Bukkit

Important: this plugin has been developed for Minecraft 1.2.5 and may or may not work with newer versions!

If you are a developer and want to continue and update this plugin, feel free to – full source is available under a permissive license.

If you're a user or an interested developer, please see this post for further information.

BetterDispensers - vertical dispensers, automatic crafting, block breakers, conduits, and more!

Dispensers, reinvented. Featuring:

• Vertical dispensers
• TNT, liquid, boat, minecart dispensing
• Conduits for transporting items to and from dispensers
• New dispenser functions: crafter, interactor, breaker, vacuum, accelerator, storage, filler, turret
• New dispenser functions can be combined with each other
• No client mods required
• Highly configurable

Download BetterDispensers 2.1 - released 2012/05/19 for 1.2.5

Forum thread

Basic Usage

First and foremost, BetterDispensers lets you orient dispensers vertically:

Screenshots and tutorial

1. Look down or up and place a dispenser
2. Add items (including projectiles) to the dispenser inventory
3. Activate the dispenser

When placing the dispenser, you will receive a message saying what direction it is facing. Items dispensed from the dispenser will shoot in this direction.

Plugin Showcase video from WoopaGaming (v1.1)

But that's just the beginning.

Advanced Usage

Regular dispensers have been enhanced:

• Use the "/dispenser [direction]" while looking at a dispenser to change or view its direction
• Hold shift while placing a dispenser to face it away from you
• Add TNT, it will be primed
• Add liquids or buckets, they will be emptied out
• Add boats or minecarts, they will be placed
• Configure any of the velocities, force, spreads, allowed projectiles etc. in config.yml

New kinds of dispenser can be created by placing specific blocks directly adjacent. Multiple blocks can be placed to combine their functionality. The new dispensers are:

Crafter

The crafter is created by placing a crafting table next to a dispenser. It is both an automatic crafting table and persistent crafting table.

• You can access the dispenser's inventory through the crafting table
• The crafting table inventory persists, no more items falling on the floor
• When activated, dispenses items crafted from its internal crafting grid
• Will not dispense if the recipe is invalid
• Works great when combined with Storage

Interactor

The interactor is created by placing a lapis lazuli block next to a dispenser.

• When activated, will "use" the item on a block
• Plant saplings, grow crops with bonemeal, till dirt with hoes, light fire with flint & steel, place blocks, etc.
• Helpful to automate your farming
• Acts as if you right-clicked the item on the top of the block
• Reaches up to 7 blocks, staggering directly in front of the dispenser and one block below
• Uses up tool durability
• Will not dispense if item cannot interact with the block

Breaker

The breaker is created by placing an iron block next to a dispenser.

• When activated, breaks blocks and dispenses its drops
• Requires a tool in the dispenser, and its durability will be used up
• Blocks are broken instantly
• Reaches up to 7 blocks in a straight line from the dispenser
• Sends a BlockBreakEvent to other plugins (with user "[BetterDispensers]") and respects modifications
• Modified tools from plugins like EnchantMore are supported (e.g., Shovel + Flame on sand = glass; drops only)
• Bedrock and portal blocks cannot be broken
• Useful for making an automated tree farm, automated cobble generator, etc.
• Will not dispense if no tool is present or block cannot be broken
• Works great when combined with Filler

Vacuum

The vacuum is created by placing an obsidian block next a dispenser.

• When activated, sucks up item drops within 8 blocks into the dispenser inventory before dispensing
• Items dropped from players automatically vacuumed up within 2 blocks, no need to activate
• Player arrows hitting the dispenser will be added as well
• Arrows hitting the dispenser from skeletons will not be added by default, but can be enabled
• Important: will not vacuum if the dispenser is empty - fill it with something

Accelerator

The accelerator is created by placing a gold block next to a dispenser.

• Doubles Y velocity of dispensed item

Storage

Any container block placed either directly adjacent to a dispenser, or at the end of a glass conduit connected to the dispenser, will augment its storage capabilities. The dispenser inventory specifies what items to take, and still must be filled.

• A random item will be first chosen from dispenser in all cases
• If the other container has an item of the same type, it will be taken from the container instead of the dispenser
• If the other container does not have the item, it will be taken from the dispenser as usual
• If the container is empty, the next one (if any) along the conduit will be chosen
• Containers include: chests, furnaces, brewing stands, other dispensers, custom container types (including Iron Chests)
• Important: will not dispense if the dispenser is empty - fill it with what you want to pull

Conduit

Conduits form BetterDispenser's primitive transport networks. Built out of glass, they can stretch up to 1000 contiguous blocks and can instantly move items between dispensers and other containers.

• When directly connected to a dispenser, the dispenser pulls items out of the container at the end of the conduit (see Storage)
• When connected via wooden plank to a dispenser, the dispenser dispenses items into the conduit (see Filler)
• Only can follow one route

Filler

The filler is created by placing a wooden plank next to a dispenser, optionally connected to a conduit. They override dispenser's normal dispensing as items in the world, and instead dispense items into a conduit.

• Fillers insert items into a conduit, taken from the dispenser
• If the end of the conduit is connected to a container, items will be placed within it
• If not, items will be dropped on the ground at the end of the conduit
• If the container overflows, excess items will be dropped on the ground

Turret

The turret is created by placing a brick block next to a dispenser.

• After each dispense, the orientation will rotate
• Try it with TNT

Permissions

betterdispensers.command (op): Allows you to use the /dispenser command

Configuration

Features can be turned off or tweaked as desired. Default configuration:

verbose: false                  # log debugging information to the server console
tellPlayer: true                # send a player a message about the dispenser orientation when placed

dispenser:
    sneakReverseOrientation: true   # shift-click when placing dispenser to orient away from you
    overrideHorizontal: true    # handle horizontal dispensing ourselves, disable to defer to Minecraft)
    overrideVertical: true      # handle vertical dispensing
    velocityHorizontal: 0.1     # small default velocity
    velocityDown: -0.05         # velocity when dispensing downward
    velocityUp: 0.4             # larger velocity when dispensing upward
    dispenseOnPlayerArrows: true    # when hit by player arrows, activate dispenser
    dispenseOnNonPlayerArrows: true # when hit by skeleton arrows, activate dispenser
    arrowEnable: true           # shoot arrows
    arrowForce: 1.1             # force of shot arrows
    arrowSpread: 6.0            # random variation; set to 0 for precision
    eggEnable: true             # throw eggs
    eggForce: 1.1
    eggSpread: 6.0
    snowballForce: 1.1          # throw snowballs
    snowballSpread: 6.0
    snowballEnable: true
    potionEnable: true          # throw splash potions
    potionForce: 1.375          # more forceful in vanilla for some reason
    potionSpread: 6.0
    expbottleEnable: true       # throw experience bottles
    expbottleForce: 1.1
    expbottleSpread: 6.0
    spawnEggEnable: true        # hatch spawn eggs
    fireballEnable: true        # ignite fire charges
    fireballRandomMotionX: 0.05
    fireballRandomMotionY: 0.05
    fireballRandomMotionZ: 0.05
    tntEnable: true             # prime TNT
    tntVelocityFactorY: 3.0     # multiply Y velocity for dispensing primed TNT
    tntVelocityFactorHorizontal: 5.0    # multiple X and Z velocity
    tntFuzz: 0.1                # random X/Y motion Gaussian maximum, less than item
    tntVelocityBaseX: 1.0       # fixed velocity offset
    tntVelocityBaseY: 0.0
    tntVelocityBaseZ: 1.0
    tntRandomMotionX: 0.045     # additional random Gaussian motion
    tntRandomMotionY: 0.045
    tntRandomMotionZ: 0.045
    tntFuseTicks: 15            # time in ticks before exploding
    liquidsEnable: true         # dispense liquid _blocks_ (or any block)
    liquids:                    # liquids to flow from dispenser (blocks, not buckets)
    - 8     # water source
    - 9     # water flow
    - 10    # lava source
    - 11    # lava flow
    - 162   # Buildcraft oil source
    - 163   # Buildcraft oil flow
    bucketsEnable: true         # empty liquids from buckets
    bucketsKeep: true           # keep the empty bucket, rather than removing it
    buckets:
    - 326   # water bucket
    - 327   # lava bucket
    - 4063  # Buildcraft oil bucket
    bucketLiquids:
      326: 8    # water bucket -> water source
      327: 10   # lava bucket -> lava source
      4063: 162 # Buildcraft oil bucket -> oil source
    boatEnable: true            # drop boats
    cartEnable: true            # drop minecarts
    itemEnable: true            # all other items dispense as item drops
    itemVelocityFactorY: 2.0    # multiply Y velocity for dispensing non-projectile items (Minecraft default)
    itemFuzz: 0.3               # random X/Y motion Gaussian maximum
    itemRandomMotionX: 0.045    # additional random Gaussian motion
    itemRandomMotionY: 0.045
    itemRandomMotionZ: 0.045


crafter:
    enable: true
    blockID: 58     # crafting table

interactor:
    enable: true
    blockID: 22     # lapis block
    reachLimit: 7

breaker:
    enable: true
    blockID: 42     # iron block
    reachLimit: 7
    unbreakableBlockIDs: 
    - 7             # bedrock
    - 90            # nether portal
    - 119           # end portal
    - 120           # end portal frame

vacuum:
    enable: true
    blockID: 49     # obsidian
    enablePlayerArrows: true        # accept arrows into dispenser if hit, from player or dispenser
    enableNonPlayerArrows: false    # accept arrows from skeletons or infinity bows (see also: http://dev.bukkit.org/server-mods/pickuparrows/)
    reachLimit: 8.0                 # before dispensing, vacuum up entities with this distance
    itemDropRange: 2                # vacuum up player item drops within this many blocks
    itemDropDelayTicks: 10          # delay before vacuuming player item drops

accelerator:
    enable: true
    blockID: 41     # gold block
    velocityFactorY: 2.0            # multiply Y velocity when accelerated

storage:
    # any container block

conduit:
    blockID: 20     # glass
    enableDirectConnection: true    # glass can connect directly to dispensers to pull from storage (vs through fillers)
    maxLength: 1000

filler:
    enable: true
    blockID: 5      # plank
    unconnectedDrop: true       # if left unconnected, drop items on ground, otherwise discard
    overflowDrop: true          # if destination overflows, drop items on ground, otherwise discard

turret:
    enable: true
    blockID: 45     # bricks

See also

• Buildcraft - client/server mod with pipes, automatic crafting, mining
• RedPower - client/server mod with pneumatic tubes, block breaker, deployer, project table
• MineFactory - client/server mod with conveyor belts
• MachinaCraft - server plugin framework, MachinaFactory module includes pipelines, fabricator, item relays
• Plugin Request: Buildcraft for bukkit? - idea of transferring items through glass
• Sure, I'll mod that for you: dispensers can face upward and downward! For shooting arrows, splash potions, snowballs, or even eggs (perfect for traps). Also: dispensers accept arrows and dispense when hit (BetterDispensers v1.0). - initial release
• Request: Dispensers should be able to point straight up and straight down. - initial inspiration

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