Why are there "unique" characters in many sets? When I was young, about 30 years ago, I'd had no problem to have two policemen, two yellow astronauts or knights. Then I had some lack of Lego sets and didn't know what was happening on this field.

Now, when my son begins (or rather "has begun") his Lego adventure, I realized, that there are theme sets based on movies, stories etc. But there are sets containing the same character.

When he was about 3-4, he was an admirer of Disney/Pixar Cars movie. Lego had a collection, firstly four sets 5813, 5814, 5815 and 5816.

As the Lightning McQueen is in three sets, there is no reason (from my point of view) to repeat Sheriff in 5814 and 5816 sets. So my son has two Sheriffs.

Some years later he changed from Cars to Lego Ninjago. On every occasion (birthday, Christmas, ...) he was receiving Lego Ninjago sets. Now he has eight Zanes, three Coles, three Kais, two Jays.

The same is now, but in smaller scale, in Lego Chima.

As I was looking at the Lego StarWars theme this is even worse. Ok, I can agree to have 8 clone troopers, but for what reasons have three Darth Vaders?

In my opinion this is not a good marketing practice. If for someone the sets are expensive, he would buy one set and (perhaps) a Luke Skywalker minifigure. He can re-think whether to buy a new set with a character he already has.

If each set had a unique minifigure, I would be more likely to buy more sets, just to make a collection.

It's also not ok (for me) to have the same characters for example in Lego Heroica.

I know that sets are larger and smaller, and there are people who buy cheaper ones, and they also should have something interesting, but why then copy the same characters to larger ones?

Does it has some rational explanation?

It seems like you understand why there are unique minifigs, but I'll point it out explicitly anyway. Unique minifigs add character to sets, and add to playability. For example, I always wanted this guy as a kid:

Without him, my pirates were just  a leaderless band, but once they have a fearless leader with a peg leg and hook, things become a lot more exciting. As you pointed out, unique figs are also a necessary part of the licensed themes. What would Star Wars be without Darth Vader?

The core of your questions seems to be why these unique figs end up in so many sets such that you have duplicates and triplicates of them. I'm sure this isn't TLG's goal, but there are some marketing reasons which cause it to happen.

First, TLG ideally wants each set to be a whole product. This generally means that the sets should be able to stand on their own, and upon seeing a set, a customer would actually want to buy it. Keep in mind that your rationality as a parent isn't always the same as others who may be buying Lego for your child, or children themselves. Here's an example of set to help me explain what I mean:

That's Gandalf Arrives (set 9469). As you can see, it is a pretty small set with Gandalf and Frodo. These are both core characters, and they each appear in several sets, but this set wouldn't be able to stand on its own without them. While this set may have less appeal to you or your child because you might already have these minifigs, the set has greater appeal to children who don't already have these minifigs. It also has greater appeal to your sister-in-law who needs to pick up a Lego set for your child's birthday party. She won't know what minifigs your child has already, and she's just looking for a nice reasonably cheap set with good playability.

Second, TLG uses unique minifigs to create desire to collect the whole product line. While there is duplication among the major characters, if you want to have all of the minor characters available, you pretty much have to buy every major set in the theme. This makes a lot of sense from a marketing point of view. For example, if you already own Helm's Deep (9474), does a small add-on really have much appeal to you? Uruk-Hai Army (9471) is a small set which attaches to the side of Helm's Deep:

This set may not have much appeal. It's just a basic castle wall with some men fighting some bad guys. However, this is the only set which contains the guy (Eomer) who brings in the cavalry and ultimately makes the battle a victorious one. This adds to this otherwise somewhat boring set, and makes it more appealing to consumers.

As an aside, many Lego fans want to get a complete set of minifigs, but can't afford all the sets, so your extra Vader's have good resale value on sites like Bricklink where they sell for about $10 used.


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

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

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


Repairing Lego minifigure torso cracks/damage I have a ton of Lego minifigures that I really put through their paces throughout my childhood (fighting pirates, exploring space... basic stuff really). A number of them are damaged on the torso. Starting at the base on the left and right sides of the torso there are cracks that extend upwards toward the minifigure's "armpit". The cracks cause the legs to be loosely attached to the torso (and hence fall out sometimes).

Is there a way to repair damage (probably not) or hide it and prevent further cracks from creeping up the torso?

one thing that worked for me is to use a very small needle-nose plier or a tweezer to hold the torso from inside while pushing the crack apart (very carefully). now you can use a toothpick or a needle get a bit of superglue in the crack to fix it.

note that this just works for bigger cracks like the ones going up to the armpits.


What is the maximum voltage for motors from Cybermaster units? I recently bought a non-functioning Cybermaster unit [part:71797].

As the motors in there might be perfectly fine, I'd like to use them.
I could not find information on these motors (as opposed to most other Lego motors ^^).
What would be the maximum safe-to-apply voltage for them?

I don't have this set, so I can't provide a fully authoritative answer, but 9V is likely to be safe for these motors. The hub that drives them is definitely 9V, as it connects with the rest of the 9V system and runs on 6 AA batteries:

TLG typically overspecs their motors somewhat, so you could probably also get away with running the motor using 12 volts, but it might harm the life expectancy a bit. If you can pull out the actual motor, you might be able to find a model number to look up for a more authoritative answer.
I'd recommend starting with a lower voltage (perhaps 3V) and working your way up to make sure that the motors are functioning as expected.


EV3Dev Gyro sensor doesn't output values beneath 0 So, basically, my problem is that my Ev3 Gyro Sensor clamps outputs beneath 0 to 0.
If I were to rotate my robot clockwise, the gyro rotation would go up, but when I rotate my robot counter-clockwise, it would only go down until it reaches zero, then it stops.Here is some code that could prove useful:
Setup of the gyro sensor:
    // Setting up the gyro sensor
    EV3GyroSensor gyro = new EV3GyroSensor(SensorPort.S2);
    gyro.switchMode("GYRO-ANG", 0);
    gyro.reset();

Getting the sample:
    public A[] getSample()
    {
        /** We first assert the mode here. **/
        assertMode();

        SampleProvider sampleProvider = baseSensor.getMode(baseSensor.getCurrentMode());

        float[] input = new float[sampleSize];
        sampleProvider.fetchSample(input, 0);

        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
        A[] castedArray = (A[]) Array.newInstance(clazz, sampleSize);

        // Please java. Tell me why I have to convert this to a Float first??!? This should all be done automatically...
        for(int i = 0; i < input.length; i++)
        {
            castedArray[i] = caster.apply(input[i]);
        }

        if(modifier.isPresent())
        {
            for(int i = 0; i < castedArray.length; i++)
            {
                /** Apply modifiers if necessary **/
                castedArray[i] = modifier.get().apply(castedArray[i]);
            }
        }

        return castedArray;
    }

    private void assertMode()
    {
        if(currentMode.isPresent())
        {
            if(System.currentTimeMillis() > (timeToSwitch + timeSinceSwitchCall))
            {
                baseSensor.switchMode(currentMode.get(), 0);
            }
        }
    }

Here is the log output:
Float value 21.0
Float value 20.0
20
Float value 19.0
Float value 18.0
18
Float value 16.0
Float value 16.0
16
Float value 15.0
Float value 15.0
15
Float value 14.0
Float value 14.0
14
Float value 13.0
Float value 13.0
13
Float value 12.0
Float value 11.0
11
Float value 11.0
Float value 11.0
11
Float value 11.0
Float value 11.0
11
Float value 10.0
Float value 10.0
10
Float value 9.0
Float value 7.0
7
Float value 6.0
Float value 6.0
6
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0
0
Float value 0.0
Float value 0.0

I hope you can help me. Thanks.

I'm assuming you are using ev3dev-lang-java. It looks like this bug was fixed in v2.6.0. Source.
Make sure you are using the latest version. With your EV3 connected to the Internet, run sudo apt udpate && sudo apt upgrade.


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

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

Thank you for your time.
John

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

There are plenty of legacy parts that aren't included in LDD, and it looks like this is one of them.
This part dates all the way back to 1954. I don't think that they've been used in a set since then, and I don't think they were updated to use tubes on the underside or to not have slots in the end. I don't personally have any of these, but I'd also guess that they were never released made of ABS.
That's the answer to your question, but to help you solve your problem, it is often useful to use large Technic beams when building the framework of a large structure. These are long, sturdy, and can be pinned together to form very long beams. You could pin together 2 2x12 beams in order to get the brick that you're looking for. Technic beams come as large as 1x16, so you can create some really nice beams with these.


How to MOC the Rough Terrain Crane 42082 I recently got me the Rough Terrain Crane 42082 and had lots of fun while assembling it. I find it a decent Technic build and worth the price. Still I find it under-motorized. I would like to drive and steer it. Do you know where I could find MOC instructions to modify and motorize the crane?

There are building instructions in this video of a fully motorized version: https://youtu.be/mmKw_GBFGs0

And here is a demonstration by the same builder how it all works: https://youtu.be/RzBaDTpG2Ss


Schematic and program listing of 28743? Looking for more info on circuit board of 28743. E.g. what is the processor used? Would like to be able to reprogram the chip. E.g. program the train to stop on the third STOP directive strip, or reverse the train direction if it immediately follows a TOOT directive strip. Ultimately I'd like to program it from Scratch or Python code, but that may be asking too much.

If the schematic you are asking is for the LegoDuplo, Train Push & Go Motor

with the circuit board that looks like:

This schematic is proprietary information that belongs to the Lego group.

This element uses a Bluetooth Low Energy radio and has an FCC ID: NPI28743

Perhaps you could create your own schematic and post it here.


Can you program Lego Mindstorms with the Scratch programming language? My child is learning programming using Scratch in school. Can she program her Mindstorms using Scratch?

If you wish to program the EV3 with Scratch, then check out this project on github:

https://github.com/koen-dejonghe/ev3-scratch-helper-app

This software is a so-called helper app, that interfaces between the Scratch 2.0 offline editor and the Lego Mindstorms EV3.

The EV3 must be booted from Lejos (http://sourceforge.net/p/lejos/wiki/Home/), requires a wifi dongle and wireless setup.

The helper app will find the EV3 brick on the wireless network, and will execute commands invoked in Scratch as RMI requests on the EV3.
The helper app also reports the status of the motors and sensors back to Scratch.

Below is an example program in Scratch, that allows you to control the robot with the arrow keys (after having pressed 'g'), or (after having clicked on the 'start' sprite) let the robot walk around until it meets an object that is too close, at which point it will make a left turn.

The robot itself should look something like this :

Have fun, and let me know what you think.


I'm missing a few pieces in my XingBao set I just finished the second floor of XingBao's 5052 piece Maritime Museum.

And while I'm pretty impressed with the overall quality of the building, I thusfar am missing 4 parts.

Is there a way I can obtain substitutes from XingBao for the missing parts?

Note

The set I'm refering to is NOT a clone of a Lego product or fan-built MOC but an original MOC created by XingBao's YiyiToys design team. Unlike Lepin, which is infamous in the Lego community for blatantly cloning Lego sets, XingBao's sets are all original designs and not Lego clones.

Xingbao reproduces standard LEGO elements for their models, so it should be much easier to replace the missing parts with LEGO pieces, then trying to contact Xingbao. If you are not familiar with the LEGO equivalent of the missing parts, you can post a picture here, and the community here should be able to identify them for you.


Selling completed and assembled models? I'm am looking to sell completed models but do not want to disassemble them. Can someone point me in right direction?

Welcome. You can sell these easily on EBay, just mention in the description that the sets will be shipped assembled. Two things to keep in mind:

Since most shipping costs are calculated by box dimensions, your shipping costs will likely be higher than when you ship the sets broken down.
Please make sure these sets are NOT glued ... you do not have to mention this in your listing, but absolutely should if they are (even if they are only partially glued).

I have personally bought both assembled used sets as well as disassembled ones, and have no preference. I always disassemble and wash before I reassemble. The only issue I faced was when I bought a set and it turned out to be partially glued, which was not mentioned in the listing. That was an easy SNAD case (Significantly Not As Described) and a full refund from the seller.


How would one add custom made 3rd party pieces to LEGO Digital Designer? There are a number of producers of custom LEGO compatible pieces, how would one add such a custom piece to the LDD software?

In the comments you wrote:

  ...For the record, I am willing to consider answers that address
  other software as well. But I currently only have the LDD, so am
  completely unfamiliar to any other software out there. – nijineko

Brinklink offers two programs that could be right up your alley:

Studio 2.0 - A popular alternative to LEGO Digital
Designer, and

PartDesigner - A side-tweak program to make custom bricks,
where    you're able to export directly into the Studio 2.0 program.


Raw RGB data to Color? I'm trying to convert the raw RGB values from a Colour Sensor into HSL but it doesn't seem to be working:

R = rgbn[INPUT_RED];
G = rgbn[INPUT_GREEN];
B = rgbn[INPUT_BLUE];

var_R = ( R/255 );
var_G = ( G/255 );
var_B = ( B/255 );

float H = 0;
float S = 0;
float V = 0;

float var_Max = var_R;
if (var_G > var_Max) var_Max = var_G;
if (var_B > var_Max) var_Max = var_B;

float var_Min = var_R;
if (var_G > var_Min) var_Min = var_G;
if (var_B > var_Min) var_Min = var_B;

del_Max = var_Max - var_Min;

// Calculating H
if (del_Max == 0) {H=0;}
else if (var_Max = var_R) {H=(60*((var_G-var_B)/del_Max))%6;}
else if (var_Max = var_G) {H=(60*((var_B-var_R)/del_Max))+2;}
else if (var_Max = var_B) {H=(60*((var_R-var_G)/del_Max))+4;}

// Calculating S
if (var_Max == 0) {S=0;}
else if (var_Max != 0) {S=del_Max/var_Max;}

// Calculating V
V=var_Max;

NumOut(0,LCD_LINE6, H);
NumOut(0,LCD_LINE7, S);
NumOut(0,LCD_LINE8, V);

And once I've converted it to HSL how can I recognize the colour?

Here is my code that gets raw RGB data:

#define       COLORSENSOR SENSOR_3
#define       S_CLR     IN_3
#define       FLT_MAX
#define       FLT_MIN

unsigned int rgbn[4];

void color_sensor_on() {
  SetSensorColorFull(S_CLR);
  ResetSensor(S_CLR);
}

task main(){
  color_sensor_on();

  while(true)
  {
    ReadSensorColorRaw(S_CLR, rgbn);       //Raw data
    RGBToHSL();
  }
}

Not sure what language you are using, or calls you are making before this, but:

float var_Min = var_R; if (var_G > var_Min) var_Min = var_G; if (var_B > var_Min) var_Min = var_B;

Should be (note the use of < rather than >)

float var_Min = var_R; if (var_G < var_Min) var_Min = var_G; if (var_B < var_Min) var_Min = var_B;

Your posted code is putting the maximum value into the minimum variable, messing up things down the line...

Another thing that will help is to not use the RawColorSensor call. Change your main task to this:

ColorSensorReadType csr;

task main(){
   csr.Port=S3;
   SetSensorColorFull(csr.Port);
   while(true){
       SysColorSensorRead(csr);
       RGBToHSL();
   }
}

And the first few lines of your RGBToHSL call to this:

R = csr.NormalizedArray[0];
G = csr.NormalizedArray[1];
B = csr.NormalizedArray[2];

This will normalize the values between the values of 0,255 (or at least roughly). I've had more luck with this call since it also tries to calibrate the values.

After this, you'll need to find the color values you're using with a tool like http://www.colorpicker.com/ . For example, orange would have HSV (HSB on that site) of (40,100,100). (The scaling on these values may differ). So, to detect orange, check if:
Hue>30 AND Hue<50 AND saturation>90 AND value>90.
Make sure there is play with your thresholds, otherwise the check will work once in a hundred tries.


Port problem? Mindstorms EV3 brick doesn't detect sensor blocks I've just bought a second hand Mindstorms EV3 home edition set but the ports aren't detecting any of the sensors just the motors.
When checking the ports on the EV3 brick it says "none". I've updated the firmware and I'm running the Mindstorms home edition software for Mac (Mac mini with OS Capitan).

Welcome Violetta. The EV3 Brick has a total of 8 ports - 4 output ports on one side labeled A-D, used for driving motors, and 4 input ports on the other side of the brick labeled 1-4, used for getting information from sensors.

(Image sourced from this page)

Make sure you have plugged your sensors into the correct port, as plugging them into ports A-D will not allow the Brick to detect them.


Can I change the spec of a MyBlock If I create my own block (MyBlock) with one param and later discover that I should have used 2 params or different icon or something like that, what do I do?

Is it possible to change the existing definition of a block or do I need to build a fully new block?

Just start a new block with an operation block you won't need, set the proper number of params; select everything in the old MyBlock and paste it into the new, then delete the thing you don't need.


LEGO color discrepancies and tint variations While building my copy of set 21310 - Old Fishing Store, I noticed that there are several shades of Sand Green amongst the many tiles of this set. The picture below shows just the 1x4 tiles included in bag 7.

As you can see, the tiles in the rightmost column are uniform in color, but the tiles in the other two columns have different shades. Is this normal or should I call LEGO Customer Service?

Unfortunately, this is common to several colors in the LEGO color pallette. According to this article on Eurobricks.com, The LEGO Group (TLG) made a change in the early 2000’s in how they make their colors: they used to have premixed color granules but abandoned those in favor of a system of white granules with colored dyes added in. This new system allows for many more color combinations than previously possible.

There are certain colors which are more susceptible to color variances than others, especially the above mentioned Sand Green, but also Dark Red, Light Bluish Grey and certain Blues.

The good news is that you can use these color variations to create “weathered” looks, like for example in the Old Fishing Store set where the slight variations in Sand Green color give the building a slightly “beaten” look. This Eurobricks thread gives more examples of how you can create weathering effects in your LEGO models.


How to get started with Mindstorms? I want to introduce my 8 year old son to Lego Mindstorms.
Where should I start?
Is there a starter kit which is the best starting point?

The most current Mindstorms set would be the NXT 2.0.

The set is advertised for children aged 10+ (previously 16+). If you or your child is under 10 but has a talent for building with LEGO and a basic understanding of computers or engineering the whole process should be fairly easy to get to grips with.

The set itself is quite an investment (RRP £235/$350) yet it provides the most complete Mindstorms package. Half of the time spent playing with the set will probably involve programming via the NXT-G software which comes with the set.

  NXT-G is an intuitive, icon-based drag-and-drop programming language
  designed for an easy introduction to programming for new users and
  experienced users. By choosing program blocks that work with the
  motors and make the sensors react to inputs, you simply build up your
  program block by block, and you can create programs that range from
  simple to complex.
  (Source)


Does the ordering of contents in LEGO advent calendars vary between specimens? In general, LEGO advent calendars are boxes where for each day, there is a small model, or sometimes a minifig, hidden behind the window. Some superficial instructions on how to assemble the model are printed on the inside of the window lid.

Now, in general, the exact content of an advent calendar is supposed to be somewhat of a surprise to the one opening the window. While for LEGO advent calendars, all minifigs and models are contained somewhere on the imagery that decorates the outside of the calendar, I wonder whether at least the ordering is a bit of a surprise.

Or, in other words: If I bought the same LEGO advent calendar twice, would there be a chance that the content were ordered differently? (The box art on the 2019 city calendar weakly implies the answer might be yes, given that the example on the back side shows some open windows with their content, and said content was due on different days in our own copy.)

Thus: Are there differently ordered versions of these advent calendars? Are they somehow randomized, or is there just a handful of different sorting patterns? Even if so, are there any windows/days that always have the same content (e.g. day 24)?

No. The ordering is always the same.

If it wasn't there probably wouldn't be daily reviews of today's gift(s) on sites like Brickset.


Program a full rotation of a NXT motor in X seconds I'm interested in mimicking the functionality of the Arqball Spin, at $60 it isn't cheap so I'd like to make the most out of my Mindstorms parts.

I'd like to use NXT-G to program a motor to rotate 360° in 20 seconds. NXT-G can only controll the power of the motor and duration (Unlimited, Degrees, Rotations & Seconds). The power of the motor can be set from 0 to 100 seemingly arbitrary values:

I don't mind using 3rd party software to program the motor, provided it's easy to use.

The problem can be restated:
360 / 20 = 18 deg / sec = 1 deg / .056 sec

One degree is the smallest increment provided by the rotation sensors.

NXT-G has a timer sensor with 1/100th second resolution.

In pseudo-code:

Set a motorPower variable to 10
Start a timer
Loop until rotationDegrees >= 360
    If timeElapsed * 18 > rotationSensorDegrees
        motorPower = motorPower - 1
    Else
        motorPower = motorPower + 1
    End If
    MoveBlock (power = motorPower)
End Loop
MoveBlock (stop)

Of course, use of the 8 tooth and 40 tooth gears to give a 5 to 1 reduction would give even better results.  Even the best programming will have trouble offsetting bad mechanics.


Difference of Lego products I came across the Lego Ideas and the original one, and it doesn't seem to have any difference. It's just a normal house, but on a book? Can somebody help me tell the difference, as my son wants to decide on his birthday present. Thanks!

The question is unclear, but I will take a stab at it.

It seems that OP found the LEGO Ideas website with the LEGO Pop-Up Book project: https://ideas.lego.com/projects/cfaf7a52-02a4-4dc0-8ec3-6b94d7c36069

Then they also saw this listing at the Online LEGO Shop: https://shop.lego.com/en-US/product/Pop-Up-Book-21315

OP thinks that both sets can be bought and is asking how the two sets are different.

To answer the question, the original LEGO Ideas submission is not for sale. Only the #21315 LEGO Ideas Pop-Up Book set can be bought.

How LEGO Ideas works is that LEGO fans can submit their own ideas they would like LEGO make into a set. If enough people like an idea and vote for it, LEGO will consider making it into an official set. Once the idea is selected, LEGO's own designers will refine the project to their own standards and make it into an official set.

The #21315 LEGO Ideas Pop-Up Book set is the result of the original submission at LEGO Ideas. It is the only version of the project that is for sale. The set is designed like a traditional pop-up book that can open with scenes that pop up from the pages.

The original LEGO fan project included suggestions for various scenes that could be used for the book. For the final set, LEGO's own designers selected two interchangeable scenes; Little Red Riding Hood with grandma's house, and Jack and the Beanstalk with a "growing" beanstalk. You can see pictures of both scenes and how they unfold and pop up at the Online LEGO Shop page: https://shop.lego.com/en-US/product/Pop-Up-Book-21315

I hope this answers OP's question. If I'm, completely off the mark and misunderstood the question and what set OP is talking about, please OP, come back and clarify your question.


Identification of blue and black tower Can someone help we with identifying this set?

The list of sets containing Black Brick, Arch 1 x 5 x 4

(or its alternate version) and the list of sets containing Blue Slope 33 2 x 2 Double

has no common element, therefore these parts have never appeared together in an official set, so this must be a custom creation.


Is there a time mechanism that can be added to an NXT program? I wanted to create a system where an NXT block would be set into function at a certain time of day (maybe 5:00 and then 5:10 and so on). I would want the timing function to be embedded into the NXT program. Is this a possible function? I have looked for documentation on the web but have not found anything useful..

To get the actual time of day, you can use the mindsensors.com Realtime Clock Sensor.


Can I open my old NXT program files in the new EV3 software so I don't have to rewrite the entire program? I would like to use or convert NXT-G 2.0 programs for use with the new EV3 software.  Is there an easy way to convert them besides just building them from scratch in the EV3 environment?

No.

Unfortunately there are no shortcuts. EV3-G can not open programs written in NXT-G.

To quote Lego:

  9.5 I have a LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT2.0 (8547) set; will there be an upgrade/conversion kit from NXT to LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 (31313)?
  No, but LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 offers backward compatibility to NXT. You can therefore use your NXT Intelligent Brick together with Intelligent EV3 Bricks in many situations. However, if you want the full benefit of LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3, you will need to transition to Intelligent EV3 Bricks.


Which parts do not have the LEGO logo stamped on them? As noted in this question,
there are very few parts that do not have the LEGO logo included during manufacture.
But which parts are those?  Is there any semi-exhaustive list?  Does bricklink note this sort of thing anywhere?
I'm mostly curious from the perspective of someone who would be looking through bulk LEGO and trying to figure out whether they got real LEGO or clones.  Finding the logo is usually so reassuring.  I'm not worried about really ancient rare parts, but if you want to be that thorough don't let me discourage you.  Either way, some sort of list of parts that somebody should expect to be legitimate LEGO, but not worry about the lack of a logo, would be great.

I certainly don't have a list, but I came across Technic, Steering Arm with 4 Ball Joints with Black Wheel Hub (x872 / x873) part several times. I heard stories of Bricklink sellers being accused of shipping knock-off copy of this part (since it is a little pricey) due to absence of LEGO logo, despite them being legit items.


Are these bricks old LEGO/Duplo clones? Can anyone identify these bricks, which I suspect are LEGO clones.  They may be more than 30 years old.
I bought them on ebay as Betta Bilda from LEGO/Duplo dealer. Some BB was included, but these are unknown to me, with an extensive BB collection.

The underside of the bricks is hollow and with apparently random numbers - they aren't part numbers because they are different for the same part and sometimes the same for different parts.  Window frames have no top studs.

I took a good look through many posts with similar questions, but found nothing that matched.  Many Google reverse images searches kept pointing at real LEGO/Duplo, before I noticed this place.
Usually I can identify unknowns like this, but these are a real challenge.
Edit (Nov 29, 2019)
Some comments have asked for clarity on size of these bricks.  The majority are close to if not identical to 8 stud LEGO, although there are also 2 and 4 stud bricks too.  They clip to Betta Bilda pieces, in a similar way to authentic LEGO. The window frames appear to be confirmed by two comments as 1950-60 LEGO, but additional insight would still be appreciated.

As suggested by @mindstormsboi I contacted LEGO customer services and sent them a link to this question as well as many additional photos.  The information was passed to their expert team and the answer that came back was "they believe that these are not LEGO® parts". They were not able to identify them as a known clone type. I feel obliged to accept that as a definite answer, although it leaves unknown who actually manufactured the bricks I have.  I will continue research into that question, but elsewhere.
The customer service team member also gave me two interesting links to a fan created website with some of the history of LEGO parts, as well as section covering many of the clones and similar brick building sets.  I include the two links below, as they may be of interest to some who find this question and answer.
https://www.inverso.pt/legos/
https://www.inverso.pt/legos/clones/texts/mobitec.htm
Thank you to all who contributed their knowledge, experience or point of view.


Need help to identify a piece - green, like a 1x2 plate with 4 angled cubes hanging off at odd angles Can you please help me to identify this?
I have no idea what to do with it.

That's a Creeper torso (officially 19734 Creature Torso Blocky with Cube Feet). If you're familiar with Minecraft, you'll probably recognize it once you know the context:


Error message when using loop index as an array index to get value in arrays My program moves an ultrasonic sensor around 260 degrees and the values are recorded down in an array variable every 2 degrees it turns. It moves back and measure it 3 more times, storing each measurement in a different array variable (in total there are 4 array variables).

I want to get the average value from the four array variable thus I use the 'read at index' mode of the array operations.

It uses the loop index to get the index of the arrays. Then it takes the values and calculates the average before putting them in another variable array. However, the brick shows an error message right after the ultrasonic sensor is finished measuring.

I removed some parts of the program in order to find the cause of the error and I found that it might have something to do with the loop index. It might also have been because the array is not found. I tried using another variable that adds one every loop and then uses it to get the index but the message would appear.

I am not sure why there is the error, nothing contradicts the program, there is no math error, it should have worked. I hope you guys can tell me why this happens and how to solve it. Thank you!

Here is the complete program:

Clarifications
 It loops 130 times as the ultrasonic sensor measures every 2 degrees it turns, so if it turns 260 degrees, there will be 130 measurements, 130 values in the arrays.

After testing and researching for a while, I found out that the first  lines of code that controls the moving of the ultrasonic sensor is the cause of the error. Previously, the code will make the motor move 2 degrees, then get the measurement of the ultrasonic sensor and put it inside the numerical array. It then loops 130 times so there is 130 measurements and 260 degrees of rotation.

What I am doing is to replace the entire array with that one value. Thus, when I get the value of the array, I am getting an non-existent value. Also, the array starts from zero, not one, so using the loop index for the array will not work as the loop index will not display a zero value index.

Instead, I should use the 'write at index' mode of array operations. This way, it will add values to the array, not replace the entire array with that one value.

Now this is correct. Before that, I thought that the loop index was the cause of error.

First time answering my own question, Im so proud lol.


Is there an official LEGO brick color reference? Possible Duplicate:
  How many different colours of lego brick are there?

Is there a canonical reference for the different colors of LEGO bricks?

Ideally this would be a color-matching system like Pantone or RAL but if such a reference isn't available something like sRGB would be acceptable as well.

Every color used in LEGO over the years is listed on the official LEGO color chart at Peeron. It also includes CMYK, RGB and Pantone references.


How to obtain a missing part? I'm building the 21320 LEGO Ideas Dinosaur Fossils set. Looks like there is a part missing. I only have one of the part in the attached image. How can I identify the part number and obtain it?

This part is 6047220: Plate W. Bow 2X2X2/3. You can get it from Bricklink, but first try the official LEGO replacement parts service. They will most probably send you a free replacement part and with your report you are contributing to the quality assurance project of LEGO, helping them avoid such cases in the future.

P.S. Still before, check the box, the bags, the building area and any partially completed builds for mistakes (like using it instead of a Plate W. Bow 1X2X2/3). There is a non-negligible chance your part is hiding somewhere, and everybody is much better off if you find it before you take the other steps.


Has LEGO Made A Minifigure-Scale Shopping Cart Piece? For the current MOC I am working on, I am going to need a LEGO Minifigure-scale shopping cart. I thought I had seen one in an official set, but after searching Bricklink extensively, I am now not sure they have. Has LEGO produced a shopping cart piece or will I just have to make my own?

The 41118 Heartlake Supermarket contains a Friends scale shopping cart. This is how it looks like:

There is, however, a cute little MOC design with Window 1 x 2 x 2 2/3 Pane Lattice Diamond with Rounded Top on both sides and 1x2 tile modified grilles. This is, I think, a perfect shopping cart:

@MindS1 This is how far I got with it. The panes bend the grilles quite a bit. I would consider this an illegal building technique. I also don't see how the droid arms connect to the wheels and to the basket part.


LEGO Mindstorms 9797 (NXT Education base set) Software Download Where I can download the Software for the LEGO Mindstorms 9797 (NXT Education base set)

I contacted Lego and they gave me this link for a PC:

https://fileshare.corp.lego.com/node_share_links/119233?token=7a9527d5-cd94-491c-88b3-689587eae5ae
I don't have the link for a Mac, but you can ask Lego for it.


Is there a way to buy printed pieces to replace stickers? I don't like stickers on my lego models. Does lego sell pieces with custom printed designs, so I can have newer lego models with all printed pieces like the old days?

If not, how do I print designs on lego pieces?

Every time I look this up on google I get a bunch of results about 3d printing lol.

No, Lego does not sell custom printed bricks in small quantities (I suspect if you wanted thousands of the same design it would be a different story).

To get your search to work you need to use the advanced features, specifically by removing results that contain 3D: print on ABS plastic -3D

That turns up mostly links on screen printing, which would be awfully fiddly to do with Lego pieces.

A friend has a printer that will print properly on Lego, but it was not cheap to buy. IIRC it's an inkjet that takes special cartridges, presumably using the same sort of ink that the screen printers use. If you're willing to spend a couple of thousand dollars on buying a printer I can ask him for details. My solution would be to pay him to print bricks for me, as I also prefer not to use stickers, but I rarely use decorated bricks so that hasn't yet been necessary.


How are the LEGO instruction manuals made? I wish to know how the LEGO instruction manuals are made. What is the process currently used?

How lego does it today.

I found little information about Autodesk Maya being the 3D modeling software being used. Here`s a blurb about their current design process :

  Primary concept and development work takes place at the Billund
  headquarters, where the company employs approximately 120 designers.
  The company also has smaller design offices in the UK, Spain, Germany,
  and Japan, which are tasked with developing products aimed
  specifically at these markets.

  The average development period for a new product is around twelve
  months, in three stages.

  The first stage is to identify market trends and developments,
  including contact by the designers directly with the market; some are
  stationed in toy shops close to holiday periods, while others
  interview children.

  The second stage is the design and development of the product based
  upon the results of the first stage. As of September 2008 the design
  teams use 3D modeling software to generate CAD drawings from initial
  design sketches.

  The designs are then prototyped using an in-house stereolithography
  machine. These are presented to the entire project team for comment
  and for testing by parents and children during the "validation"
  process. Designs may then be altered in accordance with the results
  from the focus groups.

  Virtual models of completed Lego products are built concurrently with
  the writing of the user instructions. Completed CAD models are also
  used in the wider organization, such as for marketing and packaging.

Source : wikipedia

How people do it themselves

LEGO provide software that does just that. Check for "LEGO Digital Designer" which allows to create a model, save a building manuals and buy the LEGO parts online.

Also check up this related question :"Do any programs exist that allow you to build own LEGO plans?"

For more information on how to create high quality computer images of LEGO models, check this question : "How can I create synthetic imagery (rendering) of lego models?"


I need help identifying pieces, wooden cart, yellow cylinders, dark green cylinders, and white and blue rocket stickers? These are only a small fraction of pieces that came in a large tote I purchased at a garage sale. I'd appreciate any help with identifying what they are and which set these go to.

Yellow half cylinders + White, yellow & grey assemblies are from:

8037-1: Anakin's Y-wing Starfighter

Dark grey part + dark green assemblies are from:

7930-1: Bounty Hunter Assault Gunship

White panels + light grey part + red / white striped part + cone & red 1x1's are from:

7593-1: Buzz's Star Command Spaceship

The cart is from:

7195-1: Ambush In Cairo


Cost of different works in a LEGO set price? What percentage of a LEGO set's price goes toward research, design, manufacturing, marketing etc.

It's just my curiosity since all my minifigures (from Series 3) are made in China and I don't know if LEGO has factories in China or they just outsources it to other Chinese manufacturers.

The 2012 annual report on the LEGO Groups site states the following:

  Research and development activities
  Each year, new launchings account for approximately 60% of the LEGO Group’s sales to consumers. Therefore, the Group has considerable development activities, comprising anything from trend spotting and anthropological studies to the actual development of specific products and campaigns. Approximately 160 designers from about 20 different countries make up the creative core of product development that is mainly based at company headquarters in Billund, Denmark.

It's hard to quantise exactly how much of each set goes into the various different aspects you're asking about as different sets will have different margins on them. Taking some of the numbers in the report however, you can see things like:

On Revenue of 23,000mDKK:

6,800m was spent on "production costs" (about 30%) - these are defined as "raw materials, consumables, direct labour costs and indirect production costs such as maintenance and depreciation, etc.". These are further broken down to include:

4,400m on Raw materials and consumables
1,500m on Licence and Royalty expenses

1,200m was spent on "other operating costs" (about 5%) - these are defined as "[including] royalty and research and development costs". This is further broken down to include:

451m on Research and Development

6,100m was spent on "Sales and distribution expenses" (about 27%) - these are defined as "costs in the form of salaries to sales and distribution staff, advertising and marketing expenses as well as depreciation, etc."

In terms of where parts are made, this answer covers most of it, but as you rightly note, Minifigs, and some painted parts now come from China. In terms of R&D, this answer talks about how new pieces could come about.

Updated: Some of the actual break-downs in here come from the "2012" columns in the 2013 report.


Does any one know a model or set number for my son's broken piece? It's Mega Blocks, a small blue piece Spiderman retractable web where you push a button on the little block and the string recoils back inside the block. All I can get is it's Spiderman retractable web something, but Mega Blocks can't help without a model number or set number.

Without seeing a picture it is difficult to determine exactly what you have, but after a bit of research I think you have MEGA BLOKS set #1916: Spider-Man Super Tech Hero from 2004.


Can someone tell me what this piece is? The entire piece is 6L long and the axle portion is 4L. It has 2 pin holes perpendicular to the axle on the ends. Dark Bluish Gray.

© Lego printed on the side, but no part number or date. The number 5 is also printed.

This is a TRACK ROD 6M,etc., which is mainly used as a steering arm in Technic cars like in this 8048-1: Buggy.


NXT 1.0 software issue I am an educator with 33 Mindstorm NXT 1.0 computers. We are a Mac school and are running El Capitan (OS 10.11). Two questions...

Is it possible to download the 1.0 software to our Macs? Has there been any update/upgrade to the 1.0 software?
I'm assuming I can't use 2.0 software with the 1.0 units correct?

I'm not sure about compatibility of different versions of NXT-G with different versions of macOS. However, regarding your second question:

The only difference between the 1.0, 2.0, and Education NXT kits is the parts and sensors that come in the kit. There is only one hardware revision of NXT brick, and any version of NXT-G will work with any NXT brick. Thus, if you found a version of NXT-G other than 1.0 that will run on El Capitan, you could use it program your NXT bricks.


Placing a rock piece at a 45 degree angle I'd like to place this rock at a 45 degree angle to the ground. What's the simplest way to do that?

The easiest and least obstructive way would be to use a 65578 Bar, Angled with Stud on End in conjunction with an Apollo stud.


Vintage heads still in production? Are vintage Lego heads with the classic grin still in production?

I am having trouble deciding whether the head-with-grin piece (element ID 9336, called "MINI HEAD NO.1") which is produced today (and available in the Bricks and Pieces online store) is 100% identical to the classic head used in the 70s, 80s and 90s. If not, what's the difference?

Visually I think it looks the same, but it appears that 9336 is not the code used for vintage sets.

Yes, visually the simple smileys are the same now as in the past. The difference is in the stud. Some have a stud like what you have pictured above; with an open stud and others have a solid stud. Other than that, the face itself is exactly the same. You can three all three versions of the stud here (solid, recessed open and recessed blocked) here:  http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?pg=1&q=standard+grin+pattern&catLike=W&v=2


How do I quickly count pieces? I have LEGO pieces divided into partitions in something like a tackle box, each of which indicates how many pieces are supposed to be in that partition.  With few exceptions, each partition only holds one type of part, like this:

One slot might have, say, 5 axles, and another might have 82 friction pegs.

How can I quickly verify if there are the right number of pieces?

I've been thinking that if I went a partition at a time, I could take all the pieces out, spread them over a surface, shine them under a webcam, and have a computer or phone spit out a count for me.  Perhaps there is a mechanical way to do this, or maybe using a (really accurate?) scale would do it.

Any recommendations?

Tackle boxes are very common for storing Lego, I use them myself. Unfortunately I've not found or seen a good way to count the pieces that are in them. The easy way is to take everything out of them, which I suspect is what you're trying to avoid.

One trick with that is to get a piece of cardboard (or plywood) twice the size of the tackle box, cut a hole in the centre, place it over the tackle box with the hole over a compartment, then invert it with your hand under the hole! With a little wiggling you'll end up with only the pieces from that compartment in your hand. Or, if you lose your grip, everything all over the floor. But when you have a lot of compartments or a lot of pieces, that method is much faster than picking pieces out of compartments by hand. Especially small tiles.

Using a counting scale is a very common way to count small items like this. Lego weigh parts, bags and sets repeatedly during manufacture as part of their quality control process - that's one big reason why so few sets have missing pieces.

The problem you have is that while it's easy to weigh the whole tackle box, that doesn't give you much information about what exactly is missing. I suspect that the uncertainty in the weight (from the variable weight of grime and water on the box) will be about the same as the weight of the smaller pieces.

Doing a search for "image analysis counting" I found this NIH paper that suggests that it's possible to do what you're looking for. I suspect the main problem will be getting images that show the entirity of each well in the tackle box, but you may find that just taking a photo from as far away as possible works. Then you have to set up and calibrate the software. I doubt it will work with irregular pieces or where you can't see every item, though. But it's worth trying just to reduce the overall effort.

Worth doing if you're going to be counting the contents a lot of times. Or you're interested in the problem.


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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Which pre-2000 set had a mobile crane with lights? I had a set similar to this when I was younger (I am fairly sure this was before the year 2000), although:

The model was red, rather than yellow.
The model was more of a breakdown truck, rather than a cargo lorry.
The model used a cleveryly hidden 9V battery to power a winch and flashing lights.
There were no supporting "arms" coming out the side like in the model below.

Can anybody help me find what set it was?

I believe the set you're looking for is the F1 Hauler (item no. 6484-1):

Here are the details:

It was released in 1995.
It's a red-and-white truck for towing Formula 1 cars (and has no support legs).
It has an 8 x 4 x 2.33 9V battery box, which is hidden in the body of the 6-stud-wide truck.
It has a 1 x 4 light bar and a motorized winch driven by a 9V micromotor.


Where can I find the instructions for the crane on the back page of Lego Juniors: Construction (10667) Where can I find the instructions for the crane on the back page of Lego Juniors: Construction (10667), as pictured.

I tried contacting Lego Support who replied unhelpfully with:

We currently have over 3300 building instructions available online on LEGO.com/service under Building Instructions. They’re really easy to find: You can search by set number, keyword, play theme or launch year.

I rebuilt the model as best as I could in Lego Digital Designer using only parts from that particular set.

There were a few parts where I couldn't actually find a piece in that set so I used a replacement part that exists in the set.

LDD File

PDF Instructions + Part List


Are LEGO cost-cutting with materials? Is it just me, because I have noticed that with the recent LEGO bricks and mini figures they have many many more cracks. Especially on the sides of their torso. I have noticed that specific (newish) brands have a higher chance of cracking. Does anyone know?

Since none of us here officially represents The Lego Company, the only possible answer at this moment (if I take your question literally) is "no". We don't know whether TLC has introduced a change in the manufacturing process, if such a modification was made in order to reduce costs, and if such a modification could have resulted in sub-par quality bricks.

The phenomenon you describe can be a result of a deliberate modification in the production process, an honest accidental mistake at one of the manufacturing facilities, or even might be a textbook case of confirmation bias, and it is quite hard to differentiate between these without auditing the relevant factories and your experiences.

The only ones capable of giving an official answer would be the customer support team at Lego, but I guess they would just tell you that they strive to provide their valued customers with the highest quality bricks, and they sorry, but they can't disclose exact manufacturing steps or financial decisions. But they might offer to replace your cracked bricks, or at least might appreciate feedback, so I think you should write them a detailed message about your experience.


I have a series 14 Sasquatch (Square Foot) missing facial paint, is it normal? Hi I have the camera holding Sasquatch but he does not have the black eyebrows and muzzle. The eyes and teeth are there but the rest is just brown.

No, it's not normal. It would usually look exactly like it is on the lego website. I suggest you call the lego customer service.


How to load an RCX from a modern system? I recently bought a new in box 1.5 Mindstorms kit featuring the RCX. My computer unfortunately does not have a 9-pin connection, and the software does not appear to work on Windows 10. Short of buying an old computer, what can I do to still load programs onto the RCX?

Buy a USB to Serial adapter. There are USB IR Towers, but the drivers are only for older version of Windows. A new USB/Serial adapter, on the other hand, should be compatible with Windows 10 (Windows 10 requires signed drivers, so do your homework before buying).
Use 3rd party software. For example, Brickx Command Center and leJOS are compatible with RCX and have a better chance of running on Windows 10 than the official LEGO software for RCX.

I also found this site, which has the same advice, but with pretty pictures and more details: http://www.instructables.com/id/Making-Mindstorms-RCX-Work-Again/

Note: If you use Linux, there is a built-in driver for the USB IR Tower in the kernel, so just about any Linux desktop system will "just work".


How do I update my NXT firmware using EV3 software The new EV3 software tells me to update my firmware on the NXT.  When I go to the tools menu and select update firmware it tells me the NXT brick can not support this function.

EV3 software will not download firmware to the NXT brick.  For that you need the NXT-G software and a downloaded firmware file from Lego.  1.31 is the latest version.

So if you're running EV3 on NXT, you shouldn't throw out the NXT-G software. Once in a while, it's still needed.


Help Identifying LEGO With A Pink 3(｀(00) ´ )Ɛ Face I cannot add a picture, but they are green, brown, and pink pieces. One of the pink has what looks like a pig's face.

Other sets with Minecraft Piggy Face Piece Here.


PC control Ev3 robot I wanted to see if I could control my robot with a PC and I wanted to know if there was a way to do it. I have already searched for a controller for the PC and didn't find anything.

Your EV3 allows to send direct commands from the PC to the robot. It offers three communication protocols: USB (needs a wire), Bluetooth and Wifi (needs a dongle). You can start programs, control motors, read data from the sensors, play sound, change the colors of the LEDs, simulate buttom presses and so on. For file transfer you should use system commands, which have a different structure.

The communication is independent from the programming language, what counts are the sent and received data. If your favorite programming language supports the communication protocol, you can use it. You need not start from scratch, there exists code in different programming languages.

You find detailed information about direct commands in this blog: EV3DirectCommands


Building instructions from an LXF file I've downloaded an LXF file from rebrickable.com. Which software do I need (for Windows and/or Linux) to get the building instructions based on the LXF file?

You probably want Lego Digital Designer:

http://ldd.lego.com/

Once you have the .lxf file open, you'll want to select View -> Building Guide Mode from the menu. This should give you step by step building instructions.


Holonomic robots using Mindstorms I just got some Rotacaster wheels and want to try building a 3 wheeled Mindstorms omnibot (holonomic robot) and I'm looking for a practical (easy) discussion about writing a driving program.  I've found some theoretical papers but need something a little easier to implement.  Has anyone here built one and what advice can you give?

I got also the wheels and found it really interesting... so I wrote an article were I explain all the maths and show you how to build one yourself ( instruction attached ) http://thetechnicgear.com/2014/04/howto-build-3-wheels-holonomic-robot-using-lego/

The code is for EV3 software and I will surely rewrite it for leJOS ( despite there is a class that already does the work ) on the following weeks.


How to enter wifi-password on ev3dev? After successfully installing ev3dev and getting the USB connection working I now want to get my wifi-dongle working (or rather connecting). The dongle is successfully found and my LAN is displayed.

But as expected I need to type a password, this is the problem! How do I insert a password in the brickman interface?

When the password dialog pops up, press ENTER (the middle button) to open an on screen keyboard.


How to get VIP vouchers in another currency? With the old VIP program, I could simply go in any LEGO store, hand out my VIP card  when paying, and the clerk would tell me how many VIP points I had and ask whether I wanted to use these against my new purchase. No fuss, it was easy for someone like me who doesn't go often to a LEGO store.

Now the whole VIP program changed, and aside from the fact it looks like a complete mess to start with; it seems I can't get automatic discounts in LEGO stores but must first purchase vouchers online with my current VIP points balance. Aside from the fact it's very cumbersome to do so, I face another problem: all vouchers available to me are in GBP, whereas the closest LEGO stores to me are in the Euro zone.

Is there a way to get the rewards center to show me vouchers in EUR? I tried changing languages (which is just about languages and not regions like the regular shop) to French; and both my region selection in the shop and my country selection in my profile are correct (Belgium), but no dice, I only see GBP vouchers. Or would they be accepted in EUR stores?

In general, is it possible to get vouchers in another currency, for example when travelling?

The vouchers available in the VIP rewards centre are linked to one's country - that is, the country linked to one's VIP account.

Note that this is not the same as the country of one's account, even though both are linked, and can't be changed online at the moment but only via the Customer Service. There seem to be some kind of redundancy in the way LEGO handles countries and languages at the moment, hopefully they'll fix it at some point. Summary:

LEGO account (or LEGO.com profile) has a country, which can be changed online (in "Edit Profile" -> "My Information")
VIP account has a language preference which can be changed online, and a country which cannot

In any case, when facing trouble with anything related to the LEGO website, online shop or VIP centre, it is best to contact the Customer Service directly and they'll do their best to help (and even toss in some extra VIP points for your trouble, which is a rather nice gesture).

At the moment, it doesn't seem possible to get vouchers in another currency except through changing the country linked to the VIP account via the customer Service. This means if you want to redeem VIP points for LEGO purchases, you're in effect limited to do it in your own currency (assuming the vouchers aren't country-specific; haven't tried that yet); but that's probably a minor issue for the majority of people.

Also, shopping in LEGO stores in other countries will get you VIP points without problem - the only subtlety might be that due to exchange rate, you might get more or less points for a similar purchase. As an example, I bought 21319 (Central Perk) in The LEGO House for 649DKK and got 649 VIP points; if I compare that to other countries based on the online shop I get:

Denmark: 649DKK (~87€), 649 points, so 1 point per 0,1338 EUR spent
UK: 64,99 GBP (~75€), 520 points, so 1 point per 0,1446 EUR spent
Belgium: 69,99€, 525 points, so 1 point per 0,1333 EUR spent
France: 59,99€, 450 points, so 1 point per 0,1333 EUR spent

So the VIP points given when buying a set are tied to the DKK price of that set, and seem to be aligned on exchange rates, with possible the exception of the UK (the online shop notes explicitly that VIP points are calculated at checkout). The difference in VIP points received is probably not worth taking into account when purchasing; however, the price of the set can vary a lot from country to country, and that's worth taking into account.


Identification help for green bases Recently received a batch of LEGO and it contains numerous green bases and attachments for them. I’ve never seen anything similar before. Does anyone know what they are?

Those are Sports Field Sections 8 x 16

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=30489

https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=41819c02

They appear in soccer sets

The sets are playable, you can move minifigs on springs to "shoot" the ball, or defend with the goal keeper minifig...


What set do these large grey circular pieces belong to? (possibly a Star Wars set) I got these pieces in a bag full of random pieces.

The decorated 10x10 dish is easy, it has only been in 7748

Those round corners aren't in that set. In light bluish gray (that you have one of in the picture), it has been 5 sets, in dark bluish gray (that you have three of in the picture) it has been in 4 sets, there are no sets that have contained that piece in both colors. You can find the list of those sets on bricklink by following a few links from the linked page about the part.

The conclusion is that there are parts from at least 3 different sets in that picture.


Are there any theoretical works about possiblity of self-replication of LEGO systems? Are there any theoretical works about possiblity of self-replication of LEGO systems?
(constraints on the size etc., computer simulations)

Here are some relevent links:

Bartlab.org: PDF Document

Techi.com: Mad Scientist Dooms Us All With Self-Replicating Lego Menace

Wikipedia: Clanking replicator

It really depends on the level of self-replication you desire, and your willingness to introduce additional non-LEGO components to the process.

First off, assuming a pure solution, there is no way for LEGO blocks to produce more LEGO blocks.  You can't make a mold for making an ABS plastic part out of parts made from ABS plastic.

Even if you could produce the parts, you'd still run into some problems.  If you were just assembling brick by brick, you could easily replicate such creations.  But as soon as you need to assemble components using technic axles or pins, there'll be some difficulties.  LEGO just doesn't have pieces that are small enough or precise enough to maneuver axles and pins with any precision.

Obviously, this is simply speculation, but I fail to see a way in which LEGO elements could both manufacture and assemble all the elements to create more self-replicating systems.


Can I use the original Lego Boost to create the R2D2 droid set? My son has the original Lego Boost set (with Vernie, Frankie, etc), but is also a big Star Wars fan and would be love to have the R2D2 droid version.  Would it be possible to control the original boost set with the new droid specific functionality, or is the move hub not compatible with the Star Wars app functions?

I am thinking of building the R2D2 droid from parts rather than buy the whole set again.

Theoretically possible, but I think you'll find that the droid set contains quite a bit of lego elements that are rather rare, and hence difficult to find in your own collection or from other sources like bricklink.
But at least the electronics can be re-used from the 17101 set.

I myself bought the 75253 boost commander droid set.
You can build all three models, but motors and hub needs to be switched from model to model.
Since I had a couple of 17101 Lego Boost set lying around, I used those components to complete the other two models.
You do need a couple of extra parts, which are a bit easier sourced from your own collection or bricklink:


What exactly does each Mindstorms part do? It's been a few years since I've bought a Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 which comes with the Technic style pieces.

There's beams, axles, rods, connectors... but the majority of the times when I'm building (my own designs, not following instructions), I wonder which is the right part to use. There are usually several options and I never found what is the exact intended purpose of each one.

Is there a website, document, or anything that I could use as a reference for what each part in the Technic set is meant to do?

The best way to learn is to build the robots that come with instructions. By doing this you learn all kinds of ways to put the parts together to make functional models.

  I bought a Lego Mindstorms (v2)

Assuming that by v2 you mean an NXT 2.0, if I remember correctly, there is an instruction manual with instructions for a simple wheeled/tracked vehicle, and several other robots are included in the software. Pick one (or all of them!) and start building! You'll notice that there really aren't that many different types of parts:

Beams are the main structural component of the model. Pins and axles connect to them.
Pins connect beams together. They come in several shapes for different situations.
Axles rotate smoothly and support the wheels, motors, and gears. They can also be used as long pins. Use bushings or half-bushings to prevent axles from sliding out of their beam holes.
Connectors like this one allow you to attach beams and other parts at an angle to each other. These big pins are excellent for 90-degree angles.
Gears transfer/multiply torque. See this guide on gears.

For a simple wheeled/tracked robot, the basic design process is:

Build a sturdy chassis for the robot out of beams. Usually this frame is built around the motors. Since the motors are kinda weirdly shaped, consult other robots' instructions for tips on how to position them and attach them to beams.
Attach wheels to the motors using axles and bushings. You can change how fast the wheels move using programming or gears.
Attach the NXT to the top of the robot, so build up some structure from the frame to support it.
Wire the motors to the NXT outputs (A, B, and C), plug the thing into your computer, start programming.

But all of this becomes more apparent and obvious after you've built a few robots from the instructions. Again, pay special attention to how beams are connected to each other to form a chassis, how the motors are mounted, and how different parts of the robot can be reinforced.


Are companies producing custom molded LEGO pieces legally entitled to do so? We have seen (or I have seen, given I am a member of a few popular BIONICLE fan sites) an uproar from custom molding companies -- that is, companies that create their own LEGO pieces.

My question is simply whether these kinds of things are legal, as I know LEGO is very tight with legal issues.

from the german wikipedia entry (translated with my poor english-skills):

The Federal Court of germany opened the market for LEGO-like bricks on december 2nd 2004
The European Court of Justice decided in september 2010 that LEGO-Bricks can be copied as they aren't protected by patents anymore

so at least in europe there doesn't seem to be a problem in producing custom bricks and exact copies of LEGO-bricks.


Is the Lego Duplo Track System being discontinued? Our child recently got the Duplo train starter set 10507 as a gift. The box indicates an extension pack with more tracks, so I was confident our child would be able to extend the (sorry) somewhat boring little circle out of 12 curved track parts from 10507.

On the official Lego website, however, I am seeing now that the only two Duplo train sets still being offered now are the aforementioned 10507, as well as 10508, the huge Deluxe Train Set, as well as 10810, a push-train.

With 10507 and 10508 having appeared in 2013, only 10810 having been released in 2016 (and this set being rather "simple" - no motor, no switches, also just one straight track per set), and the latest tracks pack, 10506, not even available any more in the official store ... does this mean I should start hoarding compatible Duplo tracks now, before I also can't get any on Amazon and in toy stores, either?

Note that I'm not asking whether anyone can see the future. I'm asking whether TLC has made any public announcements on their future plans for Duplo railroads, or whether there are at least any known sales numbers for Duplo railroad sets that indicate they are/are not a commercial failure these days.

It hasn't been officially announced yet, but there are at least four large LEGO DUPLO train sets coming this summer. This includes two extension train track packs with straight tracks, curved tracks, switches, bridges, and train crossings. The two full train sets will include more of the same tracks. The set numbers for the extension packs are #10872 and #10882, and the new train sets are #10874 and #10875. The official set names are prices are yet unknown. I would suggest to wait until the summer, unless you can get the older sets for a very good price.


TTF font for LEGO bricks I'm in the process of reprinting labels for the zillions of LEGO storage drawers in Junior's toy room.

I'm not looking for a font that depicts Latin alphabet characters seemingly built out of LEGO bricks, but instead a font which code points map to drawings of LEGO bricks, plates and tiles. Similar to windings, but with LEGO part shapes instead of smileys.

I believe there is at least one font where letters are actually LEGO parts. Does anyone know where I can find it?

I searched around on dafont.com, fonts.com, and myfonts.com but didn't find anything.  However, I found this post on the eurobricks.com forum from 2008, which links to this page:

http://www.house42.com/2008/09/17/legorama-fontstruct-font/

This font (and its variants) are all available for download as TTFs (free account registration required):

Legorama
Legorama Fill
Legorama Everywhere
Legorama Everywhere Fill

The fonts are available under the CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license (Attribution required, non-commercial use, no derivative works).

Alternatively, if you're feeling really ambitious, here's a tutorial on how to make a LEGO font yourself.


Duplo Activity table to Lego System Table We purchased a table with Duplo baseplates on top (activity table) for my son when he was 1 year old. He's now turning six and we would like to convert the Duplo top to the regular LEGO System top. is there a baseplate that has Duplo studs on the bottom (so it sticks and essentially covers the Duplo spaces) and regular LEGO System studs on the top (so that the table can be used with the regular LEGO System pieces. It seems like a shame to chuck the table.

To answer your question, no there is no such plate with DUPLO tubes on the bottom and LEGO studs on top. HOWEVER regular LEGO and DUPLO are completely compatible - as long as the regular LEGO bricks are at least 2x2 studs. Just cover the DUPLO table with regular LEGO bricks and you are done...(c;

You could actually use regular LEGO plates too, however the connection won't be as secure as with regular LEGO bricks as plates are much thinner so won't go all the way down to cover the LEGO studs. But they do fit, and their benefit is that they cover a much larger area so you would need less.

Here is an article and some visual examples of how LEGO and DUPLO fits together very nicely: http://thebrickblogger.com/2010/12/lego-duplo/


Strange 2x2 Inverted slope with hollow center Identification I have a brick that is similar to a 45 degree inverted slope 2x2 except where the un-sloped flat face should be there is a rectangular cavity into the brick

   _______
  /   ____|
 /   |
/     ----|
--HH---HH-

that is a rough cross-section of what it looks like where the H's represent the studs on the bottom

Could be one of the bricks used at section 7 and 9 of this Tyco Super Blocks set:

Source: http://bricker.ru/instructions/download/Tyco%20Super%20Blocks/5281-2.pdf


Can you identify this fiery orange hair? Can someone identify the orange hair in this minifig?

That seems to be part #24787, Minifigure, Hair Spiked Tall Top. So far it has only been released in orange. It came on the 2016 Syndrome minifig, one of the Disney Collectible Minifigures.


MindSqualls - can I connect more than one NXT brick using USB? To access my NXT brick connected via USB with the MindSqualls library, I do the following:

var brick = new McNxtBrick(NxtCommLinkType.USB, 0);

The 0 is serialPortNr. If I were to buy a second NXT kit, would it be possible to connect it in a similar way (e.g. by setting the second parameter to 1)? Or can only one brick be connected at a time?

I’ve had a quick look through the MindSqualls code and it looks like you can. I cannot test this however as I don’t have two kits.

Note: I believe it is preferred to NxtBrick class rather than McNxtBrick class as the latter is for a special program used for precise control over the NXT motors.


Is there a way to build a stronger LEGO ball than what was done by the Mythbusters? In one episode, the Mythbusters busted a fake video by building a 7' tall LEGO ball.  The construction did not roll very far before falling apart.

Assuming that they only used standard bricks (with studs on top only), is there a better build pattern to make a stronger ball?

Extra info: They explain their build method in this video.

There is a problem with the Mythbusters building technique.

One of the first things you learn about building with Lego is that, if you want a stable structure, your bricks need to interlock as much as possible.

The Unofficial Lego Builder's Guide illustrates this rather well:

Unfortunately, to make the build easier the Mythbustes team assembled a series of large blocks and then assembled these meta-blocks into a ball. The problem with this approach is that it creates lines of weakness between the meta-blocks.

In the shots of the ball falling apart you can clealy see these sub-assemblies inside the ball, which suggests that it did indeed break up along the lines of weakness between them.

For maximum strength, the Mythbusters team should have built the ball in layers of single bricks, ensuring that in each layers bricks bound the layer below together as much as possible.

All that said, I don't think that the faulty building technique really invaidates the Mythbusters conclusions. There is simply no way that a Lego ball of that size would remain intact. You would expect, for example, that the outermost bricks would fall away in exactly the way they did in the Mythbusters. And in fairness, building the ball with fully interlocking bricks would have taken considerably longer than doing so the way they did.

Of course, if they're willing to supply the bricks, I'm sure we could try to do it better for them!


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

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

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


How to locate pneumatic leak I have a simple pneumatic claw with a 2 pump compressor that I built somewhat recently. It worked fine for a while, producing up to 4 bars of pressure, but then the system wouldn't increase the pressure of the system more than 2 bars maximum, usually stopping at a bit more than 1 bar and the pressure increased much slower. When I press on the the pumps in certain ways, the system will act normally, but I don't want to press on the pumps continuously. Is this due to a leak, or some other issue, possibly with the pumps? If so, how do I find out which piece is leaking? And how do I stop this from happening? Thanks.

According to various sources, LEGO pneumatics is not designed to work above 3 (or maybe 4) bars of pressure, so your setup might have been damaged by the overpressure.

If you can "press on the the pumps in certain ways" then I would recommend starting your investigation there. As to actually locating the cause of the leakage, I have five main methods in mind:

1. Vision

The easiest and fastest way is to check all components for loose connections, punctures or cracks. In my experience, when pneumatic hoses are subjected to overpressure or excess mechanical stress, they usually fail by slipping off their connection points. So go over all your connections and ensure that all stiff tubes are pushed into the flexible hoses as far as they can go (4-5 mm at minimum, or about one "arm" of a pneumatic T-joint).

If that fails to reveal any problems, check the lenghts of the hoses for any punctures or hairline cracks, while the system is under pressure (as the cracks might close and seemingly disappear in the absence of a force that acts to open them from the inside).

2. Hearing

It can be hard to hear the sound of air hissing out of a tiny hole, especially with a compressor running, but if you can find a way to remove the compressor from the setup, you could be able to spot the point of failure.

Ideas to remove the compressor:
 - Let it fill up a pneumatic tank, which is isolated from your system via a valve, then turn off the compressor and throw the pole of the valve open.
 - Add a long enough hose between your system and the compressor so that you can set up the compressor a bit of distance away.
 - Apply pressurized air to your system via some alternate means, like e.g. by blowing into a tube, or via an inflated balloon.

3. Feeling

If the hole is too small to see, the escaping air might still be felt on sensitive areas of skin, like fingertips or your cheeks. The hairs on the back of your hand might be helpful in amplifying the weak air movement into an observable feeling.

4. Bubbles

If all above methods have failed, you could consider submerging your system in water. Only do this, if you can remove ALL electronical components (motors, wires) to a safe distance, and only if your setup does not include pistons with metal shafts. After doing so, you only need to watch for the emerging bubbles to see where does air escape from. Note that your compressor pieces must remain above the waterline, or else they will try to pump water, which can damage your parts from the inside (or just stay there for a long time to come).

As an alternative for localizing holes in certain areas, consider applying soapy water to the suspected parts (Tip by JPhi1618 in comments).

5. Deconstruction and reconstruction

In the improbable case that even the submerging method has failed, you could deconstruct your system, inspect each part individually for their ability to produce/transport/direct/use pressure without loss, and then reassemble it with proven flawless parts.


How do I add a light to the Red Cargo Train? I want to add led light to the front (and probably back) of the Red Cargo Train but the shape of the light is making me wonder what brick I should use to hold the light. I've never seen these lights used anywhere. I'm thinking I'll need something from a Technik set.

These light fit in a regular Technic hole, and thus have the same diameter as a stud.

I would recommend fitting them in the so-called "Erling" brick; after all, one of its regular (aka "boring") names is "Brick, 1 x 1 with headlight":

.

The only problem you'll have is that the light extends quite a bit at the back, but you can easily solve that by using a panel of some sort, for example:


Identification of rare (?) pieces Recently, I bought a large LEGO collection in which, during the sorting, I found some pieces I'm completely unable to identify. Moreover, seeing some of them I doubt if they are LEGO at all (could be parts of an assembly though).

Here is a photo of the unidentified pieces:

I hope you can recognize them, please let me know if more photos would be necessary.

Higher resolution photos of #2 with the cup for scale (I really doubt it is a LEGO item but it might be a part of a motor or something):

1 is a pin used to hold train track pieces together during shipping. It can be discarded but some people find uses for it since it fits in a. minifig's hands.

Many of the others are official Lego as can be seen by the brand name printed on them. On the large pieces you should be able to see an ID number printed underneath which will help you out. I'll work through identifying some of the others.

3: Bionicle Gear 8 Tooth with Rhotuka Spinner Rod 2.5L

4: Appendage Spiky / Bionicle Spine / Seaweed / Plant Vine

5: Modified 2x2 Racing Driver, no head

6: Bar 1L with Top Stud and 2 Side Studs (credit to Victorious Victini)

7: Train Coupling New

8: Bionicle 2x3 Axle Connector with Tooth

9: Hinge Brick 1 x 2 Locking with 1 Finger Top

12: Leg Skeleton with Black Square Foot

13: Bar 1 x 8 with Brick 1 x 2 Curved Top End (most likely this newer version, but there are some older ones as well) (credit to Victorious Victini)

14: Fairing, 1x2 Stepped with Two Pins

15: Batwing

16: Modified 1x4 with Angled Tubes

17: Not Lego

18: Fire hose nozzle

19: Bionicle Weapon Cordak Ammo

20: Road Sign Clip-on 2 x 2 Square with Curved Blue Lines and Small Black Squares Pattern

21: Bat-a-rang

22: LEGO Minifig, Weapon Bladed Claw (mostly from Wolverine)

23: Horn Large

24: Minifig, Utensil Space Scanner Tool. (credit to Rin Rio-Oki)


Can somebody identify what part is being used as a vase in this picture? I'm not even sure if it's Lego.  I'm quite the novice, so... little help?

That would be part 30106 Minifigure, Utensil Crystal Ball Globe 2 x 2 x 2.

It has a small indentation on top, which is probably how they were able to balance it in that picture.


Lego filling boxes with random lego to meet law requirements In some countries, there is a law that toy boxes need to filled with at least a fixed percentage of the total volume of the box.
I know Lego addresses this by adding random Lego.
At least, I've been assured this during a Lego seminar by a Lego employee (probably community manager) at one of the fanweekend events (Paredes de Coura or Skaerbaek).

However, does anyone have a reference for this, perhaps pictures of what random Lego is added?

Not sure if this is a partial answer, but an example is quoted in the act to repeal parts of the Californian (USA) slack-fill legislation:

Toys.  Lego has been sued for slack fill on its "Aqua Zone" building sets.  The boxes which contain the sets are uniform in size, and contain from 29 to 33 pieces, depending on the set.  Each box contains an "actual size" representation of the pieces and a clear and conspicuous disclosure as to the number of pieces.

From:
SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS
BILL NO:  AB 1394
AUTHOR: Figueroa and Senator Richard G. Polanco,
Chairman      Escutia
As Amended:  9/4/97
HEARING DATE:  September 5, 1997
FISCAL:  Yes
SUBJECT:  Packaging and Labeling:  expansion of exemptions to slack fill laws.


What is the smallest LEGO component? When I purchase bulk LEGO bricks, one of the first things I do is to tip the whole lot into a mesh bag and give them a good soak in the bath (of course, I remove all the electrical bits etc. first). This usually gets rid of most of the accululated muck etc.

However, I am concerned that the very smallest pieces will slip through the net and end up getting lost en route to the bath or even disappear down the plugh hole.

The solution is obvious: to make sure that I use a bag with small enough holes that the smallest pieces can't fit through.

What, therefore, is the smallest component that LEGO have made?

One of the smallest pieces is the detachable handle on the 1 stud gear shift element.

The black part in this complete lever:


Looking for two specific Lego pieces I've been browsing through Bricklink for most of my morning trying to find these two specific LEGO pieces. If someone could help me find the number ID for these, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Sorry for the image quality, it's the best I can do.

Edit: Here's another pic of the first piece:

Edit Edit: Okay so I did find the first piece on Bricklink. It's categorized as a minifig weapon and its' ID is 15071.

The first piece is: Minifigure, Weapon Gun, Blaster 1 x 2 x 2/3 with Studs on Sides and Handle

Part # 15071


Issues with set 10234 book 3 pg 43 The white wing-like piece continues to pop off when placed. Has anyone figured out a fix for this or am I doing something wrong

Instructions 3 & 4:

src: http://lego.brickinstructions.com/10000/10234/163.jpg

Sometimes, the piece connecting your two white plates in Step 2 might be bent or not completely flat. An rounded LEGO piece can have other pieces that it connects falling off because it can't hold on to the studs as usual. This could happen to the white wing piece itself.

Two, they can be a hassle. Normal pieces can sometimes just be a pain in the back. I got a set with pieces in perfect condition and they still come off. Make sure you squeeze those pieces really tight to each other to prevent and pieces from falling off.


Identifying this turbine piece with a stud and a Technic axel I promise that I don't simply dump photos on here without researching them.  I've been using Bricklink's system for 15 years, and it still perplexes me occasionally...such as this bizarro part.

I swear I went though nearly every possible category this weekend (and all of the Technic groups), and I can't find it.

Can anyone please help?

It's part 4869 - Engine, Smooth Large, Center.


How to mirror an EV3 motor? I want to get one EV3 large motor to copy the other. So if I move one half a rotation the other copies.

I am assuming that you want motor a to copy motor d and motor to is controlled manually(with your hands).

You can use the motor sensor to sense the degree of movements of motor d, then use link it to how much motor a turns. However, as motor d will still retain the degree it has been turn, motor a will continue moving even after motor d has stopped(unless you turn back motor d). To counter this, you have to use the switch block and a bunch of compare blocks. You will have to make it so that if motor a's degree is the same or more than b's degree, the motor degree will reset. However, if I turn d counter clockwise, d's degree will be negative and the comparison(same or more than)will not work and it will keep spinning. Thus, I added another switch block that will compare motor a's degree and motor b's degree, this time resetting the motor's degree when it is a is equal to or smaller than d.

This way what ever rotation done to d will happen to a.

Hope this helps you!


Where to buy rare old LEGO sets? Does anybody know a good place to buy rare old LEGO sets?

I'm looking specifically for old "pneumatic" featured LEGO Technic sets.

If you already have a specific set in mind BrickSet provides links to ebay, bricklink, etc. to get a good overall idea of what prices look like.  BrickSet also has a tag for pneumatic sets.  I use it for tracking my wish list and what I already have.

I usually end up buying the sets or parts on BrickLink, but I'm not shopping for old sets that often.  There is much less sketchy stuff happening in BrickLink than on ebay.  You can find better prices if you're patient with ebay, but the BrickLink prices are often totally reasonable.  BrickLink also functions as the canonical list of sets and which parts are in which sets.  Sites like BrickSet automatically synchronize with it.

Looking at one of the oldest pneumatic sets - 8851 Excavator - ebay has it for $12 & $12.99.  BrickLink's prices start at at $39.67 so I'd probably see if the ebay seller's have high-enough ebay reputation to deal with.  In this case ebay might even require less patience than bricklink.


LEGO Dacta Intelligent House I obtained an LEGO Dacta 9707 Intelligent House set plus the Interface B:

By searching on BrickLink for the set, I found out that there was an Activity
Pack for use with Control Lab software.
If someone has the software and guide for DOS/WIN (item 9708), please let me know ;)

As mindstormsboi says, you can find it on archive.org
here


High resolution flat view box cover images Where can I find high-resolution, manufacturer quality LEGO box cover image files with flat view, i.e. without perspective view?

Is there a set database somewhere that collects them? I have tried searching but so far without success.

Lego does not release them for most sets so you might have to do what we at Brickset do when we want them and use software to correct the 'distortion'.


Connecting a webcam to NXT and streaming a video is it possible to connect any webcam or modify it in such a way that the NXT controller will be able to stream a video to another computer? Iv'e seen there are special sensors for it, but I can't really buy one on the internet.

So is there a way to take a webcam and connect it to the NXT controller? Also, is it possible to stream videos through Bluetooth? Or do I need to somehow connect the controller to the internet?

The only camera capable of connecting directly to the NXT is the Vision Subsystem for NXT or EV3:

With modified firmware, it is possible to send images from the cam to the NXT to the computer. But trying to stream video via this technique is impractical since each frame takes about 30 seconds to send to the computer. If you had a connection over USB, it would probably operate faster, but still not fast enough to effectively stream video.

If your goal is for the images to reach the computer, though, why does it need to pass through the NXT first? Why not use a webcam that sends the video directly to the computer? It would be much faster. There's software to support controlling NXT robots and receiving video from the webcam, such as iCommand. Or alternatively, you could have one window streaming video, and have the NXT software or BricxcC open in another window for controlling your robot.


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

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

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


Where can one find the documentation for the LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor software? Is the documentation (either official or unofficial) of the programming "language" for the LEGO Mindstorms Robot Inventor software available somewhere? Preferably online, without requiring the download of an application. (I have looked at the official LEGO site for the Mindstorms product line, but found nothing there)
To elaborate, I'm looking for a resource detailing the available commands, their possible parameters, expected results, etc.

Official Docs
There is supposed to be Word Block Descriptions for the block language under Help & Support in the Settings, but that seems to be missing at the moment (in v10.0.2). Hopefully it will be fixed in the next update.

For Python, there is a Knowledge Base on the side of the screen. Click the book icon to show or hide it.

Unofficial Docs

Prime Lessons has documentation for both SPIKE Prime and MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor.
Laid Back Koala made PDFs for both word blocks and Python and shared them on the Eurobricks forum


Have any Lego sets been released with errors/mistakes in the build instructions? If not, why not? I was thinking about the documentation process of a large set like the Death Star and it got me thinking; surely at some point Lego must've released a set of instructions that contained a mistake?

You know, referencing a part that wasn't in the final set, skipping an instruction step, nonsensical instruction etc.

If they have somehow managed to avoid this over the years, what processes/validations do they have in place to prevent such errors creeping into the eventual consumer sets?

My 7190 Millennium Falcon kit has a mistake where the inventory for the page doesn't include two pieces on it. So, invariably, when I'm building it I forget to include those two pieces, and they are left over until the very end, at which point I have to follow this process:

Say "Dammit"
Flip backwards through the booklet to find the page that last added those parts
Disassemble the model part-way
Add the parts back
Re-assemble the model
Say "There. NOW it's finished."
Swoosh the model a bit.

Here are the two instruction pages showing the error. On the second page you can see that the dark grey upward sloping pieces at the front are added, yet don't appear in the page's inventory list.