# Question
Title: Why does LEGO now use studless technic designs?
It seems to me that sometime between 1998 and 2006 (between the Mindstorms RCX and NXT), LEGO switched from using studded technic bricks (like this:)

to studdless beams (like this):

In my experience, people much more readily understand how to work with the older style of technic, and I was wondering if anyone has insights on why LEGO changed it.

# Answer
> 29 votes
The studless have SEVERAL advantages over the studded design especially when you want to include moving parts. Just the clearances between connections is important. Sariel sums it up in his book well. He says there are advantages to both systems (stud-full, for example, are more rigid) but the fact that the stud-less look more realistic and, of course, the clearances, make a huge difference. I think the change was NECESSARY to build more realistic models (realistic looking, arguably, but the new models are very mechanically clever in ways that would be impossible with the stud-full parts).

According to Jamie Berard, these advantages were a major part of the gradual migration, as was a flaw in the studded beam design-- the holes in studded technic bricks are placed slightly incorrectly according to the LEGO "System". That means for technic model designers, working with studded beams (and staying "In System") provides many difficult challenges.

# Answer
> 21 votes
I think the most important aspect is a matter of geometry.

With studded beams, you're constrained by the form factor of the regular LEGO brick, which isn't a cube but a 5:5:6 cuboid. This means that every time you need to change the orientation of things, you'll have to think about how you're going to do it, and use plates and whatnot between beams. It's perfectly possible, but don't be surprised if most of the beams in older Technic models are studs up.

With studless beams, none of that. Orientation of the beams doesn't matter much anymore since they'll fit nicely on a cubic grid. This allows for greater flexibility and, indeed, more realistic models. (Some people also like smooth surfaces better.)

Also, the studded beams had some design issues. The obvious one is the offset between the Technic holes and the studs, which isn't exactly a problem but can still be a nuisance at times. The less obvious one is that the Technic hole in beams is actually slightly too high, meaning it doesn't interact well with the rest of the system. See also this answer and the linked pdf inside for more information on illegal builds. These two design "flaws" didn't matter much when the beams were first created, but nowadays LEGO perceives this sort of incompatibility much more seriously. They still produce studded beams, but I wouldn't venture a guess on how long that will last.

One side effect of the transition is that most studless Technic constructions have odd dimensions, because the studless beams themselves have odd dimensions (presumably, because the number of holes on studded beams were also odd due to the offset). As a consequence, the whole Technic system is undergoing a complete overhaul.

At first, more odd axles have been introduced (most notably 7 and 9), then the universal join was shortened from  to  (the old one was last seen in 2008, so it's probably gone for good), and more recently the differential has also been remade (there's still one in the 2011 Unimog, but I don't know if they'll actually discontinue it considering it has a function the new one doesn't have.). I don't see any other part left that needs to be updated from even to odd, but considering how often they use a #2 connector just to connect axles, I wouldn't be surprised if they made a 3L version of the axle connector at some point

# Answer
> 4 votes
Manufacturing the studded beams is significantly more complex and hence more expensive. They have more plastic in them (they weigh more) which also pushes up the cost. But the mould complexity is the real killer. If you look carefully there's a void over the top of the holes in the beam. That means moulds with moving parts, and the more parts the more it costs.

The design is also not ideal from a rigidity or symmetry point of view. There's a solid bar of plastic along the top under the studs, but just two thin sidewalls at the bottom. That means the centre of flexion along the beam is much closer to the top than the bottom, and I suspect that getting the moulding temperature and pressure right to get straight beams is harder than for symmetrical parts.

Note that some of this also applies to standard 1x16 bricks, except that the mould is much simpler.

# Answer
> 3 votes
I have to chime in here that I've thought about this for a long time. I believe the all out move to studless is primarily driven by patenting, and only secondarily by improved realness. Lego had used the studded design for decades prior to the switch; they began full transition in close proximity to the original patents expiring and beginning to lose patent lawsuits. What is the only solution to that?

Branding (read: licensed themes) and new ideas (read: new patents). When it comes down to it, that toy company we all love(d) is actually a very well-managed business with strong survival technics (pun intended:)

# Answer
> 2 votes
Studless beams allow for bricks with corners:

With studs Lego could produce similar bricks however it seems less obvious how they would look like.

The benefits of having these curved bricks are just better designed models. Set 8880 (the big Technic car from 1994) is an example how Lego had to go trough great lengths to get corners and angles in their design. With studless bricks you can have the angles and corners already. I think it is an improvement.

I *suspect* Lego was because of these studless bricks with corners able to phase out the awkward *Technic Connector Toggle Joint Toothed* brick which turned out to have too many issues after all.

# Answer
> 0 votes
What I find really weird is that the studless beams aren't square in cross-section. How difficult would it have been to make them exactly square? But instead the width between the surfaces with the holes in them is the same width as a studded beam, while the width between the smooth surfaces is very slightly less. Although this doesn't matter in all the typical vehicle-builds that lego make, it's decidedly untidy when combining studded and studless, and it makes for unnecessary headaches if you try to build anything unusual (for example you need a studless beam to slide exactly in a hole, smoothly but without undue sideways wiggle). It seems very un-Lego, where normally the dimensions are either set by history, or designed so that all sorts of unexpected constructions remain possible.

I notice that the whole studded versus studless argument didn't develop in the straightforward way most of us expected. Lego Creator has become quite "technical" in its construction, while remaining studless - a lot of the old studded technical pieces are staples of Creator, and odd studless bits drop into it too. To my mind, Creator is often where Lego is at its most creative. So presumably the cost of making studded "technical" Lego wasn't so disastrous.

I do think the Patent argument has a lot of truth. Studless developed at a time when studded was going out of patent and all the world and it's plastic-moulding friends were producing knock-off Lego-compatible building sets. Since then, we've realised that most (all?) of them are excruciatingly low-quality, so they simply aren't the risk to Lego that they first appeared. And some of them are no longer all that cheap compared to the real thing.

---
Tags: technic, piece-information
---


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

# Answer
I was just sorting through my old brick box and found the old Mido brochure. It looks like they were produced in Israel by Isgad Ltd.
> 7 votes

---
Tags: part-identification, clone-brands
---


title: Identify this T-shaped part

text:
# Question
Title: Identify this T-shaped part
Seems to be used for making differential gearboxes, cars, and GBCs.

# Answer
Here you have the Bricklink link to the part: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=63869#T=C

it is named Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Perpendicular Triple on BrickLink. The ldraw/bricklin item id is 63869. The Lego design id is either 63869 or 42191, indicating that there have been at least two moulds.
> 9 votes

---
Tags: part-identification, piece-information, technic
---


# Question
Title: What electronics are inside the SPIKE Prime angular motors?
Is there any information available about the internals of the SPIKE Prime and Robot Inventor angular motors?

What Hall-Sensor is used by the SPIKE motors?

To be more precise: I'd like to get information about the internal components of motors in a way similar to this teardown of the SPIKE Prime Hub.

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

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

We can now slide the gray back cover off.

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

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

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

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

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

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

```
S103
PHVG
939Y

```

The other significant visible part labeled `509R` is a thermistor that serves to put a hard limit on motor current.

Viewed from the other side, we can see the hall effect sensor that is used to detect drive angle. The part number on mine is `BCZK 116`.
> 8 votes

---
Tags: piece-information, electronics, disassembly, robot-inventor, spike-prime
---


# Question
Title: Help identify this Lego set - light blues, browns, and dark purples
I got a mixed set and have worked through them but have a couple I can't identify:

(click to enlarge images)

# Answer
These both look like part of Naida's Spa Secret 41072.

Looking for unique parts, the dark purple Round Corner 4x4 Macaroni in photo 1 looked unique enough, and this is how I found it.
> 13 votes

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: Help identify minifig Pharaoh-like headdress
Recently found this minifig headdress in a bag with mixed LEGO and analogs. Not sure if it belongs to LEGO, but quality is great and it perfectly fits minifigure head. The sets in bag was belong to periods from 1994 to 2000 and from 2011 to 2017.

I tried Google Lens. Tried to search it in Adventurers, Pharaoh Quest, Castle, Prince of Persia, Pirates, Pirates of the Caribbean and collectible minifigs serieses, but have not found any thing similar to it.

Any suggestions of sets or even serieses is appreciated.

Minifigure bellow is from 2021 creator castle is just for example of how it looks.

# Answer
> 9 votes
This looks to be a custom creation by BrickTW. They are apparently no longer in operation though (closed down early 2020).

Found through google image search with keywords "lego compatible headdress". This search turned up this element sold under the name "BrickTW - Nanman Priests Headdress" at Firestarter Toys (albeit not available in black).

---
Tags: part-identification, clone-brands
---


# Question
Title: Identify LEGO set which looks like helicopter
Can you help me identify this LEGO set please?

# Answer
> 18 votes
It looks like 31029 Cargo Heli

I'm basing it on the Yellow Slope, Curved 2 x 1, and Dark Bluish Gray Slope, Curved 2 x 2 x 1 Double with 2 Studs

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: Which LEGO vehicle has 1x 50373 and 2x 30165 red bricks
I have a vehicle that we previously built with, ostensibly, the paper book instructions. Lo and behold, they are MIA. The vehicle is mostly intact and mostly red, so I'm betting it's fire or rescue. There are some unique bricks on it: 2 pieces of red 30165 2x2x1 curved doule slope brick and a *really* unique red 50373 3x4 wedge brick.

Anyone have any ideas what it might be? The front end is definitely a truck but I'm not sure how wide it's supposed to be or tire size, as hurricane five-year-old decided they needed to go. Any help is greatly appreciated!

# Answer
> 6 votes
From your description, it seems most likely to be 10715 Bricks on a Roll. There was also a Wal-Mart edition. The only other set which has both items is 76054-1 Batman: Scarecrow Harvest of Fear, but its 50373 is blue; the original question implied it was red, but it got edited to say it **definitely** is red.

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: Kick a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT p-Brick out of SAM-BA mode without writing new firmware?
I recently received a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT p-Brick which, surprisingly, still has the original retail V1.01 firmware on it.

My goal is to extract its current firmware image to a file while maintaining the original condition of the p-Brick, so I'm currently experimenting on a completely different p-Brick that already has V1.31 on it to get my procedure down first.

Since I'm on macOS, via Homebrew I've installed the Bossa tools (the BOSSA GUI app, bossac and bossash):

```
$ brew install bossa
#...

```

I can get the candidate into SAM-BA mode by press-and-holding the reset button for several seconds, plugging in a USB cable, and accessing it via the presented USBSerial port (Atmel Corp. at92sam SAMBA bootloader, vid:0x03e8, pid:0x6124):

```
$ ls -la /dev/tty.usb*
crw-rw-rw-  1 root  wheel   18,   4 26 Jan 11:16 /dev/tty.usbmodem14431301

$ bossac --port /dev/tty.usbmodem14431301 --read "V1.31.rfw"
Read 262144 bytes from flash
[==============================] 100% (1024/1024 pages)
Done in 3.838 seconds

$ bossac --port /dev/tty.usbmodem14431301 --boot=1 --reset
Set boot flash true

```

This works except that the p-Brick doesn't actually reboot into the LEGO firmware, it reboots into the SAM-BA boot loader again. It seems like SAM-BA doesn't honor the `--boot` flag until a new firmware image has been written because it will actually reboot into the LEGO firmware after I write one with the following:

```
$ bossac --port /dev/tty.usbmodem14431301 --unlock
Unlock all regions

$ bossac --port /dev/tty.usbmodem14431301 --erase --write LEGO-MINDSTORMS-NXT-Firmware-V1.31.rfw --verify
Erase flash

Done in 0.035 seconds
Write 262144 bytes to flash (1024 pages)
[==============================] 100% (1024/1024 pages)
Done in 15.709 seconds
Verify 262144 bytes of flash
[==============================] 100% (1024/1024 pages)
Verify successful
Done in 3.870 seconds

$ bossac --port /dev/tty.usbmodem14431301 --boot=1 --reset

```

The experience is the same when using `bossash`:

```
$ bossash
Press Ctrl-D or enter "exit" to end session.
Enter "help" to display a command list.
bossa> connect /dev/tty.usbmodem14431301
Connected to device on /dev/tty.usbmodem14431301
bossa> info
Device       : AT91SAM7S256
Version      : v1.4 Nov 10 2004 14:49:33
Address      : 0x100000
Pages        : 1024
Page Size    : 256 bytes
Total Size   : 256KB
Planes       : 1
Lock Regions : 16
Locked       : none
Security     : false
BOD          : false
BOR          : false
bossa> read V1.31.rfw
count:0 offset:0
Read 262144 bytes from flash
[==============================] 100% (1024/1024 pages)
Read successful
bossa> bootf true
Boot to flash flag set to true
bossa> reset
# ^ USBSerial disconnects here due to software reset

bossa> connect /dev/tty.usbmodem14431301
Connected to device on /dev/tty.usbmodem14431301
bossa> erase
Erase flash
Flash is erased
bossa> write LEGO-MINDSTORMS-NXT-Firmware-V1.31.rfw
Write 262144 bytes to flash (1024 pages)
[==============================] 100% (1024/1024 pages)
Write successful
bossa> verify LEGO-MINDSTORMS-NXT-Firmware-V1.31.rfw
Verify 262144 bytes of flash
[==============================] 100% (1024/1024 pages)
Verify successful
bossa> bootf true
Boot to flash flag set to true
bossa> reset

```

i.e.: the first reset after reading only boots into SAM-BA again, the second reset after erasing and writing actually boots into the LEGO firmware.

So my question: is there a trick to bypass the SAM-BA boot loader and manually reset the boot flag via `bossash`?

I imagine it could be done from `bossash` with the `mwb` or `mww` commands but I'm not familiar enough with the AT91SAM7S256 to know which memory-mapped register address(es) I need to poke.

# Answer
Sadly, after experimenting with different official firmware versions on a sacrificial unit, I've determined that the SAM-BA boot loader and related client tools are not going to be suitable for the task of extracting an existing firmware image from a NXT p-Brick.

The `--boot` flag actually doesn't have anything to do the problem I was experiencing with because the NXT p-Brick is always in boot-to-flash mode.

Through trials of writing, reading and verifying firmware images before a `--reset` operation, followed by reading and verifying firmware images after re-entering SAM-BA mode, I've determined that the NXT p-Brick does something unexpected:

* After long-pressing the reset button on the NXT p-Brick the first 0x1200 bytes (0x0000-0x11ff) of flash memory get overwritten by a standard program. Maybe this is the SAM-BA boot loader copied from the mask ROM inside the AT91SAM7S256 itself.
* This destructive operation overwrites the beginning of any existing firmware image, e.g.: official LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT firmware.
* There's no recovering from this unless you can restore the first 0x1200 bytes of flash from another source, such as a previously captured firmware image.

This is why the `--reset` operation only worked after writing new firmware, because the program in the first 0x1200 bytes of flash memory itself gets overwritten by the new firmware image and the subsequent reboot starts executing user code again.

I'm glad I tried developing the procedure on a different p-Brick first!

I'll move on to investigate other options, such as finding a solder-free connection to the JTAG pads on the p-Brick's mainboard and using a debugger.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: nxt
---


# Question
Title: Online link to the LEGO NXT firmware (v1.31) source code or IAR ARM LEGO development tools?
I am looking for the source code to latest NXT firmware (v1.31). I found the binary image is on LEGO site: https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/mindstorms/downloads, but no links to firmware source code that I could find (just the EV3, not the NXT).

Meanwhile, I found copies of LEGO NXT firmware v1.29 and v1.05 at: https://github.com/dlech/nxt-firmware/releases

I thought it might be based on (or included in): http://mindboards.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/mindboards/lms\_nbcnxc/branches/version\_131/, but that link is apparently offline now, and I didn't see equivalent on mindboards' github: https://github.com/mindboards

Finally, I also found a copy of modified firmware at: http://nxt-firmware.ni.fr.eu.org/, but I was hoping for LEGO's stock firmware (v1.31) to evaluate as a baseline.

Bonus: does anyone have EWARM-LEGO (the free "LEGO Edition" of IAR's ARM compiler) archived?

Here's an archived view of the product: https://web.archive.org/web/20110815231532/http://www.iar.com/website1/1.0.1.0/1483/1/

And a press release: https://www.embedded.com/news-iar-systems-announces-free-development-environment-for-lego-mindstorms/

apparently this is no longer available or supported from the IAR site.

Thank you!

# Answer
I have been looking around a bit for the same files. I plan to contact Lego/IAR myself to try to find the official source code and development software, and will update this answer when I do. However, I did find some stuff that might help out.

Between these two, it might be possible to figure out what changes were made in Firmware 1.31.

As for compiling, IAR workbench for ARM has an evaulation tier now that is free, but with a code size restriction of 32kB. There are other options out there though. Segger's Embedded Studio is free without size restrictions as long as you do not use it commercially. Additionally, it appears that the NXTGCC project is a system that allows compiling firmware for the NXT using GCC instead of IAR.

EDIT1: If you are more of a fan of Git than Subversion, I have ported the MindBoards SVN project to GitHub. You can find it here: https://github.com/Marsfan/NXT-Enhanced.

I have a second repository with the 1.07 code, but that will likely go away as I work to merge that in as a separate branch to the above linked repository.

EDIT2:

So I realized that I never updated this after contacting IAR. I got a response saying that the Lego Mindstorms NXT IAR tool set was a combination of their other products

1. IAR EWARM (Embedded Workbench for ARM)
2. IAR EWAVR (Embedded Workbench for AVR)
3. IAR EWVS (Visual State)

When I contacted them, they provided me with a link to download VisualState, and they said that the free tiers of Embedded Workbench should work for development. The free tier's main limitation is on code size, so I don't know if it is possible to compile the full set of software.
> 5 votes

# Answer
What you are asking for doesn't exist at this time. The links you provide to github are not official LEGO products, but the work of an open source project as described on their home page that has chosen to correspond to the versions released by LEGO itself:

> This is NXT Improved Firmware, an open source community driven work based on the original LEGO Mindstorms NXT firmware.
>
> Online resources are accessible on the NXT Improved Firmware web page, including documentation, building guides, and more:
>
> http://nxt-firmware.ni.fr.eu.org/
>
> NXT Improved Firmware combines code covered by the LEGO Open Source License with code covered by various other open source licenses. Any file not covered by the LEGO Open Source License includes a notice in its header. All other source files are covered by the LEGO Open Source License. Please see the enclosed "LEGO Open Source License" file for more precision on this license conditions.

You could file an issue on github and request that they update their project to track the upstream release, but there's no reason to assume they currently have the time and resources to do so. You could offer to help, or look into what it would take to make the update you're asking for yourself. Some github projects appreciate new contributions more than others, so I'd definitely open an issue to discuss it before doing a pull request or coding much myself.
> 3 votes

# Answer
For people looking for older versions of the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Firmware Open Source you might be interested to know that IAR Systems, suppliers of the IAR Embedded Workbench used by LEGO, hosted a link to v1.04\* from 2009 onwards:

The IAR Systems FTP service isn't operating any more, but as of today you can still change the method from ftp:// to http:// so to download the 1.6MiB .zip file.

* based on `#define FIRMWAREVERSION 0x0104 //1.04` in the `c_loader.iom` file.
> 3 votes

---
Tags: nxt, programming
---


# Question
Title: What techniques can be used for laying plates at 45° angle?
I've seen a number of techniques for laying individual elements at 45° angles, but I need a consistent method for laying down larger plates at 45 degrees while maintaining close contact with the base plate layer below it.

What techniques are available to achieve this?

# Answer
45° angles are tricky because of the dimensions of 45-45-90 triangles:

The fact that the hypotenuse needs to be a multiple of radical two makes it difficult to build out of LEGO plates which are generally limited to integers or halves. The best you can do in a reasonably small amount of space is a 5 x 5 x 7.07 triangle, but that doesn't come close enough to work well.

I'm not aware of a way to do this using just plates, but if you are willing to use other bricks as well, there are some ways. For example, some older bricks and most transparent bricks don't include tubes within the bricks. This allows constructions that are not limited by whole numbers:

Edit: There is now a specialized 45° angle plate (15706) that can be used for this purpose:
> 19 votes

# Answer
Hinges can work, I have used this technique before, if you sandwich the hinges between two plates you get 45 degree 'bricks' that are quite solid.

In most cases, tiles and plates in the right place will keep sufficient contact with the base plate to have a stable model.
> 18 votes

# Answer
It appears that some LEGO pieces are designed with the proportions of 45-degree right triangles in mind. For example, the 3x3 plate with one corner removed has a diagonal edge that is very close to three studs long, as can be seen in this construction:

Likewise, the 8x8 corner plate has a diagonal edge that is very close to 10 studs long:
> 13 votes

# Answer
This is in old question but I think many people find this helpful. I accidentally found this Lego technique where you put a 4x4 round plate between four 1x1 round plates. You can see in the picture how to do it exactly. I think it is an "illegal" Lego technique. If you look closely you can notice that the distance between each 1x1 plate is a tiny bit more than four studs. And the cutouts on the side of the 4x4 round plate are designed for the normal four studs apart in my opinion.

The turntable is just there so it doesn't come apart, but the 4x4 plate is fully locked by the four 1x1 plates themselves. It may look like it doesn't work but just try it out.
> 7 votes

# Answer
If near enough is good enough you could build based on a 3:4:5 right angled triangle: i.e. put "dots" on the base plate 3 up and 4 across from each other which would then connect to the circles underneath a baseplate 5 holes apart.

The angle would then be ~37 degrees or ~53 degrees between the two structures.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Possibly I’m the same Woody that previously answered this question. If so, I didn’t describe it well 5 years ago.

This is a cut down version of the 7/7/10 triangle which is slightly better than the 5/5/7 triangle.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Placing dots (1x1 round plates) on the bottom of one plate with 5 spaces in between will line up perfectly on a lower plate 4.5 down and 4.5 across (one dot fitting between studs on lower plate)
> -1 votes

---
Tags: building, angles
---


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

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

What I've tried:

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

What else can I try?

# Answer
I know this is long in the past, but I just had success today with being unable to connect from a tablet which had previously worked fine.

At some point, the tablet had been upgraded (by accidentally tapping the wrong button) and that seemed to be the only possible cause.

(To add more useful keywords for others searching, I'll include what I searched for: I would get the treadmill, then the "Power On the Move Hub" message, then treadmill, then "Power On", then it seemed to just give up. The light on the Hub would turn on (blue), and the distance sensor would light up, but that was all. Another, newer, tablet would loop between treadmill and "Power On" roughly an infinite number of times.)

What finally worked to reconnect the original tablet was:

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

I got the information from "SvenO" on EuroBricks
> 6 votes

# Answer
Bluetooth problems are solved by the LEGO® POWERED UP program. After this program establishes communication,the LEGO Boost app will work as well.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: software, boost
---


title: Brick identification - two thin arches

text:
# Question
Title: Brick identification - two thin arches
Can any one ID the red arch with the baby in it?

# Answer
> 10 votes
On bricklink that part is known as a Red Wedge 4 x 3 Open with Cutout and 4 Studs and has item number 47755.

The build in the picture appears to be a custom build (I couldn't find an official set that includes it).

---
Tags: part-identification
---


title: Cargo bike brick identity

text:
# Question
Title: Cargo bike brick identity
Looking to identify the box pieces here:

# Answer
> 22 votes
That's not a single part.

According to the instructions shared by the creator of that cargo bike on their twitter account, it's a combination of :

---
Tags: part-identification, building, snot
---


title: How to use REPL on the 51515 hub?

text:
# Question
Title: How to use REPL on the 51515 hub?
I've just got access to a 51515 Hub and I tried to connect to it as a serial port (with baudrate 115200), however it's spamming the console with motor/sensor data:

```
{"m":0,"p":[[62, [11]], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [-30, -9, 1008], [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 1], "", 12105]}
{"m":0,"p":[[62, [11]], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [-30, -8, 1007], [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 1], "", 12105]}
{"m":0,"p":[[62, [11]], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [-30, -8, 1006], [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 1], "", 12105]}
{"m":0,"p":[[62, [11]], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [-30, -8, 1006], [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 1], "", 12105]}
{"m":0,"p":[[62, [11]], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [-29, -7, 1007], [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 1], "", 12105]}
{"m":0,"p":[[62, [11]], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [0, []], [-30, -8, 1007], [0, 0, 0], [0, 0, 1], "", 12105]}

```

I found a few related posts:

I haven't found any info related to the sensor data which is preventing me from inputting new commands via USB VCP. (My hunch is because I've connected via bluetooth and used the app the getting started exercises).

In this case, what's the easiest way to connect to the hub via USB VCP and use the Python REPL ?

**Update** I've noticed that I can send `Ctrl+C`(KeyboardInterrupt) via VCP and with a bit of luck on timing the spam stops and I can type commands prototype directly on the REPL.

I've also tried rshell. Initially, because of my unorthodox Python setup I couldn't run rshell. Even though it didn't get added to `PATH` I could still run the command manually:

```
c:\users\george.profenza\.pyenv\pyenv-win\versions\3.6.4-amd64\Scripts\rshell.exe -p COM3
Using buffer-size of 512
Connecting to COM3 (buffer-size 512)...
Trying to connect to REPL  connected
Testing if ubinascii.unhexlify exists ... Y
/ /commands/ /event_loop/ /mindstorms/ /programrunner/ /protocol/ /sounds/ /spike/ /ui/ /hub_runtime.mpy/ /version.py/ /.runtime_hash/ /etc/ /extra_files/ /.extra_files_hash/ /runtime.log/
Setting time ... Feb 05, 2022 01:01:53
Evaluating board_name ... pyboard
Retrieving time epoch ... Jan 01, 2000
Welcome to rshell. Use the exit command to exit rshell.

```

I could list hub content, but I couldn't figure out how to start a REPL session to type Python commands for the hub to execute directly.

https://lego.github.io/MINDSTORMS-Robot-Inventor-hub-API/pkg\_hub.html

# Answer
I've used rshell for this. It's available on PyPI, so it can be installed using:

```
sudo pip3 install rshell

```

You may need to provide the device to connect to such as:

```
rshell -p /dev/ttyACM0

```

To get a Python repl, you can either type `repl` at the shell on the device, or you can run rshell as:

```
rshell repl

```

That gives me an interactive repl without all of the data logging noise that you mentioned.
> 6 votes

---
Tags: programming, spike-prime, micropython
---


# Question
Title: Mindstorms EV3 PC application won't load
Installed Mindstorms EV3 application on MS Windows 7 Home Premium v6.1 (Build 7601: Service Pack 1) and I keep getting the same error message when launching.

A white window pops up with the following:

LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 has detected a problem during application launch. Press OK to close the application and get more information about fixing the problem.

There is only a single "OK" button to press and it then launches the web browser to a lego page link which cannot be found.

I have checked with Lego tech support and they suggested the issue was with MS Silverlight which I un-installed and re-installed along with the EV3 application... all to no avail.

Any ideas?

# Answer
> 3 votes
I had this problem with windows 10. Installing the latest silverlight from here: https://www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight/Get-Started/Install/Default.aspx did the trick

# Answer
> 0 votes
Try this guide I found in the LEGO Education Website: https://education.lego.com/en-us/support/mindstorms-ev3/software-launch-issues

# Answer
> 0 votes
If the program opens but loading appears the whole time, just open a new program and save it... and open it again, it will work.

This is a glitch.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You will need Exit the application then remove the folder C:\Users\LegoLeague\AppData\Local\LEGO\MINDSTORMS EV3 Then restart the EV3 Mindstorm application

---
Tags: mindstorms
---


# Question
Title: Why did the light block change in SPIKE v2.0.0+?
I found Unofficial SPIKE Prime Block Guide, which has following details:

And if you open the SPIKE app (2.0.0 or newer), the light blocks were completely changed:

Is anyone able to explain why?

# Answer
> 10 votes
With the introduction of the SPIKE Essential set, this element was introduced:

It's a matrix of 3x3 colored LEDs. It has similar functionality as the 5x5 light matrix on the SPIKE hub, so the same blocks to control it are used. The word blocks are not modified that heavily, the only thing that is changed is that you need to specify an additional parameter to indicate which light matrix you want to use. M1 is the matrix on the hub itself, A to F are the ports you can select where you have the external 3x3 matrix attached. You'll also notice that if you change the parameter from M1 to a port, you'll be able to select more colorful options for the image to display, as the 3x3 external matrix supports a range of colors, while the 5x5 on the hub is monochrome.

---
Tags: programming, spike-prime
---


# Question
Title: Is this a LEGO part? rectangular base with sides, and a bar extending from the middle
I distinctly remember separating this part from some Bionicle parts. But is it a original LEGO part? There are no part numbers or other marks on this piece - except for a "2" (seems to be the right font for a LEGO piece - injecting mold production line number?). No LEGO logo.

I have searched the BrickLink catalogue, but without any luck. Thank you for any help

# Answer
> 24 votes
It's an accessory to the LEGO BIONICLE Bohrok and Bohrok-Kal sets, which can be used to hang the Bohrok sets in the product canister, which doubles as their cocoon/nest.

It attaches to a clip inside the lid and clips onto the Bohrok's back-side, as shown in the instructions:

It appears it is not considered a "piece" per-se (which would have a part number and be included in the part count), but you can find the listing on BrickLink here. Yours appears to be blue, like Gahlok-Kal's canister lid.

---
Tags: part-identification, bionicle
---


# Question
Title: Could identify this bag #2, 540R6, year 2015 135149 - lots of Dark Grey and Tan
It looks like it is from a Star Wars set, but I'm still looking where it came from, thanks

# Answer
> 7 votes
According to BrickLink, the only set with all of Light Bluish Gray Plate 4 x 10, Tan Brick 2 x 8, Tan Brick 2 x 4 is 21119-1 The Dungeon

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: Will custom parts be included in .IO-files?
In a Stud.IO project I made I'm missing a specific printed part that isn't available in Stud.IO. So I **used the Part Designer to create a custom part**, which is basically just a normal 1x1 tile with the print as a decal. I got this properly imported into Stud.IO and by giving the part the correct BrickLink number in the Part Designer, I also got it to automatically link to the proper LEGO piece and the instructions show the proper part number, too.

This is all well and good, but now I want to share the **Stud.IO file, with someone who doesn't necessarily have that part**. Now the question is, **will the custom part automatically be included in the Stud.IO model** and work as expected or would the other person need to import that part on their system, too? If it doesn't work right away, what would happen instead? Would the part just be missing, as if the pieces are just not in the model or would anything else happen (like an error or some kind of dummy part being shown)?

# Answer
Okay, I did the obvious thing and just tried it. That is to say, I gave the Stud.IO file to someone who opened it on their own system where the part hadn't been imported from the Part Designer. And in fact **yes, it works**, meaning he could see the part with the print decal in the model and the instructions and it even linked to the correct BrickLink piece.
> 7 votes

---
Tags: bricklink-studio
---


title: RCX only accepts short programs

text:
# Question
Title: RCX only accepts short programs
I'm new here. I used to use the old Mindstorms to teach robotics at a school back in early 2000s and I thought my grandson would like it, so I have bought an old second hand system. The RCX brick works and the tower is connected to the USB-serial port adapter. It says the RCX is working fine and will download 4 or 5 prog blocks. If I try more it tries but won’t download. Do you have any ideas?

# Answer
> 2 votes
Summarizing our discussion from the comments:

System is running Windows XP SP3 (not a VM) with an (unknown) USB to Serial converter connected to the Serial IR Tower.

Problem is that most interactions with the RCX are unsuccessful; Communication begins, but is typically interrupted partway through downloading programs to the brick.

1. OP attempted suggestions from this post, with no luck.
2. Tried a different RCX with no luck.
3. Tried a different WinXP system with a built-in serial port and downloads were successful. Indicates the problem is with the USB to Serial converter.

Conclusion: Not all USB to Serial converters are compatible with the Mindstorms Serial Tower. It is known that USB to Serial converters based on the PL2303 chipset work reliably, but this information is not always readily available. PL2303 has driver support for Windows 98 thru Windows 10, currently available for download here.

---
Tags: rcx
---


# Question
Title: What is the name and part number of this piece? Part of a crane, long and thin without studs
The piece is used to build a crane as found in Youtube video

# Answer
> 8 votes
At the very beginning of the video part list can be seen, but since it is computer generated it is rather confusing at the first sight. If you check few moments later in the the video you'll notice these are Technic, Axle 3L (4519) in Yellow:

---
Tags: part-identification
---


# Question
Title: What are the brick numbers of the bricks circled in this image?
What are the brick numbers of the ones circled in this image?

# Answer
LEGO items:

Non-LEGO item:
> 21 votes

---
Tags: part-identification, clone-brands
---


# Question
Title: What is the reference of this part? Two short rounded bars with a circle between
It is similar to a lipstick piece but a bit shorter. I'm starting to wonder if it's even Lego but if seems pretty compatible with everything.

# Answer
Whatever brand it is, I don't think it's Mega Bloks, because I got a bulk lot of those recently and found a Mega Bloks piece like this, except its ends aren't rounded like your one (I know my piece is Mega Bloks because it's the same dark speckled grey as the other piece in the photo which says Mega Bloks on it).

Hope this helps with your search
> 3 votes

---
Tags: part-identification, system
---


title: How do I move assembled LEGO sets?

text:
# Question
Title: How do I move assembled LEGO sets?
How do I move large sets put together? We do not have the instructions or original box. We are moving from one home to another.

# Answer
When I was a child and our family moved, I took apart the larger sets into easily manageable pieces. For example, taking off wings and antennas of starships. Then I tetrised all the pieces into shoe boxes and other closable, stackable containers that could then be transported by almost any means. This method required reassembly at the destination but thanks to the planned breakdown it was easy to do. If I remember correctly the boxes were lined with cloth to dampen vibrations and prevent scratches, so nothing really got damaged.
> 8 votes

# Answer
We moved the Death Star into our office by hand. When we needed to move it to another place, we use a plastic bag to wrap it up and put it in the backseat of the car, so that even if little parts fell off, we could still find it in the bag, instead of trying to find it in the car.
> 6 votes

# Answer
A couple of suggestions:

* Put them in plastic bins/bags or some other type of container, so that any pieces that come off will not be lost
* separate models if you can; having pieces from different models mixed together will make them harder to repair
* remove sections beforehand that are likely to fall off; put them in separate containers/bags
* label all containers/bags
* use some sort of insulation, such as inflated plastic baggies, small balloons, packing peanuts, or blankets to wrap the models in to protect them from any impacts

These protected my collection during a move, so they should keep yours pretty safe.
> 4 votes

# Answer
Wrap the sets in stretch wrap to keep the parts together and then in bubble wrap to protect from external forces.
> -2 votes

---
Tags: transport
---


# Question
Title: Which sets use "white brick 2 x 1 with a skid"
let me ask you for a partnumber of part I have found at home and cannot join to any set. The color is white - brick 1 x 2 with added ramp.

I have the part twice, so I am looking for the set where it was used.

# Answer
> 17 votes
Looking at the blue markings in your image it will probably be 2823 - Technic Forklift Fork.

It is used in white in four sets.

# Answer
> 3 votes
That part type is a 6x1 curved slope.

Have a look at https://www.bricklink.com/v2/search.page?q=curved+slope+6x1&color=1&tab=A#T=A \- it lists that piece type, in white, that have either a printed pattern or sticker. See if any of the entries match what you have. Alternately, see if you can provide a photo of the piece in question, or a link to a photo hosted elsewhere.

---
Tags: part-identification, set-identification
---


# Question
Title: Identification of this set with red, white, and blue bricks (mostly)
Consider:

What set do these pieces go to? There is a minifigure that looks like it might be space-related.

# Answer
> 14 votes
This appears to be 60079-1 Training Jet Transporter.

I found this by searching for 6096487: BRICK 4 X 6 W/BOW, INVERTED and looking at sets that included this part and some of the other parts visible in the bag.

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: How can I place a motor in the middle of a Technic beam with an odd number of holes?
Can you give me some advice how to make it so motor will be in the middle, but at the same time keep the functionality of the 2 axles on the sides? It can go further up if necessary.

# Answer
Something like this would work. Since this is just an idea pictured assembly doesn't feature any bracing required for this solution to work properly. Another thing to mention - 8T gears doesn't like high load (both torque and rotational speed), so keep that in mind as well. Axle in the middle has been added just to show it is connecting 8T gear with 16T below.

To minimize wear on the 8T gears, consider replacing the with 24T gears (if they fit inside your model), like so:
> 18 votes

# Answer
I'd address this with bevel gears:
> 19 votes

---
Tags: technic, gears
---


title: Blue transparent piece

text:
# Question
Title: Blue transparent piece
Which piece is this? Seems space related.

# Answer
> 4 votes
On bricklink, that's called Trans-Light Blue Windscreen 5 x 2 x 1 2/3 with design number 6070 and item numbers 607042 or 6153478.

---
Tags: part-identification
---


# Question
Title: Is there a way to create a database of bricks that are connected in different sets
I'd like to build a database (for a machine learning project) of which parts are connected to which part for a large library of (official) Lego sets. Is any such database available or would it be possible to create one from publicly available Ldraw files?

You could imagine that each set is a graph, each node represents a part and the edges of the graph represent that two parts are connected.

# Answer
> 4 votes
> Is any such database available

I do not believe that a graph database like this exists.

> Would it be possible to create one from publicly available Ldraw files?

This would be difficult to create. LDraw files do not store connection information. They store part locations in 3D space. Modelling tools frequently support snapping parts together and/or snapping to a grid, but that information is not directly stored in the LDraw model files as far as I know.

Going from an LDraw file to a connection graph seems possible, but it would require modelling precise connection information for each part for each connection family. It would then require a physics engine that could model the parts and perform collision detection for each connection point to determine if a connection exists and what it is connected to.

---
Tags: part-database, connections
---


# Question
Title: Connected EV3 bricks don't react (EV3 Classroom)
I have a big robot that needs four big motors to drive it and two small motors for other functions -\> I need two bricks to communicate with each other because they need to use the same sensors.

I get the bricks connected via Bluethooth, but when I send messages with the "send message" and "when I receive message" block, the other brick does not respond. What could be the reason for this?

I use:

* Both bricks with 1.09H
* EV3 Classroom (1.5.3)
* The bricks have different names

# Answer
> 2 votes
Brick-to-brick communication is not possible using the EV3 Classroom software. You will need to use a different programming environment.

The broadcast blocks in EV3 Classroom (and other Scratch-based programming languages) only send messages between stacks of blocks within the Scratch program. They do not send messages to other connected EV3s.

---
Tags: ev3, bluetooth, connections
---


title: Minifigure Hand broken and stuck in arm

text:
# Question
Title: Minifigure Hand broken and stuck in arm
A friend of mine gave me some of his old minifigures. As you guys can see, the hand of one of the figures is broken and a part of the hand is stuck in the arm.

Do you have any ideas how to remove the broken part?

# Answer
> 13 votes
# Don't fix it

I sympathize with the desire to fix it, but on closer consideration it doesn't seem easy or worth it. Getting the hand out would probably damage the arm even if you manage to do it.

# Replace it

The entire torso is available for less than $1 on BrickLink. This is the easiest path forward. Some similar torsos are half as much if you don't need an exact match.

There are replacement arms for many colors and color combinations on BrickLink, but not a plain blue arm like this that I could find.

# If you get lucky.

Apparently you can buy just the hands as Mr. Shiny and New 安宇 pointed out. So if you manage to get the hand out without damaging the arm you can solve your problem for a few cents plus postage.

# Or re-purpose it

As with all of LEGO the possibilities are limited to your imagination:

* maybe this soldier had his hand cut off and he's too poor to get a prosthetic.
* maybe this guy is holding a tray of drinks on his right arm during a battle. I don't have an arm with a missing hand to test this, but I hope something could be attached to it.
* maybe he had a tragic shaving accident and you can make a bloody scene about it.
* maybe this soldier put on the wrong uniform and you can live with 2 new matching arms from BrickLink that aren't entirely blue.
* maybe he's sticking his arm into a bee's nest or a hole in a dike.

So I hope you can see some way to get more value out of your "broken" torso than just tossing it. But sometimes we've gotten all of the life out of a piece and it is time to let it go.

# Answer
> 9 votes
I've had this problem several times before. There are two general ways to solve this issue.

**Brute Force Needle** Stick several needles into the arm area at an angle. Then simultaneously push down on all the other ends of the needles to unstick the needle

**Hot Paperclip** This is excessive but effective. I wore gloves and used my kitchen stove to heat up a paperclip and stuck it at an angle into the plastic. It melted the plastic and stuck really well and after the plastic solidified again (in a literally a minute) I pulled the entire stuck arm out.

Good luck!

# Answer
> 5 votes
The tiny screw method works. We dipped it in dish soap, made a tiny groove with a thumb tack and then threaded a very small screw. Used two pairs of plyers, one on the arm and one on the screw, and pulled the broken hand out with no issue.

# Answer
> 4 votes
I extracted two broken hand stumps with a hot needle and replaced them with unbroken hands from less important or otherwise broken figures.

Procedure:

1. Position the figure's arm pointing straight out and remove accessories that might fall off.
2. Hold sewing needle with pliers over stove until glowing hot.
3. Plunge hot needle into hand stump at an angle.
4. Quench with water.
5. Pry the hand stump out with the needle.
    * The needle will not have enough friction with the plastic to pull the stump straight out unless it's really lose, so the direction of pulling/prying must be at an angle from the needle.

Of the two figures I used this technique on, it worked on the first try for one and took two or three attempts (at different angles) for the other. The hand stumps were recessed to different depths.

The hot needle caused minimal distortion to the inside edge of the hand socket and did not interfere with the ability to install a new hand. With enough skill, I think you could avoid touching the arm socket at all, but I nicked mine a little tiny bit. Of course, this minifig has seen worse, so I'm not too concerned.

The king is all better now, with a new hand. The stub of an old one is on the table next to him.

# Answer
> 3 votes
I just got one out using a very small drill bit and twisting it with my fingers. Took about a minute of twisting to make a hole in the hand piece. Then pressed the drill bit to the side of the hole I made and pulled it out.

# Answer
> 1 votes
If you have a tiny screw, it might be possible to screw it into the inner part and then pull on the screw to remove.

Almost like opening a bottle of wine with a corkscrew, except in this case the "cork" is set into the bottle a little.

---
Tags: minifigures, repair
---


# Question
Title: Piece in Lego 21327 Typewriter Step 26 can’t be flush as depicted in the illustration
When sliding part #6327028 down the left three rods as depicted in step 26, that piece becomes snug with the gray spacer piece from Step 25, but there’s a gap on the two left rods. The 1x5 black spacer (part #6327028) can’t remain level if brought to be snug with the black spacer piece, as depicted in Step 27. I’ve rebuilt the mechanism from the beginning with the same results. Either Lego forgot to have us add a spacer, or the illustration is wrong.

I’ve made the 1x5 black spacer (part #6327028) level from the gray spacer, but I’m wondering if the arm on the rod second from the left will be all right floating there. I can’t find anyone complaining about this issue online, but I do see complaints about the mechanism jamming, and here I am finding a problem with the mechanism.

If I threw in a gray spacer piece on the second rod from the left, that would ensure the arm is fastened snugly in place, but that 1x5 black spacer would still be off by half a brick according to the illustration. Suggestions?

(Thanks RSchulz for the assist!)

# Answer
Below your half bush (what you call a "gray spacer") there should be a liftarm 1x3 half thickness in dark bluish gray (both added in step 25). However from your picture, there seems to be a black element there instead, likely of full thickness. Any chance you put a black 1x3 full thickness liftarm there instead?
> 9 votes

---
Tags: technic, building, instructions
---


title: Combine Duplo feet with regular LEGO

text:
# Question
Title: Combine Duplo feet with regular LEGO
I would like to place this Duplo pig directly on Lego bricks/pieces. I tried an intermediate Duplo 2x4 plate with Lego bricks underneath, but it doesn't look good. The problem is that Duplo feet surround the studs. Therefore, Duplo feet don't fit onto Lego studs. Is there an elegant way to connect Duplo animals' feet with the Lego world?

@Uli found promising solutions, one of them is to use the Technic Engine Piston Round. It has some clutch power and at least transfers the issue into the regular LEGO world. Now I have to find a way to connect tow ball pieces to the rest of my MOC, Uli has provided some ideas.

# Answer
> 6 votes
**Scientific progress goes OINK!**

This is an older DUPLO pig from the 70's, and its different design offers us some new possibilities.

For example there's a **rectangular hole** below the neck.

Now before we go any further, the LEGO policeman would like to remind everybody that stuffing plates into rectangular holes or jamming them between studs isn't exactly HIS cup of tea. Thank you very much.

That said, a one-by plate and tile will fit tightly into the hole under the neck. The tile allows for further details, more on that in a moment.

The one-by plate is then attached to a jumper plate. So this will be a snout, sorry, SNOT thing of a sort.

A wedged plate that sits between the hind legs will add some lateral stability.

Alright, so here's piggy (sporting a black Colin Furze style tie/ tile) now safely tied onto some crazy contraption.

And here's piggy sticking his (red tile) tongue out at our LEGO purists.

*THBPBPTHPT!*

---

EDIT: As it turns out, a **piston** has the right size. Conveniently, it can be attached to any *tow ball* piece.

EDIT: Added a close-up

# Answer
> 6 votes
I am still waiting for the bricklink delivery with 27448 tiles that Alex suggested in one comment of his answer. Therefore, I tried a less subtle solution:

This is the starting point: A DUPLO pig that needs to be put directly on LEGO pieces.

I decided to cut a DUPLO piece to regular LEGO size. A DUPLO 2x2 brick was converted to a ...

... 4x4 tile, modified, with 2x2 DUPLO studs. My methods were crude (metal saw and cutter), but it worked quite well. There is only little height difference to the surrounding LEGO plates, and the clutch power is really good:

This is an approximation of the final goal to use the DUPLO pig as a figurehead in a LEGO MOC/MOD:

**Edit:** The 27448 tiles finally arrived, but there was no way I could get clutch power. I measured 9.3 mm for the diameter of the tile ring, and 9.4 mm for the DUPLO stud. This difference is enough to loose any clutch power. Even with 4 tiles combined there was no binding strength at all. Other DUPLO animals showed same results. A DUPLO human figure, however, could at least have a little bit of bonding when the ring is pushed into the toe area.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Don't have too much experience with DUPLO, so my suggestion is based on my limited knowledge.

I'm not aware if there a way to attach pig directly to LEGO bricks, however I thought of a workaround. Here, green DUPLO figure legs represent your pig feet.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Since Duplo is a 1:2 scale to Lego, I figured any Lego element twice the size of a regular stud would work. I tried out the pistons and piece 61485 (turntable) before I saw this page, and I saw that it worked so I went online to investigate to see if anyone else had had the same idea. I also thought of the 27448 piece and your post confirmed it. Just in case you didn't know, I found out that a Technic pin - preferably 6558, 32054 (don't know about the friction-less or shorter ones) - is able to fit in a Duplo figure's hand, being that it is double the width of a bar piece.

---
Tags: building, design, duplo, connections
---


# Question
Title: Help identifying sealed LEGO bag - 4 large yellow wheels, a windshield, a motor and a figure in an olive green shirt
I bought this bag of LEGO bricks at a yard sale. It is sealed and I thought I could identify it by the number on that bag but got nothing. It appears to be a car and has 4 large yellow wheels, a windshield, a motor and a figure in an olive green shirt.

Can anyone help me in finding what set this goes to? It has the large number 3 followed by 627S0. I tried the QR codes and they didn't help either.

# Answer
This bag is from :

75940: Gallimimus and Pteranodon Breakout

keyparts:
> 11 votes

---
Tags: set-identification
---


title: mindstorms ris2 on XP memory error

text:
# Question
Title: mindstorms ris2 on XP memory error
I have installed mindstorms ris 2.0 on an XP system. Initially it worked fine now I get an “insufficient memory” error. I have reinstalled and tried a different hard drive. No change. Possibly the usb tower is plugged into a different port, should this matter? Any ideas?

# Answer
> 4 votes
In response to the error:

```
"A critical error has occurred. You may be running out of memory, or you may need to reinstall Robotics Invention System 2.0"

```

This is a bug with the Quicktime version (4.0?) installed with Mindstorms. Two possible solutions:

1. https://wittykeegan.blogspot.com/2011/12/running-lego-mindstorms-ris-20-on-newer.html
2. https://listserv.jmu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A3=ind0911&L=VADCFLL-L&E=quoted-printable&P=1799439&B=--0-2097542931-1259040070%3D%3A26632&T=text%2Fhtml;%20charset=utf-8

To summarize:

1. Delete the following temporary file. You may need to make Hidden Folders visible to see the AppData/Application Data folder:

Vista/Win7: C:\Users\<user\>\AppData\Local\Temp\Ris 2.0.mov.#res
XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<user\>\Application Data\Temp\Ris 2.0.mov.#res
2. In some cases Step 1 fixes the problem entirely. Sometimes the file reappears and the error message returns. In this case, it's helpful to have a script which automatically deletes the file and launches Robotics Invention System. Copy the following code into notepad, then save as "**LaunchRIS.bat**":

```
@echo off

rem Author: Keegan Witt
rem Description: Deletes temp file that prevents RIS 2.0 from launching correctly on newer versions of Windows then launches RIS 2.0

del "%TEMP%\Ris 2.0.mov.#res"
if %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE% == x86 (
    "%PROGRAMFILES%\LEGO MINDSTORMS\RIS 2.0\LaunchRis2.exe"
) else (
    "%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\LEGO MINDSTORMS\RIS 2.0\LaunchRis2.exe"
)

```

Make sure this is saved as a .bat and not a .txt! In notepad's Save-As dialog box, select filetype "All Files" before you type in "LaunchRIS.bat" so it doesn't automatically add the .txt extension.

Double click the script to run it. For convenience, you can make a shortcut to LaunchRIS.bat and use that instead of the default shortcut. You can even change the icon back to the yellow RCX brick by selecting the LaunchRIS2.exe executable in the shortcut properties.

3. If the problem persists, it's possible you already have a later version of Quicktime installed which is conflicting with the version installed by RIS. Open the add/remove programs menu from the Windows control panel to see what Quicktime versions are on your system. Then do the following:

* Uninstall all versions of Quicktime
* Reinstall Quicktime 4 from the RIS installer
* Reinstall the later version of Quicktime to a different install directory so the two versions can coexist better

# Answer
> 2 votes
Got it working with QuickTime installed from the mindstorms folder. First, though I couldn’t find the files shown above, I did a search for all QuickTime files on C:, there were lots in various directories, and deleted them all! I reinstalled mindstorms, without QuickTime then did a separate install of QT. So far that works. The tower is not working yet but that is next when I have tried starting the computer and MS a few time to ensure the QT error has gone.

---
Tags: mindstorms
---


title: Mindstorms v2 QuickTime won’t work

text:
# Question
Title: Mindstorms v2 QuickTime won’t work
Still trying to get Mindstorms v2 working on Windows XP SP3. QuickTime causes software not to run with error code 2095. Have tried reinstalling QT several times. Tried different versions, no change. Defragmented hard disk.

Any ideas, it is driving me crackers, yes even more crackers!

# Answer
> 2 votes
Got it working with QuickTime installed from the mindstorms folder. First, though I couldn’t find the files shown above, I did a search for all QuickTime files on C:, there were lots in various directories, and deleted them all! I reinstalled mindstorms, without QuickTime then did a separate install of QT. So far that works. The tower is not working yet but that is next when I have tried starting the computer and MS a few time to ensure the QT error has gone. Hopefully I can relax now!

---
Tags: mindstorms
---


# Question
Title: Identify unusual parts - 1x2 with a circle on the end
I found 8 of these in a box of miscellaneous Lego but they don't have a part number on them. Anyone seen these before? Any idea what the part number might be so that I might be able to identify the set they are from? Thank you

# Answer
> 10 votes
Bricklink just gives them the part name buffer. They're for trains.

# Answer
> 4 votes
Looks like this piece's part number is "3488" as seen on Rebrickable.

---
Tags: part-identification
---


# Question
Title: Unidentified Lego bags in set 11015 (Around the World)
I’ve found some extra bags in a Lego set (11015). Qr codes are 6201540 and 6172064. Any ideas? Thanks!

# Answer
Set 11015 "Around the World" contains *three* instruction booklets (PDFs available from this LEGO webpage over here).

Two of the three booklets show a relation between numbered bag and mini-models:

It's possible that OP misplaced or is missing one of the instruction booklets, hence the confusion.

(Though, IMO, being a "classic" set of mostly generic bricks, the fun is forgetting about the instructions).
> 3 votes

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: LEGO or LEGO-compatible control for SG90 servo?
Is there a way to control **three-wire** servo (for example the SG90 servo or other common models) by LEGO Power Functions or CaDA power function?

# Answer
> 4 votes
No, the electrical signal is not compatible. These hobby-type servo motors take a 50Hz signal with a pulse width that varies between 1 and 2 milliseconds.

It could be possible though using MINDSTORMS NXT or EV3 using an IR Receiver and a Servo Controller.

---
Tags: power-functions, 3rd-party
---


# Question
Title: Where can I find Orient Expedition 7419 gameboard tiles to print?
I lost the cardboard gameboard squares. Does anybody have a high quality scan of the tiles so I can print them ?

# Answer
I think you refer to parts 4189445pb01 through 4189445pb11, all pieces of "gear" from set 7419.

The low-resolution scans available from the BrickLink item descriptions might be enough, though they will require some labour on your part. You can also consider buying second-hand tiles from BrickLink vendors. I don't think there are publicly-available high-resolution scans.

Otherwise, do try contacting LEGO support; they might be able to help with a replacement.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: lego-games, printing
---


# Question
Title: How can I build a Lego slope of this exact angle with ideally only legal techniques?
I'm currently building a functional Lego escalator that is minifigure-scaled and with staircases transitioning from flat platform to stairwell. Here's my progress so far:  But with the design of the staircases hopefully out of the way for now, I've come into an issue with the slope as it is seemingly improbable to build. I tried multiple iterations: technic bricks, technic beams, snot, … but there's only so much I can do on Mecabricks. I don't have the necessary bricks available at my disposal, nor does my local area has any retails which offers the Pick-a-Brick service, therefore I couldn't physically test this build out.

Is there any way of building a framework for this slope to hold up at a precise angle of 39.5 degrees? Preferably one that is legal or at least doesn't cause immense stress on the bricks, due to the technical nature of this build?

EDIT: Extra images for elaboration:

I aim to have this escalator to be roughly 4 bricks in width and its height will be dependent on how tall a story might be (probably 9 bricks tall).

I don't intend to use the new dedicated escalator piece because I want to design an escalator that is flat at the base and transition into a moving stairwell then back into a flat platform at the top (and vice versa). Basically something of this complexity , but at a minifigure scale.

EDIT 2: These are the results I yielded when I tried hinge pieces for building a slope:   Connector peg with plate 1x2 with pinhole on bottom or any other hinge designs yield the same results. Maybe it could work but since I don't have local access to Bricklink and the likes, I couldn't physically test this out and have only Mecabricks to work with.

# Answer
**Update:** Now that I have stud.io installed, I've finally got an upright design for the slope's framework as follows:  This design was based off of @Hugo 's suggestion, but modified to use Technic pegs and Technic bricks for better stability.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Could this work in you case? Using snot brick to build it vertically.

EDIT 1:

The only way I managed to get your angle and snap it correctly is like that. I used stud.io with collision turned on to be sure it could work. I hope this can help you.

EDIT 2: I found another solution using bar and bar with clip. This one is much more modulable but maybe less stable. Let me know what you think.

EDIT 3: Adapted to use technic beam.
> 6 votes

---
Tags: technic, building, moc
---


title: Best way to get Cara Dune minifig

text:
# Question
Title: Best way to get Cara Dune minifig
With so many Mandalorian sets being retired this year and the controversy around the actress, I don't want to miss out on the Cara Dune minifig.

What sets is this minifig available in and which is the best value for money?

# Answer
> 3 votes
Bricklink has lots of them for sale - depending on how close to you one of the sellers is (to cut down on shipping cost, or even to pick up in person if that's allowed) you might not be able to beat that price anywhere.

If you need 700 of them, there's one seller that claims to have that, and more.

# Answer
> 0 votes
If you want to buy Cara Dune in a set you can buy the AT-ST Raider 75254 from 2019. The only other set she is available in is 75315 Imperial Light Cruiser, which is significantly more expensive.

# Answer
> 0 votes
Just buy the AT-ST with Cara Dune (75254) in it. Alternatively you could look on Bricklink (as RSchulz sugggested) or eBay.com.

---
Tags: minifigures
---


# Question
Title: Estimate building time for a given LEGO set
I'd like to be able to estimate better how much time a LEGO set will take me to build. Are there any resources online that indicate average or fastest building times for a given set? I suppose it also depends on type of set (for younger or for adult builders, Technic or System,...) What would be your estimate given the amount of elements in a set and type of set?

# Answer
As others have said, there are probably too many factors to say how long a build will take. But, I thought it would be good to compile a list of factors that affect build time. Feel free to add to the list.

The Lego building process can be divided into two sub-processes; searching, and assembly.

**Factors that affect searching time**:

* Number of parts in the pile (mixing numbered bags will increase searching time)
* Experience of elements and colours
* Any prior sorting of parts by size/colour (will have an overhead time cost, so only useful for large builds)
* The distribution of parts (having many unique parts will take longer)
* Eyesight and lighting
* Determination
* If the set is incomplete it can take considerable time to realise

**Factors that affect assembly time**:

* Number of steps
* Experience (both of the specific set and in general)
* Building of symmetric/repeated sections in parallel
* Build complexity
* Dexterity and hand-eye coordination
* Determination
* Errors in Lego instructions (very occasional)
> 11 votes

# Answer
I am not sure it is possible to give specific guidance based on simple characteristics like part count or theme. In addition to the factors of the person (or people) undertaking the build raised in the comments, design also makes for wildly different building times.

For example, any set that has bilateral symmetry can be built comparitively quickly by building both sides at the same time even if they mirror each other. Sets that are not symmetrical will often take nearly twice as long. Another more obvious example is the use of advanced techniques that can sometimes make build time much longer, sometimes can drastically reduce complexity and build time, and sometimes have no effect.

Set type and part count do not take account of either those or similar factors like modularity and inclusion of large parts like BURPs or chassis. Labeled age range and part count can probably, at best, simply give a relative indication and no more.
> 4 votes

# Answer
I haven't checked how long it takes my 7 years old daughter based on number of pieces, but I saw she needs about 5 minutes per EUR of the set (with set prices in 20-50 EUR range; Friends mostly). This is for a new freshly opened set.

So, I would guess about 2 min/EUR for an adult that has built some sets but isn't a Lego fanatic. I haven't actually timed myself, though. So, I estimate a 10 EUR set would take about 20 minutes to build, a 100$ one would take slightly more than 3 hours etc.

Transferring these numbers to number of pieces per hour, at 10c/piece it gives ~300 pieces/hour. This sounds reasonable enough to me at first glance, but it is a fairly inaccurate method - though I believe all such estimation methods are.

Note this is only for assembly. Old large sets are slightly slower as all pieces are mixed together instead of being in bags, but it probably shouldn't slow you down too much. But if you need to find pieces with many sets mixed together, well, 10 sets is a problem, 100 is a nightmare. You should probably sort pieces first (by color, type or whatever else you prefer). And after sort you are still looking at a much longer build.
> 4 votes

# Answer
First you need to sort the pieces. So lets say you can sort 12 pieces per minute, then you later need to find them which is probably 6 pieces per minute and assemble them like 3 pieces per minute. So in total you need 7 minutes for 12 pieces. So in 4 hours you can do about 400 pieces.

It is a veeery rough estimate.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I would say I do about 300 to 500 pieces per hour.
> 0 votes

# Answer
Its a correlation between number of parts + the set weight (to incorporate whether its many small pieces or rather few big pieces).
> 0 votes

---
Tags: building
---


# Question
Title: Are both a Mario and a Luigi required for 2-player mode?
The Luigi Starter Course advertises the ability to "team up for new adventures":

Does this 2-player mode strictly require a second Luigi, or would a second Mario also work? What about 2 Luigis?

# Answer
Two-player mode is intended for Mario and Luigi, but it also works just fine with two Marios or two Luigis, as can be seen below for two Luigis paired with one another:

A matched pair appears to support the same operations as a Mario and Luigi pair. The only significant differences appear when the two interact in certain scenarios. For example, the initial dialog is now "hello, Luigi" followed by "hi, Luigi" and Mario's name is correctly not used.

While the app isn't required for all two-player functionality, it is recommend to pair both characters with the app to receive the most recent updates. This is especially important for Mario, as early firmware doesn't include 2-player mode.
> 7 votes

---
Tags: piece-information, super-mario
---


# Question
Title: To which set belongs this door with stickers on both sides?
I try to identify sets in a large bag of unsorted Lego (will probably have to ask some more of these in the coming days).

This piece is a real odd-ball: A black door with (mostly silver) stickers on both sides. I'm not sure if the door-frame goes with it, because they were separated in the bag, but it is the only door-frame in the whole bag.
The frame looks almost white, but it is actually grey. The shiny silver really messed up the white-balance of the camera.

# Answer
The stickered part is 57895pb056 which only appears in set 75954 "Hogwarts Great Hall":
> 5 votes

---
Tags: part-identification
---


# Question
Title: What set is this? Minecraft and Star Wars?
We have these sets in the Lego box. No box or instructions. I tried looking up codes and can’t find them. The silver part is the most unique one I can find to help look for it. And I think we have a small starwars set too?

# Answer
> 6 votes
I can find only one set that includes both Minifigure, Weapon Gun, Blaster with Clip, Dark Bluish Gray and Fish, Orange and that is 76942 Baryonyx Dinosaur Boat Escape.

That blaster kind of resembles a Star Wars element and I think I see a lightsaber also; but there is a lightsaber in this Dinosaur Escape set as well and the blaster only appears in one Star Wars set.

# Answer
> 6 votes
The Pearl Dark Gray Beehive

and bag #2 with Bright Light Orange Arch 1 x 4 x 2

are from 11015: Around the World

The bag on the upper right is from

21164: The Coral Reef

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: Parts identification (some may not be Lego) bugle, cart, vehicle front, broken-glass texture
Some more odd parts from the large bag of unsorted Lego I recently acquired.
Hope that someone can identify them.

The 2 pieces on the right are probably NOT Lego. No logos on there.
The colors are exact Lego shades though and the push-bar on the shopping cart piece fits a Lego Friends mini-fig hand.

The trans-clear orange canopy has a "broken-glass" texture cast in the plastic (it is not a visual only). Bottom side is normal.

The stickers on the 1x4 slope are a mess. There are 3 stickers on it side-by side, with an extra Shell logo sticker on top of the Ferrari sticker in the center.
(The nose-cone/front-wing piece is probably from the same Ferrari themed set.)

I would have though the canopy piece and the race-car nose would be easy to find on BrickLink but I can't find them.

# Answer
The race car nose part is officially called Wedge 4 x 2 x 1 1/3 with 1 x 4 Base:

It's found in a single set, alongside with the Slope, Curved 4 x 1 and the Sticker Sheet for Set 30190 which contains all stickers applied to that part.

The canopy with a "broken-glass" texture is a Wedge 4 x 4 Fractured Polygon Top:

The bugle and the shopping cart are most probably not LEGO pieces. If they were, they would be found under the category Minifigure, Utensil, but the only bugle there is this one, which looks completely different, just like the only shopping cart is an entirely other design.
> 6 votes

---
Tags: part-identification
---


# Question
Title: I need to identify a minifigure head piece
This is the part I need to identify

# Answer
That's Minifigure, Head Medium Nougat Eyebrows and Contour Lines, Wide Grin Pattern - Hollow Stud on Bricklink. It was used just by one minifigure - Newt Scamander from "Collectable Minifigures: Harry Potter Series 1".
> 8 votes

---
Tags: part-identification, minifigures
---


title: Recreating minifig scale Junkbot

text:
# Question
Title: Recreating minifig scale Junkbot
My goal is to recreate Junkbot from the eponymous LEGO web games with standard parts. Is it possible?

(He also had cameos on a recent Ninjago City set *and* Haunted House set 10273, appearing blank, as well as an excellent LEGO IDEAS fan build)

The torso looks to be a standard 2x2 orange brick with recycle and face pattern and head looks to be a slope brick with a lines pattern. I looked through Bricklink's decorated slope 45 2x2 but didn't find any matching orange pieces. The "hair" is a regular 1x2 yellow tile. I also wonder if his legs are any standard part. I tried looking through Bricklink's minifig decorated leg section but there were too many to sort through.

# Answer
> 5 votes
All four of these parts are standard and available in those colours. The issue is that the design of the character is not based on any printed bricks so you would have to create your own decals.

| Part | ID | Colour |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brick 2 x 2 | 3003 | Orange |
| Slope 45 2 x 2 | 3039 | Orange |
| Hips and Legs | 970c00 | Light Bluish Gray |
| Tile 1 x 2 | 3069b | Yellow |

# Answer
> 4 votes
I made a decal sheet for Junkbot, as well as the gearbots.

I made it in a papercraft sort of style, because I don't have an orange slanted brick, so I wanted a decal to cover the whole brick. But you can cut it up to get just the parts you want, with scissors or Inkscape.

There are different layers that can be hidden in Inkscape, such as the annotations.

Decalling notes:

* Do the hardest parts first, in case you mess up
    + In particular, do the most intricate cuts first, so that:
        1. you have paper to hold onto while cutting (it's also good to leave a margin around things you're cutting out for that purpose)
        2. it's not as brittle yet (every cut reduces structural integrity)
        3. and in case you mess up
* Use colored markers on white edges
    + Be careful to get a mild enough color of marker (test it first)
    + Be careful not to blotch (don't hold it in one place too much)
    + If you do blotch it like I did, you may be able to save it by markering the whole decal, making it more vibrant in the end
* For the back of Junkbot (after making other folds), form the decal around Junkbot's body pieces to start a crease, then pull the paper away and pinch it.
* Precurl curved decals by pushing gently into a surface, or curling around a pen, or just using your fingers. The ends are the most important because they're what will stick up if the paper wants to be flat.
* Use a barrel for the recycle bin so it can be actually hollow, then stuff scraps from the decalling process in for the trash :)
* Attach double sided tape to bricks, then press decals to them. But for precision with *curved* decals, attach the tape to the very end of the decal.

I didn't have enough gears, or a black dome piece, so I made this zany, fearsome bossbot... with a tie or scimitar, your pick:

---
Tags: part-identification, minifigures, video-games
---


title: How many minifigs have unique heads?

text:
# Question
Title: How many minifigs have unique heads?
Most minifig heads seem to be shared by a few designs, but Alex's answer to a minifig identification question left me wondering: how many minifigs have heads that are unique to them? Presumably you're talking about a unique, widely recognizable character. Or a more precise way to put it: how many (and which) minifig heads have only one minifigure associated with them from official sets? And I think we should limit the set of minifig heads to those that bricklink calls "Minifigure, Head" and leave out "Minifigure, Head, Modified".

I'm guessing most of these are going to be for Star Wars or other licensed themes, but I'm hoping someone can find a good way to come up with an answer that lists the examples or show how to do a bricklink query to determine the answer. If the list is included here it would only be complete at this point in time, but that would still be cool to see.

# Answer
> 8 votes
There are **2,140** heads that have only been included in one minifig based on the current Rebrickable database. I generated the full list of all heads (as of March 28, 2022) including the unique number of minifigs they have been used in.

For those who are curious or want to explore this in a different way, here's the query I used:

```
select
  count(1),
  part_num,
  color_id,
  name
from
  inventories
  join inventory_parts on inventories.id = inventory_parts.inventory_id
  natural join parts
where
  set_num like 'fig%'
  and (
    part_num like '24581%'
    or part_num like '33464%'
    or part_num like '3626%'
  )
group by
  part_num,
  color_id
order by
  count(1) desc;

```

It's worth noting that "unique" here is based on the mold, print, and color combination used by Rebrickable. A minifig head with the same color and print but different mold (often open/blocked/closed stud) will count as a unique head in this query.

---
Tags: minifigures, set-database
---


# Question
Title: What's the easiest way to build a delta robot using LEGO Mindstorms 51515?
I'm fairly new to Lego Mindstorms and I'd like to assemble a pick and place mechanism.

I was looking for existing delta robot designs and found a lot of good looking designs:

The majority are use Lego NXT. I'd like to use Mindstorms 51515 and hope it's a matter of swapping servos, maybe some minor part adjustments (due to difference in servo dimensions) and porting the code over.

The HiroLabo delta robot looks the simplest to me (but I might be wrong, so please correct me). What are the parts used for the arms and circular base (labelled as parallel links and universal joints) ?

# Answer
> What are the parts used for the \[Hirolabo delta robot's\] arms and circular base (labelled as parallel links and universal joints) ?

Let's see another still from that video:

There I see:

> I'd like to use Mindstorms 51515 \[...\]

Well, I'm looking at the parts list for 51515 and am seeing no universal joints and only four towball axles. Seems like you'll need to replace each universal joint with two perpendicular joints.

Working with a limited selection of parts is always challenging, but I think 51515 has everything you need. Try something like this for the actuator and the base of the parallelogram:

The key is using 6536 Axle and Pin Connector Perpendicular to provide the extra degree of freedom. It's gonna be worse than a universal joint or a ball-and-socket joint, but it's what you've got. Remember to use the low-friction gray pins for the joints (instead of the high-friction black ones).

I've drawn only one arm, but the other one is symmetrical; and I haven't drawn the pins - add them as needed.

The top part would also use two connector blocks, and perpendicular-axle-pin-connectors for the arms:

Since 51515 doesn't have any parts with an hexagonal pattern, or any other easy way of achieving a 120° angle, you'll have to rely on interconnecting the upper assemblies (with 3L pins):

That still looks flimsy, so consider reinforcing the assembly with more interconnections.

You'll need to fiddle and test, but I think this design should provide you with a solid base to start tinkering with.

Also note that the joints in this design are lacking a degree of freedom, and that this might apply excessive **torsion** to the beams used in the six arms. Experiment with adding an additional 6536 perpendicular-axle-pin-connector to each joint to provide that extra degree of freedom.

---

Of course, you can always go shopping for more parts. In your case, you would only need twelve of 32474 ball joint and 93571 ball joint socket. You should be able to acquire those from the usual marketplaces (pick-a-brick, bricklink) for about 0.5$/0.5€ each pair, or about 6€/6$ the full set.

Welcome to the rabbit hole of "I just need to buy one more of that one piece".
> 11 votes

---
Tags: part-identification, technic, mindstorms, robot-inventor
---


title: Which Ninjago set is this from?

text:
# Question
Title: Which Ninjago set is this from?
Hi, if you can help me identify which set this is from that would be amazing!

# Answer
> 9 votes
Doing a bricklink search for "dragon window" allowed me to identify those stained glass windows as part 57895pb023, which only appear in one set: 70728-1 Battle for Ninjago City

---
Tags: set-identification, ninjago
---


# Question
Title: Lego Mindstorms RCX RIS 2.0 IR tower Windows 10 64-bit driver
I found this question: Lego Mindstorms RCX RIS 2.0 IR tower Windows 7 / Windows XP driver and I wanted to ask if someone found a solution. But due to my lack of reputation I couldn't create a comment asking ... further my system differs to the original post.

Kind regards

# Answer
> 4 votes
As many of the RIS 2.0 questions here suggest, you may be better off finding a different way of talking to that pedigree of brick.

Virtual machines and other operating systems running other software are your best choices at this time. Running old, unsigned 32-bit drivers on Windows 10 presents a nearly impossible set of hurdles just to push a few bytes to a brick.

I maintain a fork of NQC, for example, and I'm pretty sure I'll never try to get the USB tower part of that updated for Windows 64-bit.

Another option is to find a classic serial tower and use a USB to serial dongle. I've had some success on that on OS X and earlier Windows releases.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Robotic Invention System 2.0

Hello. I found this blog as I just upgraded my Mac with an Intel processor to one with an M1 processor. I was running RIS 2.0 and Mindstorms NXT on Windows XP through Parallels. Unfortunately, the new version of Parallels for the M1 processor no longer supports installing Windows XP.

But I just found a solution that worked for me. UTM is similar to Parallels and you have two options: make a virtual machine with Windows or emulate it. I took the option to emulate it and was able to install and run perfectly RIS 2.0, the Ultimate Builders Set, and NXT versions 1 and 2.

Requirements:

1. Install UTM on the Mac. Here is the link: https://mac.getutm.app
2. Have a CD with Windows XP and make an ISO (CD image). (You can search the internet for how to make an ISO from a CD or DVD.
3. You also need to make an ISO of each Software you want to install: RIS 2.0, NXT, etc.
4. Download the “capsule” for Windows XP from the following link and follow the installation instructions: https://mac.getutm.app/gallery/windows-xp
5. Once Windows XP is installed and you run it through UTM, you will see a gray symbol in the upper right part of the Windows window, like a CD.
6. You click on it and it is as if you “loaded” the CD, in this case, the RIS 2.0 ISO.
7. You have to select it from the folder where you have saved it.
8. Once you load it, the installation menu will come out automatically.
9. If this doesn't happen, go to My Computer, all within Windows XP, and select drive D, which is actually a virtual CD drive that loaded the RIS 2.0 ISO. You double click to start the installation.
10. Everything should install without problems.
11. The IR transmission tower **MUST NOT BE CONNECTED UNTIL THE SOFTWARE HAS BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED**.
12. Once the program requests it, you connect the IR tower.
13. **IMPORTANT.** When the tower is connected, Windows has to recognize and install it. When you get the option to install it, you have to tell it that it will use the software that is on the virtual CD. (Sometimes the RIS install window is on top of the Windows window to install the tower. You'll have to find it by temporarily minimizing the RIS install window.) If Windows doesn't install it, the software won't recognize it.
14. If you do this correctly, the RIS 2.0 software will recognize the tower and you will no longer have a problem.
15. If you have the Mindstorms NXT ISO, the installation is even easier because you don't have to install the tower.

# Answer
> 0 votes
I think using a Raspberry Pi device might work well in this situation.

Here is a tutorial on how to install Windows 98 on a Raspberry Pi. https://magpi.raspberrypi.org/articles/run-windows-98-on-raspberry-pi-with-dosbox-x

Then install the old IR software onto that.

Plug IR Tower in and it could work.

I found this tutorial, too. https://minordiscoveries.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/using-nqc-on-a-raspberry-pi-to-program-a-lego-mindstorms-rcx-brick/

---
Tags: software, rcx
---


# Question
Title: What is this LEGO minifigure with yellow face shield and lots of teeth?
I found this LEGO Minifigure and I can't identify him or what set it came from.

# Answer
This look to be Rebel Pilot U-wing. (Note that in your image the torso is back-to-front)

He comes in just one set: U-Wing Microfighter.
> 17 votes

---
Tags: minifigures, minifigure-identification
---


# Question
Title: Which set is this school themed sticker a part of?
Who can help find the set this belongs to?

# Answer
That's from set 266 "Child's Bedroom", released in 1974:
> 11 votes

---
Tags: set-identification
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# Question
Title: Adding custom / recorded sounds for power-up
The Powered Up application offers many more sounds than the BOOST app, but the later allows for recording of extra sounds...

How could someone add / record custom sounds for powered-up App?

# Answer
> 1 votes
This video has a solution for Android users.

In the Files app, navigate to:
Internal Storage -\> Android -\> data -\> com.lego.common.poweredup -\> files -\> PredefinedActivities
Copy the folder containing the project files to:
Internal Storage -\> Android -\> data -\> com.lego.common.poweredup -\> files -\> Activities

Download and open QuickEdit and navigate to the copied folder.
Open `powered-up-metadata.json` and set these values and save the file:

```
"IsControllerEditingAllowed": true,
"IsCanvasChangeAllowed": true,
"IsPanningAllowed": true,
"Contexts": [
  "freeplay"
],

```

This will unlock the advanced features of Powered Up.

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Tags: powered-up
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title: Identify 4x4 and 4x8 plate with clip

text:
# Question
Title: Identify 4x4 and 4x8 plate with clip
Looking for part numbers of these plates with a belt(?) clip.

# Answer
These are Scala Jewelry Plates:

Scala Jewelry Plate, Modified 4 x 8 with Clip on Back

and

Scala Jewelry Plate, Modified 4 x 4 with Clip on Back

Both could only be found in red in a single set in 1979: Bracelet and Pendant 'Fantasy'
> 12 votes

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Tags: part-identification
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# Question
Title: Lego rough terrain 42082, page 57 book 1 - how does it connect internally
Is the dole meant to connect to another cog inside so all the gears rotate the big round cog on top

(Image from brickinstructions.com)

# Answer
> 4 votes
That Technic, Axle 5L (you called it "dole") is supposed to slot into the Technic, Axle Connector 2L that was added in step 67 :

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Tags: technic, building, instructions
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title: Different shades of the same color

text:
# Question
Title: Different shades of the same color
I’ve bought a 10232 set recently online (not official store, some Amazon seller). The box and all packs were properly sealed, but I see some bricks have the same color (grey), but different shades. I even see two similar bricks of the same color but different shades. Has the seller tricked me?

# Answer
10232 was released long after the switch from old grey to new grey, so that's a bit unlikely.

The photos are not very good for seeing color differences on, but I see nothing of notice. I've seen far bigger variations within what LEGO deems acceptable. Fans generally have higher standards for colour matching than LEGO, I knew a fellow fan who had sorted his yellow bricks in 6 different shades.
> 3 votes

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Tags: colour
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# Question
Title: Which current wave (2018 onwards) Harry Potter set should I buy to make 12 Grimmauld Place?
I would really want LEGO to make an official model of 12 Grimmauld Place, the magical house in London used by the Order of the Phoenix.

As this building is rather dim and uninteresting from the outside, I doubt it will ever be released as a set by LEGO. There hasn’t been a set depicting any scene from inside or outside of Grimmauld Place in any of the Harry Potter waves according to Brickset.

My question is, if I really want to make 12 Grimmauld Place, which single current wave set can I buy to get as close as possible? Are there any websites that show alternative versions of LEGO models?

# Answer
> 26 votes
Indeed, there haven’t been any models of 12 Grimmauld Place as of yet, and even though the house features in a number of memorable scenes in the movies, even those scenes have never been depicted in an official LEGO model since the inception of the theme 20 years ago. I am still keeping my hopes up this will be a set, perhaps even including the folding motion to make it appear magically! One can only hope ....

It is actually quite common to turn official LEGO models into alternate builds, even if the set is not an official 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 model. This is called a MOD (covered in this question here on this site). A famous one in the AFOL world is the MOD that turns 10214 Tower Bridge into a proper Modular Building.

There are several websites that feature MOD designs. The best known one is Rebrickable, where AFOLs can upload designs for any set (including MODs) and allow people to match up the pieces in their collection to the design, sell the instructions etc.

Another well-known site is Eurobricks, where scattered throughout the vast amount of forums and threads you can search for \[MOD\] in a posting title and find a lot of examples of MODs.

Back to the question: To make 12 Grimmauld place you need a set with lots of windows, 1xN bricks and a door. Looking at what sets are currently available, I think set 75980: Attack on the Burrow is a good candidate.

As you can see, it has lots of bricks including masonry profile bricks, as well as windows and a door.

I went ahead and tried to build 12 Grimmauld Place. Here is what I built using only pieces from 75980. Did I come close enough?

# Answer
> 3 votes
The Brothers Brick just published notification of **another** unrelated build - this one is finally an official set. (Though the set number being 76xxx and not being a superhero set is surprising.)

# Answer
> 1 votes
Lego just put this unofficial build on Facebook today: 12 Grimmauld

# Answer
> 0 votes
The Brothers Brick just published **another** unofficial build.

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Tags: sets, alternate-model, activity-support, harry-potter
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# Question
Title: How does the button on the Poltergust work?
I've seen that the Luigi's Mansion Lab (71397) set features the Poltergust:

The basic idea of the in-game item is that it can reveal, suck, and blow enemies. It has a similar play feature shown on the back of the box:

It's worth noting that the backpack, vacuum, and flashlight are all non-functional. Once the Poltergust is activated, Luigi is able to jump on the yellow ghost. Without this mode activated, he would be scared of the ghost.

Activating this feature requires the user to press a button on the Poltergust pants element. How is this implemented?

# Answer
The Mario power-ups are detected using a combination of raised areas that interact with six switches on Mario or Luigi's torso:

The power-up suit that comes with the Poltergust set looks very similar to the others with the exception of a button that has been added to the front and 4 studs on the back for the backpack to attach to.

On the interior of the pants, we can see that in place of fixed ridges to detect the suit there are now a pair of raised areas that move with the press of the button:

The power up is detected by the presence of the higher of the two ridges. When the button is pressed, the lower ridge contacts its switch and the Poltergust suction mode is activated.

I found this to be a clever way to extend the functionality of Mario and/or Luigi and helps to explain why a total of 6 switches were included when this seemed a bit excessive in the first wave of sets.
> 7 votes

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Tags: super-mario
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