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List of prototype or unreleased themes
I recently discovered the unreleased "Seatron" theme as I was looking around for building ideas. After some searching, I also found the unreleased Europa theme which seems to be set in the 1700s and has elements of both Castle and Pirates.
Are there other unreleased or prototype themes and sets?

Brickipedia (A.K.A. lego.wikia.com) list unreleased sets and themes in the form of an article and category of articles. It does mention CYBOTS and Europa in addition to Seatron, although there is no guarantee that the list is complete.
CYBOTS

Contained action figures using both System and the first TECHNIC
  ball joint parts. Several prototype models were created but final
  versions were not made. This theme was made mainly to test the first
  LEGO ball joints, which would be later used three years later on the
  Slizer theme.

Europa

Set in the 18th century. The most likely reason that the theme wasn't
  released is that it was too close to both Castle and Pirates, both
  very similar themes.

Seatron

The theme would have been set on an alien planet, with underwater
  astronauts. Many new monorail parts and colours were made for this
  theme, but when Futuron's monorail failed to make money, development
  of Seatron stopped.

Unnamed prototypes
Here's a space theme using purple and trans neon green from 1989:

And another 1989 space prototype with a distinctive color scheme using both light and dark gray with trans-red elements (dark gray would have been a new color at the time):

Brickipedia has a similar list for prototype sets and themes.


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Who built the LEGO structures for the film "Elf"?
My daughter greatly enjoyed the look on my face when the guy destroyed Buddy's LEGO models in the film Elf. She wishes she had a picture of me.
The question is: Does anybody know who built the LEGO models for the film? Was it a LUG?

I think I audibly gasped when I saw that.  It still makes me cringe - all that beautiful work.

According to an interview with Elf director Jon Favreau, the Lego City set was built in-house by the Rusty Smith's art department.
The IMDB page for the movie thanks The LEGO Group for the permission to use the LEGO logo and trademarks but has no mention of any further involvement in set design.

I'm sure I've read somewhere that they had to do it in one take, as it would've taken too long to re-assemble the models again!

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

sort: votes


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Building instructions from an LXF file
I've downloaded an LXF file from rebrickable.com. Which software do I need (for Windows and/or Linux) to get the building instructions based on the LXF file?

You probably want Lego Digital Designer:
http://ldd.lego.com/
Once you have the .lxf file open, you'll want to select View -> Building Guide Mode from the menu. This should give you step by step building instructions.

Although lxf files must be loaded with LEGO Digital Designer (LDD), it's not always the case that lxf files are loaded correct/completely with LDD. This because the fact that LDD uses a database where the parts are stored, but it doesn't contain all parts and the database changes from time to time. When trying to load older files, you have about 100% guarantee that the lxf file won't load correct. Thats why i'm using LDRAW and MLCAD. There is though a conversion program to convert lxf (LDD) to ldr/mpd (LDraw/MLCAD). However it relies on a xml file for the conversion. If this file is not complete or correct, the conversion will not be correct.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


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Whatever happened to Architecture 21015 Eames House?
The set was scheduled to be released in 2012, no such luck. Any idea on why it never came out? Was looking forward to building it.

According to: http://toysnbricks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=5288

so apparently B and N made a mistake, and the Eames House is actually
  not going to be a set (or so Adam Reed Tucker says). He answered a
  question about it today at the Master model Builder competition in
  Chicago

So sad.

Interesting. Still, considering B&N didn't invent the info, it probably means the set was in development at some point and LEGO did scrap or postpone it. The fact that number 21015 hasn't been attributed (yet?) tends to prove that too. So we still don't know even in which stage of the development process that set was, or really anything that could have happened to it or not within LEGO.

I appreciate the input. I'll still keep an eye out if it does come out, but, disappointed that my hopes were up for nothing.

I just checked the LEGO website out of the same curiosity and they seem to have the Leaning Tower of Pisa for 21015 but they have the image for Sungnyemun 21016 I think they might be updating the page right now. I can't wait to build the Tower of Pisa!


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Electric, Plug Holder 4.5V/12V what is it for?
I have seen the Electric, Plug Holder 4.5V/12V on bricklink a few times and have often wondered what it is for.

According to Bricklink, it was only ever produced in Light Gray and appeared in 3 sets between 1987 and 1992.
Two of the sets were just Service type sets containing cables and small elements with no instructions or suggestion of usage of the Electric, Plug Holder 4.5V/12V itself.
However, it also appeared in set 9700 Technic Control Center. Unfortunately neither Peeron nor LetsBuildItAgain have a listing for the instructions. So I can't see the step where any of the 5 that were included with this set are used.

Well, it holds plugs, right?

While researching information for this question, I stumbled upon the answer but thought I would post anyway to share my findings.
The Bricklink entry for the 9700 Technic Control Center set has a secondary picture which is the front cover of the instruction booklet.

The 5  Electric, Plug Holder 4.5V/12V elements can be seen in use as holders for the shorter wires connecting to the motors that make up the model. Using the holders provides easy access to plug in longer wires from the control center unit. The holders are necessary because, unlike the connections on later 9v wires that can be built into a model like standard pieces, the connections on the older 12v/4.5v wires cannot.

So basically it serves to hold plugs in place when they aren't plugged in anything, typically when extending wires. Contrast with the alternate build for set 7745 where the plugs just lie there inelegantly. In a way, I suppose you could compare this part to the new pneumatic connector which holds pneumatic tubes firmly into place. Of course, electricity tends to make wires move less.

Also, notice the coloured plugs and tiles. As the plug holder holdes the plug connecting to the motor into place, you can safely remove the ones coming from your control center, and you won't have any problem knowing which one goes where thanks to the colouring scheme.

@Joubarc Indeed - this attention to enabling the wires to be connected and disconnected is likely due to this being a dacta set and so will get a lot of use. Those coloured plugs are also unique to this set as far as I can tell.

Basically, they're used to hold the wires together but also to hold them when you need to connect 2 wires together.


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What colors does the NXT Color Sensor support?
Quick question, what colors does the NXT color sensor support? Is it the entire rainbow or only specific colors?

It depends on which version you're talking about.
NXT 1.0 Light Sensor: This sensor should detect up to 100 shades from white(100) to black(0).
NXT compatible Hitechnic Color Sensor: This sensor will detect 17 colors including white(17) and black(0) or 100 shades from white(100) to black(0).
NXT 2.0 Color Sensor: This sensor can detect 6 colors including white(6) and black(1).
To complete the list (even though it is not backward compatible with NXT) -
EV3 Color Sensor: This sensor can detect 7 colors which are the same as the NXT 2.0 sensor plus “No Color”?  Yes, according to LEGO's website, this new sensor can detect when there's no color.  Does this means white or that the detector is not sensing a color?  This needs to be validated too.
This is one area where, as new versions are coming out, the possibilities of the sensors are diminishing.

So I should try to find an older model? Seems kind of silly they would remove functionality... Is there then an advantage to even using the second model? Faster speed / detection, faster data transfer, or is it same but with less color support?

This simplification is probably is link to two factors: the sensors design itself and (most probably) keeping it simple for the target users.  Do you need a wide range of color sensing?

It would help but I figured out a way to reduce the colors needed. Thanks for your help!

The EV3 sensors are not compatible with NXT. Only the motors are. http://mindstorms.lego.com/en-us/News/ReadMore/Default.aspx?id=476781

The NXT 1.0 sensor is a light sensor, it does not differentiate colors - only 100 shades of light. The 2.0 sensor can be used in "raw" mode (in NXC for example) where it could distinguish many colors, and it can also be used as a light sensor generating a 0-100 value. Therefore, there was no removal of functionality :)

The NXT 2.0 Colour Sensor can detect black, blue, green, yellow, red and white but cannot distinguish between different shades of colours (for example, different shades of green).


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How can a sticker be removed?
In my younger days I may have placed a few stickers on my bricks.  Including some that covered multiple bricks.
Now my daughter has the tendency to do the same thing :)
How can I best remove the stickers, particularly old ones?

Anyone tried WD40?

@Kramii: Relevant

I am posting this as a comment and not an answer because it is a brand name thing, but I personally use Goo Gone (tm).  The best technique tha I know of is to get the sticker(s) off with your fingernails or another hard object, and then use Goo Gone to get the residue off.

I have to use the Goo Gone outside so the smell doesn't disturb my lady, but it is worth the trouble for getting rid of sticker remnants.  I've never used this directly on LEGO, but it has worked great on clear plastic food containers I was cleaning up to store LEGO.  They look like new with minimal effort.

the best way i found out till now is to get them of as good as possible with your nails or a plastic-knife (i wouldn't recommend to use metal knifes or razorblades - if you do, be careful to avoid scratching the bricks surface) and then remove the remaining glue with:

pure alcohol or
glass cleaner
cheap hairspay (spray 2-3 seconds from very close distance and then rub of with a piece of cloth) sometimes also does a good job

I performed my own experiments to determine which methods work by randomly applying three stickers (which are similar to the stickers that come in LEGO sets) onto a simple brick wall.

Using my finger nails to peel the stickers worked well. This is how I've always removed stickers and in my experience, I haven't had any problems doing so.
Heating the brick wall for 15-30 seconds, evenly with a hairdryer made it easier to take the sticker off manually. It was still quite fiddley to pick the corner but the sticker comes off more smoothly.
Firmly taping over the stickers with sellotape and peeling off failed to work, even after several attempts. Two of the three stickers had been peeled into half.
Sceptical about using a sharp blade to remove a sticker, I'd re-built my LEGO wall out of old, damaged bricks. Using a craft knife to remove the stickers was very easy, however there was a risk of scraping the brick and causing damage.

I haven't tried hair spray, pure-alcohol or any other chemical cleaning products.

Seriously? A RAZOR BLADE ON LEGO BRICKS?!?! I don't care how old they are! They are LEGOS! You must respect them!!!!!!!!

@J.Walker I tried a couple of methods from the other answers to to this question and one of them suggested using a knife.

Best to remove as much as you can by mechanical means (plastic spatula/fingernail, nothing harder unless you like scratching your bricks) then use some 'Sticky Stuff Remover' to get the sticky residue off.
This stuff works on just about anything without leaving a mark, Lego is made from ABS and will not be affected by it.

I have used a razor blade to remove the sticker, then a wee bit of food oil to remove the residual glue.
Sometimes just using some tape and a repetitive dubbing motion have done the trick as well.

If you don't care about preserving the old sticker, remove it with your fingers or a plastic knife and then use rubbing alcohol to remove the remaining sticky bits. As other posters have noted, metal knives/razors leave the risk of scratching the plastic bricks - it all depends on the level of confidence in your knife/razor skills.
I use alcohol instead of harsher chemicals (like glass cleaner or hairspray) to reduce the amount of possibly toxic chemicals on the bricks, since kids will be playing with them after the sticker is removed.

Acetone (fingernail polish remover) works quite well also, I used to use it to get rid of marker and stickers on my LEGO bricks as a kid. Definitely do not soak your bricks in it though or you will notice your brick will turn out quite rubbery when you remove it! I found that out the hard way.

As Joshua points out, Acetone is a solvent that will dissolve ABS if left in contact with the elements for any length of time.

I use a hair dryer to heat the sticker up a bit.  Then a plastic scrapper or plastic knife or fingernail to scrape off the sticker and as much of the glue as possible. The genuine LEGO stickers seem to come off better than the after market stickers.  I use a bit of rubbing alcohol on a micro-fiber cloth to remove any residue. The remove any alcohol with a dry micro-fiber cloth.
This leaves nice clean LEGO's.

Rapid remover works wonders. Also, hot water soak and then just peel it off.

There is/was a product called Un-Du that would soften the adhesive of stickers so that they could be removed and reused.  I was able to find a few links online, so I guess it's still around.  The "patented" part of the "Un-Du" product was the tool extension attached to the bottle.  The important part is the liquid and that is plain heptane.  I haven't checked it against ABS, but I think it's worth a look see

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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What are the arched things above a wheel called?
I have a bunch of second hand bricks and some are "wheel wells" for the lack of better words.
I would like to find out how I use them for example at bricklink, but then I need to find the name for such a thing first

I call these mudguards or wheel arches

That is a Vehicle, Mudguard 2 x 4 with Arch Studded (and a darn hard part to figure out at that).

Very nice - The crop was from a vehicle I found on the net - strangely enough I have many more that do not show up as mudguards - some of them are part of a "chassis" as well... I guess I will need to photograph them all :)

I've spent about half an hour yesterday looking for this on Bricklink and failed miserably. Thanks!

i'm calling those things "fenders" (don't know the "official" name, too).
EDIT:
if found wheel arch 2x4 in the LEGO-shop. this isn't exactly what you were looking for, but looks like a "newer version" - so maybe we should call those pieces "wheel arches" in the future.


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What are these Technic "Zapfen" ("stoppers") called in English?

What are these pieces called in English? Google translator doesn't help in this case...

The LEGO Pick A Brick store lists them as connector pegs (or, more simply, pegs) although they are more commonly known as pins in the fan community1.
The black ones have added friction for holding things together, while the light gray and beige ones are smoother and allow pieces to rotate, for example tires or beams.

1 BrickLink, Peeron

I can't bring myself to edit this, so I'll just critique. I have more often seen those refered to as "pins" than "pegs". Just a suggestion.

LDraw uses "pin" consistently, which is why it's more used by fans, but LEGO does indeed call them pegs (with less consistency, considering the 1 1/2 is a "bush")

@Joubarc: Ah, I was wondering where the term "pin" came from.

At the time LDraw was started, internal LEGO names weren't publicly available, so James Jessiman had to start from scratch. I feel that he, and the ones who continued to expand LDraw after him, have done a way better job than LEGO; but on the other hand LEGO had no real reason to use an English-coherent naming scheme.


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What are the characteristics of "Miniland" scale?
I have heard many references to "Miniland" scale. From what I have seen, this style of building mostly includes figurines that are larger than normal mini-figs.
What are some other characteristics of "Miniland" scale?

Mini style {used in LEGO sets and by collectors, not Miniland}
Mini scale/style is typically much smaller than normal LEGO. In Mini scale/style, figures are formed with 2-3 blocks.
Mini scale/style {if I remember correctly} didn't gain popularity until recently. It's so far been popularly used in the LEGO Architecture sets, and in a few others of common landmarks.
It's also common to see three-to-five-dollar packages that contain buildable models {sold in the LEGO stores} in the Mini scale/style.
Examples of Mini sets include:

4837 Mini Trains
5761 Mini Digger
5864 Mini Helicopter

Miniland style {used by Legoland amusement parks and a few LEGO sets}
I believe that the LEGO amusement parks use something close to miniland scale. It is, however, much different than normal Mini style/scale. One notable fact is that the people have larger heads. I know this is true for the one in Billund, but I'm not sure about the one in California.
Here and here are the pages of Minilands Billund and California, respectively. The Billund miniland doesn't have its' own page, but it's on the interactive map at the link provided.
A Miniland Flickr group is here if you want to see what Miniland style/scale is.
EDIT! As Zhaph-Ben Duguid pointed out, the Legoland amusement parks are called Miniland, but do not use the Mini scale/style. They use a strange hybrid between DUPLO and LEGO Mini scale/style. It is actually not the more common Mini style/scale used in sets. I've updated this answer to reflect that.

I'd suggest that Miniland is larger than standard LEGO - the figure's heads in the Minilands at the parks are made of a number of bricks alone - and are larger than minifig heads.

The Lego parks had the term Miniland first; can you cite its use outside the parks?

@Erik Olson and Joe Wreschnig: I've clarified that. You're right: The Architecture sets are not built in any form of Miniland. They're Mini style. not Miniland style.

@Joe Wreschnig: Nope. They're not called Micro at all, anywhere. They're called Mini. See here: http://search2.lego.com/exec/?q=micro&pt=&lang=2057&cc=US&u= and here: http://search2.lego.com/?pt=&cc=US&lang=2057&u=&q=mini&x=0&y=0

@Joe Wreschnig: WTF are you talking about? I searched the entire LEGO.com for Micro and found nada. I searched the entire LEGO.com for Mini and found nine-hundred-fifty-seven results. Where'd you get "three relevant results" from? P.S. My official term w/957 results vs your 2 links: I believe the official term wins.

thanks for making it a bit clearer, i had also heard of micro-scale but knew that it was separate from this style of building. I know about the more official "mini" style too now.

Ah, the joys of search results. There's a tab on the second of @JavaAndCSharp's links that contains 957 results, compared with the 4 models that were available in the GB shop - however most of those links do not talk explicitly about mini-models, but instead list the same 4 or 5 models. Poor indexing strategy really, they should be excluding the navigation from their crawls.

@Joe Wreschnig: Yup. Looked at the results; they give 14 Lego sets in the 'mini' scale. As you pointed out, there is also a set {may be more than one} in the 'micro' scale. LEGO designers need to agree on one standard term. IMHO, these two scales are the same. Do you agree?


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What is the name of the Lego product that snaps together with knobs?
I remember owning a very strange Lego set, but have forgotten the name.
The pieces were similar to Technic parts, but different. They were green rounded frames and connected using purple squares with knobs. I do not recall them being able to directly connect to classic Lego bricks.
The set I owned was some sort of space ship. It came with a motor that made parts of it spin.
Any ideas?

Have any idea as to when that set came out?

I ended up finding my old instruction book. The parts were called Lego Znap.

It still blows my mind that these things exist.

No spaceships and no relation to TECHNIC? If this was the answer you wanted, the question should have had better clues.

What do you mean no relation to Technic? These holes are Technic holes in their own right; plus, they did even use the same motor, which made it a very cost-efficient way to get some when LEGO ditched ZNAP altogether. Sadly, these were usually the bad batch of motors.

@Dori I had forgotten most of the details since I haven't heard about it in 10 years.

Are you thinking of the BIONICLE line?

BIONICLE was a theme with series of sets using some of the TECHNIC pieces created by LEGO in 2001 to 2010. It is usually attributed to the TECHNIC line due to the inclusion of TECHNIC specific elements and building-styles although being a largely independent product series.
  — BIONICLE - Brickipedia, the LEGO Wiki

I don't recall any Bionicle spaceships, but who knows?

@PeterDC The second to last year of Bionicle actually had three models that could be called spaceships (and were actually my favorite sets of the entire series): 8942 Jetrax T6, 8941 Roctoh T3, and 8943 Axalara T9.


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What does the acronym MOC stand for?
This is a common acronym used in the Lego community - what does MOC mean?

MOC stands for "My Own Creation".

MOC
My Own Creation. Any LEGO creation designed and built by a LEGO fan without instructions. Generally pronounced “mock.”*

Found at this Lego glossary.
Brickipedia's version from their own glossary:

MOC - My Own Creation, a fan- made LEGO model

*A side note: There may be some LEGO fans who pronounce "MOC" the way the individual letters are pronounced - effectively saying "Em-Oh-See".

You could note the grammatical conflict--I hear "a MOC" alot, given that people pronounce it as "MOCK," but I personally say "an MOC" and pronounce it "EM-OH-SEE."

Since when did the pronunciation of an acronym result in a grammatical conflict?

A MOC or a Lego MOC, are the initials of My Own Creation, so, if you have made a creation or a Lego model out of your mind, I mean, with no instructions, you've made a MOC.


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Weird "reflection" when rendering on BrickLink Studio
When I was rendering my train MOC build, I noticed a weird "reflection" on every black piece. What is this? Are the resolution or quality too low?

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Who and where manufactured these “MIDO” bricks from the 80s?
I own a decent amount of these “MIDO” bricks, I thrifted them with a bunch of official Lego bricks from 1980s sets. I’ve done some research and found nothing on the brand. They are actually great quality and feel just as good as Lego. Any information will be valued, especially country of origin or manufacturer's website.

Hi Benji and welcome to Bricks.SE! You write that you'd appreciate any information, but you seem to have the brand name already - is there anything in particular you are looking for?

@zovits, yes I was wondering if there might be a website for the brand or a country of manufacture

I was just sorting through my old brick box and found the old Mido brochure. It looks like they were produced in Israel by Isgad Ltd.


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How do they keep the outdoor models so clean at the various Legoland parks?
I've visited Legoland in California a few times and was always impressed with the lack of accumulated grime or bird "strikes" on the outdoor displays. How do the park employees accomplish this feat? What combination of tools and/or techniques do the Parks utilize to keep the models free from build up?

I've been to Legoland Windsor (in the UK) on one of the days they were cleaning some of the boats, and it looked hard - all manual work, with a large toothbrush and plenty of elbow grease


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What set does this minifigure head come from?
I came across this picture:

I think the body is from The LEGO Movie Pajamas Emmet polybag, but have no idea where the head is from.

more comment, it's the face on
twn203: Queasy Man (10244)

It's from Fairground Mixer (10244).
Also, the rest can be had way cheaper than Pyjamas Emmet polybag in the form of Sleepyhead from Collectible Minifig series 6.


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Is there a time mechanism that can be added to an NXT program?
I wanted to create a system where an NXT block would be set into function at a certain time of day (maybe 5:00 and then 5:10 and so on). I would want the timing function to be embedded into the NXT program. Is this a possible function? I have looked for documentation on the web but have not found anything useful..

To get the actual time of day, you can use the mindsensors.com Realtime Clock Sensor.

Time is thought of as a sensor value, measured in seconds. The Timer sensor can be used directly, as part of a Wait For block, as part of a Loop block.

Is there a numerical limit to the sensor block? It seems 86,400 seconds between each function is quite a long time.

86400 seconds is a long time for an NXT.  I think mine shuts down after ten minutes of inactivity.  If it can be set to never shut down, how long do the batteries last?


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Where can I find LDraw examples?
Where can I find LDraw files to download?
I would like to have a collection of simple Lego examples and want to create step-by-step instructions for my youngsters.

Last time I checked, the LDraw All-In-One installer comes with a bunch of sample official models.

The models included in AIOI as mentionned by HaydenStudios is also available as separate download
There is also a huge collection of LDraw models of official sets available on Eurobricks forum


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Identify minifigure torso - yellow with blue "N" on front
I've got a yellow torso (with yellow arms). The front (I believe) has a large blue letter 'N' with a orange drop shadow. Otherwise the torso is plain.
I've tried loads of search terms on bricklink to no avail, but sometimes the description on bricklink is bit hard to predict...

i think you mean this part
Yellow Torso Nesquik Bunny Large 'N' Pattern / Yellow Arms / Brown Hands

from  4051-1": Nesquick Rabbit
or
4049-1:Nesquick Rabbit Film Set

I Still can't figure out how to search for the string 'N' (search term includes single quotes) in bricklink

The BrickLink search bar is quite dated and doesn't work too well. In the case of this particular torso what I would have done is to go to the Catalog Tab, than right under it click the Colors Tab, then scroll down to Yellow, click on the first number (which is the number of parts in that color). Then click on Minifig Torso, and sort the results by Thumbnail Gallery. There are only 52 minifig torsos ever made in yellow, so it is really easy to scroll through them. In most cases searching by color like this is a great option.

Didn't know you could search by color that way!. Always frustrated me that the torso description usually doesn't contain the main color. Thx

Is it possibly from Quicky the Nesquik Bunny figure?


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What does BURP or BURPS stand for?
Came across this one a few times (most recently here) where it links to a number of mountain elements:

you still end up with some neat mini-BURPS and other useful pieces

I've heard variations on "Big Ugly Rock PieceS".
However, I've also seen the term used to describe any large piece that the builder thinks has little reusable value due to its shape being pretty specific to a certain use.  Obviously the mountain pieces are built to look like pieces of rock.  But there's also some tower elements in the Harry Potter sets that often fit description.

Many other acronyms used by LEGO nuts: http://www.brothers-brick.com/lego-glossary/


text:
What lego set is this? Possibly a pirate ship?
my wife picked up this lego set at a garage sale. The owner claimed it was a ship, perhaps a pirate ship, and that the set was complete. It does have something resembling a bow, and several tall poles, but no sails, which sounds suspiciously non-ship like. The most distinct piece is something like a black bicycle chain / rope ladder on a gear, attached to what looks like a 4-piston engine. There's another smaller chain as well. The entire set is in a beige / brown / black color scheme. Images below - can someone help me identify this?
(I already tried searching for the piece on rebrickable, but could not find it under any description I could think of.)

It's the Wright Flyer:
http://cache.lego.com/bigdownloads/buildinginstructions/4222843.pdf
It's the rule of posting on SE - I found it almost immediately after hitting submit.

It's a ship alright.. a heavier than air airship: Wright Flyer.
Quite a fun, if rickety. build.


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Is there a way to program the EV3 brick with NXC?
I tried to program the EV3 brick with NXC so i used BricxCC. The download of the program to the EV3 was successful but when i tried to start the program (which actually didn't show up on the program screen), there was a "FILE NAME ERROR". I use the Firmware V1.03H.

Not right now. RobotC support is already there ( although it isn't free ).


text:
Which Lego Police set or sets do I have?
We were given a big bag of Lego pieces.  When sorting through them my son found a bunch of police pieces but we can't figure out which set or sets they belong to.  I've tried looking up a few individual pieces but that hasn't helped and I can't seem to find the right set or sets by looking at googled images.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Most of the parts are of set 7288.
I see at least the following:

Window / door with the gates
Big wall parts with stickers.
Cop minifig & white shirt criminal
Computerdesk and front of the truck
Red front of the small car

I also see parts of 7279:

Gray shirted criminal
Part of the ATM terminal
Parts of the little car (lights and front with sticker)
Maybe the dog, it's hard to see the print of the head on the photo.

Then remains the stick of dynamite, the minifig in front of the red car parts, the second dog and bigger white bricks, that are not of these 2 police sets.
Maybe you can take a look for yourself on Brickset.com. The remaining set(s) are probably from around 2011, as these 2 are. Maybe look for a kind of plane / helicopter, because of the slope pieces.

At least  the mobile police post 7288; the label  on the piece identifies it.
Look for pieced used as license plates; license plates on Lego cars often contain the set number.  In fact, any number printed or stickered on a piece is likely to be the set number.
The dog doesn't have to be from a police set; he also appears in at least one firefighter set.

The white two-legged assembly with the blue light that's just above the left dog looks to be part of the robot dog from Space Police set 8399.
Additionally, the minifig near the red car front appears to be from the World Racers theme and the one just under it that's missing its head looks like Johnny Thunder from the Adventurers theme.


text:
How to minimize the impact of erroneous sensor readings?
A group including myself are using the Lego Mindstorm kit to design a robot that is going to compete in a school competition.  However, the sensors aren't as reliable as we would like them to be, particularly the ultrasonic sensor, which is what we're using to judge how far away objects are from our robot.  The problem that we face is that every so often the sensor returns a value that is just wrong: in a set of 3 datapoints for an object that is 45 units away, we'd possibly get values like 45, 45, and then 186.  The erroneous values are not consistent, nor is the amount by which the error occurs.  We also can't judge the probability of an erroneous value occurring.  Our current algorithm takes the average of a small number (i.e. 3) of datapoints, but we've realized that if the number of datapoints is small, then the average could be distorted greatly by erroneous values.  If the number of datapoints is large, then it takes a long time for the robot to get all of the sensor readings.
What do you recommend as a process to reduce the impact of erroneous sensor readings?
I'm sorry if I'm posting this question in the wrong location, but this problem seemed more closely linked to mathematics than to programming.

Are the items you're tracking moving at all (i.e. other robots) or are they static? If they are static you could just discard the results based on your current speed and previous changes in distance...

What is essentially happening with the robots is that we're using them to locate small, scattered, stationary canisters which we then need to capture and move to a corner of the 'field.' Consequently, the current algorithm is to basically move to somewhere in the center, rotate and take samples (non-continuous, btw) of the distances it sees, and then try to go for the best choice. Consequently, the objects that I'm trying to find are static (though there is another robot on the field at the time). However, the robot is not moving at the time either. We just want to reduce the error we get.


text:
I have a 16x16 stud clear base plate. Where is it from?
I found another grab bag treasure. I ended up with a 16x16 stud clear(ish) base plate. A quick look at bricklink gave me a no items found message. I'd like to know which set(s) this piece can be found in as I have grand plans in mind.

Any of these three sets
(AKA:
6162-1 A World of LEGO Mosaic 4 in 1
6163-1 A World of LEGO Mosaic 9 in 1
852676 Travel Game - Multi Game Pack 9-in-1)
Probably.
Bricklink hint: just search for a size, like "16 x 16". "3x3 plate" is fun too.

It would be helpful if you provided more than just a link.


text:
Can you program Lego Mindstorms with the Scratch programming language?
My child is learning programming using Scratch in school. Can she program her Mindstorms using Scratch?

If you are talking about the NXT, you can actually use assembly, C, or C++ to program it (see this question).  I don't know about Scratch, though.

If you wish to program the EV3 with Scratch, then check out this project on github:
https://github.com/koen-dejonghe/ev3-scratch-helper-app
This software is a so-called helper app, that interfaces between the Scratch 2.0 offline editor and the Lego Mindstorms EV3.
The EV3 must be booted from Lejos (http://sourceforge.net/p/lejos/wiki/Home/), requires a wifi dongle and wireless setup.
The helper app will find the EV3 brick on the wireless network, and will execute commands invoked in Scratch as RMI requests on the EV3.
The helper app also reports the status of the motors and sensors back to Scratch.
Below is an example program in Scratch, that allows you to control the robot with the arrow keys (after having pressed 'g'), or (after having clicked on the 'start' sprite) let the robot walk around until it meets an object that is too close, at which point it will make a left turn.

The robot itself should look something like this :

Have fun, and let me know what you think.

No, but you can use a very similar programming language:  Enchanting.
(I haven't tried it yet. It was recommended by the programming instructor).

Mitch Resnick at the MIT Media Lab is the developer of both Scratch and the original Mindstorms programmable brick, and the original Mindstorms programming interface was very similar to Scratch. If you have one of the original Mindstorms Robotics Invention System sets (and a PC of the proper vintage on which to run the software) she would probably find it similar enough to use without much trouble. (I recently rejuvenated my old Mindstorms sets with a $30 laptop bought online)

On macOS, it is officialy supported, with the « New LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Home pre-release software for macOS ». I guess that will soon be the case on windows

Scratch for LEGO Mindstorms EV3
One way is to use the open-source online programming environment Open Roberta Lab: http://lab.open-roberta.org there is also a wiki included for detailed information. Or just google Open Roberta at wikipedia.
Everything is for free.

Maybe also interesting for scratch users - we made a comparison between our language, called NEPO (wich is quite simular to scratch) and LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Software (EV3-G): http://roberta-home.de/en/comparisson-between-open-roberta-and-lego-mindstorms-ev3-software

Open Roberta wiki: https://wiki.open-roberta.org
Open Roberta Community: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/open-roberta
Best
 Thorsten

Thorsten - welcome and these are good suggestions. Can you elaborate a bit in your answer - for example explain what Open Roberta is, how NEPO compares to Scratch etc. that will help OP get a full answer from this site without having to jump to links that might or might not work in the future?

Open Roberta is the name of a project within the German education initiative "Roberta—Learning with robots", initiated by Fraunhofer IAIS, which is an institute belonging to the Fraunhofer Society. With Open Roberta Fraunhofer IAIS is looking to encourage kids to code by using Lego Mindstorms, a programmable robotics platform. The Cloud-approach of the Open Roberta Lab makes programming easier and minimizes the hurdles for teachers and schools to teach how to code. Open Roberta is free and does not require any installation. The project was initially founded with $1Mio by Google.org.

NEPO is a free open source meta programming language that can be used by students, scholars, teachers, and other interested persons in the Open Roberta Lab. NEPO is how we call our graphical programming language and its coupled hardware connection layer. NEPO uses the freely available Blockly library. In addition within NEPO there are additional functionalities and improvements have been adapted for Open Roberta. The programming paradigm of NEPO is inspired by Scratch. All infos at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Roberta

You can control an EV3 brick as it is (no added firmware) via bluetooth with Snap. This open source Snap extension can be find at:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BycKtjGwKylicndOeXNkcXVlVG8
It allows you to control all the sensors in the LEGO box, the motors and the vehicle (if you need one). The documentation (and the blocks) is mostly in french :-(
All you need to make it work is Windows (7 or higher), Chrome and bluetooth (on your computer, the EV3 already has bluetooth).


text:
RGB sensor HOWTO use?
I've got an RGB sensor (this one with the three LED thingies) and wonder how to access it using NXC.
I know I can SetSensorColorFull(IN_1); and then access it using ReadSensorColorEx or, for simplicity, ReadSensorColorRaw, but I'm a bit stumped wrt. the return values.
I know normal 24-bit (3x8bit) RGB colour codes. I know normal NXC return values (0/1, 0‥100, 0‥255). But I don't know how the values here work.
I've toyed around with i = ReadSensorColorRaw(IN_1, r); where unsigned int r[4];, and got values: i was always 1 (even if the cable was unplugged), and the r[INPUT_RED] aka r[0] values were somewhat usable, and about 0‥60 were black in general, and I got up to 1023 (when holding the sensor towards light), but if I hold the RGB sensor towards anything yellow, green or blue, the values are somewhat off. Also, I found no docs whatsoever as to what r[INPUT_BLANK] is supposed to be.
When unplugging the sensor, I got r = { x, 0, x, 0 } (where x was roughly 120) in my test program just using NumOut to debug the sensors, so I assume that the sensor return values are biased somewhat?
Would using ReadSensorColorEx give somewhat better usable values, or anything else I can use? Do I need to calibrate them first, and if yes, how? To clarify, I don't want the functions that just give back “it's red”, “it's green”, etc. but I want somewhat usable R/G/B colour tuples (and would take Intensity as bonus, although I'm using light sensors for them normally, or SetSensorColorRed if must be).
I'm using NXT Firmware 1.29, and exclusively Open Source tools. If there's anything else needed, information wise, just comment.

To understand how to use the data, it help to understand how the color sensor works. Let's take a step back for a minute and have a look. The sensitive electrical component here is just a photodiode or phototransistor that lets us measure light intensity.
If we turn all of the LEDs off we are just measuring ambient light. If we turn on just one of the LEDs and hold the sensor close to a surface, we are measuring mostly the reflected light from that one LED (and some ambient light).
When we switch to color mode, it looks like all 3 LEDs are on at the same time, but what is actually happening is that they are being switched in sequence very rapidly. off-red-green-blue-off-red-green-blue-... and so on.
This means the mysterious 4th value, INPUT_BLANK, is the off part of the cycle - it is just measuring ambient light.
You said that you would take intensity as a bonus, but actually that is all you are getting. If you hold the sensor close to a white surface, you should get high values for all 3 colors. If you move the sensor even closer (but not too close), the values will increase. This is because the reflected intensity is getting strong, not because the surface is getting whiter.
This means the RGB values are not like the ones on your computer screen. If you do a web search for robotic vision systems, you will find that RGB just doesn't work. The common practice is to convert the values to HSV (hue-saturation-value). The HSV values can more easily deal with changes in ambient light allowing you to more accurately determine colors.
I am not sure how the normalized and scaled values are calculated in ReadSensorColorEx, but you can play around with them and see if they give you better results for whatever it is that you are trying to do.

Thanks for this enlightening explanation. Do you have any references for this, so we can read deeper if needed? Also, do you know of any example program using the RGB sensor in full mode?

Sure. I learned most of this by reading the source code for the EV3. The timing happens in the d_analog device driver. I haven't got to the part where it actually computes the colors though. It's in there somewhere.

For an example, have a look at the Mindcuber source code. It does it's own figuring of colors by converting them to HSV and then sorting them.

Thanks. I will accept this as answer (feel free to move those comments into the answer body), even though the Mindcuber source is not Open Source it’s enough to read it to write a documentation for the sensor.


text:
Substitutions for vintage hinges
I've recently gotten back into LEGO and I'm trying to restore old space sets (late 80's era) by buying parts on Bricklink. I've noticed that some of the hinge pieces are extremely expensive (e.g. parts 4275 and 4276), often making a single hinge assembly cost over 5$ if using "new" parts.
It seems that Lego has discontinued these parts some time ago, so I was wondering the following:

Why were the parts discontinued? Were they prone to breaking?
Which newer parts can be used to substitute these and are they really better? I don't mind if they don't look exactly the same as long as there is functional equivalence.
I'm assuming that there is no substitutions possible for the old canopy hinges (e.g. part  4315)?

What I remembered of those parts was that force was needed to snap them together, and I believe I also have some that are broken over the years.
The part was introduced in 1983, updated in 1985 and the last sets were released in 2002 with one set in 2004.
In 2003 the parts are replaced by Hinge Plate 1 x 2 Locking with Dual Finger on End Vertical' (44302) and Hinge Plate 1 x 2 Locking with Single Finger on End Vertical' (44301). These parts have a number of fix angles in which the hinge can be placed. This finger shape is also added to al kind of other parts, like the canopy
There is also a version for non fixed angles Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Clip Horizontal on End and Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Handle on End - Closed Ends and these can also be combined with other parts

Joost answered eloquently, but I'd like to add that while 44302 and 44301 were made to replace the finger hinge they won't work in all situations. The geometry of 4275 and 4276 allowed useful techniques - you could use it to reverse studs by 180 degrees in a small amount of space, 90 degrees, and more. The new pieces can't do the same, which is a shame.
(Side note: the finger hinge are my favourite pieces ever. I even got them tattooed on my arm :)


text:
What plastic do Quatro blocks use?
I recently picked up a heap of Quatro blocks, and noticed that the plastic seems to be much softer than the normal ABS-based Lego and Duplo blocks. Does anyone know what kind of plastic was used in these blocks?

Just wondering, does this also exclude Duplo and other Lego brick-like products? Note that Quatro are a LEGO product (albeit discontinued), and they are compatible with Duplo (and indirectly to Lego bricks). It seems to meet the criteria outlined in this question.

Also note that there is a dedicated Quatro page at brickset.com: http://brickset.com/sets/theme-Quatro

You are absolutely right. I mistook Quatro as a non-LEGO brand and I apologise. I have re-opened your question and if it is any consolation I have placed a bounty on your question in the hope that you will get an answer.

No worries! I don't think Quatro were very popular :)

I don't have an exact answer for you, but if you are willing to perform a little destructive testing, you can probably get your answer.  This page (http://www.boedeker.com/burntest.htm) explains how to determine a type of plastic based on burning/melting it.


text:
How make robot turning going straight?
I have been struggling with this function for a while.
I want my robot to turn left until it detects black then turn right until it hits black again. Then, I will divide the angle in half and call rotateTo to make the robot move that angle. I don't know why it is not working the way I want it to.
The reason I do that is because after I turn left or right it is not exactly 90 degrees. That is why I want to make sure it is facing the right direction before it continues moving. Here is the code:
int numberTurn = 0;
int numLeft = 0;
int numRight = 0;
RegulatedMotor Left = Motor.A;
RegulatedMotor Right = Motor.C;
while(color_id!=7){
    moveForward(300, 50);
    color_id = color_test.getColorID();
}
while(color_id==7){
    moveForward(300, 50);
    color_id = color_test.getColorID();
}
color_id = color_test.getColorID();
Left.resetTachoCount();
Right.resetTachoCount();
while(color_id!=7){
    Left.rotate(100,true);
    Right.rotate(-100,true);
    color_id = color_test.getColorID();
}
Right.stop(true);
Left.stop(true);
numLeft += Left.getTachoCount();
while(color_id==7){
    Left.rotate(-100,true);
    Right.rotate(100,true);
    color_id = color_test.getColorID();
}
Right.stop(true);
Left.stop(true);
numRight += Left.getTachoCount();
while(color_id!=7){
    Left.rotate(-100,true);
    Right.rotate(100,true);
    color_id = color_test.getColorID();
}
Right.stop(true);
Left.stop(true);
numRight += Left.getTachoCount();
numberTurn = (numRight-numLeft)/2;
Left.rotateTo(-numberTurn,true);
Right.rotateTo(numberTurn,true);
while(Left.isMoving()){
}

Left and Right is motor. For color_id, 7 is black
Anyone have any ideas why it doesn't work?

The main problems I see are the following:

The value in the numRight variable is wrong for two reason: The 'right' sensor is not reseted at the proper time and you read the 'left' sensor value instead of the 'right'.
The angle calculation is faulty
The half rotation is performed in the wrong direction

Here are my code comments:
//Move forward until you find black
[...]

//Move forward until you are not on black anymore
[...]

//Reset the rotation sensors
[...]
//   WARNING: The right sensor is reset for no reason
Right.resetTachoCount();

//Turn left until you find black
[...]

//Get the left rotation sensor data
[...]

//Turn right until you are not on black anymore
[...]

//Get the right rotation sensor data
//   ERROR: This action should not be done until you have turned all the way to the right
//   ERROR: At this stage the right sensor should be reseted
//   Note: ...and the 'left' data was put in the 'right' variable
numRight += Left.getTachoCount();

//Turn right until you find black
[...]

//Get the right rotation sensor data
//   ERROR: This data should come from right.getTachoCount();
numRight += Left.getTachoCount();

//Calculate the half angle
//   ERROR: The calculation should be: numberTurn = ((numRight + numLeft) / 2 ) / 2;
//   Explaination: By adding the two rotations and then dividing by 2 you get the average of the two.
//                 The result is then divided by 2 again to get the half angle.
numberTurn = (numRight-numLeft)/2;
//Rotate back (should be to the left) to half the angle
//   ERROR: Rotation is performed to the right when it shoud be to the left
Left.rotateTo(-numberTurn,true);
Right.rotateTo(numberTurn,true);

Recommendation: When dealing with multi steps processes like this one, add the steps one by one while re-testing each time. The test should validate that the previous steps are still working and  that the added step is working as planned.

@Phav, is this helping?  I can refine the answer if it is not clear.

Your answer is clear. I just notice that from your answer. Thank.

authors: Жамол Усмонов


text:
Where can I get LEGO bricks to build a life size wall?
I would like to create the structure, meaning walls of my stand in an exhibition, made by LEGO bricks, so I wonder if I can order great quantities of bricks just to create this and if I can talk to an engineer who can design for me a particular product made by Lego's bricks.
Who can I speak to? Can I receive a quotation for that?

This sounds like the job of a master LEGO builder, but I'm sure you can do it too! This does sound like an expensive project, however.

I would say that bricklink.com is one of the best places to buy bricks from.

You can always go to Ebay and buy some (or should I say, a lot) of the 1x16 bricks. I don't know the dimensions of your exhibition, so I cannot give any further information. Good luck with that project!

I'd ask someone like Warren Elsmore to help with this. He's done many unique creations for organisations all over the world, and he's written 3 books about LEGO.
Although I would also consider this idea.
These guys rocked up to BRICK 2014 in London this past weekend and built the walls of their stand with their product of LEGO storage bricks. It worked great. The dimension are huge and still recognisable as LEGO. It would also be heaps cheaper than trying to build it from standard size bricks.

If there is a Lego Users Group in your area, see if you can place a LUGBULK order through them.
Otherwise, your best bet is probably BrickLink.


text:
What pieces are used to create this Djembe MOC?
I sent an E-mail to the creator but haven't heard back. Any thoughts on the part numbers on the Lego djembe? Trying to build one for Christmas gift :-)

From the looks of it, the base is made out of a 4x4 red plate (#3031) and a 1x4 red plate (#3710).
On top, you have 3 1x4 red tiles (#2431) arranged in a U shape within the center of the U 3 1x2 tiles with center stud (red - #3794) and 1 regular 1x2 tile (#3069), like so:
________
|_______|
| |_o_| |
| |___| |
| |.|.| |
|_|_|_|_|

The seat is a hinge piece (#3938 on #3937), sitting on 2 of the 1x2 tiles with center stud, whereas the djembe itself is a 1x1 cone (#4589b), an inverted 2x2 round disc (radar - #4740), a 2x2 round disc with X hole in center (#4032) and then the finishing 2x2 round tile (with optional pattern - variants of #4150).
The cone, inverted disc and 2x2 round pieces are attached together using a Lego Friends magic wand #87994pb01 or a Bar 3L (#87994), though I don't have access to such a bar and hence wasn't able to try it out in my draft build, but I did test out a Bar 4L (#30374) and know that that works if trimmed down to about 3L. Alternatively you can use a tool screwdriver (#6246a), but this doesn't secure the top 2 round pieces very well.
Here are step-by-step instructions :) :

I'm guessing a small rod (Bar 3L) or similar? Possibly trimmed/halved.

The only small rods I have are 4L, and even they don't fit tightly onto the 2x2 round plate. In my quick build the top stays on relatively ok, but it is not a normal strong Lego fit and the top of the djembe will fall off if you hold the model under an angle.

@Zhaph-BenDuguid: You are probably right - the Bar 4L (#30374) fits into the X of the 2x2 round plate. As there is no "Bar 3L" in the Lego catalog (according to BrickLink) it is likely a 4L bar trimmed down to the right length. I have updated my answer with this info.

I would use a #6246a small screwdriver to hold the top to the base of the drum.

@PGmath that's what I originally suggested in my post, see the best I have figured out so far is to stick a tool screwdriver (#6246a) inside, but this doesn't secure the top 2 round pieces very well.

I found the right bar! It is a Friends magic wand #87994pb01. Updating this in my answer.

@PhilB.: Actually, there is a generic Bar 3L too: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=87994

The 3L was used in the Dwarf Warrior minifigure as I recall - his axe handle was shorter than the classic light saber/Harry Potter wand.

Thank You!!! I have ordered and will post pic. Once again Thank You :-)

I just tried this build with a 3L bar and it doesn't fit. The bar sticks out the bottom enough that you can't put the cone onto a stud, not even a hollow stud like the one on your jumper.

The screwdriver works fairly well if you push it up until it secures the dish to the round plate, and then only a little bit of the handle pokes downward but it's enough to attach the dish to the cone.

The screwdriver trick works so-so, it doesn't really secure the dish to the round plate very well (at least not on my try-out build). As suspected by Zhaph - Ben Duguid and myself, there might need to be a little trimming done on the 3L Bar :(. Thanks for trying it out @Mr. Shiny and New :)


text:
Part identification
Can you help me identify which part numbers these parts are? I can't find them on Lego's site or on brickset.com:

Edit:
I've found the two dark grey bricks in the left photo, so that just leaves the yellow one, and the other two photos.
Thanks!
Ben

I'd say the yellow part is listed on BrickSet as "Lamp Holder" or "Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip Light - Thick Ring", 4081 on BrickLink, Peeron, etc.
The light grey piece is from the Flick Missiles, and is listed on Brickset as "3 M.Arch W.Knob And Shaft Ø¸3.2" or "Technic, Pin 1/2 with 2L Bar Extension (Flick Missile)", 61184.
The final piece is "Mini Fig. Back Palte W. Knob" or "Minifig, Neck Bracket with Back Stud", 42446
For completeness, the other two are:
"Angular Plate 1.5 Bot. 1X2 1/2" on Brickset or "Bracket 1 x 2 - 1 x 2 Inverted", 99780
The tile I couldn't find on Brickset other than in Rebrickable inventories where it's listed as "Tile 1 x 2 with Joystick and Vehicle Control Panel Pattern" (3069bpr0090) or on BrickLink as "Tile 1 x 2 with Vehicle Control Panel Pattern", 3069bpc1


text:
How can I prevent my train from derailing?
I have motorized the Constitution Chase train by putting a PF train motor into the coal car. I disassembled the rest of the cars, down to the car bed, and let my kids build whatever train cars they want. This, plus a few cars from a City train let me run a train with the engine (which is a dummy), the motorized coal car, two short cars with fixed wheel trucks and two long cars with turning wheel trucks.
The problem is that sometimes this train works really well and other times it just cannot stay on the tracks at all.
The tracks are laid out on a carpeted floor, but I always put the train in the same place and it usually runs fine. But today's layout was just unworkable and I had to disassemble it and start over. The second layout works and I'm not sure what the difference is. The train rolls along and then whoops, the front wheels of the engine are turned, and the whole things falls down.
The layout itself is designed to withstand the perturbations of the train. This is accomplished by using a single piece of flex track every 1/4 turn and wherever there is a switch. This helps keep the track from shaking loose, as nothing is typically attached anywhere, except for the snap-together action of the track pieces.
Today I tried to settle down a particularly bad stretch of track by mounting it on some 10x20 bricks but that didn't really solve the problems.
Is there a way to reliably run the train on a carpet base? Or even to just improve the reliability over what I have now, which seems somewhat random.

I'm no train head, but I suspect the best solution is a piece of plywood big enough to accommodate your layout.

So, is the problem that the train is coming off the track, or the track is coming apart?  I'm not sure what you mean by "...the whole things falls down."  Also, what happens if you don't have the flex track?

:) Yes, I'm sure if I were to build on a table or wooden floor or some other more structurally sound surface it'd work better. But I lack the space for such a surface, so I was hoping for a bricks-only solution.

@Nick2253 What happens is that the front wheels of the locomotive derail, and on that locomotive they are constructed in such a way that the entire wheel truck can turn and sway significantly. Once the wheels are off, it's a matter of seconds before the locomotive falls over. The track stays together, primarily because it has so many flex pieces here and there to provide some tolerance to the flexing that occurs. The thing is, most of the time the flex track works just fine, even long stretches of flex track aren't an issue.

I'm wondering if the flex track is causing more problems than it fixes.  If you allow the track to move with any vibration from the train, sure, the track may not come apart, but that means that the track is also no longer dampening the vibrations from the train, which could be allowing the train to jump the track.  Non-sequitur: maybe you need to add some more weight above the front axle.  Try something like: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=73090b

well shoot, if you're gonna be all picky like that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVa4w5nQmoo :)

One thing I would say from my model train experience is that shunting (pushing) is more likely to derail a train than pulling, especially at speed.
There are a few factors that influence this in models more than we see in "real life":

The force is usually transferred via the couplings rather than buffers. This means there is more chance that the force will be applied at the wrong angle, forcing the leading elements off the track
The elements are too light. In real "multiple unit" trains where the driving force is at the rear of the train, the front elements are still very heavy, which mitigates the effects of force distribution somewhat - if you can add more weight to the Locomotive build then you may have more success.

A simple confirmation of this would be to remove the Locomotive from the train and see if you get the same derailments?

Yes, taking the locomotive off the track did help with that troublesome layout. But the same locomotive works fine at other times. I have a weighted 2x6x2 brick from an old fishing boat, I'll see if I can work it into the design.

Hmm, and it's not like a standard loco where you could flip the tender and loco around due to the massive cow-catcher...

I think your observation about the coupler applying force at the wrong angle is probably correct. I may have to bite the bullet and just rebuild the entire locomotive, but until now I never realized how tricky it was to make it work reliably. It would probably be easier to have my floor redone with hardwood instead of carpet.

Yes, that seems to be the considered opinion among other model train geeks - more so with the standard Hornby couplers where they are basically fairly thin loops pushing against each other ;)

I've taken apart, and rebuilt, my layout a few times and come to the following conclusion. It seems that the locomotive is extremely sensitive to any curve or gap in the tracks. The front wheels are attached via a technic pin, and essentially float under the front of the boiler, but the pin only really allows for lateral movement and not vertical. Thus, when the tender pushes the locomotive, if there is anything that causes the rear of the locomotive to  drop slightly or be twisted, the front wheels will lift and the train falls off the tracks.
The problem is worse, but not limited to, the flexible track. Sometimes a simple curve is sufficient, and the switch tracks are also problematic.
I tried putting a boat weight inside the boiler, This makes the locomotive heavier but doesn't really apply much force on the front wheels, and it means the center of gravity of the locomotive is not well placed for taking corners.
The other change I've made is to how the IR sensor is mounted in the locomotive. I rebuilt the roof of the cab so that the sensor pokes up out the top of the roof. I also re-routed the wires between the tender and the locomotive so that they are coming out the bottom of the tender, just above the coupler, and go under the sensor. I also pack them tightly into the locomotive so that there is no slack. This prevents the wires from pushing against the locomotive, which was causing at least a few derailments.
Finally, I removed as much flex track as possible, and put 2x4 plates on the track to hold the layout together.
The result is that the train runs acceptably well as long as nobody separates the tender from the locomotive.


text:
Can anyone identify these Bionicle sets?
Can anyone identify these Lego pieces? They were given to us in a bin of toys, and we cannot identify them. We know they're Lego, and have a 2002 date on them.

Those appear to be Bionicle figures, a theme that was active from 2001 to 2009 (and making a comeback in 2015, I hear). The line focused on buildable "action figures" (aka "constraction figures").
See here: http://brickset.com/sets/theme-Bionicle

The yellow one is the Glatorian-era Mata Nui, the red one with the staff is a Toa Nuva-era Rahkshi (Turahk, to be specific), and the green spider-thing is a Toa Hordika-era Visorak (Keelerak) that has been placed upside-down.
The other four are Metru Nui Matoran, without their masks; the lighting makes it hard to tell what elements they correspond to, but the ice one appears to have the wrong head.
Turahk: http://brickset.com/sets/8592-1
Keelerak: http://brickset.com/sets/8746-1/Visorak-Keelerak
Can't post other links due to reputation; sorry about that.


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Where did "LL 928" and "LL 929" come from?
Just finished putting Benny's Spaceship set together, and the Number printed on the side is "LL 929" which appears to be an increment from a much older set the Galaxy Explorer, which had "LL 928".
My question is whether there is any known source for this ID? Is it just something random that someone came up with or does it actually refer to something (real or made-up)?

928 was the original set number of the Galaxy Explorer - so the numbering of that one is following the LEGO tradition of using  the set number.
As Joubarc points out, at that time the sets were branded LegoLand, which is where the LL comes from (in recent years LEGO often uses the Designer's initials).
I'd say that as Benny is a rather well used Classic Spaceman and his Spaceship is clearly a throw back to that style, his ship is numbered in homage to the Galaxy Explorer.

I don't think the habit of using designer initials was already there then; I'd rather wager the LL stands for Legoland as that's how boxes where themed at that time.

Good point Joubarc, I've updated accordingly :-)


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Quick way to inventory parts
I have a rather large collection of LEGO elements that are not sorted in any way, and I'd like to keep track of them. There are a few other posts about ways to keep track of elements, and I've looked at them. I've downloaded about three different programs that are for LEGO inventory keeping, but I'm kind of picky.
I'd want something that I can input bricks into rather quickly, and though these programs are cool, I don't need to look up current prices or keep track of sets or whatever, as I have loads of loose pieces. Does anyone know anything that would meet those conditions? Even some sort of scanner build would be great.

Why do you need to inventory the parts?  Is it for custom building purposes?  I'm also curious what programs you've downloaded, and what specifically you found undesirable in each one.

May be duplicate of Is there any application to keep an inventory of owned sets and pieces?

you could write a Lego® database...

As you have probably guessed by now, there is no easy solution to your question.  It all comes down to computer vision.
In this solution, Akiyuki built a massive machine out of LEGO bricks, a camera, a scale, 2 Mindstorm NXT and, which he fails to mention in is parts list, a computer and some electronics.

Computer vision is complex, and making a working prototype is still an impressive task. Even though the software component of this project is most probably the reuse of an existing solution like OpenCV, there are many other problems to overcome. For example; Mechanically bringing the parts to the camera one by one in a controlled fashion. Also if the part is not laying down from a recognisable angle, you would probably have to flip it or take pictures with multiple cameras in order to get a good look at it.
Still, being a software developer myself, this is not the part that worries me.  Even if you manage to build the whole machine, you still need to compare the pictures with a library of all the known LEGO bricks. Even more, they need to be imaged from all possible sides (when laying down).  Building this knowledge base is a big endeavour on its own.

Here is a video of the working machine.

If you can reduce the complexity of parts to sort it can really help. Akiyuki has also made sorters for Technic beams and axles (both of which work on the same very simple principles).
If you do decide to build a brick sorter you probably would be better off designing one for the parts you use the most/have the most of and hand sorting the rest.

Thanks! I happen to follow Akiyuki on YouTube, but I had completely forgotten about this video of his. I'll look into making it...sometime...

Hmm - if you're willing to take the time though surely this is a prime candidate for machine learning as well: you train it with some known bricks first and let it build its understanding of different bricks from there ;)

@Zhaph-BenDuguid that would be my first choice too.  I would also cross that with a web brick database like BrickLink to automate linking new found shapes with existing brick names.

One could use parts files from the common brick CAD systems as models to fit to the camera images - that could help learn the brick shapes and make the task of creating the parts database easier.


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What's the circle piece in this MOC?
I saw a moc from here.

But have no idea what the piece it use on the arms of the robot, and on the guns.

It is a Tile 1 x 1 Round, with groove

Edit after clarification in the question:
The arms have something that looks like a bit of Hose, Ribbed cut to the required size.
The gun is, as gev pointed out, based on a standalone ray gun piece that has the ribbed section molded in originally.

Sorry I didn't make it clear first. Maybe new picture will help?

I am not so sure about it, but could it be flex hose cut to size? http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=78c02 You should probably ask the creator directly :)

You can see the cut hose technique in other MOCs in the series, especially here and here

The bit held in the mech hand is a Ray gun.
The bit on the forearms is almost certainly a short bit of Hose, Ribbed 7mm D. 2L like zovits said.


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Identifying Lego set from 1980's

Can someone please help me identify this Lego set from the 1980's?
I remember building a house, work shed/garage and some type of vehicle. The base plate is light gray. It came with 2 minifigures, male and female, a broom and shovel, and slanted windows that were used for a skylight.

My closest bet would be the Car Repair Shop. However, there are lots of other sets that could match the description.
Edit #1:
The other potential candidates:

Weekend Home
Auto Workshop
Holiday Home
Houses
House with Roof Windows
Holiday Villa

In case none on these is what you are looking for, you could take a look at Bricklink and browse the results.
Edit #2:
Based on the picture you added, the 730-2 BASIC Building Set seems the most likely choice (it has both minifigs, the broom, the shovel, the faucet, the slanted windows). There are also many pieces from other sets: both the blue and the red-yellow propeller, the yellow spaceship engine besides the male figure, etc.

Funny - bricklink doesn't show the faucet as belong to any other set than a few airplane sets - it was the component I went to search for and it didn't find the 730-2 set.

Yes, I found that Brickset doesnt show it too, that's why I turned to Peeron, where I found this set.

Figured it out - the same tap has 2 entries in Bricklink, here is the other one. 69c01 is the old 'light gray' and 69c03 is the new 'light bluish gray', hence the difference


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Need help identifying extra large Lego figure from 2003
I came across these LEGO figures at an estate sale and have had no luck trying to find out what they are called.
They are much larger than a regular minifig but have a shaped foot plate to attach to regular sized Legos. They can be squeezed down and compressed and then pop back up.
Top and bottom are two different pieces and inside there are screws visible. Only markings are "LEGO" on front shirt and "48379" and "2003" on bottom of foot plate. Thinking they were not part of a set but a promo item or accessory.

48379 is the part number for the torso piece. 2003 would be the copyright date for the LEGO trademark.
They are both promotional items which were distributed with McDonald's Happy Meals.

Bricklink: 7923-1 (White Soccer Player #4)

Bricklink: 7917-1 (Blue Basketball Player #22)


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Are BanBao bricks compatible with Lego?
Does anyone has experience with BanBao bricks?
BanBao World
Are they compatible with Lego bricks? They have basic sets and plates which are at a good price.

Recently, I just bought a BanBao brick Snoopy range. The quality is not bad. Great for kids to build for hours. The price are great value for money.

Do you have a picture of the vintage pre-court case figures? I’m trying to work out if it’s what I have a bulk lot of. Certainly the plates are higher like BanBao… but I have about 16 figures too that I can’t identify the brand of…

I have 2 Banbao set from before the lawsuit with Lego (minifig style minifigs) and they are more and less compatible with lego, the pitch between the studs is the same. But there is some remark I noticed within comparing both brands for a few minutes.

Studs are higher, a Lego plate on a Banbao brick will leave a small gap between both bricks
Plates are thicker. Lego ~3.2 mm and Banbao 3.6 mm. Bricks -> 11.4mm instead of ~9.6mm
Fit between Banbao bricks can be loose.

I have a small pull-back car that contains jumper plates that are placed vertical, parts mounted to them will fall off.
Bushes just slide over cross axles as there is no friction between both parts
Hinges are loose.
Usage of large parts, like 24x10 molded piece as a base for a vehicle.

I don't know if the quality of the bricks is better nowadays or they changed the dimension of the bricks. I would say just go to the store and by the cheapest set you can find and look for yourself.

The bricks are higher!? This is a problem if you want to mix basic sets. Very good feedback!

I just visited to my local toy store in the Netherlands and found a couple of the small sets for only 0.49 euro, so I bought one. Quality of the bricks is improved in respect to my other 2 sets, bricks stay together. The hinge now stays in position. The size of the bricks didn't change. They are still higher than lego bricks.

I bought BanBao a few weeks ago in Germany, Kaufland. I bought a green city bus. I was impressed by the quality. The studs connect very well. I also tried on some LEGO bricks. It was no problem to combine the bricks together with the LEGO bricks. Some parts are different but a child will never notice[?]

Are the standard BanBao bricks higher? Suppose you build a house and and mix lego and banbao bricks, will it be possible to build walls?

The question is rather old, but I have one thing to add to the other answers.
There is also a Banbao line for younger children (Banbao Young Ones, 3+). There's a review here. It's in Russian but Google translate worked well :)
I have one set. It turned out that it is really compatible with DUPLO, and quality is very good.

The quality of Banbao was really amazing. For some reason one of the minifigures can only sit, other one only stand (for comparison - LEGO minifigs can both sit and stand by default), but both have movable hands (as LEGO minifigures), details and colors are great.
Very good value for less money and really much better than other Chinese products. LEGO and Banbao bricks have slightly different height, Banbao are taller, but are otherwise compatible.

I don't know, why "jncraton" edited my answer, but that is not more the same answer, as I've stated. That's not ok! I've never statet that both are compatible.


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Which train motor is more powerful, 9V or 12V?
I recently picked up LEGO bricks again and due to lack of space I'm planning to build a multilevel train layout.
I do have a descent amount of 12V track along with trains and switch points, but I was wondering if it would be a good idea to switch to 9V.
Because there will be a lot of inclined track on this layout I was wondering which train-motor-units are more powerful.
The ones I have, 12V from the gray era, or the track-powered 9 volt ones?
12 volt:

9 volt:

See Pulling Power of LEGO Trains 1966 till 2009 (Systems: 4.5V 12V 9V IR)

@LarsTech - any chance you could post that as an answer, possibly with a short summary?

A user on YouTube posted the following video that tests a lot of the various train motors in Lego history for their pulling strength.
The battery model train from the 1960's destroyed the competition.
Pulling Power of LEGO Trains 1966 till 2009 (Systems: 4.5V 12V 9V IR)
The newer engines do not have rubber traction to grip, so they have a tendency to slip more.  The lack of weight on top of the engines also hindered some of its ability.  The newer engines tend to be faster, but not more powerful.
Another link that summarizes many of the various Lego motors (unfortunately, it didn't include the 12v line):
LEGO® 9V Technic Motors compared characteristics


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Is it safe to use a hot glue gun for Mega Bloks?
I've just managed to secure a copy of the Mega Bloks StarCraft Battlecruiser set on eBay after they dropped significantly in value with Blizzard clearing out the last of the stock with their recent Black Friday sale. It's going to be here in about a week, and it's the first model of this magnitude that I've ever done. I figure that the actual process won't be any more difficult than usual, but considering the collectible nature of this item, I'd like to make sure that when I put it together, it's permanent.
Is it safe to use a hot glue gun? Naturally, I wouldn't want to try it and find the bricks melting under the heat. I would just test it on some more easily replaced pieces, but I currently don't have any Mega Bloks in my collection, only LEGO elements and Tyco.

You mention the "collectible" nature of the item. I can assure you that after you glue it, the only collector who'll want it is you. Nothing devalues a building toy like glue.

It's probably not the best option to use no: according to Wikipedia, glue guns tend to operate at the following temperatures:

Low-temperature glue guns operate at approximately 120°C (248°F) [...] High-temperature guns operate at approximately 190°C (374 °F)

LEGO and Mega Bloks' primary component, ABS, has a melting point around 105°C (221°F), which is a bit lower than the glue and it will have started to deform around 80°C (176°F).
Your best option would be to use a glue that "welds" the LEGO elements together, such as Plastic or Polystyrene Cement.

@Zaph - Disappointing to hear, but certainly beats finding out the hard way. I'll pick up some plastic cement next time I'm at Hobby Lobby. Thank you for your time.


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What is this notched or angled 1x2?
It looks old. the only markings on it is LEGOS stamped on the top of the stud holes, and a number 2 stamped on the bottom. It looks like a normal 1x2 with a slight triangle taken out of each side.
I couldn't come up with the right words to describe this piece to determine on my own what it's called or what set it might have been from. But maybe someone else has seen this before?

Old style minifig legs (70s). Sets that have it

damn, missed it by 10 minutes.

ahh, yes, that is it. The new legs will go fabulous with the legless old style minifig torso I already had in my collection before this acquisition. :)


text:
Which "Real World" Company was the first to have its' name featured in an actual (numbered) Lego set?
Excluding the Lego company, which "Real World" Company was the first to have its' name featured in an actual Lego set?

The 1955 Bedford Esso truck sets that oddTodd refers to were the earliest appearance of a company name/logo on a product in the LEGO system, however these trucks were sold separately as part of the Town Plan, without bricks (although some versions of the 1251 set came with 1x1 bricks that were used as oil cans). An accessory set from 1955 included gas pumps and a printed Esso sign, but no building elements.
The first regular building set to include a company logo or name was 1310 Esso Filling Station from 1956. The next building sets to include a company name and logo were 306 VW Garage and 307 VW Auto Showroom, both released in 1958. (The first use of the VW logo was on the first 1:87 scale car LEGO produced in 1956, the VW Bus.)
Usage of the Esso name ended in Europe and Australia in 1965 and in the US in 1966. In 1966 the Shell brand name was first used in set 325 Shell Service Station

Esso (aka ExxonMobil) showed up in one of the first sets ever, released in 1955. Bedford, a truck maker, was also represented in the same set (and others from that year). I do not know if there were Bedford sets released before the Esso/Bedford sets, since they were all released in the same year.
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=1250-2
Esso also shows up on an actual printed brick in this 1958 accessory set:
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemInv.asp?S=226-1
Note that 1958 was the start of the current stud-and-tube technology.
Ferguson plastic tractor (1951):
http://aboutus.lego.com/en-us/lego-group/the_lego_history/1950


text:
How do I quickly count pieces?
I have LEGO pieces divided into partitions in something like a tackle box, each of which indicates how many pieces are supposed to be in that partition.  With few exceptions, each partition only holds one type of part, like this:

One slot might have, say, 5 axles, and another might have 82 friction pegs.
How can I quickly verify if there are the right number of pieces?
I've been thinking that if I went a partition at a time, I could take all the pieces out, spread them over a surface, shine them under a webcam, and have a computer or phone spit out a count for me.  Perhaps there is a mechanical way to do this, or maybe using a (really accurate?) scale would do it.
Any recommendations?

Tackle boxes are very common for storing Lego, I use them myself. Unfortunately I've not found or seen a good way to count the pieces that are in them. The easy way is to take everything out of them, which I suspect is what you're trying to avoid.
One trick with that is to get a piece of cardboard (or plywood) twice the size of the tackle box, cut a hole in the centre, place it over the tackle box with the hole over a compartment, then invert it with your hand under the hole! With a little wiggling you'll end up with only the pieces from that compartment in your hand. Or, if you lose your grip, everything all over the floor. But when you have a lot of compartments or a lot of pieces, that method is much faster than picking pieces out of compartments by hand. Especially small tiles.
Using a counting scale is a very common way to count small items like this. Lego weigh parts, bags and sets repeatedly during manufacture as part of their quality control process - that's one big reason why so few sets have missing pieces.
The problem you have is that while it's easy to weigh the whole tackle box, that doesn't give you much information about what exactly is missing. I suspect that the uncertainty in the weight (from the variable weight of grime and water on the box) will be about the same as the weight of the smaller pieces.
Doing a search for "image analysis counting" I found this NIH paper that suggests that it's possible to do what you're looking for. I suspect the main problem will be getting images that show the entirity of each well in the tackle box, but you may find that just taking a photo from as far away as possible works. Then you have to set up and calibrate the software. I doubt it will work with irregular pieces or where you can't see every item, though. But it's worth trying just to reduce the overall effort.
Worth doing if you're going to be counting the contents a lot of times. Or you're interested in the problem.

Thank you, Ӎσᶎ.  I'm not at all opposed to taking the parts out of the tackle box -- it never even occurred to me that one might be able to count them otherwise.  Its just that when I have more than a dozen pieces of one type, I want to be able to count them quickly after I've gotten them out of the box, just to check that the quantity is right.  That paper you linked to looks very interesting.

Weighing the whole box might help if you just want to check if it's complete - unless you fear extra parts.
If you want to weigh parts or group of parts, there are scales which have an "item" function - you weigh one, then set it as unit, and then you can use the scale to give a count of the parts on it rather than its total weigh. Precision is important, but usually it's good enough.
Also, if you want to count parts manually, an easy way is to spread them and set apart the ones you've counted, per group of 3 or 4 - and count the groups, not the parts. Taking the example of the friction pegs, you'd spread them, then push 4 aside and count 1, then 4 again and count 2, and so on. After you count 20, you should have 2 left. Note that usually the remainder is enough to get an idea of what's missing or not; so the count part is nearly optional - if there are two pegs left at the end, it could be that 4 are missing, but the likeliness of that is lower. Or, you could do it twice: once with groups of 4, the second time with groups of 5 - both times you need to end up with 2 left. Basically, you just use modulo arithmetic to check only the reminder; which is like the "proof by nine" - it doesn't prove your result is correct, but catches most errors.

Thanks for the reply.  I especially love the idea about grouping and counting the remainder.


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Where to find older sets (eg. Classic Space)?
Can people share their experiences on how they locate older sets? Have you had luck with flea markets, garage sales, thrift stores, etc.? Or is everything done through eBay and BrickLink? Any comments appreciated.

Welcome to Brick Answers. Unfortunately, I don't think we can answer your question as it stands: it isn't really a question with a specific answer, so it isn't a great fit for this site. Moreover, I'm not sure how other people's answers to this question could help you find what you're looking for? That said, if you can rephrase / expand on your question so that it is a better fit for the site, we'll do what we can to help.

BTW: http://www.classic-space.com/forum/ may be a useful resource.

I guess I am looking for ideas on where to look for sets. And it does not have to be Classic Space - I just used that as an example.

The problem is that the things sold at garage sales or whatever varies from place to place and from month to month. Even the types of outlet varies considerably by geography. New Zealanders tend to prefer Trade Me over eBay, for example. Your best bet is probably to ask around locally, or use the big international sites like BrickLink.

And yes, we're LEGO Answers. I knew that really... ;-)

I may go against the current here, but I think the question has merits - a lot of people seek to buy older sets, to complete collections or out of pure nostalgia; and I for one feel it would be nice to have a good compilation of means to achieve that.  Yes, the question is broad, but iconic enough that it shouldn't be a problem. The question and existing comments already show good elements of answer.

And, @KenCenerelli, welcome to Bricks.se no matter how the question turns out! :-)

@Joubarc: Interesting point. Let's go meta! http://meta.bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/257/shopping-questions

Thanks everyone for taking the time to view this thread. I hope it can spur some discussion. Also thanks to Joubrac for the welcome.

Some of the places you can buy old (discontinued) sets include:
Online

BrickLink
eBay
TradeMe
Amazon marketplace
Generic on-line toy stores that carry old stock
Some LEGO discussion forums have areas for buying and selling

Locally

Toy shops and LEGO stores sometimes carry old stock
Stands at exhibitions and shows
Garage sales
Thrift stores
Charity shops
Flea markets
Car boot sales
Jumble sales
Through newspaper ads
Lego User Groups
Other AFOLs

Other Alternatives

Buy the parts separately and assemble the set from them


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Is there an easier way of threading Technic pins into other elements?
I've been using Lego Digital Designer to recreate a few models I've built in real life. One model in particular uses many Technic axles which need to be inserted fully into other Technic bricks (like the [part:32014] shown in the image below).

(Click image for animation)
If Technic axles aren't inserted all the way, it causes more problems later on in the build, when the same group of parts are duplicated and used elsewhere.
In some cases, moving the camera angle around can help, but the axle continues to flicker around the screen as the axle is inserted.

As someone who also argues with LDD occasionally, have you tried using a placeholder technic beam to get two connectors at the right distance and then adding the axle into both connectors before deleting the placeholders?
If the placeholders are in a different colour from the rest of the model, you could use as many as you need and then delete them with the Colour Select tool, leaving just the parts behind.

One possible solution, but I can't tell if it would be easy, might be to edit the .lxf file yourself to check/correct the position of the axle.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure there is much documentation on the subject; at the very least I think the .lxf extension is just a zip container, so changing .lxf to .zip is the first step. (of course, backup the whole file first...)
Considering there are ways to convert files between LDD and LDraw, I would tend to think it's possible somehow. You could also convert the file to LDraw and check/correct the axle position within an LDraw editor (they usually give you the coordinates somehow, and at the very least you can check the .ldr source easily as it's text-based). You could also use LDraw altogether, if you find out it helps you place parts (maybe it would).

Maybe I forgot about the "easier" part of the question, though


text:
Where I can find the pieces needed in a set?
I own this set, LEGO® Kingdoms King's Castle 7946.

One day I let my wife's best friend's kids play with it.
(Not the best idea in the world but they had a blast!)
Needless to say, the castle ended up being torn to pieces pretty much.
It has sat in a box for a few months now and I really want to dig it back up for a rebuild.
The problem I have now is I don't know every piece I need.
I'm sure some of the pieces have been lost but I have a massive box of extra pieces. Is there a website anywhere that contains the piece count of a set and what pieces are included in the set?
Any ideas on what I can do? or do I have to try my best to rebuild it?

If you don't physically have the instructions, you can look up the set ID on LEGO's Customer Services page dedicated to providing building instructions.
The inventory list is usually found right after the final building step. For #7946 the parts list can be found on pages 74-75.
If for whatever reason you cannot access the instructions from the LEGO site, perhaps the file has been removed or you're unable to view PDF files you can still find a part list on sites like Bricklink and Brickset (see parts tab).

Awesome! Thank you so much, I've been wanting to rebuild this one for a while now to place it on my desk. THANK YOU!!!

Let's not forget Peeron.  You can lookup the parts in your sets, and the site will keep an inventory of the parts you have.
The parts for set 7946-1 on www.peeron.com

authors: Саша Щербаков


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Where did "Cheese Slope" get its name?
Why is this piece called a "cheese slope"?  "Slope" I get; but "cheese"?

Sadly it comes in a number of different colours, not all of which could be considered cheese. On top of that, the slope in the question is more of a Red Leicester, rather than a Cheddar.

custom names bother me sometimes, as not only do some of them only make sense in certain situations, like this one, but also it can make it hard to look for pieces on say, brick link. cause more often then not the name is NOTHING like the official name of the brick. the id for this piece is 54200 btw for anyone wondering.

@BoxNblox Welcome to Bricks.SE! Other sites may do a little better on search terms than Bricklink. For example, Rebrickable returns appropriate elements for search terms like "cheese", "erling", and "travis".

A cheese slope resembles a chunk of cheese from a cheese wheel. They happen to also be the perfect size for minifigures to interact with:

‘Lego Cheese Farm’  by AIatariel, http://www.flickr.com/photos/alatariel1181/10582728886/

Although "cheese slope" seems to be the more common term now, they are also sometimes called "cheese wedge slopes," which refers more clearly to the origin of the name.

According to BrickLink, the cheese slope, part number 54200, first appeared in a handful of sets in 2004.
In the mid-1990s, the AFOL community hung out on the Usenet newsgroup rec.toys.lego and its predecessor, alt.toys.lego. A Google Groups search of the archives of these newsgroups finds no references to the cheese slope.
At some point in the late 1990s, the AFOLs gradually migrated to LUGNET, which had a member area, a forum, a set reference, a part reference, and other features. A search of the LUGNET forum finds a message from 13 June 2006 referring to "cheese wedge slopes." The message author seems to assume that readers are familiar with the term, so the cheese term was probably in common use before this message. Other LUGNET messages from ~2008 also refer to "cheese wedge slopes" rather than the current term "cheese slope."
In the early 2000s, the AFOLs started buying and selling, and later conversing, on Dan Jezek's BrickLink, which he called BrickBay for the first two years of its existence. The early BrickLink used to delete forum messages after 6 months, so the messages from the 2004-2006 period no longer exist.
Based on the part information on BrickLink and the message on LUGNET, it seems that the term "cheese slope" AKA "cheese wedge slope" came into being sometime between the introduction of the part in 2004 and mid-2006.

As was mentioned in another answer, the cheese slope looks like a slice of cheese at around  minifigure scale. This part has also actually been used as cheese in official sets, including Medieval Market Village:


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What other uses are there for pull-back motors?
Sets 42010 and 42011 feature a pull-back motor. They have a very high torque for a very small numbers of turns, they then free-wheel.
I'm trying to find alternate usage for them. That is anything but connecting them directly to the wheels without gears, as putting any gear demultiplication is great while the motor is turning, but it quickly prevents the vehicle moving when free wheeling.
What I've managed to do so far:

Using it to launch a spinning top
Launch a rotor blade

Anything else ?

Yoshihito Isogawa made clock mechanisms from it (well... tic-tac generators) http://www.isogawastudio.co.jp/legostudio/modelgallery_model/b077.html
and http://www.isogawastudio.co.jp/legostudio/modelgallery_model/b078.html.
Majorna created a "programmable" pull back racer http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=69748&#entry1744425
...and another clock by neomomonga: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3-CDFw4O38

The clock ! that's obvious now that you mention it !

Just today I tried to use it quite successfully as an alternative to suspension springs. Right now I don't have it assembled so I can't post a screenshot, but the idea is to wind up the pullback motor then attach it to your construction with a cross axis from one side and beams from another and limit its moving with some details. If you are interested in how I have done it, I will assemble it to demo and post images.

An interesting application to be sure :)

that doesn't work with all pullback motors. Some need less turns to wind up than they provide when turning back.

Build a catapult with it. The catapult arm would be attached to the motor. Pulling the arm down will wind the motor

Once I built a hand-powered semi-automated screwdriver toy for kids. They needed to "charge it" first by rotating a gear and then push a button to release power. Then they could apply it to a crane or other models.

I built a ball launcher out of one. Kind of like a baseball launcher.

Hi Alex and welcome to Bricks.SE! Your ball launcher sounds interesting, could you please post a picture of it?


text:
Pre-Technic gears?
I have this set of LEGO gears. I remember seeing them first at my grandparents in the mid 80's. They predate my first Technic sets (~84 or 85).

I have fond memories of my dad building a 3-speed gearbox with those.
The gears have a kind of spring (although some springs are missing) that snaps in the small dent at the end of the white axles. Also the gears have an odd number of teeth (9, 15 and 21) so you only have 1 chance out of 4 to align them correctly. Axles are compatible with (black) Technic axles, and the gears can be attached to Technic, even if the teeth sizes are not compatible.
I found some references to similar (in shape and color) Samsonite branded gears, but they're not alike. Also, it looks like Samsonite gears were sold in the US only, so it's very unlikely for such a set to be found at my grandparents in Europe.
My question is: from which set(s) are those cogs from? When were they produced? Are they pre-Technic or were they produced in parallel?

I bought these in Norway in 1970. Great profile. They can be used at any angle from zero to 90 degrees shaft direction. I am actually on my way to the attic to find them. I need a similar profile for an encoder drive on a big machine. (Will 3D-scan and magnify to my needs.)

The two larger gears were produced from 1970 to 1974, while the smaller gear remained in production for three additional years. There are six sets released during that time that contained all three parts:
800 Gear Set with Motor (1970)
802 Gear Supplementary Set (1970)
803 Gear/Wheel Set (1972)
810 Gear Truck Set (1974)
811 Gear Crane Set (1974)
812 Gear Supplementary Set (1974)
(Source)
The Lego Technic branding was introduced in 1977 (source), so while the sets listed above do not carry the Technic name, they may have sold well and inspired the Technic line.