Identify LEGO set with caped red minifigure

These items are from different sets.

Let's begin with the most obvious - minifigure. It is a Royal Guard from Star Wars and there are couple of versions of them. Yours seems to be with arms and hands in Dark Red. Yet, there are still two version of them (depends on the type of cape you got):

Royal Guard with Dark Red Arms and Hands was part of two sets in 2014-2015.

Or, it can be Royal Guard with Dark Red Arms and Hands (Spongy Cape) that was part of another two sets in 2016 and 2019.

Next comes a tile. Your picture is tiny, however I think I have identified it correctly as Tile 1 x 1 with Groove with Face with Narrowed Eyes, One Eyebrow Raised and Small Frown (Kryptomite) Pattern in Orange. It was available in two sets (non Star Wars).

It is impossible to identify correctly which wedge plate version you got in your picture. It is either Wedge, Plate 4 x 9 without Stud Notches which appeared in 58 sets in White color, or Wedge, Plate 4 x 9 with Stud Notches that was part of 14 sets in White.


How to use the ultrasonic sensor on mindstorm NXT

It's a little unclear from your question where this is currently failing, but I do see a couple issues with your code.

1. Your if blocks are probably not doing what you expect. You should include braces to conditionally run the block following an if statement. As written, all of your code executes all of the time. This is a tricky bug to spot, as it looks correct, but isn't. You probably want to change this:

if (us1.getDistance() >= 25);
    Motor.A.setSpeed(50);
    Motor.C.setSpeed(50);
    Motor.A.forward();
    Motor.C.forward();

To this:

if (us1.getDistance() >= 25) {
    Motor.A.setSpeed(50);
    Motor.C.setSpeed(50);
    Motor.A.forward();
    Motor.C.forward();
}

2. You say that you want the motors to stop, but it looks like you are actually reversing them. You'll likely want to change this:

Motor.A.backward();
Motor.C.backward();

To this:

Motor.A.stop();
Motor.C.stop();

Your code may still need some tweaking, but hopefully those two fixes get you back on track.


What RGB-values do I get from the colorsensor

The returned values are the reflected light intensities for each of the three LED colors (red/green/blue).

The scale is actually 0-1023. Basically, this is the raw value returned by a 10-bit analog to digital converter in the color sensor (2 ^ 10 = 1024).

The LEDs themselves may not put out enough light that you could ever reach the maximum value, so you will have to calibrate the sensor accordingly. For example, your calibration could consist of holding the sensor close to a white sheet of paper and finding the maximum value for each color, then use those maximum values to normalize the actual sensor values to a scale of 0 to 100%.


Why was the original brick separator changed?

My guess would be that they wanted to include one in more sets; so they made a smaller (cheaper) version and took the opportunity to add functionalities, such as the technic axle remover or the flat end for removing tiles easily. If I'm not mistaken, this version works on jumper plates too; which wasn't the case with the old one.


Does the Power Functions IR Remote Control 8885 make a good remote for a car?

The two sticks on that remote are pure on/off switches (well, forward/off/backward) and come back in their central position if not maintained pushed, and don't move laterally either.

There are two classic ways to control a car with them:

Use each switch to control a motor and wheel (or set of wheels) - so you have to push both levers to advance, and only one to turn. That's how the first PF Motorized Bulldozer is built and it works great for that kind of model.

For a more realistic car, however, you'll need to use one motor to control the forward/backward movement of the car (that's the easy part), and the other for the direction. That's slightly less easy, but you can usually achieve it with some kind of spring-loaded mechanism that puts the direction to straight forward when you're not pushing the lever. Some people have used that part to do it, but I've never tried it myself:

Edit: as I said, using the 8879 remote by itself to control a vehicle directly may be difficult, but I forgot it's a Technic part by itself, which means you can build something else on top of it. See Sariel's modification for a good example with which you can easily control a one-motor-per-wheel model.


Any cheap Technic sets with a good variety of parts?

In answer to your question "I want to build a Great Ball Contraption and have LEGO set 42055, what other LEGO sets do I need to buy?" the answer is: None. You've got all the bits needed, even a motor.
Instructions to make a Great Ball Contraption from LEGO set 42055 are available for purchase for about USD25, and advertisement for the instructions can be see on YouTube. The are other instructions available - like https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/design.page?idModel=140147
The PV instructions are just one of dozens of alternative 42055 builds.


Bags 4 and 5 are from set 75050-1: B-Wing based on the red Arrow 8M For Spring Shooter, 4211725: Plate 4X6 26 Degrees and 4233485: Brick 1X2 With Cross Hole

Bags 2 & 3 are from 4202-1: Mining Truck based on 4210720: Plate 6X14, 4210794: Plate 6X8
, 4490139: Rim Wide W.Cross 30X20
, 4188313: Coupling Plate 2X2 and 4515351: Plate 4X4 Round W. Snap
 in combination with the different red parts


Why do Star Wars sets include the Disney logo/brand name while Marvel Super Heroes sets do not?

I emailed TLG:

These changes are different as it is how Disney would like it be displayed.  Prior to a set release, each set goes through a number of reviews.  One of these, is our designers show Disney the boxes for them to sign off on and approve, after they review the boxes.  For each set, they said the boxes were approved for release!
It does appear that for the Marvel, they were ok with the Disney Logo not included on the exterior but they did want the Disney Logo on the Star Wars sets!

I also talked with a customer service representative. He took ~5 minutes to "do research." Here's a portion of (only) what he said (comment and ping me in chat if you want the full transcript):

I'm sorry, but we don't have a clear answer on why the boxes differ. What we do know is that the designers create the artwork for the boxes that the sets come in [sic; in] and after that the parent company (Disney) signs off on the designs!
That's it exactly! We provide the images to the parent company and they do have a say in what appears on the box, once we get the okay from them we print them off. With the Marvel and Star Wars TM they were both approved, but have the different printing.

He suggested reaching out to Disney. Unfortunately, I am still in the process of doing so.
What the above replies mean is that (1) designer decided to design a box a certain way (possibly for aesthetic reasons), (2) Disney approved the design, (3) this is the design you see on your boxes. As such, there is no "real reason" the boxes were designed this way.
I will be updating the answer with a reply from Disney.
The (second) reply from Disney; the first was a generic "thanks for the feedback":

That is actually a good question for LEGO- there is a contact page in the links you sent us.
This is not something we could answer...


I don't have an iOS device, but in the Android/ChromeOS version, there is a Share option when you click the ⋮ button next to the project name. You can use this to email the project, send it to Dropbox/OneDrive/Google Drive, etc. The exact options will depend on which other apps you have installed. The shared project (.lms file) can be opened by others on any OS with the same or newer version of the MINDSTORMS programming app.


Guide me on how to use my Mindstorm RCX kit on OS X Mavericks

I am currently maintaining my own fork of NQC for use on OpenBSD and OS X. As you have discovered, the recent compiler changes on OS X broke NQC in many places. Not to mention that the USB tower integration was pretty outdated. If you can compile it, it should work better than the ports version.

AFAIK, I am now the de facto maintainer for  NQC. (And may Crom have mercy on my soul, etc.)

Also, If you can find the right firmware (available around the usual places) you can update the RCX 1.0 to something like 2.x (or whatever the last release of the RCX firmware from LEGO is).

I make no promises this works at all, but I recall the last checked in version worked reasonably well with a serial tower on OpenBSD and a USB tower on OS X. A serial tower on OS X might work with the right incantations and USB/serial dongle.

If someone else other than me actually uses this, I might be prompted to cleanup my sandbox and commit my local repo (and fix bugs others find annoying.)


Repeat until sensor value is accepted does not work.

The loop does stop but you can not see it: You should add a brake block after the loop that runs until colour sensor<20 otherwise there is no visible indication that the loop has stopped. Hope this helped.


In general the colors would take on a yellowish hue. The colors that are most damaged by sunlight are white and blue. White can turn all the way to dark tan, and blue will take on an ugly yellowish color. On the other hand red would fade into pink. But again; the sun does damage the bricks. They will turn brittle and somewhat powdery, like all plastics do.

If you want to change the color of LEGO bricks I recommend vinyl-dye that fuses with the plastic so there is no build-up and it won't scratch off easily. There is a limited color choice, but this is an excellent way to change the color if you really have to. My favorite brand is Plasti-kote Vinyl Color available at auto-supply stores. Quite expensive though and hard to find. Another brand is Krylon Fusion for Plastic, readily available at Wal-Mart and other places. The fusing is not nearly as good as with Plasti-kote, but it is still quite durable. The price is better and there are more color choices.

Another method would be using RIT dye (use the powdered form not the liquid), but I don't like this method as much because although the colors can turn out nice (they are pastel colors - kind of like what you find in LEGO Friends sets), but they do fade with age.

If you want to try the sun-method, just place outside some cheap elements and you will see what happens. Please note that the colors will continue to turn darker (in the case of white) even after you removed them from the sun. Kind of like how a sunburn continues to get worse even after you go in the shade...(c;


Help me identify what set this bag of mostly white tiles and panels belongs to

As Aziraphale hinted at in a comment, this is a bag from Tower Bridge (10214).

You can see this bag clearly in unboxing videos.


Servo steering with 88004 motor and 8878 battery box?

There is a bit of confusion in your question with the part numbers and their location on the diagram. That is, you seem to have them reversed.  Unfortunately I did not have a rechargeable version of the "AAA" battery box to test and prove the concept, but I was fairly certain it would work based on what I know about these battery boxes.  Having a 7-speed variation, in each direction, makes them function very similar to the "Speed Remote" (part# 8879). I can confirm that the Servo Motor (part# 88004) will turn incrementally using this remote.  It therefore seemed reasonable to assume that the Servo Motor, connected directly to a Rechargeable Battery Box (part# 8878), would function in the same manner.  Confident this would work, I sought out and found a couple videos on Youtube that proved this to be true.

The video by Lasse Deleuran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzQ-B7xfJjQ
The video by Sariel's LEGO® Workshop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_Gvuzsngg8

So the answer to your question is "kind of", depending on how precise you need, or want, it to be.  The servo moves in 7 increments in each direction, which is a great improvement over a standard battery box or controller.  For your build you would simply "input" the steering wheel shaft into the orange control switch of the Battery Box.  It's position and steering wheel-to-input ratio could be manipulated with gearing if desired.

(screen cap from Sariel's video)

An updated verison of your diagram would look something like this:

The servo motor has axle holes on both sides of the output.  In theory a steering shaft could be ran into the rear of the output to provide the redundancy you're looking for.  Some amount of "play" in the physical connection would likely be needed to allow the wheel to turn just enough to activate the switch.  Because of the nature of the 7 position servo motor, choppy steering is unavoidable.  Full-electric drive-by-wire steering, while not used in passenger vehicles, is very much a "real system".  Not knowing the purpose or application of what you're trying to achieve, it's all just speculation.


Any elements that can be connected to the cavity under a stud?

If I'm understanding you correctly, you're talking about the molding cavity directly underneath the stud (that actually goes up into the stud), and not the main tube cavities under plates/bricks (that are actually offset from the studs).

If that's the case, no, I'm not aware of any element that "intentionally" fits that space.

First off, I don't think that space is made with a high tolerance.  Looking at some of my bricks, the dimensions of that cavity are not nearly as uniform as the other features of the brick.

Secondly, I don't know how many System bricks have components that are not integer multiples of LUs.

You might get lucky and get a minifigure piece that has a detail that is 1.5 LUs, but you'd have to try a lot of them.


Are there LDraw files for the standard Heroica components?

I've uploaded the Heroica LDraw parts I made to my website (and now there's even a site to go with it).

My Parts

Paths of length 2 and 4, and rooms in 2x2, L, and J shapes. The base
and half the tiles can be recolored; the remaining tiles are fixed
at dark gray.
The length 3 bridge over a 4x4 water tile, used twice in Fortaan.
The standard potions with fixed colors, and recolorable potion
templates.
The "character sheet" model. The 1 x 4 cross plate is recolorable.
A treasure chest, fixed as brown.
A gold piece, fixed as pearl gold.
A health piece, fixed as red.
A torch, fixed in color. This uses the unofficial 64647 LDraw part,
included.
A closed gate. The standard door piece is not available in the LDraw
parts library or unofficial list, but the gate used to link Nathuz
and Fortaan is.
A magic door, fixed in color.
Rocks, recolorable and standard dark gray.
The ship dock, from Draida Bay, and the regular brown starting
space.

Included Unofficial Parts

These parts are real Lego parts, but have not made it into the LDraw
part library yet. I've put them on the same site for convenience.

62808 - Minifig Key, by Andy Westrate
64647 - Minifig Plume/Flame Triple, by Philippe Hurbain. This is
used as the top of the torches in Nathuz.

Other Parts

Here are some parts that are invaluable, from the standard LDraw part
library. If you're going to make Heroica levels, they belong in your
MLCAD Favorites.

2343 - Minifig Goblet
3794 - Plate 1 x 2 with 1 Stud
3958 - Plate 6 x 6
30153 - Rock 1 x 1 Gem Faceted
41539 - Plate 8 x 8
64644 - Minifig Telescope
85863 - Microfig
87580 - Tile 2 x 2 with Groove and 1 Stud

What do they look like?

Here's a POV-Ray render of the map I'm working on now, sans greebling. Except for the 16x16 center the rooms and paths all use the premade parts, and it features the chest, gold, and potion parts also.

By the way, these are the first reusable LDraw parts I've ever made, so it's possible there's some really horrible failure in them.


This is part 11458 Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Pin Hole on Top. Much easier to find on Bricklink than by scrolling through Pick-a-Brick. Welcome to Bricks.SE!


Can you tell me which LEGO set number this is?

As @mindstormsboi pointed out, it's a modification of 60009-1 Helicopter Arrest
According to BrickLink, the only sets with both those RBrown stairs and the 100 tile are:

10218-1 Pet Shop
10232-1 Palace Cinema
10246-1 Detective's Office
10255-1 Assembly Square
10264-1 Corner Garage
41108-1 Heartlake Food Market
60009-1 Helicopter Arrest
60069-1 Swamp Police Station
60130-1 Prison Island

and that doesn't look exactly like any of them. But if you remove 60009's  vehicles and pier and add a few bits, it's a good match.
I won't say never, but Lego doesn't often (that I know of) sell sets with treasure chests where the lid doesn't match the base. But @Zhaph - Ben Duguid noted that 60009 does.


Software to do Duplo train track layout?

I would recommend BlueBrick, which is a versatile LEGO layout editor by Alban Nanty.

Apperently it has Duplo parts too, so I believe it should meet your needs. It can actually do much more for your layout planning needs (including modular tables if your club has some, for example), so maybe you'll consider it overkill as well, but since it's specifically made for LEGO layout I think you should be hapy with it.

Disclaimer: I have never used it for Duplo myself - if you do, feel free to share your experience with us in a comment.


What is the quickest way to weed out compatible bricks from loose LEGO?

My puny brain can only come up with one method: One Piece At A Time.

Check for the LEGO logo somewhere. Sometimes it's hard to find. On the Brick, Round 1 x 1 with Fins it's on the bottom of one of the fins.

Seems that most of the time there are minor, yet obvious, mold differences. Some brands, like Kre-O have an indent on one or more studs.

I have recently sorted some headlight bricks and 1x1 bricks with one stud on the side and found that there are many variations on those, including whether or not the stud has a through hole, or whether or not the 'back' of the brick is solid or open.

Often enough, the plastic will simply feel wrong.


Can I find parts list for single fire truck in a fire station set?

One easy way of getting a list of parts from individual items in a set is to download a fan-made copy of the set made in LEGO Digital Designer and remove the parts you don't need.

Eurobricks has a big list of sets that are available to edit in LDD, you may find some inconsistencies depending on which parts are available in the softwares library. Most stickers and decal bricks aren't included. The set 7208 is available here.

Once you've removed everything you don't want in LDD, go to File > Export BOM (Ctrl + B). You will be prompted to save a list of parts in a spreadsheet file. The list will contain the part name, picture, colour code and quantity required to build the model.

7208 Fire Truck Part List .CSV [?]


City scale connection for five-bladed helicopter rotors

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

LDraw file here.


LEGO has recenlty made this easier to find:

http://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/downloads/software/nxt-software/


EV3 Error and VM Program Instruction Break

UPDATE: It turns out there was a compiler issue in the EV3 desktop programming software. LEGO has released a fix in v1.2.2 of both the Home and Education versions. Upgrading your software will fix this problem.

Read more about the problem and the fix in this pdf from the Seshan Brothers.

ORIGINAL ANSWER:

Some suggestions from the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Facebook group:

Too many named loops in your code
Too many blocks in a loop
Try to avoid using too many loop interrupts
A problem with the copy/paste - delete the pasted portion of the program and make it from scratch


How long does it take the build the Ewok village

Build speed depends very much on your ability as a builder to understand instructions, organize the pieces in advance, and pick & place those pieces in the right position in your build. Additionally, the complexity of the set (simple versus complex building techniques, e.g. SNOT (Studs Not On Top) techniques are considered complex) might make a similar sized set more difficult. The complexity is often determined through the Age range specified on the box. So there is no exact answer here.

But as an indication, the set 10236 LEGO Ewok Village contains 1990 pieces and is rated 12+. That age range makes it a moderately difficult build (There is 14+ and 16+ for more complex builds).

First you need to take time to part out the set, put like elements together (LEGO suggests sorting by color, you could also sort by type of piece which will make your job slightly easier - put 1x1 bricks together, leaf pieces together, 1x4 plates together etc.). Opening the box gently by slicing a sharp knife through the seals on the flap (so you don't damage the box), emptying and opening the bags and dumping it all on your work surface takes 1 minute. To pick a piece and sort it, I am assuming takes you 1 second - since there are 1990 pieces this means the sorting activity alone will take you a good 30 minutes (33 to be precise).

Now it is time for the build. Assuming that you can put a piece into your build in about 10 seconds (includes find time, reviewing the instructions, sometimes flipping the page, and averages out for easier and more difficult building steps), with 1990 pieces this means you will spend 332 minutes on your build, or roughly 5hrs and 30 minutes, excluding any breaks.

Putting it all together, assuming my estimates and assumptions are correct, your total build time should be between 6 and 6.5 hours.

Good luck and have fun, because that Ewok Village set looks pretty awesome!


Considering individual designers would need to ask for permissions from LEGO to do this, it may be more efficient not to contact them directly, but to go through the community team.

If that doesn't work, it's true that some designers do have an active online presence (check the answer to Are there any great LEGO designers that are well-known?) and shouldn't be too hard to get in touch with. There's always a chance they'll have to send you back to the community team or a legal team somewhere, but I suppose it's worth a try.

Anyway, we need them to spend their time on designing sets, so let's hope you don't demand too much of their time.


What are the arguments for and against an adult tackling a complex LEGO Technic kit as their first (and possibly only) build?

The set is marketed as "12+". So even without the skills you mentioned you already have, I doubt you would have issues during assembly.
Piece of advice - don't rush it, take your time during the assembly process. It will take more time to assemble than you think. Especially as this is the first set and you need some time to learn the parts and how they work.
For a challenging Technic set, my personal suggestion, is to look for set from much older "studful" Technic era. Something like 8880. It has fewer parts, but many more parts assembled per step and most of them are black. Don't follow this advice for your first ever Technic set though.


What are the differences between Studio 2 and LDcad when working with Technic and EV3?

Please note that I think that software preference can very often be based on many factors that are difficult to enumerate and sometimes even more difficult to express. That said, I think there are a few important differences between the two specific pieces of software that you referenced that could be useful for answering your question. (Also note that my impression of LDCad is based on a much more limited experience as I am more often a Bricklink Studio user.)
Interface
Bricklink Studio's interface is more similar to your previous software, LDD, in that by default it has "part snapping" enabled. The default camera viewport behavior is also similar in that clicking and dragging using the left and right mouse buttons perform very similarly (though not identically).
LDCad's interface is much more reminiscent of actual CAD/CAM system interfaces and can take some work to get used to. The default viewport behavior is very different from LDD. It also does not have "part snapping" turned on by default but instead uses "grid snapping" by default. It does have "part snapping" available though, as the documentation notes, the behavior can be somewhat inconsistent.
Automatic rotation
Bricklink Studio includes a certain amount of automatic rotation when adding new parts to a model that can help in many instances. For example, if you add an axle to a model, rotate that axle slightly, then add a gear to that model Studio will most likely automatically rotate the gear to fit the axle for you. That said with even a few parts it is likely you will have to rotate one or more parts in order to get them to mesh well in the model. Again, studio does make this relatively simple since you can pretty easily select multiple parts and rotate the collection on a single point.
LDCad does not appear to do any automatic rotation when adding new parts though it does allow rotating multiple selected parts.
Flexible Parts
Bricklink Studio has a very small set of flexible parts and is pretty much limited to axles, hoses, chains, and studded strings.
LDCad includes a much larger selection of flexible parts, importantly for Technic based builds: rubber bands. There is a learning curve associated with using them, but that they are present at all is a huge plus.
Instruction Generation
Bricklink Studio includes a mode that enables relatively easy generation of instructions. I have personally found it to be pretty decent but still need to usually tweak the output a bit to make some steps clear.
I did not find any default support for instruction generation in LDCad but since it is using LDRAW files by default it would be relatively easy to use those files in one of the several instruction generators that are available separately.


Is this piece some kind of rare/modified 200?

It is about the right size and shape to be the main shaft of this wind-up motor from set 4093:

Here's another view:

These pictures show the piece as white, but it might be a variant. I do not have one of these windups to take apart to check.


How to check completeness of a bought set?

You've already discovered yourself two good ways:

count by ten
put elements on large surface by type

The latter technique can be extended to an art called "knolling":

Place all elements by type in right lines with right angles on a large surface...
Its a very relaxing exercise and fun in its own right. Checking completeness becomes trivial, building afterwards can also be done with much less frustration.

Update: Here's another very impressive knolling. The UCS Millenium Falcon 75192
 (7541 pieces) https://i.redd.it/q51wrtua5yb41.jpg
(can't insert picture here directly since too large)


The first hit on Google for "LEGO charity" is this: http://service.lego.com/en-us/helptopics/lego-company/charity-and-donations. From that page:

  What charitable activities is the LEGO Group involved in?

  We take our responsibility for making children's lives better very
  seriously, so we run a number of charitable programs.

  Usually, our local offices use their knowledge of what local children
  need to partner with initiatives and charities.

  On a global level, we help children through the activities of the LEGO
  Foundation. If you'd like to know more about how we understand our
  responsibility and what we do, there's lots more information in the
  About Us section of this website.

Sounds like that should cover your question. Check out the www.legofoundation.com website as well.


What is the name of the Lego product that snaps together with knobs?

I ended up finding my old instruction book. The parts were called Lego Znap.

It still blows my mind that these things exist.


Is it possible to non-destructively open the SPIKE Prime smart hub?

No, but the damage can be limited and is not externally visible.
I don't know the technical name, but each of the 4 corners are held in place with these fasteners:

Using a tool of the same diameter (2mm), they can be pressed out by applying force to the end of the fastener at the point shown below:

This does damage the plastic slightly where it contacts the fastener, but if it is only done a few times the fasteners should still hold securely when reassembled.


How much does an average LEGO brick cost to produce?

I found that looking to the website http://www.custompartnet.com/estimate/injection-molding/ is a great help to figuring out how much stuff costs.

I started with a quantity of 1 million, as Lego would make bricks in huge quantities.
Small envelope of around an inch for the standard brick,
.1 in thickness on the top is the most,
looked up the volume online, and
chose the other options logically.

Material and Production is all we care about, so...

2 cents + 3.3 Cents = ~5 cents per brick!

It might even be a little cheaper assuming they produce in China.


It's not a Star Wars set, it's most of the main part from "70704 Vermin Vaporizer" from the Galaxy Squad theme.

The word "pressure" on the green tile hints that it's not Star Wars, as that would normally be in Aurebesh - the written script you see in the films.

It turns out the curved white roof tile (Circle 90G 6X6 Roof Tile) at the front was only used in three sets, which helps identify it.


How to connect an NXT brick to the LEGO programmer application on an iPad?

The NXT only works with the EV3 desktop software (for Windows and Mac) and only via USB.

I'm not aware of any way to program NXT using an iPad (or Android, or Chromebook).


What are these LEGO pieces? Heavy 6x6 disks

They are officially "Turntable 6 x 6 Round Base" AKA NinjaGo Spinners.  They come in sets with Ninja minifigures and weapons that you can then spin up and have them fight one another.

There are a lot of different varieties depending on the specific coloring, they can be found here:

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?q=ninjago%20spinner


How do you sync the LEGO high speed train remote?

I'm going to take a stab at this. Presumably you're asking how to make the train remote properly control the train. There are two things to consider: 1. Which channel to use, and 2. Motor direction.

Channel: The train remote features two wheels which can be used to control two motors independently. One has a blue line and one has an red line. These correspond to the blue and red markers on the IR sensor. Also, the IR sensor and the remote have an red  sliding tab with numbers 1-4. These need to be set to the same number. So check on your IR sensor and see which number your slider is set to, and which side (blue or red) your motor is connected to. Then make sure you set the slider on the remote to match the IR, and use the appropriate wheel.
Direction: There are two ways to control the direction the train goes when you turn the wheel. One way is to flip the polarity switch on the train battery box. The other way is to flip the direction switch on the remote. If you find the train goes backwards when you turn the wheel meaning it to go forwards, just flip this switch.

Aside from these cases, there is nothing else to configure about the remote. As long as your batteries are fresh and your train is wired up properly, it should work just fine with any combination of sensors and remotes. You can even use one remote to control multiple trains as long as each one is on a separate channel/colour.


Not with the standard software, not directly. You can however have the Xbox controller connect to your PC and "stream" your program, i.e. the program runs on your PC rather than the Hub and motor commands are forwarded... I found this quite disappointing when I was trying this...


Is this an error in the updated Harry Potter Diagon Alley build/instructions?

The wall behind the shelving unit is not a standard wall built with regular LEGO bricks, but a panel, which is hollow on one side.
The parts that are sticking out at the back of the bookshelf are accommodated by the hollow of the panel.
My guess is that you attached the panel backwards with the flat side facing in, instead of out. Look at Page 37/Step 48 where the panel is attached. The hollow part should be facing in.


Are there any cases of Illegal Building in an official lego build?

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

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


Instruction for installing rc to LEGO unimog

I found this utoob video as the first hit for a search using "install pf lego unimog" and also this thread on EuroBricks Which recommends a different video. So instructions are definitely out there.

I think you'd be better off trying it yourself. Don't be intimidated by the size or complexity of the unimog, have a go. Worst case you'll have to reassemble it using the TLG instructions and then try some of the online instructions.


Here we go. I was browsing around looking for answers when I stumbled upon this thread: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4158314?start=0&tstart=0

One person mentioned Lego tech support sent him a link to an ISO. It looked like maybe it was a newer ISO than the one I was using, so I tried it: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/31950731/MINDSTORMS%20NXT%20Retail%20MacWin%202012-06-21-1305.iso

It worked great! No patches, no nothing. Just installed that, restarted, and suddenly I have NXT-G working on Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5. Word.


I think the piece you're referring to is Dinosaur Tail / Neck Middle Section with Pin.


Does the Lego Mindstorms EV3 software work on macOS High Sierra?

I've upgraded to High Sierra already. I just tried loading a large/complex program in the educational version of the EV3 software and sending it to the EV3 with both Bluetooth and USB. So, it looks like there are at least not any major issues.


Which 2018-2020 sets are good for roof parts?

I would suggest to look into buying individual parts on Bricklink in desired color, shape and amount. Any other set you can buy most likely won't have all the parts you need and you are left with otherwise unnecessary elements.
If you really need a set with roof specific parts, the set I could think of now is Emmet's Dream House/Rescue Rocket (70831). Selection of slopes isn't ideal and color (blue) may not fit your need, however the amount of specific items is substantial compared to other sets. Newbury Haunted High School (70425) could also be a candidate for some number of slopes, but it is still rather limited.
Alternatively, you could look into creating your roof without using slopes. Take a looks at sets like 31078, 75954, 10267. You can build your roof with plates and tiles if used wisely.


What's the purpose of brick 46835 (two wheels clutched into each other)

This is a torque-limiting component. When one side is prevented from turning but the other side is forced to turn, the inner piece comes out of its "click location" and into the next one.
It requires quite a large torque before it activates. You will not be able to generate the torque just by turning the two components with your bare hands. To see the effect, you may need to attach axles and large wheels, or lever arms, or use gears, or a motor.


Complete set of 2004 Knights Kingdom card images?

You can purchase, brand new, the complete set of cards, 1-80 on eBay HERE.

The price has the potential to be less than what's stated, becasue the seller is accepting "Make Offer" deals.


Why do sellers do lots of 'random' bricks?

I think their rationale is simple: selling 10 smaller lots is bringing them more money than selling it all in one big lot. It might also be a way to mask the fact that there are very few good/interesting pieces in the lot; by splitting it up but using the full lot picture every purchaser hopes they might get the good pieces. Finally, there could be some deception going on ... if you see a picture with a lot of run-of-the-mill parts and some rare/expensive ones, and you buy the whole lot, you expect to get those pieces. If you buy a part of the lot, you have no way to validate that those special pieces were ever included (they could have gone to one of the other purchasers, or, and this is where the deception comes in, they might have never been included).

Edit: there might also be a more practical reason: cutting the lot up into certain sizes might allow the seller to ship using a favorable shipping rate (e.g. First Class Package in the US) versus a more expensive shipping method for the entire lot.


How to power "Power Functions" devices from an electric wall plug?

What you describe is indeed the most common way to GBC modules, but it's worth noting that one adaptor+regulator can typically power more modules (it depends on the modules), sometimes only one end of the extension cable is used, when placed on the regulator, it effectively provides a power functions "plug", and if you want to power more modules, the wiring can get a little easier to handle, when every module is essentially connected to a regulator.

Another option is an NXT with the official rechargable battery mounted and an adaptor plugged in, and then of course NXT cables to an NXT motor (I don't remember if NXT->PF cables exists, but NXT->9V cables does and you have mentioned that the PF extension cables can attach to 9V). I have also seen modules with an RCX, I think that has a plug for an adaptor directly, but I'm not sure, I don't think I've seen GBC modules powered by EV3's yet, but there's probably a solution. - Probably more expensive, but having an NXT in a module allows other possibilities, especially if you also put in some sensors.

As Mr. Shiny and New 安宇 mentions the rechargable battery box is a third solution.

All of these solutions have the advantage that they only use official unmodified LEGO parts.


How many BIONICLE store display tubes were created?

As it turns out, a Rahkshi store display tube does exist and was recently re-discovered.

The following display tubes are known to exist.

G1

2002 Rahkshi Panrahk

2003 Tahu Nuva

2005 Hordika Vakama

2005 Visorak Keelerak

2006 Inika Jaller

2006 Piraka Hakann

2006 Piraka Vezok

2007 Barraki Kalmah

2007 Mahri Nuparu

2008 Mistaka Lewa

2008 Mistaka Lewa and Tanma

2008 Mistaka Tahu

2009 Glatorian Gresh

2009 Glatorian Mata Nui

2009 Stars Tahu

G2

2015 Tahu

Others

2001 Onua Sculpture

(Technically a display tube, but a brick sculpture rather than the set.)


XL motor and M motor on IR receiver = same output?

It seems like you're mixing up gear ratio with torque with power. It sounds like you have the following scenario:
 - same gear ratio
 - same overall vehicle
 - two different motors
 - (almost) same final speed

And you're asking why the different motors don't change the speed much. Here's what I know:

The vehicle's mass and internal friction place a load on the motor. This is approximately constant for your vehicle, because practically the difference in mass of the M and XL motors is negligible compared to the total load anyway.
The M motor has a higher unladen speed but a lower overall torque than the XL motor. This means that for the same load, the M motor's speed will be more greatly affected than the XL motor.
So in this case: your vehicle might drop the XL motor from 200 to 150 RPM, but drops the M motor from 600 to 175 RPM, because the M motor is affected more. Coincidentally this particular load drops both motors to almost the same final RPM.
If your vehicle were even more massive, the XL motor's speed would drop, but the M would drop even further, quickly becoming slower than the XL. Add enough weight and eventually that M will drop to 0 RPM while the XL will still be chugging along.


What parts are include with this light blue bike?


The builder used Set #70124 - Chima Eagle Legend Beast as a template.

To see the online instructions for this set watch this HERE. The bird's head construction is on page 14 at 53 seconds in.

For a list and description of all parts used look HERE.

For further inspiration, check out creator Markus Buhler's alternate Griffen build plus his tutorial HERE.


Is 9585: WeDo Resource Set compatible with 45300: WeDo 2.0 Core Set?

As far as I have understood from talking to one the people who developed WeDo version 2, it's not compatible with the old.


Grey pieces: 4x12 plate with cutouts, 2x4 hinge with only four studs on one side, 1x2 plate with big cylinder on the side

The hinge is 3149c01. The engine is 3475 (or possibly other, similar molds).


How do I make trains which fit LEGO rails (6 studs)?

The most common train wheels (2878) look like this:

These may be available directly from LEGO via online Pick-a-Brick or Bricks and Pieces, but it is probably easiest and cheapest to get them used on Bricklink.

If you want something cheaper, you could go with the small track-compatible wheels (50254):

That part is available very cheaply on Bricklink. These have been used in many sets, often having nothing to do with trains, but you can see how they are used to run on track in Rail and Road Service Truck (4541):

Those small wheels obviously wouldn't look great on a full scale LEGO train, but you might be able to put something together that looks alright at a somewhat smaller scale.


How can my daughter turn her horse into a unicorn?

A 1x1 cone with an inverted positioned screwdriver just might work here.

So, I'm saying just might based off the the halved cast line of Peggy's head.

The base peg of the horn/drill-bit would be too wide for the hole, but based off the cast fault line, which I hi-lighted in blue, there is a greater chance for the plastic halves to ease the slimmer screw driver in versus the blunter horn/drill-bit peg.  I don't have this Pegasus on hand, but... it just might work here.

This Pegasus first appeared last year and is in only two sets.  I'm thinking the LEGO group just hasn't had the proper time to release a FRIENDS-line compatible accessory.

I see three choices:

We can gingerly test an illegal connection.
We can perform a Blasphemer's Lobotomy.
We can wait on LEGO to provide a piece.

EDIT:
While we wait for option three, let's play with what we got...

    PEGGA-BOO!


What is the minimum required set of parts for Mindstorms?

I would get the NXT brick itself, at least one but preferably two motors, and the touch sensor.

Obviously, you need a brain brick, but you also need a way for it to do something, thus the motors. And if you want to do anything particularly interesting, that doesn't need to be automatic functions only, you'll need a sensor to start different functions at the proper times and in the proper conditions.

You could expand a little by adding the motion detector, but mostly you just need an input, output, and brain.


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


If you have a steady hand you can use hobby paint or a Sharpie, let it dry, then put on a clear-coat for protection. But those heads with the classic smiley faces are so cheap on BrickLink, you could just replace them. Here are the Catalog listings for the original Classic Smiley on BrickLink along with the dates of production:

Hollow stud original from 1978-2013: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3626bp01

Solid stud from 1991: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3626ap01

Stud recessed from 2009-2014: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3626cp01


What are some good purist rotacaster / omni wheel designs?

Here's a design I've been using, based on this model by Lambert Varias:

It's not a perfect circle, but it is relatively small all things considered:

It's pretty simple, but here's a partial disassembled version to better show what goes into it:

Parts shown:

1x 55013
2x 4265c
2x 57585
6x 32013
6x 32556
12x 42610
12x 50945


Is there a way to add a ultrasonic sensor on the ev3 COR3 robot?

The ultrasonic sensor is useful for navigation.  This robot design has a nice skirt and positioning the ultrasonic sensor should not interfere with that skirt.  Also the ultrasonic sensor is excellent at detecting right angles like the floor meeting a wall.  So, I'd recommend positioning the sensor on either a side (for following along a wall) or the back (to slow down just before reaching a wall when backing up).  It doesn't matter a lot whether the sensor is mounted vertically or horizontally.
So, given all that how do you mount it on the robot?  Pins and a couple beams or right angle beams.  You might also find an existing small pin that can be replaced with a deeper pin.  Maybe the better answer is lots of trial and error.


This is fairly easy to do yourself. You can get a listing of all the parts that you should have for the set via a reference site such as Bricklink. Here's the Bricklink inventory for that set:

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemInv.asp?S=10194-1

You can then purchase any missing pieces. The best place to do this is probably on Bricklink as well.

You can then rebuild this set from the instructions. If you've lost the instructions, they are available directly on LEGO.com as a PDF. Brickset also provides easy access to these files. Here are the two instruction booklets on LEGO.com:

Part 1
Part 2


'Plate/tile hybrids' (plates with studs missing)

Unfortunately, this part does not exis.
In addition to the part suggest by Michael, you might be able to use the 2x2 tile with 2 studs (33909) if your design could be adjusted to make use of a 2x2 part:


This is 41340: Friendship House

keyparts :

93092: Minifigure, Utensil Basket in Medium Lavender

41539: Plate 8 x 8 in Lime

2584: String Reel 2 x 2 Holder in Black


Instructions for building this bird? Parrot from session at Legoland Windsor in 2013

I don't have a copy of the instructions, but I've recreated the model making some educated guesses:

Here are two highlights of the internal construction:
The first shows how the feet tie into the body.

The second shows the basic SNOT work to attach the sides to the model.

The full instructions are available here.


Is it possible to use multiple IR beacons on different channels to control EV3?

Yes, it is possible to use up to 4 beacons at the same time since there are 4 selectable infrared signal channels.

Also, the 8885 LEGO® Power Functions IR Remote Control is compatible with the EV3 Infrared Sensor if you have one of those already (it only has up down rocker switches and no beacon button, so it is not an exact replacement).

Other LEGO remote controls are not compatible.


Can the Powered Up Remote (latest train version) pair with the Boost Move Hub?

Since June 2019, this is possible.  See here:
https://www.hispabrickmagazine.com/content/2019/06/03/powered-up-ii-powered-up-ii-networks/

Look right at the bottom of the article.

  The latest version of the Powered Up app (2.2.0) as well as the latest
  version of the Boost app include new firmware for the Boost hub. After
  this update it is possible to control the Boost hub with a remote
  control.

  Establishing the connection is a little more difficult than connecting
  a single Powered Up hub to a remote. It is not enough to just press
  the start button on each device and wait. You need to press the start
  button on both devices simultaneously after starting them to establish
  the connection (as if the Boost hub were a second hub in an existing
  network).

  Now you can control the internal motors (A and B in the Boost hub)
  with the remote control.


Which parts can I use to connect a cross axle to a car body?

You don't give many details, but there are cross-axle to round-axle pegs available, or you can put the cross-axle through a round-axle brick.


Can I buy an add on educational kit for my retail EV3?

There is an expansion set, as well as a selection of additional sensors, etc. you could purchase, listed on the products page of the LEGO site's Educational Section:

The Expansion Set - Lots more elements, no electronics.
The Gyro sensor
The IR Beacon - This comes with the home set, but not the Education set.
The Core Set - no software - see "What is different between the EV3 Home and Educational sets" for more on the differences between the two.

Note that these tend to more expensive than the retail kits, and tend to have slightly different items in them.

There have previously been a number of 3rd party suppliers making sensors for the NXT and RIS systems, so I'm sure they will also provide support for EV3.


BrickLink or eBay. You could get significantly more if you go through the lot and separate out full sets then sell them on BrickLink. But if you don't have the time at least take a lot of really good pictures - in this case an eBay auction would be the better choice.


How can the 12v Train 7823 Container Depot be used to load container ships as per Lego Catalogue

Whilst there is quite a bit of clearance on the crane as it stands, the Container Ship (4030) was quite a high sided beast - although you can see that better on the catalogue page:

I would think that a bit of extra height from the hinge would be useful to make it over the edges of the ship - assuming you haven't raised the crane's base.

The alternative answer is that they are trying to make the model more real-world accurate, where the cranes lift up as the ship comes in, and then go back to flat to load:


How much energy do LEGO Technic gears lose to friction?

Nice find. First of all, it is interesting to see the various techniques they use.

The short answer to your question would be: It doesn't matter. Each gear, axle and all other components bend, stretch and absorb energy. This means that even for normal large LEGO Technic sets, such as the 42055, you have to build carefully and avoid too much pressure to reduce friction.

When it comes to Googol, it will take years to move most of the gears above their tolerance of, say, 0.1 mm. This is why they put the motor to the beginning of each section to show that it works in principle.

So, starting the whole thing will increase tension and some eruptive movements of the gears in the middle will follow. But the gears further down the line will never move.


It could be that one wheel slips more than the other. This happens when the tires get dirty. Also, you can adjust your center of balance so that more weight is on the drive wheels and they will slip less.

You can also use the gyro sensor to compensate for any slippage of the wheels.


Augment LEGO City Mobile Command Center 60139 with Power Functions LEGO 8293?

You are not likely going to be able to add the power functions motor to this set without some major modifications. The truck in the set uses pin type wheel connections, the motors normally use technic axle style wheels, and there isn't really any extra room internally to place the motor.

For reference:

Set 60139

Set 8293


Online link to the LEGO NXT firmware (v1.31) source code or IAR ARM LEGO development tools?

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

  This is NXT Improved Firmware, an open source community driven work based on
  the original LEGO Mindstorms NXT firmware.

  Online resources are accessible on the NXT Improved Firmware web page,
  including documentation, building guides, and more:

  http://nxt-firmware.ni.fr.eu.org/

  NXT Improved Firmware combines code covered by the LEGO Open Source License
  with code covered by various other open source licenses.  Any file not covered
  by the LEGO Open Source License includes a notice in its header.  All other
  source files are covered by the LEGO Open Source License.  Please see the
  enclosed "LEGO Open Source License" file for more precision on this license
  conditions.

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


Selling complete sets, Assembled or Disassembled?

A good part of the LEGO experience is building the set. There is little joy in buying a LEGO set that was already built by someone else. So you are right, that a disassembled set is usually viewed as more valuable. However, consider the following points.

When people purchase a LEGO set, either new or used, they expect the parts to be sorted in some way into bags. So, taking apart the sets you have and putting them into baggies is not considered an additional service you're providing and buyers are willing to pay extra for.

Shipping a fully assembled set puts a lot more liability on you than shipping loose parts. If you advertise the set as fully built, and someone buys it, if any of the set gets broken or pieces fall off (which will likely happen in shipping), the buyer has all the rights to be disappointed and demand a resolution from you (shipping the set back to you at your expense, getting a partial or full refund, etc.) Also consider that shipping a fully built set is going to be more expensive, as you will have to use a lot more protective wrapping and a larger box.

As far as how much you can sell the sets for, that will be dictated by the market. You can certainly start out by listing your sets at the higher end compared to other listings, but it will be up to the buyers to decide if its worth it to them. If they don't buy, you will have to consider lowering the price, keeping the set for yourself, or selling the parts in bulk or individually.

If you are looking for angles to make your listing more attractive, here are some things buyers are looking for and willing to pay more for: Clean pieces, no damage or fading to the pieces, minifigs, instructions, and box (if provided). Stickers are clean and nicely applied without any fading or curling. The pieces are nicely organized in baggies based on color, piece type, or building steps. The set comes from a smoke and pet free home. The set belonged to an adult collector (or if from a child, the pieces are cleaned and sanitized). There are clear and detailed pictures included with the listing.

Hope this helps some. Any other questions, just post it as a follow up, and the community can give you more info.


Assuming you are asking for a set that has play features resembling an auto mechanic's shop, then you have a few options:

The closest is probably 1966 Car Repair Shop.

1966 Car Repair Shop is a 1985 set.  It does not feature a lift, but it does have a jack, and includes a wrench (and other play features) that simulate a mechanic's shop.

Another good choice that's still in production is 4207 City Garage

City Garage has an elevator lift (no mechanic access underneath it), and it has a mechanics shop, including spare tires and tools to work on the cars.  However, it's not as "good" of a shop as 1996.

Lastly, if you're ok with Duplo, the closest set is 3619 Traffic City.

3619 Traffic City features a real working lift and mechanics shop.  However, it also features other play features like 4207 City Garage.


Here are some gyro issues you still have to contend with.

Lag. The gyro reading lags behind the actual movement. If, for example, you are spinning and waiting for a reading of 90 degrees before stopping the movement, you will be beyond 90 degrees after you stop, unless you are moving very slowly.
Accuracy. They gyro only reads in increments of 1 degree and it's also not terribly accurate (repeatable).
"Offset". As your gyro algorithm does it's processing, the steering correction will restore the heading, but you may no longer be on the same linear path. Let's say your robot has a left bias. As it turns off course to the left and the gyro algorithm corrects back to the right, you may be back on the correct heading, but your path is now slightly to the left of where you started. You will zig-zag like this all the way there.

If you can deal with those issues, your algorithm idea is solid. But you may find that Move Steer and Move Tank are more accurate. It really depends on the situation.

I have written blocks that use the gyro to set the heading for movement, but not for in-place turns. In-place turns are made very difficult by the lag issue unless you are willing to do all your turns at the same speed and use a simple offset value to compensate (i.e., stop motors at 86 degrees, usually comes to rest at 90).

With my "Move Gyro" block, I don't even need to execute an explicit turn motion, I can say "move 10  inches at heading of 0 degrees, then 10 inches at heading 90 degrees, the gyro algorithm makes the turn automatically (and rather quickly) as it moves forward. It will be close, but the result will not be exactly 10 inches in both directions.

EDIT

After re-reading your question, I may be a little off the mark, or just not clear on what you are asking. Your use of Move-Steer or Move-Tank depends on what you are trying to do.

To turn without driving forward, you could use either Move-Tank or Move-Steer until you reach your desired gyro angle. Move-Tank should pivot mostly in-place around the midpoint between the drive wheels. A Move-Steer turn without driving forward would require maximum turning input which should keep one wheel un-powered. This is called a pivot turn and is probably better executed by operating the 2 motors independently. Turn one motor off and apply the brake, then power the other motor until your desired turn is made. You can probably do this just as accurately without the gyro. In a pivot turn, one wheel moves along an arc. The length of this arc for a given turn angle can be calculated based on the distance between your drive wheels (wheel track) and the circumference of your wheels. Thus, lock one motor, drive the other motor the necessary distance to travel along the arc. If you aren't into geometry, post a new question for the math on that.

To drive forward along a gyro heading, your algorithm idea is a good one, except for my point in item 3 above. But if your robot tracks well, that offset should be minor.


LEGO Minifigures Series 14 Female Ghosts!

I checked all of mine, and they the same smaller mark as well.


Help identifying this set, dark red and dark grey airplane body?


Please see my response to this post. Using the Wanted List feature you can upload your own list of bricks and then see which vendors have these items - you would still need to fill a shopping cart at each vendor to see their price, but that is not so difficult by using the "add Minimum quantity" link at the top of the individual shop page.


Is there a database of original Minifigure configurations, including their personal gear?

The website Brickset.com has an extensive database of sets, digital copies of instructions and a Minifig database built in cooperation with Bricklink. The layout and style may be a little more user friendly than the Bricklink catalogue and if you register on the site you can keep track of your collection.


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

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


Keyword for this torso on Bricklink is "flower".
Torso Female Wrapped Dress with Pink Flower Pattern / Yellow Arms / Yellow Hands
It was used just for Fairy from Series 8 of Collectable Minifigures:


It is 4281515: Bionicle Eye.
Appears in 22 sets according to Brickset.


Mindstorms EV3: Patrolling a number of rooms - what are my options?

For moving on defined path you can achieve amazing accuracy with LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 odometry combined with good gyroscope but this still will result in a collision sooner or later.

Examples of such systems can be found here and here

Both of these systems use MICROINFINITY CruizCore XG1300L gyro/accelerometer but there are other good gyroscopes.

The only way to limit the growth of positioning error (and eventual collision) are absolute positioning methods such as beacons, artificial/natural landmarks recognition or model matching.

The state of the art in robotics is SLAM which could be implented on top of system with LIDAR, odometry and possibly gyroscope, preferably with ready-made ROS SLAM algorithms and computation on PC (EV3 is too slow). Making such system work is quite involved and may take months of work.

I'm not sure if this would be any faster than following a line though.

You can also consider following the wall, with Maze Solving Algorithms to move around the rooms.


With the prime hub you need to exit the hub default process before you can send commands using ctrl-c.
Ctrl-c is the character 0x03.
This is my python script that I use to send micropython scripts over to my hub:
https://github.com/gpdaniels/spike-prime/blob/master/simulator/run.py
It has lots of nastyness in it like this:
port.write(b'\x03')
time.sleep(0.1)
port.write(b'\x03')
time.sleep(1.0)

To try and get the hub to stop the running script and behave.
Also there's functions to read the serial input from the hub until it sees the >>> characters which indicate the REPL is ready to receive python commands.


Looks like:

Part #47847 - Rock Panel 2 x 4 x 6.

Part #3684a - Slope 75 2 x 2 x 3 - Hollow Studs.

Part #4460b - Slope 75 2 x 1 x 3 - Hollow Stud.


Is there a drop-in replacement for 4275 + 4276 hinge?

Not exactly drop in replacements, this particular modified plate has no protrusions around the hinge, it's entirely flat.

I see two possible replacements:

44301 and 44302. However they "click" in angles of 22.5 degrees and have protrusions...

60478 in combination with 63868 (clip and bar connection) is freely rotating but ofcourse again protrusions...


Just to add a little to the answer by TheBrickBlogger, the blue piece holding the purple 1x1 slope is likely this one:

Here is a really simple example of one of the many ways this can be accomplished:

The hollow stud allows positioning to be "jumped". Hope this is helpful :)


What electronics are inside the LEGO Powered Up hub?

The bulk of the space inside the Powered Up hub is consumed by the housing for the 6 AAA batteries. A small portion of the top of the hub contains the main printed circuit board. Here's how it looks removed from the hub:

And here's another shot showing the back:

The main chip is very similar to the one used in Boost. It uses an STM32F030 from ST Microelectronics. This includes a 32 bit ARM Cortex-M0 clocked at 48Mhz.

For Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication, the Powered Up hub uses a CC2640 from Texas Instruments.

The largest chip on the underside of the board is an LB1836. I haven't done any testing on the traces, but that part is a dual-channel stepper motor driver and is placed near the output ports, so it is almost certainly used to drive the output current to servo motors. The front side includes a pair of 74HC2G125DP chips near the output ports. These are likely used select which CPU pin the output pin is connected to.


This one 47674  or this one 47674
These are X-POD containers.


Fixing a not working Power Functions L motor

Since the basic architecture of the motors in a line (in this case PF M-L-XL) are the same, the tips you have found for the other models would most likely apply for your case as well.

Otherwise I'd recommend some basic troubleshooting steps:

Ensure you have a working battery box and cable by setting up your functioning motor. Once you have confirmed that it runs OK, you can be sure that if after swapping the motor for a broken one, the problem must be in that motor.
Check if you can turn the motor's axle manually by inserting a Technic axle and turning it by hand. It may be more comfortable if you add a gear or a wheel to get a better grip. If you can't turn it at all or only considerably harder than the working one, you should suspect some mechanical failure (e.g. broken gears inside).
If you have a multimeter, you could check if the electrical characteristics of the broken motors match those of the working one. A significantly lower resistance between the contacts is a sign of a short circuit, while a significantly higher one indicates a broken wire. With a bit of jerry-rigging you could also measure the current flowing through a motor that should be running from a battery box and comparing it to a normal motor's to see if there is too little or too much current.
You could also try opening up the motor and checking for broken or burned parts, foreign objects or debris, etc. Note, the above guide is for the M motor, but the same principles would apply for the L motor as well.

If none of the above helps, try contacting LEGO, as they would be able to provide replacement parts or further advice.


You can piece together a 16x16 black plate in two layers, by making a base layer consisting of 3867 - Baseplate 16 x 16 (not available in black, but Dark Bluish Gray is a good option and given the minimal thickness it won't show)

and then putting 4 of 41539 - Plate 8 x 8 in Black on top side-by-side.


How to visually search for specific parts in a 3D model?

Okay Bro, here we go.  I still use LEGO Digital Designer.  Open it, and you'll be using a combination of a few tools to filter out the exact piece locations in your model's 3 dimensional space.

Below we'll use pictures of Bowser as an example for a few selections.

The "Selection" tool sub tools:

(1) Single Selection: Pick one piece you want to move.

(2) Multiple Selection: Pick multiple pieces you want to move. Shortcut Key:  Hold down control button to to select multiple pieces.

(3) Connected Selection: Move the pieces that interlock in a continuous cluster. (VERY USEFUL FOR ME!)

(4) Color: Pick a specific color.

(5) Shape: Pick a specific shape REGARDLESS of color.

(6) Color and Shape: Pick a specific shape and color.

A combination of two other tools that will bring it all together is the "Invert" Selection Tool and the "Hide" Section tool.

Connected + Hide Example:

In this example of "Connected" Selection, look at Bowser's toes.  They're not highlighted, which means they are not connected, but after we hit the "Hide" button we see a green piece of Bowser's chest just a floatin' too.

Connected.

Hidden.

Multiple Shape + Invert + Hide + Shape and Color Example:

I buy my models on Bricklink.com but have to upload them through Stud.io, but Stud.io doesn't recognize which 1x1 tiles LEGO Digital Designer is using.  So, I have to filter them out regardless of color, and figure out how many of each color I need to manually add them to my purchase later.

Selection of 1x1 tile regardless of color.

Invert Selection.

Hide non 1x1 tiles.

Specific Color and Shape for PINK.  Lower left corner tells me exact amount I need in this color.

Specific Color and Shape for GREEN.  Lower left corner tells me exact amount I need in this color.

Specific Color and Shape for TAN.  Lower left corner tells me exact amount I need in this color.

With these combinations you should be able quickly see and fix your shit!  Good luck and Later!


EV3 not recognized by PC when attempting firmware update after interrupted update

You have done the right thing by contacting Customer Service. They'll be able to help you potentially fix this or replace the part if needed.

I know you said that you already tried this, but I wanted to list the steps for a firmware update here in case others find this question. Here's the exact language from the EV3 user guide:

  Forced Firmware Update

  If  you  need  to  update  your  firmware  manually,  follow  the
  steps   below.  (Note: the EV3 Brick still requires a USB connection
  to your  computer)

  Make sure your EV3 Brick is turned off.
  Hold down the Back, Center, and Right buttons on the EV3 Brick.
  When the screen says “Updating”, release the buttons.

  If the manual firmware update does not make your EV3 Brick work  the
  first time, repeat the manual update process.

Here are some general things to try if you haven't already:

Take out the EV3 battery and unplug from your computer and just let the brick sit for 30 seconds or so. Repeat the above steps.
Reboot your computer, or try using another computer, and repeat the above steps.
Try using another USB cable and/or USB port and repeat the above steps. This is unlikely to help in your case since the cable just worked for you, but it could be helpful to someone else.

Please post back here if Customer Service is able to provide a fix for this issue, as I'm sure it will help out someone else.


How to import an unofficial parts archive into LDraw?

You have no need to use these unofficial parts, all EV3 parts (except for the stickers) are now LDraw official parts, and should already be in your library if it is up to date (otherwise, download and install complete.zip from here). The problem you most probably have is that the file LDraw.xml that directs conversion between LDD and LDraw doesn't support EV3 parts. For more details on this file, see here.


Where can I buy big quantity of the same block?

If you want specific quantities of specific parts your only two real choices are BrickLink or Lego.com's Pick-A-Brick.

Searching for any color of 2x4 brick in quantities of at least 10,000 on Bricklink you can start from the following URL: http://www.bricklink.com/search.asp?pg=1&itemID=264&sz=50&searchSort=P

You'll then need to click the "Show More Filter Options" link and put "10000" into the "Min Qty" field and then click the "Go" button. You'll probably see the same result I did, which is that the only sellers who have that kind of stock are in Europe, which might not be an issue for you, at a minimum price of ~$0.13USD.

Checking Pick-A-Brick (http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Pick-A-Brick-ByTheme) the price per part direct from LEGO for the 2x4 in most colors is currently $0.30USD.

Those really are pretty much the two simplest options. However, for a quantity like that you might want to consider contacting some of the larger BrickLink sellers directly. They can often be very helpful when trying to run down this kind of an order since BL requires that they list their inventory by color, but they may be able to do a quick calculation to determine if they have enough on-hand from the various colors to be able to make a bulk deal and maybe, if you're lucky, maybe even get a deal on it.


Can you help me identify this odd fence-like brick?

You have part number 64448: Support 1 x 6 x 5 Girder Rectangular

I'm not sure what color your piece is, but here is a list of sets it comes in.


The red car that you mentioned is Mail Van (7820).

There are a number of other trains in the picture including:

7730 - Goods train (the locomotive doesn't seem to be visible)

7710 - Push-Along Passenger Steam Train (just the cars)

7750 - Steam Engine with Tender (pulling the cars from 7710)

7814 - Crane Wagon

7760 - Diesel Shunter Locomotive

7720 - Diesel Freight Train Set (the car in the bottom right carrying rails to the work crew)

It's not a train, but set 6647 - Highway Repair is also present.


Yes. LEGO® may still be a toy, but it clearly a toy for all ages.  Here are two examples:

LEGO Architecture

LEGO Architecture is clearly aimed at adults.

From one of LEGO's press releases:

  With models developed in collaboration with architects, LEGO Architecture inspires future architects, engineers and designers as well as architecture fans around the world using the LEGO brick as a medium for reproducing esteemed structures. Fans of all ages can collect and construct iconic architectural sites, including: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum and Fallingwater, the Space Needle in Seattle, the Willis Tower and John Hancock Center in Chicago, New York’s Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center, The White House in Washington, D.C., Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois and the Burj Kalifa in Dubai. Each LEGO Architecture set contains a booklet featuring step-by-step building instructions that is prefaced by exclusive, archival history, information and photographs of each iconic building, its design origin, its architect and its architectural features.

I'm sure there are some young architects out there, but this level of depth is more typical of adults.

Serious Play

LEGO has also a corporate-focused play for adults called LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®

  Build a better workshop with the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® program!

  The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® program is a radical and innovative process designed to enhance business performance through building with LEGO bricks.


Looking for ideas to make wire connectors compatible with Lego Functions

The only option comes to my mind is to buy LEGO Power Functions Extension Wire # 8886, cut the wire, and connect it to my custom battery pack. Would that work?

Yes it would work, and people have done it.

Here's a YouTube video someone has made on their own custom Power Functions batteries.

  Is there a better idea?

I don't think it would really be possible to produce a Power Functions compatible connector for less that the $3 LEGO charges for their cable at a small scale, so that's probably your cheapest option.


Seeing a picture of your progress would help tremendously.  The way the question is worded, it sounds like you were wanting to drive the beveled gear directly from the servo to the rack at a 90 degree angle.  This won't work for two reasons: 1. The majority of Lego racks are not beveled.  2. The rack moves fore and aft as it moves side-to-side, which would disengage the gears.

I threw together a rough, working rack & pinion setup with beveled gears to get a better understanding of the play you may have been referring to.  You didn't mention which type of beveled gears you were using so I tried it with two of the most common types.  My only 2 "PF Servo Motors" are deeply embedded in other vehicles at the moment so I used an "M" motor in it's place.  Because of this I could not compare the two for "play" in the output shafts.

In both applications the majority of the play I observed was coming from the motor itself, not the gear mesh.  I also don't have a clue as to how you built it verses the way I did.  Because the gears and size of the assembly seemed to be your priority, I placed the motor in a more compact position.  The orientation of the motor and which way is "up" can easily be modified per application.

The first test uses the "32270 Technic, Gear 12 Tooth Double Bevel".

The second test uses the "32198 Technic, Gear 20 Tooth Bevel" to drive, and a "87407 Technic, Gear 20 Tooth Bevel with Pin Hole" for an idler gear.

Both set-ups had very similar play, all of which appeared to originate from the motor.  I did try the smaller "6589 Technic, Gear 12 Tooth Bevel" but it seemed to exaggerate the play. This is possibly from the lack of an idler gear and/or from the greater angle of the teeth, needed for the smaller gears to mesh.  I therefore excluded it from "working prototypes."  When comparing the "play" in the assemblies that I built verses the steering on my 2 vehicles with the Servo Motor (set# 41999 & MOC using 88004) there was no noticeable difference.  In other words, I think this is as good as you can get using modern Technic pieces without some bulky over-engineered steering assembly.

My last thought on this takes us back to my earlier comment, "The majority of Lego racks are not beveled."  Another option, and perhaps the easiest and most compact, would be to retro-fit the older rack pieces parts# 2790, 2791, 2792 into your build.  These parts were pretty much made for this type of thing.  Here's a couple pictures from set# 8832 for reference.


Will using a bright LED to light my MOC harm my LEGO?

Ultra-violet radiation is emitted primarily by sunlight, mercury lamps, black lights.

LEDs emitting visible light will not produce a significant amount of UV radiation required to discolour LEGO bricks. However, LEDs can be manufactured to emit UV light,


How can body segments be moved to precise angles in snake robot?

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

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

This uses a compound worm gear and spur gear train.

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

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

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


This looks like the arm of a Minion minifigure by Mega Bloks / Mega Construx without the hand.


There are already quite a few multi-armed minifigures. I usually won't count Doctor Octopus as one, though. But I'll count it this time.
The very first minifigure to be able to hold more than 2 tools is Doctor Octopus, from the "Spider-Man" theme from 2004. This was achieved by building a harness that goes on the neck. This version appeared in 4 sets, all in different variants.

It should also be noted he received a 4+ figure version, which is aimed to kids 4 and above. This version is not exactly a "minifigure". His tentacle harness is built into the figure, and is not removable. This one was released in 2 sets.

2012 brings another Doc Ock, based on the Ultimate Spiderman TV show, using a similar trick as the 2003 version. This minifigure only appears in one limited edition set.
The 2019 version includes a simplified harness with droid arms, significantly restricting movement, which was reverted in 2020 to a design closer to the original.

The next multi-armed minifigure is General Grievous from the "Star Wars" theme, hailing from the 2005 "Revenge of the Sith" subtheme. He was made out of a specialized head and torso; however, his legs and arms are common droid parts, with 4 of these arms attached to the special torso. This version appears in 2 sets, though one is more highly sought after due to Grievous having an exclusive cape in that one. Both versions came with his iconic lightsabers, but his arm posability are rather limited; they only move sideways, and their wrists don't hinge.

Grievous gets a re-release in 2010 as part of the Clone Wars subtheme. This was, accuracy wise, a major leap. He was composed completely out of exclusive pieces. Now his arms hinge up and down, but like a lot of other LEGO robots, his wrists still don't turn. Also, his second pair of arms attach to the first pair, giving a rather awkward looking angle and less posability. This version appears in 4 sets: 8095, 9515, 75040 and 75199.

Next, we have Frenzy. Frenzy is a Space Police Minifigure released in 2009. He was a large step forward to the original Grievous. He had a special molded head that goes over his regular, albeit uniquely printed, Minifigure torso. This extra head has a twist: it has room to accommodate a pair of droid arms, giving him 4 arms, although the upper two has little use, since their grip is permanently sideways. Still, it's a step up. Frenzy only appears in one set.

2011 brings about Samukai, the former king of the underworld of the Ninjago theme. Samukai is similar to the other skeleton soldiers, but with a massive head that, like Frenzy, fits over his torso and has room for arms. As an addition though, his upper jaw and lower jaw is separate, so he can open his mouth. His head is designed so it can snugly accommodate a second row of skeleton arms. Samukai's top-heavy stature caused by his head prevents him from getting his own spinner, thus making Samukai only appear in 2, very large Ninjago sets from 2011.

In 2012, Garmadon, Ninjago's antagonist, becomes four-armed through less-than-known means. He is the one I truly consider the "first" four armed minifigure. He had a specialized body extension piece that goes over his torso, which is the same as the one in 2011, and a head that goes on that torso extension. He appears in 2 sets, both following suit as Samukai, in the sense that it appears in 2 very large sets. 2013 has a very similar Garmadon, except for a different helmet and staff. This variant appears in 1 set.

Another Minifigure is four armed in 2013, and once again it is from Ninjago. He is General Kozu, general of the stone army. He also utilizes a torso extension like Garmadon, but a different mold. Like a lot of characters in the 2013 Ninjago wave, he is exclusive to 1 set.

Last, but certainly not least, is another Star Wars minifigure named Pong Krell. He uses a similar torso extension as Garmadon or Kozu, but his alien head was incorporated to the extension. He carries his iconic twin double sided lightsabers, and, like many Star Wars figures, is exclusive to one set.

I know this answer is pretty long, but it's very comprehensive. Please edit it if I miss something, or I wrote something wrongly. Bear in mind that all these minifigures can hold conventional minifigure tools.


What are good DUPLO projects for around 2 year olds?

And here is my first project: Color towers:

Building towers is probably the first directed building effort that toddlers undertake.  In this project I gave our son (20m) many bricks and built 4x4 monochromatic socles for towers.  I told him that we are building a 'green', 'red', and so on tower.  At first he only got that we are building towers, but I directed him toward using only the color that is already in the socle and after two or three wrongly placed colors he got it.  After a few layers he even asked for specific colors to continue a specific tower.  After the towers were high enough, together we inserted some nooks for figures to stand in.  He did most of the building, and I only occasionally changed the orientation of some 2x4 bricks to make the towers more stable by interlocking.  The visual impression of the result surprised me:


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


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...


Is the reasoning wrong?

Most probably it is not wrong, but its effect is small enough to be negligible (at least compared to other factors, like ensuring an error-free building experience). In serious engineering applications this effect would certainly have to be taken into account.

  why are the Lego designers seemingly not aware of this and haven't they addressed this in later technic sets?

I took a look at my copy of the Bucket Wheel Excavator, and found that there is a minuscule difference in the angle of the double linear actuators between the highest and lowest boom elevation configurations:

I don't have the relevant values right now, but I'd guess this angle of rotation does not result in a measurable difference in the lenghts of the two actuators. Or if it does, it is certainly absorbed by the flexibility of the structure without causing any harmful amounts of stress.

I think the same applies for the other such sets as well, but I'd welcome anyone providing data to either confirm or disprove this theory.


Oh, those look sad! Stickers with white designs on them are notorious for peeling/cracking.

I have found that the best way to protect stickers like these is to apply a thin layer of clearcoat to them while they are still new. Wait until the clearcoat dries, then apply the sticker to the LEGO set. You can use pretty much any acrylic clearcoat, medium or varnish available at hobby and craft stores. Anything in the scrap-booking/decoupage section should be safe, but it is a good idea to test them on a small corner of the sticker-sheet. Always apply the clearcoat thin. You only need a thin layer over the sticker. If you apply too much the clearcoat can yellow with age.

Once stickers are already damaged it would be pretty much impossible to repair them. Even if you try to put a clearcoat on an already damaged sticker, it will continue peeling, so it is not worth it. It is much easier to just get and extra sticker-sheet for any LEGO set on Bricklink. The stickers for your set above are here.

I have actually made it a habit to always pick up 1-3 extra sticker-sheets on Bricklink when I buy a new set. While the set is still new and readily available the sticker-sheets are much cheaper (often just a few pennies) than trying to get a pristine stickers-sheet for a set that is 10 years old. Just place them in a ziplock bag, and store them away from heat and direct and sunlight. They won't deteriorate that way.


Can you identify this minifig and its set?

The legs appear to be LEGO, the torso and head are from the old Mega Bloks Dragons series.


Set #75915-1: Jurassic World Pteranodon Capture


This is:

31051-1: Lighthouse Point

based on the 1 x3 brick in Medium Blue and the Red Plate, Modified 1 x 4 with 2 Studs without Groove

The "odd' brick is  Dark Bluish Gray Electric, Light Brick 2 x 3 x 1 1/3 with Trans-Clear Top and Yellow LED Light (Glows Orange)


It's 32294 Wishbone Suspension Arm:

This is listed as part x136 on Bricklink.


This is Yoda's hut from Set # 4502-1: X-wing Fighter

key part: Tan Brick, Arch 1 x 6 x 2 Curved Top


Please help identify this LEGO set with large black curved elements with orange stickers

These are parts from 8058-1: Guardian of the Deep

except the Black Aircraft Fuselage Curved Forward 6 x 10 Bottom with 3 Holes.


According to Brickset and Peeron, it was released in 2001.


Can you identify the set for this transparent and printed orange canopy, with number 56?


Can you identify this set that seems to be from LEGO Star Wars? Dark grey circle pieces and clear canopy?

The curved roof tiles are a key to finding this set:

76003 - Superman: Battle of Smallville

It's missing a fair few pieces, but that's the core of the flyer:

The clone trooper and the gold chest are rogue parts here ;)


How does the remote control on the 9398 4X4 Crawler work?

You'll want to read the TechnicBricks review of that set, which is quite detailed.

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

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

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

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


How do I make use of the full SD-card after installing ev3dev

If you install ev3dev with an image file dated 1 May, 2015 or later, it should automatically expand the root partition to fill the space available on the SD card. Older releases are no longer supported.

If it does not do this, you should report a bug a https://github.com/ev3dev/ev3dev/issues. Be sure to read http://www.ev3dev.org/support/#github-issues first.


Which resistor value is used for which motor in Power Functions 2.0?

M Motor (Powered Up/WeDo 2.0)

The M motor has a 2.2kΩ resistor between pins 5 and 6. Pin 6 is connected directly to pin 3.

LED Lights

I don't own any lights yet, but according to this post, they also use a 2.2kΩ resistor, but in this case it is between pins 5 and 3. This pulls ID 1 to ground. Here's the full circuit diagram:

Train motor

The measured resistance between pins 5 and 6 shows an open circuit. Pin 5 is connected directly to VCC, and pin 6 is connected directly to ground.

Other components

I wasn't able to determine any sort of passive identification on any other components (Boost motor and sensors, etc). My guess is that these have an onboard microcontroller and use an active handshake before establishing a data connection.

Summary

M Motor
3 (GND) ─────┐
4 (VCC)      │
5 (ID1) ─2.2k┤
6 (ID2) ─────┘

LED Lights
3 (GND) ─────┐
4 (VCC)      │
5 (ID1) ─2.2k┘
6 (ID2)

Train Motor
3 (GND) ───┐
4 (VCC) ─┐ │
5 (ID1) ─┘ │
6 (ID2) ───┘


Can you help me identify this LEGO set? Sand green car with crumpled hood and engine on back?

This vehicle is part of 10669-1: Turtle Lair


Submodel does not show properly in LPub3D

It looks like I might not be doing anything wrong after all. If I switch the preferred renderer from native to LDView under Preferences everything looks fine.

Maybe I should mention that I am using LPub3D 2.3.6 under Linux. At least the Linux version seems to be rather buggy. It regularly crashes with a segmentation fault when you try to edit the configuration. So this behavior might be a bug, too.


Is there any way of knowing how many bags came with a set?

Instructions
If you cannot find a review, most sets detail which bags you will be using for each stage within the included instructions. LEGO provide a easy lookup for most instructions included in sets if you do not have a physical copy.
Online reviews
An easy way to find out these sort of things is to find a review online, for sets of this size there are often quite lengthy details.

A total of 9 bags, each with 1 or 2 smaller bags inside.

Weight
To be sure you could also weigh all the bags, add them up and deduct it from the known weight (subtracting the box and instruction weight). Physical information of sets including dimensions and weights can be found on LEGO set databases like Brickset.com


How To Plug Detected Light Values into Variables and Still be Usable in Programs in EV3-G

First guess: the wait for button command is bad practice.  Well, not the whole thing, just the use of the middle button.  The reason is that that button is also used to start the program.  The program may be jumping past the wait for and saving to "Midpoint" before humans notice that the program has started. Try any other brick button.


This is from  Set # 75076-1: Republic Gunship

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


Take off a small 1x1 piece from bigger LEGO surface

Any part that has a stud on the surface can be fairly easily removed by using leverage from a different large part added to the top of it. This takes advantage of the inherent "clutch power" of the stud/anti-stud connection and the increased surface area of the larger part to concentrate the force used to remove the part in a lateral direction.
For example, by placing a 1x6 plate over the trans-yellow 1x1 plate and then pushing the 1x6 plate away from the trans-orange plate will likely pull the trans-yellow plate up fairly easily.
LEGO also produces a purpose built tool called the Brick Separator that uses both that technique as well as giving additional leverage by pushing the part with the under or over-hanging ledge on the top and bottom of the front of the tool.


How can I generate a list of missing parts for incomplete sets?

Rebrickable.com offers this service. First add the complete set to you list, then view it on the set page like this http://rebrickable.com/sets/42029-1/customized-pick-up-truck-technic-2014 At the bottom of the first panel you'll have an option to "Add to my parts list" from then you go through the list of parts and remove the ones you are missing.


The color of the LED on the LEGO EV3 Color Sensor depends on which mode it is in.

From the EV3 help file:

  COLOR MODE

  When the Color Sensor is in Color mode, red, green, and blue LED lights on the front of the sensor will turn on.

  REFLECTED LIGHT INTENSITY MODE

  When the Color Sensor is in Reflected Light Intensity mode, a red LED light on the front of the sensor will turn on.

  AMBIENT LIGHT INTENSITY MODE

  In Ambient Light Intensity mode, a blue LED light on the front of the sensor will turn on dimly.

If you want the LED to be red, make sure you are using the Reflected Light Intensity Mode in your program.

If you are doing this and the LED still does not turn red, you should contact LEGO MINDSTORMS customer support.


You could use

Minifigure, Neck Bracket with Back Stud

28974 thick /  42446thin

With
Tile, Modified 1 x 1 with Clip

15712 / 2555


Issues with my LEGO Land Rover Defender - Rear Wheel Keeps Popping Off

I've read about someone having exact the same problem with the 42030 (Volvo L350 F wheel loader) years ago. And basically, the wheels aren't that different with this model.

Apparently, people sometimes don't realize how much force they need to use to click the wheels on.

The problem is with these pieces:

fitting in these pieces:

You need to use much more force then you ordinarily do building a Technic or other LEGO set. You need to hear a very audible "click". Afterwards, its very hard to separate the pieces without damaging them.


Have the model files for the LEGO Sonic head piece been released in LDD or LDraw parts library?

I can answer half of this question. I have the latest version of LDD and after a thorough examination of the available head pieces, I can report that the Sonic mold has not been added to the parts library. If anyone else here has the latest LDraw parts library, they will be able to answer the other half of this question.

Here is a shot of all the non-standard head molds:


Coloring Multiple Bricks in LEGO Digital Draw

Yes.

I'm using:

Version (Program): 4.3.11.
Version (Brick): 2670.
OS: Windows.

Pre Setup:

We're using Extended Mode (Black Backsplash) of LDD, so we can have full access to all colors.  I have not tested the other two modes, Default (Blue Backsplash) or Mindstorms (White Backsplash).

If the model is in Default Mode.  No problem.

Copy the build to memory (CTRL+A) then (CTRL+C);
Open a new blank file in Extended Mode;
and Paste from memory (CTRL+P);
Give file a different name as not to overwrite the original;
Re-save.

Setup:

Use the "COLOR Selecting Tool" and select a piece's color you want to
change.
All of that color is now highlighted.
Use the "Invert Selection Tool" to reverse highlight everything not
that color.
Use the "Hide Tool" to make everything not that color disappear.
Use the "Single Selection Tool" to block select the visible pieces
that are getting a color change.
Use the "Paint Tool" and pick the new color being used.
Click the "Show all hidden bricks" button.

Done.

In Program Example:

Goal:  Switch Mega-Man blues into Leaf Shield greens.

Setup:

Use the "COLOR Selecting Tool" and select a piece's color you want to
change.

All of that color is now highlighted.

Use the "Invert Selection Tool" to reverse highlight everything not
that color.

Use the "Hide Tool" to make everything not that color disappear.

Use the "Single Selection Tool" to block select the visible pieces
that are getting a color change.

Use the "Paint Tool" and pick the new color being used.

Click the "Show all hidden bricks" button.

Done.


I once had an acquaintance who worked at Lego as a product designer (I don't remember his exact title). His job was, simply put, to come up with new sets. There are some general constraints – balancing the different Lego worlds/themes (contemporary, pirate-age, Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc.), hitting certain price points/box sizes (limiting the number of bricks in a set), coming up with sets that work well together, targeting different age groups/motor skills etc.

LEGO also tries to design the individual pieces to be used in many settings. The same terrain/foundation was used with different paint for the anti-pirate fortress (which my sister had) and the dragon knights castle (which I had). In the old days it was fairly rare for Lego to make new brick types – it has become less so, as their manufacturing processes have become more nimble and less expensive.

As for the software used in designing LEGO sets, I know little about it. They do use software/brick simulation, but also work with the physical bricks, especially the old hands :)


What’s this gold helmet piece and is it rare?

That looks like a Minifigure, Headgear Helmet Gladiator

I wouldn't call that piece rare.


Is it possible to use Bluetooth to connect two EV3 bricks using RobotC?

According to the online documentation, Bluetooth commands are supported for NXT but not for EV3.

On the other hand RobotC is supporting Bluetooth upload/debugging.  This means that it is accessible.  My first instinct would be to look at how RobotC did it (if the code is available).  My second instinct would be to find if somebody already hacked the EV3 brick using C code.


Which set does this bag belong to? Blue and clear orange pieces

Based on the title of the post and Larme’s clarifying comment, you are looking at 59232 Minifig, Weapon Spiked Flail/Mace in a bag with date code 304R7 (which indicates this bag was produced in 2017).

Looking at BrickLink, there are several sets made in 2017 that have this element in Flat Silver (no other color was produced recently). There is one set from 2016 but that set did not come with bags AFAIK. Most are from the Nexo Knights range, but one is from the Super Hero Girls line. If the bag has no large number on it, it must have come from a small set, for example 70361 Macy’s Dropbot Dragon. If the bag does have a large number on it (1, 2, 3 etc) it will be from a larger set. Without more information on what is in the bag besides the Flail, it is impossible to narrow the set down further.

UPDATE: Now that a bag picture has been provided, it is clear this bag belongs to set 70351 Clay’s Falcon Fighter Blaster from the Nexo Knights theme. The Technic connector with hole in the middle in Orange is only in this set (out of all the sets on the list containing the Flail).