So I think this is slightly related to this question but I'm not sure I fully understand the rules controlling lighting redstone lamps.
Say I have a tower like this:
Right now, I can light it up (as in the picture) by putting a redstone torch in the bottom middle and putting a solid block in the top middle. Is there any way to light it up from a redstone signal? If so, how? If not, why not?
(I always seem to get really frustrated with redstone because it is so convoluted with so many corner cases…)
Also as an additional (not sure if possible) restraint, it'd be nice to be able to keep the redstone input within the 3×3 bounding box (coming from below).
Best Answer
There are few ways to carry controllable power up a 1×1 shaft. As far as I know, the layout you describe in your question, with one modification, is the best that can be done for below-ground powering. Adding redstone on top of the solid block allows one more layer. (I have omitted the lamps in front in order to show the mechanism.)
Note the second torch below which accepts a control signal.
Here is one way to transition from a redstone wire to chained torches within a 3×3 base:
The key design principle is that each torch in the torch-and-block chain can move the signal horizontally one block, so by moving it off to the corner, we have room to direct the redstone wire into the first torch. Many other patterns are possible.