Lens questions

[Mattaccount]

I have two questions concerning the lens.
First do you need a pickaxe to return it to item form or can you use your bare hands?
Second is there a reason why we can't rotate it like the gearboxes? There are two semi logical reasons for this behavior that I can think of; first, perhaps the lens is too heavy to rotate second, FC did not see the need to add such functionallity to the block.

Any help you guys can give me on this would be appreciated.

[Ribky]

1. You need a pick, your bare hands are too powerful and will destroy it.

2. I would imagine it can't be rotated for a number of reasons, the latter of your reasons being one of them. Generally you are not going to be setting up vast networks of lenses nearby each other, so if you mess up the placement, it isn't that big of a hassle to mine it and place it again. With gearboxes and axles, it could very easily become tedious to set up a mechanical system without the capability to rotate the parts involved. It would be something else to add into a block that doesn't really need that functionality, so it isn't there. That would be my logic behind the choice at least.

Hope that helps.

[CreeperCommando]

If I remember correctly: lens block has 128 'phantom blocks' projected out in a straight line from the beamside, these are there for the beamlogic. Reorienting the block will thus change up to 256+ blocks ingame, which should never be allowed in a rapid manner.
Summary, it's performance reasons

[Mattaccount]

Well thank you both, I'll be updating the wiki with that info so no one has to ask a dumb question like that again.

[odranoel]

edit: dumb post removed. sorry.

[FlowerChild]

good to know about the phantom blocks thing, i wasn't using len's as i always get a pretty big FPS drop when ever i walk in front of one. i always wondered why that was. makes more sense now, knowing that it projects a bunch of phantom blocks until it hits something. (or reaches its max length) it explains why i get such bad FPS with them just for projecting a simple light. cuz when i walk in front of one the game is remove and placing a bunch of blocks in a matter of seconds. it all makes sense now! thanks for the info.

Actually...no it doesn't. The phantom blocks are there to prevent exactly the kind of scenario you're describing.

I'd really prefer if people stay away from these kind of implementation discussions, and especially stay away from describing this kind of thing on the wiki, because this stuff becomes extremely painful to read and is bound to cause even further confusion down the road as additional people read the misinformation that results.

It's perfectly sufficient to say "they can't be rotated on a Turntable" or whatever, and that's it. You really don't need to know anything else about it.

[CreeperCommando]

Sorry, didn't see that people could interpret it weirdly. I probably should have clarified that, but noted for next time... no techy bitz :)