Programming EV3 with NXC I'm trying to run  NXC programs (all run well on NXT) but when trying run it on EV3 I find an error. The download from computer to EV3 runs well but trying to run the program with RUN EV3, I have an error.
Can somebody help me with this issue?

NXC compiles to machine code that runs in a virtual machine running on the NXT. The EV3 has a completely different virtual machine that is not compatible. So, of course programs compiled for the NXT will not run on the EV3.

The developer of NXC and BrixCC started working on support for the EV3 when it first came out, but has not been actively working on it for some time now. If you are interested, you can find more information at https://mindboards.org/ (search for "BrixCC EV3").

I you would like to use a text based language for the EV3, the most active projects are:

http://www.ev3dev.org
http://www.lejos.org
http://www.monobrick.dk
http://www.robotc.net


Lego RCX 1.0 brick relationship to Robotics Invention System (RIS) & RCX firmware versions What is the relationship between a Lego RCX 1.0 brick and these:

Robotics Invention System (RIS) versions

1.0
1.5
2.0

RCX firmware:

firm0309.lgo: RCX firmware version 3.09
firm0328.lgo: RCX firmware version 3.28
firm0332.lgo: RCX firmware version 3.32

The main differences between the versions were:

Firmware - although later versions of the firmware were backwards compatible with the earlier bricks
Power Adaptors:

RIS/RCX 1.0 had a power socket on the brick as well as battery options
RIS/RCX 1.5 removed the power socket from the brick
RIS/RCX 2.0 Functionally equivalent to RCX 1.5

IR Tower connections:

RIS 1.0 and 1.5 had a serial connection for the IR Tower
RIS 2.0 had a USB connection for the IR Tower, which doesn't operate nicely with 64bit Operating Systems (ironically* the serial connection does work with a serial-USB adaptor apparently)

Manuals - I believe the Constructopedia was more comprehensive in 1.0 than in 2.0.

* I say ironically as I originally returned my 1.0 or 1.5 set as I was unable to get the serial connection to work on my PC at the time and later bought a 2.0 which worked fine then, but not any more on my more modern hardware.


LEGO Friends drinking bottle (850817) containing BPA? LEGO has recently released Friends drinking bottle 850817, but there's no mention anywhere (not on the product itself, not on the product's web page) as to whether the product contains BPA (Bisphenol), a dangerous chemical (especially for children) commonly used in bottles.

Question: Does this product contain BPA?

Edit: This is not a duplicate question because it concerns a drinking bottle released in 2016, not vintage LEGO bricks. In addition, please note that the bottom of product 850817 has a recycling symbol with the number 7:

  How Can You Tell if a Container Has BPA?
  A resin code of 7 appearing on plastic containers indicates that the container may be made of a BPA-containing plastic. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

Remember the BPA scare? It's all but a crime to release a product that even thinks about having BPA. But I did the search anyway, and no, there is not any in this or any other LEGO product I can find to date. LEGO is pretty good about nontoxic products, drinking use intended or no. I mean, they're made for kids. Good question though.


How do you store your built models for long-term display? My wife and I recently started to re-enjoy Lego and had a lot of fun building the Grand Emporium and a few other pieces but now they're collecting dust and we're lucky enough to have a few spare rooms about the place to keep them in.

What sort of thing do you guys use to cover your built models?

I've found one company that's local that'll make custom clear-plastic covers (well five-sided boxes really) but they're a little expensive, just thought I'd ask the experts!

This may sound odd, have you considered using an upside-down fish tank? I've actually seen this used in the past after the former occupant died. It was only a smaller model on a baseplate, but the width of the glass for the tank managed to fit inbetween the studs on the baseplate and worked quite well. Granted, stacking them could produce an issue, and you might want to try plastic tanks instead of glass ones but depending on the size they might start quite cheap.

Something like this (but upside-down, and not containing fish):

Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/nigelguy/4208026780/in/pool-lego/


Anybody know what this piece is called? This came from a little car, and I'm trying to build that car using LDD, but I can't find the piece. Can someone help?

On Bricklink this is called Wedge 3 x 4 x 2/3 Cutout.

As Uli pointed out in the comments this part is called "FRONT 4X3X2/3 W. BOW" in LDD. The given image looks very similar. You can also see if this is really the part you're looking for by looking at the 3D model of it.

How I found it: Searching by properties did not work (which usually does), and I knew that many Lego city police sets had red-colored vehicles, so on google I searched "lego city police" and hit images, and I saw an image of the front of the box for set 60243 which showed a truck that seemingly looked like it had this piece and I found the same set on bricklink. Then I looked at the part list, and it had this part!


How do I identify a Lego part? Over the vast years of collecting bricks of various sizes and sets, I find that during my free builds I run low on a specific type of brick. How can I go about identifying what the brick is named and what resources are available for this identification process?

Check for visible part numbers

This usually only works if you have the physical part in front of you.

Look for a 4 or 5 digit part ID on the element. These are usually printed on the inside. A magnifying glass and good lighting can be helpful. Many bricks will also have other numbers printed on them, but only the 4 or 5 digit numbers are useful for identifying parts.

If you are able to find a part number, search for it on Rebrickable or Bricklink. Rebrickable tends to work well, as it allows you to search by the official Lego part ID printed on the brick, and this number can be different from the Bricklink ID for historical reasons.

Check a set inventory

If you know which set your part comes from, or you know of a set that contains the part, you can look at the inventory of that set on Rebrickable or Bricklink. Simply visually scan the inventory for the part you need to identify.

Search a part catalog

You can search for parts on a number of sites. For example, Rebrickable provides searching by part name, ID, category, and a color that the part has been produced in. This can help produce a relatively small number of parts to look through.

Taking some time to familiarize yourself with the part categories on whichever site you choose to use is also very useful so that you can quickly limit your search to a few hundred parts in one category.

Ask us

If you don't know... just take a pic of it and ask here, we'll find it :-)


Is the PWM on the PF Servo motor different than the PWM from an Arduino? I have a Arduino motor shield connected to XL, L and M motors and can control the speed with PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). I made my own connector by cutting a Lego PF connector in half and wiring up the two inner connectors to "pins" that are easy to connect to a breadboard.

When I connect those two pins to the PF Servo Motor that comes with the Crawler, well, nothing happens no matter what pulse I send (Arduino handles the pulses . . I just set a "direction" pin and a value between 0 and 255 . . . and PWM or not the net effect is that with a voltmeter you see voltages between about -9 Volts and 9 volts, same as when you measure from the IR receiver).

Anyway, what am I missing? What is different about PWM on a servo motor?

According to Philo's detailed analysis of the servomotor, it takes its commands from the C lines but needs to be powered as well:

  Being a Power Functions range member, it is fully integrated with this system, and receives its commended position through C1/C2 lines, and its power from supply lines. On a normal motor, C1/C2 duty cycle directly control motor speed, here they set the angular position of the shaft.

This makes sense since there's electronics involved and these need to be powered by a regular, reliable power supply which is exactly the purpose of the +9V and Ground wires. The same holds for the IR receiver (although that one ignores the C1/C2 lines completely).

For more information on the PF wiring, you should also check Philo's presentation of the Power Functions system.


non-LEGO Tank, Marine Corps - Can anyone identify set? Can anyone identify this tank? I'm looking for instruction to this set. I also found a strange door.

The picture of the vehicle isn't very clear.  It appears to be dark green and missing several pieces.  This makes an already difficult to identify set nearly impossible unfortunately.  The dark green color and apparent military theme strongly suggest this isn't a Lego brand set, as already mentioned by Henrik.

What is left of the vehicle looks like some sort of APC or IAV possibly.  I spent some time searching and couldn't find building sets with the Marine Corps sticker on them.  It is very likely this was made by one of the many companies that make Lego compatible military sets, and even if we knew the exact set, it is highly unlikely that building instructions could be found.  To try to help you figure out what's missing on your set I've included a couple pictures to give you an idea of what your set might have looked like.

As for the door, very little can be determined from the picture.


Biggest European LEGO event? I was wondering if there is a big European event where new sets and custom sets are shown, and maybe deals on sets or pieces, something like an E3 for LEGO or something similar. I looked on Google but I could only find the Lego World in Netherland, but I could not determine if it is the biggest one.

Does anyone have any more information?

The main show that Lego release new sets at every year is the Spielwarenmesse fair in Nürnberg (Nuremberg, Germany). If you watch the various forums, especially www.EuroBricks.com, you'll see excited posts like this one about Star Wars around the time of the fair. Lego also announce sets at the New York equivalent show.

Models made by fans are usually displayed at Lego fan events rather than big trade fairs. The trade fairs are about marketing and showing things off to retailers. There's a bunch of jargon you might find handy, the main terms being AFOL = adult fan of Lego, and MOC = my own creation. Both defined on this site:

What does "AFOL" mean?

What does the acronym MOC stand for?


What are the pros and cons of using a Lego rental service such as Pleygo? Anyone used Pleygo which is a website advertised as A Netflix-like rental service for Lego® sets? What are the pros and cons?

I guess I'm too stunned (I mean, is this for real?) to answer anything remotely meaningful, although some obvious cons come to mind:

you get bricks which have been used, potentially a lot, and you have no clue how or by whom (well ok they say they sanitize them in between, but still)
you don't get to keep them (well maybe that's a pro given the first con).
15$ per month seems rather expensive too, I'm not saying LEGO is a cheap toy but I'm confident you can get a decent amount of your own, new bricks for that price

But of course I've never used (or even known about) the service, so maybe I'm unnecessarily harsh about it.

However, I have some related experience with this: when I was a kid, there was a library in the village which doubled as a toy library on Saturday, where you could rent toys for a week. While this was great to play all sort of different board games and they made a very good effort to ensure they were always complete, I have some memories of one particular game which smelled kinda funny. We liked the game though, so we played it quite often, but it did smell funny.

So that would be one thing to be wary of - how exactly do they sanitize blocks? How do they deal with blocks which are rented to smokers, or people with pets (considering some people are allergic, it's a very valid question).

Of course inventory of the set would tend to be an issue too - as a matter of fact, they did have a few LEGO sets at said toy library, and I can tell you they were far from complete (since the library was at the school, we could sometimes play with the toys when waiting for our parents, or something like that; in any case I never rented LEGO sets as I had my own LEGO bricks and the sets weren't complete anyway). In any case, considering how easy it is to lose a LEGO parts, and seeing pleygo claims "No charge for lost pieces", it's bound to happen a lot that pieces are indeed lost. I assume they'll try to replace them somehow, but I'm extremely curious about how they'd do that.

If you're willing to try the service, I would at the very least recommand you get answers to these questions (they may be on their site somewhere, I didn't check), and more importantly, check if you can get a trial somehow. It would be nuts to have to pay one full year to realize the service is sub-par.

But in my opinion, it's probably always better to buy sets. Keeping in mind LEGO usually keeps its value rather well, is it wise to pay 15$ a month and not get anything you can keep in return?

Edit: it seems Pleygo is getting some momentum these days, and I assume the fact they're still in business speaks in their favour. Also, the owners have been kind enough to answer some questions to Brickset, which is a very interesting read and provides much needed answers to questions you may have (In particular, cleaning). Still not for me, but it seems they're quite serious and professionnal about it all. They do seem to offer the first month for free, too.


How many parts were in Advent calendars of yore? Is there any convenient way to find out how many pieces were in previous years' Advent calendars?  I looked through a dozen calendars on bricklink and most of them do not include the part count in the picture.  I was only able to find:

2010 City - 271 pieces

I started looking for this because the 2015 Advent Calendars range from 233-292 pieces so I wanted to know what was typical for prior years.

You can find an overview of all advent calenders with piece count in this link

http://brickset.com/sets/tag-Advent-Calendar


Unopened bags without instructions Can someone help me identify what set these are so I can find the book and my son can build?

This looks like 10667 Construction:

You can grab the instructions from Brickset.


Please help me identifying these spaceship parts - big sloping ring Which lego set do these parts belong, I have a full box of random pieces, and I wish to build something starting from this. Thanks

It's from a LEGO UFO set from the late 1990s. You can see all the sets in this theme here: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=S&catString=34.311. What you have is most likely the #6975 Alien Avenger:  http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=6975-1


Red 2x3 plate with triangle post part number? 2x3 plate with a triangular post.  Found 2 in a bin with a1 and a2 on the bottom

These are train direction toggle posts from the old 4.5V train system. Part 3218 Train Direction Switch - 4.5V 2 x 3.


Which is better for youngsters to learn - LEGO Mindstorms for LabVIEW or Scratch? I have a lot of laptops with the 'old' LabVIEW Mindstorms.  I am about to start teaching Lego robotics to a homeschooling group I'm a part of.
Here's what I have:

a few old Windows laptops with the LabVIEW Mindstorms
my Mac running Big Sur (that therefore cannot run the LabVIEW Mindstorms)

I can do a few things to make this work, like I can finagle running the old Mindstorms on the new macOS - (or try to anyhow).
But my question is: Would it be worth it? Assuming that its not impossible for me to run the old LabVIEW on my laptop AND assuming I can run the newer programs on the OLD laptops. Which would be better to teach "today's students"?
Is there something about the LabVIEW that would be worth kids learning over using scratch to program these robots?
I hope this all makes sense - its late and my head is spinning from all the information!
Thank you in advance!
ETA: The age group I'm teaching will be 13-15.

I have used Scratch and I did use Lego Mindstorms. I would prefer Scratch because its easier to learn the codes and there is way more coding blocks. Just that its a bit harder to connect your robot to Scratch so just follow their instructions carefully. Hope this helped.


Website with layout plans for LEGO Duplo trains? Can anybody suggest a web site with plans for LEGO Duplo trains?

I've searched the net for a while without any interesting results.
Any hints appreciated!

I'm not aware of any sites that are dedicated to DUPLO train layouts, but there are certainly interesting layout ideas out there. For example, this was included in set 2932:

There are also loads of great creations in this Pinterest category:


How do I make the Mini Cooper (model 10242) motorized? I'm trying to find out what exact parts I need to make the Lego Mini Cooper 10242 motorized. I'm trying to surprise my boyfriend with the set plus the parts he needs to make it motorized. I'm just at a loss of finding what extra parts I need to buy so any help and advice is much appreciated! Thanks so much!

Here is the only example I can think of.

We can see an example in the following video @0:39 by PPUNG DADDY:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvVJXhs_Q3s&t=38s

Here is the servo-motor:

And the IR receiver on the rear, next to one motor. The battery is located behind the driver's seat:

We have a better view at the end of the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvVJXhs_Q3s&t=1m31s

In order to do the same build, you would need:

What we clearly see in the video:

Rechargeable Battery Box (or the cheaper but bigger Battery Box)
Servo-Motor
IR Receiver
L-Motor

What is not shown but necessary:

a remote controller: IR Remote Control or IR Speed Remote Control (allow to control speed of the motors but it responds more slowly)
mount front wheels on a steering: see the front of this car for example: there are some fixed and free parts
mount rear wheels on rotating axis with a differential gear between the 2 wheels
some gears in order to transfer the movements from motors to the wheels:

direction on the front wheels from the Servo-Motor (but there may be some simpler setups)
gears between the differential and the L-Motor

These pieces would cost between 80 to 100 $, € or £ (I used the Brickset's average prices).

I don't have this model so I can't tell you what exact parts are required, sorry.


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

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


Unknown brick/piece information (curved, decorated slope) Recently, I got a huge box of LEGO sets all mixed together.
I have been slowly identifying the sets that are there.
Some are complete, while others not, but I have been managing so far.

Still, there is one piece that I failed to discover what it is.
I remember seeing it a while back but can't say from where.

Can someone help me out and tell me what brick this is?

Thanks.

It would be a Slope, Curved 2 x 2 Lip, No Studs with Island Xtreme Stunts Logo and Flames Pattern.


How can I find overlapping bricks in LeoCAD? I've just started using LeoCAD to generate instructions for a model I want to share.  I've been able to get it working despite the sparse tutorials.  But in looking at my results so far I see that I've got an extra part in one step.  I'm pretty sure this is a left over from duping the same part over and over again.  One benefit of this is that the part must be overlapping with another part.  How can I find and remove this extraneous part?

I'm not aware of a way to do this in LeoCAD directly, but assuming that your overlapping brick is an exact duplicate (same element, same position, same rotation, etc) it will show up as a duplicate line in the LDraw file. Something as simple as this should show you what it is:

uniq -d model.ldr

You could also use any other tool for finding duplicate lines.

If you find a duplicate, it will look something like this:

1 4 -70 -48 -40 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3005.DAT

The 3rd, 4th, and 5th items are the x,y, and z coordinates, which you can use to track down duplicate elements and remove them inside LeoCAD. Alternatively, you can remove all but one of the duplicate lines from the file directly.


Ordering of Pages in Printed LEGO Catalogues While looking at some of the scanned LEGO catalogues on BrickSet, I have noticed that the UK catalogues (at least the ones I looked into) seem to be ordered "backwards" compared to what I'm used to from Germany: They start with LEGO System (or even Technic) pages, while Duplo is appended at the end (e.g. look at the 1997 one).

In German catalogues, in contrast, pages are invariably ordered roughly by age ranges, i.e. the catalogues start with Duplo, followed by Basic (or whatever it was called in the respective time), followed by "System" (town, knights, space, ...; possibly starting with juniorized town in the years that was a thing), followed by Technic.

Is there a specific reason for that? (e.g. is that the usual way to order toy catalogues in the UK vs. Germany, was it just started differently and then LEGO stuck with its respective tradition in the respective countries, etc.?)

I think this is just basically something they did on purpose. I would suggest that you check more like this to confirm your suspicions, but as far as I am concerned, different countries maybe have different styles of doing things related to counting.


Why doesn't lego make many 2x2x4 Pieces? I'm just wondering if anybody here knows where I can get some 2x2x4 pieces ... It seems that Lego doesn't make many just standard bricks that are 4 high ... I've found a few singles here and there on Ebay, but these don't exit in the pick a brick store and they are reeeally hard to find. Looking for about 16 Dark Stone Gray 2x2x4 pieces ... any leads? Or any idea why they don't make standard bricks that are 4 high? I assume it's because you can easily stack to 2 highs, but for cosmetic reasons I can't do this in my build. Thanks!

I can't find any evidence that a 2x2x4 piece has ever existed. Bricklink identifies a 2x2x3 brick, and there are many sellers around the world that will happily sell you 16 dark stone grey pieces for pennies/piece.


Bag 2, 2011 set, ID 135149 Can anyone identify this bag? It has in it what looks like the grill of a truck, or skis!

Blue jacket, fearful face, gray round piece.
Mainly black blue and white. 2011 printed on bag.

Set #75915-1: Jurassic World Pteranodon Capture


Bulk LEGO as presents I've bought a couple of bulk LEGO bundles with the idea of gathering up the identifiable sets, printing out the instructions (via BrickSet or similar) and then giving them as presents to my kids over the years along some of my sets from when I was a kid. However, very few of the sets I can identify from this big pile of bricks are complete. Some of them could be completed with the wrong colour pieces. What I'm trying to work out is a a good strategy for giving these bricks to my kids. I could give them a scoop of random bits every now and again. Or build the sets with alternative parts (but then the instructions won't quite match), or try to buy the missing parts from BrickLink/BrickOwl. Any other ideas?

There's also a tonne (well, 200+) of minifigs, I have thought about making treasure hunts to find new parts every now and again.

Slight complicating factor. My son is 3.5 and daughter 1.5, so I'll be giving him some now, but will have to keep some back for her until she stops trying to eat them.

Sorting random kits out of a bulk lot and building them can be fun, but it's often quite tricky to determine what you actually have. Also, unless you did quite a bit of sorting up front, you might find that it gets harder and harder to pick out a full kit as time goes on. You could let the kids figure it out, but probably not until they're older, and can look up inventories on bricklink. You could also make it a game: you identify a set candidate, the kids help you build it by finding parts from the lot, and if you succeed in building it you give it to them to keep. If it's a really close build, using bricklink to fill in the missing pieces would make a lot of sense. I once tried to build every single Lego kit my brother and I owned as kids and made a list of all the missing parts. I never got around to it, but a single Bricklink order might be able to clear out that list.

If, instead of sorting out official kits, you sort out the parts by type/colour, you could probably make up some nice little lots of parts that are useful for building. Maybe a bag full of spaceship parts, or castle parts, or car parts. Each of these could become a sort of "kit" on its own, and you could gift them to your children whenever you feel like it.

You could also make some little creations, or large creations, and treat them as "kits" as well. It might be possible for you to recreate the Monthly Mini Models that the Lego company gives away, or small Creator sets, or other similar kits.

Alternatively, just spread the whole thing on the floor and tell them "Build! Share! Tidy Up After!" and let them go crazy with it.


Is there an easier way of threading Technic pins into other elements? I've been using Lego Digital Designer to recreate a few models I've built in real life. One model in particular uses many Technic axles which need to be inserted fully into other Technic bricks (like the [part:32014] shown in the image below).

(Click image for animation)

If Technic axles aren't inserted all the way, it causes more problems later on in the build, when the same group of parts are duplicated and used elsewhere.

In some cases, moving the camera angle around can help, but the axle continues to flicker around the screen as the axle is inserted.

As someone who also argues with LDD occasionally, have you tried using a placeholder technic beam to get two connectors at the right distance and then adding the axle into both connectors before deleting the placeholders?

If the placeholders are in a different colour from the rest of the model, you could use as many as you need and then delete them with the Colour Select tool, leaving just the parts behind.


How do I print images onto minifig body parts? I have seen a few custom minifigures out there with images on certain body parts never produced by LEGO. What is the best way to achieve this? I have heard of some people printing out the image on paper and gluing it, but I don't want to do that. That would look horrible even if I got the background of the picture to be the same color as the plain piece. I've also heard of printing an image onto sticker paper and applying it. That would probably work on a torso, but probably would do a bad job of deforming around legs, heads, or certain types of helmets. Anyone got any other ideas?

You can do that with scale model water decals. You can buy that in blank sheets and print out your designs with an inkjet printer. You can also use products that help those water decals set (adhere) and conform to the surface deformation and use scale model varnishes to seal it in place.

Shopping list:

Water decal sheets
Setting solution (sticks better)
Solvent solution (conforms to the surface)
Varnish/Finish

As stated in this other question about painting Lego bricks: Don't expect it to sustain the normal usage of LEGO bricks. This is good for display or light usage (like playing D&D with custom minifigures)


Does anyone know why Hagrid has fingers? Hagrid (hp061 and hp009) both have fingers instead of just the traditional c-cup hands.

Does anyone know why?

Since Hagrid is much larger than others, it is an opportunity to include slightly more detail without looking clumsy. The fingers might increase the illusion of being bigger.


How can I build a Lego rubik's cube? How can I build a LEGO Rubik's cube, I have 2 of them, and I've built them several times, but how can I build a LEGO Rubik's cube.

There seems to be basically two choices. You can either build a larger version than the traditional cube, or you can build something that doesn't stay together very well.

There's a nice example of a small cube on Sebastians Sand's Brickshelf:

While this looks like it would work, I can't imagine that it holds together through many rotations.

If you are willing to build something a bit larger, there are some good examples available, but it looks like it gets fairly complicated.


Can you help identify this olive green space fighter lego set? This set was bought about 10 years ago for my son. It is predominantly olive green with red trimmings. It has stickers with WARRING A-347 written on them. It has some moving parts that seem like Technic LEGO. It appears to be a fighter jet with large legs (like a star wars vessel). It may be more than one vehicle and no doubt some of its parts are in our LEGO brick bin. I'm selling my son's extensive collection and engaged in the arduous task of completing each set. Any clues are much appreciated.

Based on

6016457: Right Shell 3X12 W/Bow/Angle
6016465: Circle 90G 6X6 Roof Tile

Both in Olive Green
This is from 70164-1: Hurricane Heist


How do I build a paper feeder with LEGO to transfer a single sheet of paper from a deck robustly? I want to create an apparatus (which might be called a paper feeder) to take a still image for each paper taken from a deck of 500 sheets robustly. Robustly means that the apparatus must guarantee all sheets of paper get captured by the still camera.

I am new to LEGO but I think creating the apparatus with LEGO can reduce the cost. I will use for processing more than 2 million pieces of paper.

My questions are

What peripherals are needed to pick exactly one piece of paper (from a deck of 500) for a single camera shot?

In essence I want to replace this scanner job.

There are many ways you can approach this problem using LEGO. I would recommend the 8547 Mindstorms NXT 2.0 set, as it includes the software required to program a basic paper feeder including a microprocessor (NXT Brick), three motors, four sensors (ultrasonic, two touch and a colour sensor) as well as plenty of other parts which you can use to construct the paper feed.

Set 8547 also comes with four wheels with rubber tyres which can be powered by the motors to feed paper. These tyres will have more enough traction to pull without damaging the paper.

A colour sensor can be used at a fixed point to detect the start of a new page or a motor can be calibrated to perform an X amount of rotations required to feed one sheet of paper. However if you wish to feed the paper, you need to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the method used as well as when and where it is likely to fail.

  I am new to LEGO but I think creating the apparatus with LEGO can reduce the cost.

You may be able to reduce the costs by purchasing the essential parts from Bricklink. Although it can't be guaranteed that you'll be able to get all the parts in one purchase and it may be more expensive to buy the parts separately.

  I will use for processing more than 2 million pieces of paper.

If you're looking for something reliable that can scan that many sheets of paper, you may find it more economical to have find a professional archival company that can process your documents/images.


Help identifying LEGO sets - Star Wars? My toddler inherited a bunch of LEGO pieces that all seem to be Star Wars.  I was able to determine about 1/2 of the bunch were 4 Microfighter sets since some parts are unique.  I am stuck identifying the rest.  I have “two” very unique items but just can’t seem to place them... !

One item is a dome with a hinge and it has ‘paneling’ Design but it is not like the domes I’ve seen on tie-fighter sets, the other are sticks w/ a 1x2 on one end and a circle on other that are about 3.5” long.

Welcome Court!

Looks like  part# 42445 Bar 12L with 1 x 2 Plate End Solid Studs and 1 x 1 Round Plate End.

Part# 99784 Bar 12L with 1 x 2 Plate End Hollow Studs and 1 x 1 Round Plate End.

and

part #50747pb06 Windscreen 6 x 6 x 3 Canopy Half Sphere with Dual 2 Fingers and SW Tie-Fighter Pattern.

From
Set #9492 TIE Fighter.

Later!


Brick-built alternative to "Door 2 x 5 x 5 Swivel, Bracket Base" I am trying to make a brick-built alternative to the swivelling door piece that's frequently used to provide secret entrances in castle sets.

Example: this combination (images from Bricklink)

The pre-fab Lego piece has several advantages but is also fairly ugly for use in builds that don't rely on panels for walls. Its main advantage though is that it is compact and swivels around the centre, which is possible because the inner piece is very thin and slightly narrower than the outer piece.

I have achieved a similar pattern using the 2x2 turntable tile but getting the turntable positioned under the wall so that the wall spins on its centre means I need to use two levels of jumpers, both at the top and bottom of the wall. This consumes a lot of vertical space and also juts out horizontally at the top (Why doesn't Lego have an inverse jumper? one stud-hole on the bottom, two studs on top?)

Here are pictures of my creation. I'd appreciate any tips on how to make it more compact.
Note that the round 1x1 bricks are needed on the sides to make enough room for it to swivel. It still rubs a bit but it's fine.

The first layer of jumpers offsets the turntable so that the wall spins on its central axis. The second set of jumpers allows the wall  to be centered over the turntable. On top, I have to hang the jumpers out, then repeat with the turntable and then more jumpers. In this prototype the dark grey layers are jumpers and the black layers are turntables.

Why not use just two jumper plates (3794), one on the top and one on the bottom? No more additional are pieces required.

You can also replace the stack of 1x1 round bricks with a single Support 1 x 1 x 6 Solid Pillar (43888) piece. The piece is used in conjunction with a large swinging vault door in the Bank & Money Transfer (3661) set. The brick is stronger then a stack of 1x1 round bricks and the round part of the brick (at five bricks high) is tall enough for most minifigures.


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

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

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


How can I remove fast glue (Cyanoacrylate) from LEGO bricks? I recently bought some second-hand LEGO bricks. Some of these bricks have quick glue on them.

How can I get rid of the glue?

According to Wikipedia acetone can help soften cyanoacrylate, but it also dissolves ABS, so you might want to avoid that.

Another website advises for using soap and water, although it seems dubious to me whether it would make any difference, this method certainly won't damage your parts (unless they are electronic or have stickers), so you might as well give it a try.

Heating the CA can also soften it to ease removal, but beware that ABS is also susceptible to melting.

There are also commercial products designed to soften and remove CA glue from various surfaces, but you should always check whether they play nicely with the ABS or would they also soften your bricks.

As a last resort, however time consuming it might be, shaving the glue off using precision blades is a surefire way if you can work with such precision and have the required time. Using sandpaper and polishing after the process can save a bit of time though.


Direct command lego ev3 Is there any documentation about direct command bluetooth of EV3?

Thanks,
regards!

Try http://ev3.fantastic.computer/doxygen/index.html and http://ev3.fantastic.computer/doxygen-all/

It seems to be the best option at the moment.


Can't open the page to enter my LEGO Advent Calendar code I'm on a Mac and have been using the link provided in other posts to try to enter my Advent Calendar code.  But the page doesn't work for me.  This is the link I'm using:

http://starwars.lego.com/en-us/advent/Default.aspx

When the pop up finally opens it is just a blank page.

Thanks for getting in touch with us.

  We're sorry about the frustration you must be feeling. Unfortunately
  there was a misprint on the packaging. The real website to enter the
  codes is www.starwars.lego.com.

  When you get to the site in the middle of the page is a place for you
  to enter in the codes. I hope this helped.

  Thanks again for getting in touch. We're always pleased to receive
  feedback from LEGO fans! If you could take a moment to complete a four
  question survey by going to the link below, it will help us make sure
  we are providing the best customer service to you.

  http://www.econsumeraffairs.com/lsi/ensurvey.html?F1=032315854A

  Please let us know if you need anything else.

  Happy building!

  Arianne K LEGO Consumer Services


How to install Firmware 1.10E on an EV3 home/retail edition brick If and how can you install firmware 1.10E on an EV3 brick from an home/retail edition set (instead of an education set)? Updates 1.0E9 are only recognized from the Mindstorm software, also with Education Mindstorm software version.

I am very interested to build projects with makecode.mindstorms.com.

New answer (2020)
The V1.10E firmware is installed using the EV3 Device Manager web page. The instructions are not entirely clear, but if you visit the web page with Chrome (recommended), Safari, Edge, or Internet Explorer, click the Available Bricks (0) button and wait a very long time, it will eventually pop up a dialog asking to download and install an EV3 Device Manager program to your computer. The EV3 Connection Manager program runs in the background on your computer and communicates with the EV3 Connection Manager web page in the browser. After installing the separate background program, the web page will be able to connect to your EV3. Then you can use it to update the firmware. It does not appear that this method gives you the option of selecting which firmware file to use.
Old answer - for retired EV3 Lab software
You can get the 1.10E firmware from the LEGO Education website. Currently, this can be done by clicking the Download Firmware button at the bottom of this page.
In the EV3 programming software, make sure you have a project open (e.g. create a new empty project), then click Tools > Update Firmware.
Click the Show Details button.

Then click Browse and select the firmware file that you downloaded.

Make sure your EV3 is connected via USB and powered on, then click Update Firmware.


Please help me ID this...castle and gates We've been given boxes after boxes of LEGO bricks...trying to piece them all together.  It's a blessing but also a great challenge !

That would be Attack On Weathertop, from the Lord Of The Rings series. Looks like it's missing a fair few pieces, but it's still mostly intact.

EDIT: Oops, top picture didn't load before I posted. The gate is from Mines Of Moria; the fold-out hill is Attack On Weathertop.


What brick number is this? Can anyone help us to identify what this part number is?

That's 18649 - Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Handles on Ends


Brick or set ID for part? Going through 130 lbs. of 5 decades worth of parts and can't ID this one part.  Anyone know what it is or where it's from? It appears to be old light gray but may just be really dirty light bley. It is 2x2x1-1/3 tall. Could be missing it's bottom as it doesn't place on studs. Only number on it is 4.

That's a Technic Engine Piston Square 2 x 2 - Old.


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

No.

Powered Up does provide the ability to send data between hubs and connected modules via the addition of two additional wires not present in the 4-wire Power Functions system. However, the system appears to be able to operate basic components using only analog control just like Power Functions. For example, here's a look at the internals of the new train motor from Eurobricks:

There are only two components on the board. C2 is a small capacitor in parallel with the motor to address back EMF, and the larger component in the middle is a fuse to prevent damage to the motor or other components when stalled.

You can see in the photo that the two new PU wires (5 and 6, labeled  ID1 and ID2) are connected directly to VCC and GND respectively. It would appear that if these connections for ID1 and ID2 are detected by the hub, the component is treated much like a PF component and M1 and M2 are used to control it. Digital electronics are not required.


Is (C) engraved on a piece an indication that it is Cobi brick? I know that Lego prints their logo on almost all of their bricks, but some are not given this privilege. I have a couple of pieces, 3x3 in a shape of 2 fingered foot, two pin holes on front corners and one pin hole in the back and an axle in the very middle which goes parallel to the ground surface.

Now it would be all fine for me, but they also have engraved "C" in a circle which can either stand for Copyright or Cobi (a polish toy producer). I have failed to find these pieces on Bricklink but I vaguely recall them to be genuine Lego pieces. Can someone help with identification of them?

The symbol stamped on the parts you are asking about is the international copyright symbol © and is common on nearly anything with a copyright and not indicative of any particular brand or producer. A decent description of the use and purpose of the symbol can be found at http://www.copyrightlaws.com/international/522/

The tops of Cobi bricks have "Cobi" stamped on them. They also have a limited range of non-brick/plate parts available and have not duplicated many of the Technic parts, including the part in your image (at the time that I am writing anyway).

LEGO produces many parts in many different kinds of plastic and so while a part might not have the same feel as a standard 2x4 brick it doesn't mean that it isn't a LEGO part. The Bionicle/Hero Factory series of sets in particular use a lot of parts molded in plastic that is much less stiff than the ABS used for the System bricks. You were very close in your identification of the part in your own answer as "Technic, Axle and Pin Connector 3 x 3 with Axle" (Though the correct BrickLink part number is 111b, not 113b), however the actual part is instead "Technic, Pin Connector 3 x 3 with Axle" since they appear to be sloped on the ends rather than being a standard width for the entire part. The official LEGO name for the part is "32175 FOOT WITH CROSSAXLE" (Found in LDD v4.3, Brick Version 1182).


Which clone brand and set do these pieces belong to, rock platforms and castle walls? Please help. What set is the rock platforms from and the other rock pieces? The castle walls too?

Most of these are mixed Mega bloks Dragons sets from the Dragons series.

The rock platforms are from Dragons: Raiders Keep #9650  (more pictures).

There is also a window from #9885 Marauder's Cliff.


How to fill a vertical 1.5 stud wide gap? How can a vertical 1.5 stud wide gap be filled, for example between this brick on a jumper plate and regular plate? I can achieve ratios multiples of 1/3 and 2/5 with sideways plates, but some trickery (perhaps with headlight brick) has to be used to achieve this 1/2 stud ratio.

(almost right)

Before I attempt to come up with an answer, let me share how I think through problems like this, as it might make it easier for others to solve problems like this in the future.
We can see that the gap itself is 30 LDU, as modules are 20 LDU, so 1.5 modules is 30 LDU. Some quick rules of thumb:

Multiples of 20 LDU can be made with regular bricks horizontally
Multiples of 8 LDU can be made with bricks, plates, and tiles vertically
Multiples of 4 LDU can be made with clever use of brackets and Erling bricks
Other numbers require the use of fairly odd pieces

We see that 30 LDU is not a multiple of 20, 8, or 4, so we'll need some special pieces for this. If we had an element that was 6 LDU thick, we could then make up the difference using 3 plates (30LDU - 6LDU = 24LDU = 8LDU * 3) or one brick vertically. Thankfully, at least one such element exists in the classic fences:

We can stack 3 plates or one brick on the center section to perfectly fill our 30 LDU gap:


Why does BrickLink append a -1 to so many set numbers? I've been perusing BrickLink for a while, and I noticed that essentially all sets are listed with a "-1" after the LEGO set number. For example, Set 41164, Enchanted Treehouse is listed on BrickLink as 41164-1.
What's the purpose of the "-1", and more specifically, what would a "-2" or even "-3" set number represent?

Does it represent a version number (e.g. a revised or post-recall version of the set would be numbered 41164-2)?
Is this a country code?
Is it just a site-specific affectation?
Is it currently unused, but reserved for future use?

TLG hasn't always been particularly careful about their set numbering, so the community has taken to adding -1 to the end of the set number to handle cases where there may be duplicate set numbers used by TLG. For example, here's what we refer to as 8858-1:

And 8858-2:

As others have pointed out, this also helps to track minor adjustments to sets (re-releases, box differences, inventory adjustments, etc). Bricklink maintains a list of sets that are similar and have the same official set number but which are assigned unique suffixes for various reasons.


Are there any cases of Illegal Building in an official lego build? I am defining illegal as it is in this answer, specifically the following

Studs-on-side bricks cannot have their side stud in the hole of a
technic brick
Bricks mounted SNOT style onto Ehrling/Headlight bricks cannot sit
directly above a normal stud (the minimal height of the LEGO
embossing makes that combination illegal)
Technic pins have to be fully inserted into technic holes, otherwise they stay in compressed state which causes stress on the element.
Plates cannot be inserted with their studs into technic bricks, unless it is a 1x1 plate (so only 1 hole is used) and there is no brick attached to the technic brick directly above the inserted plate.
As mentioned by you already, you cannot insert plates between studs (this used to be a valid technique 20+ years ago, but is no longer considered "legal" by LEGO).

I am also including one other situation:

A round piece between four studs as stated in a comment by Sandra.

When, if ever, have any of these methods been used in an official Lego Build?

As mentioned by you already, you cannot insert plates between studs (this used to be a valid technique 20+ years ago, but is no longer considered "legal" by LEGO)

This technique is used in 21309 Saturn V, to mount the flag piece as part of the moon diorama.
Given this set was released in 2017, I’d say its definitely a modern usage.


EV3-specific bricks missing from Lego Digital Designer 4.3.11 (Win)? I have LDD on my Mac and have used it to create EV3 models (like an FLL robot, or a Lego dot-matrix printer). Recently, I purchased a cheap Windows laptop for use by a FLL team.

After twice installing LDD v4.3.11 on the PC, however, I am running into a roadblock. It doesn't seem to have EV3-specific parts, such as EV3 motors, sensors, or brick/brain.

For example, if on the PC I try to load a model I designed using LDD on my Mac (which does have these parts), I get the following error:

If I search the parts either by specific part number or by the term "EV3", I find nothing. It also doesn't matter which mode I use ("Mindstorms", "Extended", etc).

I think they are just missing from v4.3.11 for Windows!

Can anyone confirm? Can anyone suggest a way to get them back?

I think I might have a more elegant solution rather than downgrading to LDD 4.3.11 :

You just need to replace "Assets.lif" file in the 4.3.12 installation folder with the same file from 4.3.11 version. I happen to have this file archived here.
After you replace the file and restart LDD, all bricks will be available and all your previous creations will open without errors.

Notes:

If you don't trust my version of the file, you can do it yourself easily, since the "setupldd-pc-4_3_11.exe" distributive is essentially an archive and the file can be easily extracted with tools like WinRar or 7-zip from there.

Why choose file swapping instead of downgrading: in version 4.3.12 LEGO has removed the Flash dependability (or Silverlight, i don't remember now). That resulted in more convenient install on latest Win 10 systems, which is nice, since I personally had trouble installing 4.3.11 on a fully updated Win 10.
Unfortunately LEGO developers also somehow corrupted the Assets.lif file that contains the brick library. It seems that the file got simply truncated at some point, which is obvious when you compare the file sizes of the 4.3.11 and 4.3.12 versions.


21104 NASA Mars Curiosity Rover? Has Lego made a public statement why they stopped producing the Curiosity Rover set? Each of its few production runs sold out in hours. Why won't they take my money?

More importantly, how do I get a set for my kids (and me)? Speculators sell them in the vicinity of $100, but I'd rather not reward their hoarding if there's another option. None of the stores on Rebrickable have the full parts list. Does Pick A Brick keep everything in stock?

Gev already answered the question about availability. LEGO Ideas sets are produced in small quantities. Perhaps this will change in the future as LEGO Ideas is now out of beta testing and was brought in-house by LEGO. The Curiosity is not going to be back unfortunately. I just called LEGO about this a couple of days ago.

As far as the Curiosity inventory, BrickLink has the full parts-list here: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemInv.asp?S=21104-1. None of the parts are rare or difficult to find. You can use the parts-list linked above, add them to your wanted list on BrickLink, then quiry your wanted list by shop. This will show you which stores have all the parts you need in stock. And you can download the building instructions from LEGO's customer service website here: http://service.lego.com/en-us/buildinginstructions/


Motorized Excavator (8043) set alternatives I'm on the search for a motorised excavator set and have the 8043 in mind. It is now retired and no longer available.
Are there any alternative currently available sets? I have looked at a few options including motorizing my 42006 set but it doesn't make sense financially.
My second question is, why are LEGO not replacing retired sets with current versions? Is it due to popularity? Design cost vs sales?

I'm afraid there is no other excavator in LEGO Technic line like 8043. It is quite unique in that it has both driving and its functions motorized. Which is why it keeps its value even on second hand market. In case your collection consist of more than 42006 set you can look into "bricklinking" 8043 set for yourself. That is, look into buying missing bricks to build 8043 set of your own collection. In fact, owning just 42006 set means you already have 45.3% of 8043.
If you are fine with fan designed LEGO model I can suggest looking at excavators on Rebrickable. All models have instructions (paid or free).
Answer to why LEGO doesn't keep same type of model for a long period of time is quite simple, I think. If you got excavator released two years ago (which is the usual life span for Technic models), you don't really need a new one. You'd probably want to get dump truck, super car, plane or some other model that you don't already have. And if you already got all the types, and LEGO keeps making sets of the same type you'd probably won't spend money on newer models, which is something LEGO doesn't want to happen.


Are there any health concerns with letting children use old LEGO kits? I have a hoard of LEGO kits that passed from me to my nephew, and now to my son. Some of the kits that are included with the set date back to the early 1970's. Are there any health risks with passing the older kits down to my son? Have there ever been recalls or warnings published about the chemical make-up of older bricks?

The most important thing is to make you keep any swallowable magnet out of reach.

This is potentially lethal if two magnets are swallowed and attrach each other from different part of the intestine, as unfortunately did happen to a kid a few years back with some other toy. That's why LEGO has completely redesigned train magnets to be completely encased in the buffers, which are a way too big element to swallow.


Help identify this non-LEGO set - curvy slopes and stickers I don't believe this is a LEGO set because there is no branding on the studs but hopefully someone recognizes the sticker and can tell me which set this is?
I'm looking for the exact set as I was handed down thousands of LEGO bricks for my kids with no instructions

This looks very much like the rear end of set 8669 Fire Spinner 360:

Only differences being that the pieces are counterfeit and the red on the stickers has been replaced with green. This is therefore, presumably, from a clone-brand version of this set.


Using the NBR 1036 Barometer with the EV3 I just purchased the HiTechnic Barometer from LEGO, thinking the Block was available for the EV3.  Theory says that I can use NXT Block in the EV3.  Can anyone point me in the right direction?

I'm not sure where you got your theory, but no NXT blocks will not work in EV3 software.

You may be able to use this with the LEGO EV3 software using the generic I2C block developed by Dexter Industries.

Otherwise, you should look into using a 3rd party programming environment/OS for the EV3 (EV3Basic, ev3dev, leJOS, MonoBrick, etc.)


Lego Boost: how can I gain access to all the programming blocks? I've just started playing with Lego Boost. Currently I only have very few programming blocks available in the Android app. According to this, I should be able to unlock all blocks by pressing the symbol with the three bricks. But this symbol doesn't exist in my version of the app.
Does anyone know how to unlock all the blocks? Or can anyone recommend using an older version of the app that does allow you to unlock all the blocks?

Based on the link provided by @RSchulz, this is my current understanding of programming blocks availability in the Lego Boost app:
There are two different types of canvas areas in which you can create projects: the Coding Canvas which you can reach by tapping on the big red toolbox that is in each robot submenu, and the Creative Canvas, which can be reached from the main menu by tapping on the open window.
The former has different blocks for each robot, and gets blocks added every time you complete one of the predefined tasks.
The latter has many advanced blocks but is missing robot-specific blocks that are in the other canvases.
There is no canvas that makes all existing blocks available.


Where are the cloth / fabric minifigure capes / cloaks in my set? I purchased The Mines of Moria (Lego Lord of the Rings item 9473) directly from The Big Store in Legoland, Florida.  When I opened it up at home, the capes / cloaks for Pippin and Boromir were missing.  No other parts appear to be missing, and the set did not appear tampered with.

I went to the LEGO website to report the missing items. The only items listed as "out of stock" on the website parts list were the capes and, as to be expected, the Cave Troll. While I can understand the fascination with the Cave Troll (it is a popular, obscure, and easy to rip off item from the set), I wonder if capes / cloaks going missing from sets is a chronic problem, as those being the only other items out of stock may indicate a larger issue.

Has anyone else experienced missing minifigure capes / cloaks, or is this issue unique to me?  Or, am I just seeing the "out of stock" message and imagining a problem where none exists?

I found them.

The capes were packaged in a small, unmarked, rectangular, white, cardboard box that was taped shut. Apparently, this little box came with the set, but someone else assumed it was filler trash and put it on our recycling queue.

Considering the capes are the only items out of stock besides the Cave Troll, it is possible others may be simply dismissing the box, and discarding it as filler.  This could explain why they are out of stock (or, as TheBrickBlogger's answer indicates, they are popular items like the Cave Troll).

After discovering the capes, I've cancelled my replacement order.  I provided feedback to LEGO recommending they make the container box more obvious.


City scale connection for five-bladed helicopter rotors I want to build a Super-Puma helicopter in city minifigure scale and form, I have the basic design planned, but I am not familiar with any five-sided technic connectors, which I will need for the rotors.

I have thought of a potential idea, but it is still a little too large for city scale helicopters:

Any better ideas out there?

Update - I had this idea, but it is quite loose, maybe I could tighten it up by using PC dishes on PC sticks (PolyCarbonate pieces used together bind to each other).

I tried wrapping string round the pegs and they still wobbled, this one's tricky.

5-fold symmetries are difficult to build in LEGO, especially at small scale. Here is an attempt, still a bit bulky...

LDraw file here.


Why do hidden Lego pieces have different colours? I noticed recently that hidden Lego pieces in many sets (I did not check them all of course) have completely different colours than those are visible. They usually differ from not only the colour of the visible parts but they seem to be somewhat randomly coloured. Why aren't they coloured the same as the other pieces? Is it cheaper to use base colours?

Example: The statue of liberty set (21042) practically has two colours visible (green and sand), however inside there are red, yellow, blue and black pieces as well.

Using different colors on the inside makes the instructions easier to follow. For example, in the case of the Statue of Liberty that you mentioned, if the entire model was sand-green, it would be easier to make mistakes in 1.) following the printed instructions, 2.) finding the pieces in the pile of loose elements, and 3.) attaching the pieces to the model under construction.

Remember that LEGO sets are primarily designed for children, so LEGO puts a lot of testing and effort into making the instructions frustration-free. Using different colors is beneficial even for older LEGO fans who may start to have failing eyesight and would have difficulty finding pieces and seeing the instructions clearly.

As far as which colors are chosen for the interior, they are something that contrast with the main colors of the model, easy to see in the instructions booklet, and easy to find in the pile of loose elements. Another thing that may be taken into consideration is that if the set has instructions for alternate models and what colors those alternate models would need (i.e. LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets).


Having trouble pushing 6.6L bar into pin connectors I have a dilemma where I am trying to push a 6.6L bar(4095)through 3 stacked pin connectors(62462) that have 1 long pin(6558) and 2 pins (4459) inserted. The bar only goes in a little bit and then it won't budge. I have a picture of it, if that would be helpful.

The 2L pin normally fits a bar easily. But, there are older versions that have thicker sides (you can tell by the lip on the ends); you might check to see that yours are all the newer kind.

3L friction pins are all thicker, and do not allow a bar to pass through.


What is the total number of sets that LEGO has released? I am wondering how many LEGO sets that LEGO has released in total in their 85+ years of business. To clarify I am only looking for sets that use plastic blocks like the ones we have today, not the very early sets. This would probably be sets from after 1950 as they started producing the interlocking plastic brick in 1949.

It might be impossible to give the precise number simply because some older sets are yet to be found and new ones are being added with a slight delay.

These three are the major websites having the most details about sets:

Bricklink catalog has 15824 sets in its catalog.
Brickset has 16378 sets.
Rebrickable has 15432 sets.

As you can see numbers are similar, but yet differ slightly. This is due the fact that each site has its set of rules. For example, it may treat some sets as accessories, thus including/excluding them.

All numbers are up-to-date as of the time of this answer.


How can I create synthetic imagery (rendering) of LEGO models? I'd like to know how I can create computer imagery of my own models or existing models.
How can we do photographic quality or cartoon like images?

You need:

Digital Designer (Or anything that can produce Ldraw files, there are some listed in this question)

Blender (Or another renderer that supports Ldraw)

Blender Script (This is necessary for Blender to read you Ldraw models)

Recreate your creation in Lego Digital Designer.
Export as Ldraw format
Import in Blender
Create & render Blender scene

(I haven't tried but it should work)


Is it possible to change the OS in the EV3 Mindstorm Brick I'd like to know how to change the OS embedded into the EV3 mindstorm Brick ( list of it ).
For example, would it be possible to replace the existing one by a linux release without losing any functionality ?

I want to to use an OS supporting all the Robot EV3 functionalities and also the 802.15.4 protocol.

This can usually be achieved on the EV3 with a bootable SD card - you would set that up with a new firmware image and a loader that copies it across to the brick.

The leJOS team have ported their codebase to the EV3 - so with a bootable SD card you can indeed load a modified version of the firmware onto your EV3 brick.

You can then use their WiFi stack to communicate with your brick via a USB dongle - whether they support 802.15.4 yet (or ever will) I couldn't say.

  The WiFi stack is loaded to allow connection to the EV3 via a supported USB WiFi adaptor. This allows you to connect to the EV3 via Telnet, SSH and NFS and makes program development very simple.


Lego EV3 - sending direct commands over RFCOMM Channel (Objective-C, Xcode) I successfully open RFCOMM Channel to Lego EV3 brick with code:

IOBluetoothDevice *device = [IOBluetoothDevice deviceWithAddressString:@"xxxxxxxxxxxx"];
IOBluetoothRFCOMMChannel *rfCommChannel;
IOBluetoothSDPUUID *sppServiceUUID = [IOBluetoothSDPUUID uuid16:kBluetoothSDPUUID16ServiceClassSerialPort];

IOBluetoothSDPServiceRecord *sppServiceRecord = [device getServiceRecordForUUID:sppServiceUUID];

if ( sppServiceRecord == nil )
{
    NSLog( @"Error - no spp service in selected device." );
}

UInt8   rfcommChannelID;
if ( [sppServiceRecord getRFCOMMChannelID:&rfcommChannelID] != kIOReturnSuccess )
{
    NSLog( @"Error - no spp service in selected device." );
}

if ( ( [device openRFCOMMChannelAsync:&rfCommChannel withChannelID:rfcommChannelID delegate:d] != kIOReturnSuccess ) && ( rfCommChannel != nil ) )
{
    NSLog( @"Error - open sequence failed." );
}

Now I wish to send direct command:

unsigned char play_tone[] = {0x0F,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x80,0x00,0x00,0x94,0x01,0x81,0x02,0x82,0xE8,0x03,0x82,0xE8,0x03};

over RFCOMM Channel using class IOBluetoothRFCOMMChannel method:

- (IOReturn)writeSync:(void *)data length:(UInt16)length

I tried to do send it using different ways but none of them worked. How should I do it properly?

I have found solution. I create category NSString+NSStringHexToByte:

NSString+NSStringHexToBytes.h

#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>

@interface NSString (NSStringHexToBytes)
+ (NSData *)dataWithString:(NSString *)string;
@end

NSString+NSStringHexToBytes.m

#import "NSString+NSStringHexToBytes.h"

@implementation NSString (NSStringHexToBytes)

+ (NSData *)dataWithString:(NSString *)string
{
    string = [string stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:@"0x" withString:@""];

    NSCharacterSet *notAllowedCharacters = [[NSCharacterSet characterSetWithCharactersInString:@"abcdefABCDEF1234567890"] invertedSet];
    string = [[string componentsSeparatedByCharactersInSet:notAllowedCharacters] componentsJoinedByString:@""];

    const char *cString = [string cStringUsingEncoding:NSASCIIStringEncoding];
    const char *idx = cString;
    unsigned char result[[string length] / 2];
    size_t count = 0;

    for(count = 0; count < sizeof(result)/sizeof(result[0]); count++)
    {
        sscanf(idx, "%2hhx", &result[count]);
        idx += 2 * sizeof(char);
    }

    return [[NSData alloc] initWithBytes:result length:sizeof(result)];
}

and now:

NSString* playTone= @"0f0000008000009401810282e80382e803";
NSData* data = [NSString dataWithString:playTone];
[self sendMessage:data toChannel:rfcommChannel];

where sendMessage is:

-(void)sendMessage:(NSData*)data toChannel:(IOBluetoothRFCOMMChannel*)rfcommChannel
{
    [rfcommChannel writeSync:(void*)data.bytes length:data.length];
}


Bluetooth connection between an Android phone and EV3 brick? I've paired my phone to the brick, however I was wondering if there were any resources out there regarding a simple android app to type something out on my phone and output it on the robots LCD screen. I am new to the scene and I have not found any resources for it.

MIT App Inventor is a popular way to make simple Android apps that can communicate with an EV3. It has special blocks just for EV3.


What are the differences between the two available pizza elements? In the "Buy pieces" section of the Lego website, I looked up the pizza element. It turns out there are actually two of them!

Element 6102555 costs $0.41/piece and 81867 costs $0.37/piece, but they have identical images on the website.

What are the differences between these pieces, if any? (Other than the fact that one is 4 cents cheaper than the other!)

Bricklink tells me that 6102555 is Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Bottom Stud Holder with Pizza Pattern and 81867 is Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Pizza Pattern which according to the 3D model is the old style with the X on the bottom. Other than that, they seem to be identical.


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

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

Old answer:

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

  Q. Will all different Powered Up components (Boost, WeDo, Train, etc)
  be able to communicate and control each other, e.g. running a Boost
  program sequence using a Powered Up hub or using sensors with Powered
  Up hubs?

  A. It is the aim that the Powered UP platform will work together
  across both with the wired and wireless connection. Some of these
  connections are not implemented yet and will come through firmware and
  app updates.


Are silicone rubber bands safe for LEGO? I'd like to build some custom sets using rubber bands but I don't have any spare original LEGO rubber bands (and I'd need several anyway). Since I had bad experience with rubber objects touching LEGO pieces in storage (the rubber 'melted' the plastic where it touched over several years), I'm thinking of getting silicone bands instead. Are these safer than regular rubber bands when touching LEGO pieces for an extended period?
I'm aware of these questions but these don't deal specifically with silicone being safe to use or not.

Procuring alternative rubber bands
What are LEGO rubber bands made of?

Silicone does not appear to be safe with ABS plastic
This sounded like a good idea to me since silicone works well in other extreme circumstances like baking, but the quick research I've done says this is not so smart.  I found two general references for ABS compatibility:

Plastics International Plastic Compatibility Chart
Kelco's ABS compatiblity chart

Both rate the compatibility a D, which means:

Material will decompose or dissolve in a short.

or

Severe Effect.  The material should not be used under any circumstances.

The only caveat here is that Plastics International is talking about "Silicone Fluids" and you're asking about a solid.  I wouldn't risk my LEGO's on that unless we hear from somebody that tried it and it worked out for them.


What are these 1x2 clip and bar pieces? I am not sure what this piece is and I need to know what it's called so I can find it on BrickLink.

Those pieces are:

Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Handle on Side - Free Ends

And

Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Clip Horizontal on End


Which lego set is this shuttle from? I found this shuttle in my old LEGO box. I tried to find the instruction but couldn't. Do you know which set this is from?

This is from set 7151 Sith Infiltrator from the first wave of Starwars sets from 1999.

It is the only set that contains Windscreen 3x6x5 Bubble with that cockpit pattern, as visible on this picture:


Does repeated flashing cause degradation NXT I have a Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0, which I'm tinkering around with, writing a custom firmware for. I just want to know if repeated flashing could damage the flash memory.

LEGO Mindstorms all use flash storage which does have a limited number of write cycles, so the answer is technically yes in some capacity, but it's probably not something you need to worry about.

A LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 uses a Atmel AT91SAM7S256 microcontroller. This board has 256 KB flash memory, which is roughly the size of the latest firmware image.

According to the datasheet for this board, it should be good for 10,000 write cycles.

  256 Kbytes of Internal High-speed Flash, Organized in 1024 Pages of 256 Bytes

  Single Cycle Access at Up to 30 MHz in Worst Case Conditions
  Prefetch Buffer Optimizing Thumb Instruction Execution at Maximum Speed
  Page Programming Time: 4 ms, Including Page Auto-erase, Full Erase Time: 10 ms
  10,000 Write Cycles, 10-year Data Retention Capability, Sector Lock Capabilities, Flash Security Bit
  Fast Flash Programming Interface for High Volume Production

10,000 is actually quite a bit, and would take a very long time to reach intentionally, even if you automated it to run 24/7.

I'm not sure how fast you physically can flash the firmware, but if you did it once every 10 minutes 24/7, it would take you almost 70 days to reach that limit.

If you flashed it a still-unrealistic 10 times per-day, it would take you 1000 days to reach that limit.

And of-course, if you did it once per-day, it would take you over 27 years.

In practice, I think it's much more likely some other hardware component will fail first.


Replace Battery in LEGO Dino Attack Light-Up T-Rex Head? Is it possible to replace the battery of the LEGO Dino Attack T-Rex head?

There's a button on the top of the head that makes the eyes and tongue light up red, presumably via a red LED.

There doesn't seem to be any obvious way to take it apart like other light-up LEGO elements from the era. Is it possible to disassemble this element and replace the batteries?

Unfortunately after attacking this piece from every angle with some plastic opening tools, I'm quite certain there is no non-destructive way to open this piece.

I tried slipping a spudger in every seam where the plastic joins and was unable to find anywhere I could get any leverage, or even push it in more than a few millimeters.

Even the jaw piece is held on by a cylinder of plastic running from cheek to cheek. There isn't a good way to photograph it, but here's an illustration to show you what I mean.

Based on this experience, I believe it is held together by single-use plastic clips that snap into place on the inside without any way to detach them, short of breaking them. I do not think it is glued together, because the two halves do shift a tiny amount under pressure, and some points were much more resistant to inserting a spudger than others (perhaps because a clip is in that area).


How to restart/reset a program automatically after stop block I have a program that uses the colour sensor to progress that program. The colours are in a certain order. If the wrong colour is detected, the program stops.

I want to restart the program from the beginning automatically if at any point the wrong colour is detected. Please note that I already have a loop encompassing the entire program if the colours are detected in the correct order.

Please note that I already have a loop encompassing the entire program if the colours are detected in the correct order.

How about creating another loop for the failure case?

Start loop 1 (correct order)
Start loop 2 (wrong order)
Initialization
Check for colours
  If correct order
    Do something
    End loop 1 (correct order)
  Else
    Do some other thing (or not)
    End loop 2 (wrong order)


Explaination of LXFML file contents I am interested in writing a game that interprets LXF files into worlds (to create a game such as Lego Universe).  After finding out how to extract the LXFML file from the LXF archive, I need to know how to interpret the contained LXFML file.  Are there any detailed descriptions of how the LXFML format works?

The LXFML file is an XML document, and there's an XSD document that you can use to validate any LXFML file, along with a textual description of the tags on the LUGNet forums supplied by the LDD Team a few years ago:

  LXF files - info and XML schema

The key parts of the LXFML you're going to be interested in start with the <Scene> element, which contains one or more <model> elements, which in turn contains one or more <group> elements, which are made up of <part> elements.

The tricky part is getting from a <part> element to an actual model:

<Part refID="0" name="m3680_turn_plate_2x2__lower_part_0" designID="3680"
      materialID="1" assemblyID="74340" assemblyRefID="0"
      angle="0" ax="0" ay="1" az="0" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" />

As you can see, the Design ID corresponds to a LEGO element [part:3680] so you'll need some way to get from those to a suitable model - I recommend taking a look at either:

BricksViewer - A Java app for viewing .lxf scene files - also has a brief discussion of the .lxf and .lxfml formats.
LDXNA - An XNA library for importing LDraw models - it does include an .lxfml document in one of its examples, but I don't recall it using it - however it does show you how to convert the LDraw parts library into a usable format.


From what LEGO set is this plastic bag of parts? Please help to identify this plastic bag of LEGO parts.

This is Hidden Side Newbury Haunted High School 70425

Found looking for Plant Stem, Curved with 2 Thorns and 2 Swirls in Trans-Neon Green on Bricklink (only one with more than 3)


how to build a diorama I have almost all the items from the Lego Castle Fantasy set, and I would like to build a nice full Lego diorama, but I have no clue on where to start. Do you know if there is a tutorial on how to plan the diorama and how to build the terrain to make it solid enough to sustain the items and movements?

If you have access to some Duplo elements, these make good "bulking" blocks for larger terrain sections - as the 2x2 and larger bricks fit over the top of the duplo studs you can build a fairly stable base using those, and then work on the sides and top with System elements as needed.

Otherwise it comes down to sensible building techniques such as starting with larger blocks, overlapping them correctly so that each layer provides support to the ones around it.

There's a good answer on how to build a large structure for transport, which talks about using Technic bricks and pins to connect the sections together, as well as the answer on connecting levels of a multi-story building using tiles and jumpers or 1x1 plates to provide some grip while still enabling access inside.


Do LEGO bricks float? Is it possible to build a boat out of LEGO bricks? I appreciate you couldn't make it watertight but would a LEGO boat float by itself due to the buoyancy of the bricks themselves?

Pictures of any home-made floating constructions would be really interesting.

The plastic is a bit heavier than water and should sink, however in practice I have experienced that 2x4 bricks (and the like) have a tendency to trap air inside them and actually float rather well.
It probably isn't failsafe, however for shorter periods of time (like a half to a full hour) would probably work fine.
(I haven't actually tested the time it could stay afloat, I'm trying it out now. When my small mini-boat has sunk, I will add the time here.)

Update:

24 hours have passed, it is still floating.

It sunk about 1mm compared to the beginning, but nothing of importance. However while I did push it around from time to time, it was still in still water and stationary most of the time. How it will perform during play is unknown.

Notice how the internal structure of the bricks causes the air to be trapped inside them.


How can an EV3 motor "remember" it's starting position? I am currently working on a project that uses large motors. I want the project to return to a "starting position" (0,0,0) at the touch of a button so that it can be used multiple (identical) times. How can I do this with the regular Mindstorms EV3 software (I am using the education version)?

The simplest way to "remember" a starting position is to make the starting position 0. You can do this using Rest in the Motor Rotation block (1). After your motors have moved (simulated by (2)), you can use a loop (3) to run the motors back to zero.

The basic idea though is that if the motor position is negative, then we need to run the motor in the positive direction and vice versa. This way we run back towards a position of 0. Once we reach a motor position of 0, we exit from the loop and stop the motor (5).

This is meant to be an example to point you in the right direction and can be improved. For example, you could use a proportional controller at (4) to slow the motor as it nears the 0 position. The sample code as it is below will oscillate several times before it gets exactly to 0, which is not very nice.

Additionally, you will need to add code that waits for a button press before starting the loop and you will need additional loops for each motor.


How should I arrange LEGO to sell per pound? I've dug up my LEGO collection, and I'm looking to sell it on Ebay or BrinkLink. All of my sets are mixed in containers. I still have the instructions but no original boxes.

I considered sorting the LEGO into sets however I realized that the extra profit I would get would be negligible for the effort it would take, especially since a lot of the LEGO is LEGO City and lesser valued sets like LEGO Agents, LEGO Exoforce etc.

Due to this, I have found that it would be best to sell the LEGO per pound. I could just sell it in bulk but I would get less profit according to this answer to another question.

If I was to sell it per pound, how should I divide the bricks? Per color, brick type (and if so what brick type) etc, or does it not matter?

Thanks.

Good question, and welcome to LEGO Answers! Assuming you are going to break up your collection but not sort it into sets, you will likely get more money for your collection if you sell it in smaller lots sorted by color. You can get a sense for what different colors are worth per pound by searching completed listings on eBay.

However, I don't believe that the answer you cited is correct in most cases (including yours). The first item listed on the most popular answer is:

  Sell the collection as-is (with as much honest description as you can muster and great photos if you're selling on-line).

You don't just have random bricks. Since it sounds like you have many complete or nearly complete sets, you'd be losing that value if you break everything up an sell it in 2 pound lots.

Assuming that your collection is well kept, and you don't want to do the work to sort it, I'd recommend selling it as one large lot. List the sets that you have instructions for and indicate that you believe that they are 99% complete (e.g. you aren't aware of any missing pieces or minifigs, but some have probably wandered off over the years). There are definitely people out there that buy large lots like this and separate out and sell sets for a profit.

You'll want to take plenty of pictures. I'd spread things out and take as many detailed shots of the parts as you can. Experienced buyers will be able to tell pretty quickly how complete your collection is. Given that minifigs have much more value than regular parts, I'd also recommend taking photos of them in a way that allows them to all be identified.


How can you make a hip holster for minifigs? Is there a way to create a holster of some sort so you could attach a LEGO pistol to the side of a minifig, around the hips?

Three 1x1 plates, two 1x1 round bricks, and one 1x1 plate with clip.


Identification of arm like beam Any part number information about this technic beam?

The parts you are looking for are Technic Rotation Joint Disk with Pin Hole and 3L Liftarm Thick and Technic Rotation Joint Disk with Pin and 3L Liftarm Thick.


Most common Lego piece? I know there are many candidates for a rarest Lego piece, but:

Is any specific brick truly the most common? Which? Which color?

I've wondered for a long time about this.

Make sure to include details, as in proof, and if a line is blurry, defend both points.

If you look at the quantity of parts in all sets, the most common is the 1x2 brick ignoring color. The most common part and color combo is the Techhnic pin with friction in black.

These stats were pulled from Rebrickable's database - they previously had a "Stats" page, but this has since been replaced with their API.


The controversy around clone brands The origin of the self-locking building bricks

Hilary Page was born in 1904 in Sanderstead, England. Along with several partners, Page decided to go into the toy business in 1932. In 1936, he began manufacturing Kiddicraft ‘Sensible’ toys using new injection moulding technology. Among them was an Interlocking Building Cube, for which he received a British patent in 1940.

After WW2, Page designed and produced the Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Bricks. These were smaller, refined versions of the Interlocking Building Cube. Bricks could be stacked on each other and were held in place by studs on the top. The bricks also featured slits on their side that allowed panel-like doors, windows or cards to be inserted. He patented the basic design, a 2 X 4 studded brick, in 1947. This was later followed by patents for the side slits (1949) and the baseplate (1952), designs featured in exhibits at the Brighton Toy and Model Museum.

Example of a Kiddicraft set:

How Lego "stole" Kiddicraft's ideas and purged Page's name

Ole Kirk Christiansen and his son Godtfred became aware of the Kiddicraft brick after examining a sample, and possibly drawings, given to them by the British supplier of the first injection moulding machine they had purchased. Realising their potential, Ole modified the Kiddicraft brick and in 1949 marketed his own version, The Automatic Binding Brick.

Example of an Automatic Binding Brick set:

Automatic Binding Brick became Lego brick in 1953. So, basically, this means that Lego actually started off as a direct knock-off of Kiddicraft.

Separated from his wife, and with the stress of his business ventures, Page committed suicide in 1957. British Lego Ltd. was set up in late 1959 and the first sets were sold the following year. Lego eventually acquired the rights to Kiddicraft in 1981. In an out-of-court settlement, Lego paid £45,000 to the new owners of Page's company Hestair-Kiddicraft. It subsequently purged all references to Page and Kiddicraft from its published history.

The rise of the Chinese clone brands

Lego filed its first patent in 1958. Several other patents would follow. However, these patents had all expired in 1989. And ever since then, a number of companies have produced interlocking bricks nearly identical to (and compatible with) Lego bricks.

Especially in China, a wide range of brands have popped up, including (but not exclusive to) Banbao, Lele, Lepin, Kopf, XingBao, Englighten, Kazi, Gudi & Ausini. Some brands, like Lepin, blatantly copy LEGO sets in every detail, clearly enfringing European & American copyright law.

Most brands, however, produce their their own sets, with their own unique designs. This includes anything from medieval or city themed sets to complete modular buildings. Many of these brands also include themes Lego avoids, like WW2 or Vietnam era military themes.

Example of an Ausini set:

Example of a Kazi set:

My question

In the AFOL community, I've noticed a great amount of hostility (even outright hate) against Chinese clone brands. Both companies producing such clone brands and the people buying them are often labeled anything from mildly immoral to pure evil, because they supposedly "steal" from Lego or the companies it licenses from.

However, considering Lego itself started out by blatantly copying the design of blocks that were parented by Kiddicraft & tried to hide these facts from its customers in decent decades, how does that make Lego any better? Is not Lego just as guilty of violating another company's IP? If "stealing" another company's IP is evil, does that not make Lego just as evil?

Why does Lego get a pass for copying another brand and thereby possibly even contributing to the suicide of the original creator? Why does Lego get a pass for trying to hide the history of self-locking building bricks prior to Lego?

Is it not utterly hypocritical to be so hostile against Chinese clone brands for cloning Lego designs while Lego would not have existed if it not were for doing the exact same thing with another brand?

Page was owner of the patent only for Great Britain, allowing LEGO to use the design worldwide. Buying a "rival" company (Kiddicraft) later on is nothing unusual in business history. Therefore, blaming Page's death on LEGO does not make much sense.

Regarding chinese brands, one has to make a difference between using a compatible plastic brick system (which everyone is allowed to do) and copying complete sets, including minifigs and the logo (which is illegal). Some clone brands create sets that LEGO fans would like to see not only as MOCs but as official LEGO sets. There is nothing wrong with compatible systems even if the quality often is lower than LEGO standards.

So, LEGO and Lepin cannot be compared in this way. Lepin is illegal, selling Lepin products is illegal.


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

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

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

Try this download link for lego DACTA control Lab

This eurobricks thread may also be of some use


8386 Ferrari F1 Racer convert to an RC Help convert 8386 Ferrari F1 Racer to an RC

If you are looking for direct instructions converting this set to RC you won't probably find it here. It is just a big of a job for such a simple request.

However I could suggest placing PF Servo motor where the steering wheel is and PF L-motor where fake engine sits. You can probably fit smaller PF battery box in one of the side covers with fake radiators. And PF IR-receiver can be placed wherever it is convenient. Don't forget you need PF remote control to drive your model. There shouldn't be a need for extra gears if motors placed in suggested places.

I can also suggest to try converting such set to RC on your own. It has plenty of space, a lot of potential to gain experience and shouldn't be a big of deal to convert. It might not look great on the first iteration, but with a bit of persistence and more practise you can make it look much better.


What are some "Illegal" LEGO combinations? On Brothers Brick, there is an AFOL term for bad LEGO combos: Illegal.  These combinations are "unconventional" and put stress on the bricks. Essentially, they are nonconformist, risky maneuvers, typically compromising the integrity of any parts in it.

For example -- from the site -- wedging a flat plate between studs on a brick.  I have used this term before, and can testify to dangerous combinations. So I'm posing this as another challenge for the community, like my hard to separate combos.

What are some Illegal combinations * you* have found? Largest number of unique combos wins! (please don't try to kill anything for this.)

I do not think it is up to us to determine what is considered an Illegal Technique - TLG (The LEGO Group) determines this for their commercial products. It depends on how much of a purist you are whether you apply these constraints in your own builds.
That said, LEGO Designer Jamie Berard has made a presentation in the past that highlights most Illegal Techniques.

Some examples:

Studs-on-side bricks cannot have their side stud in the hole of a
technic brick
Bricks mounted SNOT style onto Ehrling/Headlight bricks cannot sit
directly above a normal stud (the minimal height of the LEGO
embossing makes that combination illegal)
Technic pins have to be fully inserted into technic holes, otherwise they stay in compressed state which causes stress on the element.
Plates cannot be inserted with their studs into technic bricks, unless it is a 1x1 plate (so only 1 hole is used) and there is no brick attached to the technic brick directly above the inserted plate.
As mentioned by you already, you cannot insert plates between studs (this used to be a valid technique 20+ years ago, but is no longer considered "legal" by LEGO).


Cutting a LEGO baseplate I have a regular LEGO baseplate that I'd like to shave down to fit into a car travel kit. Does anyone have experiencing cutting a baseplate? I'd love tips on tools or technique!

The easiest way to do this is to score the baseplate with a straightedge and knife. Once you've made a deep enough cut, you should be able to bend and break the plate where you've scored it. You may want to sand the edge to clean it up a bit.

There's a more detailed set of instructions in this Instructable.


How to distinguish official LEGO mini movies from non-official movies? My sons (7 and 4.5 years old) love watching LEGO city mini movies on YouTube.

They love watching all kinds of LEGO city mini movies, such as:

Arctic Explorers

The Escape From Prison Island

Mountain Police Madness

Gold Mine Grief

and many others...

We also bought them some of the sets featured in these mini movies.

The problem is that sometimes, when I search YouTube for LEGO city mini movies, some of the results shown are none official movies. While some are harmless movies of people showing how they build their LEGO sets, some are not appropriate for young children.

One time we accidentally started watching a LEGO movie featuring some arctic explorers that encounter a frozen alien. It turned out to be an unofficial movie, which was too scary for our kids. We had to stop in the middle, and make up an alternative story to what happened on that movie.

My question is how can I reliably tell apart official LEGO city mini movies (all of which seem child friendly) from non-official movies.

Is there some YouTube search that will only return official movies? Is there some listing with links to all the official movies?

Hello Eran's family! How are you all doing today?

Please try these methods instead:

The Publisher's Home Page - DON'T go directly to the search box to search the term "LEGO city mini movies", but instead just
pull up one of your official LEGO mini movies and click on the
name of the person who published the video to YouTube.

In this case it would be "LEGO". So, clicking on the content creator's name will
lead you to that publisher's homepage and everything they've posted
to YT, such as Playlists, Videos, Community chit-chats, etc...
Now, anything not created by this publisher, again LEGO, will not be on their
homepage.
Please Show Me More -  So, right below the video publisher's name and date of publication there is a video description.

In this description field the publisher sometimes has links, or if
its a song, the song's written lyrics. Now, if the description field
gets too long and wordy, YT will cut it off after a certain length,
and hide the rest behind the "SHOW MORE" link.

So, try the SHOW MORE link to see if there's further info to
more official content.
YouTube Restricted Mode On/Off.  You can turn this on in YouTube settings to try to filter videos with potentially mature content, but note: Filters are not 100% accurate.

Phone App - Restricted Mode On/Off

Open YouTube app.
Tap 3 dots in the top right of screen.
Look for gray "Gear Cog" to access "settings".
In settings, look for "Restricted Mode Filtering".
Choose either "Don't Filter" or "Strict". Done.

Desktop computer - Restricted Mode On/Off:

Click 3 gray "parallel lines" next to YouTube logo to open side
menu.
Scroll down/look for gray "Gear Cog" to access "settings".
Scroll down to the very bottom of page look for "Restricted Mode".
Click on it to access more of the page.
Scroll down some more. Toggle it "on" or "off".
Click "Save".
Done.


Do you know which set these large grey ball and socket pieces belong to? Does anyone know which set this piece belongs to:

The top two pieces there (not the 2x2 square) are

Cylinder Hemisphere 2 x 2 Ball Turret Socket Base

and

Cylinder Hemisphere 3 x 3 Ball Turret

The top appears in 28 sets, the simplest of which is this ion cannon


Can you remotely control Lego Education WeDo 2.0 creations using the WeDo app? I wonder if the WeDo 2.0 app has remote control capabilities or is it only about programming the creations and then running the programs?

Apparently, no.
I've seen a few videos about Lego Wedo 2.0, and from what I can tell, it doesn't have it. One video shows a few of the models and some of the user's programs, but he doesn't mention even a virtual remote control and if it existed he would've because it's an obvious key feature for robotics. This was made without the official app and I bet that its creator wouldn't have bothered making it if the official app already had the option to make remote control.
Lego Boost, Control+, PoweredUp, and EV3 have virtual remote control though.
I found an intresting "remote control".


Who are the Lego Certified Professionals? So, I was just watching Lego Masters, and it's mentioned that the show's judge, Ryan "Brickman" McNaught, is one of fourteen Lego Certified Professionals in the world. I was wondering who those fourteen people were. I found this article from in the answers one of the other questions on this site; however, it only lists 12 individuals, so it's clearly not an up-to-date list. I also found this post from 2019 on an official Lego website that states that there are currently 20 Lego Certified Professionals, not 14.

Is there a complete, up-to-date list of the identities of the Lego Certified Professionals?

2021 May update
Number of LCP's is still the same - 21 (listed below). However, TLG has now included details on all of the members. You can find more information about each member on the LEGO Certified Professionals webpage.
Americas

Robin Sather
Nathan Sawaya
Graeme Dymond

Europe & Middle East

Dirk Denoyelle
Georg Schmitt
Matija Puzar
Rene Hoffmeister
Kevin Hall
Ricardo Zangelmi
Luke Reveruzzi
Caspar Bennedsen
Balazs Doczy

Asia-Pacific

Prince (Shenghui) Jiang
Jumpei Mitsui
Wani Kim
Jae Won Lee
Wei Wei Shannon Gluckman
Nicholas Foo
Yenchih Huang
Andy Hung
Ryan McNaught