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Determine assembly steps from LXF file
I’d like to build a MOC of a Technic vehicle that was posted online using the provided LXF file of the completed model.
I was able to open the LXF file with both Bricksmith and Stud.io, but, as far as I can tell, it is not broken down into a sequence of assembly steps. In other words, both programs shows just the completed model.
I’d like to know either: (A) how to view the intended/embedded step-by-step instructions, assuming they exist, and/or (B) if there is a common/best practice for manually determining an assembly order when all you have is a completed model in an LXF file.
FYI, the model I want to build is the awesome looking Chili Crawler by PunkTacoNYC. It can be seen on YouTube, and the LXF file is available here.

See also the options here: Do any programs exist that allow you to build your own LEGO manuals?

The LXF file contains the complete model as created with Lego Digital Designer (the Lego CAD tool from The Lego Company). The model usually doesn't require to have building steps as they are (always) automatically generated from the model.
For normal, non-Technic models, Lego Digital Designer (LDD) is able to create automated building instrutions. My experience with LDD and Technic models / MOCs is that you have good support for designing the completed model, but that for the generation of building instructions you're better off with other tools.
You can translate an existing LXF file into an LDraw model (file extension: .ldr), but for some exotic (read: Technic) parts, the translation of LDD parts and LDraw parts is either incomplete or has problems with part orientation. This means that you may have to do manual edits to your model in order to have an (almost) complete translation into LDraw file format. See e.g. this site for details.
One advantage of the LDraw format, is that you can define "building steps" and sub assemblies in the design, which makes the generation of complex building instructions easier.
A tool for creating building instructions from a LDraw model, is LPub3D. Otherwise I'd suggest using a Lego CAD tool such as LDCad.

I did end up converting the LXF file to a Stud.io file, which, like LDraw, allows the creation of steps. I could see instructions in Lego Digital Designer, but the steps were not in the proper order. That makes efficient Technic building painful, if not impossible. As far as a ‘best practice’, which was part of my question, I suspect one is methodically disassembling the CAD model, which appears to create building steps in reverse. I wonder if this method has worked for anyone else — or if it hasn’t.

Starting from LDD files and LXF, a good software is Blueprint from msx80
https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/108346-software-blueprint-a-building-instruction-generator-for-ldd/
With this, you can organise how you want the pieces to get assembled (by default the auto-generated steps are not always optimal), then export a PDF, I think it's pretty great.

You can use LDD (Lego Digital Designer) the official LXF viewer by Lego. This allows you to create building instructions to view or export to html.
You can also use this software to build models, and i find it much better than other softwares since it is simple, with easy UI.


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Is there a tool that can consistently remove hundreds of 2x2 Tiles?
I have hundreds of 2x2 Tiles that I use to create LEGO City scale footpaths and floors. They are arranged in a grid on baseplates in a similar way as shown below:

Recently I had decided to rebuild the entire city and I've struggled to find a way to easily remove all the tiles. For some of the larger baseplates, I can make it easier to remove tiles by slightly bending the plate so that they pop out.
I have been using the chiseled end of the orange brick separators to remove the pieces. They work perfectly when new, unfortunately the chiselled edge is quite soft and it bends quite easily, becoming almost useless over time.

The other end of the brick separator is even harder to use and I have tried the old grey brick separator also.
Do you have any recommendations for tools (LEGO, 3rd part or non-brick based) for removing these pieces?
I would prefer not to use anything metal or that may damage the bricks.
The tool should also be comfortable to use for removing many pieces.

I suspect that anything that doesn't damage the bricks would need to take damage itself.

If that is the case, I wouldn't have a problem with a disposable tool that could do the job.

I would consider brick separators disposable.

At the rate I've gone through them already, I would prefer not to use them.

Given that such tiles come with grooves since decades, what is wrong with fingernails?

I have fairly short fingernails, I do use my nails if all else fails but I always come across tiles which border tiles on two sides such as this tile with the blue cross.

Try using the orange brick separator upside down. This is a trick I learned from someone who professionally works with LEGO. The lower angle makes it easier to go under the lip of the tiles and it is much less damaging on the brick separator, as you are more pushing and sliding rather than digging and prying.
To be clear, instead of holding the brick separator with the LEGO logo and the Technic pin on top, turn the brick separator upside down. You will notice that this transforms the angle of the tip into a little ramp that you can slide under the lip of the tiles.
For flat tiled surfaces, like the one on your picture, the upside down brick separator works very well, with very little (if any) damage to the brick separator. However, notice that this method also requires more space, as the brick separator needs to lie more flatly against the surface. For tighter spaces, like when you have a wall around the tiled surface, you would still use the brick separator right side up, as the different angle of the tip requires less space for removing tiles. Once you freed up enough space to lie the brick separator more flat, you may turn it upside down to work on the rest of the tiles.
The brick separator really is a well thought out tool that works for almost all scenarios when you need to separate LEGO elements. If you find it not performing so well one way, try from another angle, or upside down, or two brick separators together, and you will likely find it working much more efficiently.
EXTRA TIP: For very tight spaces, the LEGO minifigure accessory crow bar works very well for removing tiles. The tips on the two ends are different, and can be used at different angles. The only issue is that the tool is quite small, and for people with large hands it can be a bit difficult to maneuver.

That's the way I've been doing it so far, I agree it works much better than the other way. If there are two adjacent tiles I will always try to place the tool under both of them to be more efficient and avoid wearing the tool. I have also used the minifigure crowbar and I've tried it again to see how it works but it's a bit slower than the separator.

I sometimes use the other side of the separator (top side) to pry out the tiles once they have been loosened.

I haven't tried these myself, but in the computer repair world there exist tools with similar purposes.
Spudger:
Flat edge (the right-size comes to a flat point):

Knife-shaped edge:

Opening Pick/Guitar Pick:

NOTE: A number of companies manufacture these, but you would need to make sure you get ones that are sharp-enough to catch the lip on the tile.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Are there any bricks to make big size robots?
I found a robot called meccanoid 2XL but it's humanoid robot and I think it's hard to control it. I am looking for a robot like the pic, that stands on wheels instead of legs, and has about 150CM height.

Are there any bricks for such robot? Or maybe bricks in smaller size that I can build it exactly in larger size(I mean model it in solidworks and then 3d print it in larger size)?

You can build up Lego bricks to create large structures (much larger than that, certainly), but they are fairly heavy, so you might have issues motorising it sufficiently to move. An alternative would be to build a low level motorised frame, with a lightweight decorative cowl made from some other material connecting to other functional parts. If you're doing that, though, the use of Lego might not be the best choice for the base

The question about how to build and control a large humanoid robot is too broad. What have you tried so far, what specific problems do you have? Are you sure you are asking about LEGO?

@Aziraphale: I didn't know here we must ask question specifically about LEGO! I thought all the bricks or such things could be considered here!
BTW, if I want to ask better question, I need to build a cheap prototype, and this is my first experience. I don't know how to build it's skeleton and how to cover it by what material?

What have you tried so far? What works and what doesn't? What exactly do you want to model in solidworks?

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


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How do people build large collections of bricks?
How have people built up such large collections of bricks?
I would like to get into building Lego Great Ball Contraption modules, but this needs a lot of parts to play with. I've got some Lego from (30ish) years ago, but not much seems to have survived, and I've bought a couple of bug Technics sets - but I need a lot more Technics, plus more standard bricks, plates, smooth plates etc.
Buying sets is one way, but expensive and I don't like to just make them and then instantly dismantle again.
Buying on a site like Bricklink is great for specific pieces, or when I have something to get it all in the same colour etc.
I've seen random "1Kg lego parts" on ebay which I can try to use that to build up a load - has anyone tried this?
Or is there another way I'm missing?

I keep my eye on Craigslist and Facebook Martketplace. There’s always someone selling a collection or a bucket of pieces. There’s also a subreddit /r/legomarketplace that sometimes has good deals. I’ve had success with all of these this year and have put together a great supply of parts and sets.

I haven't tried to buy a load but Facebook marketplace seems to have more choice these days for local heavy items for collection. Might be worth a look.

Find a teenager you already know who will spread the word that you will trade old, boring Lego collections for new, shiny video game cash.
Their parents will HATE you.

Generally speaking, for bulk bricks the best place is eBay.
For greater selection (probably what you need for largish pieces),

Facebook marketplace

Craigslist

Brick-and-mortar stores like https://bricksandminifigs.com/

For individual pieces, Pick-A-Brick or Bricklink.
Also for several months now, Costco has been selling a 1500-piece Creator box for ~$40 which is as good as I've ever seen for new bricks.

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


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Why won't the loop block in my EV3 program stop?
I am building a robotic hand, and I programmed the finger to close when the touch sensor is pressed, and release when the touch sensor is released. It did that with a loop block -
but when I ran this the finger kept holding down. I could tell because when I tried to gently tug on the motor, it wouldn't budge.
Can anybody tell me what's going on?

Your code instructs the motor to continuously turn in one direction, and because you chose a motor block in the “on” mode, it will continue to turn even during the loop condition check. The loop condition says the loop will continue as long as the button is released (AFAIK, I don’t have an EV3 close by currently to validate this), which means that it does exactly the opposite of what you intended. Change the loop condition to loop as long as the touch sensor is pressed and you will fix this issue. Plus, once the loop finishes, the motor will still continue to turn; you would need to put a Motor block in the “off” mode directly after the loop.

That's what I thought, but I was wrong. The loop goes until the parameter is true. The loop will go until the touch sensor is released.

Even if that’s true, the lack of a “motor off” block immediately after the loop is why the hand keeps gripping.

Also, the "on" block only turns the motor on for the duration of the next blocks run time. If you had the blocks "motor on", "wait 1 sec", and "play sound" in that order, the motor would stop before the sound played.

http://www.legoengineering.com/rookie-ev3-tip-motor-on-mode/

Nevermind, I was wrong

You need to stop the motor after the loop

What your current code does is to keep closing the finger until you press the sensor. This code may help.
You might need to change the 180 degrees boxes according to how many degrees the motor has to turn to close the finger.


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Need help identifying sets!
So...my son is 9 years old. Up until this year, he has been receiving Lego sets since he was about 6 but would rip them open, build the guys and then not finish the set. Now he is really unto them finally and I'm trying to piece back together his older sets so he can finish them. Alot of them are still in bags but some aren't. I'm going to post pics of the intact bags I have and would love help identifying them so I can try to find the instructions instead of throwing away tons of $$$. All of them are newer than 5 years...I have a couple that are mega blox and will post those too

Minifigures would make it much easier to identify sets, if that is possible.

Most of these are from Minecraft sets. The fact that the numbering goes as high as bag 6 indicates some of these are large sets. The 6th picture seems to show set 21116 The Mine.

The rest are probably from 1 or more large Minecraft sets. Only hard the point out which one. Most are pointing out to https://brickset.com/sets/21116-1/Crafting-Box

Last photo unnumbered bag: 76037-1: Rhino and Sandman Super Villain Team-up

Image 3 is also pointing to Minecraft. I focused on a "specific" piece which is part 6089103 and result being an arc.
It's contained in 12 sets.
Then combining with the basic 2*4 orange brick, we got 7 sets.
I found these instructions for bag 5 (page 2), and seems to be the one (has the skeleton arms, the single round grey parts, orange/blue brick in it...)
So I'd tend to say that's 21118-1: The Mine
Check the instructions maybe others bags can match that box.
@Phil B. tends also to say that the 6th image is from that set.


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Principles of D.I.Y. Minecraft microworlds
Lego released 4 Minecraft microworlds which more or less fit together with each other in some meaningful way.
Just to impress my boys I've been making my own worlds on 6x6 plates or wing pieces.  I've only got two sets (The Forest and the Nether) so I can't see too much of a theme between them.
If I wanted to make a really big Minecraft mini-world, what principles would I employ to construct each of the cells?

Probably could use a minecraft tag (I need +2 rep)

Have looked at all the other Minecraft instructions? That would give you ideas about how the world should look like.

Not sure that we have enough Minecraft specific questions to warrant one at the moment.

There are two key ways these can "fit together":

Most obviously by size and connectors - all the worlds are built on 4 6x6 plates, and have a 1x2 with cross-hole brick at the bottom in the centre of at least two sides.
By theme (or in Minecraft terminology "biome") and features (forest, mountains, etc).

In terms of the four sets released, only two meet both of those:

The Village
The Forest (Ideas)

These both use the same shades of grey for the underground sections, and similar colours for the overground sections (greens, browns, etc.).
The other two sets represent completely different areas ("dimensions") within Minecraft accessed via special portals - there's no way to walk from a Forest biome to The End or Nether, so from a connecting point of view, neither of these really "connect" to the others.
So to create your own cells you'd want to follow the following guidelines:

Choose a Dimension (Overworld, Nether, End)
Work with 6x6 plates (or variants/multiples of)
Use a scale of 1x1x2/3 for most blocks (i.e. 2 stacked 1x1 plates) which can be capped with a 1x1 tile, for deep sections bricks can be used
Underground is typically 4 bricks tall, overground can be taller
Transition between biomes nicely (Forest - Beach, Forest - Jungle, etc.)


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The route of a major power line with branching smaller lines
In this discussion I was shown a diagram of how to bend a single power line around a street corner.

However, what if I have a straight major line with several minor lines branching off at right angles? How do I build/orient the utility poles in these cases? Thanks.

Look at real poles and see how they do it.

The first photo in the Wikipedia entry for "utility pole" shows additional horizontal bars for the respective branches. Single lines are attached directly to the main pole. I think on this scale you don't have to worry about how realistic the setup is (i.e. how the branching lines are connected to the main lines, how the transformers are connected, etc.).


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Find out the set(s) a list of parts belongs to?
I have gotten some help here before regarding set identifications.  I now need to find the set some parts belong to.  I know how to find this per piece, but i need to search with a list instead.  Reason is that a part may belong to 100 sets, and another part may belong to 200 sets, together though may appear in a few sets.  This process would get much easier to a solution.
Thanks

I would use the rebrickable website for this:

create a custom list (type to build)
browse for the parts and add them to your custom list
go to the custom list
select Built this List
go to the Suggested sets tab.

However, this amount of effort is normally not necessary to identify a set, there is nearly always a less common element in your list and bricklink can be used to list the sets having this element, narrow down manually with the second less common element, etc...

Per your suggestion, I did this.  After I click build this set, the suggested sets is 0.  Am I missing something?

Please also note that I need ALL the pieces in the list to be part of the suggested set. Thanks

When selection "Build this List", there's a "Change build options" button, please make sure that you are not using lists of sets or parts you have entered previously, perhaps also experiment with the Build matching options or include/exclude options...

Also, if you would share your list, I'll happily try it for you...

No problem sharing the list.  But his function works partially correct.  I will explain.  This list (https://rebrickable.com/users/pavgoust/lists/22654/) contains 3 very distinct parts from set 8059.  When you ask to build the list it suggests 3 sets with 2 of the 3 parts but not the 8059 set.  Concluding, it is my opinion that this function is not perfect.
The list I am talking about is https://rebrickable.com/users/pavgoust/lists/22592/).
Let me know what do you think.  Thanks for your help and time devoted.

Agree that the first list should also show 8059, Perhaps the site prefers to show the other sets because they are cheaper/easier to find. As for your seccond list, I get the 60162 set suggested to complete about 80% and then the 60174 to complete to 100%. I think it might work a bit better if the lists contained a bit more elements.


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Trying to find piece ID on instructions w/ no ID

I've gotten online instructions and the above piece is required, but annoyingly the piece ID is not in the instructions and I can't find it on any lego websites. I just want to know what the piece ID is.

This is the ID 4211760 which in the LEGO movie sets holds the piece of resistance in place on Emmet's back. See for example instructions of set 70801 (Melting Room).
Bricklink lists it as "Minifig, Neck Bracket with Back Stud" (42446).

Also you can use app for Android (or iPhone) for finding necessary piece.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.betab.partsguideforlegotechnic

Hmm... This app reacts a bit oddly, and I couldn't find a search function. There is a lot to improve before I switch from browser based Bricklink to this app.


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Is there a way to move items from quote back to basket?
I requested a quote on a set of parts. Got it, it was too expensive in terms of shipping, but it turns out I had only 18g of parts, when shipping would cover up to 100g. Is there a way to move parts back to my cart, so I could add additional 82g of bricks without clicking it all again? I understand some parts might not longer be available or change price. I don't really care, I just want to avoid looking them up again.

Perhaps you could accept the quote but ask the seller to leave the order open so you can add items to it. Will appear to you as a separate order, but the orders will get merged. The average bricklink seller will be more than happy to comply...

@MichaelVerschaeve perhaps i could, but quotes are automatically closed after 48 hours so it is too late now. Good to know for the future, thanks, but useless for now.

No. You cannot put items from quote back to cart, but there is a better option.
As per help topic on Bricklink:

You can add quote items to a wanted list at any time by clicking the Add Quote Items to Wanted List button on the quote summary page

Here how it looks in your quote (just at the bottom of your item list):

Once you click on that button you have an option to add items from your quote to an existing Wanted List or create a new one. This then allows you to have a list of items from quote that you can use to buy in other stores too, not just the one you've requested a quote from.
More details on how to use wanted lists when buying parts can be found in another help article on Bricklink.


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New Lego Star Wars Character Encyclopedia
I am wondering when the newest version of the Lego Stars Wars Character Encyclopedia will be released?   The latest version is from 2015, I believe, and does not incorporate the new movies.
I would greatly appreciate any information you have on release date.
Thanks!

Hi Chris, welcome to Bricks! We're not actually part of The LEGO Group and don't have advance details of when new products are released - indeed as a Recognised LEGO Online Community we are not allowed to re-publish leaked details


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Sensor usage during manual control
I created a design challenge where students will use their touch sensor and ev3 brick to play a game of freeze tag.  Is it possible to have a program where they can manually control their robot via smart phone app, and when another robot presses another robots' touch sensor, they become disabled and play a noise warning they are turning off and done playing, being "Frozen".

The EV3-G programming language has mailbox blocks where it can receive bluetooth messages. You could write a program that until the touch sensor is pressed keeps processing the messages to control the robot.
The hard part here will be writing an app for the smartphone that sends the messages, however the BT protocol EV3 uses is documented and apps are already available implementing the messaging system, e.g. in C# here: https://github.com/jovabel/EV3Messenger
There's also the lego commander app, but I think the instructions sent by it bypass any program running on the EV3 brick, or rather they run in parallel so I'm inclined to think that the only solution is to write your own smartphone app...


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Help regarding importing into LDraw
I just have a quick question regarding importing an .obj file into LDraw. I originally put a an .obj file through Brickr and exported as an .obj. Now, I want to import into LDraw in order to visualize it better. I am just wondering if this is possible and if not if there are any solutions?
Thanks for the help!

I know this is quite old question, but... LDraw is not an application, but rather a digital standard for LEGO parts used by created by community. It might help to get you an answer if you specify application you are using to import your *.obj file.


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Is there a drop-in replacement for 4275 + 4276 hinge?
Both parts are not in production since 2008.
Hinges in my sets are in various conditions, some of them are way too loose to my liking. No ones fault, I was active kid who built a lot. But now it's like 10 years too late to replace them with new ones. Or is it? I'd prefer original Lego brand replacement that can be used without changing anything else in building instructions, but other ways to replace them are welcome, too. Restoring the ones I have is another question (that probably was already asked).

If their replacements are not to your liking, you can buy these pieces after market on BrickLink. They are not terribly popular, and were produced for a while, so prices are fairly reasonable.

@AlexanderO'Mara I'm thinking of building my own Blacktron cockpits, so I'm open for replacements, but if I can't find them, I'll buy the ones from BrickLink. I hope i still have all my old ones for old sets, but I'm not sure anymore.

Not exactly drop in replacements, this particular modified plate has no protrusions around the hinge, it's entirely flat.
I see two possible replacements:
44301 and 44302. However they "click" in angles of 22.5 degrees and have protrusions...
60478 in combination with 63868 (clip and bar connection) is freely rotating but ofcourse again protrusions...

"It's good when it's good enough" I guess. 44301 and 44302 would work most of the time.


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Using the unregulated motor block and conversion cable to light LEDs
I have the following setup:

It consists out of

An EV3 brick
A nxt to 9v conversion cable (https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=x1676)
A 20 cm 9v to Power Functions conversion cable
Power functions LED's

This is my program:

It works fine if I provide a negative power to the unregulated motor (i.e. the LEDs light up for 5 seconds), however with a positive power, it flashes just shortly.
This does not seem to depend on the orientation of the connectors between the conversion cables.
Also the motor test pane on the EV3 brick behaves similarly, the LEDs flash when pressing the button to move 'forward' and lights up continuously when pressing the 'reverse' button.
So I have an acceptable workaround, but I would like to know why this is.

The light turning off happens because of the Device Connection Manager in the EV3 firmware. The algorithm used to detect when a motor is connected relies on there being a load on pins 5 and 6 of the output ports to determine if the motor is a Large or Medium motor. The 8528 adapter cable only has wires on pins 1 and 2.
When you use a VM command (via a programming block or by using the on-brick app) to tell a motor to run, it forces the motor to run, but then the device connection manager immediately resets everything because it doesn't think that a motor is connected.
Also see How to use Power Functions with Mindstorms EV3?
The fact that setting a power of -100 keeps the power on continuously, though, is new to me. I'm at a bit of a loss to explain that observation.
UPDATE:
I've done some digging and now I better understand what is going on.
Output port pin 2 is connected to pin 6 via a 100k resistor as seen in the schematic diagrams below.

When the EV3 is instructed to run a motor in the forward direction pin 1 will have battery voltage and pin 2 will be at 0V. When running in reverse, however, pin 1 will be at 0V and pin 2 will be at battery voltage.
When using the converter cable, nothing is connected to pin 6 externally, so it will also be at battery voltage (pulled down slightly by R216 to +5V). This triggers an event in the device connection manager. Most of the time (but not 100% of the time) the EV3 will think that it has a motor attached because of this and so the LED will stay on.


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Steer with the LEGO Mindstorms EV3
In my workshops I get asked regularly, what the turn option of the default steering block means (see the image).

Obviously, if the turn option is set to 0, the robot is moving forward. A positive value is turning right, a negative is turning left. So far, so good.
I looked in the source code and found a programming scheme I tried to visualize. A large comment within the code describes the process as follows:

Speed [-100 .. +100] is move forward or move backwards  Turn ratio
  [-200 .. +200] is how tight you turn and to  what direction you turn

0 value is moving straight forward
Negative values turns to the left
Positive values turns to the right
Value -100 stops the left motor
Value +100 stops the right motor
Values less than -100 makes the left motor run the opposite
  direction of the right motor (Spin)
Values greater than +100 makes the right motor run the opposite
  direction of the left motor (Spin)

So the turn ration is multiplied by 2, because as a user we can just put -100 <-> 100 in there. I then used this code to calculate some values:
for (var i = -100; i == 100; i++) {
  turn = i * 2;
  if (turn >= 0) {
    motorB = speed;
    motorD = speed - turn;
  } else {
    motorB = turn + speed;
    motorD = speed;
  }
}

If I visualize those values, I get the following image for speed 100:

That's fine. You can see the real turn value (the ones we as a user can set) and the calculated speeds for two (virtual) motors B and D. I tried this with the educator model and it works perfectly well.
But when I use the same code for another speed value (33), I get motor outputs that are too high in my opinion:

The Motors will have values over +100/-100. Is there a threshold in the code and the motor outputs will be cropped?
Did someone else dig into this? Did I made a mistake?
P.S.: I love such things. If someone is interested in doing more if this, just ping me. :)

In addition to scaling the speed, the number of rotations of the motor is also scaled. For example, if the steering value is set to 50, one motor will turn the full number of rotations and the other motor will turn 0 rotations. If steering is set to 0, both motors turn the full number of rotations. If steering is set to 25, one motor will turn the full number of rotations and the other motor will turn half as many rotations. If steering is set to 100, one motor will turn the full number of rotations and the other motor will turn the same number of rotations in the opposite direction.

I can't say that I understand your problem, but maybe this link will help EV3 Move Steering Block Explained
If you are asking about how the steering parameters relate to how much the machine will turn, then that is going to depend very much on the geometry of the machine: wheel diameter and wheel separation.

I believe that it is the intention that the ratio between the speeds of the two motors is entirely determined by the turn parameter, not the speed parameter.
I think the following code better represents how the turn block behaves:
for (var i = -100; i == 100; i++) {
  turnfactor = 2*i/100;
  if (turnfactor >= 0) {
    motorB = speed;
    motorD = speed * (1-turnfactor);
  } else {
    motorB = speed*(1+turnfactor);
    motorD = speed;
  }
}

This is correct. Also seen in practice (with the number rearranged a bit) here and here.


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Are there any LEGO "MacGyvering kits" for the on-the-go LEGO fan?
I keep a small box of electronic parts in the car, for times when I get an idea I want to try out, or have a quick gizmo that I need to solve a problem.  I also have a box of mechanical parts, like strings and pulleys and weights, that I'll use sometimes.  When I hang out with my engineering friends, we'll often come up with ideas that we can quickly build and test.  It seems that I should put together a similar set of LEGO parts.
I'm looking at a target volume about 3200 cm³ (200 cubic inches, 3.4 quarts), including space for organization.  No individual element should be larger than 140mm×230mm (17×23 studs).  The most important goal is versatility.  I'm mostly orienting this towards engineering tasks, but may also throw in a few minifigs for decorative builds.
The best idea I currently have is to use the Creative Suitcase, and augment it with parts from one of the smaller Technic kits that's almost entirely general-purpose Technic parts, like the Compact Tracked Loader.
It seems likely that people have built similar "on-the-go" kits, or have their "hotlist" of LEGO parts that are always at hand when prototyping.  Any thoughts on the matter?

It seems like you have the parts in mind, but really just need a case.
I have used fishing tackle boxes and artist supply boxes, but the compartments were too narrow.
Pros: Versatile, cheap, stackable, configurable.
You can use the removable compartments as parts trays during builds. You can find them in various colors at the major discount retailers in the U.S.
Cons: No handle. Not durable. If you drop or step on them, the hinges will crack.
Dimensions

13 3/8" L x 10 3/4" W x 2 1/2" H
34 cm x 27.3cm x 7.9cm

Listing at the Sterlite website


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Where to find pictures of undersides of bricks? (possibly Lego clones about 25-30 yrs ago)
I am trying to identify which non-Lego bricks I might have played in the past. Don't recall the names but I can probably recognize them from photos if I see them again
For example, I remember some 2x4 bricks having two horizontal lines across the center (on the underside).

Related: https://bricks.stackexchange.com/q/9880/9417

@Molot that's pretty close. Is there some proper term to describe the design of the underside that allows blocks to fit together?

Nothing I know. I just remembered seeing what you described on this site. Luck.

Could it be BRIX BLOX?  Came across these on eBay and thought about you...


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How to flash a LEGO Mindstorms brick and program it in another language
I have a basic LEGO Mindstorms kit which I wanted to use for testing a very simple object-avoidance project.
I am trying to find a relatively simple way to flash the brick and upload scripts to it for executing, preferably something simple like Python or C++. I've been looking around the Internet for a few weeks now and have found almost nothing.
I see some instructions how to flash the brick with some generic firmware, but no more information how to get to the point of programming it the way I need. I see the most popular source for programming the NXT in Python is NXT-Python. However, there is 1) no documentation 2) outstanding bugs on the ultrasonic sensor that has not been addressed since 2015 and 3) only executes the program on the PC and sends command to the brick, rather than uploading the program to the brick.
I see that NXT is usually programmed in the language NXC, which fortunately has an extensive documentation in PDF form. However, this language (based in C) seems like an entire beast of its own, and idk if I would have the time or patience to master an entirely new language just to program for this one small project. Furthermore, the GUI for NXC seems to be only for windows, but I'm using Ubuntu.
NXC seems to be translatable from Python using the PyNXC library. However, it also doesn't seem to have any documentation except a couple of examples, and otherwise just pointing to the NXC tutorials.
Anything I am missing here, or is that the entire length and breadth of programming the NXT? I have a feeling there has got to be something more straight forward, as other people online talk about programming the NXT in python as if it was easy.
Thanks

Have you checked out the answers to this question and this detailed page? I think the fundamental issue is the Python limitation. RobotC has three different flavours ranging from Graphical, through Natural Language down to a more C-like version

The limitation is not really Python, but just some existing, usable language. I did see that chart before, and my issue with it is that the only languages it mentions are Assembly, C, and Java. I could try to install the Java version, I guess, because I don't see myself getting very far programming in either Assembly or C. Even so, Java is not exactly the kind of language meant to be used for a Robot, so idk why I should be forced to use that. As for the rest, I don't want to have to work with a completely new language from scratch, even if it is "C-like".

I can program a Raspberry Pi in any language I want. How much more complicated can a piece of LEGO be?

I think it's more that the NXT is much simpler than the Raspberry PI, and so can't cope with the runtimes required to support higher level languages - Assembly and C are both "low level" languages, keeping you very close to the hardware, while Java is at least compiled to byte-code that then runs in a virtual machine - Python by contrast is an interpreted language, so it needs a runtime interpreter, which in turn requires something to host it.

The NXT has a 32bit, 60MHz ARM processor, 256KB of FLASH memory and 64KB of RAM. The PI Zero has a 1GHz processor, 512MB RAM, while the PI 3 B+ has a 64bit, 1.4GHz processor, 1GB RAM, etc.

LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 runs Linux and can be programmed in Python using ev3dev. Perhaps you have been hearing about EV3 instead of NXT?

The kit I have is NXT. I have to use that hardware

The main source of confusion for me is that, while Java is designed for programs between computers such as website design, Python is specifically designed to program AI algorithms. It being an issue of interpreters I understand, but then why can't we have programming in C++?

I've had great success with Bricx Command Center or BricxCC (as mentioned in this post) on my NXT using NXC (which is easy to pick-up when you already have a C/C++ foundation like you've mentioned).
Installation, using the supplied drivers and connecting via USB is a breeze :)
Hope this helps!

In my experience, most 3rd-party firmware can be flashed to the NXT brick using the standard NXT-G software "Firmware Update Tool." As others have mentioned, BricxCC with NXC is also a great option.
And if you're having trouble with the Python implementation, it's definitely worth checking out LeJOS (Java for Mindstorms). While Java may not be the usual choice for robotics, LeJOS runs fast and is easily the most feature-rich of any language available for the NXT.


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Is the app to print LEGO storage labels from www.bricklabels.com still available somewhere?
It seemed like the perfect solution, so that I am not printing labels that I don't need.  However, the domain is for sale, and I am not well-versed in github so I don't know how to get the application from there.

I'm not aware of this being live anywhere. It looks like a web app, so it may be a little tricky to get running if you aren't familiar with those. For others, I think this is the Github repo: https://github.com/Gottwik/legolabels

Do you mean http://www.legolabels.com?  That site still seems accessible.

Maybe they renamed themselves.  Those look very similar to what I remember on the other site.

In which case LEGO Groups legal department won’t be impressed.

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


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Is there a cross-reference guide?
Is there a database that will tell you what possible sets you are able to build based on the sets you already own, sort of a cross reference guide?

Welcome to Bricks.SE! I've closed this question as it appears to be a duplicate of one of our previous questions. Hopefully the answers there meet your needs. If there is anything else that we can help with, feel free to ask other questions!


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Need help identifying set from 2011
Bag came with no instructions. Just these 103 pcs

Going from the Tan Panel 2 x 2 x 1 Corner (# 91501), I've dug into bricklink: https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=91501&in=S
This particular piece has only been in 9 sets, and the one I can see that matches the rest of the pieces is 10692-1: Creative Bricks


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Which Lego set has had the most Easter Eggs?
With the release of the new Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle (set: 71043)

has 6,020 pieces. I believe this a subtle reference (Easter egg) to the Lego set 6020, one of the first sets to ever have a wizard.

Q: With subtle references like this as one example, which set has had the most Easter Eggs so far, and what were they?

I am not aware of a list with the most easter eggs, but here is a Top 25 by Just2good, and an article on theBrickBlogger.

I'll say set 40523-1 Easter Rabbits, which clearly (and unarguably) has five easter eggs:


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Connecting 2 NXT bricks in order to control motors and sensors from one brick
Is it possible to connect two bricks using a cable (connecting port 4 to port 4) , and then have both programs run by only pressing one button? I want the sensors attached to one brick affect the motors that are attached to the other brick, if possible. I am only using NXT 2.1 programming if that helps.
Thanks !

Certainly possible with EV3, but have my doubts about NXT

What you're describing is not (directly) possible, but you DO have some alternative options:
The standard solution is to use Bluetooth. Two NXTs can communicate with Bluetooth using the Lego software.

Pair the NXTs using the on-brick menus.
Write programs for both NXT 1 and NXT 2:

At the start of the program, NXT 1 initiates a Bluetooth connection to NXT 2.
NXT 1 sends a message when it wants NXT 2 to do something; NXT 2 responds when it's finished.

Start both programs manually (in this setup, NXT 2 has to start first so it'll be ready when NXT1 connects).

If something less complex is acceptable, you can communicate using light sensors. Attach 2 light sensors facing directly into each other. One NXT can talk to the other by flashing the light on the sensor.
If you're open to alternative languages, LeJOS (Java for Mindstorms) gets you a lot closer to your goal. Through Bluetooth, NXT 1 can remotely start a program on NXT 2, or even access the motors and sensors. You can even communicate over high-speed RS485 by directly wiring two port 4's together, just like you said.
There used to be a 3rd-party NXT-G block for sending data over RS485. With it you could write programs for NXT 1 and NXT 2 like I described above, but with a direct wire between port 4's instead of Bluetooth. It would probably have lower latency than Bluetooth, but it's still not as direct as you would like.


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Ideas for a price tag on parts from old city set?
I took advice from my previous question and did a bit more research, but I have somethin specific.
I realised I have had a City set with a few more "unique" parts. The set is 7900 Heavy loader. I can't seem to find any information on pieces, but I know it contains a unique Trapezoid, modified tubes, smooth large grey plates and I think I can get something from it.
My question to you is more of a plea for advice. If you're not familiar set, you surely at least have a better eye for old set value than I do. Any suggestion for next move is welcome!

Bricklink price-guides:
The trapezoid:
https://www.bricklink.com/catalogPG.asp?P=55767&ColorID=86
The smooth plates:
https://www.bricklink.com/catalogPG.asp?P=48288&ColorID=85
Don't know what you mean with modified tube, but this part might be considered a tube and unique:
https://www.bricklink.com/catalogPG.asp?P=40244&ColorID=85
Not exactly the most expensive pieces, so I think you'll make more if you sell the set as a whole rather than parting it out...
The Trapezoid price surprises me a bit as I think it is indeed somewhat unique, it appears in 3 sets but the other two sets it appears in, it appears in orange.
I would have thought it's a wanted piece as it can be used to make bridges in train layouts...
The large tiles, I wouldn't pay even the rather low bricklink price for them as I have gotten hold of quite a quantity of them when last visiting Legoland Germany, where they were available in bulk at the "Fabrik" shop.

I am sorry, but can I ask you how did you find these? I tried entering their ids in the pricecheck a few days ago and it did find them but without any info. Do you think there is something I might've done wrong?

I went to the set inventory for the 7900, selected the pieces from there and then selected the price guide


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Power Function 2.0 Pin out
Does anyone have the pin out spec for Power Functions 2.0?
Have tried Google and Lego Ed for answers
Is there a source for the connector and receptacle?
I could not find any data on the connector

This feels very similar to what you asked about in you last question: https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/10364/lego-power-function-pf-2-0-specification Did you accidentally ask this twice, or am I not understanding the difference between the two questions?

I posted it first to the Power-Funcitons section, but on further review of the entries, i would like to post it on the Powered-up tag, as most responses seem to be there rather than a Power-Functions PF2.0 which does not exist as a tag.

That makes sense. I've retagged your other question as powered-up, and I'll mark this one as a duplicate.


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Importing 3ds file in ldraw (LeoCAD)
I designed a model in LDraw/LeoCAD and exported it as .3ds file. I thought that I can import .3ds file to edit it later. Now I want to edit the model but I don't see any option to import the .3ds file in LeoCAD. I tried my best to open it but useless.
How can I open a .3ds file in LeoCAD?

.3DS is a 3D image file format, a rendering of what you designed in LeoCAD.
All information necessary to recreate your build (i.e. what bricks to use) will be stripped from it. I suppose that theoretically this information can be recreated for small builds, but for medium-sized to large builds, this will simply be infeasible.
Hence I think it quite unlikely that it's possible to import .3ds back into LeoCAD.

Yes. How its possible? I have small model.

I believe it isn't, it's only "theoretically" possible. Unlikely the developers of LeoCad will have gone through the trouble of implementing this.


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Building technique for plate at near 45 degree angle
Trying to construct an octagon shaped hallway and trying to attach plates at a near 45 degree angle, but have no idea how to do this. Are there any techniques for attaching plates at a near 45 degree angle that are gapless. Maybe using the technic bent lift arm pieces?
See photo below. Can't get the red brick to line up satisfactory.

Do you need the studs of the plates on the outside or can they also face the inside of the hallway?

Studs of the plates need to be on the outside

You might find that the answers to How do I build a sloped roof with a 60° rake? help as well - they won't join up completely, but you can probably hide the gaps sufficiently.

ROUND 2.
HERE, experiment with this new greeblin' compatible .LXF file.
EDIT:  Added X-ray animation to better see the internal contruction.

Please excuse the non-symmetrical sloppiness of this draft (I got lazy).
Note: The non-connecting hinges, and 1x1 circular pieces are to help cover the visible plate gaps.
We all know LEGO Digital Draw gets anal with the exact distances between pieces, so even if these hinges don't connect on this digital plane doesn't mean they won't in a real life physical build.
Oh, and the structural integrity is not based on the connectivity of said hinges.
I stole the idea from Set #7661 Jedi Starfighter with Hyperdrive Booster Ring, and added a bit o' me own greeblin';)

Sadly this approach won’t help either. Started off using something similar with sloped bricks, but need to attach greebling to the top of the outside face of the “hallway”

But the outside has studs all around, except for the underside.

Hey  Aziraphale!  'Sup. I was going by Random21's original image.  His bottom 1x4 plate isn't upside down.  It's positioned right-side up to connect the two opposing hinges. I know you'd asked him a question on the direction he wants the studs to face. I took it that he really wanted the 45 degree plates studs accessible, I'm not totally sure he wanted the sides studed up either, even though, I went ahead and did it.  He said he needed to attach greebling to the top of the outside face of the hallway.  I think I went overboard by attaching studs to all side except the bottom.


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Inventory website/app/software?
I have several Lego sets, and I wanted to see if there was any app/software/website that I could enter the set number, and it would automatically inventory the bricks that I have. It would also be great if it had a catalog of builds that it could cross reference across my inventory, and show me things I could build now/could build if I purchased a few more bricks.
Does anything like this currently exist?

Rebrickeable does what you are looking for. You can create an account and upload all of your sets by entering the set numbers. The website will automatically inventory all of your sets, and check what other sets and even custom models created by the community you could build with the parts you have. Here is the link to the website: https://rebrickable.com/
If you don't want to upload your entire collection but just want to quickly check what else you can build from parts of a few sets, you can check the combination of parts from up to three sets and see what you else you can build with it. This feature is under the BUILD tab: https://rebrickable.com/build/


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How do you convert the ev3p program files and assets back into an ev3 project file?
I edited the ev3p file, and I want to see the changes by opening it in the ev3 IDE. How do I convert all of the files back into an ev3 project file?

I've figured it out. To anyone who wants to know, the reason why the ev3 IDE wouldn't work is because I made a zip file with the folder with the all of the items instead of compressing the items themselves.

The .ev3 is simply a zip file. So you can use just zip everything up in a .zip file and then rename the file extension from .zip to .ev3.

I've tried this, but whenever I try to open the .ev3 file again in the IDE it opens a blank page and then closes out of it immediately.

Perhaps the change you made in the .ev3p file is causing the unexpected behavior?

I probably should've described my situation better. I am on a mac btw. These are the exact steps I took: 1. Create a normal ev3 project in the IDE. 2. Duplicate this and unzip the duplicate using The Unarchiver. 3. Compress this duplicate folder using mac's built in compression. 4. Rename the extension to .ev3. I haven't made any changes to the contents of the project.

Should i try doing this on a windows pc instead?


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What tools can I use to get better prices on a large list of parts on Bricklink?
I prepared a long list of parts (Wanted List) that I want to buy using Bricklink. It is clear that I won't be able to get all the parts I need from a single seller and have identified three Bricklink stores that can cover the full list of parts I need.
What tools can I use to distribute the parts I need across the three stores to get the best prices?
Previously there have been tools like Brick Wizard and Brickficiency but those do not seem to work with the updated Bricklink website. Are there currently any alternatives? I'm not shy to do some programming myself, but maybe there's a good starting point somewhere?

Have you tried BrickLink's own Easy Buy feature? You can select the Wanted Lists you want to work with, (or just select all your Wanted Lists), select some additional criteria (like store and shipping preferences) and BrickLink will automatically choose the cheapest combination for you. It's a really cool feature that can save you from a lot of manual searching and comparing.

Also, have you tried copying your wanted list over to BrickOwl.com (a competitor of BrickLink)? They also have an autobuy function where you pick vendors one by one and BO automatically picks the cheapest distribution of parts across the selected vendors. As an added bonus, BrickOwl takes shipping into account (BL typically does not).

@TheBrickBlogger For now I ended up distributing the parts I needed across three Bricklink stores manually. I briefly wanted to report on the Easy Buy feature. My manually sorted order totaled to 170 Euro including shipping, while the Easy Buy carts from two stores were 210 Euro without shipping. With one of the two shops that got selected, the feature also created a cart incompatible with the store's terms, not reaching the required minimum order total. From this anecdotal evidence, I can't really recommend the Easy Buy feature.

@MrCruelslyPants, I have had good success with Easy Buy, using a similar comparison method to yours. However, results sometimes do end up a bit out of whack, especially when the order is complicated with rare items. My preference is to use Easy Buy to get an idea how much my project would cost, and before I make the purchase, I double check with a manual or semi-manual method. For smaller orders of common items I would not hesitate to use Easy Buy by itself. For large, expensive, and/or complicated orders, I would double check manually.

A new developer has updated Brickficiency to the new Bricklink API...
You can download it here: https://github.com/WindmillHelix/Brickficiency2/releases
I've tested it shortly, it seems to work as well as the old Brickficiency.
Haven't tested it well enough to check if it provides significant better options than Bricklinks own Easy Buy feature...
Just like the old Brickficiency, it's infeasible to process significantly long Wanted Lists as it uses a brute force approach (simply trying all store combinations)...


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2 Red LEGO compatible bricks
I'm not sure where I got these 2 pieces from, and I'm wondering what are they, and which brand they belong to.
They are LEGO-compatible, but definitely not genuine LEGO.
There are no identifying marks.
Here are some photos:

Those look like Best-lock bricks.
The red looks to be lighter and more-transparent, like Best-lock bricks do compared to Lego.

The studs have no markings.

The 1/2/5 looks like the ones found in Best-lock sets, like this one.

That's not it..

How do you know they aren't best-lock bricks?


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Can I push the train of 60052
We more like to push trains with hand. There were old ones, like the train of set 2741, where when pushing the engine, the contact became loose between the axis and the cog wheel.
Can I count some similar damage, if we push the engine of 60051 (and 60052)?

I would not recommend pushing the motorized train base for extended periods of times. When you turn the motor, it will generate electricity. Unless that energy has somewhere to go, it will turn into heat. It's probably not an issue to do this a little bit for short periods of time, but I wouldn't do it a lot.
If you wish to make your train a push train, you could replace the base with another non-motorized base.


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Is EV3 Device Manager still active?
Link to https://ev3manager.education.lego.com/ is broken - will this be fixed?

This sounds like a question for LEGO Education customer support.

Where did you find this URL?

Yes
As of April 2019, The EV3 Device Manager is active. However, if you have not downloaded the Device Manager to your computer, it will not function. Also, make sure that your EV3 is properly connected to your computer with a USB that can transfer information.


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42043 Mercedes Arocs Truck Crane Turntable Sticking
I have recently found that the turntable of the crane has been sticking when turning! Having taken apart the crane and investigated the issue, it seems to be the interplay between the turntable's teeth and those of the small black cog: they are not meshing smoothly! The cog moves nicely when turning the turntable, but is stuttering and jamming the other way round (the more useful way)!
Any help would be appreciated!
P.S. any tips on lubricating the yellow pistons?

This is a known problem with that gear combination. It's a flaw with Lego's design of the bevel gears. See this discussion on the EuroBricks forum.
Bevel gears are typically designed to fit with only one other size of bevel gear. Specifically, the cone-shaped pitch of each gear needs to intersect with each other at a single point to ensure smooth operation.
All Lego bevel gears are intentionally designed with a 45-degree pitch so that any gear can mesh with any other. This means that only bevel gears of the same size can actually mesh perfectly, although in most gear combinations, the loose tolerance means the incorrect pitch isn't really noticeable.
However, in extreme cases like the 12-tooth-bevel to 60-tooth-turntable in the Arocs, the gear pitches are so mismatched it creates an extremely "noisy" or "sticky" effect.

The turntable gear you are speaking of has the same connectivity options on both sides. However, only one side of the gear ring on the black piece is actually beveled. If you use the turntable incorrectly (upside down), this will result in poor connection between the gears. So it is essential to place the turntable correctly.


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Improving EV3 Screen Readability
I often have a hard time reading the EV3’s LCD display. I presume that I’m not the only one who has experienced this issue. Is there a way to improve its readability?
For example, are there any good magnifiers that fit, or any ways to add backlighting or mirror the displays to a larger screen?

One guy found a way to make the EV3 Brick's screen have light on it like it is on any device, but if you think training for soldering and blowing $30 just to see your EV3's screen is not worth it, you might as well use a lamp.
Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPNJC5Uz9HY&t=0s


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How can you get the pipes on Steamboat Willie to work reliably?
We recently began building 21317 Steamboat Willie.  We've got it mostly built, but the pipes keep getting stuck.  The rear one works, but the front one keeps getting stuck up and won't go down.  We've thoroughly squeezed all of the pieces, but it keeps happening.  Has anyone come up with a reliable design tweak to keep the Steamboat pipes moving?

You may have the Technic mechanism inside the boat too tight. I would take off the top section, and look to make sure that all parts of the moving mechanism works freely even before attaching the smoke stacks.

We'll give that a try, but we didn't see any of the sticking before we added the brackets for the stacks onto it.

Yeah, that would be my only guess. I have built this set and experienced no sticking, and there are a bunch of online reviews and video-reviews, and none of the ones I have read/watched mention sticking. I do remember reading one review (unfortunately I don't remember which one), that mentioned the importance of making sure the Technic mechanism works freely as you build it up.

We saw a thread on the LEGO page on Facebook where other folks had similar problems, but it seems to be gone now.  I wouldn't have posted here if I didn't think it was more ubiquitous.

This is a real thing.  But the Lego response is to blame the builder.  Sigh.  Check out this fix... it substitutes a 1x2 tile for a 1x2 grill -- which is a fraction thinner and helps with the sticking problem.  https://imgur.com/a/6RdWcxD


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Is there a way to restart a program with EV3?
I've got a program with a code lock, and I would like the program to restart when you enter the incorrect code. Does anyone know of a way to do that?

If I were you I'd use a loop inside the program. In this loop the prompt for entering the code would be displayed, then the user input would be read. Finally, the code would be checked and if correct, the proper action executed, otherwise a failure message would be shown and the execution would loop back to the start (display the prompt).


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Looking for sets with lots of printed parts or other special parts to use as components for my city
I'm thinking about building an early 20th century ('30s / '40s) European city, using both complete sets and parts of sets as resources
I'm looking for pieces that add detail to this city, both outside (streets & parks) & inside the buildings... from sofas & benches to kitchen sinks & traffic signs.
I don't really like using stickers and I'd like to avoid them altogether, but I do love printed pieces.
So I wonder... Can some of you folks recommend some sets that have lots of printed parts or other special parts that could help me add detail to my city?
I would prefer sets that haven't been discontinued. However, feel free to recommend discontinued sets if you think they're a great match for me needs.

It would probably be better and cheaper to buy printed parts from bricklink because of the below answer.

What kind of print do you have in mind? Wall textures, paintings? In Bricklink, the key word 'pattern' will show all printed parts.

@Aziraphale : I'm thinking of newspapers, store signs, street signs, book covers, etc. Anything that could add more life and fits in in a 1940s setting would do.

@TechnicTechnician : Bricklink is definitely an option, especially for rare pieces. However, ordering from Bricklink can be pretty cumbersome & expensive. So, for the less rare parts, I'd rather but them as part of a set.

All of the decorations in the LEGO Juniors (now called LEGO 4+) sets are printed, and they tend to have a lot of nice decorations. Decorated parts in the LEGO Ideas sets are also almost always printed, but double check this because at least some of the sets also have stickers.
There is not one set which is going to be full of printed parts, and sets with printed parts tend to be more expensive when it comes to price per piece. If you are looking for a large quantity of specific printed elements, you are better off to just order exactly what you want from BrickLink, the online LEGO marketplace.

Lego has somewhat recently started a theme called Xtras, if case you weren't aware. They have a variety of odds & ends great for detailing builds. They do have some printed tiles in a few of the packs, but probably not quite the variety you're after.  If you can't find the printed elements needed for your build elsewhere, you might try the 853921 sticker pack as a last resort.


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Who produces these sets of Venetian gondolas, and is there more of it?
While staying in Venice, Italy, I came across a shopping window with what looked like a LEGO set of a gondola - except that the familiar white letters in the red top left square said "IDEA" rather than "LEGO".
I failed to take a picture back then, but a picture is available e.g. in an expired online auction. The description on that page actually makes it sound like these were repackaged LEGO pieces from original sets or something similar. And someone else posted an even clearer picture, but without any description, on their Facebook page.
What is this product? Is it a clone brand, or is it repackaged original LEGO? Or is it even a promotional set produced by LEGO that is, for some reason, not labeled "LEGO"? Is it part of a larger series that includes more sets?

Apparently these are designed and distributed by a Venice shop holder, named Steve
http://havetwinswilltravel.com/2018/09/11/lego-shop/

This sounds like a good lead (+1 for that). I won't mark the answer as accepted yet, though, as I'm still hoping for some additional confirmation. What's written in that blog may very well be true; on the other hand, store owners in tourism hotspots who can tell the most wondrous stories about their products and themselves are far from unheard of.


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Has LEGO ever been used in an assembly line or a manufacturing process?
With LEGO Technic and LEGO Mindstorms becoming ever more sophisticated, I wonder if it has ever been used in a real commercial setting to automate parts of an assembly line or manufacturing / research process.
There are several fun / nonsense assembly line videos on YouTube like a LEGO Car Production, a Paper Plane Machine, and of course the Great Ball Contraption. So it would definitely be up to the task, but has it ever be done?

Here are a few examples of LEGO being used for practical and useful purposes I remember seeing. I'm sure there are many others:
Some LEGO liquid-handling robots and experiments for STEM education and research: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2001413
Here, MIT is using LEGO for micro-fluids: http://news.mit.edu/2018/microfluidics-lego-bricks-0131
There are several examples of LEGO used for prostatic research and development, like this one: https://www.wired.com/2015/07/lego-makes-everything-bettereven-prosthetic-kids/
And here is a LEGO Braille printer developed by a student: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/01/20/braille-lego-printer/22055135/

Probably not exactly what you were looking for - but Lego did help make Google get off a good start
https://royal.pingdom.com/original-google-setup-at-stanford-university/
http://infolab.stanford.edu/pub/voy/museum/pictures/display/0-4-Google.htm


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Stuck on "Installing rootfs" when installing leJOS on the brick
When following the instructions for creating an SD card with leJOS, the brick freezes when it comes to the screen “Installing rootfs.” I'm using a new 32 GB SanDisk SD card. I've confirmed that I'm using the appropriate version of the Java runtime, and there are no error messages at all.

I was able to fix the problem by creating a smaller partition on the SD card. (The idea came from this forum post; it was not necessary for me to buy a different SD card, despite what many people say there.) Using Windows 10, I was able to create a 4 GB partition with the “Computer Management” utility. After that, I used the ev3sdcard.bat utility again, and the installation completed successfully.
I do not know whether some intermediate value between 4 GB and 32 GB would also work. The forum posts I read suggest that 4 GB will be plenty of space.

Working on a Son's STEM Science Fair project, and your post here SAVED our bacon. We used a lexar 32 GB SDHC card. Some places say that SDHC isn't recommended, but it worked beautifully once we created the smaller FAT 32 partition of 4 GB using the "Disk Managment" partitioning tool. For anybody else who knows absolutely nothing about this stuff, don't let the mention of the ev3sdcard.bat utitlity (file) throw you off. That file is simply the little program that pops up in the top lefthand corner of your screen. The little program where you enter the JRE gz file and then click "create." THANK


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What techniques can be employed to build a low-profile sliding door/wall?
I'm looking to build a sliding door or wall that doesn't use the defacto "sliding door" parts, 2874 and 4511.  These parts are almost usable for my design: they are thin and have a built-in stopper when using the corresponding "door rail" parts 32028 and 4510.  Unfortunately, they are too tall.
Is there a technique to slide a plate, tile, or panel without resorting to using part 30586.  I don't think I have the extra width needed by this part in my design.

What size of door are you looking for? What's the width of the wall?

@Uli: I'm building a railroad car using a 28x6 plate, so the wall length is constrained to 28 studs.  Wall thickness is 1 stud, so the interior of the car has 4 studs of space.  That said, I have things inside the car and so I was hoping to mount the sliding door on the outside and keep a low profile.  Ideally, the door will be under 5 studs in height.  I can probably increase the height of the car and then use the defacto sliding door, but I was interested to see if other alternatives exist.

How many studs is the opening in the wall?

Fairly flexible at this point as I'm trying to see what is possible with the technique.  That said, I would estimate the the opening to be between 4-6 studs.

Have you tried using "bricks with groove" ?
https://www.bricklink.com/v2/search.page?q=brick%20with%20groove#T=A

Thank you for the suggestion!  These may work, but I would have to orient them so that the studs align horizontally.  I'll have to analyze my design to see if that is feasible.


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What does this error symbol on the EV3 mean?
I get this error image pop up when I power on my EV3. What does it mean?

Also, is there a list of different error codes anywhere, I looked in the User Manual and I could not see anything.
Cheers!

Educated guess: is the storage on the EV3 brick itself full by any chance?

The hard disk is likely full on the brick. Try deleting some projects to allocate space.


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Legoings quality concerns
Can anyone tell me about the quality of Legoings? I'm considering a purchase from China. I can't seem to find any reviews on this clone brand.
Thanks, John

Possible duplicate of What is the quality of lego replicas on Aliexpress?

Legoings seems to be the reincarnation of LEPIN, which had some of its factories (or more like sweatshops judging by the published pictures) raided late April this year (2019). Expect quality to be similar, with the usual disregard to workers’ conditions, quality and safety of materials and foremost intellectual property rights of others (TLG and MOC builders in the LEGO community).
I predict it will be shut down in due time as well. I strongly discourage buying their products for the above reasons. Also note that a collection tainted with bootleg bricks will have very little value to a collector, unlike proper LEGO sets.


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Are the different LEGO Xtra play mats designed to be used together?
It appears that the LEGO Xtra play mats come in three different varieties:

It is clear that these are physically compatible, but are these intended to be used together, or are the three locales generally meant to be used independently?

If you mean the different designs (paved road, beach, grassy park) creating a continuous landscape that seamlessly flow into each other, no, that's not the case. However, each of the playmats is double sided with different but compatible designs. So, you could make the paved road, beach, and grassy park longer by purchasing extras of the same landscape and using both sides to create variety. (You would need two 2-packs of the same set to take advantage of all four printed sides.)
While the different landscapes don't fit seamlessly with each other, you could make it work by placing some structure or additional brick-built landscapes at the seams to hide the lack of continuity. For example, between the paved road and the beach, you can place a row of houses on top of the seams to blend the landscapes.

As TheBrickBlogger said, they don't tessellate seamlessly on every side, but they are in fact designed to be used together, at least as shown in the instructions in the LEGO xtra polybags. Each polybag seems to feature a different layout with a unique combination of sides of each playmat piece as well; for instance, here's what's on the other side of the instructions for 40311 Traffic Lights and 40312 Streetlamps:

If you're really bothered by the seams, then yes you could easily cover them up with buildings and other objects. But honestly, it doesn't seem that bad to me. It's clear that the Sea Playmat, at least, is intended to be placed with the water towards the very edge of a layout, though. And you don't get very much water, since none of the sides have just water that you could tile endlessly.


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Does Powered Up provide a rechargable battery box?
The older Power Functions electrical system includes the option to purchase a lithium ion rechargeable battery box. Is something like this available for the newer Powered Up system?

This isn't currently available.
The Powered Up team responded to a question about this in May 2019. The gist is that they were able to say that the removable battery holder in the hub was designed with a future rechargeable battery in mind. This can also be inferred directly from the design:

They cited several reasons that this isn't yet available, including TLG's strong commitment to product quality and safety, particularly in a product like this that would involve a direct interface to mains power for recharging. The challenges of localizing the charging adapter to all markets was also mentioned.
The team didn't provide a release date, but there was a sense that this would be coming at some point.


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How to build an arch that is angled out of Lego?
I am currently working on a MOC for the USS Orville and I am trying to figure out the engines.  I have gone through a couple of iterations on my current version, but it always buckles under its own weight.  The underlying structure is made of 1 x 6 locking hinges with 2 x 2 brackets and connected to the base using technic pieces.  I am trying to make it the scale of the new Tantive IV set, i.e. not UCS size, but not micro size either.  Any techniques or ideas would be much appreciated!

Have you tried using technic liftarms? They come in different angles. And are pretty sturdy. https://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=P&catString=137&itemBrand=1000

@JanWindemuth, I started down that path, but I could not get to be thin enough.  The angled liftarm angles are too big for the gentle curve, and using the straight ones requires them to be layered (I was doing layers of 3 so they corners could lock in place) and it was way too thick for the scale I am aiming for.  Maybe there is a better way to connect the liftarms that I am not aware of.

I see. What about half liftarms? That would be thinner nur Not neccessarrily easier to build.

@JanWindemuth unfortunately I don't have many of those in my collection, and working with technic in LDD is a pain.  I think I might try axles with connectors.  I have plenty of those plus they interface better with bricks.


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Identify which set these parts are from

Help identify if these parts belong to a set.It was donated to us and it would be great if we could use instructionsto build

These parts are from
75202-1: Defense of Crait

Based on the Windscreen 6 x 4 x 1 Curved with Gray Star Wars Skimmer Pattern


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Need help identifying these 7 lego pieces!
I need help identifying these 7 pieces. Please assist!
What I tried so far is logically trying to figure out their categories, but unfortunately I couldn't find them, or there were hundreds/thousands of matches. If anyone knows, I'd appreciate a share. :)

Thanks!

Minifigure, Footgear Roller Skate
Leg Skeleton
a scarf to be worn around the neck for minifigs, I can't remember the name
No idea
Minifigure, Footgear Ice Skate
Carrot Top / Twig
Technic, Link Tread

03 - Part #15619 Minifigure, Bandana Ninja.

04 - Part #95747 Minifigure, Headgear Head Top, SW Zabrak Horns.


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BricxCC not seeing Serial Tower in Windows 10
Same problem with both the native 9-pin serial port and with a USB to 9-pin Serial adapter.  Using Lego's original cable.

Start BricxCC Version 3.3 (Build 3.3.8.10).  It asks for the connection method.
Choose any option for the Port (I've tried them all with the same results), and RCX or RCX2 for the Brick Type.  Standard Firmware.
(Actually, there isn't any firmware in the brick yet.  Need to do that as soon as it connects, but I can't even get that far.)
Click OK.  Communication fails immediately.  "No connection to the programmable brick.  Certain options will be unavailable."
Acknowledge the message.  Click "Find Brick", and repeat from #2.

A google search turned up a note about using a terminal emulator to talk to the tower directly.  2400baud, no handshaking, should echo characters in the terminal, and the green activity light should make sense.  That DOES work, for both the native port and the USB to serial adapter.
Using https://sourceforge.net/projects/realterm/ on Windows 10, fully up-to-date as of this writing.

When I close the native port, the green light comes on and stays on, and remains on while BricxCC tries to connect.  It turns off when I reopen the port in the terminal emulator.
When I close the USB adapter, the green light turns off, and remains off while BricxCC tries to connect.  It stays off when I reopen the port in the terminal emulator, except to indicate activity as expected.

I tried running BricxCC in Compatibility mode for Windows 98/ME, and then for Windows XP (Service Pack 2 & 3).  Same result.
Any ideas?

A bit more fumbling around led me to an actual installer:
http://bricxcc.sourceforge.net/test_releases
I was hesitant to use that because of the word "test", but in fact that's what's needed to work at all.  Download bricxcc_setup_33810_20130220.exe from there and run it, and it "just works".

The situation above came from a zipped archive, not the installer.  Having rejected the "test" version, I then found the archive, unzipped it, and tried to use it.  Apparently, it was missing something that the installer includes.  Comparing the installed program directory to the unzipped one definitely confirms this!

I'm glad you figured it out! I was going to suggest going BACK a version, because 3.3.8.9 works alright on my computer. Good to know that 3.3.8.10 works via the installer.

I had the same problem when I downloaded the most recent release of Bricx command. After seeing this post I tried using the "bricxcc_setup_33810_20130220" from the the Bricx Command Center site https://bricxcc.sourceforge.net/ under the "test releases" tab.
This then worked with a serial to USB adaptor to the IR tower to communicate with the RCX 1.0. I am using Windows 11.


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Cutting Lego-compatible studs, +-axle holes?
TL;DR: Advice on how to machine/refine studs and +-axle holes on home made Lego-compatible parts.
I've been really enjoying designing and 3D-printing my own Lego-compatible custom parts to supplement my collection of official Lego parts. But I'm finding it very challenging to get a half-decent fit.
Round axle holes are OK, a 3/16" imperial drill bit seems to be perfect. So I print 'em a little small and drill them out with a handheld pin vise to get a really nice smooth bore.
I'm having a much harder time with studs (knobs) which I simply have not found a good way to print slightly oversize and machine down neatly. So I'd love some ideas.
I'm also looking for suggestions on how to make "+"-axle holes that deliver a satisfying fit. I know the official parts have small "ramps" on the edges to give a better friction fit, which isn't very practical for me to make. But right now I'm stuck filing out the axle holes by hand, which is a slow, difficult and inaccurate process. Any advice on a good way to cut or trim them would be extremely welcome.
At this point I cannot achieve the dimensional accuracy required to get a really good fit straight off the print bed, though I'm working on that too. So I'm relying on erring on the side of too much material then removing material in post-processing to get the desired fit.
Related engineering.stackexchange.com post

From what little I know about 3D printing, you're going to have to use an extremely small nozzle to achieve the accuracy (aka tight tolerances) you need for the "lego" parts you're printing.  I also understand that this drastically adds to the time of each print, but would save you the time of drilling, sanding, etc.  Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

Better yet, search the site - https://bricks.stackexchange.com/search?q=3d+printing


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DUPLO Train Action Bricks
I have the weirdest thing with my son's set.  Currently one of the yellow action tiles honks the horn but the other yellow brick does not.  No matter the lighting conditions, the position, orientation, etc. They both used to work and suddenly one is specifically not reacting. If it was different colors not responding I would assume battery issue is affecting the color sensor, but they are both the same color surface finish.  Any thoughts?

Welcome to Bricks.SE! I have this set, but I've not encountered this before. Would I be correct in assuming that you've already tried washing both yellow elements with soap and water?

Which train is this about? A set number or link would help. Haven't seen it, I have no clue how it works, but are you sure it's a color sensor and not something lese like NFC which could account for one brick being defective and not the other?

Nevermind, it IS color-based

You may want to contact the LEGO customer service about it and see if they can provide a replacement brick. Assuming your train is 10874 or 10875, they should still have it in stock and you can probably just order a new one via a replacement part order.
On the other hand, since the recognition appear to be indeed color-based this might not help at all.

It seems the train motor shoots light and detects its reflections to respond to each action bricks. When the surface of the action brick is scratched up, the sensor cannot detect the color properly. This may explain why your toy responds to one yellow and not the other yellow action brick.
Incidentally, I noticed when the battery level is very low, the train fails to respond to any action bricks...


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How to make a RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade)
I don't know if this is of-topic or anything, but: I have a big scene with cops and stormtroopers fighting. And the cops need some stronger weapons than some sub-machine guns. So i was wondering if there were some people out there who had done anything similar. Does anyone have some RPG or anti-aircraft gun/big turret gun ideas?

Check out the gun on one of the train cars of the Lone Ranger Constitution Chase set. That should do. You can download building instructions from lego.com

Some of the Indiana Jones sets had some simple heavy weapon builds in them.
Set# 7625 had a belt fed/ammo-box mount style machine gun:

Set# 7626 had a RPG:


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LEGO Digital Designer does not to connect to the Internet on Win10 laptop
I just installed on a MSI laptop running Windows 10 Ver. 1803 with a gigabyte internet connection (960mps upload 950mps download).   Every time I start up the application, it immediately displays a dialog box stating "Internet access failed" as you can see below. Clicking retry does not help as it simply pops up the same dialog box again, clicking cancel shuts the program down. Clicking ok simply allows the program to run in offline mode which is not what I want.

Do you happen to have any firewall software active that could prevent the connection?

I have the same issue with the latest version of LDD...

Though it is unlikely the cause, please remember that LDD has reached its End of Life and is no longer actively supported by LEGO. As a good alternative, you can download Stud.io 2.0 from Bricklink.com

I do not have any firewall settings that would stop this connection.  Note: Mac version 4.3.11 does not have this problem.  Both computers use the same router to the net and use the same firewall settings.

I will look into Stud.io 2.0 from Brink link.  My thanks to all that answered this post.

Quoting from Lego's LDD page:

Sorry. We don’t support LDD version 4.3.10 anymore.
If you still use version 4.3.10 you will experience errors when launching the application.
You can still use “offline” mode if you wish.
We urge you to update, use the download link, and install free application for Windows PC & Mac OSX.

There is nothing wrong with your computer, or your internet connection (and it is not just you). LDD will still function normally, albeit in "offline mode."
LDD is now past its end of life, and Lego apparently does not care any longer about collecting usage data on LDD.
The "Internet access failed" message is because LDD can no longer reach a Lego server (62.199.219.133). LDD "phoned home" every time it was started. Now because it can not reach its home server LDD generates this "Internet access failed" message and will only run in offline mode. Apart from spoofing the replies LDD is looking for there is no way to run LDD in online mode any longer.
However, seeing as how Lego shut down the DesignByMe service you are not missing much (if anything) by running LDD in offline mode.

I'm confused.  I just download v4.3.12 from that site.  So it seems like the product overall wasn't at end of life as at the time they put that message about v4.3.10 up, and if it is at end of life now, it's weird that they still offer the 4.3.12 download and haven't updated the message to reflect the product overall is no longer supported.  [EDIT] And lol, Help|About says it's v4.3.11

You still can get LDD 4.3.11 which has a problem with Adobe Flash Player during the installation procedure.
Luckily, these thread explain the fix. I've replicated their instructions and I've managed to get 4.3.11 working with all the newly incorporated parts, with a few cmd.exe commands that only took two minutes.
https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/149308-lego-digital-designer-install-problem/&page=2
https://community.adobe.com/t5/flash-player-discussions/flash10b-stopping-lego-digital-designer-4-3-11-installer/m-p/10398103
Basically the installation process pauses when you are asked to install Flash Player (no longer available for download as of 12 Jan 2021 - its EOL).
But technically, LDD doesn't even need it, as it can run fine with OpenGL. So at the installation step when you get the prompt to Install Flash Player, DON'T click "YES" just yet. Follow these steps instead:

run cmd.exe in your Windows search bar.

Navigate to the temporary installation folder by typing this into the command line:
cd C:\Users<yourusername>\AppData\Local\Temp\WZSE0.TMP

You should see the file named install_flash_player_active_x.exe.
Rename that to something else:
rename install_flash_player_active_x.exe alt.exe

Rename the file OpenGLChecker.exe to install_flash_player_active_x.exe:
rename OpenGLChecker.exe install_flash_player_active_x.exe

Proceed with the LDD installation by clicking "YES".
Now the installer should skip the step where it attempts to install Flash Player.

Hope this helps!


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Gonk droid spinning saw blade
This is the Gonk Droid from set 75253 Boost Droid Commander:

The accessories for the third mission "defending the Falcon" have been added.
The right arm can punch and shoot a "laser beam".
However the left arm can only move the saw blade up and down.
I would like for the blade to spin AND the arm to move up or down.
Is this feasible?

That saw blade only has a hole for a pin, that makes it hard to transfer a rotating motion to it.

I think blade rotation can be achieved with some friction based solution: 1) a rubber wheel spinning a blade; 2) using a friction pin for a blade. The main challenge here is to transfer rotating motion to the blade. However it isn't clear if there is enough place to store the motors and connection ports for the motors.

@Alex, there's an internal motor from the boost move hub. It's not the intention to add an additional motor. It's indeed the intention to rotate the saw by friction.

@MichaelVerschaeve Do you want him to move around with a spinning saw blade, or have it spinning when his arm goes down?

@Uli, when the arm goes down (in reverse I suppose when the arm goes up). Movement (legs) is by the external motor in this set

If you are ready to commit such blasphemy, then gluing a small weight on the edge of the blade would result in the blade swinging or even making complete turns when the arm is moved up and down, depending on the acceleration of the arm movement.

FWIW this was in fact an intentional decision by Lego - they were concerned what some children could create with s spinning blade, especially since some of those motors are capable of quite some speed and torque.

Hi htmlcoderexe. Interesting remark, would you happen to have a source for that information (a link perhaps) ?


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Where is the 15068 PLATE W. BOW 2X2X2/3 in LDD?
I can't seem to find this piece in ldd, and it's a very common piece.  I'm using the extended version.  where is it?

Could not find it by typing numbers (15068 bricklink id or 605109 lego id)
but simply browsing it is simple enough to find.
Open the 7th category of bricks, 4th element:

I'm using the latest ldd version (4.3.11)

I don't have the first two bricks, or the one I'm looking for!  I'm pretty sure I'm using the latest version too.  what's going on?

I'm using 4.3.12

hey, as a test, could you tell me the name of the first brick in the panel?  I'll try typing it in and seeing if I come up with anything.

@Millard - Did you enable the Extended mode (if that's still a thing in LDD)? That should load all the bricks rather than just a smaller set of common elements

I did, i don't know why this brick isn't showing up!  I see three bricks on Michael Verschaeve's picture that I don't have in that column.  I am using 4.3.12, and he is using 4.3.11. I wonder if that's the problem.

@Millard The latest version of LDD is missing a lot of parts for some reason. There's another question on here with links to the previous versions.

could you link it to me?  is it on the official lego site?

found it.  https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/12715/ev3-specific-bricks-missing-from-lego-digital-designer-4-3-11-win


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Do you need multiple start blocks rather than just multiple wires from one start block?
Using the Chromebook app I cannot have multiple "wires" from the start block to multiple sections of code blocks.  I have to use a start block for each section.  When I try to drag a wire it only moves the view.  Solutions?

It sounds like you already have the solution of using multiple start blocks.

I’m voting to close this question because there doesn't seem to be anything to solve here, it sounds like a solution has already been found.

You could edit the question and then answer it. But I think Kenneth has moved away from Bricks.SE.

@Aziraphale Nah, editing out the OP's solution and posting it as an answer looks like a greedy way of grabbing some rep with little effort, and my answer would be too small anyway. I already learned my lesson from that.

@mindstormsboi No, I was addressing Kenneth. Maybe he returns when he sees the reaction to his post.


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How can I get a Powered Up motor to run without using a hub?
I'm mainly taking part in LEGO events as part of a Great Ball Contraption exhibit.
Most of the modules I make, and that's true for a lot of other builders, are purely mechanical in nature and driven by a single always-on motor.
Since the motors have to run continuously for whole days, we usually connect them to 9V train transformers; which isn't a problem for PF motors thanks to the conversion cables available.
However, since LEGO will eventually phase out PF motors, I'm worried about the future - as there doesn't seem to be plans to provide conversion cables for Powered UP elements.
So, is there another way to somehow connect a Powered Up motor to a mains transformer and have it run continuously?

There is at least one third-party Power Functions to Powered Up adapter available that can be used for this purpose:

Here's a video demonstrating it in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96SxM-0UkVQ

Nice find! It would be interesting to learn how does it work or how can one acquire / build one, but the video does not seem to hold any more information beyond proving that it exists and works. So even though it would be great to expand this link-only answer, it would be hard to include more information without serious research or asking the creator.

The creator is active on a GBC FB group; so far I think he hasn't done large-scale production of those but the people who got to test it reported it working fine.
I don't think we'll ever get a solution from TLC directly, so this is probably the best answer I'll ever get - although more technical details (wiring, etc) would be welcome

I´m the creator of the GBC-PUP shown in the video. My goal is to make these available to the community. I sell them as kits at the moment. Contact me at staffan(at)brickselectric.se and we can make it happen.

@jncraton can I ask why you did delete Staffan's answer? I did ask him specifically to come and chime in since he had made the cable... Granted his answer as is would have worked better as comment, but the way it was handled doesn't feel very welcoming to me.

@Joubarc Thanks for your feedback on this. I believe that it was a mistake to delete this outright. I've converted it to a comment now. I initially deleted it as it had been flagged as spam 3 times and flagged as not an answer once. I believe that those flags are valid, but I'm comfortable leaving this as a comment, and I should have done that in the first place.

@StaffanIhl I apologize for deleting your initial answer. I've now converted it to a comment as I should have done originally. Our community has an aversion to direct marketing, as you may have deduced from the mix of upvotes and downvotes on your answer, but I believe that leaving your post here as a comment is a reasonable compromise. I've bungled the opportunity to roll out the red carpet and properly welcome you to our community, but I do hope that you are able to successfully bring this to market! I know that I'd certainly love to have a handful of these on hand. :)

@jncraton thanks, I understand why it happened that way - hope I didn't sound too harsh to you. Anyway, it was certainly more suitable as comment than answer (but that's an issue with SE sites: a newcomer CAN'T comment, only answer)... what i still lack to make this answer acceptable is some explanation of what's needed and why this custom cable solves it - wiring details, for example.

New answer given the current state op PUP and Control+:
Saw this picture floating around on Facebook:

It's from the side of the box of the upcoming (now cancelled) Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey set (42113).
No Bluetooth, just manual switches...

Sad. I am now sad. What a great set it could have been.

Cheer up, I think we'll see other sets next year having this setup. Also, the instructions have been floating around on the web, it's possible to bricklink the Osprey with different color schemes...

Perhaps too expensive and overkill, but it seems from the specs that a SPIKE prime would fit the requirements:

As I understand, the hub can be programmed and then runs independently, similar to an EV3.
It has a rechargeable battery with a micro USB to charge it, but if this is similar as previous rechargeable batteries from Lego, the cable can be left in and connected to mains electricity.
It remains to be seen if the hub will support PUP and Control+ Technic motors immediately, but I'm convinced it will over time...


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Question about compliance of LEGO videos on Youtube and the new COPPA rules
I make some LEGO videos and post them on Youtube. I'm wondering whether I should flag them as "for kids" or not. Most (if not all) of them are not intended to be specifically for kids, but for all people. They are mostly videos of my MOCs. According to my interpretation of Jangbricks's video on the subject, all LEGO videos (LEGO being a toy) should be flagged as "for kids". Is my interpretation correct? What should I do? Any answers are appreciated.

IANAL - but it would seem that yes, you would have to label them as "for kids". Sadly YouTube doesn't seem to offer any additional ratings beyond "18+", so you can't even add any additional gradients to it. I'm wondering whether official South Park or Adult Swim content will also have to be marked as "For Kids" as they include "characters, celebrities or toys that appeal to children, including animated characters or cartoon figures"...

I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it's not about LEGO, but about Youtube rules and law interpretation. I'd suggest asking this question on Law Stack Exchange.

@zovitssupportsGoFundMonica OK, that's fine.

For the time being, it would be smart practice to mark any videos related to LEGO as "for kids," even if that is not your target audience. At the current moment, we know very little about what quantifies as "for kids," but "toys that appeal to children" most definitely includes LEGO. I suspect that we will learn more in the coming months as literally millions of YouTubers try to figure out what their content should be categorized under. At the moment, the risk is simply not worth it. Video deletion, Channel termination, and being fined large amounts of money are all possible if I read everything correctly. With that all said, I am not a lawyer, so I highly recommend you go ask the folks over at the Law Stack Exchange.

I'd rather say it's not worth the risk marking anything as "for kids" unless you're certain that under whatever the law and its interpretation by google turn out to be it's indeed "safe for children".

@jwenting I disagree. The risk is in marking it as "not for kids" and then the FTC deems that it should be marked "for kids." This could result in possible channel termination or substantial fines up to 43 thousand dollars per video. Of course, there are downsides to marking your video as "for kids," no comments, no likes, not searchable, no notifications, -90% revenue, no endscreens, etc. But those are just negatives. The actual "risk" lies in marking it as "for kids" and the FTC decides you were wrong.

Not really. The risk is marking something "for kids" that is deemed to be "offensive" or "violent" or "otherwise inappropriate for children" and therefore in violation of COPPA. It's never wrong to be overly cautious and disallow access to children, but one slipup and a child may see something someone deems "inappropriate" and you're in all kind of trouble. It's the same with movies and television programs.

@jwenting "Kids seeing something inappropriate" has absolutely nothing to do with COPPA. COPPA protects children's information from being gathered. YouTube thought they were fine because they require everyone to be 13 years old to sign up on YouTube, but they still got fined 170 million dollars for violating the law. Why? Well, the FTC saw that YouTube clearly knew that children were on their platform, since there is a lot of content that is made specifically for children. YouTube collects data about their users, and since YouTube was aware that some of those users were kids, they were fined.

@jwenting Furthermore, if you mark a video as "for kids" no data about the users will be collected, as it is illegal, under COPPA, to collect data about children. On the other hand, if you mark a video as "not for kids" YouTube will collect data about the viewers. If the FTC deems that you marked your video incorrectly, you can be fined large amounts of money, since you allowed a child's data to be collected. COPPA does not have anything to do with what is "appropriate" for children. It's protecting children's data from being collected.