Description (from Recipaedia)
A dispenser stores items in a similar way to a chest, but allows dispensing them through the hole when triggered via a rising edge of an electric signal. It can either dispense the item or shoot it as a projectile, depending on the setting.
Crafting
Requires 7 planks, one bow and one germanium crystal to craft one dispenser.
Use
Place the dispenser in the direction you wish it to shoot. The face with the hole in it is where the items will be shot from. When it is placed, the hole will always face the player.
To configure the dispenser, simply approach it and 'tap' it. A window will pop up to show the dispenser's inventory, two buttons and an "accept drops" option. It also shows your inventory.
Place the items you wish to dispense/shoot in the dispenser slots (8 total). Select one button whether you want it to dispense or shoot the items (dispense is the default setting). With "dispense" items are simply dropped and can be collected much like any drop, with "shoot" items are fired as projectiles at the direction where dispenser is faced.
As of version 2.1, if "accept drops" is enabled, dispensers will collect items thrown or dropped onto them much like chests.
Controlling it
Connect the dispenser to your electric circuit. This could be as simple as a button placed directly next to it. When the circuit is charged (rising edge), the dispenser will dispense/shoot.
Switches are a very inefficient way to activate dispensers, requiring two 'taps' to fire. Buttons are preferable.
A useful control circuit involves a few electric wires, a NAND (or XOR) gate and a switch. One input of the NAND is connected to the output. This creates a high-frequency oscillator. The other input is connected to the switch. The NAND output is connected to the dispenser. When the switch is on, the dispenser will fire extremely quickly (max. 3000 rpm), like a machine gun. When firing gunpowder kegs the lag created can massively decrease firing rate.
Notes
Trap with the returning of an item.
- Can shoot/dispense in any direction it has been placed.
- Any block or item may be dispensed from it. Bombs, Incendiary Bombs, Gunpowder Kegs, Incendiary Kegs and Fireworks will be ignited as they leave the dispenser. So are fire arrows and explosive bolts.
- Spawner eggs (NOT laid eggs) may be dispensed. They will immediately hatch.
- Great for defending houses, bases, etc without endangering the character.
- Can be used to drop items used as bait for animal traps. If you build a trap with the returning of an item, the animals will not be able to eat the bait before it returns to the dispenser.
- The electric connection can be made through a wire or a wire-through-block may be placed against any surface for connection.
- All ammunition shot from the dispenser will pass through a single-block opening directly in line with the dispenser if that opening is no more than 6 blocks from the face of the dispenser (5 block passage). This can be used in adventure maps to provide a 'kill zone' but prevent the character from retrieving any shot ammo. You will have to ensure that no ammo will bounce back through the opening, however. One great way to do this is to have a wall of clay behind that opening. Projectiles always stick to clay!
- If Buckshot is fired by the Dispenser, it doesn't cause any damage. It only knockbacks Entities.
- You can use seemingly useless items (Such as dirt blocks, unripe pumpkins, etc) to use as Dispenser ammo. Good for protecting your home!
- You cannot edit a dispenser in Adventure Mode.
History
1.28. Added Dispenser.
1.29. Dispensers are no longer editable in adventure mode.[1]