Create: Refraction & Optics
Build laser-powered factories with mirrors, prisms, optical sensors, solar concentrators, and photon turbines. Manipulate light, generate rotation, and melt or cut blocks with focused lasers.
Mod ID: create_optics · Author: Pedro Arthur · License: MIT
Minecraft 1.21.1 NeoForge
Turn rotational power into light. Bend laser beams, split colors, harness sunlight, and build precision laser systems that can generate power, heat machines, melt blocks, and cut through stone.
What is this?
Create: Refraction & Optics brings kinetic light manipulation to Create. Build laser emitters, adjustable mirrors, prisms, and optical control systems to transport and manipulate beams across your factory. Convert light back into rotational power with Photon Turbines, or harness sunlight through automated solar installations. With focused laser technology, light becomes a powerful industrial tool — but also a serious hazard.
Features
Laser Emitter
Convert rotational energy into a laser beam.
- Beam power equals the input RPM, up to 256 power.
- Redstone disables the emitter.
- Right-click with a dye to change the beam color.
- Continues firing while mounted on contraptions.
- Attach a Laser Focal Lens in front to turn it into a laser cutter.
Adjustable Mirror
Direct beams wherever your factory needs them.
- Use a Wrench to rotate the mirror in 22.5° increments.
- Supports beam redirections of 45°, 90°, 135°, and 180°.
- Right-click to adjust vertical inclination.
- Can be installed on floors, walls, and ceilings.
Rotating Mirror Mount
- Holds a mirror on a rotating platform connected to a shaft.
- Rotates by exactly the same angular amount as its rotational input.
- Can be precisely positioned using a Sequenced Gearshift.
- Stops at 22.5° increments.
Dispersion Prism
Split white light into three colored beams:
- Red: redirected to one side.
- Green: continues straight ahead.
- Blue: redirected to the opposite side.
Use a Wrench to change the prism's orientation axis.
Optical Dial
A speed-controlled optical beam switch with two operating modes.
Route Mode:
- 1–63 RPM: sends the beam left.
- 64–127 RPM: sends the beam straight.
- 128+ RPM: sends the beam right.
- Reverse rotation swaps the left and right directions.
- Stopped rotation blocks the beam.
Spectrum Mode:
- Uses rotational speed to select which color passes through the dial.
Optical Sensor
- Detects incoming laser beam power.
- Outputs a redstone signal proportional to beam strength.
- Signal strength is calculated as Beam Power ÷ 16.
Photon Turbine
Convert optical energy back into rotation.
- Produces rotational speed equal to half the incoming beam power.
- Maximum output: 128 RPM.
- Can use sunlight as a free energy source when properly illuminated.
Heliostat
- Automatically follows the sun.
- Redirects sunlight toward the nearest Solar Concentrator.
- Targeting range: 24 blocks.
Solar Concentrator
- Requires an unobstructed view of the sky.
- Naturally gathers up to 24 beam power at noon.
- Additional Heliostats increase its collected power.
- Produces a focused optical beam for industrial applications.
Laser Focal Lens
Turn ordinary beams into destructive focused energy.
- Focused beams below 96 power fuse blocks in place.
- Stronger beams cut blocks.
- At 160 power or higher, stone melts into lava.
- Lasers can also burn creatures.
Optical Heat Collector
Capture laser energy and turn it into industrial heat.
Works similarly to a Create Blaze Burner:
- 48 focused power: heated.
- 160 focused power: superheated.
- Can heat Create Basins and Steam Engine boilers.
Crafting and Materials
- Polished Lens: polish glass using Sand Paper.
- Mirror Panel: produced using glass and an Iron Sheet with a Deployer.
- Prism Crystal: compact Amethyst and Quartz together with glass.
How it fits with Create
Refraction & Optics uses Create's rotational and automation systems to control optical machinery.
- Rotation: Laser Emitters, Photon Turbines, and Rotating Mirror Mounts interact directly with Create shafts and rotational components.
- Redstone: Optical Sensors and Optical Dials provide automated beam control.
- Heat: Optical Heat Collectors provide heat to Basins and Steam Engine boilers.
- Contraptions: Laser Emitters continue firing while mounted on moving contraptions.
- Automation: Sequenced Gearshifts can precisely control rotating mirrors, while optical components can be integrated into larger automated installations.
Learn in game
Explore 12 complete Ponder scenes covering the mod's machinery and mechanics.
The mod adds three dedicated Ponder categories:
- Beam Optics
- Solar & Heat
- Laser Hazards
Hold W while hovering over an item to open its Ponder scene. Hold Shift to read additional Create-style tooltips.
Configuration
Three configuration categories are available:
- Client: visual and interface settings.
- Common: general mechanics and gameplay settings.
- Server: server-side behavior and balance settings.
Compatibility
Refraction & Optics works independently and integrates directly with:
- Create: Subterranean Geodes: Geode shards can be processed into Prism Crystals. Focused laser beams can also detonate methane, creating a dangerous interaction between mining and optical machinery.
- Create: Thermodynamics & Heat Conduction: Optical Heat Collectors can provide heat to Thermal Absorbers, allowing laser-powered heating systems.
It is also designed to complement the other addons in Pedro Arthur's Create expansion series.
Requirements
- Minecraft 1.21.1
- NeoForge 21.1.200+
- Create 6.0.10+
Modpacks
Feel free to include Create: Refraction & Optics in your modpacks! Modpack authors are welcome to use it freely under the MIT License. Credit to Pedro Arthur is appreciated.
🇧🇷 Resumo em português
O Create: Refraction & Optics adiciona lasers, espelhos, prismas, sensores ópticos e energia solar. Redirecione e separe feixes de luz, gere rotação com turbinas e use lasers focados para aquecer, fundir e cortar blocos.
Create: Refraction & Optics Team
