Talk:Luminator

un-bugged yet? --CyberJacob 12:38, 6 October 2011 (CEST)

   Same question  --Oggylt  16:29 October 24 2011 (GTM +2)
       Yes as of 1.337 --Tim 13:24 December 18 2012 (GMT)

Cables?

Luminators don't look like they're acting like cables to me! They mount somewhere, adjacent cables behind the mounted surface run into them (but not cables on other surfaces), and there doesn't seem to be any way to attach more than one cable, immediately eliminating any possibility that they can transmit power from one place to another ("act like cables"). Pretty sure they're working like machines. I don't know what their storage, max packet size, or energy consumption rate are though. Those should probably be fixed up. Hawk777 06:35, 9 December 2011 (CET)

   Page updated but needs editing --Tim 13:24 December 18 2012 (GMT)

Thanks. I put the energy into the nice table template, but someone should probably figure out the maximum permitted input packet size. That seems to be all that's missing. Hawk777 07:52, 20 December 2011 (CET)

Strength/brightness?

How bright are luminators? They appear to be about as bright as a torch, but I am having a tough time being able to tell for sure, and I'm not sure where in the mod it is set in order to find out definitively.

Also, I know this is hardly the place to make any suggestions, but it sure would be nice if they were considerably brighter than a torch, considering how much set up or maintenance is involved compared to a simple torch (though certainly luminators are more aesthetically pleasing). - Niveras 02:08, 19 January 2012 (CET)

As much as many people would like various industrial light sources to be really bright, the Minecraft lighting engine doesn't (easily) allow that. Torches have a brightness of 14 within the torch block itself. Fire has a brightness of 15, and the engine doesn't allow levels above 15. This same issue has been raised with Eloraam for RedPower lumar lamps. We'd all like it and it might happen some day, but if so it'll either require some cooperation from Mojang or else quite a bit of work in Minecraft Forge, from what I've heard. Hawk777 08:55, 19 January 2012 (CET)

I have a possible solution to the problem of the light limit. In trying to figure out how to get a really bright light for a possible xneon arclamp mod (I have yet to learn Java), I realized that an air like block with luminescence of 15 could be used as a work around technical block by spawning it around the light souorce. This could also be used to simulate light effects, such as radiosity (the diffuse reflection of light onto a surface), even artificial sunlight. Now how fun would that be to have zombies burn INSIDE your house at night? RaiderZulu 10:05, 15 August 2012 (EST)

Switching on and off?

Is there a way to get these to turn on and off using a lever and splitter cable? The energy storage prevents you from being able to use it that way since it will just stay on using it's stored energy (which will last a LONG time). If it's really not possible then that's really disappointing, I feel like the luminator shouldn't have storage. I know the redpower lamp is an alternative, but it's impossible to hide the redstone (unlike how you can hide wires in cf foam) without very thick walls or putting the lamp on the floor.

This isn't a direct answer to your question, but you can hide RedPower red alloy wire inside the same amount of space that foamed cable would take up by using Covers, which can be made with handsaws. Hawk777 06:22, 2 April 2012 (CEST)

I totally support the idea of removing Luminator's internal storage - it prevents many fine projects

issue with tin cable

Version for mc 1.2.3 appears to have issues with mounting on tin cables, where the flicker instead of lighting. --Xarses 06:07, 13 April 2012 (CEST)

Happens for me too at least if powered by solar panels. I believe it’s a known bug. Try adding a batbox in between. Hawk777 08:56, 13 April 2012 (CEST)

One luminator uses up 1EU/t, the exact amount one solar panel can create. The flicker comes from the energy running out constantly. Each luminator has a 10000 EU capacity, so you either have to charge them up initially with a RE-battery and then keep the light on with solar panels, or put an energy buffer like batbox or similiar between and keep it filled. -Styl1sh 12:04, 13 April 2012 (CEST)

Not worth it?

Does anyone else feel as if luminators aren't worth the energy cost? I mean, they spend 10 000 EU in ~2 in game days, light as much as a torch, and either needs constant power (hard to conceal the wiring) or regular manual recharging. Heck, if lighting was this expensive and inconvenient in real life people would still use candles!

I know that with technic pack/tekkit RedPower2 lamps are an alternative, but they are full size blocks, so they are no good either.

I find them only useful when a cable is already there and there is a guaranteed energy source, such as at the top of the tower ("The Monstrosity," as I call it, because of the way I built it) it that bears the windmills for my Crop Defense Array (16 Tesla Coils are harder to power than you might think) or on a Glass Fiber Cable suspended over a pass (I have a Helicopter in that world). Another use is to burn creepers.RaiderZulu 11:47, 15 August 2012 (EST)

Odd issues and feedback

Does glass fiber optic wire not work with luminators?

Also they appear to act as full size blocks. For example if I put them on the ground next to a chest I can't click the side of the chest to open it. Even though I can physically see it, the game acts if it is covered by a solid block. They need to act like panels IMHO. Also a wrench should be able to change the size of the luminator when mounted on a wire, other wise the only size you get is the full square unless you plan on wasting endless time recharging them with batteries.

Another issue I noticed when I tried to make a whole floor of them was that they wouldn't stay at full brightness. If I got too far away from the power source, only 10 blocks or so, they stayed very dim. Some of them went full bright again when I ripped out the luminators that were furthest away. Also I think a powered wrench should be able to remove the luminator without destroying it. It is a machine after all.

In general most people I ask think luminators are stupid due to their restrictions and impracticality. Anther and more general problem is that wiring acts as a full block and can't be covered with redpower covers in the same block.

Light emitting from wrong side?

After messing with these devices for the better part of an hour and failing (they kept exploding), I decided to test my set up on a smaller scale.

I Hid an MFE in the ceiling with glass fiber cable and an LV transformer. Set up some fiber cable coming out of the LV's output and attached a luminator to the cable about 3 blocks away. It lit up! Only problem is that the underside of the luminator remains dark. The light surrounds the device, but only the side attached to the cable appears lit, which makes things look kinda weird.

Is this some sort of bug or are they just not meant to be ceiling panels?

Try changing the smooth lighting settings, that worked for me with sub-blocks. RaiderZulu 11:47, 15 August 2012 (EST)

No, this is definitely a bug. Instead of being small squares when attached to the ceiling they appear as floor tiles, and only glow on the top. It doesn't appear to be possible to actually power ceiling luminators.Strill 13:24, 18 August 2012 (UTC)