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Display of blocks by entities

In practice, blocks which are displayed by entities closely resemble how they appear in placed form. However, notable exceptions remain, and how blocks…

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Visuals
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Contents (7)
  1. Table
  2. Single-block exceptions
  3. History
  4. Falling block appearances
  5. Enderman/minecart appearences
  6. Notes
  7. References

In practice, blocks which are displayed by entities closely resemble how they appear in placed form. However, notable exceptions remain, and how blocks render in such contexts has changed considerably throughout game versions.

Table

Blocks not listed are assumed to work correctly across all five entities.

Entity Block Display Enderman Minecart TNT Falling Block
Acacia Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Acacia Shelf Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[2]
Acacia Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Acacia Wall Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Acacia Wall Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Bamboo Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Bamboo Shelf Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[2]
Bamboo Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Bamboo Wall Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Bamboo Wall Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Bell Yes Yes Yes Yes Bell is absent[3]
Birch Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Birch Shelf Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[2]
Birch Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Birch Wall Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Birch Wall Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Black Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Black Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Black Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Blue Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Blue Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Blue Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Brown Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Brown Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Brown Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Bubble Column No No No No No
Campfire Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[5]
Cherry Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Cherry Shelf Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[2]
Cherry Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Cherry Wall Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Cherry Wall Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Chest Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Conduit Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Copper Chest Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Copper Golem Statue Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Creeper Head Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No
Creeper Wall Head Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No
Crimson Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Crimson Shelf Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[2]
Crimson Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Crimson Wall Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Crimson Wall Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Cyan Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Cyan Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Cyan Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Dark Oak Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Dark Oak Shelf Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[2]
Dark Oak Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Dark Oak Wall Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Dark Oak Wall Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Decorated Pot Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Dragon Head Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No
Dragon Wall Head Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No
Enchanting Table Yes Yes Yes Yes Book is absent[7]
End Gateway Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[8] No[9]
End Portal Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[8] No[9]
Ender Chest Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Exposed Copper Chest Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Exposed Copper Golem Statue Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Gray Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Gray Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Gray Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Green Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Green Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Green Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Jungle Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Jungle Shelf Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[2]
Jungle Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Jungle Wall Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Jungle Wall Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Lava No No[10] No[11] No[12] No[13]
Lectern Book is absent[14] Book is absent[15] Book is absent[16] Book is absent[17] Book is absent[18]
Light Blue Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Light Blue Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Light Blue Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Light Gray Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Light Gray Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Light Gray Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Lime Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Lime Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Lime Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Magenta Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Magenta Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Magenta Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Mangrove Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Mangrove Shelf Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[2]
Mangrove Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Mangrove Wall Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Mangrove Wall Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Monster Spawner Yes[note 3] Yes[note 3] Yes[note 3] Yes[note 3] Entity is absent[19]
Oak Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Oak Shelf Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[2]
Oak Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Oak Wall Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Oak Wall Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Orange Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Orange Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Orange Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Oxidized Copper Chest Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Oxidized Copper Golem Statue Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Pale Oak Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Pale Oak Shelf Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[2]
Pale Oak Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Pale Oak Wall Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Pale Oak Wall Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Piglin Head Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No
Piglin Wall Head Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No
Pink Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Pink Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Pink Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Player Head Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No
Player Wall Head Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No
Poplar Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Poplar Shelf Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Text is absent[1]
Poplar Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Poplar Wall Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Poplar Wall Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Purple Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Purple Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Purple Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Red Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Red Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Red Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Skeleton Skull Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No
Skeleton Wall Skull Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No
Soul Campfire Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[5]
Spruce Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Spruce Shelf Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[2]
Spruce Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Spruce Wall Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Spruce Wall Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Trapped Chest Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Trial Spawner Yes[note 3] Yes[note 3] Yes[note 3] Yes[note 3] Entity is absent[20]
Vault Yes[note 4] Yes[note 4] Yes[note 4] Yes[note 4] Item is absent[21]
Warped Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Warped Shelf Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Yes[note 2] Items are absent[2]
Warped Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Warped Wall Hanging Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Warped Wall Sign Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Yes[note 1] Text is absent[1]
Water No No[10] No[11] No[12] No[13]
Waxed Copper Chest Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Waxed Copper Golem Statue Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Waxed Exposed Copper Chest Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Waxed Exposed Copper Golem Statue Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Waxed Oxidized Copper Chest Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Waxed Oxidized Copper Golem Statue Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Waxed Weathered Copper Chest Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Waxed Weathered Copper Golem Statue Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Weathered Copper Chest Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Weathered Copper Golem Statue Yes Yes Yes Yes No
White Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
White Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
White Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Wither Skeleton Skull Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No
Wither Skeleton Wall Skull Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No
Yellow Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Yellow Shulker Box Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Yellow Wall Banner Yes Yes Yes Only wood flashes[4] No
Zombie Head Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No
Zombie Wall Head Yes Yes Yes Does not flash[6] No

Single-block exceptions

red and brown mooshrooms, snow golem pumpkins, iron golem poppies

also copper golem saddle slot and sulfur cube body slot

History

Java Edition Infdev
Minecraft Infdev20100618 Added falling block entities, which visually represent blocks in motion.
Java Edition Beta
1.8Pre-release Added endermen, which pick up blocks, visibly holding them.
Unknown
? Nether portals held by endermen appear as full cubes.
Java Edition
1.513w02a Minecart entities can now render any block ID inside of them rather than only furnaces and chests.
1.814w04a Several blocks now render when held by endermen or when displayed in minecarts.
14w25a Water and lava no longer render at all when held by endermen[22] or when displayed in minecarts.[23]
? Water and lava falling block entities no longer render at all.[24]
? Translucent blocks now render as translucent in an entity context rather than being made opaque or cutout.
1.19.423w06a Added block display entities.
1.20.323w42a TNT entities can now render as any block ID rather than only as TNT itself.
1.21.424w45a Heads now render when held by endermen,[25] as block display entities,[25] as lit TNT and in minecarts rather than being invisible as they were previously.
24w46a Hanging signs now render when held by endermen,[26] as block display entities,[26] as lit TNT and in minecarts rather than being invisible as they were previously.
Signs now render when held by endermen, as block display entities, as lit TNT and in minecarts rather than being invisible as they were previously.
26.1snap11 Bells held by endermen, displayed by block display entities, set as TNT's displayed block or displayed in a minecart now render the actual bell, rather than just the frame.[27]
Enchanting tables in those four situations will now display a book, albeit a closed one.
Pre-Release 1 End portal and end gateway blocks (i.e. starfield blocks) held by endermen, displayed in minecarts or set as the displayed block of a lit TNT entity or block display entity will now render, rather than being invisible as they were previously.[28]
End portals in these situations will look slightly different to the actual block, having side faces.
26.2snap7 Signs and hanging signs (including wall signs and wall hanging signs) now render as falling block entities.

Falling block appearances

Until ​, falling blocks associated with blocks which have optional directional connections would render as a cuboid with the block's texture, with the exact shape of the cuboid matching the last block looked at matching the entity's associated block ID.[29]

Fence-like
Block · One direction L-shaped Straight T-shaped +
N E S W NE ES SW NW NS EW ESW NSW NEW NES
Cobblestone Wall
Mossy Cobblestone Wall
Glass Pane
Iron Bars
Nether Brick Fence
Oak Fence
Other
  • Single chest
    Single chest
  • Large chest, north connection
    Large chest, north connection
  • Large chest, east connection
    Large chest, east connection
  • Large chest, south connection
    Large chest, south connection
  • Large chest, connection connection
    Large chest, connection connection
  • Ender chest
    Ender chest
  • Heads
    Heads

Enderman/minecart appearences

From 14w04a to 14w21b certain blocks in minecarts would look quite strange, applying a series of textures to a cuboid model rather than using geometry accurate to the block itself. In 14w25a and 14w25b changes were made such that the block's actual model is used, although in the first of these two snapshots the missing model was used for many of these instead.

Blocks are only listed in this section if their pre-14w25a appearance visually differs from their placed block form.

Block Up to
14w03b 		14w04a
-
14w08a 		14w10a
-
14w21b 		14w25a 14w25b
onward
Activator Rail ​ ​ ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​
Brewing Stand ​ ​ ​ ​
Cauldron ​ ​ ​ ​
Cocoa ​ ​ ​ ​
Detector Rail ​ ​ ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​
Fire ​ ​ ​
Flower Pot ​ ​ ​
Glass Pane ​ ​ ​
Iron Bars ​ ​ ​
Iron Door ​ ​ ​
Ladder ​ ​ ​ ​
Large Fern ​ ​ ​ ​
Lava Invisible ​ Invisible
Lever ​ ​ ​ ​
Lilac ​ ​ ​ ​
Lily Pad ​ ​ ​ ​
Melon Stem ​ ​ ​
Oak Door ​ ​ ​
Peony ​ ​ ​ ​
Powered Rail ​ ​ ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​
Pumpkin Stem ​ ​ ​
Rail ​ ​ ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​
Red Bed ​ ​ ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​
Redstone Comparator ​ ​ ​ ​
​ ​ ​ ​
Redstone Repeater ​ ​
​ ​
Redstone Wire ​ ​ ​
Rose Bush ​ ​ ​ ​
Sunflower ​ ​ ​
Tall Grass ​ ​ ​ ​
Tripwire ​ ​ ​
Tripwire Hook ​ ​ ​
Vines ​ ​ ​
Water Invisible ​ Invisible
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Notes

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg dh di dj dk dl dm dn do dp dq dr ds dt du dv dw dx dy dz ea eb ec ed ee ef eg eh ei ej ek el em en eo ep eq er es et eu ev ew ex ey ez fa fb fc fd fe ff fg fh fi fj fk fl fm fn fo fp fq fr fs ft fu fv fw fx fy fz ga gb gc gd ge gf gg gh gi gj gk gl gm gn go gp gq gr gs gt gu gv gw gx gy gz Block NBT data cannot be specified, so text can never be present
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh Block NBT data cannot be specified, so items can never be present
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h Block NBT data cannot be specified, so target entity can never be present
  4. ↑ a b c d Block NBT data cannot be specified, so prize items can never be present

References

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba MC-308632
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l MC-309011
  3. ↑ MC-308628
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af MC-308381
  5. ↑ a b MC-309015
  6. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n MC-308382
  7. ↑ MC-308629
  8. ↑ a b MC-308380
  9. ↑ a b MC-308379
  10. ↑ a b MC-308992
  11. ↑ a b MC-308993
  12. ↑ a b MC-308996
  13. ↑ a b MC-64222
  14. ↑ MC-308643
  15. ↑ MC-308640
  16. ↑ MC-308642
  17. ↑ MC-308641
  18. ↑ MC-308644
  19. ↑ MC-308638
  20. ↑ MC-309012
  21. ↑ MC-309505
  22. ↑ MC-308992
  23. ↑ MC-308993
  24. ↑ MC-308990
  25. ↑ a b MC-193336
  26. ↑ a b MC-256649
  27. ↑ MC-199975
  28. ↑ MC-195237
  29. ↑ https://youtube.com/watch?v=c_aaEIxbzMY
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