Minecart Routing Enhancements

Guide to Smart Minecarts with RegexRails!

Have you ever wished you could make your minecarts smarter? Want to send specific carts down different tracks, or automatically rename them as they go through a system? Our server uses the RegexRails plugin to do just that!

RegexRails lets you control minecart flow and modify their names using special signs placed near detector rails. It's a powerful tool for building complex, automated minecart systems!

The Core Mechanic: Signs & Detector Rails

RegexRails works by connecting a sign to a detector rail. When a minecart passes over that detector rail, the plugin checks the sign for instructions and acts accordingly based on the minecart's display name.

The Three Operation Modes:

There are three main ways you can configure your RegexRails signs: Compare, Set, and Append.

1. Compare Mode: Filtering Carts

Use Compare mode when you want a detector rail to activate (like a normal detector rail) only if a specific minecart passes over it. This is perfect for sorting systems or conditional routing!

• Sign Configuration:
  
  

  • Line 1: Compare

  • Line 2: equals / contains / regex (Choose one of these comparison types)

  • Line 3: [comparison value] (The name or pattern you're looking for)

• Comparison Options:

  • equals: The minecart's display name must be exactly the same as your comparison value.

  • contains: The minecart's display name must include your comparison value anywhere within it.

  • regex: (Advanced!) The minecart's display name must match a specific regular expression pattern. This is for powerful, flexible matching.

• Example (Equals):

• With this sign, the detector rail will only activate if a minecart named exactly "Coal Cart" passes over it. Minecarts with other names will pass by without triggering the rail.
  
  

• Example (Contains):

• This detector rail will activate for any minecart whose name includes [Full] (e.g., "Iron [Full] Cart", "My [Full] Minecart").
  
  

2. Set Mode: Renaming Carts

Use Set mode to change the display name of any minecart that passes over the detector rail. This is great for assigning new labels to carts as they enter different parts of your system.

• Sign Configuration:
  
  

  • Line 1: Set

  • Line 2: New Name (The exact new name you want the minecart to have)

  • Line 3: (Leave this line empty)

• Example:

• Any minecart passing over this detector rail while the rail is powered by redstone will have its display name changed to "Iron Ore Cart".
  
  

• Important: Set mode (and Append mode) requires the detector rail to be powered by a redstone signal for the name change to occur.
  
  

3. Append Mode: Adding to Cart Names

Append mode allows you to add text to the end of a minecart's existing display name. This is useful for adding status tags like "[Full]" or "[Returning]".

• Sign Configuration:

  • Line 1: Append

  • Line 2: Text to append (The text you want to add)

  • Line 3: (Leave this line empty)

• Example:

• Minecarts passing over this detector rail while the rail is powered by redstone will have [Full] added to the end of their current display name. So, "Iron Ore Cart" would become "Iron Ore Cart[Full]".

• Important: Like Set mode, Append mode requires the detector rail to be powered by a redstone signal for the name change to occur.

Building Your Smart Rail System

• Placement: Place your RegexRails sign directly adjacent to (usually above or next to) a detector rail.

• Redstone Control: For Set and Append modes, remember to connect a redstone mechanism (like a lever, button, or pressure plate) to the detector rail to control when the name modification happens.

• Minecart Names: To give a minecart a display name, place it and then use an Anvil to rename it.

Experiment with these modes to create automated sorting systems, dynamic labeling for your resource transport, or complex passenger routing! If you have any questions, feel free to ask in chat!