(Request) LittleBlocks Mod

[SonicTheCrafter]

Hello everyone,
I would like to see if anyone can make a Minetest equivalent of the Minecraft mod, Little Blocks. This information[1] comes directly from the creator of the Minecraft mod:

LittleBlocks is a mod that allows you to polish up your creativity and optimize your redstone systems. Indeed, the size of blocks placed in a little blocks is divided by eight compared to its original size, so you can place 512 blocks instead of one. Be careful though with the size of your creations because the resources (memory, gpu / cpu …) increases proportionally with it. To place Little Chunks (blocks inside of which you can place Little Blocks) you have to use the Little Wand and right click like if you placed a block. The wand as multiple modes it can be used in (create, rotate, copy (only in creative) and destroy). To switch between modes you have to press a key that you can choose inside Minecraft’s controls panel.

When the Little Block is placed, your cursor selection becomes smaller to where you placed it. You can now place any type of block in it. The Little Block extends automatically when you exceed the size of a normal block.

More information[2] can be found at the MinecraftForum website.

Is this even possible in Minetest?

Sources:
1. http://slimevoid.net/littleblocks/
2. http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/730795-164152smp-little-blocks-mod-2221-creation-contest-770kdls/

Pictures:


*I know there is an official requests thread, but there, requests never get answered.

[PilzAdam]

There is currently no good way to do that with the API.

[rubenwardy]

The wiring would be possible (you could use node boxes or entities). But very hacky. VERY hacky.

But there would be no way for the player to place anything as the cross hair is only accurate to one node and the face. You can't tell where in the node it was placed. AFAIK.

[cypher-neo]

LittleBlocks is a mod that allows you to polish up your creativity and optimize your redstone systems. Indeed, the size of blocks placed in a little blocks is divided by eight compared to its original size, so you can place 512 blocks instead of one.

Is this even possible in Minetest?

That would be awesome!!
+512 for this!

[SonicTheCrafter]

There is currently no good way to do that with the API.

Well, that's sad. I hope Minetest gets to be more compatible with this type of mod.

[stu]

objects could be used instead of nodes and the meta of the node at the small nodes' position...

The biggest problem will be with placement prediction, this is doable using a combination of look direction and the position of buildable to objects or nodes in the vicinity (see my shooter mod for a basic example of this)

Another idea would be to build the model with full size nodes, turn that into objects (see meshnodes) then scale the whole thing down 8:1 or whatever. Then, if you want to be real clever, you could add a 'glue tool' that allows to save your creation as a nodebox that will automatically replace the entity model next time the server restarts :-)

[Inocudom]

objects could be used instead of nodes and the meta of the node at the small nodes' position...

The biggest problem will be with placement prediction, this is doable using a combination of look direction and the position of buildable to objects or nodes in the vicinity (see my shooter mod for a basic example of this)

Another idea would be to build the model with full size nodes, turn that into objects (see meshnodes) then scale the whole thing down 8:1 or whatever. Then, if you want to be real clever, you could add a 'glue tool' that allows to save your creation as a nodebox that will automatically replace the entity model next time the server restarts :-)

There are concerns with a mod of this kind, such as collision detection, location storage, memory, and crafting. If these can be overcome, then I can see something truly magnificent being created. Current nodebox models of the base game and various mods could be turned into blueprints in such a case.