need some sand or gravel, but making the trek to find some is too dangerous or time consuming. Thanks to a piston duplication bug, you can have all the sand or gravel you want any time.

Place two water sources and surround the length of the water with blocks.

Make the outside edges 3 blocks high.

Place sticky pistons facing downwards along the walls.

Place sand or gravel below the pistons.

Place a lever at the front and run redstone wiring to the top of the structure.

Place the redstone on the two blocks between the pistons.

Hold right-click down on the lever and machine will sporadically spit out sand or gravel.

Within 10 seconds or so, you'll have stacks of blocks at your disposal.

Guides Page

I've moved all of the guides onto the website in one location. All future guides will be placed on that page as well as the blog.

How to Make a Piston Elevator

Repeatedly climbing up stairs or ladders can be very time consuming and finger-straining. With the power of pistons, you can make an elevator that is capable of taking you from bedrock to the height limit in 12 seconds. Simply flip a lever and you'll arrive at your destination in seconds.

First, dig one block down and place a piston facing upwards in the hole. Place a lever and connect it to the piston with redstone. This piston is your starting platform.

Place another piston facing upwards diagonally behind the starting piston.

Place a sticky piston behind the piston facing it.

Place two blocks beside the two pistons. I used cobblestone, but any type of block would work here.

Repeat this alternating pattern of pistons and blocks as high as you want the elevator to go.

On the side, place two blocks with a redstone repeater facing towards the lever. The repeater should be next to the upwards facing piston. The two blocks can be any solid block, except glass.

Place two repeaters, with one facing the sticky piston and the other behind the blocks placed in the previous step. The repeater facing the sticky piston should be set to the maximum delay.

Connect the repeaters with redstone to the lever in the front.

Mirror the redstone set up on the other side of the elevator, one level above the other side. The structure essentially has a staggered design on each half, with the redstone on each mirroring that of the other side.

Place a repeater leading up a block to the next level. The repeater should be set to a 1 tick delay.

The next level should have three repeaters. The left repeater leads up to the next level and has a 1 tick delay. The center repeater leads to the same block-repeater-block layout beside the piston. The right repeater faces the sticky piston and has a 1 tick delay. Alternate the first floor and second floor layouts all the way up the elevator on both sides.

Place a repeater on the left side to give it a slight delay behind the lower side.

Place a facade in front of the elevator, or else you will fall off. Using glass gives a nice view as you ascend.

Make sure to stand in the center of the two blocks. Flip the lever to go up. Before your first trip up, you should build a pool that you can jump down into from the top. The pistons will stay in place until the lever is turned off. You can alter the design and add in a delay so that a button can be used instead.

How to Make an Automated Cactus Farm

Cactus can be a valuable resource when it comes to building mob traps or making dyes. Farming cactus naturally can be painful and annoying. Luckily, cactus has a special property that allows for easy harvesting. With an automated cactus farm, all you have to do is walk through a door and you'll have all the cactus you need without all the hassle.

Find a strip of land 7 blocks long and 3 blocks wide. Build a wall around the area.

Place a water source in the back left corner.

Place 3 blocks of sand 1 block apart. The current between the sand blocks needs to look as it does in the picture.

Make sure that the current all runs to the same block.

Now place the cactus on the sand blocks. Place blocks diagonally above the cactus. When the cactus grow, they will come into contact with the side of the wall and pop themselves off because cactus cannot touch any other blocks.

Eventually, cactus blocks will pop off and the water current will bring them straight to the entrance for you.

If you need more cactus, simply duplicate the structure you made directly over the existing one as many times as you want. The cactus blocks will fall all the way down to the collection area for you to pick up.

Within minutes, you'll have all the cactus you could need.

Calculator

The item material calculator is now up and running. Put in the amount of any item you need to make and it will tell you the amount of materials needed to make it. It will also show you the materials broken down into their raw forms (e.x. Wood Planks ---> Wood).

Mobile Site

I've finally completed the mobile version of the website! It should automatically direct you to the new version if you access the website from your phone/tablet. An Android/iOS app is in the making, and it should look pretty similar to the mobile site. Leave a comment here or email me at admin@minecraft-craftingguide.com with your opinions about the site.

How to Make an Infinite TNT Dropper

There were a lot of bugs in the 1.7 update with item replication, and most of those have been fixed in 1.7.2. However, there is one bug still working (at the moment) that allows for easy mine shaft creation. This will undoubtedly be fixed in the near future, so take advantage of it now.

First, build a large tower out of dirt. You need to be high enough off of the ground so that the explosions don't cause TNT blocks to ricochet back up to you, like what happened in my first try with this. Build a small 2 block wide platform that is six blocks long. On the left side, remove the last 2 blocks.

Place a sticky piston in the hole facing outwards.

Attach a TNT block to the piston.

Place 2 lines of redstone one block apart from each other.

Place a redstone repeater facing towards the piston on the left side.

Place another repeater in the opposite direction.

Place a redstone torch next to one of the redstone wires to provide power to the circuit. Remove the torch after placing it and the power will stay in the current.

This is the tricky part. Break one of the redstone wires and immediately replace it. This will make it so the current has a small portion of "off state" and "on state" which causes the piston to rapidly expand and contract.

Place a redstone torch on the end of the last dirt block. This will trigger the TNT when the piston is expanded, causing it to fall down and explode. TNT will also stick to the sticky piston and not explode, so each time it expands, a new live TNT block is created.

Sit back and watch the carnage.

When you've finished blowing stuff up, break any part of the redstone to stop it. Admire your handiwork from above.

How to Make a Trapdoor Drawbridge

Trapdoors have many different uses in Minecraft, but there is none cooler than a drawbridge. No castle or luxurious house is complete without a line of defense before the entrance.

First off, find a nice flat area for your drawbridge.

Then hollow it out a bit so you can make the trap portion of the drawbridge. If you don't want to make some kind of death pit, just dig out one block deep.

Next, build up one block above ground level. Trapdoors attach at the bottom of the block they're stuck to, so attaching them to a block one level higher than the ground puts them at the same level as you.

Now attach your trapdoor to the blocks on the side.

When you're done it should look like this.

Now, place redstone dust on top of all the blocks on the side. Note that redstone currents only travel 15 spaces, so make your drawbridge 13 spaces long or less.

Connect the wire to a lever at one side of the drawbridge.

When you flip the lever, all of the trapdoors come up.

You can do whatever you want with the drawbridge pit. You can make it into a deep pit, fill it with water, keep a creeper down there, or my personal favorite, lava.

Here's the final version I made out of sandstone for my house.