Pin Pusher

The Pin Pusher is a logistical machine that takes a shape signal as input and outputs the corresponding shape signal with pins inserted beneath the shape. The machine creates pins under the bottom layer of the shape and then lets the resulting structure settle according to the game's gravity rules. The Simulated Pin Pusher version used by signal-based logistics follows the same checks for crystals and floating shapes as the in-world Pin Pusher. If the input is null, the output will be null.

The Simulated Pin Pusher transforms a shape like CuCuCuCu into a pinned representation such as P-P-P-P-:CuCuCuCu, indicating pins placed under each occupied quadrant of the bottom layer. For partially empty shapes the pins appear only below occupied quadrants of that bottom layer, for example Cu--Cu-- becomes P---P---:Cu--Cu--. The operation preserves crystals and respects floating-shape rules, so pinned crystals or shapes that would become floating are handled the same way the regular Pin Pusher handles them.

The Pin Pusher operation is performed in two conceptual steps. Firstly, pins are created under every non-empty shape part of the shape's bottom layer. Secondly, the Shape Gravity Rules are applied to the resulting pinned shape; the gravity pass causes parts to fall if unsupported, which can change the final geometry and layer ordering. This means a shape that gains pins may also have layers drop or rearrange after pin insertion, producing a final shape signal that reflects both pin placement and gravity settling.

• The Pin Pusher only needs a shape signal input; there is no separate color input. If the input is null, the output is null.
• Pins are only created under non-empty quadrants of the bottommost layer; empty quadrants do not receive pins.
• The machine follows the same crystal and floating-shape validation as the standard Pin Pusher, so any constraints or shattering rules that apply to crystals remain in effect.
• After pins are added, the Shape Gravity Rules are applied, so expect layers to shift downward where support is removed or altered by the pin insertion.
• The Simulated Pin Pusher output format shows pins first (P/P- placeholders) followed by a colon and then the shape layers (for example P-P-P-P-:CuCuCuCu).