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Can you help me identify this minifigure? masked face, green belt, black legs
I'm trying to identify this minifigure for my son. It came from a bundle of mixed sets. I initially thought it was from the Super Heroes theme, but I've checked all the Super Hero minifigures on BrickLink and been unable to match it. Note, the minifigure's torso is blank on the back. Thanks.

The head is 3626cpb1091 AKA "Nightwing with red eyes". It only appears in one set, 76011-1 Man-Bat Attack:

The torso is 973pb0714c01 AKA "torso witch with green belt". It only appears in set 850487-1 "Halloween Accessory Set" and as a collectible minifigure from Series 2:

The legs seem to be plain black legs, way too common to pinpoint their origin.

You missed the hands.


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EV3G Where can I find the .vix file for the low-level functions? (Set integer, IO operations, start block)
They look like this:

By default, when you refer to a vix file, it looks like this:
<Reference Type="VILib" Name="TerminalTerminal.vix" />
But, to refer to these low-level functions, you need to write:
<Reference Name="X3.Lib:StartBlockTest" Type="VILib" SubType="StartBlock"/>
Where can I find this "X3.Lib"?
Thanks in advance,
Csabi

The LEGO EV3 Block Developer Kit documentation refers to these as "gray blobs". These are compiler intrinsics and don't have a .vix implementation. They generally correspond directly to the bytecodes from the EV3 Firmware Developer Kit.

Note: Developer kits are available on the official LEGO MINDSTORMS download page.

Thank you so much! This is exactly what i was looking for!
I didn't except to get an answer so quickly, since most of the questions here are about Lego minifigures, but it's nice to know there are also people like you, that know a lot about the EV3 brick

The main reason I asked this question, is because the Start block seemingly has a "result" output. Do you have any idea what thats for?

I think the start block is a little different that other blocks since it starts a VM thread instead of calling a specific bytecode command. The output is probably just the program flow wire that connects to the next block to run.

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


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What did I buy? non-Lego minifigures, in green
I bought this bag of figures today and have no clue what they are, or why I bought them for that matter.
12 "Men figurines", each individually wrapped.  Appears that they are all different.
Are they Lego?  Something else?

They're not lego - a telltale sign is that lego minifigs don't have shoes as a separate piece. I cannot readily pinpoint the maker, though. Them being half green and half grey uniforms suggest they're part of some WW2 soldier pack.

I've gone through https://uploads.brickset.com/docs/clonebrands_v1.8.pdf , but I cannot see any (known) clone brand with a legs+shoes assembly like in your photo. Identifying the exact clone brand might be hard.

@IvanSanchez Another clear indication that they're not Lego is that they're modern era/WW2 soldiers, which is something that Lego refuses to produce toys of.

These are from Wuhui ( or Wuhui mall)

WUHUI 12PCS SWAT Military Army WW2 Minifigures Toy Building Kit

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


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Can you identify this Minifig? Transparent skeleton with red extremities
Can you identify this Minifig?

If you look at the answer to your other minifig question, you'll notice this minifig in that same set. This is gb020 "Mayhem" - IIRC, that's the ghost in the rock concert scene.

This seems good enough to be an answer, to me.

Same as in OP's other minifig identification question, the answer lies within set 75828-1 "Ecto 1&2".
The minifig is gb020 "Mayhem". If I remember the movie correctly, this is the ghost that interrupts the rock concert.


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What is this minifig? Female brown hi-viz overalls

Can you identify this Minifig?

That's from set 75828-1 "Ecto 1&2", part of the Ghostbusters (2016) movie franchise.

In particular, the minifig in question is gb016 "Erin Gilbert", depicting the homonymous movie character
Judging by the neck collar, your minifig seems to have some parts of the proton pack still attached, but not the entire assembly.

I'd also guess based on the color that the other minifig (whose feet we can see on the top-right of the image) is from the same set - there seem to be 3 other figures with that color feet, can't identify without seeing more of it.  (The grey top-left feet aren't enough to identify anything.)

I wonder if this Lego theme was as big of a flop as the movie it was based off of...


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What minifigs are these three?

Could you help identifying these 3 minifigures?

First one is loc111 "Sykor" from the Legends of Chima line, albeit with a different helmet (I'm guessing part 30171 "aviator cap" in black):

Second one is col186 "Prospector" from series 12 collectible minifigures, albeit with a red scarf (part 30133) instead of beard, and different head (part 3626cpb0798 "Head Male White and Gray Bushy Eyebrows") and hair (part 62810 "Hair short tousled", I guess?).

Third one is tlm046 "RoboSWAT with helmet", which appears in three sets in the Lego Movie line:


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Can you identify these 4 minifigs?

Please help me identify these last 4 minifigs.

FFS, Goldie, that's 9 minifig ident requests in the last 8 hours. Plz learn to do image searches.

I tried to search and not sure where to best do so.

Screenshot, crop torso+legs, search in https://yandex.com/images/ , grab minifig name, search on bricklink.

First is sw0603 "Shadow stormtrooper", with Lord Business' hair (from The Lego Movie).
Second one is sw0258 "Hoth officer", possibly with a different head.
Third one is loc002 "Razcal from the Legends of Chima line.
Fourth one is sw0581 "AT-AT driver".


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How do I remove this piece when the other side is obstructed?
I bought and constructed the Millenium Falcon 75192.
Now, I'm breaking it apart for storage. I just don't know how to remove the black piece below (the same as the alone one but in the structure) without applying an insane pressure that I fear might destroy the piece. Usually I just use other pieces to push it out from behind, but in this case, the backside is obstructed by another piece behind, and every piece is stuck because of that one piece I can't remove.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I tried using the thin part of the orange piece to unclip bricks, but I just can't use it in this case: it simply doesn't work as it's too thick.

Well, half a pin is still present on the back side, so it isn't that bad. Things I would try:

Wiggle and pull out the part in question as-is, since pin slots are parallel to the part itself it could be possible to pull out the part ever slightly to make the rest of the job easy. If you find it hard to grab/wiggle the part try attaching something to an available pin hole - like a pin and some connector, to make some sort of lever.

Use some long and narrow non-LEGO item and push the part from the back. Since you'd be pushing against a back wall of a pin hole there won't be much damage visible even if you use brute force with sharp object like needle. And since this a Technic element, which tend to be made of a slightly harder plastic than usual bricks, there is low chance of damaging it even with sharp object.

As least favorite option I'd try using something flat and sharp between L-shaped brick and element you wish to remove. While it is possible to complete this action without damaging any of bricks this option has the highest chance of leaving some marks.

The needle idea gave me a better option: using a wooden toothpick. I could put enough pressure and it's the toothpick that was half destroyed afterwards, not the piece. So thank you a lot for leading me there!


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EV3 manual recording for displacement
So I'm doing this project using an EV3, here are the tasks of the project:

We have to save the path that the robot will take manually ( we will move the robot by hand and it'll save the movements) so we can run it again automatically
We want the robot so save the map of the room that we move it in

I'm confused about how to do that exactly, any help would be appreciated!

If your robot has wheels, then measure or calculate the circumference of the wheels. Then you just have to count the rotations of the axle and multiply by the circumference to get the total travelled distance.
I'm deliberately only giving pointers instead of solutions, since if it's a project with tasks, then you are supposed to learn about it - if you're still stuck, tell us where and how, so we can give you further tips and pointers to help you learn.

Is it possible to map the room manually with the robot  and then make it run through the map?

@MajedM.Alharthi The answer most probably is "Yes, it is". But it depends on the exact parameters of the problem - i.e. what do you mean by "map the room manually", "save the map" and "run through the map". As I wrote in the answer, you can know how long the robot has travelled in one direction. Additionally you can learn if it has rotated in various ways depending on its exact design - most probably if the wheel(s) on one side rotate differently than those on the other side. And if you save the lengths of straight movements, interspersed with the angles turned, then you have the exact route.


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Help Identifying Parts Bags - Technic with a lot of different colors
Can anyone figure out what set these two unopened bags belong to? The loose parts were in a ziplock bag along with the unopened so they MIGHT be part of the same set.

All of the pictured polybags show these bricks are part of the same set - BOOST Creative Toolbox (17101)

I'm guessing that the OP is missing the parts from that set that allow you to make an actual robot that you can control with an app on your mobile device?

@nick012000 Based on posted pictures OP has only 3 polybags out of 11. Most obvious missing parts are the electronics, threads and Dark Azure elements.


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How can I extract a metal axle from a plastic wheel without damaging them?
I have Plate, Modified 2 x 2 with Wheels Red with metal axles that have developed rust and I need to sanitise them, as I have rust even on the plastic pieces
This is an example of wheels I need to disassemble:

Before trying more things and avoid breaking them, I would like to know if is it possible to extract the axles with no damage (the axles are inserted by pressure) or are they glued and should try to clean the rust without disassembly

Not an answer, just a comment, as I can't prove a negative: Bricklink treats the entire assembly as one part, indicating that it is not meant to be disassembled. That of course doesn't mean it can't be disassembled though, but could mean that such disassembly would cause damage to the parts.

@zovits thanks for your comment, maybe you are right. I assume they are one part because they are meant to be together, not because it cannot be disassembled, or because of the metal axle not being a LEGO part. Maybe I cannot disassemble because of the rust or the material expansion, or they are just glued! That's because I am asking :D I will try something by the weekend if I do not get an answer :(

From accidentally destroying some older wheels (decades on a sunny windowsill can make red parts brittle), I think you're out of luck.
The ends of the metal axles I've seen have had splines formed into them, then as far as I can see the plastic is moulded over the top. To see what I mean, imagine something like 32209 Technic Axle 5.5L with Stop, then covering the end with the stop with modelling clay - you won't get the clay off in one piece.
The good news is that ABS (the plastic used in most Lego parts) has good resistance to oxalic acid and you can get rust removers based on oxalic acid (some advice here).  It might turn the steel black; I know phosphoric acid does.  Note that phosphoric acid, citric acid, and acetic acid* aren't good for ABS, ruling out many commercial rust-removers and home-made recipes.  There's always a chance of damage, but less so than trying to get the assembly apart.
I tried an experiment.  After about an hour and a half in vinegar, the plastic was unaffected, but the rust hadn't reduced, so you may need something stronger.
But before I put the assembly into the vinegar I noticed one of the wheels was cracked (actually both now I look at the photo!), so I risked prising it off.  After scrubbing some rust off using steel wool you can see the groove in the axle where the plastic is moulded to grip it (red arrow), confirming that it's not coming off without damage.  I was slightly wrong though - this part isn't splined, presumably because it doesn't matter if the wheel slips round the axle.

If you insist on disassembly, applying enough heat to just the axle will soften the plastic touching it, allowing you to pull it out.  Reassembly would need glue.  But I think (from  memory, bricklink doesn't have a picture of the underside) you couldn't heat the axle without melting the plate.

* From the source I used, 20% acetic acid is bad, but vinegar (4-8% acetic acid) is good. Whether the soaking time to remove the rust is long enough to cause problems for the plastic would require an experiment.

What about vinegar? It is much more common than oxalic acid and is also known to be used for rust removal. It also seem to have "A-excellent" rating on the list you've attached.

@Alex I searched "acetic acid" in that list (vinegar being 4-8% acetic acid) and even at 20% it gets C - "should not be used".  I didn't search vinegar by name.  It might be worth trying it.  If the wheels are important, testing on a damaged/less useful part (perhaps of the same colour) might be a good idea.

I was considering the heat solution in case it was using some kind of pressure system, you just confirmed some of my worries. I got the wheels on a similar 2nd hand package you speak about and they are the only pieces of that kind I have so I did not want to risk breaking them. I will try my best to clean them without disassembling and not ruining them!


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Finding the angle for an isosceles triangle roof
I am using clips to make a roof shaped like an isosceles triangle.
This feels like one of those things that would be trivial with physical LEGO bricks, but it is near impossible with Stud.io.
How can I calculate the angle that the roof needs to be at for the clip to hold the bar piece?

You are trying to assemble a triangle with inclined parts of 8 units in length and horizontal line is 7 units. The rest is math:
∠α = cos⁻¹(3,5÷8) = 64.0555°
Due to slight imperfection in LEGO assembly you can easily take a value of 64° for one side and 296° (you were close!) for another.
I did a mock-up in LDCad and proved that it works with angle of 64°, as you can clearly see below:

To get the exact answer, this is what high school geometry and trig is useful for in the real world :)
Alternatively, switch off collision detection and just try changing the angles in small increments (e.g. 1 degree) until it looks right. Type the angle into the box shown in the picture, don't try to rotate the parts with the mouse.
Then switch collision detection on again to check if you were close enough.


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Building a window with the tie-fighter round dish
Is there an elegant way to build a round window with the Radial Cockpit Window? I've tried experimenting with vertical clip plates but it just ends up looking odd.

I'm gonna suggest a SNOT contraption relying on two 3659 Arch 1x4, two 1x1 round plates in trans clear, and one 2654 2x2 round plate with rounded bottom, also in trans-clear:

The 2x2 plus 1x1 round plates should just fit within the arches of the arch bricks and provide just enough friction to hold:

If stability is a bigger concern, replace one of the 1x1 round plates with a 2x2 plate in trans-clear. This should keep the window from wiggling:

There should be enough room inside the 1x4 arch brick to snugly accommodate the 2x2 plate:

And then see Joubarc's answer for details on securing this within your build.

I'd rather recommend reading The Unnofficial LEGO Advanced Building Techniques Guide (from https://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/KimT/Mixed/Instructions/advbuilding.pdf ), and in particular the SNOT 180 chapter.

It's also possible to use the (relatively new) part 78666 Arch 1x2 Inverted together with 3659Arch 1x4 to achieve a SNOT-less window frame, for example:

Bear in mind that the curve of the inverted 1x2 arches is not the same as the 1x4 arch, and there'll be a small (about 1/10th of a stud) gap between the inverted arches and the 2x2 dish:


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Which part is this round window frame?
Please identify the round white semi-circle piece in this window.  It kind of looks like a mudflap, but I think it's bigger.

It looks like a Wheel Arch (mudguard) piece, #50745

The confusion may come from its age; newer sets seem to use a smaller one (part 98282) https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=98282#T=C

@RSchulz Out of 11 sets using 50745 element in 2021, 6 sets have it in White. I'd say this wheel arch (50745) is still pretty common these days.

Huh. Only 10 of the smaller one in 2021. I just assumed when they changed the mold, they'd go all in.


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What is the best way to exhibit extra large sets, like Taj Mahal?
Before buying our dream set (Taj Mahal) we are wondering with my Wife how to exhibit it properly? The set is much larger than any other construction we have (23.03x19.29x7.48 inches) and will not fit any furniture we used before for exposition.
We are wondering, what would be the best way to exhibit such large sets, so that they are simultaneously visible and safe? Should one use large glass display cases or some other solutions? I would be grateful for photos of inspiration. Should we buy some generic furniture, or custom made, or could we make it ourselves?
Certainly we would like to protect it against dust. White bricks yellows when exposed to UV light for a long period of time, at least those old one, I don't have long enough experience with the newer ones. Is the Taj Mahal prone to yellowing?

This looks like one of those times when you have too much LEGO. And I find it more (space wise) efficient to keep my big sets disassembled. There's a ton of benefits apart from being able to show off.

Hi Piotr and welcome to Bricks.SE! I took the liberty to edit your question, as here all questions are expected to have an objectively true answer - and "how do you do X" can be answered in as many ways as there are answerers. Whereas asking for the best way is a bit more unambiguous, especially since you have provided the space of possible answers and your preferences.

Disclaimer: I don't own the set in question and I'm not affiliated with anyone selling products mentioned below.
Searching in Google for "lego taj mahal acrylic cover" reveals a staggering selection of acrylic dust covers clearly intended for this specific model. Judging by the supply side I can only conclude that the demand side of the market must be equally large then. Which means many people use such a cover to both display and protect their Taj Mahal, just like you wish to do.

The Taj Mahal model has a specific issue, in that the tall minarets are not very stable and are close to the four corners of the model. A cover that protects them from being knocked accidentally would be a good idea, aside from any other issues displaying large models in general.

Just my observation. I read that acrylic could be UV Filtering or UV Transmitting and none of 5 or so covers I've checked tell which version is being used.


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Help identifying non Lego blocks
I'm in the UK. I've been given a box of old Lego bricks from when I was a child (80s). These were mixed in. I seem to recall they made a house perhaps? They are larger than Lego, smaller than Duplo (Lego and Duplo block included for size comparison). The 'studs' on top are hollow. They had clip-on wheels in the set and window-like push-in inserts. I cant find any names or identifying  marks. Has anyone got any ideas what they are?

Judging by this website, they appear to not be "American Plastic Bricks" by Elgo: https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/halsam-products-co/


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What is inside the LEGO Powered Up L motor?
What's inside the Powered Up L motor (part bb0959c01)?

How do its internals compare to the XL motor and the M motor?

Just to be clear - do you mean set 88013, or something different?

Closely related: https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/15031/what-is-inside-the-technic-powered-up-xl-motor and https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/15031/what-is-inside-the-technic-powered-up-xl-motor

The motor from the off-road buggy

@IvanSanchez your two links are the same, was that a copy-paste error? For reference, most probably this is the set in question, which has two of Electric, Motor Powered Up, L.

@zovits Indeed, I screwed up. I took the liberty of editing the question; should be clearer now with some links.

This motor was not easy to take apart. Unlike some of the others that have screws or clips that can be released, I wasn't able to get into this one without basically cutting it in half. If you need to repair one of these, it is possible to get it apart and put it back together, but I believe that glue would need to be involved to hold it securely together again.
Here's what it looks like once you get the front cover off:

This is very similar internally to the linear motor, but the internal gearbox is longer to accommodate the rotation sensor.
Here it is from the top:

Here's a shot from the bottom showing the board:

We can see similar control circuitry to other PU motors with rotation sensors. Here's what the board looks like from the top with the gearbox removed:

The visible chip interacts with the black ring in the gearbox to sense rotation.
The gearbox itself is a double planetary system similar to what is found in other motors:

Here's the final output with the black ring that interacts with the sensor:

Thanks you so mush, and last thing is this a 130 motor ou it's bigger

@Jacob It looks like a standard 130 to me, but I don't know enough about DC motors to know for sure that it isn't some other similar motor.

I mean the standard 130 is bigger than the generic toy motors.

Here is a related video: What is inside a Powered Up Large Motor
The video shows how the motor is being opened. There are no screws or tabs to do this. So, I have to use a knife and a Philips screwdriver. The result is - the cover of the motor was damaged and broken.
The objective of this mission was to check what is wrong with the motor since it could not be detected by the Powered Up control/battery hub.
But then, I found out all the parts or components were in order - the soldering was OK, and nothing unusual with the connectivity and features.
So, my guess is- the circuit or chip on the PCB is faulty. This is beyond the capability of people without electronic knowledge (like me) to handle it.
Thus, the overall objective of this video is to show what is inside the Large Powered Up motor.
Interesting to note that, there are 2 planetary gears and a rotation sensor. This is why this motor can provide data on its orientation.

This is the photo of the motor -

Thanks for taking the time to expand your answer!


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

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

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

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


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Minimal mine track
I want to create a mine scene on a 32x32 baseplate. I want to run a train track across the front, and then about 12 studs into the mine. Then, I want to build a couple simple mining carts on the tracks.  I'm not very familiar with the tracks pieces.  Can someone help me plan the pieces I'll need for this?

I'm not looking to do anything electric.

I think you want to consider using the 4-stud-wide "rollercoaster" tracks, part numbers 25059, 25061 and 26022.
Here's how those to parts look like in set 60228:

The straight track are 8 or 16 studs long, and the 90° curved track has a radius of 12 studs (counted from the track centerline). These dimensions allow for a few track pieces to be placed in a 32x32 baseplate comfortably.You can fit a "L" made of one 90° curved track and two lengths of straight tracks (16 studs long each) into a 32x32 baseplate, leaving a margin of 2 studs.
This quick-and-dirty LeoCAD diagram should help convey the idea:

Also note that part 85976 "Train, Track Plastic, Narrow, Curve" does exist, and is also 4 studs wide. However, there is no (official) corresponding flat straight part, and the curve radius is wider (24 studs). You can fit two such track parts in a 32x32 baseplate, but beware of the half-a-stud-long connectors at the end of each track piece, which might overhang:

For the carts I guess you'll want to use parts 50254 "Train Wheel Small" and 4600 "Modified 2x2 Plate with Wheels Holder" or the roller coaster car assembly made up of 26061 "Roller Coaster Car Base" and 24869 "Roller Coaster Wheels".
The later is the technique used in set 60188 "Mining experts site", altough the result doesn't look "minecarty" enough to me since the wheels themselves are obscured from view:

Note that even though there is no premade LEGO flat straight narrow track, you can use either LEGO’s individual rail pieces to do the flat part, or you can buy flat straight track from one of the third party track companies (I think TrixBrix makes them but I could be wrong).

You're right, I could find https://trixbrix.eu/en_US/c/Narrow-Gauge/26 and https://www.4dbrix.com/products/train/2-08-narrow/ . I wonder if those could be elaborated into another answer?

There have already been a few older sets containing pre-made mine carts or similar constructions with tracks besides the currently used style mentioned by IvanSanchez, take a look at how they were implemented:

Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom (7199):

The Dynamic Duo Funhouse Escape (6857):

Amusement Park Roller Coaster (41130):

Silver Mine Shootout (79110):

The Mine (4204), using different parts:

Dwarves' Mine (7036):

The Mine (21118), not rolling:

The Precious Crystal Mine (41177), also not rolling:

The Creeper Mine (21155), another style of non-rolling implementation with decorative "wheels":

Bandit's Secret Hide-Out (6761), rather a cannon on tracks than a minecart, but could be adapted:

The relevant parts from the Silver Mine set, added based on the request for clarification:

5 and 6 (at least) are interesting in that they adapt the normal rail tracks using different wheels, and these can be easier to get hold of

I like the mining cart in the Silver mine shootout. I can't find the diagrams for it in the instructions. Can someone help me understand how to build something like that?

@MonteGardner The instructions for the track and cart are found in on pages 4 and 14 of the instruction booklet, but I have added the relevant parts as image to the answer. The cart is a nice SNOT build, surprise :)


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Alternative ways of attaching roller coaster wheels
While doing a bit of research about a mine track related question, I noticed that part 24869 "Wheel Roller Coaster" is meant to be used only with part 26021 to form a form a specific assembly:

I personally don't like the aesthetics of the car base, so I'm wondering about how to use the wheels without the car base. The axle has the same dimensions of a bar, so it can be used with clip plates or minifig hands:

...but that will obviously have a lot of friction.
What building techniques and parts can be used to attach the roller coaster wheels (or, for that matter, any other bar part) to other parts with low enough friction?
I'm looking for techniques for play (i.e. the vehicle should move along tracks and hold together when shaken), not for display (which can be achieved by high-friction clips).

Without the rollercoaster parts to check, I reckon some of the smaller wheel assemblies might be compatible, but not the one I was thinking of as the bar has smaller sections where itc lips in

@Chris that part clips onto the narrower parts of the wheel piece, not the middle, where it is the usual bar diameter.

@zovits, exactly. That's why I said not that one. I still think there's another but couldn't find anything

@ChrisH Right, sorry, I misread your comment and made the same point as you did.

Just like the other answer by @matthew jensen, I do not have the roller coaster wheels in my possession, so my answer is entirely based on what seems to work in Stud.io.
It looks like you can construct a basic wheelholder using part 3176 - Plate 2x3 with Hole. Here is how I would do this:

I am using 2 small 1x2 - 1x2 inverted brackets and a 2x3 plate in the above.
Here is how you would use the same (replacing the 2x3 plate with a 3x3 plate) to create a small minecart that (hopefully) rolls along the track. If a 5 stud wheelbase is too long to make it through LEGO rollercoaster track curves, you can shorten the build by 1 or 2 studs.

I've checked this assembly in LDCad. Roller coaster wheels indeed fit into the space. Based on the results I can see in LDCad small pins protruding from each side may be a little too short and barely have any plastic to hold on to plates. I'm not even sure if wheels would stay in place in case of a tiny bump or misalignment. However, it feels like this could work if which ever assembly will be put on top of these wheels will be static.

I've been fiddling a bit with LeoCAD about using other pieces for this technique. It seems that the outer rim of the wheel has the right dimensions to accept a round 1x1 brick (on either end), so trying to use any piece to fit tighter might actually provide a solid connection (instead of allowing the wheel to spin).

Disclaimer: I don't have the roller coaster wheels or body, and have not tried this.
The Skateboard with mag wheels comes to mind, as an example of a bar connection with little friction.

If I remember correctly, the wheel bars are of normal diameter (regular clips have normal friction), so it is the board clips which are slightly larger than a regular clip.

This is a good approach, but not without drawbacks. The rollercoaster wheels might slide sideways and hit the sides of the top part of the skateboard. It also forces a fixed axle distance that might cause trouble with narrow curves.

The diameter of a bar (i.e. the axle) is the same as the distance between two studs. This can be leveraged in a variety of ways using hollow studs and bars.
This uses upside-down 85861 1x1 round plates and short bar parts (48729):

The hollow studs can be moved up and down in order to adjust the friction.
Same technique, using 3959 Minifig Utensil, Torch and 11203 2x2 inverted tile:

The friction on the axle will depend on how deep the torch is pushed into the inverted tile.
A few 2555 1x1 tile with clip and an upside-down 4238 trunk lid (from the silver mine set), and we've got ourselves a minecart:


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Colour matching LEGO colours with paint
In the past, people worked out how to match Tamiya paints to LEGO colours, but it requires a tool that no longer exists on the internet. I am currently trying to find either a way of matching paint to LEGO in general or a paint that matches Dark Bluish Grey

http://ryanhowerter.net/colors.php claims it's Pantone "Cool Gray 10 C"

Based on current "50 shades of " color consistency within sets nowadays it should be a little easier to find similar shade, than exactly matching one.

@Rsculz how do you find a lego appropriate paint in cool grey 10 c?

While https://www.bartneck.de/2016/09/09/the-curious-case-of-lego-colors/ claims it's 431 C :(

There are a few specialist suppliers of Pantone shades, in various sizes - for example: https://www.riolettcustomaerosols.co.uk/products/pantone-431-aerosol-spray-paint/ with small tester pots starting at GBP4.99.

@Zhaph-BenDuguid , i'll try it!
if you submit it as an answer I'll accept it

A further thought: what do you want to apply the paint to? Lego? some form of oversize baseplate/background (I've thought about making a wooden tray to neatly hold 3x2 32-stud baseplates, for example)

You can get paint colour-matched, either automotive (good for metal and some plastics) or domestic (for walls, wood, possibly also metal).  It's not cheap though.
Look for "paint match service", and find one where you actually take in a sample.  The sheen won't be a perfect match, though there may be a choice, and lighting  can bring out differences (e.g. if you're painting a large background to match a display.
Alternatively, and quite possibly close enough, there are places with a very wide range of stock colours of car paint.  You may have to buy the two or three closest and test on your chosen substrate or something similar; this could still be cheaper, and may be more appropriate given that your mention of Tamiya paints implies small quantities

There are a few specialist paint suppliers that claim to offer the full range of Pantone® colours, for example in the UK you get a 30ml sample pot of 431-C for about £5 from Riolet Custom Aerosols.
Note that there appears to be some disagreement over which Pantone colour matches which LEGO colour, and indeed some disagreement over which hex colour matches which LEGO or Pantone colour...
So somewhere between Pantone 431 and Pantone Cool Grey 10 is probably LEGO Dark Blueish Grey.


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What electronics are inside the SPIKE Prime angular motors?
Is there any information available about the internals of the SPIKE Prime and Robot Inventor angular motors?
What Hall-Sensor is used by the SPIKE motors?
To be more precise: I'd like to get information about the internal components of motors in a way similar to this teardown of the SPIKE Prime Hub.

There's some spec sheets at https://education.lego.com/en-us/product-resources/spike-prime/downloads/technical-specifications - does that suffice?

any chance to get the value or part no. of the hall sensor?

@AbdElhaleem In the answer the last sentence is this: "The part number on mine is BCZK 116." Does this answer your question? If not, please ask a dedicated question with the necessary details.

Here's what the part looks like from the outside:

The first step to opening it up is to remove the cover over a section of the drive. Note that this process is likely to cause permanent damage to the part as it requires prying and bending.

We can now slide the gray back cover off.

The PCB is clipped in at the front, but with some care we can separate the gearbox from the motor.

The gearbox houses a pair of bevel gears. The gray one that is part of the drive shaft is 11 tooth and the smaller one is 9 tooth.

With significant force, the drive shaft can be separated to remove it and reveal the magnet that is used to sense drive angle.

Moving back towards the motor, we find a double planetary gearbox similar to the one found in several motors without angular drives.

The motor itself is soldered to a PCB. There's nothing other than traces on the side facing the motor, so I haven't bothered to desolder it.

The main microcontroller appears to be an STM8S103. My part has the following part information:
S103
PHVG
939Y

The other significant visible part labeled 509R is a thermistor that serves to put a hard limit on motor current.
Viewed from the other side, we can see the hall effect sensor that is used to detect drive angle. The part number on mine is BCZK 116.


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Lego Boost app won't connect. What are my options?
So far, on three devices (Amazon Fire tab, Galaxy tab S2, Galaxy Phone S9), the following when trying to connect to the move hub from the Boost app:

all three permissions (Bluetooth, microphone, location)
upon request by the app, I push the green button
then, on the phone, the light on the move hub flashes white, then shines blue - at the same time, the app still shows the prompt to push the green button, the gear symbol in the upper right corner flashes blue
on the tablets, the android device shows a waiting screen (cute robot on treadmill), then again the prompt to push the green button

What I've tried:

removing and reinstalling the batteries from the move hub
as per a guide somewhere on the internet: turning off Bluetooth in the Android device, then push green button on move hub, then allow Bluetooth from within the boost app
Installing the Boost app on a PC, however LEGO does no longer support the Windows app & AFAIK no Android emulator handles the Bluetooth connection (nox doesn't, I tried)

What else can I try?

I know this is long in the past, but I just had success today with being unable to connect from a tablet which had previously worked fine.
At some point, the tablet had been upgraded (by accidentally tapping the wrong button) and that seemed to be the only possible cause.
(To add more useful keywords for others searching, I'll include what I searched for: I would get the treadmill, then the "Power On the Move Hub" message, then treadmill, then "Power On", then it seemed to just give up. The light on the Hub would turn on (blue), and the distance sensor would light up, but that was all. Another, newer, tablet would loop between treadmill and "Power On" roughly an infinite number of times.)
What finally worked to reconnect the original tablet was:

wait until the Boost app prompts to power on the Move Hub
extra-long hold the power button until the LED flashes red and/or green
when the app asks to upgrade the firmware, do it

I got the information from "SvenO" on EuroBricks

Life saviour ! Thanks !! I struggled for hours...

worked for me!!

Bluetooth problems are solved by the LEGO® POWERED UP program.
After this program establishes communication,the LEGO Boost app will work as well.

Nope. In my case Lego Boost refused to connect even though Powered Up was working fine (I could even control the device from Powered Up). In my case, the problem was that I let my 8 year old son start the Lego Boost app, and he probably didn't give the app the requested permissions (bluetooth, microphone, location), so I had to uninstall the app and re-install it to get everything right from the start. Still, the Boost app is terrible, the connection is lost every few minutes for no apparent reason causing both my son and me a lot of frustration!


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Help identifying likely Star Wars Set
I bought some LEGO in bulk and would love some help identifying what ship/craft these pieces might belong to. Any help is appreciated!

That's part x1435 Flag 5x6 Hexagonal. In colour Dark Red it appears in four Star Wars sets, but only one of them has the stickers: set 75135-1 Obi-Wan's Jedi Interceptor.

Thanks so much, Ivan. Seems we are missing the main pod section! Cheers :)


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What is this round part with Technic holes in the middle?
Can someone please tell me what this part is called? I'm looking for what kinds of sets it may have been used in.

This is Wheel Hard Plastic with Small Cleats and Flanges (64712). This element in Olive Green color was part of a single set. While Black colored one was included in 18 sets.

Ah dang, beat me to it by the span of a bathroom break :) Take my upvote, sir.

Thanks heaps. Buying bulk Lego without instructions booklets  has has been equal parts joyful and woeful as I try and help my son create and make different things. Thanks so much for all the help!


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Parts on "The Crypt Ghost"
Please identify the curved pieces at the top frame of each segment of The Crypt Ghost. (Are these dinosaur tails).  What about the multi-faceted pieces making up the tops and bottom of each grave?

Have you attempted to check Bricklink? Searching for "dinosaur tail" will produce short list with part you have already identified yourself. Another piece is easy to locate in "wedge" category, with the rest of similarly shaped elements.

As far as I can tell, each arch half is made out of:

40379 Dinosaur tail end section
28870 Plant stem curved
4733 Brick 1x1 with studs in four sides
15208 Plate 1x2 with 3 teeth
49668 Plate 1x1 with tooth
37762 Cylinder 1x1.333
2x 43888 Brick 1x1x6 round with square base
35480 Plate 1x2 with round ends

There might be a 25269 1x1 round tile, quarter between the 1x2 plate and the plant stem, but it's a bit difficult to tell.

The piece used for the sarcophagi is 47757 Wedge 4x4 Pyramid Center.

And of note: this is a render of a digital model, likely made in Stud.io. This means that these pieces might not exist in these particular colors in actual bricks.


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EV3 screen either flickering or blank, what do I do?
The screen on my LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 brick has just stopped working. It is blank. I have tried turning it on and off, installed fresh batteries, and I can even hear the selection sounds. Additionally, it responds regularly when I connect it to my computer. I've had my NXT for three-and-a-half years, so it's not new. Is there an easy/feasible way to fix it, or a cheap way to get it replaced?

Well by what I know it sounds pretty old so I suppose you might have to buy a new one. Sorry if this does not help you.


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Help identifying minifigure torsos
Was unable to identify these in Bricklink and goatleg.
Can anyone identify any of these?
Note that heads, arms, legs could mismatch. They all have the Lego logo on the neck stud.

The leftmost one is Black Widow - Black Hands from 6869 Quinjet Aerial Battle:

The second has a pair of generic grey legs and the torso of Snake Oiler:

The middle one has the legs of Blackbeard from the Pirates of the Caribbean:

And the torso of Hector Barbossa:

The fourth one is Dengar from Star Wars with different hands:

The rightmost one has the torso of the Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0 Driver:

Was just about to post this, Marvel characters are pretty iconic in their look. Middle one I believe is from Walking Dead, and I think its safe to say that they are all figures based on movie/TV IPs.

Last minifigure is not related to HP, but has Porsche logo instead.

@Thanks Alex, I have realized the difference between the Porsche and Hogwarts crests too late :D

wow! Thank you so much!


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Is there any legal LEGO compatible bricks?
I have found out that there are many so called LEGO compatible bricks. But are those bricks legal in the sense that they are not copy cat of original LEGO.
If there are such bricks - what are they ?

It is currently 100% legal to copycat the original lego bricks.

All LEGO compatible bricks are legal. At this point LEGO no longer has a patent on the key features of the LEGO system regarding shape, measurements and connectivity.
This doesn’t hold true for minifigures, those are still trademarked.
Where things get ugly is with the design of sets, and the overall look and feel of LEGO packaging and the LEGO logo. Not to mention the licensing of outside IP such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel etc. This is why clone companies such as Mega Construx, Kreo and Cobi who make their own designs and work out their own IP licensing deals when needed are considered “legal”, where other companies such as the majority of the Chinese clones who gave us gems like “Star Wnrs” are not considered legal.

Not being able to use LEGO branding leads to claims like “fits other construction kits” https://web.archive.org/web/20210926230321/https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-big-box-of-blox/p/0482784

"This is why clone companies such as Mega Construx, Kreo and Cobi" Kreo hasn't been manufactured since 2015. The other two look like they're still being made, though.

Mega Bloks is still a thing; seems they have the Paw Patrol licensing (and IIRC they have/had Halo).

Mega Bloks is a sub-brand of Mega Construx, which I called out in my answer. And yes, Kreo is no longer produced but is still around in second hand sets, and it is a well known brand, hence why I mentioned them.


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Part identification - (handle crank?)
Please help me identify this part. (Both pictures are the same piece, just in different angles)
Reverse image search does not help unfortunately.

P.s.: Please excuse the unprofessional title, I don't know too much about part names- but I want to build something for a Lego fan I love :)

Related: https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/7654/curved-little-bar-piece-seems-incredibly-useful-what-is-it

Bricklink calls this piece Minifigure, Utensil Paint Roller Brush Handle. And its "part number" is 12885 or 34076.

Thank you so much!


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Unknown set bags - long yellow plate, lots of brown
I have 2 bags that are not opened and I am unsure what set they are from, they could be the same set but I am unsure.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Bag 1 looks to have an orange wing and a purple disc in the bag.
Bag 5 looks to have a wheel axel and a 16x2 long yellow piece.

I agree with @IvanSanchez - it looks like both bags have been re-made: In bag 1 that rudder/tail element has had it's sticker applied, but the bag it's in contains a number of parts that aren't in the one set that combination came from. Similarly, bag 5 appears to contain a Dark Blue Slope, Inverted 45 6 x 4 Double with 4 x 4 Cutout, which also only appeared in one set, but again, with many extra parts that don't appear in that set.

To add to the evidence that these are resealed bags with random, used parts: Bag 5 contains a wheel base with a wheel hub already connected to it. Those  would never be packed like that by LEGO.

In the bag marked "5" I can peek:

A "©2017" mark.
A yellow 2x16 plate.
A dark blue 6x4 double inverted slope.

There are no (known) sets containing both those bricks.
The bag marked "1" has a dark orange tail shuttle with sticker applied (making it 6239pb067). Note that there exists a sticker sheet for the only set featuring that tail part.
My guess therefore is: those bags have been opened before, filled with parts from several sets, and possibly have been resealed.

Thank you all so much for your help! I really appreciate it!

@Ali If the answer has helped you, please mark it with a check to indicate that no further answers are required. Thanks!


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List of sets with large spiral-bound instructions?
I am looking for instructions similar to those of the 75192 Millennium Falcon, i.e. large-format ring binder instructions. Is there a list of sets that have these? Or a database from which this information can be derived? Bricklink does have images of the instructions, but doesn't specify the binding type.
It would be nice if such a list existed. If you know some sets with this binding type, please also mention those.
I own the 75192, 75252 and 10188 instructions, all are nice examples of this type.

I have checked the BrickLists section of Brickset but cannot find anything either. Most databases cover only parts and stickers so it may be difficult to find something like this.

This question says that the 10030 instruction book is even larger (size, not weight) than the 75192. Bricklink even has a comment on the spiral-bound instructions of the 10179 Millenium Falcon. Spiral-bound seems to be the correct term.

After some manual search, I found only a small number of sets that definitely have spiral-bound instructions. All of them are from the Star Wars theme and almost all of them are UCS models. This is the list so far:
10030 Imperial Star Destroyer - UCS (either glued or spiral-bound)
10179 Millennium Falcon - UCS
10188 Death Star
10221 Super Star Destroyer - UCS
75159 Death Star - UCS
75192 Millennium Falcon - UCS (2nd edition)
75252 Imperial Star Destroyer - UCS (2nd edition)
21005 Fallingwater
Please comment or edit if you are aware of other sets.
The following sets were confirmed to not have spiral-bound instructions:
31203 World Map
10276 Colosseum
71043 Hogwarts
10256 Taj Mahal
71741 Ninjago City Gardens
75978 Diagon Alley

Perhaps this needs to be converted to Community Wiki?

@jncraton What is the intention for adding sets that don't have spiral-bound instructions?

Probably that they are large sets that you would expect the extensive instructions would be spiral bound... I find it useful information. One can hypothesize that spiral binding is something reserved for starwars UCS and similar sets...

I checked the sets with over 5k parts out of curiosity. I wanted to share the results so that anyone else looking at this wouldn't duplicate the effort.

@jncraton That makes sense. Only very large sets will have spiral binding. So far, this seems to be a Star Wars exclusive thing.

Large sets and large building instructions are not necessarily correlated. For example the building instructions for the Taj Mahal model are relatively short, because nearly all the model is highly repetitive   - most of it consists of four identical subsections.

@alephzero That might be true but smaller sets will certainly not have spiral-bound instructions. So focussing on large sets makes sense. Maybe the seven sets we found so far are the only ones.

Also, if this is supposed to become one of these huge list answers where everyone adds their examples into, that is probably the singlemost appropriate use case for making the post Community Wiki.

@Rauy I doubt that this list will become much longer. A visual search on Bricklink didn't reveal any further ring-bound instructions.


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What parts are these (showerhead)?
Just trying to identify all the metallic colored parts here and the gray one at the top... assuming they are LEGO:

I believe that this is 65578 attached to an angled lightsaber hilt and a light reflector dish.

Thanks.  I had no clue what they were and was using all the wrong search terms attempting to figure them out on bricklink.


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Bag with blue, brown, and white blocks
I have this bag and I don’t know which set it came from. Mostly blue, brown and white blocks. Some green flowers with little lime green cylinder blocks, too.

Figured it out — it’s part of a Minecraft set that has another bag #3!

This must be part of 21134: The Waterfall Base:

It contains all of the visible items and in the required amounts:

27 White Plate, Modified 2 x 2 with Groove and 1 Stud in Center (Jumper)
11 Trans-Dark Blue Slope 45 2 x 2
6 Dark Tan Brick, Modified 1 x 2 with Masonry Profile
8 Lime Brick, Round 1 x 1 Open Stud
5 Bright Green Plate, Round 1 x 1 with Flower Edge (4 Knobs / Petals)
17 Medium Azure Plate, Modified 2 x 2 with Groove and 1 Stud in Center (Jumper)


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What is this rounded, textured piece with connections at right angles?
Can someone please help me to identify this LEGO brick?

Here is another view:

I do not recognize this as a LEGO element.

Neither do I, where are these drawings from?

I haven't seen anything like that in official LEGO sets before, are you sure this instruction is not from a copycat company?

The style of the instructions doesn't look like LEGO's style of instructions to me.  As Henrik asked for, it would be great to know where these came from.

Maybe the "wagon wheel" element could be identified to find this set, and then look at the rest of the pieces in the set?

Only 2 wagon wheels have 10 spokes, the others have 8. Number of sets that have those wagon wheels is short enough for manual inspection in bricklink -> none of the sets having those wheels look remotely like the stuff in the photo. It's quite safe to assume this is not a Lego set...

This is a very popular brick in certain clone brands that specialise in military theme, but then it is in military green.

It's hard to prove a negative, but searching Bricklink for "brick 1x1 modified" does not give any relevant results.
Combined with the utter lack of familiarity from all commenters above, it is more than probable that this is a 3rd party (clone) brick, and not an official LEGO design.


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Downloading Stud.io files for official sets
I am looking for a Stud.io file for the 31120: Medieval Castle, but I am unaware of a place where you can find Stud.io files. Is there such a place?

I usually check at Eurobricks forums, as they have "Official Lego sets made in LDraw" topic, where community share LDraw files for digitally built LEGO sets. The list of available sets is rather limited since this a community effort after all.
At this point of time I couldn't find files for 31120 on EB yet.

The BrickLink gallery also includes a number of builds of official sets, however many of them aren't titled with the set name, but may include it in the description. Sadly there also doesn't appear to be any versions of 31120 yet.
You could download the instructions and have the fun of virtually building it yourself ;)

There is a 3D model available on Mecabricks, which can be viewed, edited or exported into various formats, if one of these fits your use case.

how do you download a model from mecabricks?

@Abijah You need to open the model in the mecabricks UI, and be logged in. That grants access to the "Export" menu item. Unfortunately the options at the moment are "Blender Add-on (.zmbx)", "Collada (.dae)", "Wavefront (.obj)" or "Stl (.stl)". There's currently no way to export these to either LDD, LDraw or Studio (although you can import those).


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Cost effective sagging palm trees
I'd like to build about a dozen palm trees that have some curve or sag to them, not just vertical.
The 2 methods I've found are

The Baryonyx face-off set uses a dinosaur tail to make a curve in the tree.  Instructions can be found here, starting at about step 33.
The various Palm trunk pieces available on Bricklink.

Unfortunately, both of these pieces are hard to find in quantity and can be priced quite high.  Is there a more cost effective way to build sagging palm trees?

You could loosely stack Brick, Round 1 x 1 Open Stud around a core Hose, Rigid 3mm D.. As long as the stack is loose, you should be able to bend the trunk to your desired shape.
As a bonus, you get the segmented look of the trunk for free. A reference photo:

Or if your scale is smaller, maybe consider Hose, Ribbed 7mm D..

That seems to work. I'm having  a hard time getting the rigid hose through the 1x1 round bricks sometimes. Are there any particular techniques for threading it through ?

I've had trouble when the hose has been damaged (kinked, deformed, etc), but the diameter of the hole in the brick should fit an undamaged hose just fine. If you can, start from the top of the brick so you're not trying to line up the hole blind, and be sure you're gripping the hose close to the brick so it flexes the least amount possible. Maybe others have better tips.

If you're not strict about it being 100% LEGO parts, you could just use any old piece of string, thread, or wire instead.


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Can I control PF M-motor with PF train controller?
Can I control Power Functions M-motor from 8293 set with remote control from 60051 train set? It seems from the picture, that the sockets fit into each other. So if I have the train set, and want to build a remote controlled car, should I buy the 8293?

Can I control Power Functions M-motor from 8293 set with remote control from 60051 train set? It seems from the picture, that the sockets fit into each other.

Yes, you can control any motor from Power Functions line with IR Speed Remote Control Unit found in 60051 set.

So if I have the train set, and want to build a remote controlled car, should I buy the 8293?

It depends. 8293 set contains single M-motor, which you can only use to drive back-forward or turn the wheels. You would need two sets at least to have a driving and steering model. It also depends how big of a vehicle you have as M-motors aren't very powerful and you might want to look into L-motor or XL-motor.

Thank you for your quick reply. I ended up with ordering set 42095, that is double price of 8293, so it worths it better then ordering two motor set.


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Please help identify these bricks with holes between the rows of studs
Hi I came across these bricks. But I have no idea what they are.
They are plastic as far as I can tell.
I hope someone knows a bit more

These are early IDEMA bricks. http://www.inverso.pt/legos/clones/texts/idema.htm
Photo from linked site:

The site mentions "The middle holes are a feature patented by Dehm to allow a string to be passed through aligned holes, to fasten bricks together"


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Identify large tile sticker with flaming monster
I have a large tile (inclined) with a sticker of what looks like a fire monster with flames. Can you help me identifying the set? Could it be a Ninjago set?

This stickered Slope 10 6 x 8
comes from
9464: The Vampyre Hearse

Lovely, many thanks!


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Can anyone identify these two makers marks (logos) on these "Clone" bricks?
This may seem a bit weird but over a number of years I've saved a small collection of random Lego bricks I've found among driftwood/debris along the Ohio River bank, after rises and falls of the river. I enjoy collecting pieces of driftwood, and occasionally find fishing lures, bobbers  and other odds and ends in my hikes. So recently, I was studying them closely and noticed a few are competitor brands including Mega Bloks and Tyco. But I can't figure out what the brand is of these two, with different logos on them. I will attach a pic of each logo. I tried to get the pics sharp and clear enough to make out. One of them  is on the bottom and looks like an "A F" inside of a circle. The other appears on the top. It seems like it is familiar but I can't place it. Neither one of these bricks has any logo or lettering on the studs. Any ideas on maker or brand name?? Thanks!!
EDIT -  An additional comment, added 7/4/21: Just added three more pics to show the bricks with the "AF in a circle" logo on bottom (the group of four). Although the red brick has it marked "correctly", all three blue ones have the AF circle logo backwards! Including pics showing both the top and bottom of the bricks. Don't know what type of plastic they are made from, but they have that softer, sorta "waxy" feel something like the PP (number 5) plastic. These were probably found in the 1990s.

https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/8738/please-help-identify-this-vintage-but-non-lego-brick

According to an earlier question, the second is

a Kawada Dia Block made in Japan. Entex and Sears imported those into the US in the 70’s and 80’s and repackaged them under such brands as Loc Bloc and Brix Blox. The “S” is actually a K on top of a D, which is the emblem for the Japanese toy company Kawada. Dia Blocks are still made and available in Japan today.

Thank you RSchulz for the link and the help!   Now that I know what one of the brick's maker is (Kawada of Japan) I would still love to find out what the "A F inside a circle" stands for, which is on the other 4 bricks (3 blue, one red)!!   I'm sure someone out there knows!


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Is it illegal to use an illustration of me as a LEGO minifigure on my website?
I created an education web platform with different activities so I have have made my LEGO illustration representing me in the different contexts of my site: classroom, consulting workshop room, lecture room, book club. As I became LSP certified facilitator, I have just read tonight that we are not allowed to use almost anything with LEGO TM especially minifigures. Can anyone help with more information? How to contact the legal department of Lego, persons in charge of brand?

First, I need to state that we're not affiliated with The LEGO Group, but we are an officially Recognised LEGO Fan Media outlet, and that I'm not a lawyer.
The best I can suggest is reading through the LEGO Group's Fair Play statement and note the FAQ on the Serious Play section of their site:

What is meant with “iconic and/or emphasized use of the LEGO minifigures and/or the LEGO bricks/knobs is not allowed” according to the Trademark Guidelines?
It means that enhanced/stand-alone use of the LEGO® minifigure, the LEGO® brick or the knob configuration/pattern – i.e. as a business identifier/logo/sign or as an eye catching design element on various materials/web sites etc. – is not allowed. Only the LEGO Group can use the trademarks as source indicators, meaning an indication of origin of a service or a product. The knob configuration/pattern is typically used by the LEGO Group as background on a website, on a book cover or displayed on license products.

And the full guidelines can be found here (PDF).
Finally, in terms of contacting them, you could start with their Contact page, either "LEGO Company | Information about the LEGO Group" or "LEGO Company | Anything Else".

Thank you Zhaph-Ben Duguid. I’ve found yesterday night these guidelines...I will surely write to them today. There is no legal e-mail address bit I suppose they will transfer my demand to the right department.


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Continuous power supply for the SPIKE Prime or Robot Inventor hubs?
The hubs present in the Mindstorms Robot Inventor or SPIKE Prime sets have 2100mAh lithium-ion batteries which can be charged with the accompanied cable with a micro USB connector on one end and a regular USB connector on the other end. You need to provide your own USB charger and a high performant one such as the ones used with an Apple or Samsung device is recommended.
My question is, during an exposition, e.g. when the hub is used in a GBC module, can you leave the cable connected so it will function as a continuous power supply? Or is this not recommended because it could mess up the charging cycles of the rechargeable batteries? Would the performance of the models stay constant?

This is what the 45678 user guide says:

EN
Important information: Only use a high-quality Power Adaptor, PC or
Laptop for charging the rechargeable battery. Output 5V DC,
500-1500mA. Use the supplied LEGO® USB cable. How to charge the
battery: Charge the battery fully the first time it is used. The
battery can be charged when inserted in the TECHNIC Large Hub. Connect
the LEGO USB cable to a power source. The Charging Light will turn red
when the power source is connected. The Charging Light will turn green
when the battery is fully charged. Charging time for the battery is up
to six hours. The TECHNIC Large Hub can be used during charging but
this will increase the charging time. If the battery is fully
discharged and the TECHNIC Large Hub cannot be turned on when the
power source is connected, the battery will need up to one hour
charging time before the TECHNIC Large Hub can be turned on. Warning!
Do not dispose your battery by incineration. Dispose the battery in
accordance with the current legislation in your country. Do not
short-circuit the battery. Do not damage the battery. Do not dispose
in fire. Never use a damaged battery.

There is no information on how long the SPIKE hub can be connected and operating from an external DC power source.
For your purpose it may work or it may shutdown. It depends on if the GBC module draws more current than the USB power source can supply.

One would assume it will last forever as long as enough current is drawn from the charger to avoid discharging the battery.

@user253751, Only The Lego Group could provide a definitive answer to this question. Based on my experience designing consumer devices like the SPIKE hub that can be charged from a USB host or power brick it is impossible to say how such a device will behave. For example when the USB power source cannot support the load the battery will be discharged until the device shuts down. What the hub will do cannot be determined from the information in the OPs question.

Considering LEGO explicitely supports this - emphasis on "The TECHNIC Large Hub can be used during charging but this will increase the charging time. ", I don't see why there would be any issues at all or why it would stop working. I usually keep it connected when using a static robot (like the rubik's cube solver) as it seems to provide more current for the motors; never had any problem.


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What is the correct snowspeeder to pair with the AT-AT?
Wanting to replicate the scene from Empire Strikes Back where Luke is flying a snowspeeder on Hoth and harpoons an AT-AT. I have already purchased and built the AT-AT model number 75288 but I'm having trouble figuring out what is right for this scene? Is it the discontinued model 75259 or 75268?
Edit:
I'm looking to replicate the scene with the current AT-AT I have but I'm unsure which Snowspeeder should be used that will pair well in size with the AT-AT. The Snowspeeders I've researched are different sizes and I'm unsure if 75259 is an oversized representation to be used as a model only or if 75268 is the correct size representation for the scene. From my research doesn't appear they'll come out with any other variations to a Snowspeeder.

What do you mean by "right" or "correct"? (1) Which is the most accurate to the models used in the movie? (2) Which has the closest scale? (3) Which offers the most pleasing aesthetic combination? (4) Which has functions allowing to recreate the scenes of the movie? Please update your question with the criterion you are looking for, to make it objectively answerable.

Taking the most probable and most objectively answerable interpretation ("Which has the closest scale?") the answer can be clearly decided:
According to the Star Wars Wiki the AT-AT is 22,5 meters high and 20 meters long. The 75288 set you purchased is 34 cm high and 38 cm long, this gives a 1:66,17 or 1:52,63 scale, depending on whether you take the height or the length. (On a side note, here we can see that the LEGO model itself is already not to scale with the movie model.)
Using these scales the 5,3 meter length of the Snowspeeder would be the best depicted by a model 10,07 or 8,00 cm long. Of your alternatives the 75268 is a bit closer to it at 11 cm, while the 75259 is about twice as large (18 cm).

Huh, I wonder where the discrepancy comes from?  According to your source, the movie version is higher than it is long while the LEGO model is reversed - is it possible they're not counting the head in its length for the movie version?  Or is the LEGO version really that far off in its proportions?

@DarrelHoffman checking the page zovits has linked I can see there is no exact data on dimensions of the models seen in movies. Based on details found on SW Wiki height could be 15.5-18.5-22.5 meters, or somewhere in the middle. So LEGO model could actually be within the correct proportions.

@Alex Does anyone have an officially licensed, non-LEGO model of an AT-AT they can measure?  Those are likely to be more accurate since they're not constrained the way that LEGO models can be just based on pieces available/structural stability, etc.  Could even use a CG model out of a video game if someone has the wherewithal to extract it.  I'm just curious whose numbers are closer...

@DarrelHoffman LEGO is not in the business of making movie accurate models, but toys that resemble those, while being assembled from mostly generic bricks, in a way that is statically and structurally sound so that it can be played with and in the correct price range. Achieving all of that necessitates various compromises, in this case the height / length ratio was sacrificed. The question about the non-LEGO model is not on topic here, so you'd have better chances on sites dedicated to the topic.

Normally, I'd agree that other models are off-topic, but given that this question is specifically about getting as close to movie-accurate proportions as possible, if the best easily-accessible source for movie-accurate proportions is by measuring a non-LEGO model, I do think it's at least somewhat relevant to ask that.

Another thing to point out about most toys of the AT-AT (I've got an original LEGO one and a Mirco Machines version, and my brother had the old Kenner toy as well) is that they are never correctly scaled to the figures that go with them - in the films the command section clearly has two seated pilots and then a standing gunner, most toys hold two seated figures in there. Even the old Kenner was longer than it was tall - most of the playability is in the head/body rather than having really tall legs...

Where as the snowspeeders are designed to carry 2 people, and so the scale of those is usually more correctly proportioned to the figures within them.


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Identify parts number - two sides and top of a square (one solid piece)
Please help me identify this part.
It has nothing on it except "LEGO".
Thanks.

This is part # 821
Garage Door Frame


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EV3-G custom block crashes when Switch statement is copied
My team and I are trying to convert our coding framework made of myblocks into actual blocks. I made an application, that generates a "shell" of the block (the modes, and parameters). After this, we would copy our myblock's content to the VIX Editor. This works fine, except when it comes to switches. In that case, it crashes instantly. So instead, we tried using the default VIX switch (from the palette), but those don't support the wires we use to connect our blocks, and gives an error.

It says "There is no valid source wired to this tunnel"
This is my first question here, so I probably didn't provide enough information, please tell me what else should I provide.
Thanks!

So I ended up figuring out a solution:
First, I tried manually editing the vix file as a text file, and inserting this code.

Opening this file would crash the software.
However, if you didn't open it, it would work fine on the EV3 brick!
From this, I concluded, that the problem is with the EV3 vix editor.
But identifying the problem wasn't enough, I needed to find a solution.
After looking around the ev3 program files, I noticed that they use the exact same format as a vix file.
Except this single line:
Original:
<VirtualInstrument IsTopLevel="false" IsReentrant="false" Version="1.0.2.0" xmlns="http://www.ni.com/VirtualInstrument.xsd">

Changed:
<VirtualInstrument IsTopLevel="false" IsReentrant="false" Version="1.0.2.0" OverridingModelDefinitionType="X3VIDocument" xmlns="http://www.ni.com/VirtualInstrument.xsd">

Now, you can change this single line in your vix file, and the ev3g software will open it in the default editor. You can drag blocks, and also use the vix elements.
One disadvantage is that for some reason the vix terminals are invisible. But you can still select them, if you know where they are.
If you have any more questions, ask them in a comment, and I will answer.

Seeing that the question has remained unanswered for a month, I'd say there is definitely a knowledge gap which you are now best positioned to solve for the sake of people browsing this site in the future :)

Should I keep the answer this way, or change it into instructions?

I like this answer as it is, even though I can't readily see the relevance of the long code block in the beginning. The crux seems to be in the OverridingModelDefinitionType="X3VIDocument" part of the changed line, which should be understandable to anyone who could realistically be faced with this problem. So thanks for a great answer, you made quite an impressive entrance!


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NXT 2.1 And Windows 10 V2004
Has anyone had any luck installing the NXT 2.1 software onto a Windows 10 PC running V2004 19041.1052 build? I keep getting an error:

This publisher has been blocked from running software on your PC.

I realize NXT is no longer supported and is not guaranteed to work on Windows 10 but trying to understand if this is still possible.
This error does not occur on Windows 10 V1809 and allows me to install without issues.

Could you update your question with error message you get please? By either pasting exact text or just simply attaching a picture.

https://www.technipages.com/windows-10-fix-this-publisher-has-been-blocked-from-running-software claims to have a solution to this exact error, now that we can see the message you got.


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Which item no is this minifigure head - prominent eyebrows raised in the middle, lots of teeth
I'm searching for the item number of this minifigure head:

Thanks for your help!

It's very close to 3626cpb2024 - but this shows more gap between the teeth.

Howdy Mister Dan, welcome to Bricks.SE.  Is your picture from a real-life model or was it 3d-rendered?  There are lots of amazing 3d-rendered LEGO pictures out there with parts that don't exist in those colors or with stuff printed on bricks that LEGO hasn't done yet.

The picture is from a Lego Stop Motion Film. Could be that the animator has digitally altered the face.

I could only find minifigure head with same face expression but with freckles:
Minifigure, Head Dark Brown Eyebrows, Dark Orange Freckles, Open Mouth Crooked Smile Pattern (Jay) - Hollow Stud (3626cpb1872)

While I cannot yet confirm if this is the only piece with such face expression, it is not unheard of such modification (within LEGO community), where unwanted printing is removed.

I was just about to make this same suggestion!

It's very similar to that and another couple we have at home (same mouth, different eyebrows), to the extent I thought we had the right one


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Difference between the "Simple Medium Linear Motor" (45303) and the "Medium Linear Motor" (88008) Powered Up motors
What is the difference between the "Simple Medium Linear Motor" (45303) and the "Medium Linear Motor" (88008) Powered Up motors, other than the size and design? Is the performance similar, and can the different motors do different things in the app or when controlled by the remote controller? Can they be mixed freely?
What combination would you recommend for the following use cases:

Two motors with one 88009 hub and remote controller to build an RC car (movement forward + steering)
Rollercoaster chain movement
Helicopter blade rotation

The main difference is that the 88008 Medium Linear Motor includes a rotation encoder with 1° resolution. Otherwise it weighs a bit more (34g vs 43g), is a bit slower (380 rpm vs 255 rpm) but also needs less power (60 mA vs 41 mA when freely running). For more subtle differences see Philo's excellent motor comparison page (where I got the above from as well).

As for the recommended combinations for the above use cases, I'd use a 88008 to steer the car (so that you can use its encoder to return the steering to central) and the 45303 to drive it (as it's faster and stronger).
The other two use cases don't need such precise control, so the 45303 should be adequate, if not outright overkill for both of these.


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Is it possible to create a slope (roof hip) on a 45 degree angle?
In the LEGO Super Mario app, they have created some neat looking bases, however they have a lot of complicated slopes and smooth plates. It's clearly a 3D model, but it looks as though as if it could theoretically be created using available LEGO parts. I can't seem to figure out how to make a slope on a 45 degree angle though. It looks like the base has 65-degree angled slopes which would be totally impossible using available parts, but if you were to build this using 45-degree slopes, you wouldn't want to use 3045 to corner it on the left side, you'd want to use some kind of angled part at the corner. I was curious to know if the following is even possible:

A 45 degree slope doesn't fit the standard geometry of the LEGO system.
The basic "3D module" of the system (a 1x1 plate) is 5 units square by 2 units tall.
A brick is three plates tall - i.e. 5 units square by 6 units tall.
Therefore, the smallest perfect cube you can build is 6 bricks square by 5 bricks tall. It should be clear that can't be split into two "wedges" or "cheese pieces" with 45 degree slopes.
The 2x2 wedge piece in zovits's answer, and all the other 45 degree slope brick parts, work round this by having a small vertical base under the 45 degree sections to make them one brick tall, and therefore they are not stackable to make a smooth 45 degree slope. If you do stack them, the "average slope" is close to 50 degrees, not 45.

At a small scale the part Wedge 2 x 2 (Slope 45 Corner) could do this, but this approach can't be scaled up:


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What are black sausage pieces used for in Crocodile Locomotive set 10277?
After assembly I have these 5 pieces left. Should I have put them somewhere? I can't find any missed step that would use them.  So why are these there at all?

For feeding the crocodile...

These are placed next to the magnets at the front and the back of the train. See step 142 in the instructions.
4 are needed and there is 1 spare.
BrickInstructions shows it here:

Does the set come with minifigs? You'd be able to pose one holding onto the last "spare" one, right?

Yes, it does. 1 male and 1 female in blue overalls. "The 2 LEGO®minifigures with tools, display track and plaque provide lots to explore after building the classic train." https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/crocodile-locomotive-10277


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Is there a piece that is a plate 4x4 with 1 center knob?
I can make something similar with a 2x2 with center knob and stone surrounding pieces, but I really want it in one single piece.

No there isn’t such a plate (yet). Your proposed alternative is the best way to create a 4x4 surface with a single centered stud.

The closest I could think of in 4 x 4 size would be Turntable 4 x 4 Square Base, Locking. It doesn't feature a stud in the center and has this ring on top, unfortunately. However, depending on your use case center hole still could be used to attach whatever you are building.

Can a 1×1 round piece fit in that ring? Looks like one might.

@KRyan that whole is bit too small for 1x1 round plate. 1x1 cone, however, could be used from underneath to get a stud on top. Technic, Axle 3 with Stud (6587) could also be used to get a stud on top. All of these need some sort of the base underneath the turntable base though. Not sure what does OP use on top but there are other than "stud" options of "axle", "pin" and "bar" connections passed through that hole.

I initially tried placing a piece on the hole, that does not work. I then started trying to do what @Alex suggested by placing pieces underneath. That seems to work, but not sure if it is practical for my problem. Neat though.

@prolink007 which piece or structure you are looking to place on top?

I am wanting to use it as a square on a chess board i am making. The center knob would be used to hold a flat piece in place that is the base of the chess pieces. This solution would not work for me, since it would look strange on the board. But it is a potential solution for a center knob on a 4x4.


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Lego Set number or building instructions - lots of lime green and purple and grey
Please help me to identify what is set number for these LEGO sets. I bought them from OP shop but I can’t find what is set number. I just know plastic bag with QR Code and when I scan it becomes 6172090, 2017 The Lego Group

Plastic bag #2 219g8

Plastic bag #5 219g8

Plastic bag #4 319g8

It is well known that the numbers on the bags cannot be used to identify the sets; please post images of the bags, with as many pieces visible as possible.

Possible duplicate of https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/11276/lego-plastic-bags ?

Hi Alex, thanks so much for your prompt reply. I just edit the question by adding more photos please have a look and help

Hi everyone I have found the set number. It’s Lego set 41346 Lego Friends Friendship Box.

There are also parts from 10188: Death Star
Photo #3 & 4

Part # 55236 : Reddish Brown Plant Vine Seaweed / Appendage Spiked / Bionicle Spine
Part# 2585 : Light Bluish Gray String Reel 2 x 2 Drum
Part #30376 : White Legs Mechanical, Battle Droid
from Assassin Droid (White)
Part# 30562 :    Dark Bluish Gray Cylinder Quarter 4 x 4 x 6

I'm reminded of https://www.brothers-brick.com/2015/05/04/lego-death-star-remake-in-the-friends-theme/

@HuongNguyen says it's

Lego set 41346 Lego Friends Friendship Box

but I just wanted this question to stop coming up as unanswered. Don't upvote it.

But I just noticed there's also a weapon in there - that is not part of the set.


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Which sets do these half-built pieces belong to? Lime green vehicle, long yellowish vehicle, creature with claws
Which set does each one of these belong to?

The first looks like 60181 Forest Tractor
The second looks like 60178 Speed Record Car
The third looks like 31073 Mythical Creatures

Thank you. Really appreciate your response.

2nd one does have 3 distinctive pieces from that set, but it's clearly a custom design, as most of the other pieces are not from that set.

@DarrelHoffman I agree - but it's mostly that one. I'm glad I didn't go down the rabbit hole of looking for those pieces!


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LEGO EV3 Brick Type Data File not found
So this morning, I was going to build something with my EV3 kit, when I turned on the brick, the brick said 'Type data File not found'. Then I plugged in my touch sensor and all the motors in their proper place, they all said unknown, only the ultrasonic, gyro and color sensor were working. I really don't understand what is wrong here, so please, give me your ideas. So I can fix the problem.

The type data file is probably this file. It contains definitions for non-UART sensors, which explains why the motors and touch sensor do not work but the other sensors do.
I'm not sure how it could be missing since it normally isn't exposed to the user (maybe the flash memory got corrupted or some 3rd-party tool was used to delete the file). You could try flashing the firmware again. If that doesn't work, contact LEGO customer support.


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Which sets do these pieces belong to? Orange (non-Lego) and orange/black (Lego)
Which sets do these pieces belong to?
Thanks!

Bottom left looks like the bagged micro set of the Guardians of the Galaxy ship

The first isn't (entirely) Lego - you can see the open studs on the top-left build.
The second seems to be 70645 Cole - Dragon Master

Thank you for your response.  How about the other pieces in the first picture?  They may not be all from the same set.

The other LEGO sets seen in first picture have pieces of Arctic Ice Crawler (60192)

And Drone Explorer (31071)

Top-right are from the ice-crawler, bottom-right is drone explorer. Top-left appears to be partial non-Lego (studs look really wrong on several pieces). Bottom left appears to be Lego, but is not from either set as far as I can tell.

Bottom left is from The Guardians' Ship (30525), you can tell from the cockpit.

I believe that makes the top left the only clone brand sub-assembly.


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Are these bricks with dimple on top of a stud LEGO?
These bricks came in a lot of LEGO bricks from the 1960's-1970's.
I have looked on Google to check other manufacturers and I couldn't find a match to them.

I think these bricks are Lino Method

Thank you for your help. Yes you are right.thanks again


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EV3 not recognizing resistance correctly (MicroPython)
I recently tried measuring the resistance of a thermistor using the .resistance() method, the results are sadly not accurate. I measured the resistance with a multimeter and it showed 100kΩ, while the different EV3's all showed something between 330kΩ and 360kΩ. Even with no resistance the EV3 shows around 10kΩ resistance, so the results are not off by a fixed amount, but the results are repeatable.
Here  is the code I used:
#!/usr/bin/env pybricks-micropython

from pybricks.hubs import EV3Brick
from pybricks.iodevices import AnalogSensor
from pybricks.parameters import Port

ev3 = EV3Brick()

thermistor = AnalogSensor(Port.S1)

x = thermistor.resistance()

print(x)

Any help, explanation or like a formula to calculate the real resistance would be very appreciated.

Here is the schematic of an input port on the EV3 (available on official LEGO MINDSTORMS download page):

And this is the implementation of the resistance() method from Pybricks MicroPython:
STATIC mp_obj_t iodevices_AnalogSensor_resistance(mp_obj_t self_in) {
    iodevices_AnalogSensor_obj_t *self = MP_OBJ_TO_PTR(self_in);
    int32_t voltage;
    uint8_t mode = self->active ? PBIO_IODEV_MODE_NXT_ANALOG__ACTIVE : PBIO_IODEV_MODE_NXT_ANALOG__PASSIVE;
    pb_device_get_values(self->pbdev, mode, &voltage);

    // Open terminal/infinite resistance, return infinite resistance
    const int32_t vmax = 4972;
    if (voltage >= vmax) {
        return mp_obj_new_int(MP_SSIZE_MAX);
    }
    // Return as if a pure voltage divider between load and 10K internal resistor
    return mp_obj_new_int((10000 * voltage) / (vmax - voltage));
}

A seen in the schematic, R119 pulls up pin 1 to 5V with a 10k resistor. This is why the resistance() method measures 10k without anything connected.
The resistance() method assumes that you are connecting the external resistance between pin 1 and pin 3 (ground) and it assumes that the 5V supply is actually 4.972V.
Here is the equivalent circuit - a voltage divider:

With a bit of algebra, we can see that the equation in implementation is correct.
TH1 = (10k*MES1)/(VCC-MES1)

The inaccuracy comes from the hard-coded values for the VCC voltage and the R119 resistance (Rinternal). These could be measured more precisely. First to measure VCC, simply record the value using the voltage() method when nothing is attached to the port. To calculate R119, get a 10k resistor and measure it with your multimeter to get an exact value (Rtest). Then connect it to pins 1 and 3 and measure the voltage with the voltage() method (Vtest). Then:
Rinternal = (Rtest*Vtest)/(VCC-Vtest)

Then you can make your own resistance function using those values:

# replace ... with exact measure values
VCC = ...
R_INTERNAL_PORT_A = ...

sensor = AnalogSensor(Port.A)

def resistance():
    v = sensor.voltage()
    return R_INTERNAL_PORT_A * v / (VCC - v)

However, the further away from 10k that the thermistor gets, the less precise the measurement will be due to the fact that the value approaches infinity as v approaches VCC.

Another alternative could be a hardware solution. Using an op amp, you could create a circuit that has an output in the range of 0-5V. The op amp circuit could even be designed to make the output linear with respect to temperature rather than linear to resistance. With the analog circuit eliminating the non-linearity, the analog digital converter in the EV3 would have equal precision across the full range of temperatures.


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Does anyone know these non-LEGO bricks? dimples in studs, no connectors on the bottom
We found this box of old (definitely) non-LEGO  bricks in Czech Republic. Probably from the seventies or eighties?
Does anyone know the manufacturer - brand or set (s) from which they can be?
We thought it was Wundersteine (Wonderbricks), but their bricks are different.
Here are some photos, no visible logos.
Many thanks for any suggestions.

This is one of Eastern Germany's (DDR) two brick systems (created by typical VEBs and I'd be suprised if you find those letters anywhere printed on the bricks):

most likely Formo because of the simplicity of the backside and how basic all the bricks are - you should not be able to combine it with Lego bricks and these bricks are rather difficult to impossible to assemble. Or
less likely PEBE because I've never encountered so large bricks for that, and in your pictures I see not one specialized brick although those weren't uncommon, while sets with only basic bricks were not typical - you should be able to combine it with Lego bricks and these bricks can be put together without further problems.

PEBE's bricks looked different thru the years - what you show might be from 1980s, because later the studs consisted of cylinders only (yet still compatible with Lego). For i.e. 2x4 flat bricks without studs it was very typical to have not even one cylinder or stud on the backside.
Formo's highlight was a set of the Palast der Republik, intended to be bought as souvenir.


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How to pose figs in LeoCAD?
I’m new to LeoCAD. I find it’s easy to add regular minifigs or Technic figures to a model, but I can’t find a way to pose them. For instance I could build a car and add a driver, but the figure is standing up by default and I can’t find a way to bend its legs so it can sit in the car. Are figures not poseable?

They are certainly posable in LDraw so I would assume the same holds for LeoCAD.


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What can this curved brick with square holes be used for?
I recently came across this piece:

What piece is it, and how can it be used?

The part is Window Round 3 x 3 x 2 (73878).

It was a new mold for 2021, and one of its first uses was as windows on Andrea's House (41449).

This piece can be used on buildings anywhere you'd like a curved window. It is easy to imagine how it could have been used on earlier sets, such as the "curved" windows on the Pet Shop:

This part introduces opportunities for curved windows, but it continues to use existing window glass. It uses the 1x2x2 glass (60601):

This means that the part is also compatible with other window panes, such as the 1x2x2 bars:

These parts are paired together to create the curved window seen in Chamber of Secrets (76389):

Like most parts, there's plenty of ways to use it. It shows up as fences in Heartlake City Park (41447):

It even gets used to create a water wheel in Medieval Castle (31120):

I played around a little with this part at microscale and put together a Mars research station based around the idea of round pods:

The curved window brick would not have been a good choice for the pet shop: half-hexagonal bay windows were a common feature of the architecture of that period; curved ones were unheard-of.


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Looking for a way to convert a 3D model I found online into an LDD model (or related software)
I was recently viewing bricklink.com's user gallery and I found a design that I would like to recreate. I know the exact pieces that I need for the design (about 5000), but there are no detailed instructions on how to build it and the only thing available to me is a 3D blueprint of the design provided by the author. I tried contacting the designer for the LDD file but was unsuccessful. Since I know the exact pieces, Is it possible to somehow translate the online blueprint into LDD or a related software?

I can't offer a way to do what you ask for, just a word of warning: the model is ~112 studs long (give or take a few), which translates to around 90 cm, which is 50% larger than the biggest official LEGO sets ever released: UCS Millennium Falcon, Hogwarts Castle or Taj Mahal - moving or even displaying this beast would be an enormous challenge, not to speak of dusting it.

@zovits the description on the linked page says "Size: 90x33x41cm" and "it's very heavy and should be exhibited without any other purpose" so I think we can safely assume OP already knows that.

@zovits The Imperial Star Destroyer measures 110x66x37cm (without its stand), so this is comparable to that.

@Zhaph-BenDuguid thanks for the heads-up, apparently I misunderstood the "dimensions" row of Brickset as the dimensions of the model, whereas they are of the packaging instead.

The design is created in Stud.io (as all designs on Studio Gallery) and the creator has explicitly chosen to not make his .io file available.
So in trying to recreate this, you would go against the authors wishes, basically committing a copyright violation.
If you could somehow persuade the author to give you the .io file, than you could theoretically export it to .ldr file format (LDRAW file) from Stud.io and import it back into LDD. However for a model of this size and complexity, there would be guaranteed some complications and issues you need to resolve manually... Also bare in mind that LDD is no longer maintained or supported while Stud.io is. The latter has also a much richer feature set, e.g. the ability to order the necessary bricks from bricklink.


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Motorizing Crocodile Locomotive set 10277 - are there any sets that include hub & motor I need?
Crocodile Locomotive can be powered up by using 1 x 88009 and 1 x 88013. Reviews on hubs and motors strongly suggest it is better, financially, to buy them as part of the sets, not separately.
Is there any set that contains both of these? And how to find it? If there is none, sets that contains only one or the other would be appreciated.
Additional criteria for the "goodness" of answer:

Generic train, Technic or Powered Up parts, as I'd be buying it for the parts, not the model.
Low price, or low price per brick (prices may change but relation between prices seems roughly constant for sets in production)
Set is available now, as of middle of 2021, to buy new from The LEGO Group

Consider making use of the secondary market (bricklink et al) - both these (in new condition) can be obtained there for about half what LEGO is charging for them currently. Make sure to look for the items themselves though (bb0892c01 and bb0959c01)

These parts are not found in the same set at this time, but there may still be an adequate solution.
This is a good question for Bricklink.  In Bricklink terms the numbers you listed are for the "sets" that include these individual parts.  The parts you are looking for are included in sets other than the set just for the part.  The L-Motor appears in eight other sets and the Train hub appears in five different sets (numbers are valid by the time of this answer).
Based on that we can only conclude that these parts are not in the same set at this point, but that doesn't have to be the only conclusion.  The list of sets with the hub includes three train sets.  For instance, the 60198 Cargo Train is still available directly from LEGO and includes the train motor.  The train motor seems like an easier way to power your train.  The 60197 Passenger Train is also still available, and it is cheaper.  The Disney Train is still available, but it is the most expensive.

Am I getting this rigth? Are you suggesting that I buy a cargo train and build a cargo wagon with hub and engine from that set, and then use it to pretend my crocodile is pulling it, when it fact it'll be pushing the locomotive?

No, I'm suggesting for you to buy one of the train sets for the two parts in question.  That seemed to be what the question was about.  The rest of the parts are hopefully useful to you for something else.  It may also be cheaper for you to just buy the two parts you are looking for.

but there is no way to rebuild Crocodile to use the train motor. Way too many things won't fit.

Then it sounds like you should get the parts you want from LEGO directly or a bricklink seller and not worry about getting them in a set.  But if you want them in a set you can use the links above to see which sets those could be.  There aren't many and most of them are still on sale by TLG.


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What bicycle is this? The handlebars and stand are at an unusual angle
I have this bike from the 80s/90s (4719, red). I wanted to buy another one, but I can’t find this specific version on BrickLink:

The handle bar and stand are at an angle, so the bike can be leaned to a wall conveniently. But I can only find bikes with straight handle bars.
There are three LEGO marks on the frame (inside the headlight and on both sides of the pedal axis), as well as the lettering 4 7 1 9 on the left side of the frame, and 1 on the right.
Does anyone know from which set this is … or the specific name of this part?
Edit: Here’s a close-up of the handle bar and I can see that it definitely was twisted:

It was probably forgotten under a heavy box over the summer, or something like that!

It makes sense that it probably got warped over time, because look at the incongruity between the handlebars and the front wheel. If it had been manufactured that way, you'd expect that Lego would have molded the wheel to be in line with the handlebars.

@nick012000 Likewise, if someone had intentionally cut and glued, or heated and bent the handlebars, you'd think they'd have done the same with the front wheel.  All signs point to it being flattened under something heavy.

RE: "The handle bar and stand are at an angle, so the bike can be leaned to a wall conveniently." - if this was intentionally for "leaning against a wall", there wouldn't be a kickstand.

The number indicates part 4719 - bicycle frame.

As you can see, it has a straight handlebars and kickstand. Your particular piece must have been modified to fit some specific purpose. Lego does not reuse the same mold numbers much, and never on the purpose, so I highly doubt if it was molded that way.

The kickstand has a very distinct form (it’s not twisted, rather the bottom vertices are rotated and the top vertices are not, connected via straight lines). I’ll take photos tomorrow. I can’t imagine how this could have been produced without being molded this way, but then again I’m no expert.

@Krishty I've seen parts cut and glued with enough precision. Usually in wargaming miniatures, but I did.

I also wonder if heat combined with turning pressure over a long period of time would allow this modification without any seam at all.

Heat over a long period of time is a good theory. I played with this bike in 1995, so whatever happened to it is long forgotten. I’ll look at the fine edges with magnifying glasses, maybe I can take a few photos to solve the matter once and for all.

@Mołot I’m sure you’re right; see updated photo of handle bar. I accepted your answer; thanks a lot!

Glad I could help :)

I have found a similar one (4719c02) but with a new-style frame with open stud (still 4719) and new wheels (92851pb01). Although this one does not have the twisted kickstand.

Where/how did you find it?

I wish I had a concrete answer, but it came from a used-bulk lot from either eBay or Catawiki. There's no way to trace it back.


text:
Does anyone recognize this LEGO piece? 2 studs, big curved section past a hole
I have searched through Rebrickable and Bricklink and can't seem to find this part.  Does anyone know what it is or what set it is from?

Have you looked at the bottom? Try to find a very small number there.

50948 Wedge 4 x 3 Cut Back with Cutout, 2 Studs
ATR 4 (8657) set is the only to include this element in Light Bluish Gray

In that color, it might only be in one set: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=8657-1

Hope you don't mind me adding set you've mentioned into your answer.

Can you teach us how you find this? Is there a lookup function or a description bot somewhere, or did you know the piece, or did you just examine them all one by one?

I tried a variety of google image searches; Based on my browser history from earlier, the one that finally worked was "bricklink curved cutout". I recognize this piece (I don't have it in this color) but I couldn't spot on any builds I can easily lay my hands on, and I think I stored it in a place that is a bit hard to get to at the moment, so I just googled a few things until it worked.