Why do I need 5 snow layers to replace a half slab?
I can use snow layers as half slabs, but to get onto the gold block I have to use 5.
4 looks like a half slab, and 8 is a full block - so why do I need 5 and how does 5 work - it looks taller than a half slab.
Best Answer
The top layer of snow is just graphical. You'll notice that when you walk on to one layer of snow your player does not rise up at all; it's only until 2 layers are placed that the players Y co-ordinate is effected.
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How many layers of snow are in a block?
4 snow balls can be crafted into a full snow block, which can in turn be crafted into snow layers (3 full snow blocks = 6 snow layers).Does snow land on slabs?
It's not possible for snow to exist on slabs/half steps. A slab is only \xbd blocks high, but as far as the game is concerned, it inhabits an entire block. The same goes for the snow layer, which is also a block \u2014 except other blocks you place can go through and replace the snow layer block.How do you place snow layers?
Blocks without a solid top will not be snowed on. Packed and solid ice will not be snowed on. This is stairs, fence, tracks, pressure plates, grass, carpet, trap doors, and both types of ice.Weak Layer, Slab, Slope, Trigger = Avalanche (12/8/2020)
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Answer 2
This is because of the mechanic that allows you to jump up onto a block with a snow layer:
You can jump up onto both of these blocks - even though the snow block looks 1.125 blocks tall.
This might make you think you can jump up that high - but that would mean you could jump up from water to a block, as water and 7 snow layers look the same height (0.875 blocks):
In fact, the reason that you can go from a flat block to a block with a snow layer is because a single snow layer has no depth - it's like soul sand.
So a "full" snow block made up of snow layers (8 of them) is actually only 0.875 of a block - compare these 3 images:
It's not easy to tell, but I've sunk into both the soul sand and the snow layers - because the first layer doesn't raise me up.
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Images: Simon Berger, Plato Terentev, Boris Pavlikovsky, Ian Beckley