Searchlight (& Wall Lights)

This version is designed for Forge. The Fabric version is available via a separate link.

Demonstration Video:

Searchlight

The mod adds a special block to the game - a searchlight, which doesn't emit light itself but creates an invisible light source in the chosen direction.

When you right-click on the searchlight block, it rotates toward the player, moving the light source accordingly.

In version 1.18+, the searchlight can be turned off using a redstone signal.

The main purpose of this block is to illuminate areas where visible light sources might spoil the aesthetics, while maintaining the spirit of vanilla Minecraft.

If you hold the searchlight in your hand, a beam is displayed showing the direction from the searchlight to the light source, as well as showing the light source's area of effect.

(In the Forge version, the beam is only displayed when the searchlight is in the field of view)

Wall Lights

The mod also adds a set of wall lights: iron, prismarine, and 16 colored variants (matching the terracotta color palette).

(Copper lights will appear in future versions)

When placed on a wall, the light's height automatically adjusts to eye level to hide the glowing part.

In accordance with vanilla Minecraft philosophy, wooden and stone variants are intentionally absent, since most existing light sources blend well with wooden/stone building styles, while there's a lack of suitable lights for modern and futuristic constructions.

Crafting Recipes

Technical Details

When placed, the searchlight automatically rotates toward the player. If the raycast in the player's direction doesn't find a surface, no light source is created. Similarly, when right-clicking the searchlight, if the raycast doesn't find a surface, the light source doesn't move.

The light source is placed 1 block away from surfaces (when possible) to avoid collision with liquids, cannot be waterlogged, and moves in the searchlight's direction when replaced, broken, or attempted to be pushed by a piston.

The light source block can interfere with observers, tree growth, plant growth, and other processes.

Both the searchlight and light source are tile entities and are broken by pistons.

The raycast for placing the light source (when clicking the searchlight) doesn't pass through water but does pass through transparent blocks and transparent sides according to standard lighting rules. For example, it can pass through properly oriented stairs.

The raycast works within loaded chunks, but manipulating a searchlight can cause a chunk with a light source to load and vice versa.

A light source that for some reason remains without an associated searchlight isn't automatically deleted but won't be restored if manually replaced.

Use in Modpacks

You're free to use this mod in your modpacks.