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Is it possible to use EV3 MicroPython with Windows 7?
I have been trying to get python on my EV3 brick using an EV3 MicroPython SD card image as described on the Lego website. The EV3 brick seem fine with its new OS.
Instead my problems are at the computer end. When connecting the EV3 to my PC by USB cable and the Visual Studio Code editor (as prescribed by the Lego documentation) I can find and connect to the EV3 brick. But as soon as I try to actually do something with the connected device I get a blue screen of death.
According to the Lego homepage the systems requirements for EV3 MicroPython is Windows 10. I use Windows 7 on my computer which by itself should explain the problems. Nevertheless my question is if this seems plausible? Have others had the same problem? Is there any other way to use Python programming on my EV3 brick without having to change OS on my computers?

Does the BSOD offer any clues to what causes the crash?

There should be a dump file created here %SystemRoot%memory.dmp i.e C:\Windows\memory.dmp If you could make that file somehow available, I or others could analyze it.

I haven't heard of this causing a BSOD before (I wrote a significant portion of the software in question, so I would be more likely to hear user feedback than most people :-) ). It sounds like a hardware problem with your computer. Is there another computer you could use instead?

What's the stop code (usually on second paragraph)? What's the bugcheck code (i.e. 0x00000f or something)?

Apparently Windows 10/8/7 all had problems with freezing when USB devices were inserted, and only one other guy out there had a BSOD instead. This might help: https://www.easeus.com/partition-manager-software/my-computer-freezes-when-usb-plugged-in-windows-10-7.html

See if the USB port is not physically damaged or try putting another USB device into your computer.

The official answer is NO.
EV3 Python only supports Windows 10 or version 1803 or newer.
The page from the Documentation listing the system requirements are linked below:
EV3 Documentation - Minimum system requirements
That being said, there might be some trick to still getting it to work, but this is outside the supported scope.
Everything hinges on the EV3 MicroPython extension, and without it, you might be able to detect, but not use the EV3 block.
The blue screen of death seems like a bit of an overreaction, so some troubleshooting would not go amiss there, but using 3rd party extensions in an unsupported capacity can lead to hazardous results.

Sadly no! The EV3 software does not support Windows 7 or Windows 8. Because of how long ago Windows 7 was made, and the time EV3 was made, it simply cannot support it.
Or maybe it is your fault. The USB cord might be damaged or something, we don't know.

Hi @Nerd! Do you have any source to prove this? Do you even know that the EV3 already comes with a USB to connect to the computer?

@mindstormsboi Of corse i do! I watched a unboxing video on youtube a couple of months ago and it came with a USB, i just said that the guy should probably get a new USB cable cause the other one may be fried or a wire ripped a little

@mindstormsboi when i was 6 in my stem class at school i remember i had a windows 7 computer and we used EV3 and i connected it to my computer i dont exactly know what happened but something popped up on the screen telling me it could not support windows 7 or something

Did all of the other students have the same problem? Were you using Chromebooks?

Yes but not all students were using chromebooks some were using a pc and it still did not work for them


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Port problem? Mindstorms EV3 brick doesn't detect sensor blocks
I've just bought a second hand Mindstorms EV3 home edition set but the ports aren't detecting any of the sensors just the motors.
When checking the ports on the EV3 brick it says "none". I've updated the firmware and I'm running the Mindstorms home edition software for Mac (Mac mini with OS Capitan).

Welcome Violetta. The EV3 Brick has a total of 8 ports - 4 output ports on one side labeled A-D, used for driving motors, and 4 input ports on the other side of the brick labeled 1-4, used for getting information from sensors.

(Image sourced from this page)
Make sure you have plugged your sensors into the correct port, as plugging them into ports A-D will not allow the Brick to detect them.

Can you plug motors into 1-4? I haven't tried that yet, but if the OP says that only motors are being detected and none of the sensors are, then it sounds like ALL of her sensors are in 1-4 or A-D and it sounds like her motors are like that too, which tells me that one of the groupings of ports could be defective.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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Mindstorms EV3 unable to drive two motors simultaneously
Yesterday I had the basic driving robot with two large motors, but I could not get both motors running at the same time. I had the tank control programming block, with both motors set to 50% and when running the program both motors would start and one would continue spinning, but the other would stop after only 1 or 2 degrees of rotation.
First I thought it was a problem with the motor, so I replaced it with another motor from another set, but the problem remained. When I switched the ports it was the other motor that would not keep running. I tried different ports, changing the cables and restarting the brick but nothing helped. Checked the rechargeable battery to see if it was a power issue, but that was full. I did this in a class with several other EV3 sets using both large motors and none of the others had this problem.
I then used the programming block for a single large motor and tried both separately and that worked fine. But when I put two of those blocks after each other to start the motors sequentially again the second would not run after an initial click.
When I wanted to troubleshoot it further after I got home everything worked fine, which makes it even stranger. That also suggests it was not the battery box as mentioned in this post.
So I hope maybe someone has seen this before and can tell me why this happened and what to do should it happen again.
Thanks!
EDIT:
I found the faulty EV3 (it was number 9, not number 6....). So I was able to do more troubleshooting. Attached a screenshot of the various programs I tried with comments.
It looks like port C is consuming more power than the other ports (motor runs at a significantly higher rpm). And this shuts down any motor running at the same time through one of the other ports. combining two of the other ports (e.g. A and D) works fine.
Any thoughts on how this can happen?

Hi jboss and welcome to Bricks.SE! Can you post a screenshot of your program, so that we can see what exactly is happening?

I'm not 100% sure it was like this (it was yesterday and everything is removed and taken apart again) but it was the basic driving robot.

Maybe try another battery pack?

I tried another battery pack, no effect. I also tried resetting the brick, no effect.
But when I used motor control from the menu on the brick itself I could run both B and C simultaneously.

And another possible cause, I updated the firmware of the brick, but that also made no difference.

I'd say if you can reliably reproduce the issue (use the same program, same PC and same motors with another EV3), then the EV3 must be faulty and you should contact LEGO for assistance in the form of a fix or a replacement.

Good point, thanks. With the same motors, cables, PC and USB cable but a different EV3 it worked fine. SO I'll contact Lego support. The only thing that still puzzles me is that when I run the motors from the motor control in the brick menu it works fine as well. But hopefully Lego support cna explain that as well.

Maybe use the Move Steering block instead.

Most people with port problems have port C failure. I had similar issue. In my case it was factory defect: SMD chip (U26 on board, see image and HW dev kit pdfs) was soldered with a twist and had two legs broken, but they touched the chip and sometimes signal was getting through. They are used for tacho input. So in some modes when it runs fullspeed it works OK (remote control or built-in motor control), but when it is required to turn for degrees or rotate with a given speed it just spins fullspeed without a stop since it does not getting tacho from the connected motor.

I replaced the chip (74HC2G14GW-G) and now everything works fine. I don't think they solder chips by hands, so it could be some defective batch.

When I saw the same thing with another brick I figured out that the plastic shell is crushing the chip. It holds PCB right in the place of U26, which it right in the middle of the side.  Bad engineering :( Had to remove the fixer.

In the mean time Lego has confirmed that the brick was broken and replaced it.

Did this resolve an issue with driving motors as well?

Cheers for the update jboss, glad you were able to get to the bottom of it, and LEGO replaced the faulty item.

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


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Going from LDraw/LeoCAD to Physical Set
Once I've designed a MOC using either LDraw or LeoCAD where can I go to get the bricks I need to then build that set in the real world?
I've been poking around forums for an hour now trying to get to the answer and I must be missing something.
Any advice would be helpful, thanks.

I don't think this is a silly question.

Welcome to BricksSE!  No question is silly (Maybe duplicitous), but never silly.

Go to Bricklink.com
Create an Account.
Go to "Want" drop down menu.
Click "Wanted List".
Look for the blue box that says "+ Created Wanted List".
Important: Create and give the new list a meaningful name other than
"default" or all future uploads will be merged into one list named "default" (very annoying).
Go back to the "Want" drop down menu and click on "upload". You'll get the screeny below.
Find your build's file location.  Make sure your file is a compatible upload type.
Click, Hold, Drag, and Drop your file onto the upload screen.
Upload your pieces to the meaningful Wanted List name you've created.

The site fills in the magic of getting you connected to the people who'd like to sell you your parts.

Note the condition of each part after you upload can be new, used or any.
If you're buying Tiles, always buy them new.  Scratched Tiles always look bad.
For any type of brick, always buy these colors new too:  White, Yellow, Blue, Light gray.  They tend to also make your final build look... worn if bought mixed or used.

As an additional note the designer produced by BrickLink (Stud.IO) has really very good integration into the BrickLink marketplace and makes it really easy to see prices on parts while in the software so you can tweak your design to better match availability and/or price targets.

@Nathan Stohlmann - Good point!

this was very thorough and efficient.
Thank you all!!
Now my living room must prepare for the coming storm...

In case you have all your sets as well as additional/spare bricks added to Rebrickable you can upload your digital model file and identify just the bricks you are missing. Custom list can be created in the following place:
Main page > My LEGO > My Custom lists
Once you upload the file you can use "Build this List" feature. And then "Buy parts". This would give you options from Bricklink as well as Brickowl.


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How to fix cracked minifig arms?
I have a few minifigs with their arms cracked lengthwise, which is a big problem as the hands constantly fall off at the slightest touch (or even fall off of their own accord). Is there any way to fix this? Sorry for any inconvenience, but I don't know how to put a picture up. Any help is appreciated.

Arms are cheap
I'd recommend just buying some cheap replacements from a site like BrickLink. You can buy an unpainted torso for example, and some sellers even sell just the arms (some of the cheapest listings are described as cracked though, so avoid those). So long as the arm is not painted (which they are not usually), this should be a relatively cheap solution with no repair work besides swapping the arms.
Plus, considering how small they are I'm not really sure there is a practical way to repair them, and still retain their full function.

I think a minuscule amount of thin glue dropped into or onto the crack (with the hands removed of course) would provide the necessary amount of adhesion, but I haven't had the necessity to test it yet.


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Help identifying window frame with hinge pin holes
Can anyone identify this piece (picture below)?
It looks like the top half of a window frame with some 2 pin holes in it.
The size is 1 x 6 x 4, it has no model number on it but does have LEGO branding on the studs.

It looks so familiar. I'm wondering if it's not a sub-assembly of a larger part. Couldn't find a good candidate when I went looking through.

That would be 821 Garage Door Frame (Old style).
As the name implies, it was for the old garage door in these sets from the 50s and 60s.


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Are these parts from one set, lots of related sets or just a big messy jumble?
I bought a job lot of approx 2kg of Lego at a (UK) car boot sale and I'm struggling to identify the set/s that the pieces relate to. The owner said that it belonged to her late husband and that she thought that they were...

"...all from the same set".

There are four separated bags, all of which contain fairly similar parts, mostly yellow flat plates and small black pieces with lots of large tracks and propellers. I've snapped the most obviously unusual pieces in each bag.
Bag 1:

Bag 2:

Bag 3:

Bag 4:

Any ideas?

adding the approximate piece count (or weight) could help determine if you have more pieces then would ever be in one set.

@David - Just under 1.6kg. TBH, I was pretty sure they were from multiple sets.

They are definitely not from a single set, as the 16x16 yellow plate was only ever sold in Friends sets, that do not contain any Technic track pieces.
Another telltale sign is the transparent orange Brick with Shaft 1x8x1, whose only occurrence is in a few Star Wars podracer and Alpha Team sets from 1999-2001, none of which has any propeller pieces.
The first picture contains a black turbine insert with many blades, this was sold in many unrelated sets across the years.

I've seen it elsewhere; http://www.peeron.com/inv/sets/4128-1?showpic=11851

Nice find, but that set contains a yellow, 16x16 baseplate, whose thickness and rounded corners set it apart from a 16x16 plate (best seen on your Bag 4 photo).

This one seems unusual; https://i.stack.imgur.com/zgtxY.jpg. That any help?

That's a chain wheel, decorated with a pattern used in the 2009 wave of the Bionicle line

So to answer your question, these are just a big messy jumble of LEGO parts :)

Yes, I'm certainly getting that impression. I suppose it was too much to hope that they were part of one enormous (and expensive) set :-)

Sprocket, Ø40,7 in white only comes in 1 set:
42065-1: RC Tracked Racer

Plate 16X16 and Plate 6X6 W. Bow in cool yellow only come together in 1 set:
41035-1: Heartlake Juice Bar

Thanks to Zovits for identifying Chain Wheel, Ø25,8, Dec. as this part only comes in 1 set together with 4528407: Sprocket, Ø40,7 in bright orange:
8996-1: Skopio XV-1

Propeller Ø71.84 in Reddish Brown also only comes in 1 set:
7260-1: Wookiee Catamaran

Ah. This would explain all the track


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Help identifying utensil looking round support piece with 2 bars
Here is a picture of the piece (red brick below it is just for showing the size).
It has "© LEGO" and "8-01" written on it.

This piece is called Space binoculars or electrobinoculars and has part number 30304.


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ID this set: Rocket launch installation?
While cleaning out the attic of my deceased cousin I found a plastic bag with parts that supposedly is a single set from late 70 or early 80's.
Actually there where multiple bags, each containing a single set. Some had the instructions leaflet and others I could relatively easily identify. They all date from around 1980. So that is why I presume that the one bag left is also a single set from that period.
Sorry that I don't have pictures. I may add one later.

A large green ground-plate (about 40x30 nobs, I didn't count them exactly) with white printed markings where the first layer of bricks should go.
2 pieces of straight blue railroad track.
Regular bricks mostly 1x1x4 and 1x1x8 in blue.
A bunch of white quarter-circle bricks and some (4) black ones + a white nose-cone piece. Would together make a small white rocket with a black band or black markings. A bit Saturn-V like.

It looks as if this would make a rocket + a base or launch-tower. The tracks are maybe part of a moveable launch-pad? There are no wheels to go with the track though.
Does this ring a bell for someone?

I think you probably have parts to multiple sets. I picture would help to identify them.

Minus the reference to the large green baseplate, could it be pieces from Set #358 - Rocket Base?
Edit:
A few original, used red baseplates can be easily had under $10 bucks through a few Canadian sellers HERE.

That looks like it, but the base-plate is most certainly green. Not red. It does have markings for the outline of the buildings and those 3 tiles in front of the "office". The antenna's, the black turn-table for the radar, the pieces for the vehicle all match.

The green base plate is just from a different set, even though your Cuzo had it bagged with these pieces.  Sorry for your loss.  You say the plate has lines on it.  We prefer a picture, or you can describe further in detail with words the white line work on it.  For all we know, your cousin may had time to do a custom paint job on it.  A picture would quickly determine that..

You were right. The green base-plate isn't original. I just got of the phone with his brother. He remembered the red plate broke at some point and he bought a generic green base-plate (slightly larger as well) as replacement. Back in the day the better toy-stores sold a limited selection of spare bricks including grey and green base plates. He did the painting himself with Tipp-Ex.

Thank you for the heads up regarding getting a proper replacement base-plate. I've got a replacement on order now :-)

The closest I can find is 358 Rocket Base, but it contains more pieces than you describe and the baseplate is red not green.

I didn't describe all pieces. Just the more prominent ones.


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Complete set of 2004 Knights Kingdom card images?
Back in 2004 LEGO released a Knights Kingdom line of sets with trading cards for a trading card game. Those trading cards had some pictures and story information on them.

I was able to find pictures of most of them on BrickLink, but cards 50, 55, 62, 67, and 76 do not have images (although I did find a picture of 76, shown above).
Is there anywhere I can find a complete set of images, or at-least the images not available on BrickLink?

Card 62 (Gargoyles) can be found near the bottom of this page: http://www.mikerayhawk.com/knights_kingdom.htm


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Help identifying utensil spear
I'm not sure this piece is actually Lego seeing as there is no branding on it.
Note that it looks like some type of spear or arrow.
See picture below (not the minifig) with one in flat silver and the other in chrome silver.

This is an official LEGO piece. It is called 57467a Minifigure, Weapon Harpoon, 4 Grooves in Shaft and has been produced for almost 20 years, appearing in 37 sets.

Chrome Silver is the common color, Flat Silver (the one on the left in the picture) is the rarer color, only appearing in 1 set - 70800 Getaway Glider from The LEGO Movie - but this piece is still cheap on BrickLink, so no real value increase despite its rarity.

Is there any standard on lego.se as to what sites to link to? I see you linked to bricklink here, but in my Christmas question you linked to brickset.

There is no standard. The sites linked to are the sites that are considered reputable LEGO reference sites, which include Bricklink, Brickset, Peeron, BrickOwl (rarely), Rebrickable, Brickpicker and Brickipedia (lego.fandom.com, rarely used as reference).


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2001 BIONICLE Trading Card #255?
This is probably a long shot, but does anyone have or know where to find a picture of the 2001 BIONICLE trading card #255? It's presumably one of the illustrated story cards, and likely features a Muaka or maybe a Tarakava.
Unfortunately BIONICLEsector01 does not have a picture of this card, nor have I been able to find one with a Google search.

Any other information about the card, like proof it does not actually exist, would also be acceptable.

Via this Reddit post, I was able to find this Google Drive link which had scans of the base game, the Rahi Challenge expansion pack (including the front and back of card #255), and the Bohrok Swarm standalone game. The drive has been stable for a year as of writing (June 2021), but you may wish to archive its contents in the event it becomes unavailable.
The scans appear to be higher quality than the other archive I found on Brickshelf which did not have card #255.


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How can the A and B models of the 42055 Bucket Wheel Excavator be modded to fit together?
The 42055 Bucket Wheel Excavator has a B model, a mobile aggregate grader:  which shares the mining theme with the A model and seems to be designed to sort the mixed output of the excavator into smaller and larger pieces.
But as the Brickset review states:

Unfortunately the chute is too high for the BWEs exit conveyor to feed into it if both are on level ground. Its edges are about 21cm from the ground; the bottom of the BWEs conveyer is about 18cm.

How can one modify either or both models in order to make them compatible with each other? The obvious solution would be to raise the A model on a platform of some kind, but I would prefer some kind of more natural solution.

"Is it possible to modify?" - that's an odd question for LEGO set as everything is possible and of course it can be modified. You can make one's end longer/shorter to fit the needed height.

@Alex Thanks, updated the question.

@Alex I am amazed by the number of questions in which people ask whether LEGO can be modified, but I also see where they're coming from, because after spending a long time to build one of these beautiful designs - especially the really big ones - you don't want to tear it apart again!

That said, from the picture it looks like the excavator's conveyor belt isn't held on by very much. You might just be able to replace some beams with longer ones. Or, the grader's belt is obviously connected with linear actuators - can they not be extended any further to lower the belt? If the grader's belt was flat then I can't imagine how it would possibly not be low enough.

I'm well aware of the fact that LEGO can be modified, I'm asking what would be the best way to achieve this. The grader should be receiving the pieces in the output stream of the BWE in its hopper. Whose lips are positioned higher than the output conveyor belt of the BWE.

I have found someone in this video doing that mod.

The modification consists of removing a part of the hopper wall to let the BWE drop it's output into it from the side.
These are the relevant pictures:

Nice first post Mr. Zasepa... or is this really Zovlty in disguise?  Very funny! Get that hat!

Thank you, it looks like the author has removed a part of the wall from the hopper on the grader to make room for the BWE's output chute. It'd be nice if it came with more detailed pictures or instructions, but we the is much more than I got so far, so here's your checkmark :) Happy New Year!

It would be better to include the essential parts in your answer, link-only answers are discouraged, and can lead to problems with link rot.

@RinRio-Oki I'm well aware that using sockpuppet accounts is an offense worth suspension, and thus definitely goes against the spirits and rules of Winter Bash and Bricks.SE in general. Considering that there is a mandatory time limit before a bounty can be awarded, I can't even get a hat from this interaction, which makes the idea even more baffling. But I got an answer to my question, which is what the site is about after all :) I can't fault you for suspecting foul play though, I too have seen my own share of questionable behavior during these weeks, which should thankfully end soon.


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Help find Lego number for large Technic F1 Ferrari
Help! I'm trying to find the Lego number, and missing parts for the rear wing etc.

This is set 8386 Ferrari F1 Racer 1:10.

It's hard to tell from your photo exactly what is missing. Obviously the rear spoiler is missing, but there may be several other smaller elements missing.
Brickset and LEGO.com both have the full instructions, so the best way to determine what is missing is probably to walk through those. Here they are:
https://www.lego.com/biassets/bi/4280172.pdf
You can find the complete parts list for this set on Bricklink if you'd like to order any replacement parts.

Hello, Thank you jncraton for the info! As well as for the edits guys appreciated it much. I have also found out it can be converted to RC. Does anyone knows how to do this? I hope there is an instructions manual also.

No problem. I'm glad that was helpful. In terms of the RC conversion, you should ask that as a new question so it gets more visibility and can be answered fully.


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How To Make a Small Security Camera?
I’m looking to make a wall mounted security camera in LDD to mimic this one:
https://icdn5.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/swann-4k-9f-768x479-c.jpg
Any clever ideas? It needs to be angled down like the one in the picture.
White pieces with a black lens. As small as possible, ideally 1x1 Camera body.
Here's what I came up with but it needs a tilt down piece.

Added a Ver.2.Oh belowww...

Here's the LDD file if you want it.
Here's the file for 2nd helpings.  Eat up!

I've come up with five different ways to make a micro security camera that look like your reference image.
I'll run through the different methods in the image above from left to right 1 through 5.
Far left camera 1
Tile, Round 1 x 1 in black (the lens), Brick, Round 1 x 1 Open Stud in white (camera body), Plate, Modified 1 x 1 Rounded with Handle in white (the mount), all held by Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip Horizontal (or part 6019).

Camera 2
Plate, Round 1 x 1 in black, Brick, Round 1 x 1 Open Stud in white, on Bar 1L with Towball, held by Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Small Towball Socket on Side
This is the only design here that always rotation on more then one axis, which can be a big plus.

Camera 3
Plate, Round 1 x 1 in black, Brick, Round 1 x 1 Open Stud in white, on Bar 1L with Clip Mechanical Claw held by Plate, Modified 1 x 1 Rounded with Handle

Camera 4 (my favorite)
Tile, Round 1 x 1 with Bar and Pin Holder in black, Bar Holder with Clip in white, held by a Plate, Modified 1 x 1 Rounded with Handle
Just two pieces and looks great.

Far right camera 5

Two Plate, Round 1 x 1 pieces (the lens and body length), a Tap 1 x 1 in white for the body and mount. The camera assembly is held by a Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip Horizontal (or part 6019).


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What is LEGO terminology for measurement of normal bricks and common scales?
Where can I find basic LEGO terminology illustrated with LEGO parts, e.g. what's a stud? What's a plate? I also need to know the names of the most common scales of basic LEGO kits, and measurement of a most fundamental part(s) at each scale.

Does the answer below satisfy you, or do you need more information?

Terminology
This is the most basic terminology in a single image:

A bit more verbose version is found in this slideshow, but there are a few factual errors, highlighted in the comments below.
The various parts are named based on their main characteristics, then their sizes in studs, as seen here:
After getting the hang of it, it's time to advance to the more complex terminology, with the help of the indispensable blog New Elementary.
Measurements
The fundamental sizes for the basic bricks are seen in this answer, or a bit more simply:
The height of the plates is 1/3 of the bricks, or 3.2 mm.
Scale
As for scales, this question is a bit complicated, as the basic reference unit is the LEGO Minifigure, which has weird proportions, resulting in inconsistent scales:
However, there are a few official ones, including:

minifigure scale (about 1:40)
microscale: anything way smaller than that, see these examples or these official ones.
midi-scale was only ever used officially for two sets, which are sized very differently, as both models are around 30 studs long, so it's 1:100 - 1:6000 which would definitely fall into microscale category.
towards the other end of the scale, there is life-sized, which of course does not get used much for official sets for sale, but rather for one-off projects:
and it is definitely possible to create larger than life LEGO builds:  Or models of microscopical structures, like cells:  or even of subatomic scale:

I believe "technic linkers" are more commonly called "pins".

Also worth mentioning is the term “antistud”, which is the opening at the bottom of a brick/plate/tile that fits a stud snugly and is the reason the LEGO brick system works so well.

@PhilB. I have updated the images with your suggestions.

From the book Crazy Action Contraptions page 47 has a nice graphic showing the relation between the sizes of different pieces.

I'd add that it is more common to call a "sideways brick" a stud. All lego elements are measured in studs. Using the same example as on the far right of the image, this Technic Axle is four studs long.


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What are some LEGO Christmas trees designs I can build?
It's Christmas time, and I'd like to build a Christmas tree to add to my winter scenes. Unfortunately the large LEGO pine tree is a little small, and also doesn't offer much by way of decorating opportunity.

What are some larger (but not too large!) and nicer-looking Christmas tree designs I can build?

This is the design I created last year for the Winter Bash 2018 Building Competition.

It's very detailed and has many outward-facing studs to which decorations can be attached.
Here's some instructions for building the tree without decorations (note that many of the pieces are internal and do not have to be green).

(Click the image to view the instructions larger)
NOTE: In step 9, you will need to rotate some of the stems to avoid overlapping in order to attach them all.

Here's a brick-built design I've been using for a few years. It doesn't have many decoration points, but it is fairly small and simple to build.

Here's some instructions for building the tree.

As a final step, you can add a 1x1 cylinder for the tree trunk to the bottom.


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Connected flexible 2 x 2 white plates - what set?
I'm going through my old Lego collection and trying to identify the original sets they're from. The bulk of the Lego is from the 70s and 80s.
I have a piece that is two white 2 x 2 plates joined together by a thin cord. I seem to remember it joined a car to a cart or something like that, but I can't find the part in any of the sites I've looked.
Can anyone help me with this piece (either how to properly describe it when searching catalogues or possible sets it may be from).

That's an old 650 Hinge Coupling Nylon - Two Connected 2 x 2 Plates from the 60s.

It only ever came in 20 sets, but it's typically clear. It's listed as a possible alternate for the following set, but it's possible other sets could have had it as an alternate too.
901-2 2 Large Wheels with Accessories

Can anyone help me with this piece (either how to properly describe it when searching catalogues...)

When searching Bricklink.com the syntax is specific too. It only comes up as:
"2 x 2 plates"
2[space]x[space]2[space]plate(s)
Anything different like typing only the singular word "plate", and you'll get no hits.

I suspect the bigger problem is that the OP referred to them as "4 x 4 plates" rather than "2 x 2 plates"

@ Dave. I agree with and approved both your edits.  I gave you edit rights to my entry, but it looks like other users will have to collectively agree with us to change the OP's words, unless he does it himself. Thanks for further smoothing out the syntax of my post.

it seems 2 different Davids have been involved here; I commented but did not suggest any edits!

@Dave to further confuse things two different Davids both with green identicons!

Guys, you can type 2x2 without spaces and it will still work.


text:
What was the first Christmas themed Lego set?
For as long as I can remember Lego has been making Special Christmas themed sets every year. Advent calendars, Winter village sets, Christmas trains, and on and on.
What was the first Christmas themed Lego set?

I don't know whether this quite qualifies as a set, but there is a LEGO promotional Christmas box from 1964 listed on bricklink

Nice find! Brickset doesn't list this set so I didn't see it come by in my search.

Are they Lego bricks? As in: can you plug them to other classic bricks? Or are those plain flat dominos that you can't attach to anything?

@Cœur I not quite sure, but the description on bricklink says "outer box have storage wear inner boxes and parts still new" so it sounds like they are LEGO bricks.

There have been Christmas-themed sets for a long time, for example set 246-2 Santa and Sleigh from 1977.

Scrolling through all LEGO sets on Brickset, starting from 1949, shows that this is also the first set in their records that is Christmas themed, together with the (likely unreleased) two Santas set 245-2.


text:
Can someone tell me what this piece is?
The entire piece is 6L long and the axle portion is 4L. It has 2 pin holes perpendicular to the axle on the ends. Dark Bluish Gray.
© Lego printed on the side, but no part number or date. The number 5 is also printed.

This is a TRACK ROD 6M,etc., which is mainly used as a steering arm in Technic cars like in this 8048-1: Buggy.

Thanks! Just for completeness, Rebrickable and Bricklink call it a "Technic Link 1x6"


text:
What part # is this? (Is it even LEGO?)
I have a bunch of these little curved yellow pins with a ball at the end. Are they LEGO? If so, what part are they?
(2x2 Orange brick for size comparison)

I would guess it's not LEGO, the color would be very unusual if it was.

This looks like the arm of a Minion minifigure by Mega Bloks / Mega Construx without the hand.


text:
What is this piece that looks like a coat rack or armor stand?
It appears to be a coatrack or armor stand. Only marking is LEGO inside the 2 studs on the arms.  The bottom is completely blank which is uncharacteristic of a LEGO piece.  It is 3 bricks tall with 2 arms with studs at 2 bricks high and a single stud on top.  On a 2x2 base.

That would be part 4289 Boat Mast 2 x 2 x 3 Inclined with Stud on Top and Two Sides
As the name implies, it is typically use for a boat mast on modern boat models.
It only ever came in black in one set, 4669 Turbo-Charged Police Boat.


text:
Chromebook Lego Mindstorms EV3 trouble
I want to make a crane in LEGO Mindstorms EV3 and I've already downloaded the software but as you can see below some coding pieces here are not in the Chromebook version.
Should I download the software on a Microsoft computer or can I work around this issue.

what coding blocks are not in the chrome version?

LEGO EV3 Classroom from LEGO Education is available on Google Play.
This is an Android app, but newer Chromebooks have the ability to run Android apps.
This app contains pre-made programs for the four base models: puppy, robotic arm, gyro boy and color sorter.

The fact that certain coding blocks cannot be seen on certain devices (esp. mobile) is usual. Most people, including me, do not understand why these blocks are not shown on these devices. I believe that some of these missing blocks are the following:
•Loop Interrupt
•Custom My Blocks
•Messaging Block
•Timer
•NXT Sound Sensor
•And way more.
Because of this, you can only make simple programs on these devices. Trying to make the Mindstorms software think you're on a desktop when you're really on an iPhone would probably be too sophisticated for an average person. I can show you the screenshots of how limited you are to programming on my tablet, too:
https://pasteboard.co/J2khG1i.png
https://pasteboard.co/J2khY6Q.png
https://pasteboard.co/J2kikuo.png
It seems like Desktops are the only devices that have all the programming blocks.


text:
Hidden Side Paranormal Intercept Bus, Ghost Video Game?
The Hidden Side Paranormal Intercept Bus makes several references to classic LEGO sets and video games, like Rock Raiders and Bionicle.
I'm wondering about the game sticker featuring a ghost. It seems like it is also a reference to another LEGO game, but I don't know what it is.
Here's a picture I found of it, it's the purple sticker on the left.

Is this also a reference to a LEGO game?

I'm fairly convinced that it is not a reference to any other past Lego product, but was designed entirely for this set. It's hard to prove a negative, so while I list three reasons for this, none of them is a complete proof and all these could be false.
As far as I know the only Lego games to feature ghosts were either based on the Ghostbusters franchise, which uses different aesthetics, or had different ghosts (like that of Vitruvius, various characters from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or the characters Ghost Rider or Beetlejuice), which do not look like the ones featured on these stickers.
Which leads to the second point: there is the computer screen in your picture, but a laptop is included as well with a similarly themed screen:  It would be strange to include a reference to the same thing twice in the same set, but if course it still does not prove anything.
The third point is much more intangible, being based more in the reason of meta-knowledge. When Lego designs a set like this, it is primarily meant to be played with. In this set, the focus is on catching ghosts, any Easter eggs are of secondary importance at best. But if the green ghost screen were a reference, that would make the other similar one a reference as well, resulting in a set with no screens dedicated to the primary play function. Which, of course, while highly unusual, would still not prove anything.
So these are the reasons for my conviction that these are not references to anything from the past but were created specifically for this set (or product line).
Or one might argue that the sticker is referencing the Lego Hidden Side application, but that would be stretching the definition of a reference, as the application is specifically designed to work with this set :)

I did not know about the laptop sticker, you're probably right.

According to the set designer for the Paranormal Intercept Bus set, Niek van Slagmaat, the released product contains 3 references in total, which he identified in a presentation at BrickFair Virginia 2019.
You can skip ahead to the 22:43 time to hear him talk about the sticker sheet and the references it makes, which are listed below.

Rock Raiders icon
License plate number GG 4940 (Rock Raiders set 4940 The Granit Grinder)
Bionicle video game (The Legend of Mata Nui, the unreleased game which leaked online shortly before the set was being designed)

He also identifies the purple sticker in question as a radar screen.

I decided to just pick whatever Bionicle video game I could find and this one worked quite well so we ended up putting it on the secondary screen so while she's hunting for ghosts on this computer here using the radar she's also just playing some Bionicle game off on the side.

This confirms this screen is intended to represent the world in which the set takes place, and not reference another old Lego game.

Thanks for the info! Guess I should have wated to accept an answer.

@Biomaker Just so you are aware, you can change the accepted answer any time you want. There is no obligation to do this.


text:
Missing parts in a Lego Mindstorms box
Could it be that there are parts missing in a LEGO box? I've a new set of LEGO Mindstorms (reference number 31313) and I'm missing the parts
4499858

4211805

Where could I get them?

Does this answer your question? How can I get replacement Mindstorms NXT components?

Every time I have thought a part was missing from a LEGO box, it's been in a bag that I missed, or in a bag that I thought I'd emptied and put aside (but it still had a part in it), or it's rolled away somewhere. Have you double-, triple-, and quadruple-checked?

If you have a brand new set, and a few parts are missing, you should definitely contact LEGO Customer Service, so they can send you the parts you are missing.

New sets with missing parts
We’re really sorry to hear that something was missing from your new LEGO® set. We do our best to make every set perfect and we take it very seriously when a faulty one sneaks through. Don’t worry though, we can send you the parts you need!
Please click “Missing Bricks” on the Bricks & Pieces section of our Customer Service site to order the part you need to finish your set.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, make sure you include a complete description of the part (the part number provided in the inventory page at the back of the building instructions is useful) along with the set number. Once your part is on its way, we’ll send you a shipping confirmation email.
If you’ve lost some bricks over time, please remember to click “Buy Bricks” instead.
-- LEGO Customer Service FAQ

Just tell them the part numbers you are missing and they should send you the parts for free.

FWIW, my son received a LEGO kit earlier this month that was missing an entire bag of parts and the instruction book (the factory tape was intact). I contacted customer service via email and two weeks later, have yet to receive a response.

@alroc That's unusual, you should definitely contact them again.

@alroc - Perhaps their policy limits how much they'll send you for free, but they should not just ignore you. I'd try calling them again. As an alternative, you could exchange it at the store you purchased it at. If you've already started building out the set and don't want to return it, bring everything to the store and explain it, and they might accommodate you by allowing you to remove the parts from a new box and they'll return it to Lego. Otherwise, buy it again and get your replacement parts. Put remaining new parts in old box and return it on original purchase receipt.

To add to @KevinFegan's return recommendation, if it was purchased at a LEGO Brand Retail Store, at-least in the US, they might not take a return of an open box. I believe it's their policy now to instead direct you to customer service for replacements (I assume because scammers abused this).

We're wildly off-topic at this point but seemingly on cue, I got a response from LEGO about 4 hours after I wrote my comment. But at this point it's too late, we got a gift receipt for it and exchanged at the store a couple days ago because we didn't want to keep waiting.

You can purchase them both at Bricklink.com.
Here for ElementID #4499858, and

Here for ElementID #4211805.

Could it be that there're parts missing in a LEGO box?

Yes, it is possible that pieces do end up missing from the time a set leaves the LEGO factory to the time the box ends up in our hands.
Without further information we don't know the exact reasons why this happens without proper polling, collecting, and disseminating these results.
We could speculate the reasons through past experiences.  In the past I had recently finished watching the movie Gremlins and was sure one of those things got into my box and took a piece, but in reality that piece was stuck in the inner crevasse of the box.
So, for me: User error or self-Trolling was the culprit.

Or at any rate, you can follow what Alexander O'Mara has suggested, and contact LEGO Customer Service to get your parts replaced for free.

Sorry but your answer  it doesn't answer my first question, could it be that there're parts missing?

Could it be that there're parts missing in a LEGO box?

Rin Rio-Oki has pointed you to the place where you can definitely get replacement parts, but to answer your first question, yes, it is indeed possible, though the chances for it are negligible. In any case, you should let LEGO know about it via their official support channels (even if you are planning to get the replacement parts from Bricklink), so that they are aware of the problem and can take steps to mitigate such accidents in the future.


text:
Can I use Microsoft Makecode to programme Lego NXT bricks?
As a teacher, I only have access to Chromebooks and I cannot (IT will not let me) use Linux on them. I'm trying to use a text-based coding language to programme NXTs. I would use ROBOTC, but I cannot get it to run on my Chromebooks.
I also have about 32-35 students per class times four classes, so I cannot buy cheap Windows machines, because I'd need at least 15 to make this work well.
I want to use the JS feature in Microsoft Makecode, but I cannot find information on whether or not this will work. Does anyone have a solution? Thank you in advance!!

Just heard from Microsoft, MakeCode only works with Lego EV3, NOT NXT.


text:
Looking for a way to connect SG90 servo motor to Lego Technic hole in a brick, in order to control Lego train track switch
After looking at this question:
Can I remotely control the points on PF train tracks?
I got the idea of controlling the train track switch handle using a servo motor that will be able to move the yellow handle to both positions.
The included video in that answer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoNiq5FCd9U
Shows the general idea of how to convert the circular motion of the servo motor into a kind of linear movement that will be suitable for the handle.
So it seems that with a set of Lego Technic bricks and an engine - it should be easy to achieve.
My problem is that I want to use an Arduino controller for this, with a cheap and simple servo called SG90:
https://www.google.com/search?q=sg90+specifications
So, what I need now, and a way to connect the SG90 motor to a similar kind of construction, to achieve a similar outcome as in the video (and in the question).
Many thanks for that!

There are numerous solutions over internet for attaching SG90 servo with LEGO. However I remember this particular video, which fit your need to attach/control Technic beams/liftarms. It also features required parts for this build at 7:48.

Thanks for your looking into it, dear @Alex. Actually I've seen that video before, and if you'll notice - the most important part is missing there. Not during the video, nor in 7:48 picture - the actual pare that is connected to the SG90 moving part - is missing. You can see (in the porccess) that there is a combination of some screws and a Technic brick, but I can't identify the parts, nor the way to connect them. Thanks again!

Are you missing the white non-LEGO piece that is attached to 5L Technic beam/liftarm on bottom center at 5:16 of the same video?

For mounting, servo tape (strong double sided sticky tape designed for mounting lightweight servos) to a tile works fine in many cases.


text:
Is connecting LEGO studs on Technic pins legal?
I see it in MOCs all the time, and I’ve seen studs connect on half pins in official sets, but what about full pins?

Legal in what sense?

Here's a related question asking about the Technic pin to Travis brick connection used in at least one official set: https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/9702/technic-pin-travis-brick-legal-connection

@PeterMortensen There are certain types of connections that Lego set designers are not allowed to make in sets. Either because it stresses the elements or because it becomes to difficult to take the elements appart for a child. These techniques are colloquially called "illegal" Some lego fans choose to adhere to the same rules in their own creations, some do not.

The presentation that senior Lego designer Jamie Berard held at Brickcon 2006 and that spawned the entire legal vs illegal discussion can be found here:
https://www.hellobricks.com/pdf/jamieberard-brickstress-bf06.pdf
The particular case you ask for is discussed in slides 9 and 10:

Very informative. Are there other official guides like this?

There are less such documents than you might think. Lego is rather secretive about there design processes.
Jamie Berard has commented that he has come to regret disseminating this document and that internally they use an updated document that isn't available in the wild.

Why the regret, and why wouldn't Lego want people to know what connections add unwanted stress on bricks?

Perhaps "regret" was a too strong choice of words. He implied something like that jokingly during a presentation I saw.
The document itself generated a lot of discussion over the years. People started to take it very seriously, meticulously going over any lego instructions to search for instances where Lego
might have broken there own rules (there are many to be found). Also, many lego builders didn't took too kindly to techniques in their creations being called "illegal".

I believe the lego group is hesitant to put out any official document on this because: - the aforementioned discussion it prevokes. - they being tied down by their own "rules". - as new connections are being invented all the time it is very hard to have a comprehensive document listing all things illegal/legal - possibility of leaking trade secrets which clone brands will take advantage off..

According to LEGO, this type of connection is illegal, since the pin is stressed when connected to an anti-stud and eventually deforms.
People's MOCs do not follow same policy as TLG does. So you may encounter illegal connections from time to time. Pins are also cheap and usually owned in high numbers, so nobody's really bothered if one gets deformed.


text:
EV3 color sensor strangeness
I've run across something very strange with my color sensor when using multiple sensors and multiple nested loops for a sumobot. I have 4 separate loops continuously monitoring the "optical", "ultrasonic" and two touch sensors ("touch1" and "touch4"). The main program of nested loops controls the motors in response to the sensors breaking different nested loops. I have attached a simple version that I removed the motor blocks from so you can follow it easier.  When the program starts, it defaults to the "search" loop (innermost loop in main program). The optical sensor is looking for reflected light greater than 20 (white color). The first time I put a white paper over the optical sensor, it breaks the "search" and "charge" loops and proceeds to the "color" loop, as it should. However, it only works the first time! All the other sensors work as they should, all the time. Sometimes after multiple attempts, the color sensor will work again. Mostly it doesn't.
Here is where things get strange. If I remove any of the other 3 sensor loops, the optical sensor works perfectly. Another thing- If I change the color sensor in the "optical" loop from "compare reflected" to "change reflected-either direction" (keeping the value it is looking for the same), it works perfectly with all of the other sensor loops running. Also, using "change reflected- increase" or "decrease" doesn't fix it, only the "both directions" setting fixes the problem. Does anyone have an explanation of why this is happening? My only thought is that the multiple instances of the "wait for-color sensor" blocks are conflicting... but that should happen no matter how many other sensor loops I have running. It's driving me crazy helping kids troubleshoot why the optical sensor craps out. Any input greatly appreciated.

Perhaps you need to add some hysteresis in your sensor loops. Each loop waits for a condition to be met, but then repeats infinity as long as that condition is met. Hysteresis means waiting for another condition to indicate that the sensor has returned to the original state and usually includes a deadband (meaning the positive trigger is not the same as the negative trigger) to filter out noise.
For example, wait for the color sensor to detect black again before repeating the loop with a deadband of 10%:


text:
Can anyone identify these minifigures?
I was searching Bricklink for info about the marked minifigures, but I can't find anything.
I want to know if these minifigures are fake or if these minifigs are in someone set that I can't find.

The figure holding the lightsaber is composed of the head and hair of Anakin Skywalker from the Clone Wars series:

the torso of Luke Skywalker as a Jedi Knight:

and a pair of dark gray legs on medium gray hips:

The clone figure has the torso of a shock trooper from Ep 3.:

But I couldn't find the helmet.

The torso of the Anakin figure doesn't have the black hand of Luke though, so presumably the hand has been switched out too

WoW thank you for all this info!

@Gawey You're welcome!

Zovits identified most items, the missing helmet is a Stormtrooper Type 2 helmet from an AT-AT driver, which is likely also where the legs from the Anakin/Luke mix figure as identified by Zovits come from.

As an added bonus: the torso of this AT-AT driver is used on the middle stormtrooper on the second row from the front, so you have the complete figure.

Thanks, I have tried searching for "clone", "imperial" and "republic", but "stromtrooper" did not occur to me :)

“Stromtrooper” would not have given you any results either wink

That's strange, I see that it would have.

@zovitssupportsGoFundMonica look carefully at the spelling stromtrooper has no results

@KaranShishoo Oh, thanks, I see now :)

The helmet is from an old AT-AT pilot. The set was from back in '09 I think.

The snowtrooper on the left is not correct. Its torso goes with the AT-AT driver helmet in the question and, as already mentioned, the pants on your Luke-Anakin go with it as well.


text:
Help identify Duplo Toolo brick
I found a thick brick in my set, but couldn't find it on Bricklink by part number. It's look like an Intelligent Brick, but there are no extended pins.
Thanks!

UPDATE [11.01.2020]:
Currently I have these Sound Key bricks:
● - pin
○ - no pin

41489  45752  45753
 ○ ○    ● ○    ○ ●
 ○ ○    ○ ●    ● ○

According to sound manual from 3590 set, I missing last row of sounds (CHUCA..CHU. DRRILLL...DRIL.). After going through all the pin options, I found the right sound in this combination:
 ● ●
 ● ●

And it should be part number 45751, which is replaced by 41489 in my set.
Thanks all!

Do you happen to know which set this brick was included in?

@Alex I got this brick with other parts from 3590 set

It's Part #41489c01 - Duplo Toolo Sloped Brick.

In comments you wrote:

"I also thought that its #45751c01, but the number on brick is 41489" – k1psead

Good question.  This is what LEGO.com says about the molded numbers on individual pieces.

So, LEGO is saying the molded number is this piece's specific Design Number and that we can plug this number in on their Part Database and find the piece.
Let's try it...  Hmmm... Seems that answer is flawed.
So, how did I find it?  My initial search for "Duplo 41489", came with the search results below.
We both now know that there is a Star Wars set with this number, who's popularity has, unfortunately, skewed the wanted results for a piece. So, we can ignore anything Star Wars...
...Look at the third result with no reference to Star Wars.

The third result is pointing to Peeron, another LEGO Set Inventory Database, where the molded Design Number of this piece is set up correctly.

Let's double check by searching the number through Peeron.com HERE.

I also thought that its #45751c01, but the number on brick is 41489

The name suggests 45751c01 part have some electronics inside. However, the picture provided by OP doesn't seem to have any internals to produce sound.

I cross referenced "2949-1 - Remote Control Doze" through Bricklink and it switched this block from "41489c01" to "45751c01".  The Bricklink reference is wrong.  Relinked it to Peeron.com.

Following the recent update of the answer. Good catch with Peeron! However there's still some inconsistency. Peeron states this piece has been available in 2949 set, however Bricklink has 45751c01 part in its inventory. Who's right then? It is either A). Incorrect inventory on Peeron or Bricklink, or B). This part is missing in BL catalog and needs to be added (and inventory for 2949 set updated, eventually).

Did a bit of research and it seems like Bricklink inventory is wrong. Bricklink is also missing 41489 part in its catalog. The reason behind such statement is simply instructions for 2949 set as well as 3589, where both sets should have same piece in their inventory. However you can clearly see 3589 has quite a few pictures explaining the use for intelligent brick, while 2949 has none. 2949 doesn't seem to have any way connecting intelligent brick to function.

@Alex None of these bricks has electronic parts inside. They differ in the pattern of pins.


text:
By number of distinct colors, what official LEGO set has the most pieces?
A recent question shows the "monochrome" Steamboat Willie set actually contains about 20 colors. I was expecting fewer, maybe a dozen or so at most. So this got me wondering...
By number of distinct brick colors, what official LEGO set has the most pieces?
For example:

1 color: ____?
2 colors: Maybe 27 pieces for 40045 Shark
3 colors: Maybe 1211 pieces for 21050 Architecture Studio
4 colors: ____?
5 colors: ____?
...
50 colors: ____?
....

Each transparent color counts as a distinct color, as does metallic and glitter, and historic colors count, too. As shared in a comment, Bricklink recognizes up to about 100 colors. Colors on mini-figures do not count.
Past or current sets count. The only stipulation is that the set is an official LEGO one. This question might show a trend in themes: Architecture for example probably wins on fewest colors / most pieces, while Creator might take most colors / most pieces.
A similar question asks: What Lego set has the most unique colours?

Your URL points to TLG color palette available in 2016. However, some colors have been discontinued and some new ones were introduced since then. Bricklink recognise more than 100

@Alex Ooh, you are right. I had forgotten about the glitter and metallic and orher effects bricks, as well as historically the color palette changing. Thank you for bringing this up: I will amend my question.

A/some trivial data points to your list can be found by counting the number of colours in the set(s) containing the most pieces overall. No matter how many pieces are in the MF, that  set must take the price for that number of colors.

I have a few:

3 colors: 2882 parts for 3450
6/5 colors: 4502 parts for
40179. Note: color count depends if you include brick separator
as a part or not.
11 colors: 2428 parts for 10181
15 colors: 2455 parts for 2000431
23 colors: 7513 for 75192
37 colors: 2613 parts for 2000430

Awesome list. That's an interesting point about the separator. I think the separator would count, as it is identifiably colored like a brick -- unlike minifigs whose colors aren't documented, I think.


text:
Looking for instructions for this Mega Bloks Dragon Ship
I don't know the model #, but it's probably from the early 2000's. Looks like this.

Hi Mariana! Could you please upload a larger picture? This one is 92x92 pixels and thus kind of hard to see.

I googled a similiar image. The smallest one is the right color, but the one with the red sails is a little better resolution.

You mean, you didn't take this picture yourself, just found it on the web? Was there any identifying information (i.e. set number, name, year, etc.) with the image?

https://support.megabrands.com/media/playbooks/9895.pdf thank you all for helping so fast!

This picture looks like one from an ebay listing which means it's copyrighted....

Looks like Set #9895 - Dragons - Krystal Wars - Man O War.
Instructions: HERE.

That's it! the 9895 Man-O-War. Thank you ! now I just have to find the instructions

@MarianaArteaga Rin Rio-Oki has updated this answer with a link to the instructions on MegaBlok's site.


text:
Identify this license plate holder piece
Please tell me the name of this piece. I've been looking for it for hours on LDD and have tried searching for it with many names.

I know that you use it for cars and it's a very common piece too.
The source of the picture is this WikiHow article, which contains no further description.

Hi Mark, which version of LDD are you using? There are apparently some issues with missing elements in the most recent version.

There are two variant of that, which look very similar:
Stud.IO lists them as:

Brick, Modified 2 x 4 - 1 x 4 with Recessed Studs and Thick Side Arches
Brick, Modified 2 x 4 - 1 x 4 with Recessed Studs and Thin Side Arches

These can be seen below, thick in red on the left, and thin in blue on the right in the top picture (not a valid colour):

The difference is subtle but most visible on the side of the bottom, forward facing stud - the picture from the wikihow article appears to be using the Thin variant.

This pieces is indeed hard to find, as it is used in building vehicles but does not have a name that has anything to do with that purpose. It is part number 52038 and is called Brick, Modified 2 x 4 - 1 x 4 with 2 Recessed Studs and Thick Side Arches on Bricklink.

The one in the OPs picture looks more like "Brick, Modified 2 x 4 -1 x4 with 2 Recessed Studs and Thin Side arches"...

It is indeed hard to find, as the various databases can't agree on its size :) Brickset lists it as BRICK 1X4X1 2/3 W. V. KNOBS
etc., while on Bricklink the size is 2x4.

Double nods to Phil B. and Zhaph - Ben Duguid ♦ for offering correct answers, but Mark Thrill has provided further detail that might be a program issue, or he might have just said these words in jest.

"I've been looking for it for hours on LDD..."

We know that certain versions of LDD do exclude pieces. The version of LDD that I'm using does have both variations of this piece.  So, Mr. Thrill, if possible can you check again to see if your version has these pieces:
If you just type "1x4x1" in LDD's search field, both variants should pop up underneath the subcategory brick image that's often used for a car's headlight.

Also could you please tell us what version of LDD you're using.
Help Menu> About (F3).
I'm using 4.3.11 in Extended Mode.

It might be nothing.  I know sometimes a piece's orientation gets rotated weird in the side tab of the program, and the piece we're looking for is right there in front of our eyes, but the inner mind's eye hasn't caught up yet.
So, both variants in LDD would be:

(Thicc) Part #52038 1x4x1 2/3 W. V. KNOBS.
(Thin) Part #14520 1x4x1 2/3 W. V. KNOBS.

Good point - I neglected to mention that I don't have LDD installed at the moment, and yes, it's also likely needing to be switched into "Extended Mode".

Possibly related, the last LDD update is missing a lot of pieces: https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/12715/ev3-specific-bricks-missing-from-lego-digital-designer-4-3-11-win

Nope Zhaph, for this instance Extended Mode's omission of pieces has nothing to do with the program update omissions as Mr. O'mara has provided a link to.  Extended Mode offers no color restrictions to pieces, thus will show a piece's design only once, while Normal Mode will show a piece's design in all known colors that the piece has been sighted in the real world. Imagine a 1x1 brick. Extended will show it only once, while Normal will show it some 14 different times is every color it has known to appear in.

I've rolled back your edit of my answer, because it has changed the intended meaning/point that I've made.  As Alex has further pointed out the latest version 4.3.12 is garbage.  I myself have uninstalled it and gone back to using the 4.3.11. Again, It could still be nothing, but we're basically waiting on the OP to test for piece inclusion, and tell us what release he's using.  With all LDD questions that should be the first thing we need.  Please state your program version, kind Sir/Madame.

Good point about the version/modes as I don't have LDD installed any more I can't really comment either way. Probably better to add a comment asking for the version on the question, rather than deep down here ;)


text:
What set is the safari car in the 2020 catalogue from?
On page 2 of the (German version of the) 2020 January-July Lego catalogue, there is a promotional image with various sets or parts thereof1.

Catalogue online version.
In the lower right corner of that image, we can see a nice-looking safari car with a puma and a photographer disguised as a tree and a colourful parrot on top. I could not find this car anywhere in the catalogue.
Is it from a set? Is it something that was planned to be released, but eventually wasn't, maybe when promotional materials had already been prepared? Or is it a teaser image for an upcoming 2020/2 set?

1: For instance, I can recognize the train from 10874, the 31105 toy store, the tent and campfire (glampfire?) from 41392, the police plane from 60210, and the top half of 71712.

That's a new 60267 set to be released this year under City theme:

Nice! Curious that it's not listed in the catalogue.

@O.R.Mapper I suspect set might be LEGO store exclusive.

@Alex it’s in stores here in NZ.


text:
How to restart/reset a program automatically after stop block
I have a program that uses the colour sensor to progress that program. The colours are in a certain order. If the wrong colour is detected, the program stops.
I want to restart the program from the beginning automatically if at any point the wrong colour is detected. Please note that I already have a loop encompassing the entire program if the colours are detected in the correct order.

Please note that I already have a loop encompassing the entire program if the colours are detected in the correct order.

How about creating another loop for the failure case?
Start loop 1 (correct order)
Start loop 2 (wrong order)
Initialization
Check for colours
  If correct order
    Do something
    End loop 1 (correct order)
  Else
    Do some other thing (or not)
    End loop 2 (wrong order)


text:
What are these part numbers?
Can someone help me figure out what both of these LEGO part numbers are?
The first two pictures are the same brick at different angles to show it's strange design, while the third picture is the second brick, which also needs part identification.
1)
2).
3).

Looks like:

Part #47458 - Brick, Modified 1 x 2 x 2/3 No Studs, Wing End.

Part #4081a - Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip Light - (Thin) Ring.

or

Part #4081b - Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip Light - (Thicc) Ring.

Why "thicc" instead of "thick", which is used to describe the part? There are no parts named "thicc" on Bricklink. I find quoting incorrect naming isn't the best idea.

Thicc is a meme that the youngin's are doing these days.

As mentioned in another answer one part has two similar versions. Picture 3 shows the older 4081a and not the newer 4081b. This might be important, depending on your application. While both parts look to be very similar they have different properties. Older part has narrow/thin ring, which allows you to attach plates vertically on each side of the ring and such assembly won't be wider than the horizontal plate. Unfortunately, this doesn't work with newer part as ring is wider/ticker.


text:
Should my set come sealed in plastic?
I’m a new collector. I decided to buy the Stranger Things set as a possible investment piece. I assumed the box would come sealed in plastic but it didn’t. Is this normal?

Welcome to Bricks.SE!

I would actually be leery of a Lego box that was wrapped in plastic.

LEGO sets ship in sturdy cardboard boxes. The LEGO bricks inside the box are sealed in plastic bags (though some larger pieces come loose in the box) and for larger sets the instruction manual and sticker sheet are also sealed in a plastic bag.
The LEGO box itself is not covered in plastic. LEGO uses “seals” to prevent tampering - these are basically just pieces of adhesive tape with some printing on it - a black bar plus on at least one of the pieces of tape is a production code.
Some smaller sets come with push-tabs instead of tape seals ... this forces you to destroy the box to get at the set inside. These boxes will have the production code embossed or printed on the underside of the box.
There are collectors who plastic-wrap their sets upon receipt to keep them mint, but this is not a common practice. You can also engage a grading service to get sets graded, but the market for sealed graded sets is very small.
Note that no matter how good the seals look on a set (even push-tabs), there are entrepreneurial individuals who manage to open and reseal boxes to take out the most valuable contents without you as a buyer knowing. Be aware.

What is grading? I don't know how I could google that.

@Clonkex : see here: https://blog.hobbydb.com/2018/04/12/making-the-grade-the-ins-and-outs-of-collectibles-grading-services/

Oh right, so it's literally just grading as in assigning a grade. I assumed it might have some more exotic meaning in this context :P

In addition to the other answers which highlight the lack of any external plastic covering and the use of seals or glue to indicate the product's unopened state, the products bought directly from LEGO are shipped in plain brown cardboard boxes along with plastic air cushions to protect them during shipping, like demonstrated in this video for example. Other retailers might, on the other hand, just slap a shipping label directly onto the printed box of the set.

Stuff of nightmares what you describe in that last sentence.

Shippers do have packaging standards as to what they will accept as a "box", and it normally has to be a certain grade/thickness of corrugated cardboard.  Lego boxes are not designed to be self-shipping, and wouldn't meet the requirements.  So, you could at least feel better knowing that the shipper shouldn't accept that arrangement, but I'm not saying it hasn't happened.

I wish I had received mine with padding around the set! I got one from Lego.com.au and they just put it in a cardboard box larger than the set. I imagine it would have slipped and slid around during transit. There is the slightest bit of damage in the top left hand corner. Barely noticeable but I would expect better packaging from LEGO. Am I being pedantic as a new collector or should I ask for a replacement set, packaged securely?

@CarlyMorgendorffer I have never seen or heard anyone complaining about such minor scuffs on a box. IMO, LEGO is about building and playing with bricks, not about collecting boxes, but each to their own, I guess :)

@JPhi1618 My understanding is that while shippers do have packaging standards they don't really enforce them at the time of shipment (of course they may well use them as a reason to refuse damage claims).

Had it happen twice. Once from a major online retailer, once from a bricklink seller who shipped my order in an unrelated lego box. What worries me the most about such shipping is the indiscretion. Everyone by now knows lego is valuable, don't want it advertised that the shipment contains lego. Also, I have it delivered at my work adres, my colleagues and superiors don't need to know how much I spend on lego.

The boxes for usual LEGO sets are not packaged in plastic wraping. It looks like you consider plastic to be the packaging, while the box itself is the packaging, since LEGO bricks inside is the actual product and not the box.
Considering environmental issues extra plastic wraping would be wastefull since (I assume) 99% of all sets are being opened.
The best you can get away with keeping your box in best shape is to order single set directly from LEGO online. Largest sets may come in dedicated made-to-fit cardboard boxes. However this not always a case (sometimes cardboxes designed to fit 2-3 same sets).


text:
LEGO Technic #42082 - Rough Terrain Crane: Loose Feet
LEGO Technic crane set #42082. Putting the feet on now,  are they supposed to click in somehow? Also, my feet don’t seem to touch the ground. I’m worried I messed up somewhere a long time ago. Help please!

Everything's going according to plan.  Check out Youtuber Sariel's review on your set HERE.
At about 26mins in, he addresses your concern.  He notes the looseness of the feet when fully deployed, and says there are 4 pads stored in a compartment over the front axle. Just build on.

I absolutely love this question and answer. Wish I had more upvotes to give


text:
What is the total number of sets that LEGO has released?
I am wondering how many LEGO sets that LEGO has released in total in their 85+ years of business. To clarify I am only looking for sets that use plastic blocks like the ones we have today, not the very early sets. This would probably be sets from after 1950 as they started producing the interlocking plastic brick in 1949.

A follow up question could be: Who has collected and BUILT the largest number of different Lego brand sets?

@Dan1138, you should probably start a new question rather than commenting

It might be impossible to give the precise number simply because some older sets are yet to be found and new ones are being added with a slight delay.
These three are major websites having the most details about sets:

Bricklink catalog has 15824 sets in its catalog.
Brickset has 16378 sets.
Rebrickable has 15432 sets.

As you can see numbers are similar, yet differ slightly. This is due the fact that each site has its own set of rules. For example, it may treat some sets as accessories, thus including/excluding them.
Note. All numbers are up-to-date as of the time of this answer.

That will have to do as I should have specified in my question that I was only looking for an approximate value.

Keep in mind that the Bricklink catalog mostly lists sets that real people really have. Some of them may be sets the Lego never "shipped" and there may be other sets that Lego shipped but no living person has.

@Dan1138 Isn't that the whole point of having a catalog with ALL sets, even if the set is extremely hard to get hold of?

There is over 2000 Lego sets. As a former employee that has been working in the design department since 2006.

Hi Michael and welcome to Bricks.SE! Your answer sets a lower boundary which is way below the ballpark established by Alex's answer, which sources three different sites. I feel this answer could be improved by either explaining the difference or expanding on the sources this answer is derived from.

Could you specify what makes these sets fall into the "set" category? Are they only official boxed sets?

I saw in a Google search that an online database had about 20,000 Lego sets.

Hi Marble and welcome to Bricks.SE! Which database was this?


text:
Why doesn’t part 30099 fit into the System?
Part 30099 - Brick Arch 1x5x4 Inverted doesn’t seem to fit into the LEGO system. I cannot find a part that fits on the bottom stud and provides continuity to the concave slope of the arch. A tile is not high enough, and a cheese slope is too high. In other words, the height is 1.5 plates (1/2 a brick). Does anyone know why this is and/or have an example of a LEGO piece that fits this slope?

A Technic half-brick-thin piece such as piece no. 6632 would fit the arch if the slope really is 1/2 a brick higher than the stud.

I would assume that this is to do with stability and flexibility of the element, combined with the rectangular nature of the system.
There are a number of uses of the part where it's not used to create a full circle, such as on the tailplane of 31011 or the fairing of a Ferarri and having a stud at the bottom allows them to secure the element on the top and bottom, rather than just from the bottom.
If the element was a true quarter circle, the end still wouldn't line up with the system height correctly, so I imagine that the decision was taken to finish it early with a stud, rather than complete it neatly.

Excellent answer. This makes a lot of sense.

This picture might explain the reason:

As you can see, arches form a nice circle to fit round modified plate. All fits well, except the very bottom. Making the bottom edge fit the plate/tile nicely would result in gap with a round piece. The curve of this arch brick isn't full 1/4 circle to make it flush with a tile/plate.
However you may ask "Why didn't LEGO just extend the bottom curve to full 1/4 circle and cover the stud?". This seems to be an obvious solution, but that's a different topic and we may not know which decision caused the part to appear in existing form.

Thanks for your answer. Yes, raising that bottom stud by half a plate would make a slightly flattened circle. But my exact question is what you leave open at the end of your answer: why is this piece designed the way it is, and is there a piece that completes the circle ( or at least fit smoothly with the arch)? Why didn’t TLG make it the exact inverse of the usual arch?

Probably stability and flexibility - Not every set that uses this element wants to create a full circle, and having a stud at the bottom allows them to secure the two together with a tile or plate, rather than butting up against each other.

@Zhaph, to me your comment seems the only logical answer to this question. I think you should consider expanding your comment to an answer.

@MichaelVerschaeve done.

Finding a piece that completes a flawless circle can't be done with this element's current design, but...
...If we stick only with Part #2339, we can build an outside frame that changes the direction of the studs themselves in a way that produces the desired effect.

You could try and contact LEGO customer service directly for their official reason as to why this element is designed in such a fashion as to not produce a perfect circle in conjunction with its inverted twin, because a question this specific could only be verified officially by LEGO themselves, and anything else would seem to be speculation.

Thanks for your answer! I like how you showed how to make a perfect circle using only the non-inverted part. I doubt Customer Service agents at LEGO will have a (canned) answer for this question but it might be something the folks at The New Elementary would want to take a look at.


text:
Does anyone know what set this is?
I have recently re-discovered Lego and was looking through my son's old sets. In a box I found this partially assembled "Bug". I don't have the instructions nor the original box so I am unsure what set this is.
If I can figure it out I can get the parts list and instructions and complete it.

Could you post a bigger picture?

I believe this to be part of the Insectoid space series,
I think set 6907:

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=6907-1
But could also be one of the other 3 sets that contain the stinger.
https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=x239&in=S

Michael, I believe you are correct...I think it is the set # 6969....I will check more thoroughly tonight. Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. It is greatly appreciated!

Based on the wings, the magnet on the tail and the legs it must be 6907 indeed.

Yes, the 6969 has larger legs and only two


text:
Harley Davidson chain belt running jolty
I am building the Harley Davidson Fat Boy from Creator Expert (10269) and when installing the chain belt that connects the engine gears to the rear wheel I noticed that it runs quite jolty, with the chain links feelably and hearably clicking onto the gear when running over it. It all feels like it doesn't quite fit and run as smoothly as it should.
However, I don't have much experience with chain belts in technic constructions, so I don't know if this is maybe a general shortcoming of LEGO or if I just made a mistake somewhere. I did closely follow the building instructions of course and I also checked that I use exactly the 43 chain links mentioned as well as aligned the chain in the direction depicted. Or maybe it has to run this way and this is an intended effect for a "rougher" or more pulpable engine feeling?
So I'm basically just trying to check if I built it correctly and it does run kind of jolty or if it has to run smoothly and I made a mistake somewhere.

Just took out my model and I would not describe the chain as super smooth but certainly also not as you are describing it. Audibly, the fake engine and gears makes much more noise than the chain. On the other hand, can't really think what you might possibly have done wrong if you counted the links and aligned the chain properly...

Okay, it seems I indeed made a mistake during building, which I solved afterwards:
When assembling the rear mudguard, I noticed that the rear wheel had quite a bit more variability in its sideways adjustment and was quite a bit off center, specifically too far to the left. This caused the chain belt to either run slightly skewed or have friction on some part of the frame. When I adjusted the wheel more towards the center, it ran a lot smoother.
However, this was only part of the problem. The actual mistake I only realized at the end when seeing a little yellow half-stud wide technic bush, which I missed in instruction step 25 already, where it was placed under the gear on which the chain runs and is supposed to space it further away from the frame. Fortunately I was able to repair that without dismantling the entire thing.


text:
Will Duplo trains fit onto a regular 6 stud LEGO track?
There's a thread here establishing that regular LEGO trains arguably fit onto Duplo track, but have trouble with underbelly clearance.
What about the opposite? Will a Duplo train fit onto six-stud gauge LEGO track?
To be clear, I am excluding control and power functions - I'm asking if a Duplo train will fit on the tracks and roll freely without derailing.

For this experiment we're using the wheeled Duplo push and go motor block and red cabin from Set #10874.
The wheel width of the motor is the same width as a non motor base.

So, for this train to stay on the six stud track, the wheels need to sit either on the inside of the tracks or the outside of the tracks.
As the last picture shows, the wheels float on top of the tracks, which allows the train to slip off.
If this red train represents the standard width of most Duplo trains, then we can conclude that a Duplo train will not fit on a six-stud gauge LEGO track and roll freely without derailing.

UPDATE: Just getting our digital groove on.

It is wonderful to see duct tape and a metal ruler being useful for LEGO's.

This is an awesome and thorough answer.


text:
What are the thick red cylinders in 80104?
What are the thick red cylinders with handles (not the drumsticks) that two minifigs are holding in set 80104 supposed to represent?

Michael has answered what pieces it is, but you ask what they represent, so I'm going to offer a guess at that: Fireworks.

I suppose that I indeed misread the OPs question. Still I think it's perfectly possible that someone unfamiliar with Technic lego wants to know more about the cilinders in this set, so I'm leaving my answer as is.

Indeed, the description of the set on LEGO.com calls this out: "Accessory elements such [...] a rocket firework inspire unlimited play".

Apparently they're called skyrockets.

Those are red technic pin connectors

bricklick pin connector
A "flick missile" pin is inserted which is one one side a bar so the minifig can hold it and on the other side a stud so the pyramid element can be placed on top.
bricklink flick missile

Thanks! Great description of the parts, but I'll have to accept Henrik's answer as I asked what they represented.

yes, i understand


text:
Can anyone tell me which set this LEGO plane is from?
Im looking through my old LEGO sets and discovered this plane and I have no idea which set its from or the details. Could anyone help me out please?

Searching Bricklink.com for all sets that have Part # 30056 - Fence 4 x 4 x 2 Quarter Round Spindled with 2 Studs.

We get the image of your plane, which is from Set #3451 - Sopwith Camel.

Looks like your model needs a serious dusting.


text:
Are there two versions of the set 6205?
I own the LEGO set 6205 and I noticed from another picture on Brickowl and Bricklink the wing design is different. Is there an alternate version or did someone who had the set mix up the pieces and build it the wrong way?

The images on Brickowl and Bricklink both seem to be from the same source. The image does not seem to be build according to the instructions available from the Lego web site for set 6205.

To figure out which party made a mistake, compare everyone's work with the official art displayed on the box.
Short answer: Go compare images against the box art.

Detailed answer:
First, let's investigate and try to understand what the OP is talking about with some build dependency in the wing area of Set #6205.
So, upon going to both Bricklink and Brick Owl, we see the same curious image both sites are using, that seems to conflict with the original box art.
Hey, look, the fabled alternate build!

So, let's compare:
LEGO alternate builds tend to add something of value that is visually or functionally appealing.

Focusing our attention at the original's wing design, notice how the
tapered flow traverses smoothly back to the stern of the ship, versus
the squared off-bluntness of the alternate.
So... where's the further-appeal rational for the alternate here?
is LEGO offering us a battle damaged version?

Let's nitpick this image's authenticity further.

A) The reflective glare obstructs the minifig, giving us that shine-on-you-crazy-diamond effect only the Pink Floyd fan would appreciate.

B) The shot of the cannon weapon is skewed here, but if official, would be aesthetically squared, and oh so perfect.

Furthermore, there is no proof of the existence of "Dash-Two" instructions.

When LEGO offers multiple builds of a set, they tend to add a dash
"-" and a sequential build number at the end of the set's name.
So, if one existed, it would read "6205-2".
Dashy-Two, Dashy-Two! Where are you?

Finally, just Look at it.  On the surface it looks like a build mistake that anyone of us could make, but seriously, after looking deeper, does anyone really think LEGO would approve this?
So, taken it in all together, these detail errors just wouldn't fly at LEGO.
Conclusion: The 6205 alternate build image is simply bogus, and should be ignored as an innocent mistake at Bricklink and Brick Owl.
But... That was some very impressive attention to detail, young Justan Ryan.

Inventory for 6205 set on Bricklink has quite a few alternate pieces (look at the bottom of the page on BL), which suggest me there are two versions of this set. You can find alternate parts as they are linked to parts found in initial inventory.
Note. During production of a set LEGO may change a piece or two to similar part of a different color or mould. This has been done quite a few times. Rarely LEGO may re-work the set a little, resulting in change of more than a few pieces within inventory, which happened here.
Other (better) known examples of sets having several versions:
8880
21303 WALL•E

The image at Brinklink uses a number of pieces found in neither the parts list nor the alternate parts list you mention.

@ikegami Could you give an example? I'd love to submit a request to fix an issue on BL in case there is one.

The "Dark Bluish Plate 2 x 4", the "Dark Red Tile 2 x 2 with(?) Groove", and the V-shaped red piece underneath.

@ikegami Nice, good catch!

Now with links :) Dark Bluish Grey Plate 2 x 4, Dark Red Tile 2 x 2 with Groove, Dark Red Wedge, Plate 4 x 4 See the other answer for a side-by-side comparison of the BL pic and what it should look like


text:
Displaying Minifigs and avoiding discolouration
I have just made some frames (IKEA box frame, white mount board, 70 2x4 white bricks per frame, and super glue) to display some of my minifigure collection:

Really pleased with the results (and even my wife is happy to have them on display in the house).  I am however a little anxious about discolouration as some of the minifigures, especially the Star Wars ones, are reasonably valuable.  I will hang them up the stairs in our house which does face North, so may be worrying unnecessarily.  However would like to understand if there is anything else I should be doing to protect them.  For instance, is discolouration due to UV light, and can you buy a clear UV film to put on the perspex?
Would love to find a way to put my collection on display to enjoy it, but ensuring that I don't ruin it in the process.

Our friends over on Photography have a couple of good suggestions, including a spray-on option if you don't want to shell out for new glass.

Taking a recommendation from our friends over on Photography there are a couple of options available to you:

The best and most common form of protection from fading would be the selection of UV glass or acrylic. Any framing store will have these options available at multiple price points with trade offs such as glare or less glare, scratch resistant or scratch prone, and tint(green) or no tint.
[Another option would be sprays - for example Krylon UV Resistant Clear Coating Spray] is made for use on artwork that is either outside or near windows. They offer the product in gloss and matte finish as well. Krylon is a very well respected brand, and I believe this will be the easiest and cheapest solution to the problem, albeit not necessarily the best.
Another spray on option would be Premier Imaging Products Print Shield. It is a lacquer based protective spray that is designed for inkjet prints. It also works on photo papers and canvas materials. They specify up to a 2x lightfastness increase, elimination of gloss differential, non yellowing formula, and a reduction in scuffing. The results have been tested by an independent lab (Wilhelm Research) to last up to 166 years with certain Epson papers and regular glass, and over 200 years with UV filtering glass.


text:
EV3 software with large blocks
I can't seem to find a download for home or education version of EV3 software that has the large white blocks for either macos 10.13 or 10.15 on my imac.
Can someone help?
I currently have that version on ipad but imac version Home 1.3.0 is slender blocks and not as cool.  This is for the ev3 education kit.

https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/mindstorms/downloads
Scroll a bit down and you'll find two apple icons.

The left one will work for macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or newer, and is with what you describe slender blocks. It's similar to the Scratch educational programming environment.
The software is "pre-release" so might still have some kinks in it.
The right one is the older software with the blocks you are used to.
HOWEVER it will NOT work on macOS 10.15 or later.
Rather than porting their existing application to 10.15, LEGO has decided to spend their resources on the new app. Unfortunate decision in my opinion.

The Education version is available at https://education.lego.com/en-us/downloads/retiredproducts/mindstorms-ev3-lab/software

You can download the Home edition of the retired software for MacOS 10.13 here: Home edition (It will also work with education edition)


text:
How to sell built Lego sets?
I have 4 UCS Star Wars sets: Slave 1, Airspeeder, TIE fighter and Sandcrawler. I'm not interested in keeping them anymore. They take up a lot of room and don't do much.
I was wondering how to sell them: Ebay, Craigslist?
Any suggestions would be good. Also how much do you think they are worth (built)?
I have all of the mini-figures and no pieces are missing. I have the boxes and instructions.

Hi Alex and welcome to Bricks.SE! I don't know of any UCS SW sets called Air-speeder, did you perhaps mean the Snowspeeder?

Does this answer your question? Selling complete sets, Assembled or Disassembled?

If the sets are indeed complete with all parts, minifigs, instructions and even boxes then I'd recommend Bricklink, as the collector community there would be more appreciative of these features. Whereas on Ebay and Craigslist you'd find more people who just want a playset and couldn't even tell if a set was complete or not.
For higher value sets (like yours) and for the european market I'd give Catawiki a look as well, as their reviewer and escrow system helps avoid scams and other pitfalls - for a higher fee for both buyers and sellers.
For price suggestions check these links below:
Slave I
Sandcrawler
TIE Fighter
Snowspeeder

I think there is similar interest on EBay for these sets compared to BL. Many collectors use both venues to buy sets. EBay has a much larger audience than BL. That said, paypal and EBay together take ~20% of your proceeds as fees, whereas BL takes significantly less (~5%), so that larger audience comes at a price.

@PhilB. Thanks for the opinion and the numbers on the fees! In my experience Ebay tends to attract sellery and buyers with less interest and knowledge, but I do admit that there are certainly many serious collectors looking for bargain sales there as well.


text:
How do I make a single arm double tap a piano key?
I am trying to make a Lego play piano from ev3, where I have connected two arms to a single motor on either side using Lego elements. Both the arms move counterclockwise to one another (if one plays the key then another won't), the problem is that I need one of the arms to double tap on the key without the motor moving 360 degrees. How do I do it? I have used run_time, run_target, and run_angle but nothing seems to work.

#!/usr/bin/env pybricks-micropython
from pybricks import ev3brick as brick
from pybricks.ev3devices import *
from pybricks.ev3devices import (Motor, TouchSensor, ColorSensor, InfraredSensor, UltrasonicSensor, GyroSensor)
from pybricks.parameters import Port
from pybricks.tools import wait

# Play a sound.
brick.sound.beep()

# Initialize a motor at port B.
test_motora=Motor(Port.A)
test_motorb = Motor(Port.B)
test_motorc = Motor(Port.C)
test_motord=Motor(Port.D)

test_motord.run_target(500,-180)
test_motord.run_time(500,2000)
wait(1000)
test_motord.run_target(500,0)
test_motord.run_time(500,2000)

If I understand correctly, you can already tap once. What is preventing you from repeating the same movement in order to tap twice?

Please don 't upload code as a picture.

This is actually quite simple. Turn the motor enough degrees for it to touch the key, then use that same number of degrees to turn it back (but with a - before it to specify that it go backwards. After that, turn it that same number of degrees again but without the - this time.


text:
Which parts have no-friction Technic axle holes?
I want to make a no (or very low) friction inline coupling for axles.  The axles must turn, transmit moderate torque, and be in phase (therefore backlash must be minimal).  The axles remain inline at all times.  The axles do not need to slide when in use; the no-friction requirement is just for easy (dis)assembly.
The coupling must be very compact, especially in width (not greater than 2 studs wide).  So I am interested in parts with no-friction axle holes.
I am aware of the following parts:

32905 Screw Gear.  This has the disadvantage of being > 1 stud wide,
so cannot have beams or connectors immediately adjacent.
32494 Steering CV Joint.  Together with 92906 CV Joint Axle the assembly is 1 stud wide, but needs "bracing" to keep it inline.

Are there other parts with no/low-friction axle holes that could be useful for this coupling design?  Or are there alternative coupling designs that meet the stated requirements?

Can the axle be modified by adding additional parts? If you control both sides of the interface, the addition of other parts (https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=3941#T=C and another one I can't find right now)  could result in a compact joint that can transmit reasonable torques but still can be pulled apart without any resistance.

The other piece is the palm tree top, which can be inserted into the 2x2 round brick and will turn with it thanks to the grooves around its central "trunk" holding against the studs on the 2x2. By building two of this assembly and putting it on the ends of axles, the four "fingers" on the "palm tree top" pieces can be meshed with each other to transmit rotation, but they don't have any friction lengthwise.

Additional parts can be used, but the size constraints limit what could be used.  The 2566 palm tree top is an interesting idea but would be prone to slip under load, because there is only the 3.2mm shaft connection.  Looks like there would be some backlash too.

There is indeed some backlash (I'd say about 15°), but the inclusion of a 2x2 round brick eliminates the slippage problem via the four studs.

One possibility is the Technic, Gear 8 Tooth without Friction. It was specificially designed to allow axles to slide through it. It can be held by 4 other 8-tooth gears, one of which could allow for the mechanical connection:
 o
o+*
 o

+ This is the frictionless 8-tooth gear your axle can be inserted into
* This gear is used to transmit the torque via another, fixed axle
o These are gears pinned to the frame but connected only to the central one

The above solution does violate the 2 studs width requirement, but it still might be possible to use the gear with the fixed axle inserted by half a stud and the removable axle occupying the remaining half stud. This would require a way to fix the gear in place, since both axles would have the same amount of clutch, and depending on your definition of "moderate torque", the interface along the half stud length of gear and axle might prove insufficient.

Another solution, which, depending on your definition of "moderate torque", could be sufficient.
Note the 1 stud long bush not being in click, in order to increase friction between the blue pin with axle and the harpoon piece, and thus the transmitted torque before the clutch power is overcome.

This setup is quite long, a bit more than 6 studs between the ends of the axle joiners, but fits in a 1x1 cross-section. It needs constant pressure in the axial direction though, or else the harpoon head will strip the axle joiner like a Philips screwdriver.