text:
Scan objects while moving?
I'm using leJOS with an NXT robot. I want to scan the distances of objects from my robot. While rotating the Ultrasonic sensor from right to left, I would like to find out which object is closest to me.
Motor.A.isRotating() seemed to me as a good idea, but later I found out that leJOS hasn't implemented it yet. They are suggesting using isMoving() instead. So I tried this:
 while(!Button.ESCAPE.isDown())
   {
    Motor.A.rotateTo( 40);
    while(Motor.A.isMoving())
    {
     value = sonic.getDistance();
     LCD.clear();
     LCD.drawString("Distance: ", 0, 2);
     LCD.drawInt(value, 0, 3);
     LCD.refresh();
     Thread.sleep(100);
    }
    Thread.sleep(100);

    Motor.A.rotateTo( -40);
    while(Motor.A.isMoving())
     {
      value = sonic.getDistance();
      LCD.clear();
      LCD.drawString("Distance: ", 0, 2);
      LCD.drawInt(value, 0, 3);
      LCD.refresh();
      Thread.sleep(100);
     }
      Thread.sleep(100);
   }

I'm open to suggestions and tips! Thank you!

I'm not a leJOS expert, but from looking at the docs, I don't think that the rotateTo method works the way that you are expecting:

public void rotateTo(int limitAngle)
Rotate to the target angle. Do not return until the move is complete.

So here's what your code is actually doing:
Motor.A.rotateTo(40); // Rotate to 40 and return when rotation is finished
while(Motor.A.isMoving()) { // The motor won't be moving
    // Execution never gets here
}

The rotateTo method takes an optional immediateReturn parameter that allows it to return without waiting for movement to complete:

immediateReturn - if true do not wait for the move to complete

Replace your calls to rotateTo(angle) with rotateTo(angle, true), and you should be on the right track. Something like this should be more effective:
Motor.A.rotateTo(40, true); // Begin rotating to 40 and return immediately
while(Motor.A.isMoving()) { // The motor will be rotating for a time
    // Execution should loop here until the motor stops
}

Thank you very much, makes sense! I will test it tomorrow in the lab!

When I look here http://www.lejos.org/p_technologies/nxt/nxj/api/lejos/nxt/Motor.html rotateTo() also has boolean immediate return. Will try both versions in few minutes.

So Motor.A.rotateTo(40 , true); works but I couldn't find it without you, thanks!

I'm glad this worked for you! I've updated the answer to include the info from your comments in case someone else runs into this problem.


text:
Why do official Lego sets sometimes use 1 large part when several would work just as well?
One of the things that makes Lego so great is the ability to rebuild sets into something new and different. However, I know that sometimes TLG uses large pieces to lower costs and/or build complexity. Some examples:

54092cx1 - Plane nose
30295 - Large car base
6082 - BURP

It seems to me that some part choices are quite strange. For example, 7346 - Seaside House contains 2 1x2x2 bricks and 28 regular 1x2 bricks in medium blue. It doesn't seem like the double height bricks provide a much simpler or sturdier build, and the part is less reusable. I would have rather seen 1x2 bricks used throughout, especially since this is a Creator set, which focuses on being rebuildable.
I also found it strange that they chose to use 1x2x2 bricks in two places, but kept 1x1 bricks stacked 5+ high in others. It seems that if the goal is to create a sturdier model, replacing these stacks with 1x1x5 bricks would have been a good place to start.
So, I guess my question is: what goes into the decision of which specific parts to use in a production Lego model?

Your example of 7346 seems very bizarre indeed since it would also mean one less part in the set, reducing the production cost.

@Joubarc Maybe the 1x2x2 happened to be available to the designer in the right color, and the designer decided to include a couple for the sake of "getting the piece out there"? It's not really important to this set but I could see it being useful, and it's a fairly rare piece...

That plane nose would be ideal for some custom bullet train models as well.

I suspect this question would be clearer if you concentrated on examples like the 7346 set; large pieces that do not have a different appearance than combinations of several smaller pieces. After all, at least the look of 54092cx1 is rather impossible to exactly replicate with the same curvature and "streamlinedness" when using smaller pieces, and while the outside of 6082 can be achieved with normal bricks, BURPs are often used as structural components whose interior space is used, as well.

Some of the reasons (including some you've mentioned):

To make building easier / sturdier, so that the set is more suitable for its intended age range
The larger pieces are sometimes cheaper than the component pieces would be
The component parts may not be part of the current inventory of parts available to designers
To make the build interesting
To provide an interesting variety of parts

In the case of the set you mention (and this is pure speculation) it is possible that 1x1x5 bricks are more expensive to make or that they were unavailable in the right colour at the time the set was designed. At the same time, the designers might have felt that the 1x2x2 bricks reduced the part count to the extent that the set was viable for the intended market.

It looks like your hunch about the 1x1x5 bricks may be correct. I checked bricklink, and these don't seem to exist in medium blue.

A non-existing part is certainly a good reason for the 1x1x5, but the 1x2x2 makes no sense whatsoever to me.

One aspect could be to make the models more interesting to build.
As far as I can see, Lego is at it's core a kid's product.No offense. I love it too and last time I check I didn't qualify as a kid.
And a varied set of bricks seems to me more appealing to "the kid" than a uniform engineering-streamlined set of bricks.
Then, I don't know the design process for Lego models, but maybe the designers just pick and choose what they feel like. (Essentially following what I described above.)
Disclaimer: Of course, pure speculation on my part.

The designers are certainly the key actors in picking the parts required for the set they are designing, but they aren't free from constraints, far from it. As such, the example of the 1x2x2 bricks in 7436 is really weird since the designer had to face the extra cost of including an additional part instead of just using some more regular 1x2

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text:
Is there a freely downloadable LEGO set and part dataset?
I'm working on a project that will require a list of all sets including all of the parts they contain. I'm aware of at least three sites which have this information (Peeron, BrickLink, and Rebrickable), but I haven't been able to find a way to download all of this data easily.
The closest thing I have been able to find so far is the Brickset API, but Brickset only has a limited amount of set metadata (year, theme, part count, etc) and does not seem to have a full listing of parts contained in each set.

I wasn't able to find anything like this, so I contacted the admins of the sites that I mentioned in the question. Rebrickable was kind enough to send me a dump of their set inventories under a Creative Commons 3.0 BY-SA license, which basically means that you can do whatever you want with the data as long as Rebrickable is acknowledged as the source and you share any updates that you make.
I've created an archive which contains a spreadsheet for each set that was in the dump that I received. Hopefully this is useful to someone else.
Lego Set Inventories as of March 2014
Update:
The raw data that I used to create these spreadsheets is now available directly from Rebrickable and is updated monthly there. I also maintain software to build an SQLite database from these dumps.

I've updated my link and added a note about getting this data directly from Rebrickable. If you aren't familiar with Rebrickable, you should check it out. It sounds like it does exactly what you are trying to do.

Thanks for posting this. This is a very suitable solution.

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text:
Fix for monorail sticking at monoswitch?
I recently acquired an old monorail set, and I'm having problems getting it to work properly. It works fine on normal track, and it is able to continue on or stop at a monoswitch when the switch is set accordingly.
However, it isn't always able to reverse directions (it often just stops) at a monoswitch, and once stopped, the switch usually isn't able to get it started again. It seems like the switch on the side of the motor isn't quite getting pushed all the way in. It runs fine again once I push the switch all the way in.
The behavior is somewhat dependent on direction. Although it isn't able to start from a stop at a monoswitch in either direction, it is more often able to reverse direction going one way than the other.
I'm wondering if anyone has experienced this behavior, and if there is a way to fix it.
If it makes any difference, the motor is from 6990 from 1987.

Are you using a fresh, non-rechargeable battery? It could be that the monorail doesn't have enough forward momentum to push the button all the way.

I am using a fresh battery. I've also tried powering the motor with a 9v train controller, and the behavior is the same.

Using a 9V train controller is a better idea than a fresh battery, so we can probably rule out the motor not getting enough power. However, it could still be weak on its own, but it's also true these monorails never went really fast to start with. A mechanical issue maybe? Is it hard too push the motor switch manually? If it hasn't been used much, maybe it needs some wear & tear.

Also, does the problem happen on both sides? If you turn the motor around, I mean? I know these are fairly straightforward questions, but I can't think of anything else at the moment (hey, at least I'm not asking if you turned the switch correctly)

That's a good point. I updated my question to include this information.

Maybe the plastic is worn off just enough that the switch is not pushing the pins completely anymore.
Debug step 1:
When the train pins are in the switch zone there shouldn't be a lot of space between the point of the pins and the face of the switch. If it looks too loose that could be the problem.  A way to test this would be to put some clear scotch tape on the faces of the switch.  The faces are highlighted in red in this picture:

If the problem persist you could add more layer(s) and test again.  After four layers if this doesn't fix the problem I would try something else.

Results: The switch works with four layers of tape. The new question is "Between the motor pins and the switch, which one is worn out? One or both?"

Debug step 2:  Testing the switch with a second motor would be helpful. Do you have a second motor?  In any case let's inspect the motor pins and the switch faces.
The two motor pins are (I assume) made of plastic.  The end point of each pin should not not be worn down. One way to check that is to compare the two.  If one is rounder then the other that gives us important information.
The switch faces (highlighted in red in the previous picture) should be a perfectly flat surface.  Is there a slight groove at the height where the motor pins hit the switch? Again. this would be important information.

Results: The switch faces are not worn but it looks like the motor pins are rounded off.

Debug step 3:  Testing & fixing the motor pins.
Before trying to fix the motor pins I would suggest one last test.  With no tape on the switch, you could add tape layers to the motor pins and try to reproduce the successful test of step 1.  This should work without problems.
As for fixing the motor pins.  I would suggest to use one epoxy glue drop at the tip of each pin. After the epoxy is cured you could test and if necessary sand off any excess thickness.

Results: Epoxy on the motor pins fixed the problem.

Thanks for answer. Four pieces of tape does narrow the gap about the right amount to make the monoswitch function properly. I had actually considered something like this as a solution, but I wanted to make sure that I didn't fix the wrong part. If it's really the switch on the motor that is the problem, I'd hate to narrow the gap on the monoswitch so that a good motor won't even fit through it. I'd love to hear what you would recommend as a permanent fix.

I unfortunately don't have another motor to compare with. The monoswitches don't look visually worn down. I have compared the pins on my motor to pictures of others around the net, and I think they may be somewhat rounded off.

Good.  How about the switch faces? Are they worn?  Is there a groove?

They don't look worn down.

@jncraton There you go. Hopefully the epoxy will do the trick.  Let us know how it turns out.

I put a bit of epoxy on each end of the motor switch and filed it back down to a point. This seems to have resolved the problem. Thanks!


text:
What is currently in the LEGO Store Pick A Brick Wall?
The LEGO Stores feature the Pick A Brick Wall, where you can buy a small or large cup of LEGO bricks. The selection changes every now and then.
Where can I find the current bricks that are available at the LEGO Store?

The bricks in the Pick A Brick Wall are subject to change. As soon as the supply of one type of brick is exhausted in a store, they replace it with another type of brick. There is no particular rotation or order, it is just whatever happens to be in the delivery that the store gets from Lego.
From Lego.com:

Selection varies by store and the elements are always changing

The brickbuildr.com website has a section dedicated to an effort to inventory each Pick A Brick Wall through submissions from the community (not the Lego store itself), but it is often a little out of date.

I wrote a website where users can update the contents of the Pick A Brick wall for various Lego stores.  The site is http://www.wallofbricks.com/
I used my iPhone to inventory the wall at the Lego store in Orlando, FL. If you inventory your local store please send me some feedback on how the process works.  I tried to make the GUI easy to use from a cell phone so that you can inventory a wall quickly.


text:
How can I store LEGO bricks to prevent damage?
I have some LEGO bricks which are probably about 10 years old. They've neither changed color in any way nor dried out or anything, so it seems to be as stable as ever.
How should I store them so that my own children (and maybe their children) can play with them?

You are at a site where we do NOT store the LEGO but still play with it :)

Indeed, keep playing, and don't make children. Keep your bricks for yourself.

Have you tried carbonite? It does wonder at protecting space smugglers from harm.

Plastic Bricks

Fading — Keep bricks away from natural light to avoid colour fading. (Models in Legoland Miniland are subjected to year-round weather. The chemicals in the plastic bricks are broken down by UV light.)
Heat — Keep bricks at room temperature in a dry place (like a cupboard). The melting point of a brick at 105 °C (221 °F) shouldn't be a concern.
Dust — Store bricks in air-tight containers. Dust is notoriously difficult to clean, especially around the studs of a brick. Whilst dust has no serious long-term effects on Lego, it saves a lot of time cleaning the bricks in the future.

Special Parts

Electronics — Always remove batteries from electronics when put into long-term storage. Over time the batteries may corrode, leaving a sticky mess that can be difficult to clean.
Rubber — Technic rubber bands and other pieces made of rubber will degrade over time when exposed to light and oxygen. Keep rubber bands in an airtight bag.
Stickers — How should I store unused stickers?

I'd save these last two points for LEGO merchants or casual online shoppers:

Smoke — Keep bricks away from cigarette smoke. It can be very hard to remove damage from bricks, and may discolour them as well as leaving a faint odour.
Pet Hair — If you plan on selling your LEGO bricks in the future, you may find some buyers have allergies to certain pets.

Yep, I can safely state that my LEGO bricks had been stored in a collection of cardboard boxes in both my parent's and then my own loft and are now enjoying a new life with my kids :) The only things that have not survived are the rubber bands and some of the older pneumatic tubes.

Seconded. I stored mine in a metal can for 8 years in a metal can, and then for another 7 or so years in a paper ream box and it stored pretty well. I would also point out that smoke wasn't issue for me (my parents smoke), but then again, it had a LONG time to clear out. I'm pretty sure I kept the bricks relatively cool, they were never in an attic or garage.

Mine survived 30 years in a cardboard box in a hot (occasionally more than 100F) garage. Even the strings, manuals, pneumatic tubes & springs are still intact & functional.

Store them in a place with no direct sunlight shining on the block to avoid bleaching. Also, make sure it isn't getting too warm (>50°C) - that's about all, the standard LEGO bricks consist of ABS, which is very robust.
In conclusion, the ideal place is dark and has as least fluctuation in temperature as possible: put your LEGO in a box/chest and store it in your basement/cupboard.

Will humidity affect the blocks?

since ABS isn't soluble in water this shouldn't have any effect. the only way i can think of is very humid air in combination with freezing temeratures wich could cause damage, but i'm nut sure about that. as long as you don't reach extreme conditions (wich shouldn't occur in a cubby anyway) theres no problem.

LEGO vampire minifigs in particular must NOT be exposed to direct sunlight.

Humidity may be an issue for LEGO bricks with electronic functions, pneumatic cylinders and the older wheel bricks with metal axels.

My first LEGO set was a police station I think  from 1976 where I was 2½ years old. This and many other bricks (have around 50-60kg) have been stored in cardboard boxes, in the attic for years and now my son and I are playing with them to great fun for the both of us.
Some of the bricks have some wear and tear, but overall the majority is looking just as fine as new ;o)

Avoid storing Lego bricks in your attic. The daily temperature range and extreme heat of summer can potentially damage the bricks.
Remove all batteries from Lego electronics before medium or long term storage.
Place all metal containing pieces and electronics in an airtight container (older metal axle wheels, etc) with a bag of desiccant. Desiccant is inexpensive and can be found at hardware or hobby shops, or online.
Sticker sheets should be stored individually, in long term storage the adhesives could migrate or ooze.
Store paper instructions and stickers in polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyester bags or notebook sheet protectors. The box of bags or protectors should be clearly labeled "archival safe". Other types of plastic bags contain softeners that can damage paper in long term storage. Archival notebook sheet protectors can be found at any major office supply. Archival bags can be found at art supply stores and online. Do not store these in attics, basements, or garages! Paper is highly sensitive to humidity and temperate fluctuations.
Store Lego rubber bands in a small polypropylene bag with each set, or separately. In long term storage they will probably deteriorate. (The rubber bands are easy to replace, but the rubber softeners they contain could damage bricks if they melt). Store older tires similarly.
If you have the original boxes the Lego sets came in, keep them dry and dust-free. The original boxes in good condition can enhance the value of the sets among collectors.
For more information on long term storage, a great conservation information site is the American Library of Congress at https://www.loc.gov/preservation/
A directly related question I have is if it is OK to store bricks attached together to save space, or if this will tend to cause the bricks to lose their grip and become loose after long term storage? I suspect it is better to store them loose, unattached, in case the ABS material has a 'material memory' property.


text:
How can I easily remove a jumper plate without a brick separator?
How can I easily remove a jumper plate?

I find it very difficult to remove this kind of brick with a brick separator.

There's actually a new Brick Separator coming that has an offset anti-stud that can be used for jumper plates.  Check out this Brothers-Brick article: http://www.brothers-brick.com/2011/10/05/new-brick-separator-adds-technic-axle-pusher-tile-removing-wedge/

@Grandpappy: That looks beautiful.

@Grandpappy They seem to be including the new brick separator in a few sets now - especially larger ones.

A 1x1x5 brick has enough leverage to remove most jumper plates. Apply pressure to the top of the brick and pull or push away from the length of the jumper plate.

Even a 1x1 brick works in certain cramped places, although It doesn't provide as much leverage.

If I had a big enough lever I could move the world.  Clever!

I'll try to show how I'd do this using a 2×12 plate (or something similar). Imagine you're looking at it from the side:
      n_n_n_n_n_n_n_n_n_n_n_n_ --> Pull     | narrow, long plate
     _n_                                    | jumper plate
_n_n_n_n_n_n_                               | baseplate

n = stud
Just attach a plate or brick to the top of the jumper and push it to the side so it will tip over.
PS: I hope the ASCII-art makes clear what I tried to explain - I don't have a LEGO-designer here at work

I like this idea, considering how common this brick is. I'd have to try it for myself thought to see how well it works, especialy in tight spaces.

for me this works better because you only need a bit pressure and can pull very easy. when using a pillar like you suggested, you'll have to push relatively hard to avoid to slip of.

You don't have to push hard but it helps.

That ascii-art is surprisingly simple and efficient. As for the answer, sometimes adding a brick opposite the your 2x12 plate helps too, as that brick will stay in place and you can lift the 2x12 plate as well as pulling it, producing a lever effect too.

Use the new Jumper Tile 2.0 instead! Easier to remove! Comes in many1 colors2! Advanced features3! Comes in many colours4! Lighter than the old, clumsy version!
Don't wait, contact your closest LEGO reseller to upgrade your collection of obsolete jumpers to new, shiny ones!
1. Three.
2. U.S. version only.
3. The same as Jumper 1.0, plus Easier removal
4. U.K. version only.

Seriously though, LEGO just added a groove on jumpers, see the difference:

Which admittedly doesn't help you right now, but at least you can take comfort in knowing LEGO adressed the issue somehow.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this change.

Interesting, but doesn't answer my question.

@Ambo100 I didn't think it would, honestly. If I had wanted to answer seriously, it would just have been a slightly different take on oezi's answer, which I think is the easiest.

Use the new brick separator:

...when it becomes available.

You beat me to it :-)

It looks like it performs just as well as the old brick separator would with jumper plates. Until it's released and we know for sure that it works it's not viable for now.

@Ambo100: There have are already been a few on Bricklink, and they have been specifically designed with this task in mind. ut you're right, of course: we won't know for sure until someone publishes their experiences. Let's hope they're good, and that this tool lives up to its promise.

It's now available for sale on the online shop.

Place a regular 1x2 plate on top of it (the hollow stud of the jumper plate fits around the post in the bottom of the 1x2), and apply lateral force to the combination. They should come off together. Then rotate the two to separate them from each other.

There are a few parts that can be used in place of a brick separator

This won't help with jumper plates in the middle of baseplates, but can be useful in other situations.
Original here.

Somehow, I'm not sure that helps with tiles on a baseplate. See also my comment on your other similar answer

Sure, in the middle of a baseplate this wouldn't help.  But there is nothing in the question about baseplates.

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text:
How to make Mindstorms respond differently, depending on which sensor is triggered?
I am new to Mindstorms (but in my day job I am a programmer).
I want to make my robot do one thing if the touch sensor on port 1 is pressed, and do something different if the touch sensor on port 2 is pressed.
If nothing is pressed, I want it to keep driving straight ahead.
I can see how to tell it to drive along until one of the sensors is triggered.  I.e. "drive along until sensor 1 is pressed", but I can't see how to say "... until either sensor 1 or sensor 2 is pressed".
In answer, it would be great if you could:

tell me the blocks to use
give me a screenshot of a program
link to a program which has a similar effect

I believe one possible answer can be found in the sample program for the color sorter in the Mindstorms control software. The technique that kit uses is to create a series of nested if/then loops:
if (Color == red) {
  //do red things here
} else {
  if (Color == blue) {
    //do blue things here
  } else {
    if (Color == green) {
      //do green things here
    } else {
      if (Color == yellow) {
        //do yellow things here
      } else {
        //default actions here
      }
    }
  }
}

Using this as a template, you could use a structure like:
if (Touch Sensor 1 == Pressed) {
  // Special Action 1 (i.e. turn left)
} else {
  if (Touch Sensor 2 == Pressed ) }
    // Special Action 2 (i.e. turn right)
  } else {
    // Default Action (i.e. drive forward)
  }
}

Hope this helps - I don't have quick access to the Mindstorms environment right now or I could set up a quick screen shot. I can only refer you to the ColorSorter program in the samples.

Thanks, matthew.  This is the structure I've arrived at, and it seems to work, but I'm intrigued by @joubarc's idea of concurrency.  I'll have to try that out too.

It sounds like you will need to create an infinite loop block to constantly check which touch sensors are being pressed and if not, carry on with whatever instruction you wish. The loop block can be found under the flow category:

I recommend you read through the instructions (listed under Help > Contents and Index... in the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT software).

You could also have 3 different concurrent tasks - one which is you main "go forward" program, and two others which listen for sensors and do things accordingly.

I'd illustrate, but I don't have NXT-G installed right now, and with the crappy connection I have, downloading it takes forever.

NXT-G doesn't quite work that way. It runs through a set of instructions once, unless it's placed in a loop.

Sorry, but you can have concurrent tasks by dragging additional beams from the center hub.

That's true but you will also need to place it in a loop, otherwise  it will run through each block only once.

Well yes, true enough — I didn't want to imply otherwise.

I had exactly this question. Based on Matthew's answer, I got this working. Here is a screenshot of the My Block I created to do this: TwoSwitch.

TwoSwitch sets one of two variables to true: Pressed 1 or Pressed 2. You can then act on those values using tests. Here, I'm looping until button 1 is pressed. If button 2 is pressed, I play a sound and get another button press.


text:
What's the most cost effective way to buy bulk LEGO bricks?
I've found a couple places to pick up bulk LEGO, but they all have various issues.

Bricklink - I found their user interface confusing, clunky, and straight out of 1998. I'm aware of a couple of other questions here discussing alternatives to Bricklink and ways to optimize Bricklink shipping costs.
eBay - Fine for most things, but doesn't work when you need a specific brick in a specific color.
Pick a Brick  - They don't have ALL the bricks available.

Does anyone have a more effective and efficient way to buy bricks?

First off, as you mentioned, Ebay is not the greatest place on the net to get bricks. As you seem to be aware of, it is difficult to get individual bricks from these individual sellers. Having to pay separate shipping from various buyers plus the unreasonable prices can really add up.
Then there's LEGO Shop. Here, you can buy LEGO bricks directly from the LEGO company. You can individually purchase bricks from Pick-A-Brick, or buy their currently advertised sets. The downside to this is that they obviously do not carry discontinued sets, the selection in Pick-A-Brick is limited, and the prices are unsatisfyingly high, making the bucks add up quickly. Shipping times can be pretty quick and cheap, that is, if they're not currently having any difficulties with their warehouse. If they are, then orders can be delayed by a large amount of time, which has happened to me twice. I once placed an order there which took nearly two months to arrive.
Then, there's Bricklink. You seem to be aware of this website. I like it very much. It is, in many people's opinions, the best source from which to acquire LEGO bricks. The prices are cheap, it carries almost every piece and set ever released, (even discontinued ones) the tools for finding bricks are useful, and most of the people there are pretty nice. The interface is quite useful, you just have to be familiar with it. Once you get used to it, I'm sure it won't seem so "clunky" to you. For detailed help, enter the chat room. The people there are very nice, and will be happy to help point you in the right direction.
Shipping times vary depending on which area you buy from. Buying from within your country might generate shipping the speed of TLG on their best days. Bricklink, however, is much less likely to have technical difficulties as each order is just an individual seller sending something off to the post office, and has therefore generally been more reliable in my experience.

If you contact your closest LEGO store, they can sell you a 'case' of bricks for about $70, which will give you, I'm told, about 650 2x4 bricks, which is about $0.11 per brick.  These are bricks that usually go into the pick-a-brick wall.  You might be able to buy case by just walking into the store, but expect the manager to have to order the bricks, with a 4 week lead time.
I feel this approach is a nice complement to bricklink.com.

Bricklink really is the best place to get bricks you are looking for.  It works really well once you get the hang of it.  It also makes it pretty easy to find pieces you are looking for... if you know what it's called or how to describe it.
The hardest thing to get used to is what parts are called.  So my suggestion is to find a seller with a large inventory, and just peruse it and figure out where parts of different types are located and what they're called on Bricklink. Alternatively, you can browse to a set you are familiar with and look at the set inventory to learn what Bricklink calls those parts.
Make sure you use the Wanted List feature. This is one of the most important part of BrickLink and a lot of new users completely miss it. You can have one main Wanted List as well as additional Wanted Lists for your various projects. Once you add items to your wanted list from the main Catalog (you can add sets, parts, sticker-sheets, minifigs - anything in the Catalog), you can check which seller carries all or at least most of the items you want.
You can also narrow down your search by color, price, country, new/used, etc. It is really the most useful feature of BrickLink that will save you lots of time and money as you are shopping around.
Also, pay attention to the sellers' feedback and terms. After you shop for a few months, you will see how incredible BL and the BL community are. BL is really a LEGO fan's dream.

I built a page to locate good deals on bulk LEGO by filtering through eBay results using a custom algorithm.
As others have said, eBay can be a cost effective way to pick up bulk bricks. Unfortunately, it can be tedious to weed through the expensive or spammy items to find just the bulk LEGO.
This web app takes some of this work away by calculating price per pound and sorting results by best value.

Sets from the Classic line tend to have a good value in terms of cost per brick. The trade-off is that you don't get a large model to build in many advanced pieces.

Brickowl.com is another Bricklink-style site with an updated interface and easier shopping experience that you should check out. The interface is well designed and they have a feature built-in that allows you to find the best combo of stores for the parts in your wishlist, then add them all to your cart at once. It even gives you a total + shipping!

Brickowl is my personal favorite. So much easier to use.

I'll make a case for eBay:
Bulk lots of around 4-5 pounds often sell for around $7-8 per pound (or less), including shipping. I buy many of these lots, which I count and sort, and the average cost-per-piece has been about 2.5 cents.
If you are an eBay seller, you can relist the parts you don't want to keep. If a lot yields some scarce or desirable pieces you can sometimes even make your money back or clear a profit. This does require some time and knowledge about LEGO parts, and the ability to spot good lots from the sometimes blurry eBay photos.
Although many common parts sell for 1 or 2 cents each on Bricklink, the more desirable parts and colors are anywhere from 5 cents up to several dollars each - plus shipping. On average, you will pay less per piece with bulk lots from eBay. I have been able to make a small cash profit selling parts from bulk lots and have added about 15,000 pieces to my collection. Not the most efficient method, perhaps, but for cost-effectiveness you can't beat free.

There is an app that will help find combinations of Bricklink stores that provide all wanted parts at lowest price (not including shipping). You can read more about and download this app at http://buildingoutloud.com/brickficiency.php

There's also a small program called Brick Wizard. It does the same as Brickficiency, but faster (and have generated better results for me, but that may vary).

I don't know where you live, but if you live near a Walmart, visit as often as you can starting about 3 weeks before Xmas. Lego sells their huge creative series parts boxes, 1600 pieces, for about $30 US. Mega Blocks also discounts their equivalent by half. The Lego boxes never last 2 days, regardless of how much they have in stock, Walmart sells out. It takes about a week for them to sell out of the Mega Blocks. Last Xmas I only bought 4 of the Lego, this Xmas I'll buy 10. Of course I'm assuming Lego will do it again.
Ask your Walmart manager if they are part of the Lego Xmas sale. You cannot get these bricks cheaper than this!  Next best is Kijiji sales or Bricklink sales. Sometimes schools and firms sell off inventory on Bricklink, but these sales rarely last a couple of days as well. I purchased many hundreds of large technic pieces from a lady in NY city who was clearing out inventory of a school, for $80 including postage. The postage cost $50. She would have sold me NXT robots for $125 but I like VEX instead...

Bricklink. I'd like to add that using software (MLcad, LeoCad, Bricksmith) to build the model or just compile a list of pieces you need there. Open it up in a program called BrickStore and you can then export directly out to your wanted list. This is very handy when using Bricklink. You can even look at price averages in the program and jump straight to other stores selling selected parts !
It's much faster than navigating around all the time - Take a look : )
Also don't worry the 'New' Bricklink will look alot easier on the eyes.

In each official lego store there is a wall with shelves of lego bricks. You can fill a small or large cup there. Now matter how you fill the cup, it's a fixed price per cup. Obviously the selection will be limited, but if you happen to have use for the provided bricks, it's often the most cost-effective way to get bricks.
This is provided that you stack the bricks efficiently (this can save up to 50%).
I know several people who spend entire afternoons filling cups there, the store employees don't seem to mind.


text:
What are the best LEGO storage options?
I have several Lego sets and I usually build them and then make them small enough so they fit back in the box for long term storage . . . but my dream is that I can take apart my model and organize the parts and just keep the books so I can put them back together again later.
(I read you can get the books as PDF's from the official site now . . . I need to try that out.)
I figure I could use some sort of plastic organizers from IKEA or something. What methods have you used? Do you store them by size and color or just dump them all into bins and let the creativity happen?

I remember a funny article on this which shows how someone sorted their LEGOs as their collection grew over the decades... I'll see if I can find it.

What, a closet with no temperature-control whatsoever?

@muntoo this lugnet article may be what you are looking for. I just read it again, it's really worth it.

@Joubarc Yes, that was it!

I prefer what I call the "block" method. You can get to almost every piece in less than 3 steps.

I was inspired by this: http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/efficientlego

I guess you could have a few 'blocks', but if you want a large number of one type of piece, it will be best to have most of your LEGO sorted by piece type. When you need more 'blocks', just build them. (Maybe have a LEGO Mindstorms Robot help you sort...? ;))

Lots of great options here but this is the one that really made me think. I stacked the small parts like this AND THEN put them in a storage bin as described in other questions.

I love this idea, specially because it can be mixed and matched with regular "bag of legos", organizing just the ones that are smaller and harder to find. Also, I found the Flickr set for all of the original author images: https://www.flickr.com/photos/oskay/albums/72157603604216252

I'm a big fan of Simon Sheehan's answer, and use a bunch of those myself for a lot of those small "technic" LEGO pieces.
But once your collection grows too big, it's time to dedicate a wall to your collection:

I find these at Global Industrial Supply:

These clear tilt-out storage bins are stackable and sturdy and just about perfect to catalog your pieces by shape.  Easy to find (for the most part) because you see the pieces.  Sorting by color is not worth the effort-- too many colors.
The one thing they are NOT good for are large base plates.
Some of the standard 4-2 bricks, 4-1 bricks, 2-2 bricks are too plentiful, in which case I just have a simple plastic pullout drawer for those.
Something like this from the Container Store:

I've recently purchased quite a few of these tip-out bins from Global, and they are VERY nice. I feel they are worth the extra money - great for small bits and specialized pieces. They are easily stackable and have holes on the back for mounting.

I took all my blocks out and layed them out on a table. This took a few days actually. From there I purchased a plastic storage container from an IKEA type location, that had multiple bins that slid in. It looked a lot like this:

They are intended for crafts, but Lego is a craft too! From there I sorted it like so:

2x2 bricks
4x4 bricks
Flat pieces
Large items (Trains, road pieces, etc.)
Bricks larger than 5x5
Bricks larger than 10x10.
Specialty parts (Airplane wings, etc)

It really bottles down to what YOU want. Take an inventory of what pieces you have - whatever you have a large number of, fill a container with an appropriately sized bin for that many pieces.

My only issue with the drawers is that I've knocked those over and had to resort the contents before! Could be a good option if I connect it to a table or something!

@tooshel Perhaps you could get ones that do not actually come completely out.

I hate these things with a vengeance. You're constantly opening and closing drawers since the thing becomes unstable with more than one open at a time. Good for screws, not for Lego bricks.

I've used those stack-able organizer cases for years.  They are great for storage and access to the parts is a lot easier than in drawers.  Another big advantage over the drawer-organizers is how easy they are to transport.

You might have noticed that they are now empty.  That's because my kids are now 7 and I've decided to mix my Lego blocks with theirs (they get a lot more usage now).  Of course young kids and neat organization doesn't mix very well so I've reverted to the good old bins on the floor.  I prefer the big clear plastic ones with rollers underneath.  We can roll them under the futon when it's not in use.

I love the sound of bricks when we're all digging around.

When using big bins, use big, low ones. Good advise, and that one one of the less efficient methoed!

That yellow organizer case you have on the right in the top picture, that seems to be a nice thing. It appears that you can re-organize the sections in it. Do you mind posting the URL of that or something similar? Thanks.

I got this at a renovation centre.  Google this: Stanley 17-Compartment Small Parts Storage Organizer

These bins would work well.  Others have mentioned children and these would work well especially for kids. (This one can be found on Amazon here.)

Adults could use this kind also or go for an industrial looking version like this:

(This one can be found here.)

Those wall-mounted plastic bins in the second example are actually used in professional LEGO model workshops. They're hard wearing and very easy to use but they can also be very pricey!

An old bed-sheet can be used to create a sack that both stores the Lego bricks and doubles as a play mat. As a child, this is how my parents stored our Lego and it meant we never had a difficult task when it came time to pack it away.
The only downsides are that some bricks can be hard to find against the sheet (depending on colour) and there's zero organisation.

An honourable mention should go to the forthcoming IKEA / LEGO joint storage solution - BYGGLEK
These will arrive in store in October 2020, and consist of plastic boxes in various sizes, with a studded top, and 'label' in front.
Details on the IKEA US website
More details on the IKEA Deutschland page

I sort my bricks by type. Common bricks, plates like 2x3, 2x4 or 2x2x4,2x2x6 go in big IKEA boxes (800.892.39) and all other parts go in boxes with dividers (Lunar Box, not sure about the manufacturer). Body parts and accessories are stored in big IKEA boxes too.

My approach on the cheap side. I use small transparent containers left from food for small items and  transparent plastic bags. If container is full than this type goes to a bag. Put them all to big IKEA type containers.
Sorted by type mostly (not color), about 20 types:
1) 1xX bricks 6 units high (normal)
2) 1xX bricks 2 units high (low)
3) 2xX bricks 6 units high (normal)
4) 2xX bricks 2 units high (low)
5) plates square all sizes
6) pins technic
7) axles
8) rounded bricks
9) wheels and related
10) rear and related
11) bricks with prints and pictures
12) windows, doors, etc.
13) minifigures
14) decorations
15 +) ... etc.


text:
Help with Lego Typewriter 21327 - can't get the carriage mechanism working
Two AFOLs here who are stuck on the Lego Typewriter build. We have built large and complex sets before, but this one has us stumped. We have now rebuilt Sections 5-7 twice, but we can't get the carriage mechanism working.
See the video at Reddit. All of the gears seem to be turning, and the carriage moves when we manually press the lever next to the lime green part on the left side of the back (looking at the front). However, the keys don't move the carriage. When we push the carriage all the way to the right as shown on page 170 of the instructions, typing on the keys does not move the carriage back to the left as shown on page 171.

The keys don't seem to be striking any of the mechanisms. The grey and blue pieces (closest to the keyboard in the back section) are moving, but the keys and the carriage don't seem to be connected. It's hard to describe, but the video shows the problem more clearly.
Can anyone help troubleshoot this?

From what I can see in your video, the carriage mechanism itself doesn't appear to be the problem, but rather the linkage between the keys and the carriage.
Pressing a key should move this assembly from step 152:

In your video, it looks like the left side of that assembly doesn't move freely. It should move when a key is pressed and activate the typebar to strike the page. I'm guessing that something is off with the way that mechanism is built or installed.
One thing to check would be the orientation of the black elements in step 134:

These should be able to rotate easily around the gray part.

We'll take a look.  Thank you so much!

We had exactly the same problem. This set has 2 elbow pieces 6262905 and 6261387. The directions do not specify which one you need for the step 199. However it has a 3 imprinted on it.

These 2 elbow pieces have different angles. So you need the one with 3 imprinted on it or piece 6261387. After we switched that piece it all works.

This was the answer for me, I swapped those two, took 30 minutes to disassemble, diagnose and fix it.


text:
Different shades of Transparent colors for Lego part 30602
I have two 30602 lego parts that look slightly different. The top one is "transparent black" but the bottom is a bit darker. Does anybody know what's going on here? I'm trying to identify which set is the bottom part coming from.

I'm not at all certain, but is it possible the top one is just Transparent (Trans Clear), and the bottom one is the Transparent Black? Could you re-take the photo on a white background?

This is, most likely, a production inconsistency or caused by aging.


text:
Blender has "weight" but not the part itself?
New to Blender, I downloaded it to look for some parts that aren't available on Studio. I saw one part, 54937, listed in Peeron and LIC. I also looked on LDraw.

For my download, I found part 54937 in weights but the actual part doesn't show up.
Why is that?

Welcome to Bricks.SE.  This question may be on-topic here, but I'm guessing you will get a lot more useful eyeballs on your question over at Blender.SE.

As far as I can tell, this part is not available to you because no one in the community has invested the time to create an LDraw model for it. The model files for most libraries of 3D LEGO bricks are based on the LDraw models created freely and collaboratively by the community.
Your part should be on LDraw here, but it is not there, indicating that it has never been added to the library.
Let's take a look at the part:

Most LDraw parts are built from a number of common primitives, such as studs, boxes, and clips. For example, here's the entire definition of a 1x2 brick:
1 16 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 -5 0 0 0 1 stud3.dat

0 BFC INVERTNEXT
1 16 0 24 0 16 0 0 0 -20 0 0 0 6 box5.dat

4 16 20 24 10 16 24 6 -16 24 6 -20 24 10
4 16 -20 24 10 -16 24 6 -16 24 -6 -20 24 -10
4 16 -20 24 -10 -16 24 -6 16 24 -6 20 24 -10
4 16 20 24 -10 16 24 -6 16 24 6 20 24 10

1 16 0 24 0 20 0 0 0 -24 0 0 0 10 box5.dat

1 16 10 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 stud.dat
1 16 -10 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 stud.dat
0

It's easy to add parts that use mostly flat surfaces and common connection families. It is much more time consuming to add parts the include irregular curves and molded details. The above part would be time consuming to add, and would require the LDraw part author to have the physical part on hand, which likely contributes to why it hasn't been added.
For what it's worth, I saw that you also asked about this on the LDraw forums. That's a good idea, and hopefully one of the part authors will have this part on hand and be willing to add the model for you.

I see, that makes a lot of sense, thanks for the reply. I did supposedly find someone able to make custom parts... for $ of course. So I will look go with that assuming it's not too expensive.


text:
"Heads up! Could not open project" error message when opening project
When I try to open my project it gives me an error saying "Heads up! Could not open project". Could you please help me? Let me know if you want me to share the file.
We were working on the file, and suddenly after saving we were not able to open it again.

Please provide more details. Which OS you use? Application version? Any specific actions you've taken before this issue appeared and what have you tried to troubleshoot it?

I run ev3 on windows EV3 classroom 1.5.2. We wanted to make a copy of the existing program and did save as and given new file name. Is there any way I could share the file to you so that you can take a look.

You could use a file sharing app like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gtLcj8iC3xoKfA_XRJMmK5TMHXdgtGW9/view?usp=sharing
Please find the link below. Let us know what went wrong. Appreciate if you could have this file open in ev3

@DavidLechner Could you please confirm if you were able to download file and fix it?

This is a generic error message, so everyone that gets the error won't have the same problem. However, using the methods described below could help find other problems as well.
The project files for the MINDSTORMS programming software are just ZIP files and can be opened with standard ZIP file tools. For Scratch-based software like EV3 Classroom, this file contains 3 files, one of which is scratch.sb3. The scratch.sb3 file is another ZIP file and can be extracted as well. Inside of the scratch.sb3 are two files, one of which is project.json. This is the actual project code file.
This file contains minified JSON that is hard to read, but modern code editors like Visual Studio Code contain tools to automatically format the file in a more readable way. Once this is done, an experienced coder can use their intuition to look for anomalies in the file.
The JSON file contains a top-level object with 4 sections, "targets", "monitors", "extensions" and "meta". The contents of these sections will depend on the project, but in general, "targets" contains an array of two objects, one where "isStage": true and one where "isStage": false. The former looks to be default Scratch stuff that isn't used and the latter is the bulk of the project file. The "monitor" section will be empty unless you have monitors (variable value watchers) set up in your project. The "extensions" section contains a list of the different block types used in your project and "meta" is some more default Scratch stuff.
I was able to find the issue with the file provided by noticing that in the "targets" section, there were two "isStage": true and two "isStage": false objects. So it appears that somehow two versions of the project got saved in the same file. I was able to recover the projects by making two copies of the original file. In one, I deleted the second two targets and in the other I deleted the first two targets. I used a diff tool to compare the contents of these and they similar but not identical, so I deduced that they are two versions of the same project. I then updated the ZIP files with the modified project.json and was able to open the projects in the EV3 Classroom software.
Another common issue is for variables or lists to contain null which is not allowed. They might look something like this in the project.json file (tip: use a code formatting tool to make it easier to read):

            "variables": {
                ",TgC](u;@i@rnsU@,};W": [
                    "MyVariable",
                    null
                ]
            },
            "lists": {
                "w(x#TbXK8~v6wedm-V9+": [
                    "MyList",
                    [
                        null,
                        "thing",
                        "thing"
                    ]
                ]
            },

To fix the null variable or list value issue, change null to 0 (or some other value that is valid).

            "variables": {
                ",TgC](u;@i@rnsU@,};W": [
                    "MyVariable",
                    0
                ]
            },
            "lists": {
                "w(x#TbXK8~v6wedm-V9+": [
                    "MyList",
                    [
                        "thing",
                        "thing",
                        "thing"
                    ]
                ]
            },

Repaired files: BLACK-1.lmsp, BLACK-2.lmsp.

Excellent and Thank you very much. Without your help this could not have been recovered.

I figured out how to fix my .lmsp file for my particular case, and I wanted to share here in case it helps some of you.
So according to the previous posts, both the .lmsp file and the scratch.sb3 file (inside the .lmsp file once you changed the extension to .zip) are actually zip archives.
The issue was in the project.json file inside scratch.sb3[.zip]. As it turns out, if you run the program while your EV3 is connected to your computer (via USB in my case), it will try to save the historic values in your variables back to project.json after the program has finished running. In my case, I had a variable that was constantly being updated in the main loop, so I ended up with tens of thousands of lines of values in project.json. I suspect this is causing some overflow the next time the software tries to reload the project (I am using Mindstorms Education EV3 Classroom).
All I did was the following:

Make a copy of your corrupt [project].lmsp as a backup

Rename [project].lmsp to [project].lmsp.zip

Extract [project].lmsp.zip

Rename scratch.sb3 to scratch.sb3.zip

Extract scratch.sb3.zip

Open project.json in a JSON-friendly editor that will format the JSON into readable format.

See if you see really bloated variables with lots of data in it. If you do, delete all those rows of data and save the file. Note there might be several variables that need "cleaning up".

Replace the project.json in scratch.sb3.zip with the "cleaned up" project.json.

Rename scratch.sb3.zip back to scratch.sb3

Replace scratch.sb3 in [project].lmsp.zip with the newer scratch.sb3

Rename [project].lmsp.zip back to [project].lmsp

Try to open the project again

Hope this works for you too. I suppose the moral of the story is: since the Lego software does not have an in-app debugger, don't run the program using the "Run" button in the Mindstorms software, just use the software to download, and then run the program from the EV3 directly. If this doesn't work, disconnect the USB cable when you run your program.
Cheers,
TechnicAddict

I have created a small Lego App Tool kit to fix the problem, until LEGO service team does -> https://legoapptools.azurewebsites.net

How to get an image of a corrupted Spike Prime .llsp file or a corrupted Ev3 Classroom .lmsp file.
If you suddenly get the dreaded message of “Heads up! Could not open project” don’t lose hope, there is a way - unfortunately it will still require redoing the code.
This method shows you have to get an image of your entire code so that you can copy from it:

Make a copy of your corrupted file. Just in case.
Rename your file and change the file extension to .zip
Click yes on the pop up that warns you about changing the name
Open the zipped folder (you can extract the files but it isn’t necessary)
Open the .svg file in a browser (Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge)
Open a new spike prime project and copy your program from your image OR use the ‘Windows Snipping Tool’ or ‘Snip & Sketch’ tool to take a screen grab of your program then you                                  can save it as a jpeg and use it later.


text:
What is an effective method for breaking down and storing large sets for future rebuilds?
I would like to breakdown and store my Harry Potter Castle (71043) but not sure the best method doing so. I have young kids that would love to rebuild this some day so I want to make sure I break this down properly and store so that rebuilding later will be easy. Do I start at the back of the manuals and work forward storing zip lock bags of each manual section? Do I break down by part type? If I do that then we would be rifling through 30+ bags during a rebuild. Anyone have experience with this set and breaking down?

I don't have that particular set, but going through the instructions in reverse order and storing the parts in numbered bags will produce the most like-new rebuilding experience. You can even put everything back in the original box and store it that way.
The big weakness with this method is that you can't really use those parts for anything else. That's probably fine if you only have a few sets and don't intend to do any custom building, but I find myself very limited when storing by set. I personally store as much as I can by part (and then by part and color when I have a large number of a particular element). We have another good answer covering sorting techniques if that is useful.


text:
Need Help identifying LEGO castles
would anyone be able to assist with identifying the following 2 LEGO castles? We’ve tried looking on the catalogues so far but no luck. If anyone can assist, I’d appreciate it :) thanks!

I'm afraid these aren't pure LEGO sets. I can spot many non-LEGO elements and accessories, which explains why it is hard to find in LEGO catalogs.

In your first photograph I spot what seems to be Panel 1x4x5 Wall with Window in dark bluish gray:

The list of sets containing such a part in that colour is very short, and none of the sets resemble the construction in your photograph.
The second photograph seems to feature the same part, but in light bluish grey instead. Again, the list of sets with that part in that colour yields no matches.
It's safe to say that you're not dealing with LEGO sets, but with clone brands instead.

Also, the brown head on a pike in the top left corner of the first photo doesn't seem like a Lego thing to me.

And the 1x3x2 half arches, and the white cups used as torch holders, and the black helmets, and the inverted 2x2 slopes with four indentations. It's hard to make an exhaustive list.

My recollection of castle stuff is rather dated, but to me it looks like some  genuine parts (or very near copies) and some parts from clone brands that don't have genuine equivalents


text:
What can this curved brick with square holes be used for?
I recently came across this piece:

What piece is it, and how can it be used?

The part is Window Round 3 x 3 x 2 (73878).

It was a new mold for 2021, and one of its first uses was as windows on Andrea's House (41449).

This piece can be used on buildings anywhere you'd like a curved window. It is easy to imagine how it could have been used on earlier sets, such as the "curved" windows on the Pet Shop:

This part introduces opportunities for curved windows, but it continues to use existing window glass. It uses the 1x2x2 glass (60601):

This means that the part is also compatible with other window panes, such as the 1x2x2 bars:

These parts are paired together to create the curved window seen in Chamber of Secrets (76389):

Like most parts, there's plenty of ways to use it. It shows up as fences in Heartlake City Park (41447):

It even gets used to create a water wheel in Medieval Castle (31120):

I played around a little with this part at microscale and put together a Mars research station based around the idea of round pods:

The curved window brick would not have been a good choice for the pet shop: half-hexagonal bay windows were a common feature of the architecture of that period; curved ones were unheard-of.


text:
What is inside the LEGO Powered Up L motor?
What's inside the Powered Up L motor (part bb0959c01)?

How do its internals compare to the XL motor and the M motor?

Just to be clear - do you mean set 88013, or something different?

Closely related: https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/15031/what-is-inside-the-technic-powered-up-xl-motor and https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/15031/what-is-inside-the-technic-powered-up-xl-motor

The motor from the off-road buggy

@IvanSanchez your two links are the same, was that a copy-paste error? For reference, most probably this is the set in question, which has two of Electric, Motor Powered Up, L.

@zovits Indeed, I screwed up. I took the liberty of editing the question; should be clearer now with some links.

This motor was not easy to take apart. Unlike some of the others that have screws or clips that can be released, I wasn't able to get into this one without basically cutting it in half. If you need to repair one of these, it is possible to get it apart and put it back together, but I believe that glue would need to be involved to hold it securely together again.
Here's what it looks like once you get the front cover off:

This is very similar internally to the linear motor, but the internal gearbox is longer to accommodate the rotation sensor.
Here it is from the top:

Here's a shot from the bottom showing the board:

We can see similar control circuitry to other PU motors with rotation sensors. Here's what the board looks like from the top with the gearbox removed:

The visible chip interacts with the black ring in the gearbox to sense rotation.
The gearbox itself is a double planetary system similar to what is found in other motors:

Here's the final output with the black ring that interacts with the sensor:

Thanks you so mush, and last thing is this a 130 motor ou it's bigger

@Jacob It looks like a standard 130 to me, but I don't know enough about DC motors to know for sure that it isn't some other similar motor.

I mean the standard 130 is bigger than the generic toy motors.

Here is a related video: What is inside a Powered Up Large Motor
The video shows how the motor is being opened. There are no screws or tabs to do this. So, I have to use a knife and a Philips screwdriver. The result is - the cover of the motor was damaged and broken.
The objective of this mission was to check what is wrong with the motor since it could not be detected by the Powered Up control/battery hub.
But then, I found out all the parts or components were in order - the soldering was OK, and nothing unusual with the connectivity and features.
So, my guess is- the circuit or chip on the PCB is faulty. This is beyond the capability of people without electronic knowledge (like me) to handle it.
Thus, the overall objective of this video is to show what is inside the Large Powered Up motor.
Interesting to note that, there are 2 planetary gears and a rotation sensor. This is why this motor can provide data on its orientation.

This is the photo of the motor -

Thanks for taking the time to expand your answer!


text:
When did bricks start to have the LEGO Group text engraved on them?
Here's an example of a part (17836) that shows this text molded on the underside:

When did bricks start to have the LEGO Group text engraved on them?
And what was the first set to use these?

duplicate of Where and when did the straight block letter LEGO logo appear on brick studs??

Similar question but not a duplicate, this is specifically about when full "LEGO Group" text was first added.

Do you have examples of parts that have LEGO Group on them?

I've reopened the question after adding a photo of the text that I believe @BernardVanderBeken is referring to. This doesn't look like a dupe to me if I've understood the question correctly.

It appears that this text was introduced sometime around 2010.
It's hard to determine a definitive answer here, because not all new parts include this text (nor even the LEGO logo). This is likely often due to space constraints, but there may be other considerations as well.
The 8x16 tile from 2004 does not have this text despite being large enough:

The 2006 2x3 tile with clips is also missing this text:

However, some variants of the 2x4 tile introduced in 2010 do have this:

So it appears to have been added around this time.
The 2x3 tiles introduced in 2016 also have this text.


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What's inside the SPIKE Essential small angular motor?
I'm curious about this motor (68488):

This motor looks very small. What is inside this motor? How does it compare to the other Powered Up motors?

As far as I know, this is the smallest motor LEGO has produced since the micro motor in 1993:

This new angular motor is not quite that small, but it is smaller than every other motor currently in production. Here's how it looks on the outside:

The basic structure is nearly identical to the medium angular motor shown below except that this motor is shorter. The important connections around the drive are identical. Neither motor allows the drive axle to pass through the entire housing.

We can pop the back off the motor easily enough by depressing the 4 tabs holding it in place and/or prying the housing out slightly. This reveals the printed circuit board and back for the gearbox:

The blue section of the housing is then easily removed:

The gearbox can then be removed from the drive shaft and front of the motor to reveal the main drive gear:

The gear and metallic axle can be easily removed from the housing. The gear provides the main connection for the drive, while the metallic axle is used to transfer rotation through the gearbox to the magnet located on the other side.

Now we can return to the gearbox with the PCB attached:

The PCB can be gently popped off of the gearbox:

The electronics are very similar to those found in other Powered Up motors that include rotation sensing. There is a motor driver, controller, and Hall effect sensor included to monitor the drive angle.
We can remove 6 screws from the gearbox, remove the cover, and put the gears all back where they belong to see how the magnet on the top of the gearbox connects in order to interact with the electronics and act as a rotation sensor.
Note that this motor and gearbox are much smaller than those included in other common LEGO motors. I've included a 1x1 round plate for scale.

Four gears can be removed from the gearbox to reveal a significant gear reduction:

The DC motor can also be removed easily enough in case there is ever a need to repair or replace it:

TLG provides technical specs for this small angular motor:

Voltage Range

Min: 3.3 V
Max: 6 V

No Load

Torque: 0 Ncm
Speed: 110 RPM +/- 15%
Current consumption: 55 mA +/- 15%

Maximum Efficiency

Torque: 1.8 Ncm
Speed: 85 RPM +/- 15%
Current consumption: 170 mA +/- 15%

Stall

Torque: 5 Ncm
Speed: 0 RPM
Current consumption: 340 mA +/- 15%

This is much weaker than most other motors. For example, the stall torque of 5 Ncm is much less than the rated 18 Ncm for the medium angular motor.
This isn't the most powerful motor, but it is handy for lighter workloads where space is limited. The inclusion of full rotation control also makes it a good fit for spaces where a servo motor might be useful, such as steering on vehicles.


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How does the button on the Poltergust work?
I've seen that the Luigi's Mansion Lab (71397) set features the Poltergust:

The basic idea of the in-game item is that it can reveal, suck, and blow enemies. It has a similar play feature shown on the back of the box:

It's worth noting that the backpack, vacuum, and flashlight are all non-functional. Once the Poltergust is activated, Luigi is able to jump on the yellow ghost. Without this mode activated, he would be scared of the ghost.
Activating this feature requires the user to press a button on the Poltergust pants element. How is this implemented?

The Mario power-ups are detected using a combination of raised areas that interact with six switches on Mario or Luigi's torso:

The power-up suit that comes with the Poltergust set looks very similar to the others with the exception of a button that has been added to the front and 4 studs on the back for the backpack to attach to.

On the interior of the pants, we can see that in place of fixed ridges to detect the suit there are now a pair of raised areas that move with the press of the button:

The power up is detected by the presence of the higher of the two ridges. When the button is pressed, the lower ridge contacts its switch and the Poltergust suction mode is activated.
I found this to be a clever way to extend the functionality of Mario and/or Luigi and helps to explain why a total of 6 switches were included when this seemed a bit excessive in the first wave of sets.


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Lego Boost distance sensor, what range does it have?
While programming our Lego Boost set (using the Lego Boost App on iPad) I noticed that the distance sensor seemed to give inaccurate triggers.  To try to confirm this, I connected the move hub to my computer and used node-poweredup to read out the sensor.
The results surprised me:  the max reading I get (the furthest it registers an object) is 157mm.  Also the steps are rather big, it always goes in steps of 25mm.
Is this normal range of the distance sensor?  Or is it possible that ours has an issue (I wiped the sensor clean with a dry cotton cloth and reconnected it to the Move Hub)?

The sensor reports two UInt8 bytes, one in inches (i.e. 0 ... 255, but capped at the maximum range of 10") and one in "inverse fractional inches" (i.e. 1/255 ... 1/1). The actual code is:
    var inches = Double(bytes[5])
    let invFracInches = bytes[7]
    if invFracInches != 0 {
        inches += 1 / Double(invFracInches)
    }

Your software will be converting inches to mm/cm for metric locales - here in UK it practically reports in integer inches (thus the step is 25.4mm) from its maximum range of 10", then once below 6" it starts to report 0.5" steps, below 3" it will report 0.33" then 0.25" steps. In principle it should be able at short range to discern quite small steps.

Thanks, so it should register from 254mm.  I'll have a second look if I can ever get that distance.


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Front (white) and rear (red) lights for train Lego 60336
Has anyone added more than one set of lights to the train (locomotive) from set 60336?
In the hub, there is just one port free, and I haven't found a set of 4 lights in one hub.
So I am curious if someone use some workaround, or if there is some "port replicator"?
Thank you.

You are correct that the hub only has one free port, and there is currently only the two light module to connect to Powered Up hubs:

Using official parts, you could add a second hub, or replace the included hub with one of the larger options that includes additional ports.
If you are comfortable modifying parts, it is fairly easy to splice more lights onto the the light module. There are also 3rd party splitters available. I haven't tried these, but here's one example:


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How does the on/off switch prevent sound from playing on the Retro Radio?
I'm aware that the Retro Radio (10334) uses a sound brick to produce sound:

This brick produces a random sound when its single button is pressed. The right dial on the radio interacts with the brick to produce sound.

However, the on/off dial on the left prevents sounds from being produced when the right dial is turned. How is this accomplished?

This is accomplished by making use of a few key elements commonly used in transmissions within Technic vehicles. Here's an overview of the internal mechanics from the instructions:

The dial on the right turns a worm gear moving the needle indicating the radio frequency. The orange wheel circled on the left will engage the button on the sound element when rotated. The dial on the left (the on/off switch) controls whether or not these two mechanisms are connected.
Four key Technic elements are used here:

42195 Technic Driving Ring Connector Smooth

18946 Technic Gear 16 Tooth with Clutch on Both Sides

18947 Technic Driving Ring 3L

35188 Gear Shifter

When combined, these elements provide a way to build mechanisms that engage or disengage certain gears. In this set, they are placed underneath the on/off dial:

The orange shifter is then connected to the dial to allow the sound brick to be engaged or disengaged from the frequency slider mechanism:

In this way, the right dial will always move the frequency indicator, but it will produce sound if and only if the left dial is in the "on" position.


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Change Mario Yoshi pose
I'm returning to Lego as an adult and struggling with what I thought would be a small project.
Please tell me if this is off topic but as it has a hard answer of no or this is how I though it would be ok.
What I'm trying to do is change the pose of the Lego Mario Yoshi but the way it is built I cant see any way of moving anything.
The goal is from this:

to this:

Can anyone tell me how I would go about this or is the original design too limiting to make it a possibility?

I finally got around to making an attempt at designing a pose for Yoshi.
I received set 71406 Yoshi's Gift House as part of 2023 Q2 Activity Support, from which I could have a copy of the original Yoshi as a basis for the task.
I tried to remain faithful to the style of the original Lego version, while still capturing the 'reaching forward' and 'open-mouthed' look of the new pose.
I also kept in mind to limit the additional parts required, and try to use commonly available parts if required.
See my result for yourself:

It's a fairly simple assembly, this photo should be easy to follow:

Only ~10 additional parts are required. (I didn't own ALL the desired colours and parts)
These are the ideal parts you'll need to recreate it: (replace Lime with whatever colour your Yoshi is)

Qty
Colour
Part

2
Lime
Bracket 1 x 2 - 1 x 2 (shown here in Light Bluish Grey)

1
Lime
Slope 30 1 x 2 x 2/3 or 2 of Slope 30 1 x 1 x 2/3 (shown)

1
White
Slope 30 1 x 2 x 2/3 or 2 of Slope 30 1 x 1 x 2/3 (shown)

2
Lime
Plate 2 x 3

1
Red
Plate, Round 1 x 1 with Open Stud

1
Red
Bar 6.6L with Stop Ring (shown) or Bar 6L with Stop Ring

1
Black
Brick 1 x 1 with Studs on 4 Sides or perhaps another colour

1
White
Slope 30 1 x 1 x 2/3


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Train level crossing using 2021 road plates
I'm interested in integrating a train level crossing into a city layout using the new road plates, but I've been struggling to figure out the best way to do this. Here's an example level crossing for reference (7936):

The space between the rails is built up using a plate and a tile to make it even with the rails and 3 plates higher than the surface. Ramps are then used to bring cars up to this level. That works well enough, and it can be used with the previous road baseplates if everything is built on a baseplate, but things are trickier with the new road plates:

These are exactly 2 plates tall, which is why I'm struggling to figure out how to best use them for a level crossing. Here's my naive attempt:

That's not terrible, but the rails are one plate higher than the surface of the road, which certainly isn't ideal. I could obviously raise all the roads up by a plate, but that also seems a bit annoying for a large layout given that all of the City sets expect the road plates to be sitting directly on a table.
I've tried using curve slopes such as 71771:

However for the height to work out the front lip of the slope has to be sitting 1/2 plate below the surface of the road, which also doesn't look great:

This seems like a common use case that TLG would have considered, especially given that they'll likely create a level crossing set at some point using this new system. Am I missing an obvious way to make this work? What is the simplest way to create a flush level crossing using the new road plates?

Have you considered the crossroad from 60198? I'm not familiar with these road plates, but the ramps used in that set are big and come in quite a few shades of grey.

@mindstormsboi I did consider those ramps. They work well with the previous baseplate roads, but the new road plates are 2 plates tall, so those ramps ends up being too tall (unless I build up the track).

You could raise one side of the road by putting a plate underneath it (thus making the whole section of road sloped). But that's not very elegant.

I think the most elegant solution would actually be to raise the road plates by one plate. While a bit annoying, you can use them to add stability to the road connections

You could also do the inverse and raise the tracks by one plate, which then allows for the use of various two-plate-high slope elements.

It occurred to me that you could use 8-stud-long tiles, tilted ~3 degrees, resting on plates at different heights.
Side view from a quick LeoCAD mock-up:

Since clipping the tile to plates at different heights might stress the tile, I suggest to place it resting on top of tiles at different heights.

Edit: After several iterations, I think the ramp should be better made out of 2x4 tiles, resting on top of tiles at the railtrack side, and free-standing at the roadplate side, like so:

That's trivially built with 1x4 tiles, 4x8 plates and 1x8 plates.
There are variations of this kind of ramp, depending on the parts available. For example, the following uses 15068 2x2 Slope, curved instead of tiles. I'm assuming the slope would help the ramp to slide in place a bit better, plus the 2x2 plates help the ramp to not slide alongside the track:

Note, in the image above, how the tiniest bit of yellow plate is visible to the right of the blue slope - that means the assembly is so slightly over 8 studs long (when tilted), which makes it pretty much impossible to use hinges for the ramp.

A similar anti-slide arrangement can be made roadside. I suggest using 32028 1x2 plate with door rail, on both sides of a 1x10 plate, with tiles on top, like so:

I guess that could be easily replaced with "1x1 plate with teeth".

Is it possible to fit any hinges underneath? So that it would have at least some connection points.

I was considering using 4276 1x2 plate with hinge, but then there'd be a slightly-smaller-than-one-stud gap that I don't know how could be filled.

Since the lips of slope bricks rest half a plate below the two-plate-thick roadplates, a solution might be.... to elevate the whole track by half a plate. This can be done with baseplates:

Of course, this assumes that your train tracks will be elevated by one baseplate all around. But that's OK because we've learned from sets 4539-1 and 10128-1 that it's meant to be done that way, right? Right?
And there's the problem of aligning/attaching the baseplate to the roadplate.
Luckily, we can use the SNOT techniques described at https://forum.brickset.com/discussion/26463/plate-versus-baseplate-height-how-to-align-them , and disguise the connector as the support for a barrier:

There's now an "official" answer to this question thanks to the summer 2022 Train Station (60335):

This set includes a level crossing that is built as follows:

This doesn't make use of any novel elements, and the part used to create the ramp up to the tracks is 88930 Slope Brick Curved 2 x 4 x 2/3:

While this is a somewhat different approach than the larger ramps used in my question, the same basic issue is still present with a half-plate high bump in road:

Overall, I think the look works alright. The choice to transition to light gray at the crossing to make it clear that there are different materials in play helps to remove the expectation that there would be a clean and flush interface at that point.

I would try and use part 15068 Slope Curved 2x2 to go from road to track. Have you tried this?

Edit: upon closer inspection, I think this gives the same result as your ramps, just with a shorter slope, so this might not be a useful suggestion.

This is a useful suggestion, but you are correct that it has the same basic issue as the longer ramps.


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Simplest/cheapest way to build a tensegrity model?
My daughter saw some beautiful and interesting tensegrity (tensional integrity) LEGO models on the Internet:

and she would like to get one for her birthday.
We've got a few Harry Potter LEGO sets at home, but the only chain I've found was from "Hungarian Horntail Triwizard Challenge - 75946", and it's probably too long.
What would be the easiest (=fewest sets) or cheapest way to get the required bricks and chains?
I live in Germany, and I've found a custom set with original bricks for 30€, for the simplest model.

I really like the yellow castle above, as well as the Ninjago one. Does anybody know how much it would cost to build them?
Finally, this one (The Impossible Apartment Complex by Jeff Friesen) also looks really cool:

Any hint would be welcome!

Tensegrity Sculpture by JKBrickworks has free instructions. Here you can also get a full list of elements you need to build it.

Rebrickable has few more "tensegrity" models. All come with instructions and part lists as well as estimated part costs. Example for the model shown above:

As for acquiring parts, there are multiple ways. If you are looking to purchase missing elements only I would suggest the following options (in no particular order):

LEGO PAB (Pick A Brick) online store
LEGO B'n'P (Bricks and Pieces)
Bricklink
BrickOwl

Each creation/MOC on Rebrickable has a "Buy parts" tab, which uses Bricklink and BrickOwl shops. Or you can use the "add to wishlist/wanted list" options available for Bricklink and BrickOwl from the Inventory tab.

Lack of chains should not be a showstopper for such a project, as any flexible, non-expandable material can work instead. You may use LEGO strings, like those included with Spiderman sets with the tubular grip sections or the plain one:
Or in their absence even plain, 3rd party string can work, either tied to, or gripped between LEGO bricks:
I have had success with rubber bands and pneumatic tubing as well, so grab anything suitable and start building :)


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Identify Floor tiles on the great pyramid of meereen
Can anyone identify the floor tiles used in The Great Pyramid of Meereen. I looked at all the 2x2 decorated tiles on bricklink and couldn't find them.

Even I am struggling to find these. The closest I can get is with part 3068bpb0893, which has the word grid in its name.  Those other parts would be considered grids too if we look at what I found and what the MOC has, but if we type "tile 2x2 grid" into bricklink we do not see those other parts so I think they are custom parts.

This is, most likely, custom print. There are plates on the right side with similarly colored print that overlap on two elements - one of the dashes is split between two elements. This is not something I saw TLG do. It also makes me think that elements have prints that are too close to the edge.

They are indeed quite beautiful tiles but unfortunately not official LEGO decals.
I believe they are his own original custom designs, as in another MOC for Portal 2 which can be seen at LEGO IDEAS he does confirm that he uses his own custom decals.

I based my design on the amazing 2012 Lego Cuusoo “Thinking with
Portals” by Brickthing. I took his original design and added elements
from Lego Dimensions and my own twist with custom decals and details
from the Portal games.

There seem to be many more examples on that Flickr account.


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Is it possible to power an EV3 hub via USB?
I have a LEGO Mindstorm EV3 hub. I want to avoid buying rechargeable batteries by supplying power through battery box pins using an external variable power supply.
Is it possible to supply power to an EV3 hub via USB?

No, the only way provided to power the EV3 is through 6 AA-batteries or the expensive rechargeable battery box. Of course some DIY solution could work, anything that provides 9V DC or thereabouts works when the voltage is applied directly to the outer battery contacts...

... which means that without a buck converter, USB power won’t work as USB supplies 5V.

don't know, 5V seems to low, but if the pin is pressed that the rechargeable battery unit normally presses, 7.2 V is what expected of the battery, and with batteries the voltage drops when loaded. so 5V regulated might work. Of course the EV3 will operate sluggishly...

Here they tested with 5V, given enough amperage, attached motors even work: https://www.dexterindustries.com/ev3-current-consumption-measurement/

https://fettricks.blogspot.com/2017/02/building-usb-charger-cable-for-your-fll.html shows a home-brew solution and it sounds like you can buy some of these on Amazon.

@chicks, unless I entirely misread the question, the idea is to forego the expensive EV3 rechargeable battery, while the link you provided shows how to create an USB charger for the EV3 battery pack. The EV3 charger (which is the same as for the power functions rechargeable battery) has an universal enough plug that an USB to that type of plug convertible should be doable to find on amazon, aliexpress and the likes,,,

More guidance on external power supplies for EV3/NXT: https://www.philohome.com/nxtsupply/nxtsupply.htm


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Serra's Sanctum and magical mirrors
I am in the initial planning stages for a LEGO build of Serra's Sanctum from Magic, The Gathering. Part of the description states:

Serra's Sanctum was a notable landmark of the plane, suspended somewhere in its infinite sky. The Sanctum was the dwelling place of the famed planeswalker herself. It was massive, taller than most structures on other planes. Powerful artifacts run through white mana and having white-related functions, such as the Cocoon, could be found here. At the top of the Sanctum was the aviary, where Serra could see the entire plane through many powerful lenses that kept an eye on her world. Only planeswalkers could comprehend all these images simultaneously. Leading down from the aviary through the rest of the Sanctum was a spiral staircase that ended at the base of the building. It was here that the main plaza was presumably located. The plaza contained a water fountain that reached five stories high, carved with skillfully rendered angelic effigies. On the fountain were also the words art, discourse, freedom, peace. These are the ideals that Serra herself sought after and wished to center her world around.

It's the 'powerful lenses' part that I could use a little help with.  My current idea is to use Plate, Round 4 x 4 with 2 x 2 Hole  with some transparent-clear plates backing it to make a mirror/lens look.  Do you folks have any better ideas?

I like your idea. I know very little about the MtG universe, so I'm not sure what might be most helpful here. Some ideas that come to mind:
The 2x2 boat stud elements are available in trans-clear and might provide the sort of look that you are hoping for.

There is a mirror element (20193) available. This could potentially be used in a lens apparatus of some sort.

The 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, and 6x6 dish elements are all available in trans-clear, and they could be useful for designing a lens system.

There's also a variant of the 6x6 dish with a handle on the side instead of the studs in the center that might work better for your application.

As zovits pointed out, the 6x6 also comes in a half-sphere variant:

There are also many printed transparent dish elements that might provide the sort of look that you are looking for, such as something like this:

For an exaggerated look ("powerful lenses" that can see the entire plane) consider Windscreen 6 x 6 x 3 Canopy Half Sphere.

@zovits That's a great idea. I've added that one to my answer.

All good answers, thanks.  I also found this mirror and this shield


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Is there a MILS-like standard for medieval villages and castles?
I'm aware of the MILS standard for building large layouts including city and train elements:

This could obviously be adapted for use in medieval layouts, but is there something like this that has already been standardized and put in use by LUGs?

The Modular Medieval Village Standard put together by the Rochester, NY LUG (RochLUG) provides this. It features an underlying support layer very similar to MILS:

Most modules will feature a randomized cobblestone road providing transit between structures:

Structures of various kinds can be added to the modules:

Many modules created by different people can be connected to create convincing medieval villages:

Complete details of the system can be found in the PDF shared by RochLUG.

I think this is simply a variation of MILS as explained here. And it is something that usually agreed between several exposition members to have a matching layout. Moduverse would be a kind of different approach.

@Alex It is very similar to MILS. There are fewer Technic pin locations, and it opts for roads on the edges of modules instead of the center as is typical for MILS. Jetro described it as "almost MILS compatible " on LAN. But you are correct, it is essentially an adaptation of MILS specifically for use in medieval villages.

Sorry for being a bit stubborn. To be honest I find both the question and answer quite odd. 1) There is no real problem or question here. 2) What you have encountered here is a need of a custom module (adopting existing MILS standard). There are tons of other custom MILS/MILS-like modules created. 3) Are we OK now with posting instructions to own modules here as answers? 4) RochLUG article has been posted just yesterday and I find it odd that the question has been a real issue. It looks more like promotion to me.

@Alex No problem at all. I appreciate this feedback. 1) This is about knowledge sharing, not about a "real" problem that I am currently facing. 2) Correct. I find this useful as it has been created and used by a LUG and worked well. It should be helpful for LUGs that haven't done this before. 3) Additional answers are welcome. I am looking for standards that have been successfully used by LUGs, not untested designs, though. 4) I'm not affiliated with RochLUG. My hope is that this answer helps to surface freely-available content that I believe helps address a need in the LEGO community.

just putting in my 2 cents as the creator of this template... I have zero experience with MILS, but created this specifically for our LUG to have an easy modular village setup. The road on the edges is far superior for this project... it allows you to place a building and road all on a single 32x32 baseplate. Road through the center would make it very difficult to space building correctly without adding a lot more sections. Simple is sometimes better when it comes to getting people of varying skill and commitment together on a group project. Thanks for sharing the template!

@JeffJohnson That makes sense. Thanks for putting this together and making it available to others!

Also, despite the article being written a couple of days ago on our website, we have been using this template for over 3 years now. Someone on the LAN asked if the template was hosted anywhere to share with others, so that's what prompted the article.


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What is the maximum voltage for motors from Cybermaster units?
I recently bought a non-functioning Cybermaster unit [part:71797].

As the motors in there might be perfectly fine, I'd like to use them.
I could not find information on these motors (as opposed to most other Lego motors ^^).
What would be the maximum safe-to-apply voltage for them?

I don't have this set, so I can't provide a fully authoritative answer, but 9V is likely to be safe for these motors. The hub that drives them is definitely 9V, as it connects with the rest of the 9V system and runs on 6 AA batteries:

TLG typically overspecs their motors somewhat, so you could probably also get away with running the motor using 12 volts, but it might harm the life expectancy a bit. If you can pull out the actual motor, you might be able to find a model number to look up for a more authoritative answer.
I'd recommend starting with a lower voltage (perhaps 3V) and working your way up to make sure that the motors are functioning as expected.

I'm not so sure, the input voltage for the motors has to equal the batterys voltage. As the board might aswell downstep it to virtually any value. Thx for answering (+1) but I'll see if someone might know for sure before marking as answered. If noone comes up knowing I probaly go with your proposition and raise the voltage and feel if they get hot ^^

@kai-dj That's correct. The motor voltage does not have to equal the battery voltage, it's just a guess that these are the same. You should still be able to play around with these pretty safely without much fear of them letting their smoke out. If you start at 3V and work your way up from there you should be able to tell by the sound, current, temperature, and smell if the motor is running too hot. I hope someone here has this part and a more authoritative answer for you.

Seems like 9V ist the voltage to go with. 12V seemed ok, too.
I might buy a functioning Cybermaster, to check what the board deliveres to the motors on full speed - if I do so, I'll edit or add new answer.

@kai-dj Sounds good. I'm glad that you were able to get this working.


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Stained glass windows on The Throneroom of Cedrica
Can anyone explain how to make the stained glass windows in builds like The Throneroom of Cedrica?

I see that this popped up on HNQ, so I wanted to expand on shoover's excellent answer with a build showing one way that this could be put together for folks that may not be as familiar with LEGO elements as the Bricks community.

As was already pointed out, the key element here is the 2x2 turntable base without a turntable attached:

Here's how you might pair those elements with transparent 1x1 and 1x2 elements to build a stained glass window:

We leave a couple of 1x2 plates overhanging the back to provide attachment points.
Here it is from the front. Notice that we also add a couple of 1x1 plates on the front side to make the connection points flush with the rest of the window:

Now we can build a frame to trim this out and create a nice looking window:

We can then attach our window using the attachment points that we left for ourselves in the back side of the Erling bricks:

Note that I'm not trying to replicate the exact techniques used by the original designer, but this does show one way to get a similar look. I've added the parts list on Rebrickable if you want to see exactly what I used and build this yourself.

From this picture and this one, you can see that the framing of the windows is formed by Turntable 2 x 2 Plate, Base in black.
For the colored areas (the "stained glass"), you have a couple of options:

You could use different "Trans-X" colored Plate, Round 1 x 1 inserted into the back, but you'll need some trans-clear plates to back them up so the structure holds together.
You could use different "Trans-X" colored Plate 1 x 2 inserted into the back, in an overlapping/alternating pattern for structural strength.
You could use a combination, some 1x1 and some 1x2 for strength.

I don’t think it’s as simple as that. The construction you describe would fall apart, as there is nothing holding the turntables together. There is either a layer of trans-clear plates behind the trans-X 1x1s, or most of the 1x1s are actually 1x2s that are alternatingly placed to either tie the turntable bases to the window frames, or to tie adjacent turntable bases together.

I started to agree with you, but then I noticed in the above picture in the rightmost panel there is a single blue space with no other blue spaces near it. However, on second or third look, it does appear that many/most of the colored spaces come in pairs. The OP has already accepted the answer; would it be bad form to edit in an alternate explanation using trans-X 1x2s? I think the crux of the question might be about the turntable base, anyway.

It is fine to update the answer with new details. After all this is how we keep them relevant and update with new information. You can actually have both suggestions in your answer - using 1x1's with extra layer of Trans-Clear plates as well as alternating 1x2 plates.

@shoover Great update!

Is there anything saying that any of that picture is legal construction?  Couldn't the windows be the turntable plates glued together and then just have some thin plastic sheet colored with markers for the "glass" behind all of it?  And to answer my own question there is another photo that clearly shows the tiles stuck behind the plates holding them together.

It's also possible that each turntable is held via scaffolding or other constructions to a frame behind the wall. if each 2x2 table had 1 2x1 trans plate, that plate could hold it against the columns or a frame behind the columns.

separating the turntable disk from the turntable, uh, table is already as illegal as it gets, almost as bad as building something from just figure arms or hands.

@Cee McSharpface these turntables come as two parts in sets. So, unless you have already assembled them together, there is nothing illegal in using just a base.

really, I was not aware. don't remember to have assembled any of these, and I built many sets - maybe they used to come preassembled in the eighties :). however, this is genius and creative repurposing at its best.

@Cee as far as I remember yes, they used to. But you know how it is, few seconds for a child to assemble one, a lot of labor costs for the company to assemble all.

well, well...