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Copper grates should allow Water, Lava, and Items to pass through them

I believe that the Copper grate should have a mechanic where Water and Lava can flow through them, and where Items can pass straight through despite the fact that entities cannot. This was a feature that was nearly added to blocks that weren't full blocks in the Aquatic update like fences and signs but it was criticized due to how it would break existing builds, but given the grates are being introduced in this update, there are no existing builds with them yet so giving this block specifically that mechanic wouldn't disrupt anything. This could be used to have water or lava streams, and even bubble columns flow through a block that the player and other entities can't pass through, and could act as a solid floor that dropped items can fall through. I think this is a mechanic that it would be interesting to have in the game since it doesn't currently exist in any real form. It could probably see use in a lot of farms too, though as someone who doesn't build farms, i wouldn't know the exact applications for this idea, but i know this idea could greatly increase the usefulness of the grates block instantly beyond a simple transparent decorative block.

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  • 9
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    I was just about to post this idea when i saw yours! THIS IS SUCH A GOOD IDEA!

  • 17
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    The gaps look too small for items to go through it. If it looked more like a horizontal iron bar it would make more sense, but maybe that could be a different block.

  • 30
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    I don't know about the items passing through thing, but liquid should 100% do that! I was about to suggest this when your post came up. I'd say it's a grate idea!

  • 9
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    Just to clarify some points, I had this idea a long time ago before Copper grates were even revealed and already came up with all these ideas, with the acception of the bubble column one, so now that we have a grate block in the game i figured i would suggest my idea again. I'm aware that the texture of copper grates looks small and so it makes not a lot of sense for most items to fall through but this is what we have to work with, and i feel like having this feature along side the water currents thing makes sense since it gives the block some pretty good farm and redstone applications, And items when in item form tend to have different properties than they do when placed out into the world so clearly items function a little differently in item form so this could work at a stretch. Maybe Mojang could slightly modify the blocks texture to make this mechanic make more sense but if they didn't, i wouldn't complain, Minecraft was never the most realistic or grounded game to begin with and it's not trying to be, it wears it's status as a video game on it's sleeve.

  • 11
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    Having items being able to pass through would allow for so much new functionality with mob farms, industrial design, etc. while being a totally unique function to that block that isn't seen or is really possible by any other method.

    As it stands, the copper grate is just a neat looking block, but allowing water/lava/item flow would make it SUCH a valuable addition

  • 17
    Registered User commented
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    I love this idea. I can just imagine:

    • A path going into your base while passing through a waterfall
    • Sewers
    • A protective lava fall that surrounds your whole base in the nether, with paths going outwards in all directions that you can take as soon as the lava source is closed and lava flow is below the grates 
    • If the devs let items cross: A farm grate that keeps (still alive) mobs on the other side but crops/loot/etc. cross either by fall or by water flow to be collected (to specify what OP mentioned). You could have a loot farm where mobs are in water, but can't cross the grates so they just pile up behind it, and are attacked on either side by machines so that the loot crosses the gates to be collected in a hopper. 
    • New designs for arenas 
    • Water elevators that block you from going too high
    • New designs for labyrinths
    • Closed protective walls for a fortress whose walls cross one (or multiple) river(s)
    • New designs for chimneys (In which case it would be good to let smoke pass through too)
    • (OOOH if smoke passes through) Smokey paths over fire! More than with trapdoors, which let out some smoke but blocks most of it. What if grates let all of the smoke through?
    • Suspended grate and chain paths combined with any of the above
    • Using all of the above: new possibilities for steampunk constructions 🧡
  • 5
    Registered User commented
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    Imagine if you could toggle the ability to allow water, lava, etc to flow through as well. Maybe by a closing function within the block or via another contraption using redstone perhaps.

  • 12
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    Copper grate - pass liquids
    Iron grate - pass items and liquids

    It'd be really interesting what kind of builds people would make!

  • 6
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    Items passing through would be a neat feature, but I specifically came here to request that the grates be waterloggable and allow fluids and bubble columns to pass through them. Having them trap items like a strainer or allow the items to pass through would both be useful features. Having another block that does the opposite would allow cool builds where items flow in one side and are trapped when the water flows out the other side.

  • 12
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    OP here again, There doesn't seem to be a way to reply to comments unfortunately, so i will just say that i agree with the commenter that suggested that Iron grates also be added, and that both can pass liquids through, as well as bubbles, but only the iron grate can pass items through while Copper grates act more as a strainer that allow water streams through but stop items from going through.

    Another commenter also suggested that gartes could allow smoke from campfires through, which i also think is a brilliant idea! I can't tell you the amount of times i have been paranoid that my bees might accidentally fly into the campfire under their hive due to a momentary lapse in pathfinding and set themselves on fire, so a block that prevents them from going near, and creates a safe floor for players to walk over but still allows the smoke to rise through and keep the bees from going agro when i go to get honey would be extremely useful.

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    Water and Lava, YES! But nothing else should flow through them.

  • 9
    Registered User commented
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    Grates very much feel like the kind of block you would use to make a catwalk going through a waterfall without disturbing the waterfall.

  • 8
    Registered User commented
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    it's literaly a grate so I don't know why this wasn't a thing in the first snapshot

  • 5
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    A block that lets water pass through would be really interesting and allow for a whole lot of creative ideas!  Decorative blocks are nice but this one is literally a grate, a thing designed to let liquids pass through but not objects.  Would be really nice to see a feature like this implemented.

  • 7
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    Liquids should definitely pass through grates, it's what they're used for after all!

  • 6
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    I think that there is no reason against this, and it would make an useful addition. Please do it.

  • 9
    Registered User commented
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    To combat concerns of people who might want the items not to flow through the grates, since copper items have different states of decay, introducing alternative behavior in them may be interesting. Allowing for items to pass through the unoxidized version, but not the oxidized version could be an interesting mechanic as well. Regardless, I think this is an excellent idea!

  • 5
    Registered User commented
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    I really like the idea. It possesses a lot of possibility for new contraptions and builds.

  • 2
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    Hey I thought this was included already but I tested it before I implemented it, with the addition of items flowing through the grate we don't have to use a clunky piston extention in order to move items but not stop fall damage in a spawner setting. If items were to go through there could be water flowing as usual underneath as a streamlined way into the water and into a sorting machine. I'm not sure the real use of liquids going through but items would make this block variant HUGE! I mean we got the crafter and that has extremely neich uses like reducing storage of an iron farm by nine, but honestly it's just isn't very practical, just letting items through the grate would be a better addition to the game, more usable (the crafter is very sore spot, I wish it had blacklist so we could sort using a crafter that doesn't get powered, allowing tighter sorting systems with up to 9 items instead of 1 per "unit" and spaced one block as it has to be currently, may also allow solid items to be sorted, say a gold helmet is blacklisted and then that slot only holds those. I know it changes the purpose but I don't see an actual filter making the cut so don't let the crafter go to waste make it.. good 😅 sorry very long winded I hope I'm not rubbing you guys the wrong way with a "lack of creativity" it's more a lack of space 😅 Op doesn't do farm often and the idea still came to mind, let our creativity flow 👀 and I didn't mean to speak on the crafter, I apologize.

  • 4
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    I think this is a great idea! I can just imagine creating puzzles and farms using the copper grates! Such as placing the grates where the water is in a basic farm will allow the plants to receive the water without limiting player movement. I feel this would also be useful in the nether to help bridge over lava without spreading it or making a secret entrance.

  • 2
    Registered User commented
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    This is a really fun idea! I hope mojang take this into consideration. I think having water/lava pass through all stages, and items at a more weathered stage would allow for some really interesting mechanics.

  • 1
    Registered User commented
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    Not items. Items can't fit through the small holes.

  • 3
    Registered User commented
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    what if you could instead use copper grates to craft some redstone fillter

  • 1
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    It would be lovely to use it is a sieve to filter out items, mobs and let bubble columns flow through. This will allow a copper sink, at least for those who farm a lot.

  • 2
    Registered User commented
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    not sure about lava, but water bubble columns should absolutely go through copper grates, and having flowing water pass through grates completely unaffected would be so cool

    I also think items should be able to pass through, both of these features would add a lot more depth and potential to the block and be really cool

    Could potentially open up the door for a redstone activated mechanism that controls whether it lets things through or not, but besides that, letting bubble columns, items and flowing liquids go through the grate would be very nice

  • 2
    Registered User commented
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    Yes. Please. I've literally had this same idea since the grates were first revealed.

  • 1
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    Absolutely, as soon as I saw them they were definitely meant for more. Letting liquids/items, even both would be awesome. Bonus would be throwing a grate into a smiting table with an item and whitelisting what can flow through, everything on default. Definitely wouldn't feel modded imo, that's the most barebone form of sorting that wouldn't require a youtube tutorial, much less the ancient city Redstone guide 😭 they've been a testament forever but they have limited space and are often quite expensive

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    I think this would be cool for falling blocks too

  • 0
    Registered User commented
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    Yes I agree, I was shocked to find that bubble columns do not pass through them. I wanted to cover up a magma block so players wouldn't take damage