I understand that light levels decrease by 1 each block farther away from the source you get, but is that measured diagonally as well as along the axes? Another way of asking this is: does a light source illuminate a square area around it or a diamond-shaped area?
Also, does light spread around corners? And if so can it "turn" more than once? In other words, if you put a torch on a pillar will things on the opposite side of the pillar receive any light?
Best Answer
A light source illuminates a diamond (it doesn't "travel" diagonally).
Light does spread around corners, but does not travel through most solid objects. A torch placed on a pillar will provide light on the opposite side, but the light has to travel around the piller. The open space immediately adjacent to the piller and opposite the torch, is 2 spaces away, but takes the light 4 spaces to go around the piller. Therefore, from a starting light level of 14 at the torch, the open space will have a light level of 10, in the abscence of another source of light.