text:
Identify LEGO set with "5T33R" sticker
Tiny orange truck with license plate "5T33R". Also has "Steer Well" sticker, flames on the sides. Have searched and can’t find online.

That stickered tile seems to only appear in set 8186 from 2009.


text:
Lego Duplo 10508 train does not pull up the bridge
I tried new batteries, disassembled it, and greased it. The engine wheels seemed a bit sticky due to something sticky inside that got there at some point. I put some WD40 to make it work better and was hoping it will work fine. It goes up the bridge easily on its own. Then I tried with one empty platform, pulled up so so. Got stuff on the platform, and that's it - it stops in the middle with no gear sounds or etc.
Originally it is with 2 wagons/platforms and it does seem to reach the same place and gets stuck in the middle of the bridge going up, and does not get stuck elsewhere.
Should there be some kind of clutch, or does it switch off the engine due to Amps raising?
I found this with gear sounds and can't relate. I examined all gears after disassembling similarly like in the video, except I could not pull the wheels off - felt like it will break if I pull harder. I did not want to risk it too much.
I tried looking around for engine pinion issues and stuff, but can't relate anywhere to what I'm experiencing. I bought it used. It's a bit disappointing to pull it/push it uphill, but so far my son doesn't mind too much :)
However, having a DIY soul, I'm a bit sad and insulted with situation...
Update:
It's a pinion issue, after thinking it through, disassembled once more and the engine spins, with wheels and accordingly pinion - blocked so will go for a metal solution, like here.

Hi, if it was indeed a pinion issue, like your update suggests, please move the update to an answer - you are allowed to answer your own question!

Short answer: It's not a good train bridge and results are disappointing.
Longer answer:
We've tried two different Duplo trains (10874 Steam Train and 10875 Cargo Train) on the Duplo train bridge and they barely have enough power/traction to get over it even without any train cars attached. If you run a bare engine (no cover), it goes up fine. If you run the engine with a decorative cover (the "top" of the train), it will struggle. If you run it with train cars attached it seems like it's 50/50 whether it'll make it over.
You also could consider trying different types of batteries. Alkaline (non-rechargeable) batteries usually have higher voltage when they are new (but then drop off quickly), compared to rechargeable, which maintain a steady, but slightly lower voltage (reference).

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Lego Prototype or Megablok?
I came across this brick while sorting some Lego I purchased. It's similar to an Electric, Light Bulb Cover (colored globe), but with three major differences. It is a bit wider, the lower lip is a bit higher, and rather than being mostly hollow (to receive a bulb) it is designed to receive a bar. I was unable to find the part when searching Bricklink's trans-red part list.
The inside has what appear to be a part number of 10780 and a mold identifier of 1-8. Given there is no Lego stamp I'm guessing it is a knockoff, but I'd like other opinions as I'm unsure whether prototype bricks are all marked. Given the source of the parts there is a small chance it is a prototype.

Not all Lego pieces say Lego - even some rather recent ones are unadorned. I keep wondering if I should ask a question about what the most recent is, once I have some good examples to show.

There was a question here not too long ago regarding parts without a Lego stamp. I recall there were a scant few recent examples, but apparently they do exist.

I can no longer access the Bricks.SE account I used to submit the original question. But this piece is a Kreo element from the "Space Dive" set.

Great job on ID'ing the part :) To merge your accounts, take a look at the process described here. Play well!

The finish of the piece and the numbering scheme reminds me of Megabloks pieces, but it is far from a 100% sure, definitive answer. After half an hour of searching on Google and on the Megabloks website, I have seen no such product that would contain this piece, but based on its apparent age, this information is still not decisive.

I also looked through some Megablok sets at Bricker and the closest thing I saw was a missile tip, but it was much larger. The numbering scheme is similar to both Lego which makes it difficult to determine. Thanks for your input!

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


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How to share a fan robot with LEGO?
I've made a really awesome robot with LEGO Mindstorms EV3 (and I'd like not to say what it is here). I've seen fan robots on the LEGO site, and I wonder whether they could add mine on the site. I've seen a site for uploading ideas for LEGO kits, but I can't find anywhere to upload robots. Can anyone please help?

Hmmm... so we can't send it directly to LEGO?

Not really. Imagine the amount of MOCs posted worldwide would also be sent to TLG. LEGO Ideas is the place you can submit your idea. And if you get enough likes from community it might be considered by TLG for production. However it is dedicated for something entirely new - old ideas, alternate models or something with licenses that TLG has agreement with most likely will be denied.

Ok, thanks a lot!

It looks like you don't quite understand how those robots became supported by Lego.
You see, EV3 was released in 2013, and they've supported only 12 fan robots. That's not a lot, and if they were still accepting fan robots for years they definitely would've had more robots on their site. I have an unofficial book by Laurens Valk about EV3 programming, in this book he has instructions for about 3 more of his robots. Yet none of them are on the site.
Why am I even mentioning a Lego fan and his book? Because this page says that the race truck was designed by him. That's the only model he made that's on their site, but there are some people who have had multiple models of theirs accepted by Lego. They are Martyn Boogaarts and Kenneth Madsen. And I could've sworn that I saw a video(s) somewhere where they were interviewing the designers of these robots.
Looks like they were only accepting fan robots from skilled EV3 users.

Great answer! Wasn't aware of the actual "Fan robots" stuff. Do you happen to know the URL for these "Fan models"?

@Alex I'm sorry, I dont remember the link for the videos. Once again, I couldve sworn i saw them but I dont have time to look. If you want the general page about them, it's the hyperlink in my answer.

Is this the page? I can count 12 models you've mentioned here.

@Alex yes, thats the one.

Thanks a lot for the info, @mindstormsboi, and thanks particularly for the skilled comment.


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What LEGO set do I have?
I gave my father a LEGO set to help with his dementia. He lost the box and directions. I don't know what the set is. It appears to be a car. There is a windshield and some wheels. It's mostly black and red. It looks like only 2 bags. I know I didn't spend more than $15 on the kit.

Welcome to Bricks.SE! The items you have described are pretty common and it makes nearly impossible to identify the set. In order to help you we would like to have pictures added with as much elements as you can collect (partial assembly is also beneficial). We'll then try to identify less common or unique elements to use them for set identification.

These parts are from:
42089: Power Boat

Keypart : 62360 - Trans-Black Windscreen 3 x 6 x 1 Curved


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Where do I find the program to go with the LEGO 51515?
I got a LEGO Mindstorms 51515, and I have finished building my 1st robot, and now would like to program it. However, I cannot find any companion program to use. Where can I install the companion program? (Also if there is a Linux program that can be used I would like to know).

The "App" page does seem to be hard to find at the moment. I found it by clicking on this little icon on the MINDSTORMS "About" page.

The app is distributed through various app stores:

Microsoft Store (Windows)
Apple App Store (macOS/iOS)
Google Play (Android/Cromebook)
Amazon App Store (Kindle Fire)

There isn't currently any option for Linux, but there is a 3rd party project call Pybricks that is working on supporting the 51515, so keep an eye on that if you use Linux.

According to this review on Rebrickable, the same app you download for the building instructions is the one you use to program it. Did you download an app for instructions?


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Lego Boost: how can I gain access to all the programming blocks?
I've just started playing with Lego Boost. Currently I only have very few programming blocks available in the Android app. According to this, I should be able to unlock all blocks by pressing the symbol with the three bricks. But this symbol doesn't exist in my version of the app.
Does anyone know how to unlock all the blocks? Or can anyone recommend using an older version of the app that does allow you to unlock all the blocks?

What version do you have?

Based on the link provided by @RSchulz, this is my current understanding of programming blocks availability in the Lego Boost app:
There are two different types of canvas areas in which you can create projects: the Coding Canvas which you can reach by tapping on the big red toolbox that is in each robot submenu, and the Creative Canvas, which can be reached from the main menu by tapping on the open window.
The former has different blocks for each robot, and gets blocks added every time you complete one of the predefined tasks.
The latter has many advanced blocks but is missing robot-specific blocks that are in the other canvases.
There is no canvas that makes all existing blocks available.

If memory serves, and according to this review on Tom's Guide, "As you navigate through the Boost program, you need to complete the simplest levels within each robot section before you can unlock the more complicated ones."
So perhaps you just need to keep using it? Or have you unlocked everything your version of the app has available?

Yeah, I would even say "should"

n00b question: what's the correct way to do this? Paste my comment into my question? Mark RSchulz' answer as accepted answer? Write a new answer myself that sumarizes RSchulz' answer and my comment?

If your answer is better, don't mark mine as best! But otherwise, they all sound good.

To unlock any level in Boost app: press and hold the padlock. It will open after 5 seconds. Have fun!


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What's the purpose of 46834 & 46835 pieces (two wheels clutched into each other)
There is this strange wheel-like piece consisting of two pieces snapping into each other and offering to insert both axles from both sides, as shown in the first image.
What is the purpose of this part instead of just using a straight axle? I see that the holes for the axles are twisted by 45° between the two parts, but for that purpose, a much simpler part similar to the tubes joining two axles could be designed. The only purpose I can vaguely imagine is that it's sort of a clutch limiting the torque to prevent damage.
I particularly wonder why this is used in the track roller of the Liebherr excavator (42100 set) as shown in the second image below.

You've answered your question yourself. Limiting torque to prevent damage to motors or components is exactly what it is designed for, B.t.w. axles in it can be positioned in any multiple of 15 degrees...

Just to add what @MichaelVerschaeve said, clutch acts as safety feature not only to prevent damage of parts but also to prevent further injury if you stick your finger (or other body parts) somewhere between gears.

Step 45 of instructions for 42100 set shows entire drive-train for one side of the tracks before it is being covered with some panels and beams. I've taken that image and have drafted a rough path between the motor and Tread Sprocket Wheel that will then transfer this motion to tread links.
As you can see Clutch is within this drive-train, so it makes clear that its main purpose is to prevent damage to gears when track get stuck.
If there were no clutch some of those 12T gears would get an increased load and could be damaged since torque is being increased several times here.

This is a torque-limiting component. When one side is prevented from turning but the other side is forced to turn, the inner piece comes out of its "click location" and into the next one.
It requires quite a large torque before it activates. You will not be able to generate the torque just by turning the two components with your bare hands. To see the effect, you may need to attach axles and large wheels, or lever arms, or use gears, or a motor.


text:
What brand set do I have?
I'm trying to find the LEGO-like set I have so I can buy more and I want to make sure they are compatible. The box top says "max" and I have some of the instructions. You can build a castle, a house, ducks, giraffes. I thinks it's 2 different ones honestly. We bought 2. One in a red box and one with bags we added to it.

Do you have a picture you can include?

I think you have a box of MAX building bricks, a clone brand from ZURU toys.


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Spike Prime remote command using screen
I am trying to execute commands using the -X switch on the Spike Prime Hub but all I get is either nothing, or unknown command errors.
Here is what I tried so far:
screen /dev/ttyACM0 -X 'print("test")'
screen /dev/ttyACM0 -X $'print("test")/n'
screen /dev/ttyACM0 | 'print("test")'
screen /dev/ttyACM0 | $'print("test")/n'
The piped commands gave me unknown command errors. When I change the main.py and add some prints, they are shown even if printed before I login. So stream wise that is working no matter when I login.
Another issue occures with the rshell rsync. I had to add a switch to stop the sound files from syncing since they crash rshell. Also rshell stops the code execution on the hub. I tried the above commands before and after rshell rsync call. When I login the hub after rshell I can enter python commands without hitting ctrl+c. Before rsync I have to stop execution with ctrl+c before I am able to type.
But the screen command does not execute python in all cases. Any ideas ?
The main task I want to achieve is that the hub continues execution after rsync. I wanted that with a screen command. But the whole Spike Prime software seems buggy and sluggish from the open source point of view.

With the prime hub you need to exit the hub default process before you can send commands using ctrl-c.
Ctrl-c is the character 0x03.
This is my python script that I use to send micropython scripts over to my hub:
https://github.com/gpdaniels/spike-prime/blob/master/simulator/run.py
It has lots of nastyness in it like this:
port.write(b'\x03')
time.sleep(0.1)
port.write(b'\x03')
time.sleep(1.0)

To try and get the hub to stop the running script and behave.
Also there's functions to read the serial input from the hub until it sees the >>> characters which indicate the REPL is ready to receive python commands.

Wouldn't it be easier to send the script file in a whole with rsync and force the hub to execute it by calling execfile() ? That might be faster because you call sleep(0.1) between every command. Anyway your script is a big help, thanks man.

The sleeps in my script are just to get the REPL into a good state.
I send the whole script using the paste mode of the REPL.
After which it is executed in one go.

Well, sounds good, but isn't the readline of python reading a file line by line ? Later you pass the file line by line to write_command(...) which then waits for every line 0.2 seconds. Not sure if that might be slow thou, I have to get into the code for a bit longer to clearly understand...

Yeah there is a lot of delays, rather than spending time on my dodgy code, I'd recommend rshell [ https://github.com/dhylands/rshell ] which is great!

I found that repository already but I didn't know it can execute code on the hub. It's in the pyboard.py file. I still have to figure out how it works but accordingly to the header it shouldn't be that hard. Thanks for your help. Btw I tried to use your run.py to paste a larger code file in one big chunk but it fails after some lines. Seemingly the REPL paste mode cant handle big chunks. I used rsync to copy files to the board already before but wanted copy and execute at once.

The pyboard.py program from rshell isn't working out of the box. You have to replace the line where it sends the break signal twice '\r\x03\r\x03' with two send commands sending one break each and a delay in between, similar to the suggested code in run.py above. I wonder if those pyboard.py devs would update their project.


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Are there any sets without a lot of fluff?
I'm an adult but have come to fall back in love with LEGO again after building the LEGO Apollo Rocket kit.
I wanted to buy a large set of just various LEGO bricks to build neat things. But what I am finding is a lot of the basic sets are filled with fluff pieces. Things like little men and accents and things like that. Is there a way to buy just a box of classic pieces like when I was a kid?

I'm a fan of the Saturn V also.

If you watch a few episodes of Lego Masters you'll see creative use of 'fluff' pieces. Admittedly this often requires bulk supplies of the fluff, so I see your point about wanting fewer of them in the sets you buy.

While nearly all sets these days to include a certain number of parts that you may be referring to as "fluff", the Classic line has the highest ratio of more typical bricks and plates that you may be used to and has a number of sets at quite a few price points that may be useful to you and are available both direct from LEGO and from many retailers.
A note of caution over your classification of those "fluff" pieces though: You may find if you progress to more advanced building techniques that many of those pieces you currently disdain are absolutely indispensable to accomplish some very interesting effects that are simply not possible with standard bricks and plates. Don't discount the utility of a part simply because you may not be familiar with their usefulness or that they may not be immediately related to your current project. A fairly common term in the community is NPU which stands for New (or sometimes Novel) Parts Usage and stems from people being very creative with parts that might not immediately seem to have any other purpose than their basic form might suggest, and has led to very interesting and quite stunning results.

Thank you @nathan-stohlmann. I didn't meany any offense. What would you recommend for somebody who is looking to make more technical things to get started?

You might like Yoshihito Isogawa's book "Simple Machines" (and/or some of his other books as well). That is a collection of hundreds of basic mechanisms built from Lego Technic. A great source for ideas when designing your own models. There are few words and lots of pictures. The point of the book is figuring out exactly how to build the mechanisms yourself, not copying detailed step-by-step instructions.

No worries @JacobMelon! No offense was taken and sorry if my answer made it seem like I did. Specifically which set kind of depends a bit on your budget. If 50-60USD is doable than the new 11016 Creative Building Blocks or last year's 10717 are a pretty good start and have better ratio of bricks and plates to other types of parts than 10698 mentioned in the other answer. Also 10698 is the same price as 10717 but has almost half the parts because it comes with a storage bin which may or may not be useful to you.

While I really agree with Nathan's take on this, I'd like to point out another option.  Why not just get a bucket of bricks like the 10698: Large Creative Brick Box?  You even get a decent container to keep your collection of LEGO in:

Another view:

There aren't many instructions to get in your way.  You get parts in a variety of colors.  If you want more bricks you can save up and buy another bucket and be assured you'll get more of the same stuff.
Amazon in the US currently has this on sale even.

You can buy individual bricks in any quantity you want on the Lego.com website using pick-a-brick.  There are about 1400 bricks to choose from in that system.  You buy just the bricks you want and nothing you don't.  If you feel like you need 500 pink 2x4 bricks you can order that.  Its usually somewhere around 10 cents each for the smaller bricks.
https://www.lego.com/en-us/page/static/pick-a-brick
You can also order individual bricks using Bricks & Pieces.  Its meant as a way to order replacement parts, but there is nothing that prevents you from ordering whatever you want.  Unfortunately you need to know the part numbers (or the part number of a set containing the brick) to be able to find anything (because there is no catalog for that system).  If you want to just order a bunch of gears or something like that, this is the way to go.
https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/replacementparts/

I forgot their name, but there's a brand of shops in Germany that will sell you a colour by weight.

Anecdotally, I've had fantastic success with bulk, used LEGO, which is typically sold by weight on eBay et al. This is much more economical than buying new and tends to come in a more practical variety than kits if it's from an individual (rather than a larger re-seller).
If it's from an individual, remember that somebody loved that LEGO, so be excited, kind, and also wash it.


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I have two unopened bags of LEGO, I can’t figure out what set they're from
Two bags from Goodwill, bags are marked 2017, number 135149 (which I’ve heard is not useful information anyway)... The QR code unfortunately would not work on the LEGO app.

These are parts from
31091: Shuttle Transporter

Keyparts

Wedge, Plate 6 x 6 Cut Corner
Tile, Modified 2 x 3 with 2 Open O Clips

Bagnumber matches too. I just checked with my own set. I still happened to have the bags in the recycle bin. (Got the set last week and build it Sunday. Didn't empty the bin yet.)

According to BrickLink, the only set with White Bracket 1 x 2 - 2 x 2 and Light Bluish Gray Brick, Round 2 x 2 with Flutes (Grille) and Axle Hole and White Slope, Curved 2 x 1 x 1 1/3 with Recessed Stud is 31091 Shuttle Transporter. It also seems to have the pieces from the second bag.

I think it's the set with the boat/ocean liner from 2017. We just found an unopened bag of the crane on the back of the ship from that set. (Bag#2 from set?)

Do you mean 42064 Ocean Explorer? From the other answers it looks like these parts are from set 31091.


text:
Early 1980s snap together shop/house scene toy
Hoping someone can help.
I grew up in the 80s and LEGO was my life but one birthday my grandparents bought me a building set which included plastic panels that snap together. When all put together it made a shop and street scene.
From memory there were:
Grey path pieces that interlocked, beige panels for the house, red/brown panels for the roof.
The set also included green stems and little coloured flower pieces which when put together could fit into little holes in the grey path panels.
There were also a few other little pieces that made up the scene.
I’ve researched on google looking at old toy catalogues, I’ve looked on eBay but can’t find anything.
Hopefully someone has an idea as it’s really racking my brain trying to figure out what this early 1980s plastic snap together set was called.

Yes, I had the same sets, they formed roads for toy metal cars like Matchbox and Hot Wheels. The product name was Majo-kit, from a company called Majorette.

You legend Phil!!! That’s it!!
Appreciate it

Sylakus: One way to show your appreciation would be to click the check box beside the answer, indicating that you've "accepted" it. :)


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How to assemble the snake-head axe
I want to make an axe out of the axe head with snake
There's a picture of how they did it here:
I don't know how to look up the accessories on the minifig on the right with the axe. Can anyone explain to me the parts used to attache the axe-head there?

You've linked towards the item on bricklink, you can follow that link further to which sets the item appears in, among them the set of which you posted a picture, selecting that set, you can see the elements in the set, seems straight forward enough to pick the required elements from that list.

The axe is made of

Minifigure, Weapon Axe Head with Snake and Trans-Red Curved Blade Pattern
Bar 6L with Stop Ring
Bar 1L with Top Stud and 2 Side Studs (Connector)
Barb / Claw / Horn - Small

as seen on page 5 of the instructions from set # 70626


text:
How to generate Duplo instructions?
I am aware of how to create a Lego model and generate instructions using LDD and Stud.io
However, I am having trouble figuring out how to do this for Duplo. How does one do this?
EDIT:
@alex yes I think my question was poorly phrased.
I think my real question is "how can I create a Duplo model in LDD or Stud.io"

https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/173785-duplo-for-studio/ might get you closer to what you're trying for.

Could you specify if the problem is with finding Duplo elements? Or, perhaps, you have your Duplo model assembled but have trouble generating instructions? Or both?

My problem with LDD and Stud.io was with finding Duplo parts. According to your answer below stud.io should already have Duplo parts? Although judging by the forum link posted by @chicks they need to be imported first.

I can see some Duplo bricks in LDraw parts library, which is used by Stud.io as well, so you should be able to work out instructions the same way you do with usual bricks.
One thing to note is that availability of Duplo parts in LDraw is rather limited.
Alternatively, you can use LDCad (which uses LDraw library) to create your model. In this case you can find most of the Duplo elements under Library sorted by function > Duplo.

You can import LDraw parts into Stud.io, and probably into LDD as well, but LDD it is no longer supported and I don't have it installed so I can't check.

I couldn't find any Duplo bricks in Stud.io.  Are you sure they're in there?  Could you add how to find them?

@chicks now that you've asked I had another look at the question and asked to clarify exact issue here.

When in stud.io and search for "Duplo" in  "BL Categories" and "Shapes" I don't see any results. Should I assume I have to import the Duplo parts first, or should they already be present?


text:
Can you help me identify this grey part?
Could someone please help me identify this part?

I'm quite unsure if this is LEGO part. What is the source of the picture? Is this element from part list for some clone-branded model or MOC?

The source of the picture are from the instructions of lego clone brand named Blue Brixx. All the other lego parts in this set look identical to bricks in lego instructions. The part has one stud on top and one stud on the side and a bar on the bottom. Is there a lego part similar to this?

Minifigure, Hand Armor - Partnumber 28803 or 15407 Pearl Dark Gray


text:
Technic Rough Terrain Crane (42082) doesn't move
After first book, crane won't roll if pushed. If this normal. I know when you free soon one wheel, the other will go opposite direction, but when I try to spin all four in one direction, it locks. It this normal until motors are functional?

Motor is only being used to operate the crane, not to drive the model. So driving/pushing shouldn't be blocked at any time. I suspect there will be an issue with position of differential - if placed incorrectly both axles will spin opposite directions. And if placed on the ground the model will simply not move.
Check steps 169 and 268 in instructions booklet to compare and confirm the position of differential housings in your model.
Step 169 has this picture:

Step 268:

Further step 273 has this picture showing that both differentials should be facing opposite directions:

It is also important to check the placement of the gears if they haven't been pushed too hard against any liftarms/beams and are not jammed.


text:
Who designed EV3RSTORM?
I wonder, who designed EV3RSTORM? I have searched on Google but no results.

Brickset identifies JØRN THOMSEN as the designer of the 31313 set:
https://brickset.com/sets/31313-1/Mindstorms-EV3
Although I'm also inclined to believe that probably a group of people came up with the various initial robots.

I think that actually the five main robots were made by a group of people.
On this page, it tells who designed the fan robots, but it doesn't say so for the 5 main robots, which include EV3RSTORM.
To quote from this site:

Like the early robot turtles, these programmable Lego constructions were still tethered to a computer with wires. So Seymour Papert wondered if it would be possible to create a Lego brick that could serve as the computer – a fully programmable brick.
A working prototype was built by the Media Lab in 1987, but it wasn’t until a decade later that Lego trademarked Mindstorms – a nod to Papert’s 1980 book Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas – and brought the programmable brick to market.

It says it was made by a group called Media Lab. It doesn't mention any specific names though, so once again it's likely a group of people... who probably designed all of the EV3, including the brick itself and all 5 main models.
oh I forgot, Papert was one of the people in the media lab apparently

A group of 12 people: the LMEP, or 12 monkeys...


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

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

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

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

Structures of various kinds can be added to the modules:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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Database of parts with alternate numbers
I am ordering parts for some MOC I found online. As I compare the parts needed against my inventory, I find that I already have some of them but under different part numbers. For example, I have part 30526 under 53540 in my inventory from the sets we have collected. It gets even more complicated for some parts like this one here and here, under five different numbers.
Is there anyway to retrieve  all the parts with alternate numbers?

I believe that the part_relationships table in the Rebrickable database can do this for you.

The part_relationships table maps parts to other parts. It tracks relationships such as parts that are prints of other parts, parts that are mold variations of one another, and parts that are alternates for one another. I believe that for your use case, you are interested in mold variations. These are indicated by a M in the rel_type field of the part_relationships table.
You can access the Rebrickable database either using the API or the CSV table dumps. If it saves time, I do maintain a set of scripts to build an SQLite database from the CSV dumps.

What you are asking here is to have all possible part numbers for similarly looking elements. However, while both elements could look to be the same for you they may have significantly different properties.
Both Bricklink and Rebrickable have alternative numbers for the same mould, which is the case with the element in first URL. However, last two items are different elements - one has Thin support and the other comes with Thick support - which is why they are separated. It may be negligible for you, but someone else may find such difference essential.
Another approach would be to lookup by name - searching for "Arm Mechanical, Exo-Force" results in finding both elements, no matter if it is thin or thick version. Looking up by main properties (mainly size) can give you other, alternative elements as well. A good example here would be "Brick 2 x 4" - there is a classic 2x4 brick as well as some modified ones, that would all work fine when building, say a wall. But classic brick may not work if model utilize special properties of that particular modified version of 2x4 brick.
If your issue is with building MOCs that you found on Rebricklable you can adjust your building options. You can apply this permanently across the website in your setting page: Account > Settings > Building Sets/MOCs > Ignore mold variations in parts.

Or you can apply this setting for particular Set/MOC: Build this MOC > Change Build Options > Ignore mold variations in parts

Thanks, especially for the Rebricklable hint. As I am doing all the checking on my own computer using python and CSVs, I hope to have a list of all the alternate numbers of all parts that I have. I am thinking whether such a list exists or not, otherwise this is probably more a question of web scraping and python.


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Is a brick with a smaller Lego logo real?
I recently bought a set from Bricklink, and noticed while building that a couple of pieces had a slightly different logo placement and size. The larger logo matched all my other bricks, but the smaller one didn’t.
I’m wondering if this is a fake brick, or is a result of a different / older mould? I did some quick searching online and couldn’t find anything related to this issue, but the gloss and colour of each piece appears to be the same, and both include the same correct piece ID (although again printed slightly differently). I bought the set boxed but used, and everything seemed right so I’m assuming it’s genuine but just looking for some peace of mind, and curious as to what would lead to this difference.
Many thanks in advance!

Item with smaller LEGO logo is odd one indeed. Haven't seen anything like this before. And it is not just the size but the text is not as prominent as well.

"the text is not as prominent as well" but it is very high precision, which I think many counterfeits screw up.

Many sets have had mold changes over the years, as they get slightly redesigned, or even just wear out. I would rest at ease.
It's the old pieces that don't have ANY markings that say Lego that always worry me.
Edited: I took photos of two Duplo train track pieces I noticed today. I merged them together to show the scales are (very close to) the same, yet the logo sizes are quite different. I also included the untouched photos for completeness, and because they're easier to read.
In summary: Lego changes their logo size on the same part.


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How would one parametrically create a LEGO-compatible gear?
If a gear was intended to smoothly mesh with standard LEGO gears, how should it be defined?
While I know that the mean diameter (average of inner and outer diameters) of a LEGO gear should be 1mm/tooth, but are there any specifications anywhere that describe the profile of a tooth so that I can get its shape correct when designing a gear intended to mesh with LEGO?
I know that others have asked about the module of a LEGO gear and I've seen the web page that describes how to make one with Solidworks, but I am not using Solidworks to create my gears, and I do not have the benefit of a gear wizard that can compute the shape of the gear from the teeth count and module.  I therefore need to know how to actually define the profile of the gear using either primitive shapes or splines, and for that I will need to know dimensions, such as the length of the tooth from base to outer edge, the widths of a tooth at its base and its outer edge, as well as particulars for any splines or circles that may be needed to help construct the shape so that the gears will mesh smoothly.

Which tool you are looking to use to create your custom gear?

I have 3D printed gears that mesh well with Lego Technic gears. I had the same issue as you that although the module(m) = 1, the root and tip diameters are not specified anywhere.
I used digital calipers to measure the tip diameter as accurately as I could and got the following results:

Gear teeth (z)
Measured Tip Diameter

8
9.80mm

12
13.30mm

16
17.37mm

20
21.36mm

24
25.75mm

28
29.50mm

36
37.31mm

40
41.63mm

56
57.80mm

60
61.35mm

Doing a linear regression on this table yielded: TipDiameter = mz + 1.494
I used these parameters in Sketchup with the "Rack & Pinion" plugin to draw the involute gear profile. If you are a developer you can view the code of this plugin to see exactly how it calculates point coordinates and then uses these to create a curve entity for each part of each tooth. I can't imagine you want to do that by hand though!
Of course if you're printing standard technic sizes, you can always just convert the ldraw DAT file for the part you're interested in into STL and print that? It works surprisingly well (3D print on the left)


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Curious Case of Polybag Sold Separately in ~2003
I am currently in the middle of my long Dark Age and I am trying to identify the polybag that was sold separately in Poland around year 2003. It had a number, airholes, LEGO logo and yellow accents, it contained assorted, mostly useless (including non-matching) parts in weird colors.
I am absolutely sure these were inside and I know for a fact that parts differed slightly on bag to bag basis. It looks like these were excess throw-away parts.
1x 4204: Brick 8x16 - Dark Gray
3x 41748pr0020: Wedge Curved 6x2 Left with 3 Ovals Print
3x 30144pr0015: Brick 2x4x3 with Octan Print - White
1x 30144: Brick 2x4x3 - Tan
Can somebody kindly shed some light on it, what was that and why would they even sell such things? For the record I have never had any of the sets in which these parts were originally used (according to Rebrickable).

By "airholes" you are referring to a type of old polybags which were used to package bricks in sets during 90's?

I am sorry, I don't exactly recall the polybags from the 90s, I just mean that its surface was perforated with tiny holes. I remember because it felt differently right away.

I remember them as well - I just think they're reasonable inside a box, where eyes look not and fingers poke not, but by themselves, would be too prone to abuse by shoppers. I have to assume it was done because they made it much easier to fit everything in a box, because Lego wouldn't have to suck or squeeze air out of a sealed bag - it would just get squished out naturally.

Air holes always seem dangerous when there's a possibility of small Lego pieces that could be forced through.
North American Lego stores used to sell these bags, but stopped in roughly 2010 due to health concerns regarding sanitizing (so I was told). They were, as yours were, just leftover bricks. I realize they don't match your description of air holes or a number, but thought they might jog someone's memory.

Thank you, at least I am not imagining things :), I remember I found it really curious  that LEGO would delibarately sell sth like this (I was 12yo). Yours look idd a bit similar to what I remember. It was a small, bizarre store with surprising amount of licensed LEGO products (which was rare in my country back then), I also remember buying 635 Extra Bricks in White there.


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How do the Infrared Towers work?
I've seen a few Mindstorms "infrared transmission towers" listed on Brick Owl, Bricklink and other sites. However, I cannot find any good documentation that how they work, how they are used by users, or why they exist.
Can someone shed some "light" on this for me?

IR Transmitter Tower exist in both USB version as well as Serial cable version.
Page 7 of instructions for one of the sets (3804) that was using USB version has following explanation:

Transcription:

The IR Tower establishes a wireless link between your computer and the
RCX. With the IR Tower, programs can be downloaded from computer to
RCX. These programs can then be executed (run) by the RCX.
The IR Tower uses infrared signals to send messages.
For communication to occur, the RCX and IR Tower must be able to see each other. Even through 4-6 inches (10-12 cm) works best for downloading, in optimal lightning conditions, communication is still possible at distances up to 90 feet (30 meters) away.
To Download firmware to your RCX:
Make sure your tower is plugged in and your RCX is turned on. Run the Robotics Invention System™ software and click the Settings button on the Main Menu. Click the button for downloading firmware.
Downloading takes approximately 4 minutes. The Software Watch counts as the firmware is downloading and will beep when it is done, do not switch off or move your RCX while downloading.
For more informations about setting up your RCX to work with your PC go to Settings.

And it also contains (rather obvious) picture of supposed use:

I don't know about "supposed use", that's exactly how I used mine ;) The 1.0 set had a serial connection, while the 1.5 release had the newer USB version as I recall. It was the only way to get your programmes onto the brick, as there was no other connectivity options (unlike the NXT and EV3 with USB and Bluetooth, with the NXT also adding Wireless as well).

@Zhaph-BenDuguid Who knows, who knows... Some may want to have a challenge and  bounce signal from couple of surfaces :)

Why they exist: to transmit programs from your computer to the Mindstorms smart brick (which is really another, probably smaller, computer). This was before USB ubiquity, and it also prevented children from plugging and unplugging a cable at the back of their computer, which is a dangerous move, even for adults.

I had a USB one. Not sure why they didn't put a USB-B port (or a custom connector) in the smart brick. Maybe it's so you can program robots without disassembling them.

That's almost definitely why. But the part was created before USB was really a thing you could count on. I remember those days well.

That's why it could be a custom connector. They could do a serial cable for serial, and a USB/serial cable for USB.

@user253751, serial can't be reliably hot-plugged.  Usually it works, but sometimes it destroys the serial port.

@Mark then serial with opto-isolators in it.


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What 3D modelling services could I use to create custom LEGO pieces?
I want to create some custom LEGO Technic pieces, but I can't seem to find any software that is good at making it. I have tried using Blender, but it is hard to create holes.
Do you have any suggestions?

I've used Blender for making parts to print (as well as Lego parts). The easiest way I've found to make holes is using 'boolean' object modifier (under the 'spanner' icon). Using the 'difference' operation you can create a hole in the shape of another object. It is a little flaky when the two object share faces/edges/vertices, but otherwise reliable.

I haven't tried creating my own parts. However, I've seen that Bricklink's PartDesigner is quite popular in the community.  It looks like the creation process is quite streamlined, you can edit the connectivity info of each piece, and it plays very nice with Bricklink's Studio.

its good at creating classic and studfull pieces, but its bad, I mean really bad at creating studless pieces

@vanderrich Can you please describe the problems you are facing? That would help others suggest an alternative that addresses those specific points.

Bricklink's PartDesigner is good for use cases like creating custom printed minifigs or bricks, but the options are pretty limited if you want to create a new shape.  They're still labeling this "Beta" so maybe it will become usable for more use cases in an upcoming release.

I'm sorry you've been frustrated with Blender.  It is complicated and not as intuitive as it could be, but the alternatives are vastly more expensive for slightly better UX.  3D modeling is a lot of learning, regardless of the tool.  Blender seems to be the best free general 3D modeling package available.  There are tons of tutorials out there and Blender.SE for specific questions.
You might find working with Blender is easier if you have exported parts from something LEGO-compatible like Mecabricks.  Export a few Technics bricks and beams and hopefully you can figure out how to cut and paste the sections you need.  Mecabricks also exports STL, OBJ, and DAE files if you want to work with the proprietary 3d modeling packages.
Or you may find it easier to do the bulk of your modeling in Mecabricks and then make a few customizations in Blender.


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Does LEGO sell a DC relay for Power Functions?
I’d like to use a signal from a (5V) littleBits circuit to control some (9V) Power Functions motors.
Does LEGO sell or recommend a DC relay to facilitate this sort of thing?
If the answer is no, I’d welcome any ideas or experiences in how to do this in a way that’s both easy and LEGO-compatible.

https://secure.sayal.com/STORE2/View_SHOP.php?SKU=248131 is a relay that can be driven from an Arduino, so I would think it could also be driven by littleBits. But it may require more damage to Lego-supplied wires than you'd like, in order to splice it in.
I don't know if it's viable, but could the littleBits circuit move a small arm side to side? If your hand can control the Power Functions using a remote like https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=58122c01, then surely a robotic arm could as well.
I don't know that either of these count as easy, or Lego-compatible.

LEGO doesn't make something to directly facilitate this type of integration as far as I know. If you can get a PF extension wire, you could cut it and directly make the connections to your driver circuit.

You can drive the motor using the middle wires of the PF cable (C1 and C2).
For what its worth, I would personally prefer an H-bridge such as this one over a relay as you get faster switching and can use PWM for speed control among other benefits. You'd power a board like that using a 9V supply and connect the C1 and C2 power lines to one of the outputs. Your 5V logic-level signals would connect to one set of inputs to control the motor.

I'm not that familiar with H-bridges, but I'm researching the option. Can you tell me if this SparkFun Motor Driver would work just as well as the model you mentioned? (I understand that it may be an H-bridge since it is tagged that way.)

@EJMak I haven't used that exact driver, but it looks like it should do what you want.


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What set(s) is this piece from?

What set is this from, or what is the piece number?

This is
Part # 45301pb023 : Wedge 16 x 4 Triple Curved with SW V-wing Starfighter Pattern (Sticker)
It appears in
7915: Imperial V-wing Starfighter

Also, although the part with sticker is found only on one set, the piece itself was used in a variety of colors in sets dating back to 2003.

I remember having that set. Unfortunately its in pieces and scattered across my collection now.


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When using pi * distance between wheels/tracks, how do I measure distance between wheels?
I am trying to make a program that requires my 51515 to turn a specified number of degrees. I found a way to do that on the LEGO app's "Knowledge Base", but the given example was:
import math
from mindstorms import MotorPair

motor_pair = MotorPair('B', 'A')

# Turn a Driving Base 180 degrees in place (if wheels are 8.1 cm apart).
motor_pair.move(8.1 * math.pi / 2, 'cm', steering=100)

My issue is that I do not know exactly how to measure the distance between the wheels. Am I supposed to measure from the middles of the wheels? The outsides? the insides?

This formula will need the lateral distance between wheels, i.e. the distance between left and right wheel, not the back and front wheel.

motor_pair.move(8.1 * math.pi / 2, 'cm', steering=100)

The steering=100 parameter means that the wheels will move in opposite directions. For the 8.1 value, one wheel will move +12.7cm and the other wheel will move -12.7cm. That is half of the circumference of a circle with diameter of 8.1 cm.
Now to the question: exactly what point of the wheel you should measure in left-right direction. It should be the point of the wheel that does not slip when turning - the outer edge will slip one way and the inner edge will slip the other way.
Measuring between the middle of the wheels will be a good first approximation. However the exact value will depend on the tire texture and their mounting alignment. You can test how exactly it turns 180 degrees and fine tune the value to larger or smaller.


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Robot Inventor 51515 - PIN request when connecting via Bluetooth
Just received the item 51515
Managed to connect the Mindstorms controller via Bluetooth from mobile without any problems. Great!
Next step, connect from PC.
When I connect from my Windows machine I get Bluetooth PIN prompt.
What PIN should I put in?

I didn't get a bluetooth pin prompt on my windows 10, latest update. Which version of windows are you using? Also, what bluetooth setup do you have? Perhaps post a picture of the info available in device manager...

W10 with all updates installed. And also, I have accepted the prompt from LEGO software to update the firmware for both the brick and all motors.

Are you trying to pair your Hub directly with your PC or via Mindstorms software?

Via Mindstorm software and when I do so the prompt for the PIN shows up.

Sorted. I remove the brick using OS Bluetooth interface. Then went on to once again add it from Lego software and this time it did not ask me for the PIN.
Thanks for your swift help guys!

I removed the brick using Windows Bluetooth panel. Then once again readded the device using Lego software. And this time it did not ask me for the Bluetooth PIN.


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I have found some torsos from a collection in my dad’s loft; can you identify them?

These were in a set but I cannot for the life of me find them despite many searches online and on Bricklink... Any help much appreciated.

I know the starwars one is a snowtrooper but I am really struggling to find anything else!

The striped one is confusing. What's on the other side? Does it say Lego on the neck?

Hi, thanks for your help. I found similar ones in a stuntman set. It is blank white on the back.

Yeah, the prisoner/convict one is odd - I can find a few ebay/etc. listings for a similar designs but with 23768 on them... The newer (2019) Duplo prisoner has a similar black and white striped top, unlike the System grey and white.

Underside/bottom of that prisoner torso looks to be a tad different shape than other two. Potentially a clone-brand element?

I can't speak to the shape, but doesn't the number look crooked to anyone else? I'm wondering if it's a 3rd-party sticker perhaps? That's why I asked about the neck.

It is a lego piece - agreed it could be a sticker BUT it isn’t. Print matches 100% and is the same as the brick 23768

The last one is from Indiana Jones
Part# 973pb0452 - Torso Indiana Jones V-Neck with Bow and Flower Pattern
It appears in Marion Ravenwood - White Outfit

Thank you - thank makes perfect sense.


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Are these LEGO windows?
I have had these windows in my LEGO collection since the 80's and my mum bought them second hand. They look and feel like Lego but don't have the word LEGO stamped inside the hollow circles on top.

These look like "Blue-Box" , a construction toy from Singapore
From inverso.pt

Blue Box basic elements with a 2X4 LEGO brick on the right

The inside of a "Blue-Box" construction set

Nice find! I think it might be worth adding second picture from the article you are referring to since it shows two other elements provided by OP.

I don't think so; I've seen a lot of old Lego, and I'm fairly sure I've never seen these before.
BrickLink has a window category, and none of the pieces in there match.
Sorry.


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Power for LEGO Creator Expert Roller Coaster (10261)
In order to power the Creator Expert Roller Coaster (10261) can the 'Power Up' components Technic XL Motor (88014) and Technic Hub (88012) be substituted for 'Power Functions' components M Motor (8883) and AAA Battery Box (88000) which have both been discontinued?  Thank you for your assistance.

Yes, Powered Up is the replacement for Power Functions. However, Powered Up requires a smart device (smartphone/tablet) to control the hubs.
Used Power Functions parts are also available for sale on sites such as Bricklink, Brick Owl and Ebay.

Thank you for your feedback David which reassures me somewhat.  I am still concerned about whether the PU components that I have are adequately compatible with the roller coaster.  I am unsure whether the relative power will work the same way that the PF components would have.  I am worried that it may be too powerful and drive the cars off the track or too weak to get them up the hill.  May just have to resort to used PF parts as you suggested.  Any further thoughts appreciated.

There is a nice comparison of LEGO motor speeds and torques at https://philohome.com/motors/motorcomp.htm. And you can always add gears too.

They've introduced a Powered Up battery box this year, 88015, that works on its own and doesn't require Bluetooth, but I don't know if it's widely available.

The battery box hasn't been released yet. It was part of the 42113 Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey set that was canceled.

Just noticed on Brickset, that battery box from 421133 Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey - set # 88015 - HAS been released by LEGO and is available for purchase S@H.

Yeah, just saw the news today after I commented yesterday :-)


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Lego Bag Identification?
My son has this bag of unopened lego with no instructions. Bag has numbers 135149 and says 2011. Colours are mostly brown and white. There are eye pieces included both open and closed with eyelashes.

Welcome to Bricks.SE Numbers found on bags, most of the time, are meaningless unlike pictures. Please update your question to include picture (or two) of the bag you have. This would help us identify unique pieces to narrow down search results.

I count 20 sets that have both "Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Black Eye Closed with Eyelashes Pattern" https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=98138pb028 and "Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Black Eye with Pupil Pattern" https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=98138pb007. But there are other eyes you might have meant instead. Really, we do need some photos.

Thanks for your reply, should I open it up to help?

Hopefully you don't NEED to open it, but if you're going to anyway, it might make it easier to see some of the pieces. I can't seem to spot the eye pieces in either photo, for example, so I'm guessing which ones they are.

Thanks again for your help!

According to BrickLink, only set 10692 Creative Bricks has all of:

Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Black Eye Closed with Eyelashes Pattern
Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Black Eye with Pupil Pattern
White Fence 1 x 4 x 1

Do those eyes look right?

Yes that’s it! Thank you.

Hi @Sarah! Please note that if you find answer satisfying, you can and should indicate this by accepting it, i.e. setting the green checkmark on the left side (see here)


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Lego bags missing sets
I have some Lego bags that I do not know which set they belong to. Can you guys help me?

These are from
42098: Car Transporter

Key parts

24116 - Technic, Panel Curved 3 x 5 x 3 in Blue and Light Gray

15458 - Technic, Panel Plate 3 x 11 x 1 in Dark Azure


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'Plate/tile hybrids' (plates with studs missing)
I wonder whether a piece exists fitting any of the following (equivalent) descriptions:

As a 1x2 jumper (two-studs-to-one-stud-jumper) or a 1x3 jumper (three-studs-to-two-studs-jumper), but without the 0.5 stud offset.
As a 1x2 or 1x3 plate, but with one stud missing.
Ax a 1x1 or 1x2 plate 'stuck to' a single 1x1 tile.

EDIT: the intended use was to attach the 'hair' for a Bionicle MOC representing a character of the  Vortixx race. I planned to build the head using a Vahki head with a one-axle-two-pins perpendicular connector attached to the axle hole on the back of the head, then attach the tile/plate-hybrids I described to the connector's pin holes with their studs, and finally 'loop' three system chains between the now-exposed stud holes. Currently I'm leaning towards just using two 1x3 jumpers and living with the half-stud of open space.

Unfortunately, this part does not exis.
In addition to the part suggest by Michael, you might be able to use the 2x2 tile with 2 studs (33909) if your design could be adjusted to make use of a 2x2 part:

No, those parts currently do not exist. There does however exist a 1x4 plate with the middle studs missing: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?id=172557#T=C

Perhaps tell us the application you have in mind, and we can suggest other existing elements.

Just a note, this element comes in two versions: 92593 - WITHOUT groove (older type); 41740 - WITH groove (newer version ).


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Can you identify this fencer
Can anyone identify this hair piece and head? I did a search for moustache on Bricklink and couldn't find it.

'Allo. My name is Inigo Montoya.

The head is
part # 3626bpx129 : Minifigure, Head Moustache Black Bangs, Striped Sideburns, Cleft Chin Pattern - Blocked Open Stud

Hair

Part# 40251 : Minifigure, Hair Female Mid-Length

The rapier (sword) is from Brickarms


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Which set does this windshield piece with a hanging green head come from?
This is a windshield piece 2x 4 x 2, 4594. It has a printed green face on it. What set does it come from?

That would be
Part # 4594 : Windscreen 2 x 4 x 2 Vertical with HP Shrunken Head Pattern
from Set # 4755: Knight Bus

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Dre_Head


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How to get a random value in the Robot Inventor software (Python)
I am making a Python program with the LEGO Robot Inventor software which will, among other things, turn the robot a random amount periodically, which of course requires a random number. However, I could not find any way to do so. Is there any Python function which I could use to get a random number?

Python has this built in. Or is there some reason you can't use it?

Thanks! I had simply not known about that function.

Not every function from full python is necessarily available in every partial (or micro) python implementation, so I wanted to check first before going down a more elaborate route.

Links tend to break. Could you give a code example in your answer in case the link is no longer available?

I'm guessing python.org is pretty safe.

In case anyone is looking for a concrete example using (Micro)Python's random, I created a small program that randomly displays images in the hub. You can find it here https://nbviewer.jupyter.org/github/arturomoncadatorres/lego-mindstorms/blob/main/examples/programs/random_images.ipynb?flush_cache=True

Under operators, there is a block "Pick Random" where you can specify to pick an integral number between x to y... x and y you can type... So for a random direction, set it between 0 and 359 degrees ...

I am actually using python, so this solution is not really applicable, but that's my fault for not saying so.


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Where can one find the documentation for the LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor software?
Is the documentation (either official or unofficial) of the programming "language" for the LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor software available somewhere? Preferably online, without requiring the download of an application. (I have looked at the official LEGO site for the Mindstorms product line, but found nothing there)
To elaborate, I'm looking for a resource detailing the available commands, their possible parameters, expected results, etc.

Official Docs
Word Blocks
The Word Block Descriptions for the block language (Scratch) are under Help & Support in the Settings.

Settings are found by clicking on the gear icon on the home page.

Basic Python
For Python, there is a Knowledge Base on the side of the screen. Click the book icon to show or hide it.

Advanced Python
There is also separate documentation for the low-level Python APIs for advanced users.
Unofficial Docs

Prime Lessons has documentation for both SPIKE Prime and MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor.
Laid Back Koala made PDFs for both word blocks and basic Python and shared them on the Eurobricks forum

Recently following web-page appeared:
https://lego.github.io/MINDSTORMS-Robot-Inventor-hub-API/
I learned it from David Lechner (https://github.com/gpdaniels/spike-prime/issues/7#issuecomment-850643719). I haven't seen an official announcement, but the URL implies it's from LEGO.

Well, it also says Copyright (c) 2017-2021 - LEGO System A/S - Aastvej 1, 7190 Billund, DK on the documentation license.


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What is this Duplo-like Playmobil bag called?
I bought some random Duplo secondhand and can't figure out what set or name this piece is from/called

Are you SURE it's Duplo? It looks like a Playmobil bag in this 1-2-3 set https://i2.wp.com/canadianmomreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/My-Take-Along-Farm.jpg?resize=768%2C559 but I haven't been able to find one with the same pattern.

Good point - maybe it isn't Duplo. It came with the big assortment I bought but perhaps a piece from another brand was slipped in

I'd be interested in what the top and bottom look like.

@RSchulz you should post that as an answer, since you clearly identified the part.

With thanks to RSchulz,
This is  a Playmobil part
It belongs to : Playmobil 6774 - Garbage truck

Thank you very much for identifying it!

@SandraNelson remember to click the checkmark to indicate this is the right piece for any future searchers.

I searched for milk and cow and grapes and yogurt and toothpaste - turns out I should have just searched for garbage bag and it would've popped right up!


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42082 Rough terrain crane
Crane can not be pushed forward or backward. It seems the front and back wheels want to move in different directions.I the rear wheels are lifted off the ground crane can be moved forward and backward and the engine will turn over. The same thing applies if the front wheels are lifted off the ground. The steering operates on all four wheels as it should.
Can anyone give me some clues as to what might be wrong.
Thanks, Tony.


text:
I found these images of parts and want to find their part numbers
So I found this lot on the internet but don't trust the seller. What I want to do is find the part numbers of the pieces on the image and buy it from a reliable source. I tried to find it in multiple ways but did not succeed. I also intend to use this on future pieces but it's okay if you can provide only the ones on the picture. Lastly the main piece I'm searching for is the first one.
Thank you in advance.

You can find all of these elements listed on Bricklink under "Technic, Steering" category
Assembled combinations are:

Technic, Steering Portal Axle, Housing with Dark Bluish Gray Technic, Steering Wheel Hub 3 Pin Round (92908 / 92909)

Technic, Steering Axle with 2 Pin Holes and 2 Axle Holes with Dark Bluish Gray Wheel Hub (23801 / 92909)

Technic, Steering Axle with 2 Pin Holes and 2 Ball Joint Arms with Dark Bluish Gray Wheel Hub (11949 / 92909)

Technic, Steering Arm with 4 Ball Joints with Black Wheel Hub (x872 / x873)

Technic, Steering Axle with 2 Pin Holes with Dark Bluish Gray Wheel Hub (11950 / 92909)

No listing as an assembly

No listing as an assembly

Technic, Steering Axle with 2 Pin Holes with Dark Bluish Gray Steering Wheel Hub 3 Pin Holes Round (11950/ 35189)

These assemblies consist of following individual elements (listed by the time of the first appearance on a picture):

92908 - Technic, Steering Portal Axle, Housing
92909 - Technic, Steering Wheel Hub 3 Pin Round
23801 - Technic, Steering Wheel Hub Holder with 2 Pin Holes and 2 Axle Holes
11949 - Technic, Steering Wheel Hub Holder with 2 Pin Holes and 2 Ball Joint Arms
x873c01 - Technic, Steering Arm with 4 Ball Joints with Black Wheel Hub (x872 / x873)
11950 - Technic, Steering Wheel Hub Holder with 2 Pin Holes
92910 - Technic, Steering Ball Joint Large Open with C-Shape Pivot Frame
92911 - Technic, Steering Ball Joint Large Receptacle
35189 - Technic, Steering Wheel Hub 3 Pin Holes Round

Check out these URLs where you can find which sets each of these elements was included in and you can also purchase ones you need directly on Bricklink.


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Migrate Lego Boost Android app data to another device
I have a Lego Boost Android application installed on device #1 and the app is logged into my LEGO cloud account (the same used for Lego Life etc. too) and is fully synced with cloud. On this device I made some progress, built about half of the models in the app and hence some models are "unlocked" while others are not yet. There is certain progress I made in comparison to clean Boost app install.
Now, is it possible to "migrate" the progress I made in Boost app on device #1 to another Android device (say device #2)? I tried to log in with the same Lego credentials on device #2 but my progress has not downloaded from the cloud even as device #1 is fully synced. Am I missing something or is it simply not possible to transfer the data of Boost app between devices? Has anyone tried to do this?
PS. Neither of my devices is rooted.


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Can you identify set from these parts?

I bought this set too long time ago. But now I can not remember set number so can not assemble. Please help me

It seems to be that these elements belong to more than one set.
Polybags with green window shutters are from Doors and Windows (6117)

Polybags containing blue flag and some other elements in Bright Light Orange are from The Lion CHI Temple (70010)

U r genious!!! Tq!!!!

The box art for 6117 is so strange and mesmerizing.  I'm glad they're trying to make clear that you don't get the building too, but the result is an odd-looking LEGO box.


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How to run 2 motors at the same time in the new EV3 version?
So I've seen a question that solves my problem in an older version, which I don't think is possible in the Education EV3 Classroom - 1.2.2, which is the one I'm using. I want to simultaneously run 2 motors at the same time, but in the post for the older version that I saw, It talked about White Technic Bars which I don't believe is in the version that I am using, so I was wondering how to do it. If there is a block that can do this or some sort of sequence of events that can do this, please let me know. Thanks!

If the 2 motors are configured as a drive base, use the pink move blocks.
For an arbitrary number of motors or non-drive-base cases, you can use broadcast blocks to run things in parallel. Here is an example that shows how to run 4 motors for a specific number of rotations:


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LEGO selling price
I have a friend who is ready to buy my LEGO, but I still need to set a price. I have about 4kg (8.8lbs) of complete sets (2011 - 2014). Almost all of the 10 are complete. The other half with 4kg are color sorted bricks of all sort. These are mostly sets which I couldn't put together. He will use the bricks for his MOCs anyway.
I swing between 150€ and 170€.

If you want to stay friends after the transaction, I recommend to carefully set the price, so that none of you feels ripped-off.

Note. We don't give shopping advice here, since these questions are considered off-topic.
There are many options to consider when buying used bricks or sets.
From general point of view, selling LEGO per weight is always cheaper than sorting all the bricks into sets simply because you don't know what you are getting. Does it contain all the parts for the set X you've mentioned? Does it include rare/costly piece Y of a set Z?
If you managed to sort bricks into sets, then it all depends on the actual set. Most of them will be cheaper than bought new, but some may become more expensive over time. Depending on the market new sets may have discounts up to 50% off RRP or more (usually it is around 20-40% off), so getting more than that is unlikely. Check you local website people use to sell LEGO to have an idea of what your sets could cost.
Then there is also a question about condition. Used and abused bricks aren't popular, unless there is a specific need for them. For example, being a filler pieces deep inside your MOC where nobody is going to see them. Scratches, teeth marks, discoloration all make an impact.
So price can be in the range of 0 - ∞.


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From what LEGO set is this plastic bag of parts?
Please help to identify this plastic bag of LEGO parts.

This is Hidden Side Newbury Haunted High School 70425

Found looking for Plant Stem, Curved with 2 Thorns and 2 Swirls in Trans-Neon Green on Bricklink (only one with more than 3)

Welcome to Bricks.SE.  Thanks for answering the question and explaining how you figured it out.  This is great.

I'm just so stunned and impressed by what just happened here.

There doesn't appear to be any of the 6x6 light blue ("medium azure"?) plates listed in that kit (https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemInv.asp?S=70425-1) that obviously appear in the lower left section of the bag in the OP picture.  Or is that just a problem with lighting/coloring in the OP picture?

@CitizenRon that plate looks like light bluish gray to me, which does appear in the parts list


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I have received a set with a piece which isn't a part of it and I cannot identify it
I feel like I have seen this piece before, yet I also feel like it may not be a Lego piece. I am not sure! I have searched for Bricklink to no avail and it has no number or Lego number on.

It looks like a space gun, part 3959.

These pieces, in black, were also used as torches in some Pirates sets.


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Remote control for a battery operated train
I have a battery-operated Christmas train and would like to make it remote-controlled but don't know what I need to buy for a transmitter and receiver. Could someone please tell me?

Power Functions
I understand the train you have is Winter Holiday Train (10254). Luckily, LEGO has already has thought about it and have an option to power up this train. If you still have instructions check the last pages where you can find the list of elements you need (also pictured below) as well as 11 more steps you need to follow to get them installed.
In my opinion, 8879 controller pictured here is way much better than other Power Functions controllers, simply because you only need to set the speed once and train will keep running. Unlike the other types, where you have to keep pushing control toggle to keep your train moving. All of them can be found on Bricklink.

Powered Up
Since Power Functions elements are no longer sold by LEGO you have to look for other means of acquiring them new or used. However this system has been superseded by entirely new system called Powered Up. In some way it is even better for trains since you no longer need a place for bulky IR Receiver. You would need following elements to motorize your train with Powered Up:

Train Motor (set #88011 comes with train wheels, or as an individual element #bb0896c01)

Hub (#88009 | #bb0892c01)

Remote Control (#88010 | #bb0895c01)

Wish to point out that you don't need the remote control AND a smart device if you go the Powered Up way. You can choose between the two.

@MichaelVerschaeve thanks for spotting this. I, somehow, missed that. Probably due to my (constant) association of PuP with Bluetooth/smart device.

I neglected to say its not a lego its cheaper train, sitting here on line I cant think of the make but I would still like to make it a remote I do Know its G scale.

Over the years, Lego has made many kinds of motors. But for the most recent ones, they sell a remote control receiver which is controlled by a handheld remote control.

Given Powered Up, this is not the most recent solution and actually the components have gotten hard to find. But since the OP hasn't specified which motor he has, it's likely to be a power functions motor and this answer is correct.


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How to overcome a roller coaster track gap of a length of 1 or 2?
I'm creating a roller coaster MOC with a looping based on the Creater Expert set #10261. All track pieces have a length of 8 or 16. However due to my looping I have an offset of 6. To reconnect my track with the starting point I therefore have a gap of 2 somewhere.
I played a bit and created a construction that might work (at least with 3 or more vehicles):

But I'm still not happy with this solution.
I'm wondering what might be the best way to overcome this gap?
Does there probably already exist any brick that can be used?
Update:
The Plate, Modified 1x2 with Bar Handles does not work, for the vehicles get stuck on the studs. However the tip with the bar was good! I found the Pneumatic T Piece First Version (T Bar). Together with a Hinge Brick 1 x 2 Base and Top this might work:

However I do not own the Pneumatic T Piece First Version (T Bar) and cannot test it. I wonder if the hinges will not "hinge without permission"?

Assembly seen in your edit looks good in digital model, however I'm not sure if those hinges will stay in place. Their purpose is to... articulate, after all.

I very much would like to see your finished loop

@MichaelVerschaeve have a look here, to get a rough idea: link

@MichaelVerschaeve here you are: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAJLj0HBauI

Here's what I came up with:

The key element I used is the hose nozzle (60849):

I opted not to use hinges to try to create as rigid of a connection as I could. Here's the build:

This seemed to work fine in the small amount of testing I did, but it does require a bit of careful adjusting to get everything aligned properly initially.

That's a nice solution, thank you!

Thanks for all your contributions that helped me a lot and gave me very good pointers. Here is my final solution I will use:
I'll use Pneumatic T Piece First Version (T Bar) on Hinge Bricks 1 x 2 Base and Top. To avoid unintended "hinging" of the hinge bricks I put a plate 1 x 2 and a tile 1 x 2 beside them and a Hinge Plate 1 x 2 with 3 Fingers On Side on top. I found a similar brick to the Pneumatic T Piece and that worked well.

And a detail view.

Nice! I very much like that you found the way to build a rigid solution.

Roller-coaster tracks are using rails in common LEGO measurement of 3.18mm. Also  referred as bar. There are plenty of other elements having bars of this size. I don't have exact solution, but you could give a try with either of two types of Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Bar Handles. These have 2 studs long bars, so would fit in your gap.

The Plate, Modified 1x2 with Bar Handles does not work, for the vehicles get stuck on the studs. However the tip with the bar was good (see my updated question). If there is no better solution within the next days, I'll mark this as answer for it gave me right pointer. Thank you, Alex!

@Spock LEGO doesn't always have to be build with studs on top - check if you find a way to put pictured plate sideways aka SNOT.

Or upside-down...

@Alex I did. The roller coaster car has a a kind of pin on its bottom to get grip in the chain. On each side it has some kind of mount that hangs on the plate modified as well.
link

Here is one solution by Masao Hidaka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwg5YFPZ6xw using the plate, modified 1x2 with bar handles. He shows 4 ways to use this part.

Can you summarize what's in the video here?  This is close to a "link-only answer" which is strongly discouraged on StackExchange sites.  There's a good chance of the video (or other lnks) becoming stale and then there's little value left to the answer.


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Help identifying piece with slide handles on both ends
I'm trying to build a custom build from YouTube and it contains a piece that I've never seen before. I'm completely stumped. Can anyone identify the brick and part number?
I've attached the image. It's from this video @ 2:17
Any ideas??

It's a battle droid torso, part 30375.

Amazing. Thank you!


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EV3Dev Gyro sensor doesn't output values beneath 0
So, basically, my problem is that my Ev3 Gyro Sensor clamps outputs beneath 0 to 0.
If I were to rotate my robot clockwise, the gyro rotation would go up, but when I rotate my robot counter-clockwise, it would only go down until it reaches zero, then it stops.Here is some code that could prove useful:
Setup of the gyro sensor:
    // Setting up the gyro sensor
    EV3GyroSensor gyro = new EV3GyroSensor(SensorPort.S2);
    gyro.switchMode("GYRO-ANG", 0);
    gyro.reset();

Getting the sample:
    public A[] getSample()
    {
        /** We first assert the mode here. **/
        assertMode();

        SampleProvider sampleProvider = baseSensor.getMode(baseSensor.getCurrentMode());

        float[] input = new float[sampleSize];
        sampleProvider.fetchSample(input, 0);

        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
        A[] castedArray = (A[]) Array.newInstance(clazz, sampleSize);

        // Please java. Tell me why I have to convert this to a Float first??!? This should all be done automatically...
        for(int i = 0; i < input.length; i++)
        {
            castedArray[i] = caster.apply(input[i]);
        }

        if(modifier.isPresent())
        {
            for(int i = 0; i < castedArray.length; i++)
            {
                /** Apply modifiers if necessary **/
                castedArray[i] = modifier.get().apply(castedArray[i]);
            }
        }

        return castedArray;
    }

    private void assertMode()
    {
        if(currentMode.isPresent())
        {
            if(System.currentTimeMillis() > (timeToSwitch + timeSinceSwitchCall))
            {
                baseSensor.switchMode(currentMode.get(), 0);
            }
        }
    }

Here is the log output:
Float value 21.0
Float value 20.0
20
Float value 19.0
Float value 18.0
18
Float value 16.0
Float value 16.0
16
Float value 15.0
Float value 15.0
15
Float value 14.0
Float value 14.0
14
Float value 13.0
Float value 13.0
13
Float value 12.0
Float value 11.0
11
Float value 11.0
Float value 11.0
11
Float value 11.0
Float value 11.0
11
Float value 10.0
Float value 10.0
10
Float value 9.0
Float value 7.0
7
Float value 6.0
Float value 6.0
6
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0

I hope you can help me. Thanks.

I'm assuming you are using ev3dev-lang-java. It looks like this bug was fixed in v2.6.0. Source.
Make sure you are using the latest version. With your EV3 connected to the Internet, run sudo apt udpate && sudo apt upgrade.

Thanks for this answer. I apologize for being late to mark this as an answer...


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MOCs: A question about using LEGO trademark
I recently made a MOC using LEGO bricks that I would like to sell. I know that, since this is my own construction I have the rights to do that, but my question is about the LEGO trademark. I want to make a box to ship the guides and pieces, and I would like to know if I can say "made with LEGO bricks" on it or something related to LEGO. I do not intend to use their logo or try to fool the buyer trying to make him think this is a official product.
Would something like "non official made with LEGO product" get me in trouble?

Does this answer your question? Is it legal to sell your mocs?

Not actually. I had already seen that page, but thanks for your time!

As far as the general legality of using trademarks in the manner your describe is concerned, see Wikipedia's article on nominative use. While the article is rather US-centric, AFAIK similar legal principles do exist in most jurisdictions simply as a matter of common sense.

You may already have this in mind, but just to be sure: you definitally must not base on any LEGO (or other) set on the market!

You may consider asking a non-LEGO manufacturer to merch and sell your MOC. I just learned that CaDA sells the "C61042W Italian Super Car", a MOC created by "Bruno" (with an agreement between CaDA and Bruno). If you would come to an agreement also, you would definitely have no risk. I do not know, if other manufacturers do the same. (I learned that here, unfortunately in German only: link.)

If you read the Fair Play Brochure linked from the Fair Play policy, you will see more detailed sections covering "Attempted Association" and "Product Copying". The reason you're not seeing an explicit "commercial use" call out is because there isn't one - if you want to use their trademarks commercially, you will need to get a commercial license via a licencing agreement:

The LEGO Group’s trademarks and copyrighted material may NEVER be used by unrelated third parties for their own commercial or marketing purposes, unless formal permission or a written licence has been granted by the LEGO Group.

Basically, you should not use the LEGO logo anywhere on your product or marketing materials to avoid any doubt. I'm aware of at least one LEGO Certified Professional (whose main site seems to have dropped off the net, but you can still find some bits on Facebook) whose products you can still find listed on various sites that give a fairly good example of how to do this:

I've seen these in Aquatics shops and online. A number of the listings mention LEGO but there's nothing explicit on the packaging - although the blue 4x2 is rather close to the official red 4x2 that is copyrighted. The catalogues however do carry the Logo as part of the LEGO Certified Professional program.
I would recommend doing point 1 below, as I'm not a lawyer, but I would suggest your options are either:

Not referencing LEGO in any way, other than through the product shots.
If you do reference LEGO, that should be purely in text ideally on the rear of the packaging (i.e. not prominent), include the ® symbol, and include their disclaimer (i.e. "LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this product") and contact a lawyer.

You have to follow "Fair Play" policy published by LEGO and you will be alright.

The problem is that the "fair play" metions only non comercial purposes. Since I am planning to sell the moc, this do not apply.

@Valentino that is the main point of fair use, isn't it? If you'd like to use it commercially you have to make a deal (sign a contact) with TLG.

Given that the purpose of a trademark is to prevent brand confusion, as long as it's crystal clear that the MOC isn't an official Lego product and isn't endorsed by them, I think that mentioning Lego should be defensible without a contract. Of course, Lego could still try making C&D requests or try filing suit anyway, which probably is why most competitors use phrasing like "compatible with major brands" instead.  However, IANAL, so the question probably would be more appropriate for https://law.stackexchange.com.

The website MOCHUB advertises with the following slogan:

The home of unique LEGO® creations

They sell MOCs by various builders. If they can get away with using the word "Lego", I suppose you could too.


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Digital tool for roller coaster physics
I'm currently working on a roller coaster MOC with a looping. I started physically building the MOC but quickly recognised that it is quite a mess to build something, tear it down rebuild it, etc. Another problem are handy bricks I currently do not own and therefore cannot build with. So I switched to BrickLink's Studio 2.0.
Here a rendered image to get a rough idea (the looping idea is not from me, but taken from here):

Now, roller coaster cars do not have an engine, but get an initial potential or kinetic energy and then hopefully do their round.
Is there any digital tool I can use test if the cars come through my track or get stuck in the middle or do I yet have to do trial and error in real-life?

My local LUG had unmodified Roller Coaster released by LEGO running constantly on  display. Even though this set has been designed and tested by TLG we began experiencing some issues by the mid of first day - mainly, cars were not reaching the chain lift. Longer we kept it running the further the cars stopped from lift. In our case the friction/wear became a key reason for these issues. Even if you will be able to test your track digitally it may not account for friction, wobbliness, surface level, batteries running less than max power, etc. I would test it in sections, with real bricks.

OK, good points. However, if I digitally see, the car(s) won't come through, I do not have to try this part in real live. In the end, nothing comes over real live testing, but I think, it would help – if such this is available, though.

I have found this as a general simulator of roller coaster physics, but as @Alex says it is difficult to account for all of the variables of a real life construction. You would probably want a simulator that runs the whole track in order to take into account inertia and perhaps ideally one that works in 3 dimensions. Aside from trial and error, I might also recommend over-engineering so that you are guaranteed to have enough energy to complete the whole course.


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What LEGO sets include minifigure with both arms and hands molded together?
I was looking through my collection and found a minifigure torso with the arms and hands molded together. Does anyone know what set a minifigure like this came from?

Adding a photo to your question would be helpful...

Torso with the arms and hands molded together sounds to me like the ones released with NBA basketball (so they can throw the balls better?)
A list on Bricklink

It's subtle, but I think the word `both' threw me off - without it, this answer is clearly the best. Or perhaps "with hands and arms molded to each other" is clearer yet.

Thanks, your answer is technically still correct, but I thought it might not be what the asker had in mind, since they mentioned the hands at all.

Bricklink calls it Torso Legoland (part 17).


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LEGO set names in non-English language?
English names can be found easily for nearly all LEGO sets on BrickLink and other sites.
However, the sets have names in other languages as well.
Is there an overview of set names in languages other than English? I look for a German translation.
To clarify this question a bit, I rather look for some kind of lists or databases including older sets from the 80's and 90's.
So hitting the catalogs is the way I'm currently doing but this way is not very efficiant, but hey: it's a bit beeing a boy in the good old LEGO times...  ;-D
So: "No" might be a valid answer as well!

You might want to contact the admins of brickset and bricklink and suggest that they add this feature.

If you provide exact set number some of us may have German language catalogs and check out the name for you.

@Alex, thank you, but I do not want to misuse Bricks.SE (and there users) to do my "routine work". ;-) A lot of the German catalogs can be found online and a few of my LEGO "heyday" in the 90's I still own. I just wondered if an IT guy could use IT to automate things... :-D  Indeed, looking in catalogs is what I'm currently doing.

For last several years TLG have been releasing catalogs in PDF format as well. You could give a try to OCR them and perhaps get some data to work with.

The Lego instructions are available auf Deutsch but you might have to type the set numbers in one at a time in order to see the set names displayed.
For older sets German Catalogs might be available on Brickset to find out the names the "manual" way.

Thanks! Unfortunately this only contains rather newer sets (I'm looking for my "old" ones from the 90's. Furthermore, I was more looking for some kind of database so I could automate this part a bit.

As far as I know, the historical entries on (say) BrickLink have come from volunteers retyping what they found in old catalogs; until someone puts in the time to do the same for old German catalogs, it likely won't exist. So unless you can convince a group of people to join you in this quest, I fear it's Do It Yourself.

I completed your answer with the "catalog" part from the comments to have a more complete answer.


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Are my LEGO Star Wars Royal Guards with black hands counterfeit?
At the current moment due to my camera being busted on my phone and the protective glass on it being shattered my camera can't take anything more than a legit blur.
However I've come here to say the legs have no LEGO stamp on the inside. Nor does the helmet. Its the newer Black gloved Royal Guards. The LEGO stamp is on the neck piece and in-between the leg prongs on top. But no where else.
Also the arms don't have a LEGO stamp, they just say 04-B02 L with a underline. The red plastic even seems a odd tinge of color. I bought them off Bricklink.
If anyone has one of these Royal Guards can they clue me in?

Can you include a set number, or a link to the exact figure on BrickLink?

lego Star Wars 852552 the magnet ones. Apparently the seller on bricklink (Name will be left out) had said they were from the magnet set. The helmets squeak, and they feel odd compared to other guards. If anyone has those type figures I'd like to know if their the same as mine. So that I may sleep at night knowing my stuff isn't counterfeit.

https://brickset.com/sets/852552-1/Magnet-Set-Royal-Guard-2009

@chicks yeah that one. Thanks for linking it. Does anyone have those specific guards?

Some odd sets like magnets have a tendency to be produced in China. It could be a case, where different mould (and slightly different plastic formula for colour too) has been used there, which has different markings on produced elements. Does PIP (Plastic Injection Point) is the same on both of your questionable and known-to-be-LEGO elements?

Not being rude alex but your grammar is hard to understand.

That set was produced from around 2009, and anecdotally, we've seen that the LEGO logo wasn't really added to the leg elements until around 2013.
There are also examples of legitimate accessories having no logo on them as well.

Funny because I have royal guards from the original Emperor arrives set and they have lego stamps on their helmets. That set is about 5 years older than the magnet set. This is not a answer. I want someone that specifically has a magnet set guard that can show the legs and helmet if they can. This is a good eye you have here on this but not quite correct. Lego head gear especially star wars got stamps. The imperial inspection set that is. And the helmets on the guards have stamps on their feet and helmet. Not their arms though.


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What is the history of the set numbers of Lego sets through time?
I was wondering how Lego went from a 4 digit code to a complete family and set of products to identify them like the Creator set, the System set...
Of course part of it is their growth but does anyone have more information on how the product code changed throughout the years?

There is nice article on Brickset called "The history of 5-digit set numbers". While this article is not a historic information on transformation it is still quite interesting read since it is based on data collected by the website itself.


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Round 2x2 piece that goes underneath plate
I am trying to create a modular building with roofs.
I saw this Youtube video and I would like to know what is the round 2x2 piece mentioned by the author.
https://youtu.be/3oq3XPN8brQ?t=165
What is this piece's name?
Thanks, Benoît

Hi Benoit! You are certainly free to post links to Youtube videos, in fact it would help identify the actual use case here (what is the problem to be solved and what the video author suggests).

Thanks for positioning the video at the right place! So it turns out my guess was the piece you were looking for, so it all worked out.

Well, that tile wouldn't go underneath a plate. But a 2x2 round plate with rounded bottom has often been used in official sets to allow vehicles (such as boats) to easily slide over carpet, and might be just what you're looking for.

I'm not sure this is what OP asks for, as the question talks about a brick, while the linked piece is a plate, and the question mentions using it "to keep the roof from moving", not to easily slide. Seeing these contradictions and the acceptance of your answer makes for a confusing situation, but hopefully OP can clear their intentions up.

Well, any brick would connect under a plate, so I assumed that wasn't what the question was about. And (if memory serves) even Lego themselves use the word brick to mean any Lego piece, so I think it's a reasonable answer. It is often used to keep pieces from shifting relative to each other, so would work well with a bunch of plates used as a large roof, but still look nice doing it.


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Any build instructions for vertical Technic/Lego conveyor belts?
I'm trying to figure out how to continuously lift a stream of incoming pieces up vertically, at least 10cm. This is my first real custom build attempt, so I'm very much at a loss on how to go about it. Are there books or sites or other resource likely to contain part lists and build instructions for a vertical conveyor belt?
Only thing I've found so far is this absolutely delightful video of The Great Ball Contraption, but while providing lots of inspiration, I don't know enough to reverse engineer it or even really figure out which parts are which.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=jxMMtIxDrGk
I'm starting from scratch on parts, aside from the Educational Mindstorms EV3 base set.

By the way it's not The Great Ball Contraption. As far as I know, they set up another one at every fair! With different parts depending on who decided to bring one to the fair. Each person makes one section, and they join them all together.

You're in luck! Jason at JK BrickWorks has put his instructions online. There are others I've used; I'll hunt for those links, too. He's made multiple Ideas sets, so this might be how Lego officially makes a marble run set, which would be fantastic.
Here we go: I've built Brian Alano's wheel lift and Bryan Bonahoom's stackable lift and enjoyed great success with both.
On EuroBricks, there has been a lot of work posted on recreating Akiyuki's modules.

That’s a stunning wealth of useful information! Thanks so much!


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Is this translucent blue ramp-like brick from an old Space Explorer set?
Is this brick from an old Space Explorer set? I cannot seem to find a number on it. Any help to link this brick to a particular LEGO set would be much appreciated.

No. It's older than that.
This element has been in 9 sets, in trans-dark blue (as pictured) it has been in 4:
https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=4228&colorID=14&in=A
that bricklink says came out in 1981 and 1983

Technically it only appeared in 3 sets, the 4th listing is an “extra” for one of the first 3 sets.

That is one big extra.

@PhilB. To be fair it appears in all 4 sets. The last one doesn't use it to build main model however, but is required to build a "super model". This "super model" is using elements from two more sets: 6880 and 6929, according to Brickset.

Thank you so much for such swift replies. It is very kind. I had my first space explorer set in the early 1980s and managed to mix up all the bricks.
I think it is an “extra” for the 4th space set as I don’t recall building the other sets (and don’t have a box or instructions for the others).
Thanks all once again!

@Valky Glad that you found the answer helpful, could you please make this official by accepting it through clicking on the checkmark icon on the left side?

@Alex I stand corrected :)

@zovits have done now thanks. First time I have used a forum in this (quite sensible) format. Best wishes to all.

@Valky Thanks, and welcome to this community! Feel free to read the [help] and take the [tour] to learn more if you are interested in what makes this format sensible :)