text:
What is this brown flexible wire with 5 sliding pieces?
This is definitely one of the strangest LEGO pieces I've ever found.

The wire caps are both stamped LEGO, one would take half (or quarter) a pin and one a small ball.
What is it and where does it come from?

That's a flex system cable with several clutch changeover elements strung onto it. You can see it on the back of 8002 Destroyer Droid:

That's the only set with those parts in brown, so that's certainly where it came from. You can find all of the parts in the set inventory.
Those cable end elements have never felt quite like LEGO bricks to me, as they are one of the few parts that I feel like I might break when taking them apart.

The flex cable IS actually quite fragile... also gets brittle with time and stays bent when left in a build for too long...


text:
Any ideas on this mostly white and dark red set?
I recently purchased quite a few Lego pieces from a neighbor. They are a bit of a mess with no instructions. I did find a couple bags that had not been opened. This is bag 2 and 3 and a couple smaller bags. I'm pretty sure bag one is already opened and in the mix of the others. Any ideas what set this could be. Thanks for any help.

Based on the White Wedge, Plate 6 x 12 Right, the Light Bluish Gray Technic, Steering Wheel Small, 3 Studs Diameter and Dark Red Wedge 3 x 4 with Stud Notches
I think these parts belong to
75003-1 : A-Wing Starfighter

source: Stack Exchange

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

sort: votes


text:
What would be the origin of these 1x1 bricks with the top part and stud having a different color?
Last weekend while visiting Legoland Germany, we found the following pieces in the discount crates:

They are white 1x1 bricks, with the top part (and stud) in light bluish gray.
What would be the origin of these pieces? How are they produced?

Looks like they may be spray-painted? Perhaps for a store display or mosaic?

Looks like they may be spray-painted? Perhaps for a store display or mosaic? – TheBrickBlogger Jul 14 at 0:40

I agree with this hypothesis. In particular, the pieces would have been assembled and then spray painted. This accounts for the faint tinge of gray on the top edge of the sides of the pieces (paint in the gap between adjacent bricks), and why some of the pieces (right side of the photo) have gray sides.
The tops of the studs look slightly less sharp than LEGO plastic molding usually is, which would be due to the paint slightly rounding everything over.
It is also unlikely that this effect would have been produced by regular injection molding, because the plastic does not enter the mold in neat flat layers so you can't do this by just putting two different colors in. "Overmolding" can create an object with two plastics stuck together, but they would have a crisp edge usually with a detectable seam, not the faintly fuzzy one here. In any case, some very unusual process would have been used, and I doubt that TLG would have gone to the trouble.
It's paint.

Please excuse my answer, because it is pure speculation.
Unfortunately, I don't know anyone that works for LEGO Germany, but Plastic Toy Industry-wise, I have a few friends that work at Hasbro headquarters in Rhode Island, USA, where their casting department spits out many prototypes of toys in the oddest of colors, where the reasoning behind doing so could be varied.
They may need to:

Test run injection molds,
Spot sculpting errors,
Test the plastic tolerances,
Test articulation,
Changing from one color to another,
See how it sits in a box for purchase.
Possible spray-painted for some type of display reason could also work here.

Somewhere in my basement I have two Transformers entirely purple given to me by my friends at Hasbro.
Check out this pretty ugly Skeletor from Mattel. If I found him in the discount crate maybe I'd buy him too... Big maybe...

So, in review, it might be rare for us outsiders to come across these items, but I don't think this is an odd thing for a company in the Plastic Toy industry to do when bringing an idea to market, thus ending my speculation on why these pieces have different colors.

LEGO most definitely produces a variety of proto types, mostly in red. Also the companies providing the ABS have their own injection molding machines to test... However, I would not expect prototype elements to turn up in the discount bins of Legoland Germany...

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


text:
What is the function of Duplo part# 38507 RAIL ACCESSORY, NO. 4

Can someone explain to me what 38507: RAIL ACCESSORY, NO. 4 (#6225519) is for? I've got this in the new  Duplo Train accessory #10882 and can't figure out what it does :S

Does this answer your question? How does the DUPLO Action Bricks work?

It's an interactive piece that makes the train perform a cool(ish) function when it rolls over it.

The train has a sensor on the bottom that reads the piece and does the deed.

When the train reads this red one... it stops moving, which is sorta coolish  for a jealous older sibling maybe ;).

Watch 3 videos explaining all the cool possibilities.  (1), (2), (3).

I guess only very new trains have this since my 10508 Deluxe Train Set V110 doesn't have the sensor. Does anyone know which train set has the sensor?

I personally don't own any DUPLO sets, so I'm just using the internet to do the friendly research.  If we have a train set in question, double check with the box art. LEGO's box art calls these funky bricks "Action Bricks".  If the box art doesn't promote the Action Brick and Interactive App feature, then it's most likely a no go.

The sensor equipped trains are sets  10874-1 and 10875-1.  This group's common set series begin with "108", so it looks like any DUPLO train set that starts with 108 seems compatible, so far...  Rest of the sets I see that have no Sensor Train,but the funky Action Bricks are 10872-1 and 10882-1.


text:
Identify 2x2 chrome/silver emblem
I want to know which sets this piece is from.
It's 2x2 in size, no writing on it except for an S or 8 in the hole.
I've tried googling terms such as chrome/silver indian emblem/plaque to no avail.

It's apparently called a "Sun Disk" (named such in an old magazine) and it appeared in 5 different sets from the 1999 Adventurers: Jungle theme.
Minifig, Utensil Sun Disk Item No: x276

Also it's supposed to be gold, but I think I've seen the old chrome gold discolor like this before.


text:
Set Identification: 2011 set, bag 3, #135149

Can anyone help identify which set this bag comes from?

This bag is from 75092-1: Naboo Starfighter

Based on

4655280: Plate 4X4 W/Angle
4260934: Left Shell 2X6W/Bow/Angle,Inv


text:
How do you support upper floors in tall buildings?
When I build a skyscraper out of LEGO and the floor above is weak do I remove the flooring from above and a pillar underneath and then put the floor back or something?

Howdy Tibor, we don't work for LEGO, but there are folks on here who can definitely answer this.

Extra support in form of pillars/walls underneath (remember that also weighs something and as such should be supported) is one (and probably the most widely used) solution, another would be to build the floor thicker, and depending on how weak the floor is and how much it has to support yet another solution might be to just not care.

Most real-world buildings will have one or both of the following features:

Load bearing columns - in tall tower blocks you'll often find the lifts, emergency stairs, etc form a central column that the floors can be anchored to.
Supporting beams - these are typically steel beams that travel from one load bearing wall to another, and the floor will then rest on those.

Where you have both these features, the supporting beams will go from the exterior walls to the support columns, or from column to column, providing both rigidity to the structure and support for the floors.
Your LEGO builds should aim to incorporate those features if you need to support plates that are smaller than your building's floor plan.


text:
Please identify the sub assemblies
Can you please identify the sub assemblies from the pictures. Is this part of a set or something someone just build? As you can see there are a lot of missing pieces. Do they ring a bell to anyone?
(A)

(B)

(C)

Please ignore sub assembly (B) as it it not made from Lego parts.

Assembly A comes from 75103-1: First Order Transporter

See instructions 75103-1 page=30

Assembly C is from page 65
(thanks @ LegoSonicBoy)

Which non-Lego parts do you see in assembly C?

@henrik; missing logo on the right plate (could be the lightning of the photo)

@Syberion: It's the lighting. I can just about make out pixels of shadows of the logo on the studs. Assembly C is from the same set - you can see it in page 65 of the instructions.


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

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


text:
What is the writing on this sticky note tile?
Is it a bullet-point list? Or some kind of poem? Or non-words?
LEGO Tile 1 x 1 with Black Writing (Sticky Note / Post-It) with Groove (25389)

LEGO seems to be serious about the fan base, so I wrote 'em, and gave 'em the  task...

...And they just wrote back.

So, a recap-y-cap:

Doesn't mean anything.
The letters are initials of some LEGO designers,
Which designers, (they can't tell).
Done to fill up space that requires letters (since a real memo note needs some sort of lettering symbols).
The smile face and the question mark is just flair, or gibberish to
make it look (more) like a note.
The circles in front of each line is to represent a check box.

Original poster was right 2 out of 3 speculative reasons behind this piece's creation.  Good job Ben.
Task complete, and we're very impressed with Joseph's prompt reply from LEGO Customer Service. Thanks again Joe Joe, and now we're off to finish the LEGO survey on "How they did today"...

No, no. You're welcome LEGO, and thanks for your help ;).  Later!

Thanks for taking the time to ask LEGO about this and share the answer Rin - as Joseph mentions in his response it's fairly common practice for the set or piece designer to include their initials for any required text if they want a bit more flair than just wiggly lines.

That is an awesome answer, thanks a lot! And what a treat to get such a detailed response from LEGO ❤I guess it helped that your question to them was also A+, thanks again!

First trace of that piece is in LEGO Olivia's Exploration Car Set 41116. It featured stickied on an astronomy-oriented map.

Probably a bullet point list, and the second word might be Mars ?. No idea about the first one
It was also released in other sets at around the same time, one of those is Emma Creative Workshop 41115-1

In that case the sticky note is in a girly room/workshop, and it could conceivably be a list of two character names, Ian and Marc, as @V2Blast said in the commands. These sets are part of the Heartlake stuff of LEGO Friends, I don't know if there are two characters with these names.
And, in the end, it's probably left vague deliberately, after all it's LEGO, where we are supposed to create new stuff from their bricks, not be constrained by the sticky note's words. As an examples this sticky notes brick is also used in a LEGO Ideas (Old Fishing Store), where it is on top of the cash register, and it's clearly not used for what's written on the note (Ian, Marc or Mars), just as a generic sticky note.

'ear', maybe...?

I thought maybe Ian, like a character name, but I couldn't verify that theory

Looks like "Ian" and "Marc?" though I'm not sure how that fits the set.


text:
Serial tower RCX 1.0 works with NQC but flakey with RIS 2.0
Had this baby for 20 years at this point.  Some rubber rot on the cables, but other than that, the set's in great shape.
RCX 1.0 with DC-in port.  Serial tower.  Fresh batteries in tower and RCX.
I have RIS 2.0 installed on a WinXP laptop with a serial port.  Tower works and shows green light.  The entire 2500-step firmware update process happens just fine (from the RIS settings menu).  I've even successfully completed the IR range test, where it makes the RCX beep as long as it's in IR range.
After that, I get periodic "Trouble communicating with the RCX" messages.  Downloading a program often takes 2-3 retries because of this.  This seems like an okay work-around, but then other times, it just can never complete a download at all.
I just tried NQC today, and it downloads programs every time, reliably.  That implies that this isn't an RCX problem or a tower problem.  Some kind of RIS software problem.
I've seen discussions of other compatibility issues with newer Windows, but I'm not having those specific issues.  Just really flaky program downloading with lots of retries.  But the strange thing is that the firmware downloads just fine.... and that's HUGE.
As for why I don't just use NQC.... I'm trying to get this working for my kids.  They've never done anything like this before, and the RIS interface is perfect for their skill level.
Update, More details:
Green light on serial tower comes on each time I try to download a program, so nothing else is blocking the serial port. Though you're right that NQC cannot connect to the port if RIS is running. I've tried both near and far range on the tower. Replaced batteries a bunch of times.
The only other bit of behavior that I forgot to mention is that when trying to DL a program, the green light on the tower comes on, and then sometimes the little "receiving" icon on the RCX comes on, but just for a moment. Other times, the receiving icon never comes on at all. Then, after several retries, the receiving icon on the RCX comes on, stays on, and the little progress "dots" on the RCX fill up.

What a strange issue. I'm not sure the exact cause, but I have a few troubleshooting tips for you to try:

Make sure the serial tower is set to "Long Range" mode (the little switch on the front).
Make sure the RCX is set to "Long Range" mode (Go to the RIS settings page and change the RCX comm range).
Make sure the RCX program slots are unlocked (also in the RIS settings page).
Try replacing the batteries (again, particularly in the tower).
Try downloading the program with the lights off (believe it or not, I've had lightbulbs emitting enough infrared to interfere with communications).
Make sure that when the RIS software is running, no other mindstorms software is running. If NQC is running at the same time it might bind up the serial port.

Thanks for this.  Green light on serial tower comes on each time I try to download a program, so nothing else is blocking the serial port.  Though you're right that NQC cannot connect to the port if RIS is running.  I've tried both near and far range on the tower.  Replaced batteries a bunch of times.  Haven't tried putting a shoebox over them both to shroud light.  Will try.  But again, NQC works fine.  Haven't tried the RIS software long vs short range setting.  Will try.

The only other bit of behavior that I forgot to mention is that when trying to DL a program, the green light on the tower comes on, and then sometimes the little "receiving" icon on the RCX comes on, but just for a moment.  Other times, the receiving icon never comes on at all.  Then, after several retries, the receiving icon on the RCX comes on, stays on, and the little progress "dots" on the RCX fill up.

@JasonRohrer It would be good to add some of those clarifications into your question if possible - just hit the "edit" link under the question to update it.


text:
Identify (very old) bricks with 2 studs
I have this two bricks I got as a present a while ago, and wanted to know a bit more about them.
Things I noticed:

The material is not entirely hard as today's plastic bricks, some small marks can be seen on the righter one.
When they are put together, there's a little gap left between them, not smooth and tight as today's bricks.
I'm pretty sure it's very old.

What I'd like to know:

Year of creation (also estimated is great)
Material
Manufacturer
Anything else interesting about it :)

Thanks!

Are you sure these are Lego bricks? Not all brick toys are made by Lego. Usually, Lego bricks have "LEGO" text on each stud (I'm just referring to the post title which mentions "Lego"; consider removing/editing to make it more generic)

This might deserve the clone-brands tag too, but it isn't LEGO-compatible so it doesn't quite fit.

@chicks I was tempted to use the 'clone-brands' tag aS it seems the most appropriate but seeing how it was produced before LEGO bricks and seems to have indirectly influenced the design I'm not sure what to call it.

They're called MiniBrix.

Year of creation: 1935.
Material: Rubber.
Manufacturer: Premo Rubber Company.
Watch my source informative video by JangBricks HERE, which tells the interesting history of toy bricks before LEGO ;).

Audiophile Bonus: Cool background music from the video.


text:
What is the name/part number of this 1x1 LEGO brick, used to make "cat eyes"?
Could anyone please tell me the name/part number of the LEGO component used for the cat's eyes?

I always love it when LEGO constructions use ordinary bricks in creative ways :-)

Name: Lever Small Base 4592.
Bricklink link HERE.

Peeron calls it "Hinge Control Stick Base", but the same code.

Looks like https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=4592c02#T=C but with the lever removed.


text:
How did they make the LEGO Batman cutscenes?
I want to know what programs they used to make the videos the old LEGO video games like the 2008 LEGO Batman, 2007 Lego Star Wars, and maybe the 2011 LEGO Star Wars for a little modern-ish feel. I want to learn how they made the models, textures, effects, map and etc.
I've just been inspired to make my own LEGO animations. What programs should I use to start?

I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because we don't work for The LEGO Group or have inside knowledge of how the movies are made.

See also the answers to What software was used to create The LEGO Movie.

Hi, and welcome to Bricks EggsinaBlender. Teaching you how to use 3d software is rather beyond the scope of this site, or indeed a single question and answer here - you might be better off taking a look at some of the great tutorials for Blender (a popular open source 3D modelling application). You can also find some helpful guides to exporting models from LEGO Digital Designer or Stud.IO to LDraw format and then into a format that other programs can use.

Most likely Autodesk Maya and possibly some other tools based on LEGO internal parts libraries like the Easy Builder Tool or Brick Builder.
All of those games are made by Traveller's Tales. In a video on the development process for their Jurassic Park title you will see that they use Maya to create and animate their models (the right screen would be very familiar looking to a Maya user).

More-than-likely this is the same software they use to animate their cutscenes, and I doubt they have changed software packages since then.

Here is a good little write up from Animal Logic, who made the Lego Movie, Lego Batman Movie, etc:
https://www.animallogic.com/portfolio/projects/tlm/
A lot of it is custom built for them and they don't reveal the secrets.
This little bit is pretty good as well:
https://www.fxguide.com/featured/brick-by-brick-how-animal-logic-crafted-the-lego-movie/
There are loads of people on YouTube who make Lego films some great, some good and some rubbish. Just spend some time researching it all.


text:
How to send through Bluetooth motor angle position and mirror that position on another motor?
I've built a steering wheel that checks the servomotor position using NXC function - MotorRotationCount(). Now, I want to send that position to second brick using Bluetooth and apply that servomotor position to another servomotor controlling the car's steering. I've figured out how to send the data between bricks but I can't find a way to mirror that servomotor position. Is it possible?

Yes it's definitely possible. See the motor functions here. I would try the following:

Receive the controller's position over bluetooth.
Use MotorTachoCount (byte output) to get the position of the steering motor.
Compare controller's position to the steering motor's position.
if(controller > steering) drive steering forward.
else drive steering backward.
Repeat 1-4.

There are a few enhancements you can make as well, once you get this working. For one, it may help to set the steering motor's power proportional to the difference between the positions. For example, pwr = 0.5*abs(controller - steering) . Adjust the 0.5 by trial and error until the steering is responsive, but not over-responsive. This will make the steering faster if the difference is large, and slower when the difference is small. It may also be worth looking into the motor PID functions to make the steering even smoother.


text:
Please help me identify this partially assembled set, red and 2 large propellers?
A sweet neighbor kid handed down his LEGO collection to us. I’ve been able to find quite a few sets by searching Google, but this one has me stumped.

In most cases if it has vessel ID (like the number on wings) is the part number of the set.

This is 8060-1: Typhoon Turbo Sub


text:
Can you help me identify this odd fence-like brick?
This brick was found in a selection of unopened LEGO bags left with an instruction book that were donated to my mother's workplace. Bags did not correspond to the book and and as such I am left at an impasse to find this brick as it is odd enough that I have been unable to find it so that my brother and I can obtain more of them.

You have part number 64448: Support 1 x 6 x 5 Girder Rectangular

I'm not sure what color your piece is, but here is a list of sets it comes in.


text:
Repairing disintegrated old 9V wire
I have a number of old technic motors and battery boxes I would like to use however the wires have disintegrated in storage to the point that the metal conductors touch and short out.
Does anybody know the best wire to replace them with? I'm thinking it probably needs to be flexible multicore but I'm not sure of the required current capacity or AWG?

MindS1 is correct that in terms of electrical properties you don't need to be terribly picky. As you noted you will want multicore wire to allow for flexibility and prevent breakage.
I'd also add that the standard 9V battery boxes are current limited, so in practice you can get away with 22 AWG or even 24 AWG wire. I'd encourage you to try out the wire in advance to make sure it meets your power requirements. A pair of buggy motors is very different than a few lights or a train motor.
It is possible, though more difficult, to replace the entire wire rather than splicing out and replacing the bad bits. This is covered in detail on Instructables. Here's the gist:

Carefully remove the back plate from the connector using two flat blade screwdrivers to release the clips:

If you are using a compatible wire size, you can simply slide the wire into the metal clips exactly as the original wire was attached. Otherwise, you can solder it in place:

Pop the back plate back on being careful to route the wires and tabs appropriately.

If you are working with the longer wires, and the break is near the end, you can simply remove the wire, cut off the bad end, and reconnect the remainder of the original wire. Your wire will be a few cm shorter, but that isn't a big deal for many applications.

Thank you for the pictures, that's incredibly helpful. In the second picture, have you routed the new wire over the black plastic tab that I assume is for cable strain relief, or have you removed the tab? I can't quite tell from the photo and I'm struggling to get my replacement wire over the tab on  mine as I think the insulation on my new wire is thicker.

I didn't take those photos, so I can't say for sure. I wouldn't think it would hurt to cut that tab down if your wire is thicker.

You don't really need to worry about the wire gauge for Lego parts.
This source indicates that only the beefiest lego motors breach 1A, and even then, only while completely stalled. Most of those motors even have thermal protection systems built-in to prevent damage in the stalled case. So anything around gauge 20 or lower would do the trick.
Make sure to get a stranded core instead of a solid core so it will be flexible.
After you trim out the old damaged wire, slip on some cheap heat-shrink tubing over the remaining part before you twist/solder on the new wire. The heat-shrink tubing will reinforce and protect the new connections you made.


text:
LEGO part counts on boxes without treads
I want to buy another LEGO Technic set therefore I'm trying to analyze the challenge to price ratio of different sets. I first thought that the part count may be somewhat proportional to challenge and fun of building but the winner of this category is the 42069 set (extreme adventure) and this set seems to have a lot of tread parts which probably are included in the part count on the box so I was wondering if there is the "real part" count somewhere so my calculations are more accurate or maybe there are some reviews that include numerical fun factors or challenge factors that I can compare to price.

As you're finding, overall part count doesn't really reflect the difficulty or challenge of the build - for example the Minecraft Micro Worlds had about 450+ pieces each (a good 100-200 more than similar priced models), but most of these were 1x1 plates and tiles. LEGO already have a rough guide to the challenge of set in the age range: With variants from 8-14, 9-16, 10-16, 11-16, 12+, 16+, or in the case of the Bugatti, un-rated ;)

@Zhaph - Ben Duguid: Isn't that rated 16+?

@LegoSonicBoy Ah, yes, was in such small letters I couldn't see it in the promo box shots I found.

The "realest" of the real part count for any piece is always located somewhere in the back of the instruction booklet piece manifest.
Look at middle row last piece bottom, where it says we're gonna need 108x 6014648.
Wow, this thing looks cool!  Have fun!!

Source:
LEGO instructions - Technic - 42069 - Extreme Adventure (Model 1) by LEGO instructions - Fan - Site.


text:
Please identify LEGO sets based on these parts
Any ideas what set they belong?

You have the fuselage of 4618 Twin Rotor Cargo:

The red windshield is from one of these sets (the yellow sticker does not belong):

70706: Crater Creeper
4621: Jack Stone Red Flash Station
4796: Ogel Mutant Squid
9320: Voyage into Space (Journey Into Space Set)

And the 2x3 slope is from one of these sets.


text:
XL motor and M motor on IR receiver = same output?
I am really puzzled by my small car build with balloon tires (55976).
I tried swapping between an XL and an M (PF) motor, both geared down (up?) to about the same torque (I tested by how sleep a slope it can climb), both motors virtually run the car at the same speed.
I would have thought with the same torque output (just about 3-4 cogs of different sizes in both cases till the differential) the XL would give me much higher speed, at least 1.5 times if not twice, but to the contrary it looked to me like the M motor runs a hair bit faster.
Any ideas guys? I know this is a bit generic, but what could it be?

there are frictions but in both of my cases they should be roughly the same
the XL motor is quite a bit heavier
the IR receiver (v1) has limited output or my batteries don't? (6 AA kind), there is only one more M motor (for steering, so it is off during my test) on the IR receiver, IR receiver attached to the battery box directly
I am using 2 u-joints for the drive axle instead of a cv joint - could that make so much of a difference?

The LEGO motors could be geared to produce a similar speed/torque output across the different sizes.  If that's the case going to M you're losing weight without reducing the torque.  I would expect the larger motor to keep more things turning, but they wouldn't go any faster.

It seems like you're mixing up gear ratio with torque with power. It sounds like you have the following scenario:
 - same gear ratio
 - same overall vehicle
 - two different motors
 - (almost) same final speed
And you're asking why the different motors don't change the speed much. Here's what I know:

The vehicle's mass and internal friction place a load on the motor. This is approximately constant for your vehicle, because practically the difference in mass of the M and XL motors is negligible compared to the total load anyway.
The M motor has a higher unladen speed but a lower overall torque than the XL motor. This means that for the same load, the M motor's speed will be more greatly affected than the XL motor.
So in this case: your vehicle might drop the XL motor from 200 to 150 RPM, but drops the M motor from 600 to 175 RPM, because the M motor is affected more. Coincidentally this particular load drops both motors to almost the same final RPM.
If your vehicle were even more massive, the XL motor's speed would drop, but the M would drop even further, quickly becoming slower than the XL. Add enough weight and eventually that M will drop to 0 RPM while the XL will still be chugging along.

I interpreted it differently, I think the OP DID gear down/up the motors until in his opinion they produced the same torque...
However I think his methodology to test if the motors have the same torque is widely inaccurate.
I don't think you can conclude that two motors with gearing have the same torque if they can handle the same slope when mounted on a vehicle, it would appear to me too many other factors play a role (friction of driving surface, weight, weight distribution,...)
Also quite important I think is the current consumption, could very well be that a motor is stalled earlier than te other although they have the same torque because the current is higher and the IR or battery-box protection kicks in.


text:
Can Boost programs be transferred off the tablet / phone / PC?
I'd like to be able to transfer Boost programs from one device to another and to back them up. Is this possible?
Ideally I'd like some app-supported mechanism for this.
I have a Google Pixel, a Nexus 5X and a Windows 10 PC. I've poked around on the filesystem looking for saved files but haven't found anything. I'd like to be able to transfer programs from my Windows 10 PC to a phone and vice versa. I am especially thinking of using Boost for exhibits where it would be handy to have a variety of devices having exact copies of the same program. I'm also hoping to find a way to version-control the programs and maybe even reverse-engineer them so that we can generate files without all the touch-screen drag-and-drop silliness.

What device/OS are you using? Have you already tried a generic app backup tool?

@jncraton I haven't tried an app backup/restore. Edited question with more details.

Hi guys, did you have any success on this? I tried to copy parts/all of that data directory to a different device. But that did not work at all.

This should be possible. On my Android device, the Boost files are located at Android/data/com.lego.boost.boost/files. There are subdirectories there for each model (Cat, Guitar, Vernie, etc).
The CreativeCanvas directory stores the generic programs that you have created via the canvas. These are divided into themes and activities. A single activity would be stored at Android/data/com.lego.boost.boost/files/CreativeCanvas/Theme_nnnnnnnnnn/Activity_nnnnnnnnnn. That folder then contains numbered directories containing the following file structure:

Composite Blocks

{any composite blocks created}

RecordedAudio

{any audio files}

metadata.json
palette.json
program.json
Template.json
thumbnail.png

metadata.json gives you an easy way to see what project you are looking at as it shows the name:
{
  "creationDate": "2018-07-30T13:17:13",
  "modificationDate": "2018-07-30T15:55:54",
  "name": "Ragana",
  "thumbnail": "thumbnail.png",
  "paletteLevel": 2
}

It appears that the program itself is stored in program.json. That files looks like this:
{
  "mainCanvas": {
    "positionedSequences": [
      {
        "position": {
          "x": -3.49160075,
          "y": 2.56404877
        },
        "PositionedObject": {
          "instructions": [
            {
              "operation": "Start"
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "position": {
          "x": -0.637803435,
          "y": 3.23562384
        },
        "PositionedObject": {
          "instructions": [
            {
              "operation": "PlaySound",
              "literalParams": [
                2406
              ]
            },
            {
              "operation": "PlaySound",
              "literalParams": [
                1110
              ]
            },
            {
              "operation": "EncMotorSpeedDuration",
              "literalParams": [
                100.0,
                1.0
              ]
            },
            {
              "operation": "DrivebaseBothSpeedTankDuration",
              "literalParams": [
                50.0,
                50.0,
                1.0
              ]
            },
            {
              "operation": "DrivebaseBothSpeedTankDuration",
              "literalParams": [
                -49.0,
                -50.0,
                1.0
              ]
            },
            {
              "operation": "DrivebaseBothSpeedTankDuration",
              "literalParams": [
                -26.0,
                -50.0,
                1.0
              ]
            },
            {
              "operation": "/Generic/Wait/WaitForColor",
              "literalParams": [
                9.0
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "position": {
          "x": -2.94540381,
          "y": 0.827951133
        },
        "PositionedObject": {
          "instructions": [
            {
              "operation": "/Generic/Trigger/TriggerOnColor",
              "literalParams": [
                1
              ]
            },
            {
              "operation": "DrivebaseBothSpeedTankDuration",
              "literalParams": [
                50.0,
                50.0,
                1.0
              ]
            },
            {
              "operation": "DrivebaseBothSpeedTankDuration",
              "literalParams": [
                -48.0,
                -53.0,
                1.0
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "position": {
          "x": 3.88817477,
          "y": 1.29482651
        },
        "PositionedObject": {
          "instructions": [
            {
              "operation": "/Generic/Trigger/TriggerOnOrientation",
              "literalParams": [
                2
              ]
            },
            {
              "operation": "EncMotorSpeedDuration",
              "literalParams": [
                50.0,
                1.0
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      {
        "position": {
          "x": 3.715327,
          "y": -0.0692780837
        },
        "PositionedObject": {
          "instructions": [
            {
              "operation": "/Generic/Trigger/TriggerOnOrientation",
              "literalParams": [
                0.0
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      }
    ],
    "positionedDataBlocks": [],
    "viewState": {
      "position": {
        "x": 2.3166585,
        "y": 1.16671765
      },
      "scale": 4.0
    }
  }
}

These are simply JSON files, so you can certainly commit them to version control.
I have confirmed that copying program.json from one activity to another effectively clones the activity program. This worked for me for a basic program, but I assume you'll want the entire project structure in version control to catch more complex programs with composite blocks or other things.
There is an analogous  path on Windows with these files in it at C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Packages\TheLEGOGroup.LEGOBOOST_m36angppq0g76\LocalState\CreativeCanvas\Theme_nnnnnn\Activity_nnn\nnn.
I'm also not familiar with any tools yet to automate this sort of thing, but it seems like they could be created fairly easily.

Thanks! I found this directory before but didn't get far enough into it to find the files that were the actual files for my program. I was able to find the analogous folder on Windows at C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Packages\TheLEGOGroup.LEGOBOOST_m36angppq0g76\LocalState\CreativeCanvas\Theme_nnnnnn\Activity_nnn\nnn

Nice work! Hopefully you'll be able to figure out the details of getting this working the way you want. It sounds very useful!

I may have to dust off Tasker to see if it can automatically grab changed files and send them to a remote Git server or something. But programming tasks in Tasker is even more annoying than programming in Boost :p


text:
What to do with old LEGO Magazines
I'm in the process of moving, and I have come upon my old collection of LEGO magazines. All from the early 2000s, I have the LEGO Magazine, the Mania Magazine, and a bunch of Shop-at-Home catalogues.
Are these of any value? I checked e-bay, and I saw a few lots of maybe 10 or so, but nothing seemed to be moving. I've sitting on close to 100 of these things. I need to get rid of them, but I'd hate to just toss them. (I may give them to a neighborhood kid, but his parents might get a bit overwhelmed with 100 LEGO magazines suddenly showing up on the doorstep!)
I'd appreciate any feedback from y'all. (I live in Boston if anyone else is nearby.)

You might consider donating them to your local library, or an after-school program. Kids love to flip through them!

They are listed on bricklink, they seem to be sold from time to time. I estimate for about 30 cent each on average...
https://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?pg=1&catString=462&catType=B&v=1


text:
How to check the missing pieces of a given set?
I have a collection of LEGO sets, from which only the B model is assembled and the remaining pieces have been lost.
What is the easiest way to figure out which pieces are missing from these sets?

You can use the Compare Sets function on Rebrickable for that (if the B model is an official model or a MOC on Rebrickable).
Here an example for both official models from the 42069 set.


text:
Are there additional motors and/or sensors that can be used to extend LEGO Boost?
What extra motors and sensors can be bought to extend the LEGO Boost (17101) set?
I have heard the WeDo motors have the same connector but not if they are compatible with the Boost hub. Are they available separately?

I don't have a good answer for you in terms of what actually works with the Boost app, but the new Powered Up motors are also electrically compatible.

Lego now sell Boost compatible motors separately
https://shop.lego.com/en-NZ/product/Medium-Linear-Motor-88008

I've tried attaching one of the Powered up motors from the batmobile set (76112) This motor looks identical to me as the WeDo motor (although brickset and bricklink don't list them as identical at the time of this writing)
I could not get it to work, all profiles of the fixed build models complain that the external motor is not attached. The free build profile doesn't have any block that looks like the M-motor and using the boost motor block doesn't work either.
So my guess would be that at the time of this writing, no additional components are currently available for the Boost set...
The other way around, i.e. attaching the Boost motor to the hub from the batmobile, works...
I also purchased LEDs last saturday from an official lego store (had to ask, they had them in the back) they work on the batmobile hub, but I can't get them to work on the boost hub.

It depends on which app you want to use. My impression is that the Boost app can work with one Boost hub, one Boost motor and one Boost color/distance sensor.
If you use the PoweredUp app, you can use WeDo sensors and WeDo motors as well. But you always have to set the ports explicitely and remember that the external ports on the Boost hub are ports C and D. The WeDo motor only offers "Set power to X" functionality, no "Set power to X and run for Y seconds" or "Go to position" or "Turn for 5 rotations". This is a property of the motor, the Boost motor has all these abilities when using the PoweredUp app.
It seems you cannot use Spike motors or sensors with the PoweredUp app and the Boost hub, or at least I could not. Although you can use the Spike motors reasonably well with the PoweredUp app and the small (Bat Mobile) PoweredUp hub. The only thing that is missing then is the position readout.
I do not own a large or extra large PoweredUp motor and no large PoweredUp hub. Given that using the Spike motor with the Boost hub did not work, but using the the WeDo motor did, I am really unsure about what to expect re. the larger PoweredUp motors. I would expect the large PU hub to behave similarly to the small one.


text:
What are these mini figures?
I have just brought these mini figures and was wondering if anyone could identify them?

1 - Kiteman from : 70903-1: The Riddler Riddle Racer
2 -  Captain Jack Sparrow
3 -  lor037: Fili the Dwarf
4 - hp108: Draco Malfoy, Dark Green and White Quidditch Uniform
5 - This torso (Darth Maul] - Torso SW Layered Shirt, White Undershirt, Waist Sash Pattern / Black Arms / Black Hands
6 - This torso; Torso LotR Gold Ruffled Shirt, Reddish Brown Layered Pattern / Pearl Gold Arms / Light Flesh Hands
7 - 71011-1: Farmer from Collectable MinifiguresSeries 15
8 - This torso; Torso LotR Cloak with Brown Collar and Straps Pattern (Legolas) / Olive Green Arms / Light Flesh Hands. The hair is from #3 Fili the Dwarf
9 - This torso; Torso Castle Knights Kingdom Plate Armor Gold and Silver Female Pattern / Black Arms / Yellow Hands
10 - 8831-10: Jungle Boy from Collectable Minifigures Series 07
11 - This torso; Torso LotR Tank Top over Dark Green Shirt Pattern / Dark Green Arms / Light Flesh Hands , Hair /head  Legolas Greenleaf
12 - 71010-3: Monster Scientist from Collectable Minifigures Series 14
13 - 71002-3: Pretzel Girl from Collectable Minifigures Series 11
14 - sh012: Lex Luthor from 6862-2: Superman vs. Power Armor Lex
15 - This torso; Torso SW Armor Clone Trooper Pattern / White Arms / Black Hands
16 - The head is from Zolm - Hassansin Leader
17 - 71011-5: Tribal Woman from Collectable Minifigures Series 15
18 - 8827-13: Intergalactic Girl from Collectable Minifigures Series 06
19 - This torso; Pirate Captain (5002147)
20 - 71010-14: Banshee from Collectable Minifigures Series 14
21 - This torso; Torso Harry Potter Quidditch Gryffindor Ribbed Pattern / Dark Red Arms / Reddish Brown Hands
22 - hp111: Hagrid, Dark Brown Topcoat with Buttons (Light Flesh Version with Moveable Hands) (wrong hair)
23 - 71011-7: Faun from Collectable Minifigures Series 15

The skate board is this one: Minifig, Utensil Skateboard with Trolley Wheel Holders with Minifig Skull on Star and Winged Heart Pattern
With thanks to Rin Rio-Oki


text:
Can you identify this Star Wars LEGO set?
Can anyone identify this Star Wars LEGO set:

Any help gratefully received. I think it's a Star Wars set.

The top and right parts are from the Ninjago Manta Ray Bomber.
The parts on the left are from the Star Wars Magazine Gift Y-Wing.
The panel at the bottom left is from Star Wars Death Star Final Duel (as per Syberion).

The Cylinder Quarter 4 x 4 x 6 with SW Death Star II Reactor Shaft Pattern (Stickers) - Set 75093
comes from 75093 Death Star Final Duel


text:
How much do the PF XL motors help speed in the 4x4 crawler?
I'm wanting an answer if anyone has swapped the PF L motors in the 4x4 crawler to PF XL motors and if this increases the speed or not.

You can speed up the Bucket Wheel Excavator by adding an additional XL motor. It is not just about changing the motor, it is also about changing the gear ratios. There is a very good instructional video here: https://youtu.be/aLQh_VWzy9Y


text:
Confused about Power Functions M-motor 8883 and 8293
Is the motor that comes with the Technic power functions motor set (8293) and the stand alone motor 8883 the same?  We have just built the LEGO Creator 10261 roller coaster set and it specifies a 8883 with 88000 battery box.  Not sure if I have bought the wrong thing with the 8293 set which is on its way.  Any guidance appreciated.

Yes, both items contain the same M-Motor part.


text:
M-Tron spaceships complete list
In a old LEGO box lost in my garage I found pieces and instructions of various M-Tron models:

6811 Pulsar Charger
6833 Beacon Tracer
6877 Vector Detector
6896 Celestial Forager
6923 Particle Ionizer
6596 Stellar Recon Voyager

In there any place where I can found the complete list of M-Tron sets? I remember at least a couple more: a big wheeled vehicle (found! 6986 Mega Core Magnetizer) and something else.
Is there any "official list" or something similar?
Thank you!

BrickSet has a list of items in the Space: M-Tron theme.


text:
How do I connect part 62113 together to form a ladder?
I am looking to build a ladder. I saw part 62113 and was wondering if its possible to connect part 62113? Here's what that part looks like:

Welcome to Bricks.SE!

There are many ways to connect these together to form something like a ladder. One simple way is to use this fairly common arm element (30377):

This technique is shown on the ladder in the Creator Treehouse (31010):

Here are the relevant instruction steps in case it is hard to see in that photo:


text:
Can the Powered Up app be used to directly control the Boost Move Hub?
I have the LEGO Boost kit, and I'm wondering if I can control it directly using the Powered Up app rather than programming it using the Boost app. Is this possible?

As of the Powered Up app version 3.0, this is possible.

Old answer:
As of August 2018, this is not possible. However, TLG has stated that they plan to add more compatibility to the Powered Up system, and this will likely be available as a firmware update in the future:

Q. Will all different Powered Up components (Boost, WeDo, Train, etc)
  be able to communicate and control each other, e.g. running a Boost
  program sequence using a Powered Up hub or using sensors with Powered
  Up hubs?
A. It is the aim that the Powered UP platform will work together
  across both with the wired and wireless connection. Some of these
  connections are not implemented yet and will come through firmware and
  app updates.

On February 2020, this has been possible for a while now, and have been playing with it. (Power Up app version 3.0)

Thanks for sharing. I've updated my answer to reflect this information. Welcome to Bricks.SE!

Also: Next Logical step for someone is looking up block documentation... The best and currently only place is: https://racingbrick.com/powered-up-code-block-guide/ (related video : https://youtu.be/a4gWPey2sBE)


text:
What set did this assembly come from?
What set did this assembly come from?

Any ideas? I'm inclined to think it's come from a Star Wars set.

Welcome back to Bricks SE.  Are you looking for the set this assembly was part of?  Or do you want the 11 individual pieces identified?

The set it was part of please. Tall ask I know!

I think I found it:
SW911617-1: Palpatine's Shuttle
it was apparently included in a Star Wars comic magazine in November 2016

How did I do it ?
I'm the author of pyrebrickable (Github page here), and by installing the python package rebrickable-data we can explore the rebrickable database directly (query it with SQL). Rebrickable contains a seemingly exhaustive set inventories with parts colors etc. In that case, I looked at 3 distinctive parts in your picture:
2540 # Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Handle on Side - Free Ends
# thought it was white at first but it is in fact light bluish gray

60471 # Hinge Plate 1 x 2 Locking with 2 Fingers on Side
# in black

3023 # Plate 1 X 2
# in trans-clear

By searching in the database for sets that contain at least one of all these parts, I could narrow down to a handful of sets, and in it was that Palpatine shuttle from which we can easily recognize a part of the main ship body

Nice find, and a handy tool! Thanks for sharing that :)

@GemmaMarie if it's a match then why not accept


text:
Childhood lego car ID, 1980s early 90s
I'm looking to ID 2 sets I had as a kid,
One was a rally car, it was white with a red base, the wheel centres were red. The driver I think was white upper, red or white lower and with a red helmet and white body with stripe from one side to the other of his upper body. I think the car roof had a sun roof, I think the windows and sun roof were blue tint?
The other was a yellow 4wd with a trailer, which I think had a blue motorbike. From memory the 4wd had a black base, the wheels possibly had white centres.

I guess the second set you describe is 6677 Motocross racing (from 1986):

Could the first car be the 6634 Stockcar?

The driver would be this, maybe the other sets he appeared in would help.


text:
Can you identify this LEGO minifig head please, black with grey lines and silver eyes?
My son's favorite LEGO minifig head, came in a box of loose LEGO. I have searched hundreds of images and have not found a match.

That is the head of the 2011 Star Wars V-Wing pilot.

It came in 7915 Imperial V-wing Starfighter.

Awesome. I doubt I'd have ever found that. May I ask how you determined so quickly? Does this site have points I can upvote you with?

@williamnimmo I found it fairly quickly by searching "silver" under minifig heads on BrickLink. You don't have enough rep to upvote yet, but you can accept this answer.


text:
Please help identify this set with red, black, and lime colors?
Can someone tell me what it is so I can get instructions for it. All pieces are shown. I removed a couple I hope can help identify it

Based on the printed Atlantis part, this looks like Neptune Carrier (8075-1).


text:
How to make a Lego Mindstorms ev3 self driving car?
I recently got the Lego Mindstorms EV3 kit. I wanted to make a self driving car, but I got stuck on the building part. I saw another question like this, however it was for NXT and had no decent answers. I need to make a rotating disk on top of the robot for the Ultrasonic sensor; otherwise I would need 2 more sensors to avoid hitting walls. Remember that it needs to fit on top of a moving robot, not be a stationary stand! I got the self driving car to work, but because the sensor was not rotating, it could only see in front of it. I do not know if this is possible with the EV3 kit, but if you know how, please let me know! Anyways, thanks for reading this! :D

This question is a bit too broad to be able to provide a good answer. More specific questions like "I built a car, but obstacle avoidance isn't working. This is how it is supposed to work... Here is a picture of my car and here is my program."

Here is a car to provide some inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAvduVtT748

Seen it done before in Sumo bots, the distance sensor rotating from left to right as a sort of radar dish... Programming can get quite complicated then I can imagine...

I don't have a Lego EV3, but I have created a self-driving car with my NXT brick. I found the instructions from nxtprograms.com, but they are for the NXT. (I'm sure that you can adapt them for the EV3 though). The program is also for the NXT, but nxtprograms provides enough comment blocks that I think you should easily be able to build your own program with the EV3 software.
Here are the instructions:
http://nxtprograms.com/NXT2/explorer/index.html

I built mine with an IR sensor on the left, an ultrasonic sensor on the right and some touch sensors in the front and back. It worked really well to get through a track made of wooden blocks and around the room.

Can't you share a program instead of just showing off your robot?

No-I wouldn't for a couple of reasons: First, I didn't show off my robot-I answered the original question at the top of the post- someone was trying to build a mech to rotate an ultrasonic sensor. I offered another way to do it. Second, it would be unhelpful for me to share my program. A program is specific to the build and you plugging in my program to your build would not work. Lastly, why be rude? I was trying to help. I understand how frustrating building these can be when you get stuck but being insulting isn't going to get you any further. Try asking specific questions if you need help.


text:
Is there an API for the Duplo 10874 train set?
I intend to buy this train set for my daughter. Apparently, the locomotive can communicate with an app via a bluetooth connection.
My question is: is there any documentation available so that I can make my own app to communicate with these trains? Preferably, I'd want to connect with multiple trains at the same time. Then it'll be fun for her to play with the set and fun for me to program for them :-)

There is now official documentation for the Bluetooth protocol used by the Powered Up product line:
https://github.com/LEGO/lego-ble-wireless-protocol-docs
The community has created some tools to interact directly with Powered Up and Boost hubs. Here is one example:
https://github.com/nathankellenicki/node-poweredup
That tool supports basically every device using the Powered Up Bluetooth protocol, including the new Duplo trains.

Official docs:

https://lego.github.io/lego-ble-wireless-protocol-docs/
https://github.com/LEGO/lego-ble-wireless-protocol-docs

Discussion:

https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/162288-powered-up-a-tear-down/&page=3

Inofficial modules:

NodeJS: https://github.com/nathankellenicki/node-poweredup
Python: https://pypi.org/project/bricknil/

Products (based on "Push & Go" train base "Model: HUB NO.5 / IC: 3027A-28743"):

https://www.lego.com/product/steam-train-10874
https://www.lego.com/product/cargo-train-10875

Related:

How to disassemble LEGO train engine base part# 28743?

Thanks for sharing, and welcome to Bricks.SE! That's a lot of useful information!


text:
Mysterious Part ID help, clear blue disk with electronics inside
My kiddo has recently been given a random parts grab bag, and we’re unable to ID one particular item, of which he has three: anyone know this part?

That's a LEGO Dimensions Toy Tag, used  to connect the physical toys to the now discontinued LEGO Dimensions game. See it here: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=18603c00a#T=C&C=15
Yours is the plain kind (no printing on top), which means it was not used for a minifig, but for one of the small builds in a LEGO Dimensions set. Here is a list of all the sets the part you have appeared in: https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=18603c00a&in=S


text:
How can I find the original bag listing for 42083 Bugatti Chiron?
I'm buying a used set (42083 Bugatti Chiron to be specific) and I would like to sort the parts in their original module bags. However, I can only find the complete part list, not the parts per module. Does anyone have a pointer as to how to retrieve the original sorting?

As far as I know there is no such resource on the internet.
It's asked from time to time on other fora and groups I frequent, mainly from people who have a collection of bags and want to gather entire sets.
The best that can be done to get the parts per module is disassembling the set in reverse order of the instructions...


text:
Extra pieces in 76112 Batmobile
I've been building the new app-controlled Batmobile. As far as I can tell, step 34 shows many more elements in the parts list than are actually used in the build. What is going on here?

There's also only 3 1x markings, so I think it must be a mistake.

I should also mention that this isn't just a simple misprint. I have all of these elements left after completing the build.

Wish to comment that I think this is my favorite set this year ;)

It's a great set. I love that the hub light shines through the red cockpit element. That makes it look great in low light without needing to include the powered headlight element.

They are in a perforated bag and the entire contents of the bag is listed. You only need some of them in this step and in a few steps later on. I think such bag is called an "accessory" bag and it is common to have the instructions like this for such bag. The first set that comes to mind that did the same was the
Big Ben 10253 where on step 269 on page 187 the entire contents of the bag with minifig tools is listed while you only need 4 times 2 pieces to build the clock arrows.

Ah. That makes sense. Thank you! This seems like it may be a holdover from when these elements came still connected to their sprue.


text:
How many polypags would I need to get to have good odds of getting all in the series?
Despite helpful prior answers about squeezing polybags to determine contents, the new Unikitty! series seems pretty immune to this sort of the effort since all of them are in one of 3 shapes and there are inner bags which make it even harder to feel the parts.  So I bought a bunch of polybags from two different stores in the same town.  After buying 25+ polybags I'm still 5 short of the set.  Is it just bad luck or is my guess of the odds that far off?

It's known as the "Coupon collector's problem". To get all 12 you would on average need to buy 38. Buying a whole box (or finding someone who did and buying a set from them) seems like a much more attractive solution.

I've usually waited until after the hooplah is over to buy a complete set from someone on Amazon or Bricklink.  But we really liked this series and thought we should try our hand at it.  Now I guess I have a lot of extras to sell on Bricklink.  :-)

If you are on good terms with your lego store, you could buy an unopened box with 60 bags which will guarantee you to have 5 of each. You shouldn't have much difficulty selling the other series, even if the bags are opened, to get your money back.

Really?  Have people tried this and it actually works out?

I don't think @Michael sugested that you can get your monay back in a LEGO store, but rather that you could get them back by selling the other bags.

Yes, I ment reselling to others... people are willing to pay more if they know the contents of the bag or have immediately the entire series... I know several who managed to get their own series for free by reselling the other 4.


text:
What electronics are inside the LEGO Powered Up hub?
I'm curious what the internals of the new Powered Up hub look like? What components are inside?

The bulk of the space inside the Powered Up hub is consumed by the housing for the 6 AAA batteries. A small portion of the top of the hub contains the main printed circuit board. Here's how it looks removed from the hub:

And here's another shot showing the back:

The main chip is very similar to the one used in Boost. It uses an STM32F030 from ST Microelectronics. This includes a 32 bit ARM Cortex-M0 clocked at 48Mhz.
For Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, the Powered Up hub uses a CC2640 from Texas Instruments.
The largest chip on the underside of the board is an LB1836. I haven't done any testing on the traces, but that part is a dual-channel stepper motor driver and is placed near the output ports, so it is almost certainly used to drive the output current to servo motors. The front side includes a pair of 74HC2G125DP chips near the output ports. These are likely used select which CPU pin the output pin is connected to.


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

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

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

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

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


text:
How many sealed bags are there in the LEGO set 4504 Millennium Falcon?
I'm not sure if this is the correct site for this question. I'm new to LEGO and just acquired an older LEGO Star War Set 4504 Millennium Falcon. The box was open and the sealed bags are not numbered.
I was wondering if anyone knew how many sealed bags there should be in this set.

Welcome to Bricks.SE. There's no good resource for bag-specific information on LEGO sets.

I had a look at the instructions, video/picture reviews of the set and eBay listings that could potentially show how many bags are missing.
The only solution I could think of would be to place all the bags back in the box, with the instructions and any other parts that were included and weigh the box.
If the weight is noticeably less than what it should be, you may be missing a bag. According to Brickset the Millennium Falcon should weigh 1.83Kg (4.03 lb).
Aside from opening the bags and trying to build the set, you could follow the instructions whilst the bags are sealed and check that you have all the parts as you go along, although this may be quite time consuming.


text:
How to retrieve a deleted program file from the lego NXT
I have been programming a complex file for my Lego Mindstorms NXT. I accidentally deleted my file from the PC, but it is still available on my NXT brick. Is there any way that I can retrieve the file from my NXT and continue programming it? The file is complex, and it will be difficult for me to recreate it. Also, if this helps (or places restrictions), I made the program with the EV3 software (as is backward compatible - and I do have the NXT software also). I haven't tried any methods (I don't know any to try) so I can't tell you what doesn't already work for me.
Also, the PC I used is not mine, so I do not have a way to recover the file from that PC. If I could recover it from my NXT I can get the program on my personal computer.
Thanks!

According to Wikipedia's Lego Mindstorms NXT page Next Bytes Code (http://bricxcc.sourceforge.net/nbc/) can be used to decompile the bytecode program on the brick.
I have however no experience with this, nor have I heard of people being successful with this.

Currently, I am having trouble finding how you get to a place to download it. If you could provide a link that directs me to that, it would help.

@MindRobotics The download link is right there on that page. You should understand, however, that IF the NBC decompilation is compatible with programs written using the EV3 software, the source code will decompile to NBC language. You'll have to edit it using BricxCC and NBC, not the standard Lego software.

NXT programs are compiled into a program the brick can run. It might be possible to pull the compiled code off the brick, but I'm not aware of any disassemblers or decompilers for the compiled programs.
I think your best chance at recovering the program would be to try to recover the deleted file on your PC with a deleted file recovery program.

You can upload a program from the NXT back to the PC, but unless you can interpret the assembly byte code, it won't be of any use to you. A better option might be to try to recover the deleted file from your PC (what?? I can do that??).
This is URGENT. You have to act quickly if you want to recover a deleted file.
Usually deleted files go to the recycle bin. Assuming it's been deleted from there as well, a deleted file's data is actually not immediately lost. That storage space is now liable to be overwritten by other files (hence, recycle bin). As long as it hasn't been overwritten yet, the data can be recovered.

Close out of all programs on your computer.
Grab a flash drive or some other external memory device.
Download portable Recuva software from here, directly to your flash drive. Change your browser's download settings if necessary.
Extract the zip file, again, directly to your flash drive.
Right click recuva.exe, click "Run as Administrator".
A wizard will start that will help you recover deleted files on your hard drive.

Again, the goal here is to use your computer as little as possible in the meantime to minimize the risk that your deleted data will be overwritten.
Good luck!

Well, the computer I use is not MINE - I am only using this computer for my project - so I cannot use this method. If there is a program to recover the file from the NXT, I can get the program on my personal computer and extract the file (as this IS my personal NXT)

@MindRobotics With the NXT-G software you can see what files are on your NXT. IIRC you can click a file and choose "Upload" to save the file to your computer. The purpose of this is to then re-download the program to an NXT later on. But it can't be edited ever again.  Nice username BTW. Looks like we had the same idea there :)

I do already know that method, but I am looking for a program that can somehow decompile the uploaded NXT file and be able to edit my program again


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Are only two new train sets available in August 2018?
I want to get started on LEGO trains. However when I look up which trains sets are available I find only two:

60198 Cargo Train
60197 Passenger Train

Does that mean I can only buy two different trains for my railway? That seems very limiting.  What am I missing here? Are there more trains available?

Welcome to Bricks.SE!

Don't forget the instructions that come in the box are just suggestions of what to do with the bricks. You can buy more pieces and build what ever you want. You're only limited by your imagination.

Those are the two City-themed trains that are currently available. LEGO is currently transitioning to a new electrical system for trains, so that may explain the relatively low number of trains available. There are a couple of other trains available if you are interested in something outside of the City theme.
There's Winter Holiday Train (10254):

And also the new Hogwart's Express(75955) (currently backordered):

These are just the sets currently available directly from TLG. LEGO has produced many, many trains over the years. You can find out-of-production train sets on secondary markets such as Bricklink or eBay.

Is 75955 backordered in a lot of markets? It's nowhere to be found in Singapore where I live (and I hear it's even a Toys "R" Us exclusive!), though I'm really just holding out for the availability of those large spoked wheels locally on BrickLink in any case...

Oh and it doesn't help that, for whatever reason, the price difference between 60197 and 60198 is USD 70 but SGD 50, which makes, locally, either 60197 terrible value or 60198 great value depending on how I look at it, especially considering the fact that I'm more into passenger trains. (I won't be purchasing the more affordable 60051 as I've already made the decision to start right off the bat with Powered Up.)

As jncraton noted LEGO is going through a transitional time now.  Sadly trains are not a huge portion of their sales so it tends to ebb and flow through time anyway.  So if you want a train definitely grab it while it is for sale widely.  If you wait a year or two it could be gone or harder to find.
There are other options however...
Buy new trains on the aftermarket
You can spend crazy money on old LEGO trains.  But there are recent trains that are available at reasonable prices:

60051-1 High-speed Passenger Train is from a few years ago and the previous "generation" of the electronics.  It is available for $100 at this point in time.
10233-1  Horizon Express is a bit older and still available from a variety of folks.

Be careful to not go too far back.  If you go far enough back track is different and you will run into compatibility issues.  The first book I mention in the next section does a good job of going through the history, but it doesn't get into the 2018 trains or their electronics.
Build with instructions
There are a few books on building trains in LEGO:
https://brickset.com/sets/ISBN1593278195-1/The-LEGO-Trains-Book

I've got the one above.  It goes into part by part detail on several train and train car designs.  The designs are flexible in that you can change the colors.  There are folks who make labels that compatible with these designs as well.  I haven't managed to build any of these yet, but I'm working on gathering the parts.
There's another book that came out this year: https://brickset.com/sets/ISBN1513261134-1/Build-It!-Trains

I don't have this one yet, but it looks like it has potential.  When it arrives I'll edit this somehow.

Anyone coming to this with detailed and functional trains in mind should keep in mind that the second book consists of LEGO Classic style toy trains that aren't at all like the proper train sets. For Classic style builders, those just getting started, and young kids - its target audience - it's indeed a good starting point for getting a feel of how to build a simple push train with carriages and everything. As long as you know what you're getting into, it does look promising.

Funnily enough, not 1 year later and Horizon Express used sets have already vanished from BrickLink   :)

The components to motorize trains with the new "Powered Up" system should be available by the end of this year. So you could pick-up some older trains and motorize them yourself at a given point... I did so recently with 10219 Maersk train (2011 set, hard to find, expensive) and components salvaged from the new train and I believe the result is fabulous.


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Are there active electronics in basic Powered Up motors?
Powered Up is a more advanced system than the Power Functions system that it is replacing. Does each component contain active electronics that identify it to the hub that it is connected to?

No.
Powered Up does provide the ability to send data between hubs and connected modules via the addition of two additional wires not present in the 4-wire Power Functions system. However, the system appears to be able to operate basic components using only analog control just like Power Functions. For example, here's a look at the internals of the new train motor from Eurobricks:

There are only two components on the board. C2 is a small capacitor in parallel with the motor to address back EMF, and the larger component in the middle is a fuse to prevent damage to the motor or other components when stalled.
You can see in the photo that the two new PU wires (5 and 6, labeled  ID1 and ID2) are connected directly to VCC and GND respectively. It would appear that if these connections for ID1 and ID2 are detected by the hub, the component is treated much like a PF component and M1 and M2 are used to control it. Digital electronics are not required.

I think this is good news, means that a converter cable (possibly D.I.Y) between Powered Up hub and old PF is possible, likely even in both directions.

Definitely. It makes me hopeful that we'll see an official adapter cable between PU and PF.


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

Certainly possible with EV3, but have my doubts about NXT

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

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

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

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

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


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How to instruct Mindstorms EV3 from PC conditionally?
I want to direct my LEGO Mindstorms EV3 creature from my PC conditionally (ev3dev, Python). The idea is that the program runs on the computer, collects real-time data from different sources, processes them, and instructs the robot via Wifi/Bluetooth step by step. (The data collection and procession is quite computational so the main program cannot be run on the Brick.) The process is basically remote-control but by the PC program directly.
Is it feasible? So far I know only the way when one should upload the full program to the Brick, but this way there is no option to interact with the Brick continuously.

If you are running ev3dev on the EV3, you can use RPyC to remotely execute Python code on the EV3.
Resources:

Python-ev3dev. Working with ev3dev remotely using RPyC
EV3 PYthon. RPyC

It's definitely possible and feasible to communicate from a program on your PC through bluetooth with an EV3 brick, several example projects can be found on the internet.
Assuming you want to code Python on your PC, I found this link: http://ev3directcommands.blogspot.com/2016/01/no-title-specified-page-table-border_94.html


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What Lego part(s) would hurt the most to step on?
We've all heard (and probably experienced) the long-running joke that stepping on a Lego is the absolute worst.
People have determined this is due to the bricks' high compressive strength, small size, and sometimes sharp edges.
As far as edges are concerned, consider a standard 2x2 brick:

While the 6 faces are fairly harmless, if the brick were somehow angled such that a person put all their weight on an edge, or (god forbid) one of the 8 corners, it would really hurt.
So the question is: What Lego part, or assembly of Lego parts, would maximize both
 (a) small size, and
 (b) sharp edges/points pointed upwards when laying on the ground?

Old joke about D&D's infamous d4 die: Back when D&D first came out, it was highly controversial. For this reason, TSR included caltrops in game sets that you could throw down to slow persecutors down.

I think this one would be in the top 5:
Tile, Modified 2 x 2 with Pin (part 2460)

I was about to post this one as well. I can't think of any other single piece with such harmful potential.

The LEGO equivalent of a caltrop

I nominate this little bugger:

Got it in a bulk lot, and oh boy is it painful to walk on. it rests flat on the ground thanks to the wings, and the crest is a nice touch for delicate underfoot.

The 1x1 brick is both small enough to mean that you get edges no matter which way up it is, and has all the sharp edges and corners of the 2x2 brick, just packed into a smaller, more evil form.
That naturally leads to the headlight block, which has all the same features, but, if you are unfortunate, can also attack with the lip on the bottom.

This assembly of pieces will not tickle, so let's dive in:

First, the teeth are placed in reverse of each other so the foot and
all that weight is forced to rock on the two little pointed tips.
Second, the white circular base is wide enough to minimize rolling of
the piece as experienced with a 2x2 brick, where the weight of a
person would force the piece to roll instead of piercing foot
flesh.  A wider surface area gives less relief of potential pain.
Finally, a few 1x2 tile pieces to lock the teeth in place.  Without
them the weight and force of a foot fall would dislodge the tooth from
the base.

Chain a few of these together and Vwah-LAH!... I hereby dub thee the "Human Spike Strip". -Rin

If you covered a 32x32 base with those spikes, and stepped gently onto it, you'd get a proper bed of nails effect, looking like it would hurt a lot, but not actually being painful

Several roof tiles and similar triangular parts must be strong contenders.  Here's a selection I could quickly lay my hands on:
The one on the right (13548 "Wedge 2 x 2 (Slope 45 Corner)") wouldn't be so bad as the other 3 pictured, or the classic 2x2 roof tile.  The front one (3049c "Blue Slope 45 2 x 1 Double / Inverted") would be particularly evil, except it's very slightly rounded on the tip.

We've all heard (and probably experienced) the long-running joke that stepping on a Lego is the absolute worst.

Those people have clearly never stepped barefoot on a UK 13A plug sitting on the floor with it's pins facing upwards.
Lego have sold a number of power bricks over the years the older ones tend to be the best for sitting stably in a pin-up position though, something like part 70928b "Electric, Train Speed Regulator 9V Power Adapter 240V (UK)":

I think the most painful Lego honestly has to go to the Lego Crystal; just try it on a base plate.

I think this single bevel gear would probably hurt a lot:

While that looks super spiky there are enough points that it can spread the load

As I remember it, there are not many sharp edges on those.

no the lego ax and the lego spear from the medieval sets, clipped onto the side holster of the saddle on the lego horse.  Oh, and the lego horse's head is pointed up and its mouth is open and it's bitting...yeah just bitting at the air above its head at random intervals with a taste for human flesh of the barefoot variety.
PS. Megablox are sharper

The little swords from the medieval-themed sets such as this one:

Only harmful if somehow pointing straight up; unlikely unless stuck in a crevice in the flooring which is even more unlikely!


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Can anyone identify the brand of this non-LEGO brick with grooved sides and a lion logo?
Hi folks I was hoping someone out there may recognise the brand of this block I found in the garden. I have been searching but the closest I can find are Locblocks - however this appears to have a Lion logo embossed on the top.

Possible duplicate of Please help identify this vintage (but non-Lego) brick!

I did see that post Phil but this is slightly different to the one posted there. It's more the brand I'm looking for so I can possibly put a date to it. I hoped the Lion on top would help to identify it.

Hi JayJ - can you include the dimensions of the brick? Or perhaps add a comparison photo alongside a LEGO 2x4?

Hi JayJ, where is the garden where you found it? UK, Canada, China, etc.?

Sorry for the late reply, time got away on me. Mike, sorry I forgot to mention I'm in Bendigo, Australia.  Ben, 31x15mm base and 9mm high.

There is a lion on the top so that might give you a clue

I have performed numerous internet searches that include the word 'lion' but have had no luck so far.

It looks more like a seal than a lion to me.

Thanks mindstormsboi, I'll hava a look.

Hang on - I recognize this! This is definitely from a knock-off brand my brother got a few months ago for his birthday. It's either from a brand called OXFORD in South Korea or from Coco, an illegal (i think) Chinese Knock-off.


text:
Is it expected that LEGO will produce small (S or XS) PF motors?
The existing LEGO PF motors are the M, L, and XL, making builders suspect that the S and even the XS names were left out and reserved intentionally for later designs. However, the M motor was released ten years ago, and we have not seen any smaller motors.
Are there any (pro or con) signs suggesting that those motors will or will not be released in the future?

Generally, speculative questions are considered off-topic, but in this case very little speculation is required to answer the question.
The clear answer is that S or XS PF motors will never be released.
The entire PF system is on its way out and is being replaced by the newer Powered Up system. For this reason, I would expect production on existing PF components to stop soon, and it seems highly unlikely that TLG would introduce new elements for PF at this point.
It is of course possible that they will include smaller motors as part of the Powered Up system at some point.


text:
Does LEGO Digital Designer include part 4539880?
Does anyone know if LEGO Digital Designer includes the part 4539880 (often used for housing differentials) ?

Yes, but only one color choice of light bluish gray is available in the default mode.

If you switch to the "Digital Designer Extended" mode, you can choose any color for any part.

MindS1, my friend, you've just blown... my mind.  I never knew there was an  Extended Mode, and hell, a clickable tab available at program launch.  THANK YOU!!!


text:
Is it worth parting out a set to sell without the minifigs?
I wanted to sell my Lego in a bulk, but then decided I don't have a reason not to sort it out.
I do believe I have the Ninjago Earth Dragon (2509), but before I find the pieces, I know a few things about it's condition immediately.
The bricks are good. I've never had problem with the treatment therefore no scratches or broken stuff.
There are NO minifigures or accessories (I sold all my figs in bulk for 20 dollars a while ago, I know I am an idiot)
There is no box or instructions... Just the bricks. Is it still worth the effort?

Welcome to Bricks.SE!

Not having the minifigs certainly hurts the value of a set, but it may still be worth parting out the set depending on how valuable your time is to you.
If you haven't already done so, you can use the Price Guide feature on Bricklink to get a rough idea of what your set can sell for.
You can also browse the current listings for the set to get an idea of how much missing minifigs hurt the price. For that set, it looks like not having minifigs knocks off about 40% of the value of the set ($24 USD vs $42 USD).

I saw this particular set in a "new condition" go for more than two hundred bucks. Is that because of the box and blurb, or is it the value of the Lego itself?

Bricklink says that this set has been sold 5 times in the last 6 months for 67-120 Euros (new and complete). Sometimes you see overpriced offers or (mock?) sales. But these cannot be used as reference. I don't really understand why someone would offer this set for 200 if there are already 5 offers for 100 Euros.

Some Bricklink sellers are quite unpleasant people who just want to showcase their collection. They have no intention of selling, they just want to rub it in your face that they have something that you can't have...

If it is complete (except for the minifigs), I would sell it separately because it is a relatively small set (low weight) with some interesting parts. You might get 10 Euro/Dollars which is still much more than the 10-15 Euros/kg in a bulk sale.
If you have several Ninjago sets, it might be a good idea to sell all of them in one single Ebay auction. Make sure to include all set numbers in the description. When the rare parts (dragon heads etc.) are in very good condition, you could mention this explicitly.
In the past, I bought several sets without minifigs. I looked for offers including the word "without" in the search. So, it might be advantegous to include "without minifigs" in the title.
I know, there are a lot of "could" and might" in the answer, but from my buyer's perspective you might :) consider these things.


text:
What set is this green sled from?
Anyone know what LEGO set this little green sled is from? The pieces rest on a black 6x4 studded plate. The corner cheese wedges and edge rails on the right and left are a dark green (not black).

This is part of Set # 10198-1: Tantive IV

based on the Dark green Panel 1 x 2 x 1 and
Tile 1 x 2 with Avionics SW Copper, Red & Silver Pattern


text:
Mindstorms EV3 education 1.4.2 for Windows crashes when opening second project
The EV3 software opens the first project with no problems, but when I open a second project it crashes and terminates.
I tried to install the EV3 software on Windows 10 (MS Surface laptop i7,16GB RAM), or on Windows 7 (Thinkpad i5, 16GB RAM), but problems
remain the same.
Please guide me on how to fix it.
Thank you very much.

You can look in the error log file located at: "AppData\Local\LEGO\MINDSTORMS EV3\crashreports". Maybe there are some useful information in it. But most likely, as MindS1 said, you need to re-create the project.

If the same project crashes your software on multiple installations, the problem is the project file itself. Sometimes files get corrupted. Unfortunately the only real solution is to recreate your project.


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

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

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

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


text:
How can I firmly attach a Technic triangle to a turntable?
I found a couple good technic triangle designs over on brickengineer.com. For example:

How can I firmly attach a triangle to a large turntable?

Details:

Really I only need to attach parts at the points of an equilateral triangle. These triangles are for example only; Solutions don't necessarily need to use these specific triangle designs.
The setup should be able to rotate while bearing a small amount of weight (hence the turntable).

Have to say I'm not a big fan of the triangles you've already posted. In my opinion the half beams on the corners are too close together, causing stress on the elements.
Triangular technic designs are certainly possible, the following elements are useful:
https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=10288

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=57585

This doesn't really answer the question of how to attach triangles (either the ones posted or others) to the turntable :(.

I think if you know about this pieces it's straightforward to both create a triangle and attach it. I was reasoning that it would be better if the OP came up with his own design rather than having everything spelled out for him.


text:
What is the difference between Star Wars UCS and Master Builder Series?
In the press release for Betrayal at Cloud City (75222) it was noted that this set was part of the Star Wars Master Build Series. What is this? Does this replace the Star Wars Ultimate Collector Series?

Both the Master Builder Series and UCS will continue. Here's the official distinction from the LEGO Star Wars team:

The Master Builder Series models are large playsets and beside being complex builds they are characterized by having many play features and functions, interior details as well as a range of minifigures. Ultimate Collectors series will remain highly detailed display models providing complex builds with a focus on authenticity and both Ultimate Collectors Series and Master Builder Series will continue as a way to highlight the unique characteristic of each style of model.

It seems like this distinction should help address some of the confusion from fans that UCS sets such as Assault on Hoth (75098) feel very different than the typical large display models.


text:
Why is the EV3 Ultrasonic Sensor (45504) out of stock?
The EV3 Ultrasonic Sensor (45504) has been out of stock for a long time.  Is the sensor discontinued due to an accuracy problem?
Is there an alternate version of "Gyro Boy" that works without the Ultrasonic Sensor and uses Infrared instead?
https://le-www-live-s.legocdn.com/sc/media/lessons/mindstorms-ev3/building-instructions/ev3-model-core-set-gyro-boy-f8a14d8e3d0e63fa23b87f798bf197f4.pdf

You don't need to use the ultrasonic sensor if you don't want to. You can build whatever you want.

@MindS1, I know that, but the program probably won't work and I have to modify it correct?

you're correct, you'll have to modify the program. It should be as simple as deleting the code that uses the IR sensor to respond to the remote, and adding whatever function you want using the ultrasonic sensor block.

Balanc3r is a good alternative for gyro-boy:
http://robotsquare.com/2014/06/23/tutorial-building-balanc3r/
However, why do you conclude that the 45504 sensor is out of stock?
In my region (Belgium) it can be ordered from the lego website and is listed as "Available", also it is contained in the core educational set (45544) which is certainly still available from various sources...

Thank you for help. 45504 sensor is out of stock in larger markets such as US for a long time. That ususally is an indication that the product is discontinued, since the distributor soes not bother with replenish stock.

I switched the region to S@H to US and it indeed says "temporarily" out of stock. I'm inclined to think that this is indeed temporarily as this is a popular item with FLL teams and other educational projects...

Yes, I have been waiting for the part availability for a long time and no luck. The 3rd part sellers price is ~500% higher than the listed price on lego site. If you happen to know a good source please share, since I really like to to be able to work with this sensor.

Have you tried ordering from lego education ? To me it seems available there at regular price: https://education.lego.com/en-us/products/ev3-ultrasonic-sensor/45504

@AllanXu Have you looked on Bricklink? Used IR sensors go for as low as $13 USD. https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=95654#T=S&C=0&O={%22color%22:0,%22iconly%22:0}

@MindS1 IR sensors are indeed common. We're looking for the ultrasonic sensor. Doesn't seem to be offered in the US on bricklink at cheaper price than RRP, but also not seeing 500% higher prices...


text:
Can I install EV3 Education software and Retail software side by side?
I have EV3 Retail edition and I like to buy required sensors and build the robots come with the education edition of EV3. I have lots of LEGO Technic spare parts so I expect I can find alternate parts if required.
Can I install EV3 Education software and Retail software side by side?

Yes. I have done this on both Windows and Mac.
I've only noticed one minor problem. On Mac, the program ID is the same for both versions, so only one of the two shows up in the Launcher. However you can still start the other by using ⌘+Space, for example.

Thank you so much. I just did and it is running fine. One more question do I need to install/change the firmware of the retail Brick?

Yes, you should update the firmware to match the software version. Technically, you don't have to unless you want to use the data logging features. However, the software will keep telling you that your firmware is out of date if you use the the retail firmware with the education software or vice versa.


text:
Is it possible to use 5 motors on an EV3 brick?
The EV3 brick has only four output ports (A B C & D) to run motors. Is there any way to use port 1 (sensor port) to control a motor?

A sensor port can't directly output to a motor. The sensor drivers can't provide enough power to supply a motor.
You have a couple options:

Daisy-chain two EV3s together. The first can control the sensors and
motors of the second.
Use an electronic motor multiplexer. EDIT: It should be noted that this requires an external power supply, which will increase the cost and complexity of your project.
Depending on your project, you might be able to make do with only 4 motors. See this response for driving multiple outputs with a single motor.

It depends on what you are making, but if you are very creative you can do many, many things with just one motor such as with this railway system. Each rail cart has a motor that provides drive for a hopper and conveyor in addition to the drive of the cart.


text:
Could you help me identify these vintage bricks with holes in the studs?
I recently got a bulk lot of official Lego pieces from a charity shop. Amongst my treasures I discovered a load of these bricks (about 40 or so).
At first I thought they were some of the first Lego bricks but as far as I can tell Lego have always had the tubes on the underside of their bricks. Can anyone help me to identify their pedigree and/or their age? I have a very strong feeling they're knock-offs...
Distinguishing features -

These bricks have nothing on the underside to stop them from sliding around- no tubes, ridges, nothing.
The larger bricks (2x4 upwards) have holes all the way through the studs.
All bricks have a slightly sunken profile to the studs
Every brick has a random number on the underside i.e. “43”, “78” etc
In basic colours of red, blue, yellow, white, black and clear. I’ve also got a green baseplate which has square holes on the underside.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

these bricks look similar to  the ones in this question

LEGO made plastic bricks from 1949 and didn't get the patent for the tubes underneath until 1958, in the years between they made plenty of bricks with nothing underneath.
Many (I don't remember if it's all) of the (larger) LEGO bricks from that era, has a slot in one side.
That being said, with the small holes through the studs on the 2x4 and the slightly recessed studs, these bricks doesn't look like anything I've ever seen from LEGO.
Square holes underneath I have seen though, so that's not an argument against your green plate being LEGO, but without having seen it, I can't say for sure.

This looks like an early competitor. Blue-Box and Rasti kinda look alike, but it's definitely not those. I'm fairly sure it's not Lego (I own several early Lego bricks, prototypes and bricks made under licence).
This site has a lot of info on Early Lego bricks and competitors of that time: https://www.inverso.pt/legos/


text:
Why do some LEGO City vehicles have tiles in their chassis?
While building 60150 Pizza Van, I noticed that the first few steps of building the eponymous vehicle have you place lime green 1x2 tiles in specific positions and black 1x2 plates in others:

These then get covered completely by light grey 2x16 plates (although you can still see them just behind the wheels and mudguards of the finished model):

A similar use of tiles appears in other LEGO City vehicles, such as the ambulance in 60204 LEGO City Hospital.
Why are tiles used in parts of the chassis construction? Is it to (slightly) reduce the number of studs holding onto the tubes of the 2x16 plates, thereby making them easier to remove when taking things apart later?

Note that I'm not asking about the use of lime green - that's to make it easier to distinguish them from the black 1x2 plates.

Looking at the carplates of these two examples, we can guess the designer's initials, BD (for the pizza van) and ER (for the ambulance), so probably not the same designer. But ease of disassembly seems a likely explanation. TLG does some play tests with the target age, and if "it's difficult to remove this section" comes up in the feedback, the designer might come up with this kind of solution. Your intuition seems good to me.

@rienafairefr: Is that connection between designer's initials and carplates confirmed? Otherwise, I'd have guessed "ER" simply stands for "emergency room".

@O. R. Mapper: Yes, this is true of many sets across several themes (City, Friends, Creator Expert to name a few), and in some cases the designers themselves have confirmed this.

I asked one of the set designers at LEGO, Samuel Johnson, on Twitter. Here is our conversation:

This to aid in the building flow for children aged 5 and up. Easy to spot on the page, easy to find in the pile of bricks :)
— https://twitter.com/Spider_Sam_LEGO/status/1037914372897681409

Ah! Do both the colour and the shape (studless vs studded) contribute to this?
— https://twitter.com/NOVALISTIC/status/1037914613847740416

Depends on the model :)
5year olds aren’t very strong, so it can make it easier to build
— https://twitter.com/Spider_Sam_LEGO/status/1037967767847227392

That makes sense. Too many stud-and-tube connections can make building difficult even for me at times. Thanks for answering!
— https://twitter.com/NOVALISTIC/status/1037994518295994368

So, it's an interaction of several factors including ease of following the instructions, as well as ease of physically attaching elements together (and, presumably in turn, disassembling them).