# Question
Title: How many minifigs have actually flown in space?
I want to know how many have been to space (they don't have to have returned.)

# Answer
# Actual Minifigures In Space

There have been a number of videos posted from the ISS mission, where we can clearly see one of the astronauts (Satoshi Furukawa) on the station holding a model with some minifigures:

On the Gallery Pages they list out "Working and living in space - This is the LEGO models shown in the videos"

In the shots there are there are at least 7, if not 8 minifigs (assuming that each hair and face is part of a complete minifig, rather than having the bodies reused for the shots):

This appears to be the first time actual articulated minifigs have *officially* gone to space.

In November 2021, The LEGO Group announced that two further minifigs would be travelling on the Artemis I launch as part of their Build to Launch: A STEM Exploration Series.

A Romanian named Oaida Raul sent the Lego Shuttle \[bs:3367\] up on a weather balloon to "the edge of space" on 31 December 2011, but hasn't released actual figures of the altitude reached:

> 2001: A Brick Odyssey

Two Canadian Students sent a Minifigure up to the stratosphere in January 2012, high enough to see the curvature of the earth, which can be seen reported on the Toronto Star's pages:

# Minifigure Statues

Before then the closest thing to a minifig officially sent to space are the three custom built aluminium Minifigure statues that went up on the JUNO space craft this year:

> JUNO Spacecraft to Carry Three Figurines to Jupiter Orbit

The Roman god Jupiter, his wife Juno and Galileo Galilei

This wired article concludes:

> This unique project has put a smile on many Nasa and Lego employees' faces and stirred up interest from other state space agencies, as well. Will LEGO minifigs take another trip in space soon? Time will tell. But until that day, keep an eye on the sky for the fastest moving toys in the universe.

LEGOSpace.com's insistence on not supporting deep-linking fails me, but if you go to the Education Blog and scroll to Thursday, August 04, 2011

> **LEGO® Minifigures on a mission to promote space research**
>
> Three LEGO® Minifigures leave earth on the Juno deep-space probe today on a five-year mission to Jupiter to broaden awareness of the importance of planetary research.

# Pictures of Minifigures

Prior to these two missions, previous missions have been promoted as sending Minifigures to space when in fact what they actually contained were pictures of minifigures:

> LEGO bricks and products have been on several space missions. The latest mission with NASA was in 2004 when two astronaut minifigures hitched a ride on the *Spirit* and *Opportunity* Mars Exploration Rovers.

When in reality what happened was:

> Today, Opportunity returned pictures from Mars of another three “LEGO Bricks” and Sandy Moondust, the second “astrobot” representation of a LEGO Minifigure.
> 25 votes

# Answer
Super old thread but wanted to contribute :) I'm an engineer with Blue Origin and I'll be sending up this minifig later this month on the New Shepard rocket!
> 7 votes

# Answer
according to this NASA-article: at least 3 - the minifigs of galileo galilei, the god jupiter and his wife juno.

> NASA's Jupiter-bound Juno spacecraft will carry the 1.5-inch likeness of Galileo Galilei, the Roman god Jupiter and his wife Juno to Jupiter when the spacecraft launches this Friday, Aug. 5 \[2011\].
> 4 votes

# Answer
Since 2010 there have been Lego sets on the ISS but no mention of minifigs officially manning the outpost.
> 4 votes

# Answer
Actually, I think the correct answer to that is "none".

While two Astrobots, Sandy Moondust and Biff Sterling were designed to follow the adventure of the two Mars exploration rovers, these only contained pictures of them, not actual minifigs.

So this leaves us with the three custom-built aluminium minifigs of the JUNO spacecraft, but considering these as minifigs is a bit of a stretch. To me, these are but statues of minifigs, not real ones. They aren't even yellow!
> 1 votes

# Answer
There are also some up in the ISS right now:

http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-010815a-lego-minifigures-space-station.html
> 0 votes

---
Tags: minifigures, history
---


title: Is EV3 Device Manager still active?

text:
# Question
Title: Is EV3 Device Manager still active?
Link to https://ev3manager.education.lego.com/ is broken - will this be fixed?

# Answer
**Yes**

As of April 2019, The EV3 Device Manager is active. However, if you have not downloaded the Device Manager to your computer, it will not function. Also, make sure that your EV3 is properly connected to your computer with a USB that can transfer information.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: ev3
---


# Question
Title: What does this symbol on the EV3 Brick mean?
I can’t figure out how to get my R3PTAR to open and close it’s mouth to bite. I keep getting this symbol. What does it mean?

# Answer
> 3 votes
You either have to recharge your battery (if you're using a battery pack) or replace the batteries (if you're using normal batteries). If this symptom persists after charging the battery pack, try to do a master reset on the brick. Failing which, you might have to replace the battery pack.

# Answer
> 0 votes
It's a symbol for low battery power. You have to recharge the brick.

How long? Check out *Mr. Hino's YouTube video* on how long it took to juice his back up.

For a full recharge, we're waiting for the red brick light to turn off...

---
Tags: ev3, mindstorms, programming
---


title: Star Wars set identification 1

text:
# Question
Title: Star Wars set identification 1
I recently bought a big box of LEGO that have some broken LEGO Star Wars sets and I need help identifying them. Some are fairly complete and some are just pieces. The first 2 are almost complete so it should not be too hard to identify. For the rest, I pulled out the pieces that I thought would be easiest to identify and will post them in separate questions. Thanks for any help you can provide!

This one appears to be a Wookiee ship.

# Answer
The first one is the 7674-1 V-19 Torrent.

And the second one is 7752-1 Count Dooku's Solar Sailer.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: set-identification, star-wars
---


title: Star Wars set ID 2

text:
# Question
Title: Star Wars set ID 2
This part appears to be one side of a Wookie ship of some sort

and these parts appear to be from one set but I am not sure

this appears to be an Imperial ship of some sort

and this is from a walker but not sure which one

and I have no clue on these next 3 but I am hoping that they are unique enough to identify what sets they come from.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

# Answer
The first picture is one wing of set 7959-1 Geonosian Starfighter.

Those are actually two separate sets. I believe the two on the left go to 7678-1 Droid Gunship.

And the one on the right is the Vulture Droid from set 7751-1 Ahsoka's Starfighter and Vulture Droid.

The Imperial-ship assembly is from 8017-1 Darth Vader's TIE Fighter.

Those are the legs to 8014-1 Clone Walker Battle Pack.

That is one section of 9491-1 Geonosian Cannon.

The two gray assemblies go to 7957-1 Sith Nightspeeder.

And the last two pieces appear to be in dark red, in which case, they would go to set 8102-1.
> 7 votes

---
Tags: part-identification, set-identification, star-wars
---


# Question
Title: Is there any rhyme or reason to the sizing of LEGO boxes?
Recently, I have noticed that there appears to be no rhyme or reason to the sizing of any given LEGO set box. For example, in the picture below, you can see three sets that have a similar amount of pieces, yet three completely different box sizes.  Why does this occur? **Is there any rhyme or reason to the sizing of LEGO boxes?**

# Answer
This is marketing department wizardry.

From a pure engineering point of view, the closer to a perfect cube (or rather sphere) you are, the greater of internal volume you can enclose with the same amount of material.

What does this mean? By not making cube shaped lego boxes, Lego isn't trying to be as efficient as they can be when it comes to their box design. This costs them more in terms of packing materials, shipping container size, and store shelf capacity.

And yet, they are happy with this choice because the marketing department has determined that big pictures of sets on the front of the box attracts consumer's attention and results in greater sales. In a vacuum (say at a LEGO store), they could be any size and the packaging would not be competing with other products (cough, cough mega blocs), but in the real world both companies are in a arms race to catch the eyes of uninformed grandparents who don't exclusive buy LEGO for their grandkids. So big, wide box fronts are ideal. If LEGO could get around the other problems of cost, shipping, and shelf limitations, they would make every box set look like it contains a big screen tv.

The ratios of height and width are interesting, as they seem to dance around a ratio between 4:3 to 16:9. (I cannot think of too many sets that are taller than they are wide). Some will be due to the dictates of the set inside (baseplates or special pieces), but LEGO clearly favors a ratio that mimics TVs and monitors. This is probably because they can keep the box height constant but play with box width to accommodate bigger sets. This makes it so that stores don't have to do shelf resets all the time, or mix sets of differing heights.
> 2 votes

# Answer
The size of the box seems to be **theme specific**.

It appears that they choose a specific box design for any given price range and then stick to that size for the rest of the theme. For example, in the pictures below, you can see same sized boxes used in the same themes.    There is definitely some crossover, but for the most part this holds true.
> 1 votes

# Answer
Magnus' answer doesn't explain why different themes have same sized boxes or same front area (but different depth). Also same set re-release can have different sized box (take Mini from Creator for example). So there doesn't seem to be a rule for that.

What I heard from TLG employee is that front area of the box is basically a marketing space. So TLG tend to adapt the size of this area to desired shelf space. There is certain levels where you can put each shelf, so each box must utilize all the given space without sacrifying advertisement value.

Layout of the sets you see in the shop is science, sort of. And TLG spend considerable effort to reach desired value. They even test new layouts in their employee shop at Billund.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: sets, size, packaging
---


# Question
Title: Identify the set from this partially assembled purple and white car with a blue flower sticker on the hood?
I have loads of complete Lego sets, distributed into bags and without instructions.

# Answer
This is 41013-1: Emma's Sports Car:
> 3 votes

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to edit a MyBlock input parameter value?
I have created MyBlocks but want to change the input parameter to negative. Is this possible or must all the MyBlocks be re-written?

# Answer
It is possible now (since version 1.3.0) by pressing the button at the upper left corner of the block:
> 5 votes

# Answer
It is not possible to modify the properties of myBlock in the current version of EV3 SW.

It is possible by tampering the block source files:

1. create a copy of your `*.ev3`. Just in case
2. rename `*.ev3` to `*.zip`
3. extract all files from the `zip`
4. edit files as needed
5. move changed files back into `zip` (Under Windows drag and drop to zip)
6. rename `*.zip` to `*.ev3`

I successfully used this to change the icons for MyBlocks. Icons file should be here: `C:\Program Files (x86)\LEGO Software\LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Home Edition\Resources\MyBlocks\images` If you change the parameters, you will have to change all programs that use the MyBlock because the definition has changed.

I have tried it with success, having a backup is a must, you can easily corrupt your project files. I was able to modify the icon of parameter or myblock, rename the parameter, change the order of parameters, change the default values, add a new parameter. It is also possible to change the parameter type or delete the parameter, the lab sw removes existing wires correctly.

I would not tamper the files for some simple block, but for more complex block it could be worth. Let's hope some sw update will provide this function later, if it could be done manually, i see no reason why it is not implemented.
> 4 votes

# Answer
If you need to change something that is setup in the "My Block Builder" dialog box like the default value or min and max values for a slider, then yes, you need to create a new My Block. This is easy though. Just select everything in the existing My Block except for the Input Parameter block, the Output Parameter block and the Start block and then select Tools \> My Block Builder to create a new (identical) block.

Another option would be to add a Math block inside of your My Block that multiplies the input parameter by -1 to make it negative.
> 1 votes

# Answer
If only we knew the developers' thoughts perhaps they intentionally made it hard to change MyBlocks in order to support some programming paradigm for kids (according to their opinion).

What I do is:

1. Always put the variables into the block while their values come from outside constants. Never cross commands boundaries with wires. Put all the variables inside the block, next to their use, no matter how many times you use them. The order of the block's wires is usually the order of their first use inside the block.
2. Make a copy of the program you want to routine
3. Make a block of the copy:
    * Give the block a very clear name
    * Put no effort in any other features until you test the block to work 100%.
4. For the final block version: just create it anew while still retaining the original commands, in a different file.
> 1 votes

# Answer
I know it is few years late but I just looked for this and then found an alternative/workaround. There is no way to edit a custom block, but one can select all of it (except inputs and outputs) and create a brand new block from it, then delete the original.

Too bad there is no direct way for this.
> 0 votes

---
Tags: ev3, programming, ev3-g
---


# Question
Title: Set with small white, yellow, and purple boat and lime swimmer fins?
I have a part built boat, but need help in identifying the set so we can complete the build.

# Answer
This is part of 41000-1: Water Scooter Fun
> 3 votes

---
Tags: set-identification, friends
---


# Question
Title: Please help with set identification from the picture of this part made car
please help identify the set that this car is part of.

# Answer
> 3 votes
This belongs to 41034-1: Summer Caravan

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: How can I distinguish floating versus sinking LEGO pieces?
My kids enjoy playing with their LEGOs in the pool, and we cannot always predict which ones will float and which one will sink.

It appears to me that most pieces do float in the pool, but some, for instance a motorbike, doesn't.

How can I distinguish, if at all possible, which ones will float, before actually putting them in the pool?

# Answer
Most Lego pieces sink. Some of them will float briefly if they have air trapped inside. Almost any construction of Lego elements will sink as there are gaps between pieces.

There are some boat pieces that are designed to float, such as the Police Patrol Boat set from 2016. A Brickset list shows some other boats that float.
> 7 votes

# Answer
Some fairly straightforward physics is your friend here:

To determine if something will sink or float in a given medium, you need to know its density. If the density of the object is less than the density of the medium it will float.

Standard pool water would have a density around 1g/cm3, salt water is higher (depends on the amount of salt in the water).

To calculate the density of the LEGO elements, you need to weigh it, and divide that by its volume.

The slight complication is as Mr Shiny and New states: Bricks can trap some air inside them which reduce their density while the air remains trapped in the brick. Items like the motorbike are almost solid ABS, and so are much more dense than a minifig with a hollow body, arms and legs.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: piece-information, water
---


# Question
Title: Can anyone help me identify what set this bag with grey and dark red pieces belongs to?
Can anyone help me identify which Lego set this bag belongs to (it has two smaller bags inside)?

# Answer
As the comments said: it's hard to tell.

But based on

Plate 2x14 in light buish gray,

Slope, Curved 10x1 in light buish gray and

Slope, Curved 3x1 No Studs in Dark Red

i believe it is bag 2 from

**75012 BARC Speeder with Sidecar**
> 5 votes

---
Tags: set-identification
---


# Question
Title: How to make a point coordinate system for EV3
I'm trying to make a internal coordinate system for an EV3 Python project I'm doing, but at a complete loss on how to do it. It needs to keep track of how it moves (with wheels) in an X, Y coordinate system. The space that the project operates in will only have the robot move in mainly X and Y directions.

# Answer
> 2 votes
What you're trying to accomplish is called Odometry, and fortunately it's a pretty common task in robotics so there's a lot of information available on how to do it. The short answer is, it's relatively easy to implement, but hard to make it work really well.

Let's make things simpler by deciding that the robot can only a) drive straight and b) turn 90 degrees. In other words, the robot reaches an x,y coordinate only by driving along the cardinal directions N, S, E, W. We can make this simplification to avoid having to use trigonometry.

Now we need some variables to keep track of a) where the robot is, and b) what direction it's facing.

* Make a variable "orientation" to remember which direction the robot is facing. 1=N, 2=E, 3=S, 4=W, for example.
* Make variables "X" and "Y" to remember the position. These can represent whatever units of length you want. Let's just say X and Y represent motor rotations, for simplicity.

When the robot moves straight, you should update the coordinates X or Y depending on which direction it is facing. For example, if the robot drives 3 rotations fwd:

* If orientation==1 (North), increase Y by 3 (rotations).
* If orientation==2 (East), increase X by 3
* If orientation==3 (South), decrease Y by 3
* If orientation==4 (West), decrease Y by 3.

When the robot turns 90 degrees, you should update the orientation variable accordingly. See my other post for how to rotate your robot a specific number of degrees. Assuming a clockwise rotation,

* If orientation==1 (North), set orientation==2 (East).
* If orientation==2 (East), set orientation==3 (South).
* If orientation==3 (South), set orientation==4 (West).
* If orientation==4 (West), set orientation==1 (North).

Assuming you *always* update your coordinates and orientation whenever you move, your robot should be able to (roughly) keep track of its position using this method. You can make it easier for yourself by putting the DriveStraight and Turn90 code into functions (MyBlocks, if you're using the standard Lego software). For example, the DriveStraight function/MyBlock should take the desired number of rotations, drive the robot that far, and update the global X/Y variables. Similar for Turn90. Then your entire program consists of DriveStraight and Turn90 blocks to move around, and at any time you can read the X,Y coordinate and orientation from your global variables.

One problem with this method is that for every movement your robot makes, error accumulates, until eventually its internal position is no longer accurate. The easiest way to account for this is to occasionally return to a known physical location - for example, a wall corner at 0,0 - and reset X,Y to 0,0 when it gets there. A lot of FLL robots use this technique - these robots have square edges and back themselves into corners to force themselves into a known absolute position/orientation.

---
Tags: ev3, mindstorms, python
---


# Question
Title: What set does this light grey 2x8 overhanging brick with a 10 on the side belong to?
I just received a huge box of LEGO pieces. There are some unique pieces such as this one. On the back of this piece is the number AM02232. What are my options of figuring out its set and finding instructions? I'm brand new to the LEGO world, but kiddo is a builder at heart.

# Answer
Confirmed that this is not LEGO, but Mega Bloks.

http://gamearn.me/mega-bloks-tank/mega-bloks-tank-legends-battle/

Not sure if it is from this set specifically (looks like it might have some stickers to add the camouflage or yours comes from a similar set).
> 4 votes

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


title: How can I make my robot heavier?

text:
# Question
Title: How can I make my robot heavier?
I'm building a 3kg LEGO EV3 sumo robot and I need to make it as small as possible.

Which LEGO items do you recommend to add more weight on it? (tires, plates, wheels, blocks, minifigs etc.)

# Answer
> 10 votes
**Weights:**

The 2 x 6 x 2 weight elements are pretty good.

**Magnets:**

Train Magnets are also pretty dense, though not very large and are now rather pricey.

**Rubber:**

Any solid rubber wheels also pretty dense. Avoid the hollow ones full or air.

**Batteries:**

If you need a lot of weight, you might also add a battery box, full of batteries of course. These are the ones currently in productions, but older ones will work just as well.

I've also seen people add AA batteries without a battery box, but that may be bending the rules a bit.

**Other Electronics:**

Most LEGO Electronics are actually fairly heavy. You could also add motors, old LEGO RC stuff, or even whole other Mindstorms or other robotics bricks.

Make sure to check the rules for your sumo competition to see if any of these are excluded.

# Answer
> 3 votes
A second EV3 with a battery pack is one of the best things you can add to the existing design, provided your robot has space to conveniently house it (but sumo robots typically do). It is actually dual-use: not only does it give weight, but you can add even more motors or sensors to your robot design.

There's an added bonus if you use the EV3 with the battery pack (yeah, I know it's not exactly cheap) rather than ordinary batteries, though there's a small change in the space occupied by the brick.

Another thing in terms of weight is the motors: if you're only using, say, 2 EV3 regulated motors, consider adding another two right next to them via gears. This gives you the 2x weight you want + doubles the torque.

Yet another things I can advise - and you've got to check the rules of your particular competition - is to use axles made of metal. The reason I'd suggest this is that although "it's not LEGO" in the traditional sense, LEGO Technic axles are very weak and don't allow you to hang a wheel 'loosely' off a bar. With metal axles this problem is removed somewhat; plus, if you're in control of axle length, you can actually make very long axles that go through the entire robot, providing extra rigidity as they become 'load bearing' for wheels on both sides. And yes, this also gives you the extra weight.

Finally there's the extreme option of just having heavier parts, again if and only if this is permitted by the competition rules. The two things I can think of are:

* Wheels made of medical silicon; these are stupidly heavy and also have a grip that is way better than ordinary Lego wheels.
* Beams made of metal. Why beams? Because beams are easier to make than other parts: you just take a bar and drill some holes in it. Well, assuming you get the hole sizes just right.

Speaking from experience, you'll find that adding weight doesn't really help in Sumo competitions as much as you want. One reason is so many robots these days have front-facing scoops that try to lift you up, and I'm yet to see this approach fail when the robot is too heavy.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Another alternative could be the mindstorms EV3 steel ball, it's fairly small and heavy.

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=99948#T=C

Possible downside is: it is almost impossible to mount so it will just have to be enclosed with bricks or beams and even then it may rattle.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You could add an EV3/NXT large motor. They're not the most compact things but if you have some spare size you could easily add one of these.

# Answer
> -2 votes
You can add sensors. They don't need to be plugged in. I use a lot of touch sensors and motors.

---
Tags: ev3, building, weight
---


# Question
Title: What is the fastest way to estimate the number of pieces in a large collection?
I have a relatively large LEGO collection and I would like to know roughly how many pieces I have; however, it would not be worth my time to count each piece individually. Is there a faster way to estimate the number of pieces? Is there is a way to tell by their weight?

# Answer
> 3 votes
What a tricky (bricky!) question. Let's estimate...

## By Weight

So, can one estimate the number of bricks in a bag or box by weight?

In fact, they do weigh bags and boxes over at the factory to make sure there aren't any parts missing. But of course they're just comparing expected weights.

* That's why **you can't simply weigh a big mix of unknown bricks to calculate their number.** There's no reference.

However, you can use a scale to estimate a number of bricks, if you have **sorted them out individually**.

If you keep your pieces in trays or drawers and you have a big bin of **identical pieces** (2x4's, 2x1's, ...), you can estimate them by weighing them.

* **Weigh them all, then divide by the weight of a single one.**

Gets close. Speeds things up.

---

## By Numbers

Anyway, try to narrow things down. To do so, collect as much data as possible.

* Which **sets** do you own? Look up the **number of pieces per set**.
* Take into account if you bought an **incomplete** set. How much is missing?
* Did you mailorder **pieces**?
* Can you estimate the amount? Maybe check your orders/ accounts.
* Did you buy a considerable number of **bulk**?

All this should already give you a rough number, considering the sets/mailorder/bulk ratio.

---

## By Eye

* Do you **sort out** your Lego into trays and drawers? You could **count some** of them, calculate an average amount and **project it**.
* What about the **relevance** of certain parts? Do they count? Where there's lego technic, there's plenty of technic pins. You could simply leave out those piles of pins and separators or weigh them. If they're sorted out, of course.

---

*(Disclaimer: Do not take this last part too seriously...)*

## Or is it all in ONE BIG BIN?

Well, let's see.

* **How can one estimate the number of people in a crowd?**

Take an aerial view, divide it into sections, count people in one frame and multiply by frames. As long as people are spread out evenly, you should get close enough.

*Example: There are (maybe) 63 minifigs in this picture. Count all minifigs in one of the frames and multiply them by four for a rough answer.*

---

* **How can one estimate the number of jellybeans in a jar?**

Find out about jar and jellybeans, diameter, height, volume. Calculate. As long as you're not getting peckish, you should win big.

---

## Now, how can one estimate the number of bricks of completely different shapes and sizes in ONE BIG BIN?

* *In theory*, you would **stirr everything** to get one humongeous mass.
* That is, you want bricks, pins, wheels, minifigs, separators all next to each other, not in different layers with small parts at the bottom of the bin. Next, **pour it out** and **spread it** evenly. **Take a photo**. Use the method mentioned above.
* **Or, leave it in the bin**. Take out **one cup full** of Lego, **count the parts**, determine how many cups your bin holds and extrapolate.

**Conclusion**: You're better off counting. While sorting out.

# Answer
> 1 votes
If the parts came from sets then you can search bricklink.com for the sets, and it will then tell you how many parts is in each set. It is then just a matter of summing them up.

If the parts are not part of a set then im afraid there is no easy way to do that, especically if the parts are quite varied.

---
Tags: size, weight
---


# Question
Title: I'd like to build a mechanism to press buttons on a remote control. What is a good basic approach to use?
I have a small remote control like device with about 11 buttons. The centers of each button are placed about 1.1cm apart, and each are about 0.7cm in diameter (this means about 0.4cm between the edges).

For various reasons, I'd like to use LEGO Technic to build a mechanism that can press these buttons.

What is a basic approach I can use to build this?

I've only got a few Lego parts on hand to experiment, and not enough to do anything with, so it's mainly been a mental exercise. Before I go out to buy more, I'd really appreciate some direction in what I can do, so I know what to purchase.

# Answer
> 1 votes
The simplest solution I can currently think of is to use a linear actuator to push the buttons down because they are compact, strong, and have a lot of pushing force.

You can either have one actuator per button or use worm gears to finely move the actuator over each button. This would have to move in both the X and Y direction however because the buttons are in a grid, which is a little more complicated but possible.

---
Tags: technic, building, motor
---


title: Run Code From PC

text:
# Question
Title: Run Code From PC
https://www.ev3dev.org/projects/2014/05/09/Python-Rubiks-Cube-Solver/

```
The other one gives a solution in around 20 steps, but takes around 500 MB of memory, so I need to run it on a computer

```

How do I run a code from my computer?

```
import socket
hostname = socket.gethostname()

if hostname == 'ev3dev':
    # We are on the EV3, import required modules directly
    import ev3dev.ev3   as ev3
    import ev3dev.fonts as fonts
    import PIL
    import os, subprocess
    ev3.Sound.beep().wait()
else:
    # We are somewhere else. Assume we are using RPyC:
    import rpyc
    conn  = rpyc.classic.connect('192.168.15.3')
    ev3   = conn.modules['ev3dev.ev3']
    fonts = conn.modules['ev3dev.fonts']
    PIL   = conn.modules['PIL']
    os    = conn.modules['os']
    getpass    = conn.modules['getpass']
    locale    = conn.modules['locale']
    #sys   = conn.modules['sys']
    namepc = getpass.getuser()
    name = (namepc.title())
    print(name)
    cv2    = conn.modules['cv2']
    subprocess   = conn.modules['subprocess']
    ev3.Sound.beep()

```

I've tried this code but to import cv2 takes around 2-5 minutes or shows "result expired"

# Answer
Yes, it is definetley possible on Ev3, even with the older mindstorms NXT.

This link should get you started: https://www.ev3dev.org/docs/tutorials/connecting-to-ev3dev-with-ssh/

Also instead of puTTY there is MobaXTerm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfhqZGFJd9A
> 1 votes

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Tags: ev3, mindstorms
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title: What is this piece? 2 axle and 1 pin?

text:
# Question
Title: What is this piece? 2 axle and 1 pin?
I've been looking around for this piece, google images etc, cannot find it. Any ideas on a part number?

# Answer
> 0 votes
I found it:

6632

It's the Technic, Liftarm 1x3 Thin piece.

---
Tags: part-identification, technic
---


# Question
Title: Any (small) Lego Technic parts not in whole units?
This is aimed at building a GBC module, not to reproduce an actual engine.

I need a piston type construction with stroke length of 3 units, which means a crankshaft radius of 1 1/2 units. Are there any existing LEGO Technic parts that will support this?

Edit: TechnicTechnician provided the answer - the technic cam (6575) proved to be exactly what I needed. In case my original question wasn't totally clear I've added a picture of the solution below.

The distance between the two crank axles is 1½L, which means that the other end of the connecting rod (point X) will move a total of 3L as the crank rotates.

# Answer
I assume you mean L when you say units?

Well anyhow, unless I'm misunderstanding, I would try these: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=6575

You can stack 3 of them up to get 1 and a half L

If you mean 3L long instead of 3L wide, this should still work because it has axle holes which is 1.5L apart, it also has axle holes that are 3L apart.

Search youtube/eurobricks for 'technic mini engine' / 'technic micro engine' for some ideas.
> 7 votes

# Answer
There's also this old piece that is not a full 1L offset

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=2853#T=P
> 2 votes

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Tags: technic, size
---


# Question
Title: How can body segments be moved to precise angles in snake robot?
I want to create an EV3 robot similar to this:

I've glanced at the mentioned papers. To me it seems that some simpler equations to govern the motors will work also.

I have 9 segments, articulated by 8 motors (two intelligent bricks daisy-chained).

I want the angles of the segments to be proportional to a sine. Doing some calculations in some graphing software, this should be sufficient to have the snake move in a wave.

However, there seems to be no robust, reliable way to set an angle on an EV3 motor. I have a MoveTo myblock, where I use the motor first as angle sensor, calculate the difference to the desired angle and then set the motor "on" for that amount. I also tried setting the power proportional to the difference. But I do not succeed is setting the angle accurate enough, it starts drifting or overshoots. I can't synchronize all the segments that way.

Is it feasible to attempt this in the graphic programming language that comes with the ev3 software or do I need to look to something more advanced?

Any hints would be appreciated.

Edit: Made some headway, rather than putting the motor "On" for a number of degrees, I simply place the motor "On" with a power proportional to the error between the measured angle and desired angle. Works good enough for now. This is the P in a PID-controller, adding an integration and derivative part might help. The problem I'm currently facing is the weight distribution, the segment that is the head of the snake doesn't have a motor and hence is much lighter. I need to find a better set of factors to multiply the errors with for each motor. I'm confident I'll succeed in this by trial and error whenever I find the time.

# Answer
You could use worm gears, or worm gears, or compound worm gears, because you can slow the rotation down as much as you want, which means you can have super fine rotation.

An extreme example of this would be the 120 years timer here

This uses a compound worm gear and spur gear train.

Worm gears also have a lot of torque in a small space.

if you want the snake to sway left but then automatically sway right then just hook do something like this but like the following:

The red pin goes to the snakes body which should 'sway' because of the linkages converting rotary motion into oscillating motion. just make sure that the other half of the snakes body is anchored to the motors housing other wise it will be a retarded snake :)
> 1 votes

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Tags: ev3, robotic
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# Question
Title: Was there ever a LEGO store in Miami International Airport?
I was lately in Miami International Airport (MIA), and there are many signs displaying their array of stores within the airport. One wall I saw was showing logos of the stores in a design way, not in a directory format. It had the news stands, M&M logo, and then I saw the LEGO logo. I have been searching it up, but I can't seem to find any recognition of a LEGO store being or once being in the airport. There had to be some sort of planning for that small, but pervasive logo to be in the airport. Note: I found a (bad) picture of where the logo is. I circled the logo to show you one place it is found. I only have found it on wall displays that look as such.

# Answer
> 9 votes
I couldn't find any mention of a full LEGO store in MIA on the web. Looking at the other logos that are recognizable I would guess that they don't represent full stores, but products available in the existing stores. I doubt Jack Daniels and Johnny Walker have free-standing stores in the airport. I don't see any sign that Jack Daniels has any free-standing stores.

There is a Mindworks Toys in MIA which probably sells LEGO sets. I'd guess that's the source of the logo for this sign.

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Tags: lego-store
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# Question
Title: Is there a way to restart a program with EV3?
I've got a program with a code lock, and I would like the program to restart when you enter the incorrect code. Does anyone know of a way to do that?

# Answer
> 1 votes
If I were you I'd use a loop inside the program. In this loop the prompt for entering the code would be displayed, then the user input would be read. Finally, the code would be checked and if correct, the proper action executed, otherwise a failure message would be shown and the execution would loop back to the start (display the prompt).

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Tags: ev3, mindstorms
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# Question
Title: Is it possible to dismantle and refurbish an original 870 Technic motor?
I have a couple of ancient 870 motors (the 4.5v ones) that run but don't sound great. I've looked for, but can't find, a guide on how to dismantle them. I'd like to either get in there and clean/lubricate them selectively, or perhaps even replace the motor element.

The end cap where power is supplied is clearly where they went together, but some gentle wiggling and pulling suggests there's probably some internal one-time assembly clips.

Is there a trick to get them apart?

**Edited to add:**

Further wiggling and poking makes me believe that unfortunately any clip is in the curved sides of the motor casing, which are very resistant to flexing. A thin blade passes into the top or bottom straight edges with little to no resistance.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Being very curious as a kid, I tried to disassemble one; from what I remember the cap where the plug goes in was sealed/glued quite firmly and not only was removing it a challenge; putting it back together proved nearly impossible. Maybe a more careful adult would have more success, but I wouldn't recommend it.

As for what's inside - two square metallic parts with holes are lodged in the cavity where they'll receive the plugs, and small copper brushes extend from them to contact the motor axle directly. So it's a custom build, there's not a motor in it as in the bigger train motors of the time that you could replace.

# Answer
> 2 votes
While it is important to keep old and rare Lego pieces in good condition; looking at the part in LDCAD, it does not look like there are any screws to take it to pieces, so I think it is internally clipped together, where such clips cannot be pulled back apart again after they snap in. Several Lego motors use these clips.

However since you cannot see them it is debatable weather it matters if they are broken/cut because you can probably super glue it back together and since the glue will be on the inside you won't see that either, but I will leave that risk up to you :)

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Tags: technic, motor, repair, cleaning, vintage
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# Question
Title: Can a v1 PF reciever power an XL motor and servo?
I have a v1 PF receiver but don't want to pay $35 for a v2 receiver and I was wondering if a v1 receiver can power a single XL/L motor and a servo.

# Answer
I just tried connecting an XL motor and a servo motor to a v1 receiver and yes, it works just fine. ( I knew it would anyhow :) )

The only thing that might be a problem is that some V2 receivers are not labelled 'V2' but are unlabelled like V1 receivers are. But I'm sure that I have still done this before V2 receivers even came out and it worked.

If you want the motors to be independent you must put them on separate channels of the receiver and have both the receiver channel selector and the remote control channel selectors to the correct channels in which the motors are connector.

V2 has slightly more IR range over v1 however I have heard that v1 has a higher output to the motors.

If you want the motors synchronized for whatever reason then you can put them on the same channel of the receiver.
> 1 votes

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Tags: power-functions, motor, electronics
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# Question
Title: Who produces these sets of Venetian gondolas, and is there more of it?
While staying in Venice, Italy, I came across a shopping window with what looked like a LEGO set of a gondola \- except that the familiar white letters in the red top left square said "IDEA" rather than "LEGO".

I failed to take a picture back then, but a picture is available e.g. in an expired online auction. The description on that page actually makes it sound like these were repackaged LEGO pieces from original sets or something similar. And someone else posted an even clearer picture, but without any description, on their Facebook page.

**What is this product? Is it a clone brand, or is it repackaged original LEGO? Or is it even a promotional set produced by LEGO that is, for some reason, not labeled "LEGO"? Is it part of a larger series that includes more sets?**

# Answer
> 11 votes
Apparently these are designed and distributed by a Venice shop holder, named Steve

http://havetwinswilltravel.com/2018/09/11/lego-shop/

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Tags: sets, clone-brands
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# Question
Title: How do I connect a LEGO wheel to axles so it can be powered?
I have a growing LEGO collection, which started with a lot of parts from the generic 10697-1 'LEGO Classic Large Creative Box' set. Sometime later, I bought a bunch of wheels, part numbers being: 55981 and 6014.

My question is, how do I connect these wheels to axles (e.g., 3706) in such a way that the wheel can be driven by power functions (e.g., by a LEGO motor/servo)?

# Answer
> 1 votes
Normally when wheels are powered using an axle they have an axle hole, whereas your wheels have a pin hole, and a 3mm mini pin hole.

So you should probably buy some wheels with axle holes anyhow, for future building.

However, in the meantime, there are tricks to driving parts which use a pin hole, for example, a lego 55981.

You simply use either this, or this and this

There is also a 2L pin version here or a 2L axle version here

There are other clever ways to do it too but this should be enough to get you started. I am not familiar with a way to drive the other wheels you mentioned unless I have forgotten a way, these are not really designed to be driven at all nor easy to be driven because they have a 3mm 'mini' pin hole, which fits into a 3mm 'mini' pin.

The reason I say 'clever' is because these friction pins act as clutches, if there is not enough torque required to drive the wheels then they will slip and rotate independently of the wheel.

If there is sufficient torque then they will grip the wheels pinhole and drive it.

This has both positive and negative effects depending on what you're doing.

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Tags: technic, wheel, motor
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title: How much to support a big model?

text:
# Question
Title: How much to support a big model?
Exactly, how many LEGO blocks would somebody need to support a model that weighs 30 pounds?

# Answer
1 . According to experimental results, a single Lego 2x2 brick can support about 950 pounds before failing.

This does not take the shape of the model into account - if you have a sharp point going down into the brick, it's probably going to fail a bit more quickly!
> 5 votes

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Tags: sets
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# Question
Title: Looking for an affordable high density storage solution for my individual bricks
As my collection of bricks is growing, my storage space is limited and I'm increasingly interested in doing my own MOCs, I'm looking for a high density storage solution to keep my individual pieces organized efficiently without spending a fortune on it.

The most interesting solution I've found so far is the PapiMax storage box set. However, the price of £85.96 (about €95 or $140) just seems way too steep IMO for only 8 boxes.

Can anyone here recommend a storage system that is similar to the PapiMax storage box set in terms of efficiency but more affordable?

Note that I live in Belgium, so a storage system only sold in the US is probably not going to be an option, considering the huge shipping & import costs that go with shipping from the US to Europe.

# Answer
> 7 votes
Very specific to your region (and mine):

The ALDI chain carries the following hobby sorting drawers from time to time (about once a year):

They are very cheap, about 7 Euro for each type and they are VERY popular with AFOLs in Belgium and the Netherlands. Unfortunately it is hard to predict when ALDI offers these and they are often sold out immediately.

# Answer
> 6 votes
Try "Iris storage drawer" on amazon.co.uk. They sell transparent drawers and boxes in several sizes. These (3 large drawers or 6 small drawers) cost about 30 pounds. They are similar to the system that Jangbricks in his LEGO parts tour is showing.

# Answer
> 2 votes
In this video, I made some boxes out of paper, which is a very cheap way. You can make them smaller or bigger when you want. They are not as stable as plastic boxes, but if you reinforce the bottom with cardboard, they are pretty stable. In this video, you can see my DIY shelf, made from plywood and some bars. In my country you can buy plywood and the seller cuts it if you want. The only thing I made by myself is cutting the 24mm x 48mm bar into 72mm long pieces and glued everything together.

# Answer
> 0 votes
You could also go to AVA and use cheap food containers - the 500ml and 1L microwave ones are quite popular. Nice for parts you don't use too often; but manipulating stacks of those can be cumbersome at times so you may want to build a frame in which to insert them, in which case they can work as makeshift drawers (for these you don't need to buy lids). Not ideal, but could be cheaper and it might be nice to have the same containers for parts you use often and those which are stashed away

# Answer
> 0 votes
Here, my mom found this useful when I had Lego bricks:

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Tags: storage, organisation
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# Question
Title: Metal Spring for LEGO MOC Simple Suspension
What is the most appropriate dimension (e.g. 20mm x 3.33mm, 5N/mm) of the metal spring for this LEGO MOC Simple Suspension so that it will not cause damage to the LEGO part surrounding it?

# Answer
> 1 votes
The inner space of the spring will be fine if you use an axle (4.8mm)

The outer space of the spring will be fine at 1L (7.8mm) and shouldn't rub against anything.

Here is a mockup of the spacing between everything, as you can see there is ample space between the spring and the orange pin joiners:

This shouldn't be a problem in your case but note that if the axle is rotating and the spring is compressed and is against a pinhole, the groove of that pinhole can cause the spring to uncoil and be damaged.

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Tags: technic, piece-information
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title: Is there a 2x12 size Lego Brick?

text:
# Question
Title: Is there a 2x12 size Lego Brick?
I am designing a rather large Lego structure and I could swear that I have used 2x12 bricks (not plates) in purchased sets. I know there is a 2x12 plate in existence but don't see any bricks online through Pick-a-brick or in the Digital Designer 4.3

However, in the Digital Designer program there are two (2) 2x8 bricks then a 2x10. So I'm wondering if maybe there is an error in the parts for digital designer, and there is actually suppose to be a 2x8, 2x10 and 2x12.

Thank you for your time. John

# Answer
There used to be 2x12 bricks a long, long time ago:

There are plenty of legacy parts that aren't included in LDD, and it looks like this is one of them.

This part dates all the way back to 1954. I don't think that they've been used in a set since then, and I don't think they were updated to use tubes on the underside or to not have slots in the end. I don't personally have any of these, but I'd also guess that they were never released made of ABS.

That's the answer to your question, but to help you solve your problem, it is often useful to use large Technic beams when building the framework of a large structure. These are long, sturdy, and can be pinned together to form very long beams. You could pin together 2 2x12 beams in order to get the brick that you're looking for. Technic beams come as large as 1x16, so you can create some really nice beams with these.
> 12 votes

# Answer
It seem there is no 2x12 brick, you can use 3 pcs of 2x12 plates...

I have found the modified 2x12 brick with pegs (47855).
> 3 votes

# Answer
Not to my knowledge. Sorry buddy.
> -3 votes

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Tags: piece-information
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title: Need help identify a piece

text:
# Question
Title: Need help identify a piece
It's some kind of tile with a bench shape.

# Answer
It looks like this, this, or this

Personally, I would say it's the 3L version in dark gray but it's hard to tell without a better picture of the parts on the page around it.

Hope that helped.
> 1 votes

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Tags: piece-information
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# Question
Title: How many Star Wars Storm Troopers have there been?
How many different storm-troopers are there in the LEGO Star Wars sets for the entire timeline?

# Answer
Based on the LEGO wiki on Fandom, there have only been 7 different variants of the plain white Stormtrooper minifigure since they were introduced in 2001 (plus one Chrome-Silver variation).

If you also include Clone Troopers, Sand Troopers, Snow Troopers, Scout Troopers, and other such armored soldiers from the Star Wars universe, that number would be much, much higher (also see 'Variations' at each of the links above).
> 3 votes

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Tags: part-identification, minifigures, star-wars
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# Question
Title: What is the piece and piece number of the rocket launcher accessory this Joker figure is holding?
He is holding a rocket launcher type piece that I cannot identify. What is the piece and piece number of the accessory this figure is holding?

# Answer
> 7 votes
6195916: Function Element, Female

+

306226: Round Brick 1X1

makes:

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Tags: part-identification
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# Question
Title: Identify Lego set from a partly-built object with a handle and colored yellow, white, and black
I found this partly-built object in a box of jumbled LEGO.

What set did it come from?

# Answer
This is the incomplete lawn mower from

3315-1: Olivia's House
> 5 votes

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Tags: set-identification
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# Question
Title: Identify Lego set containing a trailer with light-blue & purple color theme
This looks like some kind of trailer with light-blue & purple color theme.

From what set is this come from?

# Answer
Yup, good guess.

Comes form *Set# 41026 Sunshine Harvest*.
> 5 votes

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Tags: set-identification, friends
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# Question
Title: Has LEGO ever been used in an assembly line or a manufacturing process?
With LEGO Technic and LEGO Mindstorms becoming ever more sophisticated, I wonder if it has ever been used in a real commercial setting to automate parts of an assembly line or manufacturing / research process.

There are several fun / nonsense assembly line videos on YouTube like a LEGO Car Production, a Paper Plane Machine, and of course the Great Ball Contraption. So it would definitely be up to the task, but has it ever be done?

# Answer
> 5 votes
Here are a few examples of LEGO being used for practical and useful purposes I remember seeing. I'm sure there are many others:

Some LEGO liquid-handling robots and experiments for STEM education and research: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2001413

Here, MIT is using LEGO for micro-fluids: http://news.mit.edu/2018/microfluidics-lego-bricks-0131

There are several examples of LEGO used for prostatic research and development, like this one: https://www.wired.com/2015/07/lego-makes-everything-bettereven-prosthetic-kids/

And here is a LEGO Braille printer developed by a student: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/01/20/braille-lego-printer/22055135/

# Answer
> 1 votes
Probably not exactly what you were looking for - but Lego did help make Google get off a good start

https://royal.pingdom.com/original-google-setup-at-stanford-university/

http://infolab.stanford.edu/pub/voy/museum/pictures/display/0-4-Google.htm

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Tags: mindstorms, technic, manufacturing
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title: Alternate builds for classic space sets

text:
# Question
Title: Alternate builds for classic space sets
I'm looking for a full list of the alternate builds on the boxes of Classic Space. Any ideas?

# Answer
> 1 votes
It looks like someone has 'reverse engineered' them from the box images in this eurobricks thread.

Hope that helped.

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Tags: space
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# Question
Title: How can I use the Flex Tool easily on LDD?
On LEGO Digital Designer, I find it very hard to move the piece being flexed to the correct position.

Are there any tips or musts that I should try to help me flex it into clips etc.?

# Answer
> 1 votes
This eurobricks thread has several LDD tricks, some of which use the flex tool.

Please be aware however that LDD can easily crash from using the flex tool or the hinge/hinge align tool.

There are other tools to flex parts but they are not as simple to use as LDD's flex tool.

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Tags: ldd
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# Question
Title: Can anyone identify these 4? (Extra 1x3 brick for scale)
I found these in with my old LEGO while sorting for my daughters, hardly been used in around 30 years, some came from my great granddad. What are these red things without studs for?

# Answer
> 9 votes
These are Part bb300 Garage Door Counterweight - Old without Hinge Pin

from Part # 822ac02 - Garage Door Solid Assembly - Old (Hinge Pins on Counterweights - Both Sides)

which belongs to

Set #435-2: Garage Plate and Door (The Building Toy)

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Tags: part-identification
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# Question
Title: Spik3r wheels move but the spik3r itself doesn't
Our Spik3r's wheels move but the Spik3r itself does not move. Please see the picture of the back of the vehicle - is it somehow incorrectly built?

# Answer
You just need to flip the small motor the other way!
> 5 votes

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Tags: ev3, mindstorms
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# Question
Title: ID for Off-Brand 1x1 Round Plate, Stud on BOTH Sides (1 is Hollow)
I have a round 1x1 plate (from a blind by-the-pound secondhand sale) with a male stud on both sides of the plate, no female holes. One stud is hollow, the other is solid with a large "C" and a smaller "3" next to it, similar to a cubed notation (superscript). I think it might be C3, (Create, Construct, Customize), but I don't know how to find individual parts for that brand.

So what is it from, and how can I get more? These things are amazing for inverting directions!

# Answer
> 3 votes
I don't know this exact brand, but please note that Mega Bloks (now Mega Construx) has those male/male studs. They appear in many of their sets and come in many different colors. They are exactly one plate tall, just like the one you have on your picture. The Mega version has a hole going through the middle to accommodate any bar shaped piece, which makes them even more useful!

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Tags: part-identification, clone-brands
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# Question
Title: Duplo rail accessory compatibility with older trains
Are the new Duplo rail accessories, like #6225521 and #6225519 (appearing in, for example Duplo #10872: Train Bridge and Tracks; #10874: Steam Train; and #10875: Cargo Train) compatible with older Duplo trains (for example, #10507: My First Train Set and #10508: Deluxe Train Set)?

# Answer
Physically, these parts are compatible. They simply rest in between the rails. Various elements have made use of the space between the rails for years, such as points:

Older trains don't have any way to understand the function elements and respond accordingly, but they won't derail or anything like that.
> 3 votes

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Tags: trains, duplo
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# Question
Title: Stuck on "Installing rootfs" when installing leJOS on the brick
When following the instructions for creating an SD card with leJOS, the brick freezes when it comes to the screen “Installing rootfs.” I'm using a new 32 GB SanDisk SD card. I've confirmed that I'm using the appropriate version of the Java runtime, and there are no error messages at all.

# Answer
> 5 votes
I was able to fix the problem by creating a smaller partition on the SD card. (The idea came from this forum post; it was not necessary for me to buy a different SD card, despite what many people say there.) Using Windows 10, I was able to create a 4 GB partition with the “Computer Management” utility. After that, I used the `ev3sdcard.bat` utility again, and the installation completed successfully.

I do not know whether some intermediate value between 4 GB and 32 GB would also work. The forum posts I read suggest that 4 GB will be plenty of space.

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Tags: ev3, lejos
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# Question
Title: How can I remove old LEGO bricks that are stuck together?
Brought my childhood LEGO sets from 1970's and 80's for my kids. The pieces attach much tighter together than sets purchased recently.

Can something be done to loosen the attachment without damaging the bricks?

# Answer
> 6 votes
Try using this brick separator tool

Source: https://shop.lego.com/en-US/Brick-Separator-630

A simpler version used to come with older sets. Some of the images demonstrate how the tool may be used with different kinds of pieces.

Source: http://www.philohome.com/remover/remover1.htm

Two brick separators may be used for maximum separating efficiency for certain types of stuck brick situations.

For example, when two plates are stuck together:

Alternatively, using it as a lever to remove tiles

Source: http://thebrickblogger.com/2010/11/lego-brick-separator/

# Answer
> 2 votes
(@emagar has done the editing asked by moderator)

Leverage does the trick with no need for spacial separators or tools that might damage LEGO plastic. Use a long brick as lever, a smaller brick as wedge. Attach the wedge slightly towards the center of the lever. Plug the stuck brick to the space left free, in contact with the wedge. Apply diagonal force to release the stuck brick. Quite amazing.

```
 _________________________
 |________________________|  lever
     |__|  wedge

           ___
   ________|__| stuck brick (seen sideways)
   |          |
   |          |
   |__________|

     _________________________
     |________________________|
  ____|__|__|<-here  force |
 |          |              V
 |          |            here
 |__________|

```

See https://youtu.be/KbJV90f6GpM

Try using this technique, fast and easy!

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Tags: cleaning, disassembly
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# Question
Title: What techniques can be employed to build a low-profile sliding door/wall?
I'm looking to build a sliding door or wall that doesn't use the defacto "sliding door" parts, 2874 and 4511. These parts are almost usable for my design: they are thin and have a built-in stopper when using the corresponding "door rail" parts 32028 and 4510. Unfortunately, they are too tall.

Is there a technique to slide a plate, tile, or panel without resorting to using part 30586. I don't think I have the extra width needed by this part in my design.

# Answer
Have you tried using "bricks with groove" ?

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/search.page?q=brick%20with%20groove#T=A
> 3 votes

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Tags: building
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title: Identify LEGO set. Star Wars?

text:
# Question
Title: Identify LEGO set. Star Wars?
Trying to figure out what this set is from a large bin I bought.

# Answer
> 6 votes
This is from Set # 75076-1: Republic Gunship

Keypart : Cone 2 x 2 x 2 - Open Stud in Dark Red

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Tags: set-identification
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# Question
Title: Brick Wall psychology: PAB cup filling strategy?
Since I don't live next to a LEGO store I don't often have the opportunity to stand in front of a Pick A Brick Wall. Recently, I filled my large PAB cup for the second time. When I browsed the wall, I found several pieces that fit into my current (or near future) projects. I was aiming for small parts, since the price on Bricklink would be at least some cents each.

Here comes the question: I needed some trans-clear 1x2x2 panels. I took some, walked back and forth, put some more into the cup, and ended up with 43 (!) of them. But I was sure that I only had 10, maybe 15. Am I crazy? How can I so dramatically underestimate the number of those panels? Do you know in advance what to put into the cup? What is your PAB cup strategy?

The picture shows the filled cup.

And this is the pile of the mentioned panels:

# Answer
> 5 votes
# My Pick-A-Brick Strategy:

1. Are you interested in building this months' model? If so you should pick out all of the parts for that first. Put the big pieces in your cup now. Hold the tiny pieces until you're ready to fill in gaps.
2. Put things together that probably belong together like turntables. This is key if you don't want to end up with more of one half than the other.
3. Stack blocks and other things that stack naturally. This can take a lot of time while you're in the LEGO store, but it is worth it if you are trying to squeeze all of the wasted air out of your cup. Having things stacked from the store will also make it easier to sort out your cup when you get home.
4. Fill in the remaining spaces with small things like LEGO "dots". The dots are great for filling in air gaps in your cup. You will almost always find some colored dot on the wall. And they also come in handy when building.
5. Ask for your lid to be taped so it will make it home without spilling all over the car, bus or train.
6. It is good to decorate your cup while you've got it at home so there's no confusion at the store about whether your brought the cup from home or not. Sharpies or other permanents markers will personalize your cup for a few years.

Good luck!

# Answer
> 8 votes
You aren't crazy. In my experience, the PaB wall ends up having only a handful of parts that I'm really interested in, so I end up getting a lot of certain parts.

I find myself walking back and forth adding the same parts that I know I already have a bunch of just because nothing else looks particularly interesting to me.

Several years ago, I filled up a small PaB cup and ended up with 62 of those trans-clear panels, so you're at least doing better than me. :)

In terms of strategy, I've found it helpful to check the inventories in advance and decide if it's going to be worth having a cup full of those parts. At this point, I usually don't fill up a cup unless there is a part that I don't mind having a whole lot of (e.g. 1x2 bricks in a rarer color that I like). If I fill up a cup it tends to look more like this now:

# Answer
> 4 votes
Everyone has different strategies because everyone builds different things. Last time I went to the lego store I got almost all of the same color(orange) because I wanted to make a decoration in my room. I also picked up some parts I thought I would use in cars. Other people might be thrilled to see pieces that can be helpful in landscaping. One thing that is consistent is the fact that the smaller the piece the less air you buy. If you can see a gap I would put studs to fill the gap to make the most out of your cup. Also, the store I go to in Castleton will tape your cup shut if it is over flowing(don't be rude and make it way above the brim). The divot in the top of your cup isn't just for decoration. It can hold a little bit of bricks. I personally never plan my visit to the Lego store around the PaB wall, but sometimes you can score a deal, especially since there isn't shipping like bricklink or ebay.

# Answer
> 4 votes
My strategy usually goes something like this:

1. **Bring a pick-a-brick cup from before!** If you ask, they may give you a $.50 discount on the price for not taking a new cup (at least in some US stores).
2. Set aside what I need before I put anything in the cup.
3. Determine how to assemble them into small-ish structure that will fit in the cup.
4. Find some little filler pieces that can go in between the assembled chunks.
5. Make sure the bottom ring is full, as the larger pieces will not go down that far.
6. Start layering up the levels of structures and fill in the spaces between with filler pieces. Because the cup gets wider at the top, assembled structures usually fit best in layers.
7. When you get to the top, build something to fit in the top of the can, and put the lid on.
8. If the lid doesn't fully snap into place, they usually don't mind and will tape the lid on.

Tip: If you want to buy multiple cups, you can empty the first one out into a bag. Then you can reuse the cup and get the $.50 discount again. Or if you have them, just bring multiple cups (may be store dependant).

# Answer
> 4 votes
They always have more pieces than displayed. Ask for Pick a Brick selection baseplate. They will have all available pieces attached to a 32x32 baseplate in the back. Staff can bring you pieces you need and aren't displayed on the wall. I recently got a cup full of light grey 1x2 masonry bricks perfect for the castle Im building.

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Tags: shopping, pick-a-brick, lego-store
---


# Question
Title: Is there a way to convert stud.io files into LDD files?
Is there a way to download stud.io files from Bricklink and convert them into a format that Lego Digital Designer understands?

# Answer
Yup.

* Both programs (*Stud.io* and *LEGO Digital Draw*) can read the *LDraw* extension (\*.ldr).

Overview:

* I'm using *Windows 10*.
* I have NOT ungraded to the *Stud.io 2*, but I think it shouldn't matter in this case.
* In *Stud.io*, we will be exporting the file into the \*.ldr format.
* In *LDD* we will be importing a \*.ldr file to be readable in *LDD*.

The Method:

1. Download ".io" file from *BrickLink* to your *PC*.
2. Open in *Stud.io*. and export save as a .ldr file. (File \> Export As \> Export As LDRAW...)
3. Open *LDD* and import file. (File \> Import model) Here you will also have to toggle the file format, \*.ldr, you wish to import.
4. Find your \*.ldr file and get to modifying.

Know Annoyances: Ghost Switching 1x4 Bricks. Tubeless vs. Tubes files.

The final leg is to order your model through *Bricklink* via *Stud.io*, but *Stud.io* can't recognize the default tubed version of this 1x4 Brick. So, you'll be saying to yourself, but I've never used this tubeless version in my build, so what gives?

Apparently, the conversion into the *LDraw* format changes tubes into tubeless. This is annoying becasue it's not immediately clear why you're not able to find sellers for 100% of your wanted pieces, not understanding that a switch happened early in the conversion process.

Just a heads up. In *LDD* you could search for these 1x4 tubeless pieces, and manually switch them out to tubed then re-save the file, or just mentally note to add the proper amount of tubes pieces in *Bricklink*. Either method is just as annoying as reading this brick of text...

See ya!
> 5 votes

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Tags: design, compatibility, ldd, bricklink-studio
---


# Question
Title: How to build a waterproof roof out of LEGO blocks?
How would Lego blocks be tiled to provide a water proof roof against the rain?

The lattes or internal support structure of the roof doesn't have to be also made of Lego. Basically the tiles on a roof would be replaced with lego in such a way to be waterproof where the glue holds them together but isn't the water barrier.

# Answer
Since you are willing to use a non-LEGO frame to hold the roof and glue to fix all together, I would recommend buying baseplates in bulk and gluing them onto a wooden frame as if they were shingles. If the gradient and the overlap (vertical between rows and horizontal between individual plates) are correctly matched, the rain won't get inside.

For more resources on professional shingle roofing see these links:

https://www.iko.com/na/pro/building-professional-tools/roofing-101/how-to-install-shingles/ https://www.wikihow.com/Lay-Shingles
> 5 votes

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Tags: building, instructions, water
---


title: Help identify these sets/bricks

text:
# Question
Title: Help identify these sets/bricks
Some of these are sets and some are bricks. Sorry if the quality is bad, I can't get any other pictures.

Please note: 3 and 4 seems to be from the same build, although I cannot fully verify that.

# Answer
> 2 votes
**01)**  *Bionicle* piece ???

*Part #98141 Minifigure, Weapon Crescent Blade, Serrated with Bar*, with an updated and correct answer provided by site member Phil B.

**02)** *Part #4150 Tile, Round 2 x 2*.

**3 + 4)** Hails from *Set #76109 Quantum Realm Explorers*.

The yellowed outlined pieces in **3** and **4** is *Part #17485 Brick, Round 2 x 2 with Pin Holes*.

*HERE's* a *Youtube* speed build on the piece breakdown/buildup of this design look you're interested in.

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


title: Legoings quality concerns

text:
# Question
Title: Legoings quality concerns
Can anyone tell me about the quality of Legoings? I'm considering a purchase from China. I can't seem to find any reviews on this clone brand. Thanks, John

# Answer
Legoings seems to be the reincarnation of LEPIN, which had some of its factories (or more like sweatshops judging by the published pictures) raided late April this year (2019). Expect quality to be similar, with the usual disregard to workers’ conditions, quality and safety of materials and foremost intellectual property rights of others (TLG and MOC builders in the LEGO community).

I predict it will be shut down in due time as well. I strongly discourage buying their products for the above reasons. Also note that a collection tainted with bootleg bricks will have very little value to a collector, unlike proper LEGO sets.
> 7 votes

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Tags: clone-brands
---


title: What is this minifig/minidoll?

text:
# Question
Title: What is this minifig/minidoll?
I found this minifig or minidoll.

What is it and where is it from?

I tried asking the people in the store, but they didn't know, and I couldn't find much by searching since I don't even know what type of minifig it is.

# Answer
That is Jack Stone, a figure AFOLs love to hate.

from 4617-1: Dual Turbo Prop
> 8 votes

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Tags: minifigures, minifigure-identification
---


# Question
Title: Bionicle sets with staffs identification
I bought this series of 4 lovely small monsters/gods at a garage sale.

Body, arms, legs and hands are made of Technic and are studless.

Help me to identify:

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

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

# Answer
> 2 votes
These are indeed Bionicles

Green: 1418: Matau

Blue: 8543-1: Nokama

Red: 8540: Vakama

I think the last one is 8542: Onewa, with the mask of 8545-1: Whenua

more information on the Bionicles theme and the story line from Brickipedia
the Turega have a page on the Bionicle Wiki

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


# Question
Title: How to describe a building set which is like LEGO without using the "LEGO" word?
We are sellers of building toys like LEGO online. But their website does not allow using the word "LEGO" directly to describe the products. Are there any other words that could describe the building sets like LEGO? It seems that LEGO is the representative of all kinds of building sets.

# Answer
The usual phrases I've seen include some mixture of the following:

* Universal interlocking bricks
* Modular building system
* Plastic construction toy blocks

and so on...

But don't forget adding "Compatible with leading brands" if it is indeed the case :)
> 20 votes

# Answer
The answer can be closer than you think. Quoting from the Bricks help page:

> Bricks is a question and answer site for LEGO and **building block** enthusiasts.
> 8 votes

# Answer
...actually it’s a highly sophisticated interlocking brick system

source Lego Movie Quotes on WIkipedia
> 5 votes

# Answer
I have seen the sentence "Compatible." in product descriptions. When you are selling interlocking plastic toys, you can assume that everyone knows what this means.
> 4 votes

# Answer
Have a look at this items (first and second) and their descriptions: `clip-on blocks` and `Building Block` respectivly.
> 2 votes

---
Tags: shopping, clone-brands, terminology
---


# Question
Title: What are the common quality issues seen in collectible minifigs?
TLG is currently seeking specific feedback on what quality issues may be present within the Collectible Minifigures line so that these issues can be addressed. What are the common issues that you have seen?

It would be most helpful if answers could include detailed photos or data to support issues. For example, if there's an issue with color consistency, a comparison photo would be helpful. If there's an issue with clutch power, data would be great. I'll pass the feedback on to TLG by sending a link to this question once it gets some solid answers.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I own a lego movie 2 minifig (flashback lucy) and the head piece is much harder to turn then usual, but that might just be because it's brand new.

---
Tags: collectable-minifigures, quality
---


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

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

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

# Answer
I could imagine that this design was chosen to take care of slight angular missalignment of the tracks at the peak of the bridge (the two parts are not exactly in a straight line but slightly bent at the joint). I cannot confirm whether this is possible, because I don't own these parts, but I think for easy assembly and disassembly they have to have a little bit of wiggle room.

The problem in this situation could arise when the train passes the joint, the tracks are not in a straight line, the gear rack reaches directly up until the end of the two tracks on both sides and the solid axle in the train forces the two gear parts on both wheels to be aligned to each other, but the gear rack on the tracks would shift, forcing one side to raise up, putting the wheel teeth on top of the gear rack teeth.

This is only a good guess, but I could imagine in combination with a heavy train this could lead to the train not moving any further because the wheels are again and again slipping out of the gear rack.

The chosen design prevents this because the teeth only need to grab on one side while the other side has a some time to align to the "new direction" again.
> 7 votes

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Tags: trains, duplo
---


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

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

# Answer
> 4 votes
In many ways, this subtheme is a new implementation of fairly old idea.

The specialized elements in these sets are the cannons and the arrows that are fired out of them. These elements were first introduced in the Competition subtheme in the late 90s. Here one example set (8233 Blue Thunder vs. The Stinger):

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

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

While the cannon and arrow elements are fairly non-standard (though by no means rare having appeared in around 100 sets over the years), the other mechanisms involved simply make good use of common System and Technic elements.

For example, here's how the mechanisms that launch the Speeder Bike and Ewok in that set are implemented:

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

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Tags: star-wars
---


# Question
Title: Is it possible to use the Dexter WiFi Sensor with Robot C?
My wife bought me a Mindstorms NXT system a few years ago and I bought a Dexter WiFi sensor for it, by the time I got a chance to work with it, I found out the sensor had been "retired" and that the sample drivers no longer worked with the new versions of Robot C?

Has anyone managed to edit the drivers to a working state with Robot C 4?

# Answer
> 1 votes
According to the dexter website, there is sample robotC code which means, yes you can use the Dexter WIFI sensor with robotC. Maybe there are robotC libraries for it in the download section on that website.

This forum thread also loosley states that you can use the Dexter WIFI sensor with robotC

Hope this helped.

---
Tags: nxt, wi-fi
---


# Question
Title: What is the Airport Shuttle logo meant to symbolize?
The Airport Shuttle set features what is apparently supposed to be a logo of the Airport Shuttle monorail system, both on the train itself and prominently on top of the city stop (and possibly in more places). It looks like a capital letter **T** in front of a circle.

**Is there any information available as to what this was meant to signify?** I.e. is it meant to symbolize anything about the set (a cross-section of the airport stop?), or is it modeled after a real-world symbol of a comparable transportation system?

# Answer
First of all, here's a slightly enhanced, upclose image of the logo.  My best guess is that it's meant to represent a railway T-Intersection as seen below.

I believe this is especially possible, considering how the **T** tapers down to the bottom, similar to a railway T-Intersection.
> 2 votes

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

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

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

The surefire way would be to follow the "chain" of mechanical parts from the motor along the gears and axles. As far as I can remember the gearbox is not that complicated or hidden that it would be easier to dismantle and rebuild than to peek inside (maybe after removing some of the decorative panels). So turn on the motor and see if the gears and axles leading to the selected function are moving. Of course if the selected function is working correctly, you can assume that specific chain is complete and correct, so no need to analyze.

Or just operate all functions for a while each and any gear that did not move during this time must be disconnected from the motor.

Another way would be to locate the source of the clicking sound and seeing if that area is built up according to the instructions, as it would be the prime suspect. My model has once experienced a problem with the three parallel grey universal joints connecting the top and bottom halves (which are assembled quite late in the process) where the insert of one of the joints came loose and was turning in its sleeve without transferring any motion but producing a clicking sound. So maybe check that too.
> 1 votes

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Tags: technic, gears
---


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

# Answer
> 15 votes
I believe you forgot a critical step in the instructions, namely step 84:

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

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Tags: technic
---


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

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

# Answer
> 6 votes
If you mean the different designs (paved road, beach, grassy park) creating a continuous landscape that seamlessly flow into each other, no, that's not the case. However, each of the playmats is double sided with different but compatible designs. So, you could make the paved road, beach, and grassy park longer by purchasing extras of the same landscape and using both sides to create variety. (You would need two 2-packs of the same set to take advantage of all four printed sides.)

While the different landscapes don't fit seamlessly with each other, you could make it work by placing some structure or additional brick-built landscapes at the seams to hide the lack of continuity. For example, between the paved road and the beach, you can place a row of houses on top of the seams to blend the landscapes.

# Answer
> 4 votes
As TheBrickBlogger said, they don't tessellate seamlessly on every side, but they are in fact designed to be used together, at least as shown in the instructions in the LEGO xtra polybags. Each polybag seems to feature a different layout with a unique combination of sides of each playmat piece as well; for instance, here's what's on the other side of the instructions for 40311 Traffic Lights and 40312 Streetlamps:

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

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Tags: compatibility
---


title: LEGO Technic Interface A

text:
# Question
Title: LEGO Technic Interface A
A few days ago, a friend offered me one set 9750 LEGO Technic Interface A with the Interface Card and Cable (IBM compatible) but without software.

Can someone share the installation software (LEGO Lines, LEGO TC Logo or Logowriter Robotics) or where can I download the original software for IBM PC-DOS??

# Answer
> 3 votes
This link to a google drive ZIP file seems to be the ISA card installation documentation and PC-DOS application you are looking for.

More information on using the LEGO Technic Interface A with an Apple II or Commodore 64 can be found here.

# Answer
> 3 votes
The software for Technic Interface A is said to be the same for the lego DACTA interface (aka 'interface B').

Try this download link for lego DACTA control Lab

This eurobricks thread may also be of some use

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Tags: technic, software
---


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

# Answer
This isn't currently available.

The Powered Up team responded to a question about this in May 2019. The gist is that they were able to say that the removable battery holder in the hub was designed with a future rechargeable battery in mind. This can also be inferred directly from the design:

They cited several reasons that this isn't yet available, including TLG's strong commitment to product quality and safety, particularly in a product like this that would involve a direct interface to mains power for recharging. The challenges of localizing the charging adapter to all markets was also mentioned.

The team didn't provide a release date, but there was a sense that this would be coming at some point.
> 4 votes

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Tags: powered-up
---


# Question
Title: Could not open serial port or USB device, RCX on Linux
I am trying to use my old RCX 2.0 set on Linux (Xubuntu). The problem is that when I try to download the (official) firmware into the RCX via the command:

```
nqc -Susb:/dev/usb/legousbtower1 -firmware ./firm0332.lgo

```

I get the error "Could not open serial port or USB device". Note that:

* There is a module for the USB tower corresponding to my Linux kernel,
* The USB tower is recognized as `/dev/usb/leogusbtower1`,
* I changed the permissions with `sudo chmod 666 /dev/usb/leogusbtower1`,
* When I do `echo "Hello!" > /dev/usb/legousbtower1` the tower blinks,
* My version of NQC is 3.1 r6 from the Ubuntu repositories,
* The tower works like a charm in a Windows XP virtual machine.

Because of the list above, I don't understand why I can't communicate with the RCX yet. Can somebody help me? Thank you.

# Answer
New here but I just had the exact same problem you did, I can't be 100% sure this solution will work for you, but given that I also used the ubuntu repo version of the software I imagine it will.

Around the web I found the syntax you use -Susb:/dev/usb/legousbtower1...but I don't think this actually works (beyond the -Susb part).

What I ended up doing was simply using -Susb, but the *important* part is that you not have legousbtower1 at all, but rather legousbtower0. To achieve this you can remove any usb device that gets enumerated before the usb tower from its slot, then reconnect the usb tower before reconnecting the other device. (it's probably a keyboard or a mouse, and it will be shown in the /dev/usb/ directory, possibly as a usbhid or human interface device). If this is not possible then you can probably find another way to enumerate it first, but that is beyond the scope of my answer.

The following is **untested**: My guess would be that the patch applied in the article here https://pbrick.info/2013/10/configuring-the-lego-usb-tower-on-linux/ does allow for the syntax you tried, but the version built for the repo simply hardcodes the path to /dev/usb/legousbtower0.
> 2 votes

# Answer
Just as an aside you can also do the following:

sudo ln -s /dev/usb/legousbtower1 /dev/usb/legousbtower0

That worked for me, and my challenge now is that there is no firmware :-)
> 4 votes

# Answer
All this above wasn't working for me. A short analysis with strace command showed that nqc called with -Susb:/dev/usb/legousbtower0 wants to open /dev/legousbtower0. Though a symbolic link solved the problem. I'm using fedora30, nqc version 3.1 r6.

PS: try to use -S/dev/usb/legousbtower0 wasn't successfull because then nqc seems to believe that device is a normal serial device.
> 1 votes

---
Tags: mindstorms, programming, rcx
---


# Question
Title: Difference between The Lego Group and LEGO Systems A/S
I am not sure what LEGO is called currently. Is it still The LEGO Group or is it LEGO Systems A/S or is it both? What is the difference between them?

# Answer
LEGO explains its ownership here https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/lego-group/ownership. Also available from that page is the annual reports. Last year's annual report has a list of all the various subsidiary names by country (see last page of https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/lego-group/annual-report/). It appears 'LEGO Systems A/S' is the company name for the Denmark arm. So there are a lot of names and nuances and it depends in what context you want to refer to it - and how exact you need to be. The LEGO Group would be the right name to use in most fan (rather than business/legal) contexts.
> 2 votes

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Tags: lego-group
---


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

# Answer
> 3 votes
While I wasn't able to find a way to export the videos via the application UI, I was able to locate these at the following path on Android: `/data/data/com.lego.moviemaker.thelegomovie2/files`

On my device, there were mp4 movie files located here along with a few other files. These can be moved around like any other file, and play just fine using VLC or other media players. You likely need a rooted device to access these.

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Tags: software
---


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

# Answer
That's a Technic Knob Wheel (32072):

https://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=32072&in=S

It's not especially rare, but hopefully it will help you to narrow down your set identification search. Feel free to ask other questions if there's anything that we can do to help out.
> 4 votes

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Tags: part-identification
---


title: Are these 1x1x5 and 1x2x5 bricks LEGO?

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

# Answer
> 7 votes
These are the Blocked Open Stud variants of

Part # 2453a : Brick 1 x 1 x 5 - Blocked Open Stud or Hollow Stud

and

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

# Answer
> 0 votes
Yes, they are hollowed stud 1 x 1 x 5, and hollowed stud 1 x 2 x 5 bricks.

---
Tags: part-identification
---


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

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

# Answer
That looks like the "Electric, Light & Sound 4 x 20 x 5 Insectoid Stinger, Top". The part number is **x239top** on bricklink. It was only in 4 sets in *1998*. The whole Insectoids product line was terminated less than a year later.
> 10 votes

# Answer
It is a "Electric, Light & Sound 4 x 20 x 5 Insectoid Stinger, Top" from the Insectoid line.
I always wanted one of those sets.
> 2 votes

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Tags: part-identification
---


title: NXT Sensors not working

text:
# Question
Title: NXT Sensors not working
I'm looking for advice. I pulled my Mindstorms 8547 kit out of storage and started to play with it after several years of inactivity.

I found that the Color Sensor, the Ultra Sonic Sensor, and the position read back on motors all do not function. I downloaded the latest software and firmware version 1.31.

Any idea what is going on? Do I need to go back to a previous firmware version to get things to work as they did originally?

Any advice is appreciated, thank you.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Check for 5V on the two middle pins of the motor connectors (plug a cable into the brick, no motor on the other end, and measure volatege on the contacts of the open other end). NXT/EV3 have separate power to all the sensors, if there's a short (failed capacitor or similar) or the power chip failed then the brick will still work, but the sensors won't get power.

# Answer
> 0 votes
This honestly just sounds like a faulty cable. See the NXT cable pinout below. If wire 5 or 6 is damaged it will cause digital I2C sensors to fail. This includes the color and ultrasonic sensors, but not the (analog) touch sensors.

Also, according to this source, pin 5 and 6 are also used for the motor encoders. So damage to 5 or 6 will cause rotation feedback to fail.

This sounds exactly like the issues you are having. The solution? Try a different cable to confirm that the issue is a faulty wire, then (optionally) buy new cables from here.

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

The 61927 actuator.

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

The gearing, stripped.

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

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

EDIT: For clarity, this picture shows how each of the key gears spin in this setup.

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

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Tags: gearing
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# Question
Title: How do I run the LEGO Technic V6 engine using a Lego electric motor?
I am not into LEGO, don't know anything about it, so I will try to be as specific as possible.

My goal is to spin the LEGO Technic V6 engine (preferably at some realistic RPM's like thousands).

Since I can't combust air and gasoline inside, my simple idea was to run it with LEGO electric motor from LEGO Technic Power Functions Motor Set 8293.

Obviously, I need to connect them somehow and make them run. I don't have any other LEGO pieces available. What do I need to buy (the minimum) to get this running?

Here's the type of V6 that I'm referring to:

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

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

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

Most Technic motors aren't especially fast (~400 RPM). If you want an RPM up in the thousands, you'll need at least a couple of gears as well.
> 1 votes

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Tags: motor, battery
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title: Identify which set these parts are from

text:
# Question
Title: Identify which set these parts are from
Help identify if these parts belong to a set.It was donated to us and it would be great if we could use instructionsto build

# Answer
> 5 votes
These parts are from

75202-1: Defense of Crait

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

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Tags: set-identification
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