Tutorial:TNT cannons/Course changing methods
This page provides some of the most common methods of adjusting the flight path of projectiles and/or charges responsible for mid-air maneuvers.
For the Multi platform and Rebound Shift images an example mode is traced.
Displacement
The often most compact and versatile way to switch between different slanted trajectories is by changing the relative position between the Boosters and the projectiles as well as Injectors.
Displacement based techniques are required in cannons without launch points supported by blocks. This technique is widely used because its ease of incorporation into cannons. The disadvantages of this technique are, that it is gets quite complicated quickly when having more than a couple of modes. It also clashes with Tunnlers since the forward momentum changes between many modes it is also hard to optimize the Tunnler shots.
Slime boost
A similar slanted shot to displacement techniques can be achieved by launching the projectile sidewards with slime.
Slime boosting is quite limited in its use because it only allows for one block per tick of initial sidewards momentum. It is also the biggest method of slanted shifting. Its most common use is in beginner level Mid-air trajectory change cannons because it has less impact on the relative position of the Injectors and Projectiles. The more common ways to achieve Mid-air trajectory changes don't face this problem though.
TNT
Having at least 2 positions, where Boosters explode and changing how many do that allows a great variety of slanted shots.
This technique usually is quite complex or big (or both). This is why it doesn't see that much use, where ever grand amounts of modes are not required. But even in this case it has one thing going for it: It can be build in a way to shoot with the same forwards momentum each mode. When build in such a way all the modes are incredibly regular for slanted shift.
Rebound
Placing blocks to stop the sidewards momentum of TNT results in shifting without a slanted entry.
This technique has poor efficiency while being very big and for that reason is mostly used in very high velocity applications such as some Factions cannons and cannons with extremely low shooting intervals since you can change fence gates to open or close each game tick.
Chunk phasing
TNT can pass unloaded chunks if it does so in a single game tick.
This is mandatory in long distance cannons, if no chunk loading can be induced.