Editing Power Guide (section)

== Pathfinding ==
Understanding how power flows through wires - how it finds a path to its destination - is essential for making networks that work quickly and don't waste power.

(Visualization of a crossroads with a sponge)

When power reaches a crossroads, where it can go in multiple directions, it chooses one direction at random. When it hits a dead end, pathfinding fails, and no power is transmitted.

(Visualization of basic solar panel network)

Take, for example, this solar panel network. When power gets into the line of sponges, it can go either left or right. If it goes right, it reaches a dead end, and pathfinding fails. This means that '''half the power from the solars is wasted'''! We could fix this by connecting one end back around to the noteblock, like so:

(Visualization of solar with a loop back around)

However, this can get complicated very quickly. Instead, we can use '''redstone''' or '''lapis''' blocks.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Redstone
!Lapis
|-
|
|
|-
|Redstone blocks receive power from sponges or wires, but only output energy to wires.
|Lapis blocks receive power from sponges and wires, but only output energy to sponges
|}
Redstone and lapis are also directional, meaning they will always move power in a straight line if they can.

(Directionality visualization)

For a more in-depth guide for how to optimize your pathfinding, check out [[S1ice's General Guide to Wiring]].