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VOOZH | about |
Pistons and sticky pistons have 2 technical blocks that cannot be obtained. These include the piston head and moving piston blocks.
| Renewable | Yes |
|---|---|
| Stackable | No |
| Tool | 👁 SlotSprite Pickaxe Required.png: Sprite image for Pickaxe Required in Minecraft |
| Blast resistance | 1.5 |
| Hardness | 1.5 |
| Luminous | No |
| Transparent | Yes |
| Flammable | No |
| Catches fire from lava |
No |
| Map color | 11 STONE |
| Note block instrument | Default (Harp) |
{
"title": "Piston Head",
"rows": [
{
"field": "Yes",
"label": "(link to Renewable resource article, displayed as Renewable)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "Stackable"
},
{
"field": "<span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"height:32px;width:32px;--vertical-align:middle\">(link to File:SlotSprite Pickaxe Required.png article, displayed as 32x32px|link=|alt=SlotSprite Pickaxe Required.png: Sprite image for Pickaxe Required in Minecraft|class=pixel-image|This block can be broken with any tool, but a pickaxe is the quickest)</span>",
"label": "Tool"
},
{
"field": "1.5",
"label": "(link to Explosion#Blast resistance article, displayed as Blast resistance)"
},
{
"field": "1.5",
"label": "(link to Breaking#Blocks by hardness article, displayed as Hardness)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "(link to Light article, displayed as Luminous)"
},
{
"field": "Yes",
"label": "(link to Opacity article, displayed as Transparent)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "(link to Flammable article, displayed as Flammable)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "Catches fire<br>from (link to lava article, displayed as lava)"
},
{
"field": "<span style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: rgb(112, 112, 112); border: 1px solid #888; border-radius: 0.3em; color: transparent; width: 1em; height: 1em; vertical-align: -0.36em; margin-right: -0.1em\"><br></span> 11 STONE</span>",
"label": "(link to Map color article, displayed as Map color)"
},
{
"field": "Default (Harp)",
"label": "(link to Note Block#Instruments article, displayed as Note block instrument)"
}
],
"invimages": [
"Piston Arm Collision",
"Sticky Piston Arm Collision"
],
"images": [
"Piston Head.png",
"Piston Head BE.png",
"Sticky Piston Head.png",
"Sticky Piston Head BE.png"
]
}
The piston head (in Java Edition) or (sticky) piston arm collision (in Bedrock Edition) is a technical block that appears as the front part of an extended piston. It is not available in the Creative inventory and does not drop anything when removed.
Normally, piston heads are created automatically when a piston extends. However, they can also be placed manually using the /setblock command. Alternatively a debug stick[Java Edition only] can be used to change the facing direction of a piston head that's currently attached to a piston base. Piston heads that do not have a valid support block behind them will be removed when receiving a shape update from behind in Java Edition, or when receiving a block update from any direction in Bedrock Edition.
In rare cases, a client-side, duplicate piston head can appear when placing a piston next to a power source in Java Edition, due to client-server desync issues.[1] These client-side piston heads cannot be broken directly but can be removed by placing another block in the same location.
In Java Edition, normal and sticky piston heads are distinguished by a block state. In Bedrock Edition, they use separate block IDs. The normal and sticky piston heads can be obtained as items in Bedrock Edition with the commands /give @s piston_arm_collision and /give @s sticky_piston_arm_collision. They face down when placed.
In Bedrock Edition, piston head blocks do not actually have a texture, as the piston arm texture is part of the piston block entity, and piston heads that aren't connected to a piston base have neither collisions nor an interaction box.
Heads of sticky pistons powered with redstone generate in jungle pyramid and ancient city.
| Name | Default value | Allowed values | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| facing | north | downeastnorthsouthupwest | The direction the piston head is pointing. |
| short | false | falsetrue | If true, the piston arm is shorter than usual, by 4 pixels. |
| type | normal | normalsticky | The type of piston head. |
Bedrock Edition:
Piston Head:
| Name | Metadata Bits | Default value | Allowed values | Values for Metadata Bits |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| facing_direction | 0x10x20x4 | 0 | 012345 | 012345 | The direction the piston head is pointing.
|
Sticky Piston Head:
| Name | Metadata Bits | Default value | Allowed values | Values for Metadata Bits |
Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| facing_direction | Not Supported | 0 | 012345 | Unsupported | The direction the piston head is pointing.
|
| Renewable | Yes |
|---|---|
| Stackable | No |
| Tool | None |
| Blast resistance | 0 |
| Hardness | -1 |
| Luminous | No |
| Transparent | Yes |
| Flammable | No |
| Catches fire from lava |
No |
| Map color | 11 STONE |
| Note block instrument | Default (Harp) |
{
"title": "Moving Piston",
"rows": [
{
"field": "Yes",
"label": "(link to Renewable resource article, displayed as Renewable)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "Stackable"
},
{
"field": "None",
"label": "Tool"
},
{
"field": "0",
"label": "(link to Explosion#Blast resistance article, displayed as Blast resistance)"
},
{
"field": "-1",
"label": "(link to Breaking#Blocks by hardness article, displayed as Hardness)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "(link to Light article, displayed as Luminous)"
},
{
"field": "Yes",
"label": "(link to Opacity article, displayed as Transparent)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "(link to Flammable article, displayed as Flammable)"
},
{
"field": "No",
"label": "Catches fire<br>from (link to lava article, displayed as lava)"
},
{
"field": "<span style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: rgb(112, 112, 112); border: 1px solid #888; border-radius: 0.3em; color: transparent; width: 1em; height: 1em; vertical-align: -0.36em; margin-right: -0.1em\"><br></span> 11 STONE</span>",
"label": "(link to Map color article, displayed as Map color)"
},
{
"field": "Default (Harp)",
"label": "(link to Note Block#Instruments article, displayed as Note block instrument)"
}
],
"invimages": [
"movingBlock"
],
"images": []
}
The moving piston (in Java Edition) or moving block (in Bedrock Edition), also known as block 36 due to its pre-flattening block ID, is an unobtainable technical block that holds a block entity (unless it was placed with a command) which contains the block the piston is currently moving. Since moving blocks vary in how much of each grid cell they occupy, they can't be stored as normal blocks and are instead stored as block entity data. Multiple moving piston blocks may be used during the extension/retraction process, depending on how many blocks the piston is moving. At the end of the piston stroke, the moving piston blocks are replaced with either the carried block, the piston head (during extensions), or the piston itself (during retractions); but if it is placed with the use of commands it remains indefinitely.[Java Edition only]
When placed by commands, the game does not assign a block entity to the moving piston block,[verify] therefore its properties are different than usual: it's invisible, has no collisions, and cannot be broken without the use of TNT, commands, or a structure generating over it (such as the end platform). Although it is non-solid, fluids cannot pass through it. It also prevents players from building at its location. Mobs can see through it, but cannot walk through it. The game treats the block as a stone block when it comes to the player's footstep sounds. It is similar to invisible bedrock in properties with the exception that the player can walk through the moving piston but not invisible bedrock.
| Name | Default value | Allowed values | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| facing | north | downeastnorthsouthupwest | The direction the block is being pushed by the piston. |
| type | normal | normalsticky | What piston base this has. |
The moving piston has a block entity associated with it that holds additional data about the block.
| Name | Identifier | Form | Block tags | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 👁 BlockSprite piston-head.png: Sprite image for piston-head in Minecraft Piston Head | piston_head | Block | None | block.minecraft.piston_head |
| 👁 BlockSprite moving-piston.png: Sprite image for moving-piston in Minecraft Moving Piston | moving_piston | Block | dragon_immunewither_immune |
block.minecraft.moving_piston |
| Name | Identifier |
|---|---|
| 👁 BlockSprite moving-piston.png: Sprite image for moving-piston in Minecraft Block entity | piston |
| Name | Identifier | Alias ID | Numeric ID | Form | Item ID[i 1] | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 👁 BlockSprite piston-arm-collision.png: Sprite image for piston-arm-collision in Minecraft Piston Arm Collision | piston_arm_collision | pistonArmCollision | 34 | Block & Ungiveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] | tile.piston_arm_collision.name |
| 👁 BlockSprite piston-head.png: Sprite image for piston-head in Minecraft Sticky Piston Arm Collision | sticky_piston_arm_collision | stickyPistonArmCollision | 472 | Block & Ungiveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -217) |
tile.sticky_piston_arm_collision.name |
| 👁 BlockSprite moving-piston.png: Sprite image for moving-piston in Minecraft Moving Block | moving_block | movingBlock | 250 | Block & Ungiveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] | — |
| Name | Savegame ID |
|---|---|
| 👁 BlockSprite moving-piston.png: Sprite image for moving-piston in Minecraft Block entity | MovingBlock |
| Java Edition Beta | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.7 | 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image Added piston head and moving piston blocks. | ||||||
| Java Edition | |||||||
| 1.8 | 14w17a | 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image The models for piston and related blocks when facing up and down have been changed. | |||||
| 14w27b | The moving piston block no longer has a selection outline. | ||||||
| 14w29a | 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image There are now "short" piston heads. Their model is used during a piston's extension/retraction to avoid having part of the head's texture poke out of the back of the piston. | ||||||
| 1.14 | 18w43a | 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image The textures associated with piston heads have been changed. | |||||
| While the texture for oak planks was later updated in subsequent snapshots, the piston texture is yet to be changed to reflect this.[2] | |||||||
| 1.19 | 22w17a | 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image 👁 Image Changed piston textures, to match the color of the oak planks on the piston head. | |||||
| Java Edition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 | 14w29a | Added the "short=true/false" block state to piston_head. | |||||
| 1.11.1 | 16w50a | Added a new byte tag source for the piston_extension block entity, which is true if the block represents the piston head itself, and false if it represents a block being pushed. | |||||
| 1.13 | 17w47a | The moving block ID of pistons has been changed from piston_extension to moving_piston.
| |||||
| Prior to The Flattening, these blocks' numeral IDs were 34 and 36. | |||||||
| Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| v0.16.0 | build 5 | The movingblock block for pistons can no longer be placed using commands. | |||||
| Bedrock Edition | |||||||
| 1.13.0 | beta 1.13.0.9 | Sticky piston heads are now a separate block from normal heads, instead of being differentiated by a block state. The namespaced ID is now stickypistonarmcollision, while the numerical ID is 472. | |||||
| 1.18.30 | beta 1.18.30.26 | The ID of pistonarmcollision is changed to piston_arm_collision
| |||||
The ID of stickypistonarmcollision is changed to sticky_piston_arm_collision
| |||||||
The ID of movingblock is changed to moving_block | |||||||
moving_piston is transparent and does not emit light.
| Invisible blocks | |
|---|---|
| All editions | |
| Java Edition only | |
| Bedrock Edition only | |