title: How should I store unused stickers?

text:
# Question
Title: How should I store unused stickers?
What is the best way to store stickers for future use? I have some unused LEGO sticker sets in plastic bags. The one on top in the bag has become brittle and is flaking.

# Answer
Think about what causes the stickers to deteriorate:

* Heat loosens the bonds in the glue, which results in stickers peeling.
* Exposure to natural light will cause the colours in the stickers to fade over time. Unlike LEGO bricks, stickers fade faster under natural light.

With those points in mind, keep stickers in a **cool, dry, place away from sunlight** like in a cupboard or drawer. Zip lock/food bags are also helpful for organising stickers which is why they can also be used to store instructions and catalogues.

Stickers transferred from the sticker sheet onto other surfaces will also be affected by dust, oil and any other particles that will affect the lifespan of a sticker. Make sure the surface is clean and dry before applying stickers.

You can use a hairdryer to easily remove stickers from bricks.
> 13 votes

# Answer
Another option may to be store them inbetween the pages of a heavy book. This would have the advantage of keeping them flat, as well as cool and dry. The book would need to be kept dry as well, as if the pages got damp they could stick together and make it impossible to get the stickers out.

The downside is that you'll need to remember which book it's in...and that the book doesn't get lost or sold.
> 8 votes

# Answer
We always put them in a archive folder. The quality from LEGO stickers also varies quite a bit. I'm puzzled that LEGO doesn't always seem to go for that quality materials.
> 1 votes

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Tags: storage, stickers
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# Question
Title: How does the remote control on the 9398 4X4 Crawler work?
Been looking for a good option for creating a remote control car but it seems Lego released an "official" way via the 9398 4X4 Crawler but it's expensive. How does it work? And that's really two questions . . the "how" as in the mechanical part and the "how" as in, does it feel like a regular remote control car? Supposedly there are a few new technic parts in this kit according to this site which I assume are to make it act like a regular remote control car.

# Answer
> 5 votes
You'll want to read the TechnicBricks review of that set, which is quite detailed.

In short, there are two new motor types; one of which is a servo motor used to control the direction. As the remote used is the usual on/off one, it means you'll be able to steer right or left, but with no granularity (you can also go straight ahead, of course). The other motor is a regular one, but again the lack of granularity on the remote means you can't modulate the speed of the car.

TechnicBricks also has an article dedicated to the two new motors themselves.

Having never really used remote controlled cars, I can't say how it compares to the real stuff. I suppose the lack of speed regulation can be a problem, but you should be able to build a better remote using the IR Speed Remote Control .

Edit: according to LEGO the new motors will not be available separately before march 2013, which I suppose means they **will** be available separately.

# Answer
> 3 votes
It is built like a regular RC car, there is a two channel remote and receiver combo with outputs for a motor channel and for a servo channel. The steering is done with two separate servos (S Motor, as Lego calls it), which are connected in parallel to the receiver.

The remote is a tiny two channel affair with two side-by-side levers that move front to back, like a tank control. One of these is (crudely) converted into a wheel type direction control, which you turn forward or backward for direction control.

The RC system uses infrared, not radio, so you will have to point the remote towards the vehicle.

This whole remote setup might be the biggest letdown with regard to the feel of a proper RC car. That, and maybe the performance of the drive motor.

As far as I know, the radio can be switched to four different channels.

I don't own the set, I just read the build instructions available at Lego

There is a video of the vehicle in action at Frequency. OMG! They puts the precious in the sand and waters!

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Tags: technic, remote-control
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# Question
Title: Can I control 2 NXT bricks from a computer using bluetooth at the same time?
I am thinking about starting a project involving controlling the movement of a mindstorms robot depending on some input from a Kinect device; however the robot will require at least 6 motors. I have access to 2 NXT sets\* (provided by university) - is it possible to control both bricks using either one (or two) bluetooth dongles? I've read through the Bluetooth SDK docs but they only mention that a master NXT can control up to 3 slave NXTs. Reading through the protocol spec I see no reason why another NXT could not be controlled by just sending it "direct control messages". Can it be done in a simplistic way without having to make my own low level bluetooth api?

# Answer
Yes, this is definitely possible! You can connect up to 7 different NXT devices from one computer and one Bluetooth dongle (theoretical limit). I have tested this with the RWTH - Mindstorms NXT Toolbox for MATLAB) successfully with 5 NXTs on Linux and with at least 2 NXTs on Windows.

In real life, it depends on your Bluetooth hardware. Your Bluetooth stack or driver software should provide several serial COM-ports. You can then connect each virtual serial port to a seperate NXT device, and access them via those different serial ports.

If you go the direct way via the official LEGO NXT Bluetooth SDK you mentioned, you can retrieve different handles to multiple NXTs.

Oh, and for the record: You can also connect multiple NXTs via USB, and you can also mix and match with Blueooth.

Regards, Linus
> 10 votes

# Answer
The RWTH documentation about initiating connections has a sub-chapter called "Using multiple NXTs" which can be found here: PC to NXT Communication - Using multiple NXTs

The C++ communication from norgesgade14.dk claims to support: "Open and close connections with multiple NXT units" on its overview page.

So it should be possible to do this, though I can't confirm since I only have a single NXT. I suspect that you only need one dongle though.
> 3 votes

# Answer
Those answers above do all work. If I were looking for fast speed, I would probably use USB, however if you robot moves around, then bluetooth is probably the best solution (the slowest thing in the loop is the NXT anyhow :P). If your Bluetooth hardware on your computer supports multiple devices, then simply address each associated COM port per device.

After reading through the bluetooth direct command PDF provided by LEGO however, it's written fairly poorly and leaves the user asking a lot of questions or messing around with certain commands for a long time. There is a great writeup here that goes over the commands in an easier, more understandable, and thorough way: http://www.robotappstore.com/Knowledge-Base/Programming-LEGO-NXT-Mindstorms/92.html I recommend checking it out as it goes over a whole host of command types.

Hope this helps!
> 3 votes

# Answer
I've used RWTH and vouch for its effectiveness. However, if you don't have MATLAB, don't know how to use MATLAB, or just want an open-source solution, you can use the Perl module for controlling the NXT over bluetooth.

http://search.cpan.org/~collins/LEGO-NXT-2.00-1/lib/LEGO/NXT.pm

It's quite simple to use and provides very thorough control. Best of luck!
> 1 votes

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Tags: nxt, mindstorms, programming, bluetooth
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# Question
Title: Lego Mindstorm NXT cannot connect via bluetooth
I have an NXT mindstorm brick, running RobotC firmware. I am trying to connect to it, via bluetooth. At first, the problem was that I had the motorola drivers instead of ones from microsoft. Even after uninstalling he motorolla drivers and replacing them with stack microsoft drivers, the NXT cannot be found by the PC. Is there a way to fix this ?

# Answer
> 2 votes
I assume you've tried this, but hopefully it will help someone. Make sure that your computer has been added to the brick's trusted devices **and** your brick has been added to your computer's trusted devices. I haven't got the link to work with "anonymous" devices before; you need to go through the process of entering the PIN.

# Answer
> 2 votes
Also - check what device you are working with. I know the iPhone doesn't recognize the NXT because it's not an "officially supported" Bluetooth device. The only way to get your iPhone or iPod to work is to "jailbreak" them. I'm not too sure if this extrapolates to all apple products either.

I would agree with the user above. Revert to the original firmware that came on the NXT and try to connect with it. I would add that if you can't connect, I would also try USB or another device. Your computer you are using to try to communicate with might be having issues with Bluetooth.

O yeah, and if it works I would just recommend using a compiler that just sends NXT native direct commands down to the device (C# with Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio for example, or VB.NET). That way you don't have to mess around with the NXT firmware.

For a great comprehensive over-view of the bluetooth (and USB) direct NXT commands, there is a great writeup here: http://www.robotappstore.com/Knowledge-Base/Programming-LEGO-NXT-Mindstorms/92.html I would recommend checking it out as its much better than the one that LEGO provides!

Hope this helps!

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Tags: nxt, mindstorms, bluetooth
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# Question
Title: Are the molds for LEGO bricks maintained in house or is maintanance partly outsourced?
I'm a maintenance engineer myself and busy with my MBA courses with the following strategic question: what maintenance can be outsourced or not. I was wondering if Lego does all maintenance of the molds in house, as the molds are the core of the product and the essence of what makes LEGO unique.

# Answer
> 9 votes
Moulds are maintained in-house.

As you say, the moulds are at the very core of the business of the LEGO company and are thus treated with all the seriousness you can imagine. Considering also that some moulds are in effect trade secrets by themselves (especially for parts which aren't publicly known yet), LEGO wouldn't want any of them to exit the company. (It's been said that retired moulds are embedded in concrete of new buildings, but that's probably an exaggerated version of "they are destroyed".)

If I remember correctly, National Geographic's reportage on LEGO (in a serie on ultimate factories) showed some very interesting insight on the moulding process, including the making and cleaning of moulds, which I'm certain will be interesting for you. You can find these on YouTube; in particular, watch the interview of one Finn Kirkegaard at the beginning of part 2. You'll also notice that these things are absurdly heavy, which would make the transport of them an issue too.

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Tags: manufacturing, 3rd-party
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# Question
Title: How can I power an NXT motor without the NXT brick?
I know almost nothing about robotics, so I was wondering how can I power the nxt motor without using the nxt brick, and how can I send signals to it?

# Answer
I think the simplest way is to use an NXT Converter Cable (Available from Bricklink). This has an NXT connector on one end and the standard 9v connector on the other. You can connect the 9v connector to any 9v battery box, (e.g. Battery Box with Switch (9V)) and, depending on the polarity, power the NXT motor forward or backward.

Now, the issues:

* The speed of the motor is determined by the strength of your batteries. With new batteries the motor will run at full speed and you have no ability to vary this speed. Off/forward/backward are your only options.
* There is no way to receive feedback from the motor, so no way to control the number of rotations as you can when connected to an NXT.
> 4 votes

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Tags: nxt, mindstorms, programming
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# Question
Title: Will my LEGO bricks discolor in indirect sunlight?
I have a bunch of new LEGO sets because of my new status as an AFOL. I've got them sitting on the dresser in a room that gets indirect sunlight (see below). There is no direct rays hitting the LEGO sets. Do I need to worry about discoloration?

Here are some pics of the room:

# Answer
> 20 votes
I have to disagree somewhat with the other answer in that I do not think it is quite as cut and dried as a simple "no".

There are several factors to consider:

* How old is the glass in the windows in the room? Older glass tends to be less effective at UV diffusion/blocking though really if the glass has been made in the last 50-70 years it's probably fairly safe for UVA, but not necessarily UVB. UVB does not discolor things as quickly but still has an effect. Part of that as well is how many panes are there. Older and/or less expensive windows tend to have fewer panes while newer and/or more expensive windows tend to have more panes and thus more filtering.
* What type of glass is in the windows? If it's just plain clear glass then there is less protection then mirrored, tinted, or specifically UV filtering glass.
* (Possibly most importantly) What is the exposure for the windows in the room? If the windows in the room get a lot of direct exposure (Southern exposure in the Northern hemisphere/Nothern exposure in the Southern hemisphere) then there will just be more UV coming in and thus more discoloration over time. If the room doesn't have a lot of exposure then there will be less. Your pictures seem to indicate that you might not have a lot of direct exposure, but it's hard to tell and even partial exposure (morning or evening light) can make a difference.
* Are there some predominant colors being displayed? Some colors, notably White, seem to discolor more noticeably over time. So if you've got a lot of white on display don't plan on it staying pristine for long if you've got a lot of direct exposure in that room.

That all said if you're really worried about it then run some tests to find out. Make a few small stacks of bricks in a few common colors, for example pairs of 2x4 bricks in White, Red, Bley, and Black. Try and make sure you use parts that are very similar in quality, age, and color at the outset. Then place the stacks in various locations. One on the window sill, one on your chosen display location, and one in a closed and opaque box somewhere away from heat sources. Then check on them every couple of weeks and see what results you get. If you haven't seen an appreciable difference between the stored stack and the one in your display area after a month or two you're probably fine. Comparing them against the one in the window sill might even tell you if you'd be safe closer to the window in that particular room. Adding stacks in other locations would just give you more data points to make determinations.

If you do run the test, I would *love* to see the results. Latitude would also be useful for calibrating your results with what someone else might expect to some extent. :-)

# Answer
> 3 votes
I once built a white piggybank that was standing in a room for several years, also with indirect sunlight. It was discolored to a yellowish color after a couple of years. As @Nathan said, white is more affected (at least more noticable) than other colors. The window in the room had UV filter (although maybe one of the first that came on the marked, so not sure about the quality...).

@Zaph commented that his white bricks are evenly discolored over time anyway, but I am seeing that the piggybank bricks are yellow on the outside, and white on the inside where it's not exposed to light.

# Answer
> 0 votes
i have had a big box of legos in my room for about 2-3 years now. they are right near a window which gets the hot after-noon sun. i have seen no discoloring, and have been "legoing" ever since i was in diapers. the only bricks which you should worry about are maybe megablocks. these may dis-color. of course that is just my opinion, and some other people's legos may have dis-colored, but mine have not.

but, this may confuse you, because there is a difference in color between "old" lego bircks and "new" ones. the older ones will have a slightly yellower color than the new ones. this is not because of age, however, it is because Lego has changed the color slightly for the molds.

# Answer
> -3 votes
The main reason for discoloration is the UV-part of sunlight (for *everything*, not just LEGO). Normal glass filters out a lot (almost all) of this, so even direct light through a window isn't a real problem - and even lesser with indirect light.

At least, a litte bit of bleaching will happen every time, but the only way to avoid that would be to store LEGO in a very dark and cold place, which is... boring.

Conclusion: **No**, you don't have to worry about discoloration as long as you don't put your LEGO outdoors for a long time (some weeks/months/years).

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Tags: storage, preservation
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# Question
Title: How did the LEGO Duck become a classic icon?
The LEGO handmade wooden Duck was released in 1935, long before the LEGO Brick was created. Many other wooden toys were made which can be seen in The Lego Museum, the duck however features in books, LEGO's yearly progress report as well as being made into a model out of LEGO bricks!

I can't find any history of the Ducks being sold on eBay, judging by its age, sentimental value and low production rate it must be a priceless collector's item.

# Answer
> 12 votes
I sent the question to LEGO customer support and they replied:

> The LEGO Duck became a classic icon because it was the first LEGO toy ever to be released.
>
> We do not have any lists of where would sell this product however I imagine it would be sold at some antique markets or antique shows so keep a look out!
>
> We do not have any idea for how much it is worth as it is priceless in our eyes and not sold by LEGO any longer. It also does not have a set number which may be why it is hard to find on the internet.

# Answer
> 5 votes
As said by Ambo100, the duck was the first toy produced by the company. This animated short story has a short glimpse of the duck in the design process by Ole Kirk Christiansen.

The film is very interesting as an introduction to the origin of the LEGO company. Click the image below for the full film:

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Tags: history, wooden-toys
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title: How Can I paint my LEGO Bricks?

text:
# Question
Title: How Can I paint my LEGO Bricks?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> How do I change the color of a brick?

Is there a way that I can paint a white LEGO brick? I would prefer paints that will not come off easily.

# Answer
Years ago for one of my projects. I used some acrylic paint to match something with the rest of the building. It can be done. But removing the paint is going to be a pain in the tail feathers. The parts never did look right after that. So I advise against it.
> 2 votes

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Tags: customization
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# Question
Title: How many hours of travel does it take to wear out LEGO monorail tires?
I've seen some pretty impressive LEGO tire driven/cushioned monorail displays that put miles of wear on the track and the train cars that ride on it.

I'm hoping a monorail expert can tell me (about) how many hours of travel do you get out of the rubber monorail train wheels before you have to replace them?

Do you have to use something to clean the tire marks off the track, or does it wipe away?

# Answer
> 7 votes
I went to Brickcon 2012. I asked Joe Meno about his red Monorail and he was most helpful. He flipped it over to expose the undercarridge and he was able to show me LEGO tires with fifteen hours of running time. The tread does indeed wear off and the tires actualy begin to split. The rubber doesn't cling to the rails themselves, but residue does begin to accumulate below the tracks. The ease of clearing the area of the tire debrie all depends on what you have built below the track. It can be blown clear, or wiped away. These two sizes of tires were used to run Joes train. ...The tread on the driven tire is beginning to wear down. ...and you can see the non-powered wheel has begun to separate.

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Tags: piece-information, trains, cleaning, wheel, monorail
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# Question
Title: How can I make a Lego heroica scale gladiator arena?
Sorry all my questions are about heroica, but this needs to be easy so that I can build in a few mins. I will make gladiator micro figures as well, if someone can make a **Lion** too!

# Answer
Let's assume that the Heroica figures are exactly half the scale of the normal LEGO minifigure. That would be roughly 1:100. At that scale, 1 meter would be roughly 0.75 studs long or the height of a standard LEGO brick.

Now let's convert the Coliseum dimensions:

* Height: 50 meters ~ 50 bricks high
* Length: 189 meters ~ 142 studs
* Width: 156 meters ~ 117 studs

To calculate the real dimensions of this LEGO construction, let's remember that a brick is 9.6mm high and the distance for 1 stud is 8mm (= 1 stud radius + the distance between two studs).

Using these values we get:

* Height: 50 bricks = 480mm (~18.9 inches)
* Length: 142 studs = 1136mm (~44.7 inches)@
* Width: 117 studs = 936mm (~36.9 inches)@

@*Those two distances are calculated by multiplying 6.4mm with the number of studs, and then adding 1.6mm for the last little bit of beam left after the last stud.*
> 5 votes

# Answer
You're going to need a lot of pieces. And I don't know if you are talking about making it for your game boards or for your minifigures. I, the LEGO know-it-all, will help you out. I have made a ton of things, including a LEGO to-scale tennis court. That was fairly easy and I made it in about 3–4 hours.

So, if you want to make an arena, you first have to make a square- or circle-sized, box-like base with walls. Make four walls and put them all together as if you were making a house.

Then, make some stands. These will be supported by poles or stacked bricks ot have the height over the wall. This will take a lot of pieces, but very basic ones. What you want to do is use long skinny 2×12 or 2×10, or any longer plank, and 2×4 bricks, and you will want to build some seats or bleachers with those. I will upload a pic of those soon.

Then, you want to kind of make a roof over those bleachers. And of course you also want some entrances and maybe a gate or tunnel. Then you can use the bear from LEGO forest police, make some chariots, and have fun.
> 0 votes

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Tags: building, heroica
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# Question
Title: How to make Mindstorms respond differently, depending on which sensor is triggered?
I am new to Mindstorms (but in my day job I am a programmer).

I want to make my robot do one thing if the touch sensor on port 1 is pressed, and do something different if the touch sensor on port 2 is pressed.

If nothing is pressed, I want it to keep driving straight ahead.

I can see how to tell it to drive along until one of the sensors is triggered. I.e. "drive along until sensor 1 is pressed", but I can't see how to say "... until either sensor 1 or sensor 2 is pressed".

In answer, it would be great if you could:

* tell me the blocks to use
* give me a screenshot of a program
* link to a program which has a similar effect

# Answer
> 4 votes
I believe one possible answer can be found in the sample program for the color sorter in the Mindstorms control software. The technique that kit uses is to create a series of nested if/then loops:

```
if (Color == red) {
  //do red things here
} else {
  if (Color == blue) {
    //do blue things here
  } else {
    if (Color == green) {
      //do green things here
    } else {
      if (Color == yellow) {
        //do yellow things here
      } else {
        //default actions here
      }
    }
  }
}

```

Using this as a template, you could use a structure like:

```
if (Touch Sensor 1 == Pressed) {
  // Special Action 1 (i.e. turn left)
} else {
  if (Touch Sensor 2 == Pressed ) }
    // Special Action 2 (i.e. turn right)
  } else {
    // Default Action (i.e. drive forward)
  }
}

```

Hope this helps - I don't have quick access to the Mindstorms environment right now or I could set up a quick screen shot. I can only refer you to the ColorSorter program in the samples.

# Answer
> 2 votes
It sounds like you will need to create an infinite loop block to constantly check which touch sensors are being pressed and if not, carry on with whatever instruction you wish. The loop block can be found under the flow category:

I recommend you read through the instructions (listed under Help \> Contents and Index... in the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT software).

# Answer
> 1 votes
You could also have 3 different concurrent tasks - one which is you main "go forward" program, and two others which listen for sensors and do things accordingly.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I had exactly this question. Based on Matthew's answer, I got this working. Here is a screenshot of the My Block I created to do this: TwoSwitch.

TwoSwitch sets one of two variables to true: `Pressed 1` or `Pressed 2`. You can then act on those values using tests. Here, I'm looping until button 1 is pressed. If button 2 is pressed, I play a sound and get another button press.

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Tags: nxt, mindstorms, programming
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# Question
Title: Why did the dark grey color of bricks change?
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> What is the bley (blay) color?

15 years ago there were 2 shades of grey - light and dark grey bricks. Some years ago, hue of new produced dark grey bricks shifted towards blue a little.

Did anyone else noticed the change? Why did it happened? I live in Central Europe, can it be change in distribution (factory changed)?

# Answer
> 5 votes
(I can't believe this hasn't been asked yet, so I'm still looking for a duplicate.)

In a nutshell, yes, everybody noticed and it was actually one of the biggest consumer backlash the LEGO company had to endure. Fans vowed to never play with LEGO again, and so on. The fact that the LEGO company did the change unannounced, and even happily mixed both palettes in some sets, didn't help. Then they said the new colours were there to stay, and nowadays I'm not sure there are many fans left holding a grudge against this (apart from the ones who did really quit the hobby, I suppose, but then they aren't fans anymore, are they?)

And no, it wasn't a matter of factory change but a deliberate change to make the overall palette more satisfying and attractive for children, who are the target consumers of the LEGO company. Case in point, kids nowadays don't know about the old grays, and don't usually care.

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Tags: colour
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title: Will Lego repair a bad motor?

text:
# Question
Title: Will Lego repair a bad motor?
I have the Electric Technic Micromotor:

http://www.peeron.com/inv/sets/5119-1

and it simply won't come on. I seem to recall at some point someone telling me a long time ago, that if you sent parts to Lego, they'd repair them. Do they have a warranty or lifetime guarantee? How would I go about getting it repaired?

I also have several of the Electric Technic Mini-Motor 9v, probably about 8-10, and three of them aren't working. Anyone have any success fixing those?

# Answer
> 11 votes
The LEGO customer service does provide replacements for defective parts, but only for parts which are still in production. Sometimes you'll need to send the broken part back to them. They don't repair the parts as such, just replace them.

As for the micromotor, you're out of luck as it's not produced anymore. They might provide another motor as a replacement, but that's not going to help you much.

Your next option is to buy a second-hand one, for example on Bricklink (service pack or motor alone)

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Tags: technic, motor, repair, replacement-parts
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# Question
Title: What are the exact dimensions of a DUPLO brick?
The dimensions of LEGO brick are documented well, but what about DUPLO bricks? If have only found the general statements that DUPLO is twice as large as LEGO but no exact numbers. What about the thickness of walls and the space that must be subtracted at each side (0.2mm for LEGO), is it also just doubled?. If you compare the bottom of a LEGO 2x4 brick and a DUPLO 2x4 brick, there are also additional small walls that I have not found documented.

---

*Update:* Some dimensions of a DUPLO brick can be derived from the dimensions of a LEGO brick, which have been documented by Robert Cailliau among others:

Above and below a DUPLO 2x2 brick one can put two LEGO 2x4 bricks (or four 2x2 LEGO bricks). The outer walls of such stack seem to align perfectly, so the **width** and **length** of a DUPLO 2x2 brick is equal to the width of a LEGO 2x4 brick, which is **31.8mm** (32mm-0.2mm). By putting DUPLO and LEGO side by side, one can also see that the DUPLO **height** without studs is twice of the size in LEGO (**19.2mm**). The LEGO studs below the DUPLO brick touch DUPLO walls, so DUPLO **wall thickness** is the same as LEGO wall thickness (either before spline walls were introduced to LEGO bricks or LEGO wall thickness plus the length of LEGO splines), which is **1.5mm**. The DUPLO **tube height** is the height of the brick minus the height of a LEGO stud (which is somewhere between 1.6mm and 1.8mm). I'd better use the larger value, so the tubes start 1.8mm above the floor of the brick. From the top, LEGO tubes fit into DUPLO studs, so the **stud inner diameter** should equal to **6.51mm** (8\*√2 - 4.8$). But if you carefully look inside a DUPLO stud, this fitting is only achieved by four additional lugs that give a minimal inner diameter around 6mm to facilitate snapping into.

The remaining dimension include:

* stud outer diameter
* stud height
* tube inner diameter (but DUPLO tubes are not fully circular inside on a closer look!)
* tube outer diameter (also occurs at some other elements for instance as stem at #6510)
* spline length

Spline length can be derived from wall width and stud outer diameter. Tube outer diameter and stud outer diameter can also be computed from each other. So basically three dimensions are left to be explained. Comments and insights are welcome how more of the remaning dimensions can be derived from standard LEGO/DUPLO dimensions.

# Answer
> 16 votes
For the short answer, Duplo studs are indeed taller than twice the height of a Lego stud. And don't rely too heavily on measurements you get from ldraw (and not just for Duplo).

For a really long-winded history on this...

First, note that when I authored the original Duplo parts I never actually measured them with a ruler or calipers, as there was no need. The ldraw system assumes "perfect" dimensions in terms of other ldraw parts, so you typically measure parts by comparing them to other Lego pieces. By this measurement, Duplo in ldraw (not counting the studs) is exactly twice the size of Lego. In real life, any part is slightly smaller than the nominal measurement so that you can slide two parts next to each other without them hanging up on each other. Duplo parts seem to be about twice as tolerant in this way, so I'd guess that in real life also the outer dimensions are very close to twice the size.

Some time in the 1990's, Duplo studs were changed. They were made taller, and the inner hole got larger (making the stud walls thinner). They also added bumps to the inside of the stud hole. The ldraw Duplo stud has the taller height of the new stud and the perfect roundness and dimensions of the old stud hole.

Regular Lego bricks used to have smooth internal walls, and the ldraw bricks still look like this. Duplo bricks always had "splines" that run vertically along the inside walls for Duplo studs to clutch. Regular Lego studs clutch against the outer wall of the Duplo brick instead. This is how studs of different sizes can both fit into the underside of a Duplo brick. Around (2003?) Lego started making the walls of regular Lego look like Duplo bricks. I assume this is a cost-cutting measure where they now use less plastic to mold the walls, but now have splines like Duplo so that the walls are the old thickness in the places where studs need to clutch.

So... Duplo wall thickness is the same as Lego wall thickness from before 2003 or so. It's 4 LDU (ldraw units) if that helps. For reference, a plate is 8 LDU high without the stud, and a 1x1x1 brick is 20x20x24 LDU without the stud. Studs in ldraw are 4 LDU high, but that is totally inaccurate. Non-hollow studs are clearly more than half the height of a plate, and the real height of regular studs should be more like 4.25 LDU.

Be very wary of the measurements that you get from parts converted from ldraw format to POV-Ray. L3P scales each part down just a little bit to let POV-Ray show edge lines.

There is no simple real-world conversion from ldraw units to inches or centimeters. For more info on that, see my lugnet post from 2001: http://news.lugnet.com/cad/?n=5284.

Primo is another story...

# Answer
> 6 votes
This is not a full answer, but the Free Art and Technology Lab seems to have carefully measured a DUPLO brick as part of the Free Universal Construction Kit. The parts are made available as STL file, for instance

Maybe someone knows how to get the precice dimensions from the STL file. There is another DUPLO brick at Thingiverse which seems to be less precise. At least one can get the numbers from the OSCAD file.

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Tags: piece-information, size, duplo
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# Question
Title: What are the electrical properties of electric LEGO systems?
Several electric LEGO systems exist:

* LEGO Trains
* LEGO Technic Power Functions (PF)
* LEGO Mindstorms (in several versions)
* ...?

How do these systems differ in electrical properties and which systems can safely be connected? I am especially interested in the number of wires (2 or more), the Voltage level (V), and the average and maximum current allowed (A).

# Answer
> 26 votes
This is a big question, but here's an overview of the main electric systems.

## 4.5V (1966 - 1986)

The original 4.5V system worked with 3 x 1.5V C cells. It was produced between 1966 and 1986 and was used to power motors and lights in a wide variety of trains, technic, basic and even DUPLO sets.

## 12V (1969 - 1993)

Coexisting with this system, **a 12V standard** for LEGO Trains was introduced in 1969 and produced until 1993. The power was supplied by DC Transformer. There is no electrical compatibility between 12V and 4.5V components, and the higher voltage can damage the lower-rated parts. In addition to motors and lights, an assortment of other 12V accessories were available such as automatic switch points. The 12V system had two wires or three wires for track switches.

## 9V (1985 - 2008)

**9V** became the LEGO standard in the early 90s. There were several different power sources, such as a single 9V battery, 6x 1.5V batteries and a DC Transformer (used exclusively for trains). The 9V system is electrically incompatible with either the 4.5V or 12V systems, but as I understand it, 9V components are electrically compatible with each other. 9V was a 2-wire system. Philo's web site provides electrical details of a variety of 9V motors.

The first generation of Mindstorms, the **RCX** generation, was again based on 9V. The original 1.0 version could be powered using a 10V DC transformer, but later versions took 6xAA batteries. It used standard LEGO 2-wire 9V connectors. When powered, the sensor inputs can supply power (at a bit less than 9V). More details of the electrical characteristics of these ports can be found in Claude Baumann's Making Your Own RCX Sensors. The same sensor interfaces were also used on the earlier and less well-known Lego DACTA Interface B but unlike on the RCX powered and unpowered sensors used different ports on Interface B (this is why powered and unpowered sensors were different colours).

The **RC** system was introduced in 2006. The RC system uses 9V components but generally includes a remote and a chunky RC brick that peripherals can connect to.

## Power Functions (2007-2021)

**Power Functions (PF)** use a 4-wire system, the outer two wires providing power and the inner two control functions. Once again, it is nominally a 9V system, although it will cope with some variation to accommodate various types of batteries. For example, the 88000 AAA Battery Box uses 6 x AAA to supply up to about 9.6V and up to 800mA current, depending on the batteries used, whereas the 8878 Rechargeable Battery Box delivers 7.4 V at up to 1.1A (?).

Lego sold an extension/adapter cable that can be used to supply old 9V devices from a power functions source. It can also be used to supply ordinary power functions motors from an old 9V source but not to supply power functions IR receivers or server motors. See Does the LEGO "Power Functions Extension Wire" (8886) work in both directions between old 9V and new Power Functions devices? for more details.

## Mindstorms NXT and EV3 (2006 - 2021)

The Mindstorms **NXT** system is a 6-wire system. Two wires retained the 9V motor and sensor systems from the RCX while the other four provided tachometer functionality on the motor ports and a digital sensor interface on the sensor ports. This system was available from 2006 to 2013.

The Mindstorms **EV3** uses the same 6-wire connectors as the NXT but additional functionality and an auto-detect system were added. Unfortunately in doing this, they broke compatibility with 2-wire devices. EV3 was available from 2013 to 2021.

Lego sold an adapter cable for going from the NXT to the old 9V connector. This allowed old 9V motors and RCX sensors to be used with the NXT. It also allowed NXT motors to be powered from a 9V source (obviously losing the tachometer functionality) and the NXT touch sensor to be used with RCX or Interface B. Unfortunately, this cable doesn't work correctly with the EV3.

## Powered Up (2016 - Present)

Begining in 2016, products across all product lines began using the same electrical standard. This change began with WeDo 2.0 and eventually grew to include Trains, Technic, and Mindstorms.

This system goes by many names, including **Powered Up**, **Control+**, **LPF2**, **WeDo 2.0**, **BOOST**, and **Robot Inventor**. Hubs and peripherals from these systems are generally compatible with one another.

This system includes hubs that can be controlled via Bluetooth, allowing apps to control most sets.

Electrically, this system is still 9 volts, but the connector and signalling are not compatible with any of the previous 9v systems. An adapter has never been produced to connect this system with older components.

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Tags: mindstorms, power-functions, electronics, powered-up, 9v
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# Question
Title: Getting the IR Tower working with RCX and RobotC
> **Possible Duplicate:**
> Lego Mindstorms RCX RIS 2.0 IR tower Windows 7 / Windows XP driver

Trying to get RobotC to work with my old RCX 2.0. I'm running windows 7 64 bit. I've connected the IR tower via a Serial to USB cable. I get the error from RobotC when I go to send the firmware "RCX Controler Failed to Respond"

I'm assuming this is because the drivers are for 64 bit only. Has anyone had success running a WindowsXP virtual machine and trying the drivers? Or any luck getting RobotC and the IR tower running on a Win7 64 bit machine.

# Answer
> 1 votes
Please see this question: Lego Mindstorms RCX RIS 2.0 IR tower Windows 7 / Windows XP driver Basically there are no 64bit drivers available and the OP on the question I linked to says he had no luck with an XP VM either.

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Tags: mindstorms, rcx, robotc
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# Question
Title: Making or buying a really long Power Functions cable
I'm working on a train layout and have built 2 automatic switches for the switch track. Each switch track is powered by M-Motor. I'd like to connect the 2 motors to a single IR receiver and battery pack with 6 AAAs. Unfortunately the longest extension cable I can find is 20 inches. I need a much longer cable than that; more like 8 feet. Is there a limitation to the length? Is it possible to make or buy such a cable? I'd like to avoid adding more Power Functions equipment if possible.

# Answer
As the PF plugs are specific, the simplest thing to do is to buy a short extension cable, cut it in half and solder another cable in the middle. Current in PF cable can be pretty high, so to avoid too much drop it's best to avoid thin cable, I recommend 0.5mm² of copper section.
> 6 votes

# Answer
I found two independent tutorials how to create electronic contacts compatible with the original Lego contacts, which are located at two knobs of a 2x2 brick:
> 0 votes

# Answer
Two not-so-good (but where no LEGO parts are harmed) solutions for the sake of completeness:

* You could daisy-chain a few extension cables; if you just need the one long cable in one instance it'll do the trick.
* You could use older 9V cables (the longest being nearly 10 feet long) and converter cables. A bit awkward for a PF-based system, though.

I've been using both solutions when displaying GBC modules, as the placement of modules is always different and the length of the cables isn't fixed; but since the power source comes from a 9V transformer, it makes more sense to use also 9V extensions before converting to PF.

I'm not sure this would be the best solution for you, but it all depends on circumstances.
> 0 votes

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Tags: power-functions
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# Question
Title: Building a full-size lamp using LEGO bricks
On an episode of the TV show 'Home by Novogratz' they featured a real, working lamp that was made out of LEGO bricks. More specifically, the creator surrounded an existing lamp with the bricks, glueing them as he went.

Does anyone know if there are any plans for such items available - lamps, or other furniture items?

And are there any sites etc. out there that could provide guidance?

Any help appreciated. I've used LEGO since I was knee-high, but this is a new project for me.

# Answer
The lamp is made by LEGO artist Sean Kenney. Along with some other items, he sells the lamps on his website. They are available in a range of styles and colours, but they are quite expensive.

Since he is selling the lamps I think it is unlikely the plans are available, although the pictures on his website are quite high resolution so you may be able to replicate the design. (I have no idea about the legality of such though).
> 14 votes

# Answer
Here you go. These are the things needed to build a Lego lamp. How to build it? Well......use your imagination......
> -2 votes

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Tags: building
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# Question
Title: Tools to aid in getting parts from tight spots?
As a builder of some semi large scale projects. I find that I can't always get that dropped part because my arm is either not long enough. Or my hand is too big to reach in and get it. Anyone have any suggestions as to tools one could use to get those lost parts?

# Answer
I use a simple reverse tape at the end of a stick
> 11 votes

# Answer
There are a wide variety of grabbers and pick up tools on the market, primarily aimed at the accessibility, automotive and electronics markets. Some of these would work well with LEGO.

For larger parts, I've had good success with this one:

I've got a small version of something like this. It doesn't work well for larger parts, and I'd be concerned that it might scratch the bricks. However, something similar might work depending on your scenario:

Other tools like long-handled pliers or even scissors can be used - with care - to extend your reach *just enough* to grab things from awkward places.

Alternatively, some sort of sucking tool could work to pick up rather than swallow up parts: I would be interested to try a hoover with a mesh over the nozzle to see if it could still pick up bricks. You could even try sucking bricks up with a straw as long as you're *sure* they're too big to actually pass up the straw and become a health hazard (not to mention the potential loss of a precious LEGO brick).

Finally, a true LEGO-head should only consider a proper LEGO solution: you should fashion a grabber from Technic components:
> 9 votes

# Answer
I'd tend to suggest to build your construction in a way that there is no inside spot you can't reach. The easiest way to achieve that would be a modular construction where you can remove parts to reach the inside; also, making it modular helps for the transport should you want to display your creation (and, considering the size of it, you should).

Another solution I can think of is to use a vacuum cleaner, although you'll probably want to dedicate one to LEGO and make sure you can easily retrieve parts which have been captured. I've once seen a "LEGO-friendly" vacuum cleaner which claimed to be able to isolate LEGO parts when vacuuming, presumably for parents with kids such as we've been ourselves. It came with a small free LEGO set, too, but unfortunately I can't find which brand it was.
> 4 votes

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Tags: building
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# Question
Title: How should I create a Heroica scale graveyard or crypt room?
I've recently started playing Heroica with my sons, and we want to take this further, so I'm looking for some suggestions on modelling a graveyard or crypt room.

As an example, here's a model of the official "study" element on a 6x6 plate:

In general, each room is designed to sit on a 6x6 or 8x8 plate, and will have path elements on it for the characters and treasure to be placed.

# Answer
Crypts don't offer a lot of color possibilities, I think, so I'd try to take an approach using texture. Replacing bricks with plates, and then some of the plates with 1x1 round plates or empty space gives a "broken stone" feel.

Obviously, crypts also need coffins. You can use a 1x2 plate with a 1x2 tile on top for a closed one, or a 1x1 tile and 1x1 plate and put a slightly angled 1x2 tile on top to give the impression it's been opened.

You can try making a few "entrances" as a stone roof supported on pillars. Again, there are some 1x1 round plates to give a hint of a carved relief along the top.

Another common bit of crypt imagery is a catacomb with endless recesses carved into the wall for bodies. A 2x1 plate sandwiched between two 2x2 plates gives a similar effect, and there are several options for what to put in the blank space - or just leave it empty.

For the end I'd imagine a fancy raised altar where the necromancer / lich / mummy / etc. is. Some bright colors here will really stand out even if the build is simple.

For a graveyard outside the crypt, I'd use a combination of the same arches, some simple gravestones, and some of the tall, thin trees from Fortaan. Using some 1x2s with 1 stud you can get a good gravestone layout.
> 13 votes

# Answer
Here is my first take on a graveyard. The graves aren't too great, as the fence is what I wanted to show all along. In case it's not obvious, it's attached to a Brick 1 x 1 with Stud on One Side and then it's jumper-plate-jumper-plate-tile. Unfortunately, that doesn't actually work1 (that's one of the drawbacks of LDraw modeling, it won't tell you)

So if you need fences, you could use something like this, but I don't like it that much:

And since I'm determined to show fence ideas (I can't figure decent tombstones), I can also propose these two (which would probably both be rejected by LEGO quality as they stress parts):

One other solution is of course a simple wall:

And finally, this is another take on the 8x8 plate:

1. Why it doesn't is left as an exercice for the reader. Should be easy.
> 5 votes

# Answer
The official set Heroica Ilrion (3874) takes place in a sewer leading to a crypt with a vampire boss and altar set-piece:

It has also added coffins, using a 2x1 plate with a jumper on top (mechanically they're treasure chests that have a chance to spawn enemies):
> 2 votes

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Tags: building, lego-games, heroica, micro-scale
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# Question
Title: What do the terms "vintage" and "classic" actually mean?
I often see terms like "vintage" and "classic" used to describe LEGO sets (especially on ebay, but I've seen them elsewhere, too). What do these terms mean? How strict is the definition?

# Answer
> 17 votes
The two biggest themes to be called "classic" are "classic space" and "classic castle" and refer to the period when these themes were first introduced.

Brickset subthemes reflect this: Classic Castle covers the first yellow castle and accessories, from 1978 to 1983. I'd tend to include the new series from 1984 myself, since there wasn't much to speak of before that, but maybe I'm just wrong or maybe that only shows that there is no actual definition of "classic" to speak of.

The brickset subtheme for Classic Space covers the period from 1978 to 1987, with one extra set in 1988. Afterwards, they started naming themes, such as Futuron or Space Police, so you could say that the classic period covered the space sets before that. A lot of fans seem to limit themselves to the "blue with gray wings" livery of the first space sets, though, and do a fantastic job of it.

There's also a castle fan community site called Classic-Castle.com and several Classic space fan community sites, such as Neo Classic Space (notice the blue-and-gray again). I think there was once a classic-space.com but that doesn't seem to be operational any longer.

That's for Castle and Space; for more info you can also consult the Brickipedia pages for Classic Castle and Classic Space.

By extension, I suppose all themes from the same period qualify too. Bear in mind that this period (the eighties, in a nutshell) correspond to the period when most of nowadays AFOLs were kids, so they have fond memories of the sets they had or drooled about. But as far as I know, none have devoted fanbases; and there are no corresponding "Classic City" or "Classic Technic" subthemes on brickset.

Saying "Classic Jack Stone" will probably get you very puzzled and/or angry looks.

# Answer
> 2 votes
These words are used to lure in collectors who really want the "exclusive" stuff. It probably means that they don't really use that many new complicated pieces, making it classic. The winter specials, such as the house, post office, toy shop, etc...

The word "vintage" means, *of, relating to, or denoting wine of high quality: "vintage claret"*. Another word for this is "wine". Wine is aged. So are these LEGO sets. this means that the LEGO set will only be sold for a limited time, while also being a classic LEGO set. It really means "old". If you search "vintage LEGO" it will come up with a bunch of really old LEGO sets that are classics and very old.

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Tags: terminology
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title: Help Installing NXT-G On Mac 10.6.x

text:
# Question
Title: Help Installing NXT-G On Mac 10.6.x
I'm failing to install NXT-G on Mac 10.6.x. Whatever I try seems to end up with an error saying "A required file is broken" when I try to run the IDE. Could someone talk me through the steps please?

Thanks.

# Answer
> 1 votes
The drivers are probably not installed correctly. You have to run the legodriver.pkg (by double-clicking on it) which you can find in the 'Parts' folder.

You should use this detailed list of steps (and references). The legodriver.pkg is mentioned on point 5 of the fix for OS 10.6.

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Tags: nxt, mindstorms, software, nxt-g
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# Question
Title: Why is my LDD model incomplete after I export it to LDraw?
I have an LDD model that I exported to an LDraw file. When I opened it in LDView, only part of it was displayed.

It looks like some parts were not exported properly. Is it normal? Why does it happen?

# Answer
This in not a LDView problem, but a conversion issue between LDD and LDraw. Only parts present in both libraries will be displayed. Moreover, the file (ldraw.xml) that defines the correspondance between parts of both systems must be up to date. Latest version of this mapping file is available here.
> 8 votes

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Tags: ldraw, ldd
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# Question
Title: Homemade methods for interfacing a Servo with LEGO bricks
I'm looking for non-destructive way to structurally attach a standard servo with LEGO bricks. I'm interested in answers for either Large, Medium or Small size servos.

I'm using LEGO Mindstorm/Technic bricks to prototype all kind of robotic projects and I often use non-LEGO parts for the electronics (e.g. Arduino, Servos, LEDs, ...). I'm always trying to find better ways to integrate those non-LEGO parts without damaging the LEGO bricks.

I'm aware that there are some commercial adaptors available on the market but I'm interested in creative homemade solutions (low-cost to no-cost).

For example: here is one way to attach a medium size servo to a LEGO Technic beam:

# Answer
> 4 votes
The best solution is to create custom LEGO-compatible bricks that your servos (or other parts) fit into. This can be done by:

* modding existing bricks with knives, glue and other tools
* building bricks from other material (wooden LEGO, formed with Fimo/Sculpey...)
* building bricks with a 3D-printer (for instance see the LEGO category on thingiverse). There are online services to print your designs if you don't have a 3D printer (yet ;-)

Each strategy is worth another question here at bricks.SE.

# Answer
> 3 votes
Depending on your rigidity requirements, I've found double-sided tape to work well.

It's cheap and found in many general goods store. The servo itself can be taped and supported on all four sides and/or the bottom to many types of lego brick surfaces.

You can also use double-side tape to mount a lego surface to a servo control horn. That provides nearly infinite mounting flexibility. However, the control horn attachment will not be very rigid or support a lot of weight without an additional structures to support whatever is actually moving.

When finished, you can just peel the tape off. (...which is sometimes easier said than done.)

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Tags: building, technic, compatibility, electronics
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# Question
Title: Apart from the LEGO brick, is there any other hardware that has an NXT firmware written for it?
I am trying to find out if you can upload LEGO NXT byte-code to any other hardware, so I am just checking to see if anyone has ever written the LEGO firmware for any other hardware. Maybe hardware like an Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc.

# Answer
> 5 votes
LEGO itself does not make specific firmware/software to support other devices other than the official NXT brick but...

...you can still use Arduino and Raspberry Pi (and more) with the NXT components including the NXT brick. Personally, I mix LEGO and electronics all the time.

Arduino & Raspberry Pi are flexible development platforms and they can easily be interfaced with other devices. Also, the NXT devices (i.e. The Brick or peripherals) can be interfaced by something else than the official LEGO hardware & software. On the other hand, the effort needed to run the LEGO firmware (probably through an emulator...) on a new device is way harder than to interface the systems. Remember that this is a firmware and it expect to run on the exact device it was built for.

**Arduino & NXT:** There is a lot of Arduino-NXT hardware components that you can buy or even make yourself. For example you could use this Arduino shield called NXShield-D and it's software.

**RaspberryPi & NXT:** Pi is still relatively new but, since it's a full computer, it is very easy to use. To interface with NXT you can use the GPIO pins but thanks to the USB port, somebody already made the NXT-python to control the NXT brick.

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Tags: mindstorms, nxt, compatibility, electronics
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# Question
Title: What can cause programmed NXT 2.0 motors to misfunction when small resistance is applied?
I have robot built per the Alligator tutorial included with Mindstorms NXT 2.0. Everything works correctly if I hold it off the ground and make sure there is no load on the two leg motors. However, **if I apply any resistance at all to the motors, then one of the motors will usually (~90% of the time) stop functioning** correctly. Whenever it stops it seems to be braking because it does not turn freely.

In the alligator program, I think it usually happens whenever the two motors are programmed to move simultaneously in the same direction for a certain amount of time. If resistance is applied, then motor B will usually stop working. Of course, **this makes the alligator basically worthless because it never ends up moving as there is always a little load when on the ground**. I can typically get it to start working again by applying some manual rotation/resistance to either motor, but **what works or not seems random**.

I think I've noticed similar issues with other programs in the past, but I can't be sure. I have latest firmware v1.31 and we're using v2.0.f4 of Mindstorms Labview software.

My best guess is that the NXT firmware has issues with the motor control timing when two motors are moving together and one gets slightly off. However if that was the case, I'd expect everyone to have these problems (and the Mindstorms set would be basically useless.)

**Are there any known/common issues that might cause a problem like this?** Any advice on how to troubleshoot?

# Answer
> 6 votes
It turns out that the issue is a **faulty/weak motor connector socket**. While randomly trying to troubleshoot, I found that if I did nothing more than press or move the cable, the motor would act bizarrely. Initially I thought it was a bad cable, but after trying additional cables it seems that it is more likely just a poor connection at the motor. I suppose it could also be a bad motor. The actual cause is proving very hard to pin point.

And while one motor is definitely more problematic than the others, I noticed that all of them can be made to act randomly just by pulling on the cable ends. I am now wondering if this is common issue with the NXT and I'm considering posting another question about it.

In answer to my own question, it seems that **a faulty motor connection can cause erratic behavior**.

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Tags: nxt, mindstorms, programming
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title: Does the LEGO Group condone war toys?

text:
# Question
Title: Does the LEGO Group condone war toys?
What is the LEGO Group's position on war toys? Other brands make tanks and army stuff. I noticed LEGO sets include more realistic guns in the Star Wars range than they used to. What's up with that?

# Answer
Kind of.

From the LEGO Group's Corporate Responsibility report:

> **Guideline for weapons and conflict in LEGO experiences**
>
> A large number of LEGO minifigures use weapons, and are – assumedly – regularly being charged by each others’ weapons as part of children’s role play. In the LEGO Group, we acknowledge that conflict in play is especially prevalent among 4-9-year-old boys. An inner drive and a need to experiment with their own aggressive feelings in order to learn about other people’s aggressions exist in most children. This in turn enables them to handle and recognize conflict in non-play scenarios. As such, the LEGO Group sees conflict play as perfectly acceptable, and an integral part of children’s development.
>
> We also acknowledge children’s well-proven ability to tell play from reality. however, to make sure to maintain the right balance between play and conflict, we have adhered to a set of unwritten rules for several years. In 2010, we have formalized these rules in a guideline for the use of conflict and weapons in LEGO products. The basic aim is to avoid realistic weapons and military equipment that children may recognize from hot spots around the world and to refrain from showing violent or frightening situations when communicating about LEGO products. At the same time, the purpose is for the LEGO brand not to be associated with issues that glorify conflicts and unethical or harmful behavior.

Page 26 of the 2010 report.
> 53 votes

# Answer
Their position has shifted over the years, in response to changing attitudes as well as commercial pressures, and the rising age of LEGO enthusiasts!

Originally LEGO bricks were only available in bright primary colours e.g. red blue and yellow, with the conspicuous absence of green, aside from baseplates. It seems quite likely that this was a deliberate attempt to prevent people from building tanks and military vehicles which in Europe were generally painted green. The creator of LEGO was known to be a pacifist and have strong opinions on the issue.

I remember that when the Pirates series came out in 1989 they were the first sets to include pieces that were explicitly firearms: muskets, pistols and canon. The Pirates series was also the first to include non smiling faces, allowing figures to show more emotion, including anger. Although LEGO castle sets had featured weapons a decade earlier, the wide smiles on faces of the knights and guards suggested a lack of aggression.

Space sets have always had some ambiguity between what is a weapon and what is a scientific instrument, though the same trend is observed toward more conflict in later sets. Competition with other brick toys which feature military sets as well as movie tie-ins have caused conflict/aggression to be a major feature of many LEGO sets made more recently, which is probably what triggered LEGO's shift in official message on the subject, as detailed in the corporate responsibility report linked to above.
> 24 votes

# Answer
I believe that war sets have not been allowed from day one at lego, with the oft-quoted reason that Ole Kirk Christiansen did not was to reduce war to a 'state of child's play.' He was also reportedly a pacifist, and I have found a source stating that while lego may produce generic gun pieces, they will never directly model a contemporary gun, or likewise produce a set of one.

As stated (I think) in the 'Ultimate Lego Book,' Christiansen made sure that bricks in 'army colours' (i.e. green, brown, and olive green) were not produced. This changed later on however, when various sets required these colours, of course.

Hope this helps!
> 14 votes

# Answer
While the current plastic Lego "guns" are generally more tame (blasters, pirate pistols), that was not the case with wooden toys from the 1940's including this machine gun from 1945. It's about 18" long and makes a rat-tat-tat sound when turning the crank.
> 9 votes

# Answer
LEGO has always been a bit iffy on it's stance towards war related sets, which might be part of the reason most custom part makers specialize in realistic guns.

Being primarily a children's toy, they had shied away from depicting tanks and battles in the beginning. It might be said that as popular culture in general had an easier stance with "playing war" (video games were probably a big part of this), LEGO also eased it's policy. I think the fist time LEGO sets included toy guns for mini-figures might be it's Western theme in the late '90s.

There might have been laser blaster type guns earlier than this with the Space and Star Wars themes. Now it seems that with Indiana Jones and other movie licenses they have obtained, Lego is again allowing their sets to be portrayed in a more violent manner.
> 7 votes

# Answer
Even some of the classic sets had castles/knights with weapons, though most minifigs were decided in the non-violent category (astronauts, etc.).

As other posters have noted, many of the new licensed sets (Star Wars & Indiana Jones) are more violent, though often in a fantasy setting.
> 5 votes

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Tags: history, lego-group
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# Question
Title: Are third party NXT compatible parts safe to use?
I bought the Mindstorms NXT for my son's coming birthday and I noticed that there are several places you can get third party parts to use with it (sensors, connectors, etc). Are these safe for the NXT brick? Has anyone had any problems using these?

If they are ok it's a great way to expand our capability but NXT is a big investment and we don't want to risk ruining it.

# Answer
> 8 votes
The majority of sensors manufactured by HiTechnic (a third party company) are certified by The Lego Group. The company's website lists the following criteria required to be certified:

> * 100% compatible with Mindstorms NXT
> * Meet the highest LEGO quality standards
> * Comply with all safety standards
> * RoHs Compliant (certified lead free)

These sensors are manufactured by HiTechnic and approved by Lego are sold in the Lego.com Shop:

* #2852724 Accelerometer
* #10285 Compass
* #2852726 Gyroscopic
* #2855040 IR (Infrared) Receiver
* #2852725 IR Seeker
* #2853216 IR Link

Sensors and custom parts are generally expensive. The sensors above range from $54.99-$49.99 so it would be worthwhile considering the value of the sensor before you decide to make a purchase.

I would recommend judging the sensor(s) by their expected frequency of use, the potential for sensors to be used in other creations and their level of experience with the Mindstorms NXT system.

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Tags: nxt, 3rd-party
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# Question
Title: As of November 2011, should I buy the NXT 2.0 now, or wait and buy the NXT 3.0 later?
I have played with the original RCX when I was in school, and I'm so in love with it. Now I have just got my first job and I would like to get an NXT robot. However, I saw in this Wikipedia article saying that it was released back in 2009.

So the question is: should I wait for NXT 3.0 to come out (probably soon?) Or should I just go ahead and buy the NXT 2.0?

Also, is there any news on any upcoming refresh of the Mindstroms sets?

# Answer
> 17 votes
First off, there is not going to be an NXT 3.0. If there is, I would be extremely surprised.

This rumor was started back on April 1st, 2010 with a post on this blog (scroll to the bottom). Since then, many of people have been tricked. They even made another post the day afterward confessing that it was fake. Despite this, the rumor traveled to people who don't follow The NXT STEP, making its origins uncertain to them, and assumed it to have been announced by TLG.

With the Robotics Invention System, they stopped at the 2.0, and just waited some years before releasing the NeXT generation. I expect the same pattern here. So just go ahead and buy the NXT 2.0.

As for just Mindstorms set updates in general, there was once talk about expansion packs for the NXT kit that were supposed to be released by LEGO a few months later, but that discussion took place several years ago, so it is probably a no-go.

# Answer
> 1 votes
I was interested in Lego Mindstorm 3 too, so I asked Lego directly. This is what they replied (on 9th February, 2012):

I'm afraid that LEGO Mindstorms 3.0 you inquired about isn't available to purchase at the moment! It might be around soon, but I can't tell you about any new LEGO® toys until they're actually available for purchase!

Well, it might be around soon sounds that it is worth waiting for it and I hope that 2013 will be the new version out.

# Answer
> -1 votes
Go ahead and buy NXT 2.0. NXT 2.0 sensors are compatible with NXT 1.0 sensors and vice versa. So, I'd expect NXT 3.0 sensors to be compatible with NXT 2.0 sensors. Buy NXT 2.0 and buy individual NXT 3.0 sensors once they come out.

# Answer
> -2 votes
It's already verified that they are going to release soon. Check with any Lego store . It will be released by first quarter next year.

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Tags: nxt, mindstorms, shopping
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# Question
Title: How to remove scratches from LEGO windshield parts?
I was storing my windshields from cars with other my bricks. Now they are scratched, nearly not transparent just translucent. Is there a way to sanitize transparent parts from scratches?

# Answer
> 4 votes
Haven't tried this with Lego, but here are the first two things that come to mind.

Novus plastic cleaners (they make 3 solutions for various scratch depths, with Lego I would probably buy the one for the finest scratches) work well on my pinball machine plastics.

About the transparency, I would try the standard headlight cleaning solutions for a car.

# Answer
> 4 votes
You've got three different approaches: 1) products that fill the scratch, 2) products that essentially dissolve the plastic material so that it re-hardens smooth, 3) products that help you polish the scratch away.

1. A silicon-based lens cleaner can do this and works for small scratches or some "cloudiness", but it won't be perfect. For example Bausch & Lomb or a furniture polish with wax.
2. It is likely that the Novus and similar products fall into this category, but they rely on polishing for the finish... similar to CD or DVD repair.
3. Here is a step-by-step method using household toothpaste.

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Tags: cleaning
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title: Color Specific inventory list

text:
# Question
Title: Color Specific inventory list
I can't seem to figure out the correct colors for Model #7150 TIE Fighter & Y-Wing inventory list. My son has four different colors of "gray". Two seem to be warmer in tone (almost a khaki color), and two seem to be coolor in tone (truly more gray). He also has a blue-ish slate gray (more light blue than gray). When the inventory specifies "old gray," is it referring to the light (khaki) gray? And is the "old dark gray" the darker (khaki) gray? Or is the inventory referring to the more cooler (truly gray) grays? I'm SO CONFUSED! Please help me!

# Answer
> 3 votes
Also keep in mind that color will change on some parts as they age (depending on environmental factors). New or less exposed parts in the "old grey" can be a different shade than original, aged parts in the same "old grey". The blue-grey parts that you have might actually be categorized as a blue instead.

Check out how lego sells the colors today, here: http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Pick-A-Brick-11998

The peeron color table is here: http://www.peeron.com/inv/colortable/3020

Check out your set here as well: http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=7150-1

The colors in the grey family (or sometimes confused as grey) are referred to as on brick set (on peeron if different): Black Dark Grey (OldDkGray) Dark Stone Grey (DkStone) Grey (OldGray) Medium Stone Grey (Stone) Sand Blue

Your set has "Grey" and "Black" from this list. If you ordered new parts from Lego, the lighter shade of grey would be "Medium Stone Grey" form this list.

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Tags: colour
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# Question
Title: Are there any great LEGO designers that are well-known?
I know that many designers work for LEGO but I was wondering if there was some 'Star Designers' that we should know by name. Of course, I would also like to know what they are famous for.

# Answer
As there are more and more LEGO fans who become designers, some of them are already well known from the community and are very dedicated to fans, going to events and the like. They are actually just regular people and always have an amused look if you treat them like they have ascended to godhood status or something.

A few of them in no particular order:

As you can see, LEGO now has online profiles for Technic and Creator designers (maybe others, but I didn't see any), and of course the LEGO Designer Videos Youtube channel.

Also, LEGO has also issued sets designed by fans, which is the closest you can be of being a designer without being actually one. Note that some of the names on that list did eventually become full-fledged designers themselves.

To end, a little piece of trivia: the license plates on some vehicles usually bear the initials of the designer of the set. Have fun hunting them...
> 8 votes

# Answer
The most obvious one I guess is Erling Dideriksen, who was not only a Chief Designer on the LEGO City range, but also designed the element that many refer to as "The Erling Brick".

The LEGO Group have also started recently publishing videos of their designers talking about new sets they've worked on (especially the Lord of the Rings sets), which will bring more of their designers into the public eye.
> 7 votes

# Answer
Jamie Berard designed some beautiful sets, including:

Not only that, but he's done a lot of promotional work, including some interesting YouTube videos and an excellent presentation called "Stressing the Elements".
> 6 votes

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Tags: sets, design
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# Question
Title: Is there a documented process in 'Jamming' an NXT Ultrasonic sensor?
Just trying to gather a bit of information for a competition between a few other NXT builds, I was wondering if there was a way to make the ultrasonic sensor completely useless for the competition as I'm sure it would put a new spin to my opponents.

# Answer
Since everything is fair in love and war, you could do this:

Using an Arduino and this NXT compatible shield, you could program it to send a continuous burst at 11494,253Hz creating noise in the frequency range of the NXT Ultrasonic sensor.

This site shows how to use the Shield with the sensor. All you have to do is modify the code to create a long burst instead of a controlled ping.
> 3 votes

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Tags: nxt, mindstorms, building
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title: Are there more studs or "antistuds"?

text:
# Question
Title: Are there more studs or "antistuds"?
I was reflecting this morning about the recently introduced element Brick 1 x 1 with Stud on One Side and the fact that there is no real counterpart for it; that is, a 1x1 brick with a hollow cavity on one side (like the backside of our beloved Brick 1 x 1 with Headlight), and three other regular, flat, sides.

This led me to think that I've a feeling there are, in general, more studs on parts than there are "antistuds", that is, cavities to receive studs. Is this feeling accurate?

To verify, how should count antistuds? Should we consider, for example that a 2x4 bricks has 11 of them (the 8 standard ones and the 3 tubes)? That each hole of a Technic brick counts for two? And if we settle on that, how could we get an actual count?

# Answer
> 9 votes
There are more antistuds based on your description, you have to account for the flat bricks that have no studs and any sloped bricks that have at minimum twice the number of anti studs. While there are the inverted sloped pieces the standard wider bottom are more prevalent and there are more variations in length and width. Also many of the flat wing pieces have more antistuds for overlapping purposes. Even counting those as 1/2 antistuds since they do not cover the entire stud, they still possess enough hold to keep the model together. With the more custom pieces used in the Star Wars and newer space kits to give the starfighters the smooth look there are many more antistuds on those pieces. That is not even counting the technic bricks.

# Answer
> 8 votes
It seems like the studs have an advantage and here's two reasons why:

1) The base plates have only studs and no antistuds. So many base plates were made that this is stacking the numbers in favor of the studs. There are a lot of studs on those big grids.

2) There are many pieces with extra-studs like this type:

but I don't remember pieces (other than LEGO Technic beams and rounded beams) with, and only with, extra antistuds.

So this brings me to another question, "Do LEGO Technic beams create more antistuds than the base plates and extra-stud pieces combined?" I don't think it does.

...on to the next part of the question "how can we count this?"

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Tags: piece-information, manufacturing
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title: Mechanical auto-unblocking mechanism

text:
# Question
Title: Mechanical auto-unblocking mechanism
I have a GBC module1 which is quite simple but blocks regularly because a ball happens to be at just the wrong place at the wrong moment.

Per se, it's not a problem as a Technic Gear 24 Tooth Clutch protects the motor and the module can easily be unjammed by simply moving the wheel backwards manually to free the offending ball(s). It's simple enough that I can ask people in the public to do it when I'm lazy, but for bigger displays it's a given that the points of possible failure should be minimized as much as possible.

So my question is, is it possible to create a mechanism that would auto-unblock? To clarify, what it needs to do is to drive an axle in one direction, and if that axle becomes blocked, make it rotate shortly in the other direction, then resume.

My first thought was to try using differentials, by splitting the rotation on two paths, the regular one driving the axle, and the other one having some resistance to it (using a gear on a Technic pin with friction, for example), then recombining the paths somehow so that when the first is blocked, the second would take precedence and drive the mechanism backwards.

Unfortunately, a nagging thought at the back of my head tells me it'll never work as such (as going forward is always easier than going backwards, even if it's blocked forwards, it will just stay locked in place), and a first experiments confirms this (at least it's a solution if I run short of clutch wheels...).

Of course, a robotic solution would be easy to work out, but I would like to be able to replicate that kind of mechanism a lot (what, you think I have only one jamming module?), and I tend to prefer the pureness of mechanical-only solutions. Pneumatics would probably be OK, but I'd rather do it without.

I'll accept any working solution, but the more compact the better.

---

1) For those interested, it's the blue and yellow one with trans-clear front in which the hand of God puts some balls at 00:15 in \[this video of the LEGO World Copenhagen 2011 GBC setup\](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9VBQ3hW6t8)

# Answer
I've found a solution that's actually pretty easy, but took some time to try out because I don't have the parts I need at hand.

## The solution

1. Input from motor(s).
2. A differential to split up the input-movement to two shafts. Since I don't have a Technic Gear Differential at hand I had to built my own for the test.
3. One of the differential-outputs becomes our "unblocker". it's chocked off by a rubber band to have more resistance in moving than the "normal" output (called "output" from now), so it will only move if the output is blocked completely (or gets a high resistance). Important: make sure to block this as much as necessary but as few as possible.
4. A "gear on a stick" that will only get in contact with the bigger gear on the output on a small range of its rotation. Important: this is the unblocker - it has to have a "stronger" transmission than the output to be able to turn the output backwards while overcoming its own resistance added by the rubber band.
5. The "normal" output to move whatever you want it to.

## Explanation

As long as there is less resistance on the output than on the unblocker, only the output will move. if the output is blocked, the unblocker will start rotating and turn back the output (just a bit - at the point where the "gear on a stick" gets in contact with the bigger output-gear). if this dissolves the problem, the output starts rotating again.

## Potential Improvements

1. Use a Technic Gear Differential instead of a (much bigger) custom-built one
2. Use a Tooth Clutch instead of a rubber band to brake the "unblocker"
3. Use a Gear with offset Axle Holes instead of a "gear on a stick"

## See it working

***UPDATE:*** *i got a Technic Gear Differential today, so i could build a smaller (and better working) Version of this. You can watch it on YouTube.*
> 13 votes

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Tags: technic, building, balls, gbc
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# Question
Title: Where can I find the black crusaders horse barding?
The question is all in the title. I'm talking about this: the *second knight* from the left entrance to the castle.

# Answer
> 3 votes
Good places to find parts include:

* Thrift stores, car boot sales, jumble sales. Sometimes you get lucky.
* eBay is a good general source for parts... as long as you can find what you're looking for.
* LEGO's Pick-a-Brick (PAB) service is good for for common parts.
* LEGO's replacement parts service is better for less common parts from newer sets. The range of parts is far greater than PAB, but doesn't come close to being complete.
* BrickLink, the most comprehensive resource for parts on the internet.

Given that the part you're looking for is older, I suggest that BrickLink might be your best bet.

I couldn't identify the exact part that you wanted, but they do list a good range of horse barding.

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Tags: shopping, accessories, castle
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title: Alternative controller for LEGO NXT

text:
# Question
Title: Alternative controller for LEGO NXT
I love the NXT platform and have quite an investment in sensors and motors, etc. I would like to know if there are alternative controllers that have been integrated with the NXT sensors/motors. By more powerful I mean floating point math, more memory (RAM), more non-volatile storage. Ultimately, I am looking for a way to incorporate a camera onto the brick and do the required image processing.

# Answer
> 5 votes
I would suggest Arduino or, preferably, Raspberry Pi. Here's some info extracted from my previous answer on NXT:

Arduino & Raspberry Pi are flexible development platforms and they can easily be interfaced with other devices. As for image processing the Raspberry Pi would be the better choice since it is more powerful.

**Arduino & NXT:** There is a lot of Arduino-NXT hardware components that you can buy or even make yourself. For example you could use this Arduino shield called NXShield-D and it's software.

**RaspberryPi & NXT:** Pi is a full computer and very easy to use. To interface with NXT you can use the GPIO pins but thanks to the USB port, somebody already made the NXT-python to control the NXT brick. Being a Linux system you'll probably find some ready-made image processing samples all over the web.

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Tags: nxt, mindstorms
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# Question
Title: Serial tower stopped communicating with RCX 1.0
I recently bought a RIS 1.5 with brick 1.0 and serial tower (no CD). I got a cheap USB adapter and installed the RIS 2.0. It worked almost fine for a few days. Everytime I started RIS I had to autoconfigure tower, which used COM2. I had to try two or three times to download programs, but it worked.

Later, I installed Bricxcc and connected as well, although I downloaded no program. I did download the original lego firmware with Bricxcc and since then RIS is not able to connect to the RCX.

I have tried with new batteries, uninstalling Bricxcc and then RIS. Installing RIS again, with reboots in the process. Nothing seems to have changed. I cannot connect.

Any previous experience?

I was thinking about buying an USB tower, but I don´t know if it will work with RCX 1.0.

Thanks for your help

# Answer
> 3 votes
You could try with NQC. By default it supports the Serial Tower and you can specify if you are using a USB Tower with -Susb . It works on Windows, Linux and Mac.

The man page (documentation) can be found here or the in pdf format here.

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Tags: rcx
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# Question
Title: Is there only one lego Rohan soldier? Why?
As far as I can tell, Lego has released only one set containing a regular rank-and-file Rohan soldier, that is Uruk-hai army.

Is this correct? Why is it so?

# Answer
This is correct. I double checked on the LEGO wiki. The reason is likely because they haven't had time to release more sets that take place in scenes where the Rohan soldiers are present. If they ever release an Edoras, Minis Tirith or Battle of the Pelennor Fields set, perhaps there will be more.
> 5 votes

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Tags: sets, minifigures, the-lord-of-the-rings
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# Question
Title: Fix for monorail sticking at monoswitch?
I recently acquired an old monorail set, and I'm having problems getting it to work properly. It works fine on normal track, and it is able to continue on or stop at a monoswitch when the switch is set accordingly.

However, it isn't always able to reverse directions (it often just stops) at a monoswitch, and once stopped, the switch usually isn't able to get it started again. It seems like the switch on the side of the motor isn't quite getting pushed all the way in. It runs fine again once I push the switch all the way in.

The behavior is somewhat dependent on direction. Although it isn't able to start from a stop at a monoswitch in either direction, it is more often able to reverse direction going one way than the other.

I'm wondering if anyone has experienced this behavior, and if there is a way to fix it.

If it makes any difference, the motor is from 6990 from 1987.

# Answer
Maybe the plastic is worn off just enough that the switch is not pushing the pins completely anymore.

**Debug step 1:** When the train pins are in the switch zone there shouldn't be a lot of space between the point of the pins and the face of the switch. If it looks too loose that could be the problem. A way to test this would be to put some clear scotch tape on the faces of the switch. The faces are highlighted in red in this picture:

If the problem persist you could add more layer(s) and test again. After four layers if this doesn't fix the problem I would try something else.

> Results: The switch works with four layers of tape. The new question is "Between the motor pins and the switch, which one is worn out? One or both?"

**Debug step 2:** Testing the switch with a second motor would be helpful. Do you have a second motor? In any case let's inspect the motor pins and the switch faces.

The two motor pins are (I assume) made of plastic. The end point of each pin should not not be worn down. One way to check that is to compare the two. If one is rounder then the other that gives us important information.

The switch faces (highlighted in red in the previous picture) should be a perfectly flat surface. Is there a slight groove at the height where the motor pins hit the switch? Again. this would be important information.

> Results: The switch faces are not worn but it looks like the motor pins are rounded off.

**Debug step 3:** Testing & fixing the motor pins.

Before trying to fix the motor pins I would suggest one last test. With no tape on the switch, you could add tape layers to the motor pins and try to reproduce the successful test of step 1. This should work without problems.

As for fixing the motor pins. I would suggest to use one epoxy glue drop at the tip of each pin. After the epoxy is cured you could test and if necessary sand off any excess thickness.

> Results: Epoxy on the motor pins fixed the problem.
> 5 votes

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Tags: repair, monorail
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# Question
Title: Is LEGO testing the market with the Minifigure Series?
I looks to me that LEGO is testing the market by using the Minifigure Series. It seems logical to try all kind of different themes and see which ones are gaining traction.

For example:

* Minifigure Series 1 (May 2010) had a ninja and then Ninjago came out (2011)
* Minifigure Series 2 (Sep 2010) had a Pharaoh and then Pharaoh Quest came out (2011)

If you look at all the new LEGO IPs since Minifigure Series exist, it looks like you can find a link for each one.

Did LEGO confirm that this was one of the goal of the Minifigure Series?

# Answer
> 6 votes
That sounds like a very valid question, but I think the answer is slightly more complex.

First, as you note, there's an obvious link in terms of moulds reuse, which means LEGO can offload the cost of these new parts to the minifig series (which aren't exactly on the cheap side), so that regular sets introduced later can be cheaper as a result. They do that too with licensed sets, by the way; for example, the Harley Quinn minifig financed the cost of the jester headgear.

Then, as you ask, do they actually test the market?

In a way, this would seem to make sense: if, say, spartan minifigs sell well, LEGO might be tempted to introduce spartan sets. Yet I think there are two problems with that.

The first is that they need to follow which minifig is more sought after, which they can't study from their own data since they sell "random" minifigs and the buyer can't pick the ones they want. Of course, they can check the aftermarket for that, bricklink prices and so forth, but is that really representative of what fans want, I don't know.

The second point is that sets design happens quite a long time before sets reach the shops. A designer told me in july 2012 that all 2013 sets were already designed, so you can count on 1 year and half between design and shops. Moreover, designing sets isn't the first step, and picking themes come before that. So if LEGO feels that a particular minifig sells well and decide to make a theme based on it, it'll be two years before that theme appears. Which isn't to say they won't, but I think they're a bit more preemptive than that.

So, in my opinion, LEGO might decide to do whole themes which have similarities with collectible minifigs, but I doubt they take the time to test the market - they just use the minifigs to offset the cost of new parts in upcoming sets. So, will we see cavemen sets? Spartan sets? Noone but LEGO can say at this point, but it's a possibility. It seems there will be some western sets in 2013, and we've indeed seen indian minifigs in the first series.

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Tags: collectable-minifigures
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title: RobotC for RCX cannot find USB IR Tower

text:
# Question
Title: RobotC for RCX cannot find USB IR Tower
I have looked for similar question but found null. So here I am asking.

I have Win7, a RobotC fo RCX and Mindstorms for RCX (both are old version, but available free). I borrowed an old LEGO kit (9794 Team Challenge) which lacked some parts. It has RCX 1.0 as controller. I borrowed a USB IR Tower from my friend.

After a well installation, I tried RobotC and was asked to download firmware to RCX brick. But RobotC cannot communicate with it because it cannot find the port which I plugged the IR tower to. Inside the preference, there are two available USB port recognized.

I swithced between them but RobotC still cannot find the tower. I have been googling this around for almost a month now.

Thanks for any enlightement.

# Answer
> 2 votes
If you are you using ROBOTC 2 for RCX you need to install the **separate driver** for windows 32bit. This driver is not included in the ROBOTC install (at least not with version 2.03).

It might also be a good thing to start with a fresh install of ROBOTC 2.03.

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Tags: programming, rcx, robotc
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title: What does DTC stand for?

text:
# Question
Title: What does DTC stand for?
I was reading at the Brickipedia site about upcoming 2013 LEGO sets and found several in a list which were referred to as "DTC", as in "40055 DTC Seasonal Halloween 2013" found here. What does the DTC stand for?

# Answer
> 11 votes
In this context, DTC means direct to consumer. These sets are typically only available directly from TLG either online or from LEGO retail stores.

Here's the original source and discussion for the DTC set that you mentioned and several others:

http://www.brickset.com/news/article/?ID=2900

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Tags: sets, terminology
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# Question
Title: What solutions are there to organising a LUGBULK order?
I'm involved in a LUG that's made orders in each of the LUGBULK programs that have run. Determining what goes into each order has proven to be a nightmare, with all sorts of email-spreadsheet-ad hoc solutions that led to various combinations of huge expended effort, errors, misunderstandings and recriminations.

Given rumours of the commencement of the 2013 LUGBULk program are floating around, now's a great time to find out how my LUG can do better this time. Is there a web site we can use, a program of some kind? Should we just have one member decide what we'll order? Some happy halfway between autocracy and democracy?

What solutions are there to organising a LUGBULK order?

# Answer
For our Lug, we have assigned one person who is the contact for all things LUGBULK and is also responsible for the organization of everything. (He also happens to be the one who will spend the most). We followed this general format to keep everything organized.

1. At the most recent club meeting, we agreed on those parts that the club needed for upcoming projects. These get the highest priority.
2. Once we received notice of LB2013, we asked all of the members to submit their information needed to register and to get an accurate count for Lego. We gave our members 10 days to get this in.
3. Within 5 days, each member was allowed to submit up to 10 part requests in order of priority. Each member is also required to submit the ElementID along with each part in order to make things easier.
4. The person in charge of LUGBULK for us merged everything together and removed any duplicates. If we were over our maximum of 100 elements on the wishlist, things get removed that were likely to be declined, or that would be cheaper on BrickLink or PAB.
5. The wishlist is submitted to Lego.
6. Once the approved list and prices are returned to us, we create an excel sheet of available elements and add in columns for BrickLink color names and current BrickLink prices and send it to all members.
7. All members are required to send in their orders within 7 days.
8. The coordinator merges together the orders and sends to Lego.
9. Once the LUGBULK order is received (on a pallette :) ), the coordinator pays Lego directly, divvies up the orders (or we have a sort party to do it) and then each member pays the coordinator.
> 7 votes

# Answer
Ultimately, you'll probably have to come up with your own solutions, but I think the main issue is to pick which parts to order, as the number is usually limited and your LUG members all have different views on what to pick.

Here are a few line of thoughts:

* Have each member pick one favourite part, or more (so you can attribute the second one if there's a duplicate or something). This will probably be the worst solution, since you'll end up with a set of parts which may be totally unrelated to each other, and in which most members don't recognize their choices.
* Do the same with more parts, 5 or 10, then try to reduce the list somehow to what LEGO is willing to accept (asking the members to vote on parts, maybe?). Can be a cumbersome and lengthy process, but at least your LUG members will feel more like they have a say in the process.
* Have the persons in charge of the LUG pick the parts themselves. This can lead to a good cohesive set of parts which go well together, but you'll risk that some members don't like your choice. For example, you may want to pick all 1xn tan bricks and plates, all 1xn dark red bricks and plates, a few door/windows and roof tiles. Great for house builders, less great for Technic nuts.
* Try to combine the different solutions. Maybe you have members in the club with a different status (we do have regular and "effective" members, for instance, for people who choose to be more involved in the club); or maybe you can attribute points for event participation (we did that once to distribute some free loot we had gotten from somewhere, and it proved to be an interesting system), so that people who are more involved in the club get more points. Then maybe more involved people can pick more parts, or participate ina global discussion process.
* Rotate themes. This time, we'll do houses, next time, Technic parts. Promise, honest. Cross my heart.

Once you have picked up parts, you'll have to pick quantities. There you'll also need to ask members for their input, either committed or not. Our club always buys a bit more on its own money, which members can buy directly afterwards. Handy when the club committee picks up the parts themselves, but your treasury needs to be able to cope with that.

As for the organizational side of things, as you say, excel files may be very cumbersome; but I'd advise to stick with them. You may be tempted to develop a custom web site, for example, but keep in mind it will require maintenance, and that usually means someone has to be devoted to it, and be able to work on it fast enough. If you have such a person, great. If not, don't bother too much.
> 3 votes

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Tags: shopping, software, lugbulk
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# Question
Title: How do I know when current sets will retire?
As the title asks, how is the easiest way to find when current sets on the Lego website will be retired and no longer sold.

For example, the 10197 Fire Brigade has been around since 2009, same as 10193 but both are still selling. While Ninjago is currently changing and set 2258 suddenly is no longer for sale in the Lego Store at Disneyland and not available online. Yet that series only came out this year.

So how can I find out when sets are retiring.

(side question: why does lego.com drop items off my wish list without notifying me)

# Answer
> 17 votes
The LEGO Shop online website has a page where you can see which sets are marked as 'Retiring Soon'.

**USA** \- LEGO Shop

**UK** \- LEGO Shop

# Answer
> 11 votes
I'll take a stab at starting to answer this one, but I'm pretty sure it's going to need some refinement as it goes along since the answer does not appear to be quite consistent across all themes.

In general you can assume that a particular set will only be available for one year after it has been introduced.

The exceptions to that general rule seem to be:

* Basic brick sets seem to stay mostly the same from year to year, though occasionally there is a tweak to the price or part assortment for whatever internal reason.
* Sets over US$100 appear to stay in production for around two years.

You can find out when a set went into production by checking Peeron, Bricklink, BrickSet, or any number of similar fan databases.

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Tags: sets, shopping, discontinued
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title: Gunner bot programing

text:
# Question
Title: Gunner bot programing
I just build the RCX Gunner Bot using the instructions from this web site.

I had to build something different to the one we built in the class, I added a touch sensor and light sensor, so the bot will avoid any obstacles on its way, and shoot when it sees a black dot.

I am wondering if anyone has a program for a basic gunner bot, or at least for shooting the bullets. If somebody can help me, It would really appreciated. I am not an engineering person but I need to pass that class.

# Answer
> 6 votes
Your code handling the behaviours like "Shoot 3 times if the touch sensor is triggered" or "Shoot if the light sensor is triggered" should use 'if' statements.

Then, instead of always being called, the "shooting" code would append only on sensor events. After shooting, the robot would then go back to the "Driving around" part of the code.

This page is a good visual reference for all the RCX programming components

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Tags: programming, rcx
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# Question
Title: What is the brown ship in the Star Wars 2012 advent calendar?
The brown boxy ship is shown in the ad, but I have no idea what it is? My son was waiting all day for me to get home and tell him, but I can't figure it out!

# Answer
According to BrickLink it is a Trade Federation MTT
> 10 votes

# Answer
It seems to be a Trade Fedration MTT from episode III.
> -1 votes

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Tags: star-wars, advent-calendar
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