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What is the purpose of the discontinuity in the DUPLO train bridge rack?
DUPLO bridge elements include racks to allow the powered trains to be able to make the climb. An example of this is element 35138:

I noticed that the gear rack on this element is not continuous at the peak of the bridge. Here's what the rack looks like at that point:

It seems to me that a continuous gear rack would be the obvious design choice. What is gained by including this gap?

I could imagine that this design was chosen to take care of slight angular missalignment of the tracks at the peak of the bridge (the two parts are not exactly in a straight line but slightly bent at the joint). I cannot confirm whether this is possible, because I don't own these parts, but I think for easy assembly and disassembly they have to have a little bit of wiggle room.
The problem in this situation could arise when the train passes the joint, the tracks are not in a straight line, the gear rack reaches directly up until the end of the two tracks on both sides and the solid axle in the train forces the two gear parts on both wheels to be aligned to each other, but the gear rack on the tracks would shift, forcing one side to raise up, putting the wheel teeth on top of the gear rack teeth.
This is only a good guess, but I could imagine in combination with a heavy train this could lead to the train not moving any further because the wheels are again and again slipping out of the gear rack.
The chosen design prevents this because the teeth only need to grab on one side while the other side has a some time to align to the "new direction" again.

Hi Tobias, this makes perfect sense! Welcome to Bricks.SE.


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What is this minifig/minidoll?
I found this minifig or minidoll.
What is it and where is it from?
I tried asking the people in the store, but they didn't know, and I couldn't find much by searching since I don't even know what type of minifig it is.

That is Jack Stone, a figure AFOLs love to hate.
from 4617-1: Dual Turbo Prop

Brickipedia page
https://lego.fandom.com/wiki/Jack_Stone_(Theme)

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Bionicle sets with staffs identification
I bought this series of 4 lovely small monsters/gods at a garage sale.
Body, arms, legs and hands are made of Technic and are studless.
Help me to identify:

if they are part of an official set of The LEGO Group, and which one?
which are parts such as the masks, the foots (which are also used as
the support of the masks), the weapons?

Update: This might be from the Bionicle / Turaga (BrickLink) or similar range. So any links to introduction to this series would be welcome.

These are indeed Bionicles
Green: 1418: Matau
Blue: 8543-1: Nokama
Red: 8540: Vakama
I think the last one is 8542: Onewa, with the mask of 8545-1: Whenua
more information on the Bionicles theme and the story line from Brickipedia
the Turega have a page on the Bionicle Wiki

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


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What is up with Jack Stone's legs?
A recent question regarding identifying a Jack Stone minifigure included this surprising picture of the back of the minifig.

I was totally amazed by this because I had never seen a minifig with a leg pattern like that on the back.  Was this unique to this figure for some reason?  What could you do with this that couldn't happen with normal minifig legs?

As TheBrickBlogger has already pointed out, all of the figures from this theme are very different from a normal minifigure:

The backs of the legs on these figures are made to interface with Lego studs for seating purposes, which is probably fairly obvious.  So, I am assuming that the holes with narrow gaps between them may be the focal point of the "unique shape" you mentioned.  At first glance they appear to look very much like Key Hole Hangers, which suggests they may lock into/onto something.

But, after closer examination of a clearer picture, you can see that these slots provide clearance for the leg hinge assembly instead.  This extra range of motion is well fitted for a theme based on "Action" scenarios. It probably provides some stress relief on the parts at the pinch point also:

The details on what can be done with the legs gets much more to what I was looking for.  Thanks Johnny for finding some really helpful pictures too.

The LEGO 4 Juniors figures (also called Jack Stone figures) are significantly different from regular LEGO minifigures. They are much larger, and are not intended to be taken apart like regular LEGO minifigures. They are closer to the LEGO DUPLO figures in this regard with non-removable head, torso, arms, legs, etc.
Having said that, if you remove the head with a hobby knife (yes, you have to cut through the plastic), the rest of the body can be taken apart into smaller components. Take a look at the picture below to see what a disassembled Jack Stone figure looks like. Source: http://thebrickblogger.com/2011/02/lego-4-juniors-minifig-customization/


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What is this grey LEGO light and sound element with neon green attachments?
I consider my self to be somewhat of a LEGO collector, and have amassed quite a collection over the years. Recently, while looking through a few of my boxes I found this thing:

I got this years ago from a family that gave me all their remaining LEGO's when I was a child. It takes AA batteries and has 3 noises with accompanying lights when you press either of the three buttons. It has no part number that I've been able to find, and Googling "Lego green and grey lazer" is not very helpful. :P The only from of identification is the printing "LEGO group 1998" on the inside of the battery cover. I just thought I would ask if anyone knows what this is and what set this is from?

That looks like the "Electric, Light & Sound 4 x 20 x 5 Insectoid Stinger, Top". The part number is x239top on bricklink.  It was only in 4 sets in 1998.  The whole Insectoids product line was terminated less than a year later.

Huh, I’m pretty sure I own two of those in a bin somewhere. I rather liked them as a kid; at the time I had no idea they were unpopular and it didn’t even register that the product line got discontinued.

It is a "Electric, Light & Sound 4 x 20 x 5 Insectoid Stinger, Top" from the Insectoid line.
 I always wanted one of those sets.


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Why don't DUPLO figures have yellow skin?
Normal LEGO minifigures have yellow skin in an attempt at being racially neutral.
Why do (modern?) DUPLO figures use normal flesh tones instead of yellow skin? (Set 10895 aside, which has DUPLO versions of LEGO characters/minifigures... although that does raise another, related question: have there ever been other DUPLO figures with yellow skin?)

This is an excellent question. Here's my best guess as to why this is.
As you've pointed out, LEGO System Minifigures were made with yellow heads from the start for a specific reason. On Lego.com it states:

We chose yellow to avoid assigning a specific ethnicity in sets that don't include any specific characters. With this neutral color, fans can assign their own individual roles to LEGO minifigures.

The very first LEGO Minifigures were made with yellow heads and the first Duplo figures were made with white heads. These were both released at about 1975-1976. Now while the Duplo figures did start off with less racial ambiguity, the Duplo line was quick to introduce the first LEGO figures with realistic skin tones, which were released in 1983. LEGO did not do that with the System figures until 2003, twenty years later.
The LEGO Duplo sets are for toddlers under the age of five, and therefore, these sets include a lot of bright colors. Just look at any Duplo set and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Why does this matter? Well, yellow is a color commonly used in Duplo. It is possible that having a primarily yellow set and a figure with a yellow face might be a bit weird for a child. It also makes the figures stand out from the pieces in the background and might make the set more appealing to a Grandparent, for example. "Oh look! There's cute people in this set!" All of that to say, yellow figures might blend into the primarily yellow Duplo sets.
Additionally, Duplo is for very young kids, and it's probably best to not confuse them and make them wonder why there aren't people with yellow skin in the real world. By the time the child is old enough to move onto System, they already understand what people in the real world look like, and they won't be confused by the yellow heads.
Please keep in mind that this is just my best guess.

The aspect of it being potentially confusing occurred to me.  I'm curious if there's been any research to back it up.  Conversely with very young, impressionable kids, exposing them to figures that with, say, primarily Caucasian skin tones could be worse.  Regarding the primary colors: traditionally the old System/Legoland sets also used mainly primary colors (and sometimes a lot of yellow, e.g. old castle sets such as 375).

@jamesdlin That would be interesting to look into. I assume someone has done research on if certain toy design choices can affect kids. I'd assume they would. But again, I'm no expert, those are just my best guesses.

This article potentially provides some insight to the type of research that product developers, such as Lego, might use to "better" their products.  It's title is obviously meant to be humorous.
"https://nypost.com/2017/04/13/your-baby-is-a-little-bit-racist-science-says/"
If research suggests that babies/children react to things like skin tone, it would make since for Lego to use recognizable skin tones to appeal to them. I would also assume that the realistic skin tones make the figures more easily recognizable as "people" to the children.
The last sentence in the article I linked provides another feasible answer to the question.  The article reads, "Parents, the studies indicate, can help prevent destructive racial biases by exposing their children to a more diverse group of people."  Based on the pictures of the sets I've seen, like the one in the answer by Magnus, they do appear to frequently contain a "diverse" range of skin tones.


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How are the Star Wars Action Battle effects implemented?
I've seen the recent Action Battle sets in the Star Wars theme. Here's one example:

How do these sets work? Are there special elements unique to these sets that implement the cannons and breaking effects?

In many ways, this subtheme is a new implementation of fairly old idea.
The specialized elements in these sets are the cannons and the arrows that are fired out of them. These elements were first introduced in the Competition subtheme in the late 90s. Here one example set (8233 Blue Thunder vs. The Stinger):

The cannons are a single part that implements a simple spring-loaded firing mechanism triggered by toggling the axle on the back end.

The arrow is a specialized part that fits into the canon and includes a rubberized tip:

While the cannon and arrow elements are fairly non-standard (though by no means rare having appeared in around 100 sets over the years), the other mechanisms involved simply make good use of common System and Technic elements.
For example, here's how the mechanisms that launch the Speeder Bike and Ewok in that set are implemented:

There aren't any particularly special elements involved. The design simply makes clever use of standard parts to transfer the energy from the impact point on the target to other areas of the build causing it to launch various parts off in interesting ways.


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How to debug gears in the Bucket Wheel Excavator?
My 8 year old is just finishing the Bucket Wheel Excavator. He turned the motor on and there is a significant clicking noise. It looks as though the top gear noted in the picture gets stuck. Not sure where the problem is as he build it all himself.

First of all, let's get some basic questions out of the way:

Do any of the functions work correctly in any directions? If only some functions fail to work, then we can narrow the search to those.
Is this clicking sound present with all functions? If only some functions click, then they must be the culprits.

The surefire way would be to follow the "chain" of mechanical parts from the motor along the gears and axles. As far as I can remember the gearbox is not that complicated or hidden that it would be easier to dismantle and rebuild than to peek inside (maybe after removing some of the decorative panels). So turn on the motor and see if the gears and axles leading to the selected function are moving. Of course if the selected function is working correctly, you can assume that specific chain is complete and correct, so no need to analyze.
Or just operate all functions for a while each and any gear that did not move during this time must be disconnected from the motor.
Another way would be to locate the source of the clicking sound and seeing if that area is built up according to the instructions, as it would be the prime suspect. My model has once experienced a problem with the three parallel grey universal joints connecting the top and bottom halves (which are assembled quite late in the process) where the insert of one of the joints came loose and was turning in its sleeve without transferring any motion but producing a clicking sound. So maybe check that too.


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

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

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

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

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


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LEGO 42095 wheels going opposite directions
My son just finished the 42095 Remote-Controlled Stunt Racer and the two wheels go in opposite directions. Have checked and rebuilt and still can’t get it running in the same direction. Can anyone help?

I believe you forgot a critical step in the instructions, namely step 84:

It shows how to position the black switches on the remote control, they reverse directions.

It is so critical that they have even left the two circles showing it on step 85.


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Create/edit subvi's in ev3-g (labview) developer mode
How can I create/edit subVIs in the ev3-g developer mode? I can open ev3-g blocks in the "LabVIEW" mode and Display subVI Details, but not edit or create subVIs itself. Any idea how to do this?

I have no idea what you mean by subVIs, and I doubt any other EV3 programmer knows either. Please clarify.

I understand your question but I dont know the answer. Have you solved it or found any resorses?


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

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

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


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What is this 2x2 headless driver body part?

I found this Black 2x2 Piece which looks like a drivers torso, but I have no idea where it comes from.
Only found this piece, Part# 30599, that looks kind of similar, but mine has no head...

Any ideas?

FOUND IT its Brick, Modified 2 x 2 Racer Driver No Head
Item No: x351
How can I delete the post?

Welcome to Bricks SE. If you found the answer to your own question, please do not delete it, but self-answer it.

I just confirmed your own self answer, and yes, you are right this part is indeed
x351 Brick, Modified 2 x 2 Racer Driver No Head

This unique piece appears only in 20 sets.  Look HERE to see where yours might come from.


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Please help me identify this yellow part with four arms and an axle hole
This is part of a set (that's in a bag of partially built pieces) that I'm trying to identify. This seems like a unique part, and if I can identify the part, then maybe I can cross-reference it to the set.

That's a Technic Knob Wheel (32072):
https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=32072&in=S
It's not especially rare, but hopefully it will help you to narrow down your set identification search. Feel free to ask other questions if there's anything that we can do to help out.

Thanks so much! Turns out the set is the Star Wars Rogue Shadow 7672-1.


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Can video files created using the LEGO Movie Maker app be accessed directly?
I recently created a video with my son using the LEGO Movie Maker app. I couldn't find a way to export the raw video files out of the app. Is this possible?

While I wasn't able to find a way to export the videos via the application UI, I was able to locate these at the following path on Android: /data/data/com.lego.moviemaker.thelegomovie2/files
On my device, there were mp4 movie files located here along with a few other files. These can be moved around like any other file, and play just fine using VLC or other media players. You likely need a rooted device to access these.


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Rare Lego Mursten box. Where can I sell it and what would I ask?
Found this box in a rural vintage shop in northern Sweden. I’ve come to understand these were among the first boxes of Lego sold, for the Scandinavian market. This particular one seems to be for the Swedish market, the price list on the inside is in Swedish.
This should be with someone passionate about Lego, not gathering dust on a shelf in my home.
What could it be worth, and where might I find buyers?

Your box is a 700/1 Swedish box (a 700/2 doesn't have that much blue space above and below the image).  Value depends on what is inside as well: the bricks/windows/doors, as well as if the interior cardboard partitions are still there.
Also, I know several collectors (with deep pockets) who would be interested if you still want to sell this set.

Welcome to Bricks Stack Exchange, Gary; nice to see you here!

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Gary! Welcome to Bricks.SE!

Hey Gary, your earthlink adress does not seem to work. My reply below.

As Syberion mentioned, Gary Isztok is the authority on old LEGO sets. Mursten (Bricks in most Scandinavian languages) is the old name for the LEGO line (after Automatic Binding Bricks but before LEGO System) at a time when the product wasn’t yet globally availaible.
I would strongly recommend reaching out to him (he has a facebook page as well, look for the Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide) - maybe send him the picture of the box? He is in touch with a large group of old LEGO set collectors - this could offer you a different sales venue than putting this on eBay or a local site.
Nice find!

Thanks for the tip! Gonna sign up for Eurobricks and see if I can find Gary somewhere.

I think this is 700_2-1: Gift Package (Lego Mursten)
Source: The Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide by Gary Istock
Can't find any price information, so i would make a post on Eurobricks to determine value and/or find buyers
also i found this post about restoring a 1954 700/1 set ,
this could provide some more background

Thanks, man! I haven't been able to find a single photo anywhere online of this set. Regrettably, it does not have the instructions booklet, but (I think) most of the pieces.

Dude.
Most of the website don't even have information on it.
here's what i have found:

It's from after 1950, but before 1955.
It should be filled with individual pieces.
I couldn't find any record of selling Lego Mursten
Lego became famous after 1955, meaning this is very rare.

I also agree that you should go on Eurobricks.
I found a dude who appears very knowledgeable, so see if you can contact him.
https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/profile/1550-lego-historian/
Here is discussion about a similar set, and then about the see further down. however, none of them have the wide blue trim like on your set.
https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/77152-unknown-lego-sets/&tab=comments#comment-3011350
Here it is on Brickset:
https://brickset.com/sets/700_1_1-1/Individual-2-x-4-Bricks
Now this is a cool one, the cover for the box art is from a promotional video:
http://brickfetish.com/timeline/1952.html
If that things got instructions you are looking pretty set.


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

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

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

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

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


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Are these 1x1x5 and 1x2x5 bricks LEGO?
I bought a bulk box of LEGO and about 10% were mega blocks. I am unsure of these pieces. They seem to match in color.

Welcome to Bricks!

These are the Blocked Open Stud variants of
Part # 2453a : Brick 1 x 1 x 5 - Blocked Open Stud or Hollow Stud

and
Part # 2454 : Brick 1 x 2 x 5 - Blocked Open Studs or Hollow Studs

Yes, they are hollowed stud 1 x 1 x 5, and hollowed stud 1 x 2 x 5 bricks.


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Can the Powered Up Remote (latest train version) pair with the Boost Move Hub?
I've got the latest Powered Up remote, I was hoping it would pair with the Move Hub instead of using the Boost App.
At the moment it doesn't want to pair.

Since June 2019, this is possible.  See here:
https://www.hispabrickmagazine.com/content/2019/06/03/powered-up-ii-powered-up-ii-networks/
Look right at the bottom of the article.

The latest version of the Powered Up app (2.2.0) as well as the latest
  version of the Boost app include new firmware for the Boost hub. After
  this update it is possible to control the Boost hub with a remote
  control.
Establishing the connection is a little more difficult than connecting
  a single Powered Up hub to a remote. It is not enough to just press
  the start button on each device and wait. You need to press the start
  button on both devices simultaneously after starting them to establish
  the connection (as if the Boost hub were a second hub in an existing
  network).
Now you can control the internal motors (A and B in the Boost hub)
  with the remote control.

Great answer! I'm glad that this is now possible. Thanks for sharing, and welcome to Bricks.SE!

This is not possible at the moment. This could be enabled in a future firmware update, but I'm honestly not sure how this would work. The Move Hub has 4 possible outputs. Mapping those to the pair of outputs normally controlled by the current remote seems like it would be somewhat clunky or non-intuitive.

If you use third party software to form a Powered Up network you can pair the remote and the Move hub to a computer and control them both from there. You could write your program such that pressing the green button would change the LED colour and swap between controlling ports A/B or C/D.


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How do I run the LEGO Technic V6 engine using a Lego electric motor?
I am not into LEGO, don't know anything about it, so I will try to be as specific as possible.
My goal is to spin the LEGO Technic V6 engine (preferably at some realistic RPM's like thousands).
Since I can't combust air and gasoline inside, my simple idea was to run it with LEGO electric motor from LEGO Technic Power Functions Motor Set 8293.
Obviously, I need to connect them somehow and make them run. I don't have any other LEGO pieces available. What do I need to buy (the minimum) to get this running?
Here's the type of V6 that I'm referring to:

Hope that explains what I want and I hope someone can help me, I will be very thankful!

Welcome to Bricks! Could you clarify what you mean by a Lego Technic V6 engine? Are you thinking of something like this: https://images.brickset.com/sets/AdditionalImages/42083-1/42083_alt6.jpg (That's the V8 from the Chiron).

@jncraton Hi and thank you! I mean something like that, yes, but instead of buying the whole Chiron (expensive), I would buy this tiny.cc/wyfz7y (ebay).

I strongly doubt a plastic piston-shaker like this (i.e. the "v6 engine") can be run at thousands of rpm.

Assuming that your motor already has a Technic axle available, you'll need:

Any Technic motor. You probably want an M motor (8883).
An appropriate battery box or other power source. If you selected the above motor, you probably want the PF battery box that uses AA batteries (8881).
Any Technic elements that you want to actually mount the motor onto the V6. In the case of the above, you could get away with a shorter axle and a few Technic pins. If I were you, I'd either purchase a small Technic set (e.g. https://brickset.com/sets/42088-1/Cherry-Picker), or an assortment of Technic elements on Bricklink.

Most Technic motors aren't especially fast (~400 RPM). If you want an RPM up in the thousands, you'll need at least a couple of gears as well.

"I'd either purchase a small Technic set". Could you point me to a link for such a set so I can see what you mean by this?

Sure. Here's one example: https://brickset.com/sets/42088-1/Cherry-Picker If you have a specific design in mind, you can also purchase just the exact elements you need on Bricklink.


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How do the 61927 actuators work in MK II crane set (42009)?
I don't own a 42009 set (MK II crane). But I have modelled it in LDCad in order to understand how the set works. There is something I don't understand related to the actuators - as I don't have two pieces either I have come here to ask.

The 61927 actuator.
I see the two pieces of 61927 actuators attached to a gearing comming from  one L motor, the gearing seeming to eventually produce a rotation for the two actuators in opposite direction. So, I expect them to be antagonic, meaning one extending and one contracting at the same time. What is wrong in my assumption? Where the rotation is synchronized for the two actuators?

The gearing, stripped.
So, why do they work in the same direction while they are turned in different directions at the same time? Or aren't they?

THe actuators both turn in the same direction, as there is a gearing “bridge” between the two axles driving the actuators that consists of 3 interlocking gears. 3 gears that interlock cause the 2 outermost gears to spin in the same direction. You can easily validate this with a small test setup using a Technic brick with holes, a small axl and a few gears and axle pins.
EDIT: For clarity, this picture shows how each of the key gears spin in this setup.

The two flat bevel gears marked with #1 spin in opposite directions from eachother, but this is possible because even though they are on the same axle (#2), they are not attached to this axle as the gears have a pinhole, not an axle hole, and hence they can spin freely (see part 87407 on Bricklink). It is likely gear #3 (marked in yellow) that is the gear that is driven, and its power and rotation is transfered to its twin gear which drives the other actuator (and spins in the same direction).

Thanks, I believe it is, I just fail to see it. Where is that bridge? If you discuss the 3 ones with a circular hole, I agree. From my point of view, the tan gears before the actuators turn the same way, but after, the gray ones, at 90 degrees, mounted as opposite, make the actuators turn differently.

Those tan gears with the gray in the center form a similar bridge, just under an angle. This is similar to how a differential works. In the end, the two tan gears within the bridge turn in opposite directions, but this happens equally on both sides, so both actuators still activate in the same direction.

Exactly, this is the question, why do they work in the same direction while they are turned in different directions at the same time?

Added a picture and some further clarifications, hope this makes it clearer.

Excellent, thank you, I think the position of the last gray gears does not matter, if they are on the left or on the right side, isn't it?

Actually it does. As the boom moves up or down, some rotation to the gear of one LA is added, while on the gear of the other LA it is subtracted. This causes some slight tortion. It is considered by many an improvement over the original design if you switch one of the gray gears so both face the same way.


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Converting a .ev3p file into a .ev3 project file
How do I convert a .ev3p file into a .ev3 project file?  Everytime I click on the .ev3p file to open it, it just turns up as text in the notepad.

This sounds like a file association problem at your OS-level.  How to fix this will change depending on whether you're on Windows, MacOS, etc.  Renaming the file may fix it, but it depends on the associations that you have and those could change from PC to PC.

As mentioned by others, you can't convert the ev3p file to an ev3 file. However, you can put your ev3p file into a zip, then rename the extension to .ev3s
After this, you can create a new project, and from the settings tab, import your ev3s file.

Hope this helps!

Actually, you can't convert a .ev3p file into a .ev3 file. Based on this post and other ones here's what a .ev3p file really is:

When you unzip a .ev3 program, there are many txt and xml files that are inside. In particular, there is an xml file produced with the filename extension .ev3p, which contains program instructions that the EV3 brick can then interpret and execute.

So now we can conclude that a .ev3p file is only a certain part of the .ev3 file.


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Identify which set these parts are from

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

These parts are from
75202-1: Defense of Crait

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


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Pin Connector 62462 vs 75535
I wonder what is the purpose of the slot in the 62462 pin connector? What can it be used for, beside from help with part separation?
Part 62462 (2005-present) is newer than 75535 (1995-2008), but the slot makes it more ugly in models, for my taste. You need to rotate the slot towards some contruction part that will hide it, but it is not always possible. On the other hand, the groove at the 75535 end is not desirable sometimes also.

I have seen one possible explanation posted in a comment in this question:
Why does the pin recess on the Technic turntable continue to the edge of the part?
User Joubarc states:

Another good (if maybe more subtle) example of this is the pin joiner
  which now has a slot in the middle. That slot is similar to the recess
  seen in the other parts, in that it simplifies the moulding process
  greatly. (The previous version required two sub-parts to be assembled
  together, which is even worse than a mould with moving parts)

If this assertion is true, then the slot exists simply to streamline the molding process. If you look closely at the top-rim of 75535 in your example image, it is easy to make out a very fine line. Perhaps this is evidence of two sub-parts being assembled.


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

Thanks!

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

03 - Part #15619 Minifigure, Bandana Ninja.

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


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How to best measure compatibility among Lego and clones?
A top complaint I see about clone brands is the quality: specifically the flimsiness of the plastic, premature discoloration, or poor fitting with either other bricks of the same brand or with Lego. I've never seen a quantified study of the various clones though. I consider the poor fitting issue the worst issue. How hard/expensive would it be to build/buy a device to measure the force of attaching and detaching plates and bricks?
My anecdotal experience: I have Lego, Sluban, Cobi, Xingbao(Lepin), and 2 other brands that I'm not sure of the source. Among these, only the "Technique" axles  and axle holes from one of the unknown brands are incompatible with Lego: Lego's axles are bigger so don't fit in the clone's axle holes, and the clone's axles have no friction in Lego's axle holes. But having numbers to post in an article and point at would be nice.

One problem with this would be around consistency - certainly in an older MegaBlocks set I had it came with a large number of "spare" 1x1 studs, probably because they knew some of them wouldn't clutch on to a stud properly.

That's true. I really would have to test multiple instances of each type. But at that point the permutations really explode. With 6 brands, there are 30 permutations per brick type (e.g. 2x2 brick). If I measure each pairing 3 times, that's 90 measurements. If I measure 3 different instances of each brick, that's 270 measurements (and that's assuming the instances are tested as pairs instead of with every other instance). At that point it would make more sense to just get a micrometer and measure each brick exactly...

I've gotten a couple more brands since this post: Enlighten and MegaConstrux. I've done some bigger builds too using multiple clones together. I've discovered that the clutch power is really a symptom of secondary importance. The main problem is that when combining large pieces (especially plates) with slightly different tolerances will cause the larger piece to bend ever so slightly. But this adds up over a large build. And it's caused by same issue: the dimensions aren't exactly the same as Lego. So I'm still inclined to get a micrometer and do some measurements.

How hard/expensive would it be to build/buy a device to measure the force of attaching and detaching plates and bricks?

Thankfully we don't need to think too hard on that, as pcantin has already built a similar device, admittedly built for measuring the repetitions it takes for a brick to lose its clutch power. But it should not be too hard or expensive to modify that design to include something that can measure the exact forces involved. Or it maybe possible to measure the amount of current required by the servo during attaching or detaching and to infer the involved forces from that and thus solve the problem witout requiring any major hardware alterations.
But if your goal is to compare a number of various bricks, I'd recommend a different route. Attach a number of nominally same bricks (i.e. a bunch of 2x4 bricks for example) together in a stack, then pull the two end bricks apart. This way you are applying some force to the top and bottom bricks which gets transmitted across all intermittent bricks. By increasing the applied force the two bricks with the weakest bind will separate first, be they anywhere in the stack. This is akin to finding the weakest link in a chain by pulling the end links apart to see which link break first.
Of course this will only tell us which connection (consisting of a brick's stud-side and another brick's antistud-side) has the weakest clutch power, but by repeating the same test with varied composition (all bricks from manufacturer A, the same bricks in another order, bricks from A mixed with bricks from B, bricks from A on the top and from B on the bottom, etc.) with some planning and measuring it should be possible to establish intra-manufacturer and inter-manufacturer variations in binding force.

Yes I did see that. Quite cool. :) It probably would be relatively easy to modify to measure force, but given the number of permutations I want to test, as you imply, it would be tedious. I'm not sure about the stack of various brands to find the weakest link. Seems like a pretty confusing way to go about it if there are 6 brands: instead of keeping track of which pairs I've tested, I'd have to track which permutations of the full set I've tested.

@MattChambers I'd definitely advise against using 6 brands at once, rather use a stack made of two A brand bricks and two B ones to see which bond is the weakest: AA, BB or AB. Then swap out all Bs for Cs, after that all As for Ds and so on. But seeing that a major factor of brick quality is consistence, even stacks of pure A bricks should be tested to see if mixing up the positions of individual elements in the stack affect the result.

That's a much better idea. I can use that to find the worst offender brick, measure it, then I'll have something to benchmark all the other bricks against (probably in terms relative to the official Lego dimensions).


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Can't identify venom/spiderman minifigures
I can't identify these Venom/Spiderman minifigures and I have no idea what set they're from but they are probably about 6-7 years old. I'm not sure if those are the right bottoms for Venom, but I know that the head and torso match (and one of Spiderman's hands are mismatched as well). Does anyone recognize these particular ones? Thanks for the help

These torsos are from some kind of clone brand, not Lego

I think they come from this Megabloks set


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Building techniques for designing a LEGO City Street scene?
As the question suggests...
I'm trying to build a city street in "midiscale" similar to that of Hong Kong, but I have no idea on where to even begin with something like this. This project is being built in LDD 4.3.10.
I can't build skyscrapers and cityscapes for the life of me, but I want to create a city street to replicate a scene from one of my favorite movies, hence me asking this question. I can't find any decent .lxf files that even remotely fit this bill.
The scene I want recreate is from Pacific Rim (the first one), where Gipsy walks into Hong Kong with a boat bat to face Otachi. This is the scene I want to create:

I have the Jaeger and the Kaiju, it's just the cityscape that I don't have.
Does anyone have any building techniques? Anything at all?
I know this is asking for a lot, but would anyone have a .lxf file that they would be kind enough to share?
Below are screenshots demonstrating the size of each of the entities, namely the Jaeger and the Kaiju. A Minifigure has been added to give a greater sense of scale ->

Apologies for Otachi's right claw, hand thing not being on the ground. It is a pain in the butt trying to articulate these joints.

It would help to know which movie scene you have in mind. Then we might be able to narrow down the scope of your question.

This has been added to the question, with an image provided from Google Images. Hope this clears things up

Spectacular! Can you post an image of the robot/monster to see what LEGO scale we are looking for? The scale very much determines the pieces and techniques to use.

Of course. This will be added to the question shortly

From your LDD images it seems that you are building in minifig scale. The scene painting, however, has a completely different scale. Which of these should be the reference for the buildings? I think in the movie the monsters are much larger compared to humans than your LDD images.

@Aziraphale the reference picture should be the concept art picture for the buildings. The minifigure is just there to give a sense of the size of the MOCs if you were to look at them in LDD itself, nothing more. If anything, I would want the buildings to be the same scale as the MOCs themselves, rather than the minifigure.

Ok, so we ignore the minifig, assume that the robot is roughly as high as a 10 storey building and has an absolute height of around 20 bricks. On this scale, you can design one level that looks OK and copy it ten times, and you have one building. It's not about technique, it's about the look.

Calculations / Pre-process

I started off by guessing that your MOCs are about 7 minifigs tall.  If a minifig is 4 bricks tall that makes the overall height 28 bricks tall.
It looks like the tallest buildings are about 20 stories tall and the shorter buildings are 5 stories tall.
So you're looking at 4 plates or 5 plates per floor to build these.  4 plates per floor would end up with buildings 26.66 bricks tall.  5 plates per floor would lead to a 33.33 bricks tall building.  Since the 4 plate version is closer to our goal height, and we can cheat by making a few of the lower floors an extra plate tall, that seems like the best way to go.
Then I took the picture and made a diagram of where I expect the buildings to go.  Based on this it seemed like the building should be 12 or 15 studs per side.

Process
I realize this question was asked for LDD, but since it is no longer supported I'm not going to fight with it.  Stud.io or Mecabricks are actively maintained and supported.  I'm a bit better at Stud.io so I'm going to proceed with that.
For organizational purposes I'm going to put each chunk into a step and name the step something logical.  There is way too much in each step for LEGO standards, but I'm not worried about buildable instructions for now.  If instructions become an issue these steps should be split up further.

I laid out a couple of baseplates and created some boring sidewalks for the main road where the MOCs are stationed in the picture.
Then I added a brick ruler that is 28 bricks high so that I could conveniently have a visual reference for the goal height from step 1 under Calculations.  I did this with a stack of 2x4 bricks in alternating colors.
We needed more baseplates to go under the buildings so I added 2 more pn3811 32x32 baseplates.
I wanted to make sure the layout was going to transfer into bricks so I used 4x12 plates to layout the buildings from the sketch.  This will also serve as a "basement" to get the buildings to start above the sidewalk tiles.   I added building numbers that will come up again later.
I put in 2x4 tiles to make the side streets.  I went with Dark Bluish Gray to match the road baseplate color.  Since I'm giving the side streets 6 studs of width the remaining 1 stud width on each side could be filled in with a curb or sidewalk.  Filling in the road helped me realize I had a couple of buildings 1 stud off, so I was glad to catch and adjust that before it was more painful to fix.
There need to be something to tie the baseplates together so I put in a line of tiles 2 studs wide.
Whew, that's a lot of setup, but now we can get to working on one of the buildings.  I want to make sure the closest tall building looks decent.  I'm going to start by having a layer of plates that are inset by one stud and then a layer of bricks.  I wanted to do something SNOT for the vertical feature of that building, but I couldn't think of an easy way to float the 87087 "Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Stud on 1 Side" out there.  I went with 1x4s jutting out and made it look like it goes up the whole building by filling in 1x4 plates.  Once I got a floor I wanted to go with I turned it into a submodel.  I then copied and pasted this submodel 19 more times.  Once you have the 20 floors you can finish the top in a few was.  I just through some plates on top to make it look uniform.
The next building down the street ("building 2") presents more challenges.  I'm guessing it is 5 stores tall.  The top 3 floors are one style and the bottom 2 are another.  I'm guessing the bottom 2 are a parking garage.  There's a lot of light coming out of the front of this.  I'll leave the light issue as an exercise for the reader or a new question.  There wasn't much chance of doing repeating elements so I didn't create any subassemblies for this building.  The 27c01 windows aren't available in tan, but since this is all in the computer I'll cheat to keep it looking nice.
The last building on the main drag (building 3) is hard to tell much of anything in the picture.  I bricked up a boring cube to fill the space.  I turned two levels of bricks into a subassembly to make the repetition clearer.
The building behind building 2 (building 4) is obscured in the picture by building 1 so I filled in with another boring cube.
The building behind building 3 (building 5) is another 20 floor tall building.  I made 4 layers of 1-wide plates that looked like an interesting approximation of the picture.  I cheated again on some of the colors not being available in that plate size.  I made the floor into a subassembly and repeated it 19 more times.  I covered it with some plates.

Final Top View

Result

This isn't anything that I expect anyone to build.  It needs lots of refinement, but I won't take that joy away from you!  :) I hope this demonstrates the building techniques that you were looking for.  If anybody wants the file I'll find a place to post it.


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Brick or set ID for part?
Going through 130 lbs. of 5 decades worth of parts and can't ID this one part.  Anyone know what it is or where it's from? It appears to be old light gray but may just be really dirty light bley. It is 2x2x1-1/3 tall. Could be missing it's bottom as it doesn't place on studs. Only number on it is 4.

Hi JohonnyB, and welcome to Bricks! There are some limits on what new users can post to try an cut down on spam posts and that sort of thing. Once you've earned 10 reputation these should be removed. Depending on how you're using the site, uploading images is fairly easy through the image button on the markdown editor - you can either paste it from your clipboard or upload from your computer or a URL - the actual markdown can be a little confusing I'll admit.

That's a Technic Engine Piston Square 2 x 2 - Old.

The funny underside is because it's intended to have this part inserted to let you attach an axle as a connecting rod.

@Henrik - Finally got my accounts merged! Thanks for the help :)


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how to send direct command to ev3 brick
I am new to ev3 python but am working on a project. I was reading about NXT-python that " It works by sending the direct commands detailed in LEGO's "Blue-tooth Development Kit" to the NXT brick" I was wondering is it possible to do the same with ev3 brick. Please answer in layman's terms. I am using ev3-dev and I was hoping I could use it to drive the robot.

This isn't exactly sending direct commands to your robot, but LEGO Education recently released a python stack for the EV3 brick.
I haven't tried it; but as I understand it, it's an alternative firmware which should allow you to have python scripts running natively on your EV3 brick, allowing for full autonomous robots programmed in python.


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Lego Technic 60C01 Clutch Gear Bore size
I was wondering what the bore size is off the 60C01 clutch gear as I was unable to find it anywhere. Also, what is the pitch of such gear?

Had to buy one to check the specs. The Bore size is just under 4 mm (~3.5 mm) in diameter. Without the teeth of the clutch it is just under 5 mm.

Outer (hub): 6.8 mm/.268 in./ 17/64 in.
Inner (shaft): 4.9 mm/ .193 in./ 25/128 in.
Teeth (key): 3.32 mm/ .1305 in./ 17/128 in.
-These are close/approximate, not exact due to the tolerances and/or wear. I measured 4 different gears with a digital caliper and the measurements were all within .10 mm of the listed measurements. The measurements even varied slightly within a single gear depending on side and orientation.
Also, I think you can find the answer to your second question about pitch here: "What is the "Module" of a LEGO gear?"


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Are miniature blocks (like Wise Hawk or lno) legal to buy online in Europe (Hungary)?
I bought some Wise Hawk mini blocks (about 100 pieces) for me and my family in Hungary online from China. But the customs office has seized it, saying it is an unlicensed copy of LEGO and I committed a crime. I asked my supplier from Alibaba, who told me these pieces are of a smaller size than LEGO and thus need no licence. But LEGO wants to sue me and want to destroy my stuff at the customs. Is that true, did I commit a crime when I ordered this toy online?

Szervusz! Looks like you got caught in the efforts of a slightly over-zealous customs office in Hungary. The LEGO group has been cracking down on counterfeits recently - there was a big customs crackdown on Alibaba shipments containing illegally cloned sets in Germany about a month ago for example - and your shipment might have been lumped in with a similar effort in Budapest. Sajnalom!

tbh, I'd not trust Alibaba to tell the truth when it comes to whether something is legal or not... But in this case it does look like someone mistakenly classified the product as counterfeit, maybe being unaware that the patent on the design of lego bricks has expired.

Guys thanks all of your time and answer. Still don't really know what to do... I should get you more details. But jeppp I  fell somehow it's ower especially I'm just a noone with face to LEGO and loyers and the costume. I was stupide to belive is not the same as lego.... but still with the common sence camone...  ok let it goooooo .  thaks for all of your  time....

AFAIK you did not commit any crimes, as buying conterfeit products is not considered a crime - even if your wares were counterfeit, but they are probably not, since the basic brick design is not patented anymore and these blocks are decidedly made different and incompatible.
Can you post the original message you received from the Hungarian customs agency? I happen to know Hungarian, and others might too. Maybe they are misinterpreting something.
Anyways, I'd answer the customs agency by telling them about the intentional design differences, the expired patent of the studs-and-tubes brick design and attaching the answer you have received from your Alibaba seller. The surefire way would be to acquire the assistance of a local lawyer, but cost-wise that would probably not be worth it.

knowingly importing a counterfeit product would likely be a crime, as you're an active participant. It's no different from importing say elephant tusks, which is also illegal. If you were sent either as a gift, it'd just be confiscated. If you bring them across the border yourself (or have them sent to you after purchasing) you're involved in trafficking illegal goods.

If I get an email adress then I can send you a picture of the letter  from the lawyer

I'd just upload it here, but it you are reluctant to do so, my email address is my username here, then an @ and ends with the usual gmail suffix.

Update: It turned out that OP has ordered about 200 minifigures (which are still patented) to be used at a summer camp and the quantity has lead the regional legal representatives to suspect they were intended for resale.


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Gluing small parts with hairspray?
Someone told me about a "myth" that you could glue LEGO pieces together with a solidifying hairspray like Tresemme stuff, or similar firm hairsprays (that ones that solidify your hair and dry out fast)
Id rather not test it on a random brick to know, but I have a few sets of rare limited edition model weapons (Like Actual Silver versions of LEGO Ninjago weapons and other such common rares, but I also have some extremely rare things like the gold-plated minifig katana)... And I keep losing the pieces to them (I usually find them but still!!) And Due that I'm only using them for collection (not play) I don;t need them to be seperable.
Keep in mind, I'm not really applying this question to my 1 piece rares or my metal minifigure items. I also have some old limited edition plastics that no longer "exist" and they tend to be weapons and pieces made from multiple small pieces.
Is something like hairspray a workable method (Ive heard its similar to those "bead glues" that you see on TV where you make plastic beads, and spray them with something and they stick together...
if this isn't a good method to go about with this, Perhaps a better method that's not expensive nor messy, but works well and looks good.
I plan on later getting an artist to line them up and put them in Epoxy resin, but for now I need a glue method (For bragging rights :3)

Hi Taylor! Could you please expand on your reluctance, why are you unwilling to try this method with two common, easily replaceable pieces?

@zovits I dont have common pieces. I only collect rares or exceptionally popular pieces (Red darth vader helm, purple ninja ghi, silver METAL weapons, etc)

AFAIK those "bead glues" work on a completely different principle where the sheen on the individual beads is a water-activated glue and so the finished piece needs to be sprayed with just clean water to adhere the beads together.
There are a number of "weak glues" known which could be worth a try:

thick sugar syrup (naturally water soluble, thus removable)
a mixture of baking flour and water (similarly water soluble)
from this answer comes a recommendation for the "Spray and Play" glue, which can be found for sale online but whose website has since gone rogue. Probably due to the negative feedback received on Amazon.

Of course, for any of the above I'd recommend trying with a few pairs of expendable bricks, whose total cost might be lower than any one of your prized collectibles.
Another avenue would be to increase the clutch power to prevent the separation of the pieces. For example you could place thin pieces of paper, saran wrap or tinfoil between the LEGO pieces that need to be held together. The additional material will prevent the pieces from returning to their original shapes, this tension will make accidental separation harder. And if you get the size of the insert small enough and the placement precise enough, nothing will stick out from between the bricks and so the insert will not degrade the display value.


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What set is this bag or black and violet pieces from?
My son got some LEGO bricks in a bag from eBay, but no instructions were included. The only info I have are numbers on the bag 135149 and 2011. It's a number 3 bag.
Looks like "Friends" set, but not sure.

Based on the following parts
303526: Plate 4X8 in Black
4211441: Technic Brick 1X4, Ø4,9 in Medium Stone Grey
6109934: Plate 4X4, 1/4 Circle in Bright Reddish Violet
281721: Technic Doub. Bearing Pl. 2X2 in Bright Red
This bag is from:
41105-1: Pop Star Show Stage

I found it. It is https://shop.lego.com/en-US/product/Pop-Star-Show-Stage-41105
Thanks for all for your help.


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Identify minifig head with large glasses and grey torso with red hands?
I'm sure that this body is the original LEGO. But I'm not sure with head.
What parts are these and which set did they come from?

The Torso is 973pb0048c01 : Torso Aquazone Stingray Dark Turquoise, Black, and Gold Pattern 1 / Dark Gray Arms / Red Hands
appears in 4 Aquazone sets from 1998

The head is proper LEGO too: 3626bpb0126 Minifigure, Head Female Glasses with Orange Goggles, Dimples around Lips Pattern - Blocked Open Stud
This head appeared in 4 sets, all from 2002-2003
I haven’t been able to identify the torso yet though ....

Thank you. It's weird because I don't have any of these sets. Only this head.


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Will the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 software run on macOS 10.15 Catalina
I'm currently running macOS 10.14 Mojave and I see this warning when I start the EV3 programming software:

Will it stop working if I upgrade to Catalina?
Is there an alternative?

Just to clarify, the reason it won't work is because most of the software in the package is 32-bit only, and macOS is dropping 32-bit code support. They will need to recompile the software for 64-bit.

I have downloaded the early release version, and am really struggling to get much of it to work. Not very impressed with Lego, a huge company, who should have been better prepared than this.

I just updated to Catalina Beta 10.15 and as expected, the software no longer starts.

The same happens with both the Home and the Education version.
Source: https://education.lego.com/en-us/support/mindstorms-ev3/software-launch-issues
Alternatives

If you are an existing EV3 Desktop software user and depend on being able
to use existing programs or curriculum, it is highly recommended to either not upgrade macOS or to install a macOS or Windows virtual machine, such as Virtual Box, on your Mac to run the old version of the LEGO EV3 desktop software. There is no direct replacement for this software and no way to automatically convert programs to any of the new software alternatives.
At the end of November 2019, LEGO released a macOS version (English only) of their new programming software based on the Scratch programming language. This software is good for basic programming, but lacks advanced features like data logging, file access, brick-to-brick Bluetooth messaging, and 3rd party sensor support. Home. Education.
For users needing advanced features, the LEGO Education MicroPython for EV3 is the recommended solution. Download.

Info below is kept for historic record.
Updated LEGO announcement (September 2019)
LEGO has made an announcement about a replacement software.

The current version of the EV3 Lab software is not compatible with the upcoming release of Apple’s operating system for Mac computers, called ‘Catalina’. We have therefore decided to replace the current EV3 Lab software and EV3 Programming App with a completely new app, called LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Education EV3 Classroom. Featuring a coding language based on Scratch, EV3 Classroom will initially launch for macOS in November 2019 and in spring 2020 for iOS, Windows 10, Android and Chrome. EV3 Classroom will offer a consistent experience, features, and content across all devices. The first release of EV3 Classroom will be in US English, followed by the other 15 EV3 languages in spring 2020.
To continue to enjoy an uninterrupted EV3 experience, we recommend that you upgrade to the new EV3 Classroom app before updating to the new OS version. For further questions and support, you can to reach out to Technical Consumer Service at https://education.LEGO.com/en-us/support.

Original LEGO Education announcement (June 2019)
The LEGO Education website says:

Attention Mac Users: This Software will not work with future versions of MacOS. We are aware of this and we are looking into a solution.

Waiting 6 months to upgrade to Catalina may be a good idea in general, but this adds to the reasons.  Let's see how they do on bug fixing.

Since the information here will keep changing for a while, I've changed this to a community wiki answer, so please feel free to update as more information is made available from LEGO.

I went to the sources in your post and it looks like the information about this new software has been removed. Any new information?

Yes, the macOS version was officially released at the end of November. Only the the US English version was released. So on the download pages for both the home (retail) version and the Education version, if you select the macOS download and English, you will get the new Scratch-based software.

Seeing as you've been the one to keep this up-to-date @DavidLechner, it seems fair that you get the recognition for it ;)

In the meantime you could use the early release of the new version, made available for the home edition of the EV3.

Thanks, is there any info about how the features in this version match up against the existing software?

Mind sharing where you got access to this early release? So we can find more updated versions in the future? I've searched around but not been able to find much information from Lego.

EV3 Classroom should work: https://education.lego.com/en-us/downloads/mindstorms-ev3/software#MicroPython


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What happened to "LEGO Service"?
In the 1990s, besides the main sets, there were some supplementary sets that were basically just parts collections. At least in Germany, these were offered under the name "LEGO Service", and listed in a small separate catalogue not included in the main catalogue.
An example of such a catalogue can be found here.
These parts collections sets were usually sold in small plastic bags rather than boxes (as opposed to any other LEGO set over here).
What happened to this product line?

Does it still exist, maybe under a different name? (Obviously, looking for "lego service" brings up many false positives.)
Is what is currently named LEGO Xtra the successor (even though Xtra seems to have just a tiny number of sets available, some of which aren't even parts, but playmats, and the rest are not just individual parts but actually form (tiny) models such as lamp posts)?
Was it (mostly) discontinued because of more advanced (read: flexible and probably automated at that) ways of ordering individual bricks?

On brickset, the sets I am thinking of seem to be listed as a "Service Packs" theme, which appears to have existed until 1999, but it's not clear whether or to what extent it was superseded by something else.

As I am not a LEGO employee I can only guess, but I would say the LEGO Service line got replaced with LEGO Pick-a-Brick (and LEGO Service’s Bricks & Pieces) as a way for customers to get their hands on quantities of specific pieces. The LEGO Store Pick-a-Brick wall serves a similar purpose.


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NXT not updating, "Cannot locate NXT device to download firmware!"

I am using a Bluetooth connection trying to update firmware from 1.05 to 1.31 and it displays the message:

Cannot locate NXT device to download firmware!

My NXT works fine other than that. I got it from a thrift store will so I don't know much about its history and I don't have a USB connector. I don't know what to do.  What should I try next?

I advise that you reboot the brick and even the software itself if necessary. It's likely that the brick is defective. Try using WiFi or USB if that doesn't work.

You cannot update the NXT firmware over Bluetooth, you need a USB cable like the found on most printers.


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What is the quietest LEGO motor?
What is the quietest LEGO motor? I am trying to make a sort of LEGO dolly for filming videos, but the motors emit a lot of sound. I noticed the train motor is quieter than the other motors I have, but it is still too loud and it doesn't fit my needs too well. Any help would be appreciated.

How big's your camera? Is it a smartphone or a DSLR? As for the dolly, is it a studio setup or is it intended for mobile use?

Would it be possible to use wind-up motors? Or placing the motor away from the setup and using axles, beams or strings to transfer the motion to the dolly?

The camera is a smartphone, and it's not intended for mobile use. I will try the method using the second method zovits suggested, as I have no wind-up motors.

I just tested every loose motor type I had and the quietest ones by far were the Power Functions Medium motor (Bricklink# 58120c01, set #8883), even at full throttle.  My "L" motors are all in something and I don't have any of the new Hub linear versions. I think the M motor combined with @zovits remote placement idea is your best bet besides cranking some gears by hand.

@JohnnyB I actually found that the PU train motor was quieter.

All motors will be more or less noisy, so OP won't achieve his purpose having a quiet setup anyway. You can probably use Micromotor, but it will under-perform, so won't fit OP's needs. Do we need a list of most quiet motors or a solution that operates quietly? This question needs clarification.

@Alex a list of most quiet motors.

Thinking outside the box, maybe your real problem is that the motor is too close to the microphone. Which suggests either getting an external microphone for your phone/camera or putting the motor further away and having it move the dolly e.g. via strings and pulleys. But if what you want is really just a list of motors ranked by sound volume, then I guess that doesn't count as an answer.

I don't think it would be practical to evaluate every LEGO motors sound output, almost all LEGO motors are fairly noisy so I think it is best to address the problem of a noisy motor in general.
My first suggestion would be to remove the source of the noise first, by using a purely manually operated dolly, if this isn't an option (perhaps you would prefer to have the precise motion given by motors) then I would consider moving the motor as far as way as possible from the microphone, perhaps using axles to distance the power drive (similar to the long steering axle used in the video I linked above).
The faster you run a motor, the louder they will be, so it might be possible to run the motor at a fairly slow speed, using a high to low gear ratio from input to output you can increase the speed without loud motors. However the sound of too many moving parts (gears, axles, etc...) may contribute to the noise.
As others have suggested in the comments, could you use a separate microphone instead, positioned away from the motor? Think about how you could possibly insulate the motor from producing too much noise using sound absorbing material.
Consider using video or audio editing software that can remove the noise. Adobe Audition for example has an amazing Spectral Display feature that allows you to visually identify certain frequencies and remove them, the results will vary based on the quality of the audio.

Motor noise will always be a problem, consider 'out of the box thinking'. In summary:

If you can build something without a motor, do.
Move the noise away from the microphone
Reduce the speed of the motor (adjust speed with appropriate
gearing)
Use a separate microphone (or dub audio)
Use software to remove motor noise


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Trying to identify old 2x4 plate
Another odd-ball in my endless sorting and cleaning: a basic 2x4 black plate, but with two raised hollow tubes, larger than a stud. No part number. Here's a picture of it:

This 2x4 plate belongs to the

housing of an old 4.5V train motor.

There are some scratches on the edge of your plate, most likely from an attempt to pry it off with a screwdriver.

I think you are correct @Uli, the marks you noticed appear to be from the glue that held it to the motor housing. I have a better picture of the surface but I am not sure how to add it without messing something up.


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What minifigure is this?

Please help identify which minifigure this is. My son wants to know which set it has come from. Can someone help us?

Head: Is Part #3626cpb0704, which appears in any of these 24 sets.

Torso: Is from Set #76007-1 Iron Man: Malibu Mansion Attack. Specifically, the "Extremis Soldier" minifig chest piece.

The torso is from the Malibu mansion set, and the head looks to be a Bruce Wayne/Loki/Lex Luthor minifigure, and the legs could be from literally anywhere.

Hi Craig! Unfortunately your answer is a condensed version of the one provided by Rin Rio-Oki 14 hours before yours, so it seems a bit redundant. Could you add anything else to differentiate your answer?

Nah, Z, he's right. I had the wrong head.  My head has slight crinkle marks on either side of the pupils, while the Brook's family submitted head does not.  What made me take a closer look was when he mentioned Loki, who is a Marvel character, when my head pointed only to sets for DC comics.  Nice job Craig.


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I am looking for building instructions for the Megabloks Viking Ship 9604
I have parts of the Megabloks set 9604 Viking Ship but can not find the building instructions for it. The goal is to be able to complete this set.

BOOM!

Found them free online HERE.


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T-R3X the look My Block problems
OK I am making the look My block for the T-R3X program but there is this block which don't know how to make at the end of the diagram in the book.

Hi Aseehah! This question is hardly answerable without an illustration of the diagram in question. Could you upload a photo or a picture to show the part you are having problems with?


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Restoring valuable minifigures
I recently purchased a lot of LEGO minifigures. Included in the lot was a first issue green goblin. The figure is in great condition aside from having a permanent marker line on the torso. Is there a way that I can remove the marker without damaging the print on the figure? My son and I collect together and have been looking for the green goblin fig to go with our collection.

I have had pretty good luck in the past using isopropyl alcohol and a q-tip.

First off be very careful of the printing on the minifigure, the plastic is quite durable but the printing can wipe off rather easily. I list a few different methods to remove permanent marker all have their varying degrees of risk. They are listed in the order I'd try them in.

Dry erase marker?! Just cover over the permanent marker with a dry erase marker then wipe it off. yes it works.
Aerosol hairspray, body spray, Rubbing alcohol (Isopropyl alcohol), etc. Like JohnnyB suggested alcohol is a good cleaner for permanent marker, especially on plastic. Just be careful of the printing any alcohol biased cleaner can and will remove the printing.
Nail polish remover. Be very careful with this one, nail polish remover's active ingredient is acetone. Acetone with enough time will dissolve ABS (and rubber tires very quickly) but long before that happens it will remove the printing :( I'd only try acetone as a last resort.
Toothpaste I'd recommend skipping this social media craze, it may work (on lego) but there are better ways. On the plus side I doubt the toothpaste it will hurt the minifig, however all the scrubbing necessary to remove the marker that is another story...

Try using window cleaner spray, like this:
Such products are designed to remove nasty stains and their alcohol content should be able to loosen the permanent marker ink, since it is alcohol-based as well. To protect the underlaying print, do not use the spray head, but apply the fluid to the affected area(s) with a precision tool, like a toothpick or the corner of a sponge or tissue.
Other apolar solvents, like oils could be tried too.
Another option would be the use of a so-called "magic eraser sponge":
These work by being abrasive, so effectively scrubbing away the top layer of anything, so be careful to only touch the parts covered by the permanent marker. Optionally combine this with alcohol-based cleaning agents.
On the same page, a pencil eraser might work, especially if the surface has a sheen which the ink could not penetrate.
The gentlest possible method I have found an endorsement for is the use of water and soap, but there are others who haven't had problems using nail polish remover either. I'm a bit sceptical here, as acetone is known to solve ABS, but if used with precision, care and moderation, the collateral damage could be contained.


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What 1x8 ski part is this?
I looked through the usual places BrickLink/Rebrickable. I can't seem to find what part this is. It has no markings other then Lego and LEGO Group. I seem to remember it going to a set where this singular ski part goes in the front.

This seems to be item No. 2823

Technic Forklift Fork (white)

It was part of four sets:
6342-1 Beach Rescue Chopper

6545-1 Search N' Rescue

6401-1 Seaside Cabana

6663-1 Wave Rebel

All images bricklink

Thank you so much! 6342 is the set I think..


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Help identifying Star Wars and maybe one another set(s)
Got these as a gift.
This is supposedly Star Wars, and maybe one other set, possibly some car.
Thank you.

Possibly some remains of set 75025-1. Guess based on what seems to be four black Technikc Forklift Forks in the last picture...

A better picture of the top right would help tremendously.

The top left picture is a fragment of set #9442 "Jay's Storm Fighter".
The top right looks like another fragment of set #9442.
The bottom picture is the base of set #75053 "The Ghost".


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Star Wars 30-stud long grey triangle ship identification
Tried searching it through Google but it didn’t come up with a result. Please help me identifying this one.

Looks like the MIDI-SCALE IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER™ - 8099


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Arduino-izing LEGO Technic - and now I need some ideas for the Lego Service Truck 8071
I am starting a project - Arduino-izing LEGO Technic - and now I need some ideas for a car / vehicle to choose.
This project starts out as a quest to find a way to combine the ease of LEGO Technic chassis building with cheap commodity electronics to motorize and remote control it.
I was looking for a vehicle that is able to work for this. This could be a simple chassis: https://www.instructables.com/id/Build-your-own-Custom-Arduino-Remote-Control-and-L/ https://www.hackster.io/Notthemarsian/take-control-over-lego-power-functions-ee0bfa https://www.instructables.com/id/Raspberry-Pi-Remote-Controlled-Car-1/

This should be a part of a robotics workshop and therefore I need a LEGO-based platform for younger kids who grew up with Lego but cannot afford to spend hundreds of dollars to buy power functions, LEGO motors, IR remote, and EV3. Thanks to numerous examples on the net and several and Youtube tutorials on integrating Arduino with LEGO, I will try to start out with an interesting example.
Starting point: the kids should be able to complete this project with a small budget and I hope to incorporate this into my robotics workshop in the future.
The main thing is, I need to have the rear axle to be attached to a single N20 motor to move the kart forward and reverse via a TB6612FNG motor driver. Front steering can be controlled by an SG90 servo motor.
i have chosen the Lego Service Truck 8071 - see here:  https://www.lego.com/de-de/service/buildinginstructions/search?initialsearch=8071&ignorereferer=true#?text=8071
Remote control should be able to be accomplished by a cheap IR remote/receiver solution based on
Arduino
Zigbee
Bluetooth
I understand that the IR remote hardware (and the method) is pretty hard part to implement and learn about a remote control system so it was a perfect option for this car.
Since this is just a proof-of-concept project and the design follows function - I need to have an idea.
The main question is: How about LEGO Technic-8071 - the Service Truck?
guess that i can add the steering and motor with ease

many many thanks for all the hints -

Your question could use some clarity. You mention you are interested in keeping cost down. For the chassis design, do you need/want it to be a set? Or, can it be a oversimplified MOC?  Or, are you just wanting the design to have instructions?

hello dear JonnyB - many thanks for the reply. Great to hear from you. I need some tipps for the design and i would be glad to get some ideas where to put the engines ... Many thanks in advance for any and all help - greetings zero

@zero I'd rather disassemble this set and start with a simple frame. Something like two liftarms, two axles, four wheels. Have the kids position the motor to make the car go forward and reverse. At this stage you can still use rubber bands to attach the motor and drive the wheels. Next introduce a simple steering mechanism and add it. And so on...

@zero also make sure to check out Yoshihito Isogawa's brilliant book: The Lego Power Functions Idea Book Volume Two - Cars and Contraptions

hello dear uli hello dear all - many thanks for the hints - i am happy about all your help!

So, after doing some research I think the most helpful solution I can offer is a picture of various techniques and a link to a straight-forward, budget friendly tutorial. I think trying to explain anything in depth would be tedious and vulnerable to misinterpretation. It also appears that super glue, hot glue, and some pieces to sacrifice/modify will be necessary.
The link: https://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-izing-Lego-Technic-Go-Kart/
Pic:

hello JonnyB - wow  this is just overwhelming. Many many thanks - i  am very glad. This is the wanted and needed push for the project.  Great!  - many thanks for all you did!!

many thanks for all the hints -


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2x2 plate with round section and rubber bristles?
Very strange piece with soft rubber bristles. Bought in a misc box from a garage sale for my son and daughter.

You're not the first to ask, but that question has no answer, so I can't mark this as a duplicate: Modified 3x2 Plate with Rubber Bottom and snap-on cover?

So, the curiosity bug bit me again.  The mysterious part appears to be a Kre-O "Motion Brick" which appeared in various sets. In my research I found that there is a variation (hollow vs. solid) in the studs, as shown in the picture.

This is very helpful, thank you! I have found out her Kre o blocks in the mix. My son kept asking me what it was and I had no idea! Thanks again!


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What is the identity of this 4-wide car bumper part from a photo?
Can anyone tell me what part this is?

It's [Part 50949] Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Racers Car Grille


text:
Difference of Lego products
I came across the Lego Ideas and the original one, and it doesn't seem to have any difference. It's just a normal house, but on a book? Can somebody help me tell the difference, as my son wants to decide on his birthday present. Thanks!

Your question is very unclear. What "original one"? A "house on a book", and "ideas", make me think that part of what you're talking about is https://shop.lego.com/en-US/product/Pop-Up-Book-21315, but the house is just one of the two models you can build inside the book, and it doesn't really look like any other set I remember having seen.

The question is unclear, but I will take a stab at it.
It seems that OP found the LEGO Ideas website with the LEGO Pop-Up Book project: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/cfaf7a52-02a4-4dc0-8ec3-6b94d7c36069
Then they also saw this listing at the Online LEGO Shop: https://shop.lego.com/en-US/product/Pop-Up-Book-21315
OP thinks that both sets can be bought and is asking how the two sets are different.
To answer the question, the original LEGO Ideas submission is not for sale. Only the #21315 LEGO Ideas Pop-Up Book set can be bought.
How LEGO Ideas works is that LEGO fans can submit their own ideas they would like LEGO make into a set. If enough people like an idea and vote for it, LEGO will consider making it into an official set. Once the idea is selected, LEGO's own designers will refine the project to their own standards and make it into an official set.
The #21315 LEGO Ideas Pop-Up Book set is the result of the original submission at LEGO Ideas. It is the only version of the project that is for sale. The set is designed like a traditional pop-up book that can open with scenes that pop up from the pages.
The original LEGO fan project included suggestions for various scenes that could be used for the book. For the final set, LEGO's own designers selected two interchangeable scenes; Little Red Riding Hood with grandma's house, and Jack and the Beanstalk with a "growing" beanstalk. You can see pictures of both scenes and how they unfold and pop up at the Online LEGO Shop page: https://shop.lego.com/en-US/product/Pop-Up-Book-21315
I hope this answers OP's question. If I'm, completely off the mark and misunderstood the question and what set OP is talking about, please OP, come back and clarify your question.

Oh thanks, I get it now!


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EV3 PID line follower with medium motors
I am stuck on creating an efficient line follower with medium motors.
The problem is that the motors are rotating in different ways so I can't use the steering block.
I would appreciate any kind of help.

From a programming perspective I can't help you since I haven't programmed anything since the Mindstorms NXT.  The simplest solution I can think of, without seeing your set-up, is to offset one of the motors and add a 1:1 gear drive using 16 tooth gears that would simply reverse the motor output on that side.


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What is the white building pictured in the San Francisco (21043) set?
Can someone help identify what the red-circled building is (not the cylindrical Coit Tower) in this set?  The others are obvious, but this one does not seem to be identified in any of the official literature.

jangbricks mentions 650 California Street in his review...

I believe it is 50 Fremont Center/Salesforce West Tower (it's right in front of/besides Salesforce Tower);

I acknowledge that the scale seems off. I'm guessing it is the Fremont Center based on it's location, appearance, and that Lego didn't bother labeling it, as if Salesforce West is part of Salesforce Tower. Also, if you were to look at Salesforce Tower from Coit Tower, the white buildings position is pretty much right on (if other buildings weren't blocking your view).
  Additionally, none of the landmarks or their proximity to each other are really on scale in this Lego set.  I feel like it's more of a representation than a model.

Here is a view from satellite photo:

So it's Salesforce West Tower. Or is it?

Here's the heights, according to wikipedia.

Seems like the proportions are good. Except for Salesforce West Tower. At 600 ft it should be almost half the size of Salesforce Tower. How odd.

Here's a photo from the instructions booklet.

Notice the building with the pyramid roof (yellow arrow) and the two white ones next to it.

Here's the same view from above.

Turns out that the white building is Steuart Tower, height 364 ft. That's to scale.
Steuart Tower, however, is home to the Autodesk Gallery that features an 8.5-foot, 62,500 LEGO piece dinosaur in their exhibition.
So something makes me believe that this small white building is in fact: an easter egg!
And I think it's One Market Plaza, Steuart Tower.
What do you think? Am I wrong?

If you are correct, it seems odd that they wouldn't have built more of the building since Steuart Tower is actually part of a 3 building complex, all very much connected. An easter egg is a much cooler idea, I wonder if we'll ever know?

Based on the proportions, I really think it’s the Gateway apartments.

That’s either the Embarcadero Center (one of the four in a row seen at image below)  or it is the Gateway apartments (visible in front of the row of four).

Source (Wikimedia)

To me, it looks a little like 650 Calfornia (right up the hill from the B of A building)…

Could you add a picture of the building you've mentioned? This would greatly improve the quality of your answer.


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Problem-shooting on 8070 "Super Car" with Power Functions
I have recently bought a used Lego Technic car (8070 Supercar). It was not fully built, and from the instructions I learned that it was fully built except for approximately the last 10 steps. I finished it and now there are some problems.
I assume the motor is not the most powerful for this heavy model, but it is not even possible to open the hood or the doors easily*. I have to sometimes touch the wheels to allow them to open. This leads to the second uncertainty: If the switch for example is in position "hood" the wheels also are moving. But in a video clip I saw them open without the car moving.
I want to locate the problem with the least effort. Worst case for me is to completely de-build and then have to rebuild new. Maybe this model has known weak points I can check first?
(Please comment if you need more information or pictures!)
(* I used new batteries ^^)

If built according to the instructions, the wheels should not be powered at all. The only motorized functions is opening the hood, doors and spoiler. Moving the wheels should not affect these functions, nor should the wheels move when operating the functions.
So my guess is that someone did a poor attempt at modding this model and you'll have to deconstruct the model further.

So you say in the regular model the motor has no connection to the wheels? This explains the "weakness" of the Motor

Yes, that is correct

Thank you for the answer! :) but I see me railing against you, when I will sitting between hundreds of small parts ;)


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Is there a software which finds alternate models for owned sets?
I know for example the catalog of BrickLink and now I wonder if there is a software which can calculate from the inventory lists which other models one can build with an owned set?
To more detail: If one owns a set with a lots of parts, there have to be some set with less parts that are included in the big set...
I have now browsed Rebrickable website, but there are only self-made instructions for owned sets. This is nice, but I searched for "original" models, which I can build of my owned sets. Did I made something wrong?

In your build options, you can select whether or not to include custom models or official lego models. Click "Change build options", then select "Include Official Sets (LEGO)" and "Include Official Sets (LEGO)" or "Include Custom sets (MOC)"

thank you for this advice!

You're describing rebrickable:
https://rebrickable.com/
Besides official models, also hundreds of fan created models are available.
It's a terrific resource


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Finding all my owned minifigs
Let's say I've uploaded all my sets to BrickSet or Rebrickable or something similar. Is there a way I can download pictures and part descriptions of all my 1000 minifigures?
Let's say I have a daughter who likes to make custom figures and then never put anything back the way it was before after she's done with it. I'd like to be able to print out a sheet of minifigure details so that she could re-assemble them. Or even so that I could reassemble them.
For "Parts description", ideally I'd have the text like you find on BrickLink:

Light Flesh Minifigure, Head Dual Sided Black Glasses with White Lenses, Sideburns and Moustache, Neutral / Smiling Pattern (John) - Hollow Stud
Medium Lavender Hips and 1 Dark Purple Left Leg, 1 Medium Lavender Right Leg with Yellow and Red Vertical Stripes on Sides Pattern

Better if it had part numbers so I could look those up.
Lots of minifigures have rear or side printing or dual-printed heads and it is often not obvious from a single photo what parts to look for, otherwise I could just use the pages on BrickSet.

@johnnyb bricklink has detail but is impractical in the extreme. Brickset has minifigs but not enough detail. Rebrickable has an API but nothing for minifigs.

Thank you for editing-in additional information, I have a better understanding of what you are looking for now. An auto-generated, customizable, detailed parts list of minifigures based on one's set inventory does sounds useful.

If you have added your sets to Brickset, under "My Sets; Minifigs; View Your Minifigs" you will find all your minifigs pictured & listed by name (default). This will give you their name, ID number, and which set or sets they are from. You also have several more options to sort them by. Clicking on a picture magnify's the figure for greater detail. All of this can be printed, but given the number of minifigures you are dealing with, printing them out is going to take a lot of paper and ink and may be impractical.

If any additional information is needed, then looking up the provided figure number on Bricklink will give you the option to look at its individual components in greater detail.

Brickowl can provide you with a more compact, detailed break-down of a minifigures parts, but unfortunately doesn't use the same ID numbers as Brickset and Bricklink. These compact inventories would make it more practical to compile several figs on a single page. Perhaps Brickset may consider such a format if you were to inquire? It would be a very useful tool.

That page doesn't have all the info I need on it

I'm looking for part descriptions as well as a picture of the completed minifigure.

like "Medium Lavender Hips and 1 Dark Purple Left Leg, 1 Medium Lavender Right Leg with Yellow and Red Vertical Stripes on Sides Pattern"

The "stripes on sides pattern" part isn't going to be evident from a single minifigure display on brickset.

I have thousands of minifigures. I can't possibly keep track of which ones do or don't have back or side printing, or which head is which. I used the brickset list once in the past and it was a huge pain. For each minifigure I had to look up its inventory separately. If it were just as easy as looking at a few pictures I wouldn't have posted asking for "pictures and part descriptions". They key here is that I need a way to get to this info for all the minifigures in my collection.

@Mr. Shiny and New 安宇 - We made quite a mess out of the comment section, I deleted my comments and request you do the same. I don't think our "conversation" here added anything of value to a potential answer. Please consider giving my answer at least a "one-up" for the effort.  Perhaps someone else will find my answer useful for their needs.  I wish you the best in finding a solution.


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Help identifying Star Wars set from troopers and white pieces
My nephew handed down his LEGO pieces to my son. Most of them seem to be Star Wars. I need help to identifying them so I can download instructions.
Appreciate your help!

Seems to be mostly from one set with a mixture of Minifigs and accessories.
Set #10195-1 Republic Dropship with AT-OT.  (Referencing your picture, these are generally the bricks below your Minifigs.)

Some Minifigs and accessories.
Set #8084-1 Snowtrooper Battle Pack. (Referencing your picture, some of your Minifigs come from this set.)

Headgear: Part 61182 Minifigure, Headgear Helmet SW Rebel Scout Trooper. ( Comes with a black visor shown in your picture.  Headgear used on the figure directly below, which is NOT in your picture.)

Trans-Neon Light Saber: Part #30374 Bar 4L (Lightsaber Blade / Wand).

Chrome Hilt: Part #64567 Minifigure, Weapon Lightsaber Hilt Straight.

Minifig: Part #sw0178 General Maximillian Veers - Goggles Print and Dark Bluish Gray Helmet.

Minifig: Part #Sw0166 Shadow Trooper.

Thank you so much! You are amazing~


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How do you make a custom Lego piece/figure?
I have googled this countless times and there just isn't anything close to what I want.
I want to be able to print and design pieces: minifigure accessories, minifigure designs, pretty much make my own figure without going through another 3rd party. I have specific designs I want to do and it's strictly for personal use. I am just really curious about how other third parties do it.
I saw the YouTube video of how Lego makes their bricks. They have their own mixture and mold and press, impractical for single use. I am also not talking about pad printing or any kind of decal work as I have already researched different ways to go about doing it.

Because your question is more about plastic casting & mold making than specifically Lego, I think you will have better luck in Engineering.  It sounds like you're interested in silicone molds and 2-part resin casting. Google/Youtube has a lot of information on this subject as well.

I recommend getting the book Minifigure Customization. It explains all aspects of designing and casting of minifig parts and accessories. The book has two versions. The second print (white cover) is slightly updated from the first version (blue cover): https://www.amazon.com/Minifigure-Customization-Why-Live-Box/dp/1605490520/

The printing on existing pieces and the designing of new pieces are two very distinct fields with little to no overlap. Please specify which one you are interested in (and optionally ask another question for the other topic).


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Technic beam centering for beam with even length
I design stereo camera housing for robotics (3d printing). I want the housing to be able to connect to both LEGO Classic and LEGO Technic blocks. I designed 2 groups of 4x4 holes/pins on the bottom/top of the case for LEGO Classic. This works fine using the camera as "intermediary" piece (connecting bricks both from bottom and top and incorporating the camera into a LEGO robot).
However I also want Technic to mate the camera. I came up with holes for Technic pins which make some of the "Classic" holes deeper. The problem is Technic uses odd number for beams so they can center with one hole. Is there a part (maybe 2-sided double-beam) that would connect even to odd and allowed me to center the camera on LEGO Technic properly?
Sure I could move the holes one step to sides (make beam 5 fit) but that would produce the same problem on the Classic side (centering, using 7x2 or 8x2 instead of 6x2).
Camera bottom side (hole in the center is for tripod screw):

Camera top side:

Hmm...  I don't know...  I personally, wouldn't try to reinvent pin placement of Technic holes and Studs. I'm not saying being creative that way is too challenging. What I am saying is that, we should work with examples, or in this case parts that already bridge Classic stud width with Technic holes.
Placing pins where the studs belong seems akin to reinventing the wheel, when we could be building off the long work history already put into the wheel's design, and spring board off that instead.
With that said, I'd point you to a Technic 2 x 4 plate with three holes.

Replicate it, split it in half (lengthwise), and embed the top on to the top of the camera housing.  Take the split bottom half and embed that into the bottom of the camera housing.
Visually, to me, the stud width of your design looks like a Technic 2x6, but there seems to be enough room to jam a Technic 2x8 in there.

For my brain to work, I like pictures.  So, for piece inspiration, I'd go to Bricklink's database and just type "pin", "pins" or "holes" and look at the pictures of parts that have a key word in them.  Doing this expands the possibilities of what could be done to make your design solid.

Also for me, it's easier to reverse engineer things I see.  So, for ideas I would BL search these parts, look up the sets that they were in, and watch a Youtube * speed build of one of these Technic sets to see how the part was used, and maybe come across an ingenious way someone mated Classic studs with Technic pinage.
(* When dealing with Youtube. Time is precious and limited, so remember we can reclaim some time by speeding up YT playback with the settings "gear".)
EDIT
Another design compatibility suggestion:
There are no pictures showing the total height of your camera rig.  I'm just imagining it inside a robot, or something, and the height of it doesn't conform to the standard bricks built around it.
Try to standardize your work, by making  sure the total height is equal to a pillar of bricks, and round the entire height to the nearest brick.

What if you had anti-studs where you want them, at stud-depth, but also overlaid technic holes at full technic pin depth where you want them? This would lead to a complicated, non-standard arrangement, but if you look at, eg, the new 2x1 jumper plates, they are designed to allow a stud in the middle between the two normal anti-studs. Since you have two different depths here, it might be possible to make the technic pins still click properly.
Failing that you could just not provide the full set of technic holes and instead spread them around outside the studs.

Thanks for great hint! I think the technic pins will make it and click, but the classic anti-studs may connect a bit looser since the technic holes will be just horizontally in the middle between the classic anti-studs and will interfere with them. But I could make the classic anti-stud diameter a bit smaller to fix that. I think it will work! I tried to have clean and "nice" design so this solution has not come to my mind. It will be a bit ugly but will work better! :)

Rin Rio-Oki's example of the 2x4 plate with technic holes shows the concept even better than what I imagined, because of course you can fit the technic holes betwen the studs if you offset them in that way. That is a proven design, I guess.