Is there a changelog for any firmware updates on an EV3 brick?

Update:

I have found a changelog in the firmware source code available on the download page at http://mindstorms.lego.com. The file is lms2012/doc/Implementation. Here is the history since v1.03 which shipped with the first retail EV3s.

/******************************************************************************
 * APPLICATION VERSIONS
 *****************************************************************************/
/*! \page applicationversions Application Versions
 *
 *  This section describes the relative changes from previous version
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v109D
 *
 *-# As v109H but telnet enabled with password "Just a bit off the block!"                    \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v109
 *
 *-# As v1081 but version changed to 1.09                                                     \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v1081
 *
 *-# Telnet disabled                                                                          \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v108
 *
 *-# Support for edimax added                                                                 \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v107
 *
 *-# As v1066 but version changed to 1.07                                                     \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v1066
 *
 *-# ISSUE 4330 - sub call aliases block local issue UN-fixed                                 \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v1065
 *
 *-# Bluetooth bundle changed to "BA9Q76VTQG" "com.lego.education.ev3"                        \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v1064
 *
 *-# Bluetooth bundle changed to "BA9Q76VTQG" "com.lego.edu.ev3"                              \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v1063
 *
 *-# Bluetooth bundle changed                                                                 \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v1062
 *
 *-# Bluetooth bundle changed for test                                                        \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v1061
 *
 *-# "Brick Name" app implemented                                                             \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v106_140502
 *
 *-# As v105a but version changed to 1.06                                                     \n
 *
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v105a_140327
 *
 *-# IIC issue with automatic update blocking access fixed in "d_iic.c"                       \n
 *-# UART protocol escape future issue fixed in "d_uart.c"                                    \n
 *
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v105H_140211
 *
 *-# As v104x but version changed to 1.05                                                     \n
 *
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v104x_140206
 *
 *-# ISSUE 4330 - sub call aliases block local issue fixed                                    \n
 *-# Number of memory handles rised from 250 to 500 (MAX_HANDLES = 500)                       \n
 *-# Color sensor mode 4 data checksum issue fixed                                            \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v104w_140110
 *
 *-# Test app "Sensors" changed to use "Modes" instead of "Views" in mode change limit        \n
 *-# opINPUT SETUP - IIC third party sensor read/write issue fixed                            \n
 *-# opINPUT READY_IIC implemented                                                            \n
 *-# More documentation about sensor reading (see \ref thirdpartydevicedesign "Third Party Device Design Guidelines ") \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v104v_131205
 *
 *-# Release of version 104u for testing                                                      \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v104u_131205
 *
 *-# Corrected issue when connecting to several devices using bluetooth (c_bt.c)              \n
 *-# opUI_DRAW VALUE bug fixed (negative figures)                                             \n
 *-# opUI_DRAW VIEW_UBIT bug fixed (negative figures)                                         \n
 *-# opINPUT_DEVICE INSERT_TYPE implemented                                                   \n
 *-# opINPUT_DEVICE SET_TYPEMODE implemented                                                  \n
 *-# Corrected issue if trying to search for BT devices and allready connected to 7 devices   \n
 *-# Corrected issue if get remote bluetooth name fails in a bluetooth search                 \n
 *-# Bluetooth connect is not called if create paired device fails                            \n
 *-# Bluetooth connection attempt actively rejected if user presses X on the UI               \n
 *
 *
 *\version lms2012_v104t_131108
 *
 *-# Corrected remote bluetooth name issue                                                    \n
 *-# Corrected brick crashing if number of motors diff from 2 in sync'ed motor cmds           \n
 *-# Corrected filetransfer between SD cards in bricks - Folder type issue                    \n
 *-# Corrected filetransfer between SD cards in bricks - Filehandle issue                     \n
 *-# opFILE CLOSE_LOG changed to free up handle when logging in memory                        \n
 *-# SD card back key bug fixed                                                               \n
 *-# ISSUE 2636 - "Brick Program" app - test for attached sensor                              \n
 *-# ISSUE 3226 - opMATH MOD8, MOD16, MOD32 zero bug fixed                                    \n
 *-# ISSUE 3492 - opUI_DRAW LINE and RECT hang bug fixed                                      \n
 *-# ISSUE 3565 - Brick Hang with 3rd party sensor bug fixed                                  \n
 *-# Added TIInit_6.6.15.bts to the filesystem to support 1325A version bluetooth             \n
 *-# Special exception text added to headers: "lmstypes.h", "lms2012.h" and "bytecodes.h"     \n
 *-# opINPUT_DEVICE INSERT_TYPE implemented for test                                                            \n
 *-# IIC 3rd party hang and data instability issue fixed                                                        \n
 *
 *\version lms2012_v104H_130531
 *
 *-# Bluetooth transfer folder error fixed in cComCreateBeginDL                               \n
 *-# First release for AFOL                                                                   \n
 *
 *

Original answer:

The LEGO Group has not been publishing changelogs for the EV3 firmware. You should call customer support or write them a letter and encourage them to do so.

I have gathered some information mostly from the (unofficial) LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Facebook Page and also discussions with other MINDSTORMS hackers. This list is most likely incomplete.

v1.10E: Add USB support for Microsoft MakeCode (EV3 now appears as USB drive).
v1.09H/E: Disable telnet service (security issue in response to this German language article on how malware was discovered running on an EV3).
v1.09D: This is a new "developer" version of the firmware available on the LEGO Education website that has telnet enabled and there is now a password for root (see the readme.txt file that comes with the 1.09D firmware).
v1.08H/E: Add support for the popular Edimax EW-7811UN Wi-Fi dongle.
v1.07H/E: Add support for new Bluetooth chip shipping with newer EV3s (starting circa July 2015).
v1.06H/E: Work around checksum bug on EV3 color sensor RGB mode (used by custom block from David Gilday on the MindCuber)


What are the common uses of the roof pieces in the Sydney Opera House set?

You can see the inventory of the opera house on Brickset.

The majority of the roof pieces you seem to be concerned about are these bow pieces, of which you get 34 pairs and one extra left piece.

These pieces are fairly common and are used typically in cars, boats, planes, spacecraft, and other aerodynamic structures, as well as building roofs, robots, and other objects where you need a curvy shape. For example, the white pieces were used in a Ninjago copter set:

34 matched pairs is a lot of these for a normal person to have, so if you never plan to rebuild the opera house you might not use them all (though you could just consider it a challenge to come up with as many builds as you can that use these). However, the set itself has 2989 parts, so that leaves over 2900 pieces that are not white bows that you can presumably reuse in some other construction.


PID stands for Proportional-Integral-Derivative - which is an industry standard way of controlling processes and minimizing the deviation from a setpoint. It assigns 3 factors (K_p, K_i and K_d) to three calculated variables all based on the measured process, in this case the deviation from the ideal sensor value coming from the color sensor connected to port 3.

Those three calculated variables contain the proportional deviation (i.e. just the difference between the ideal value and the measured value), the integral of the error (sort of like the sum of all errors over time) and the derivate (the change in the error value over time). The final adjustment the motors need to do is calculated based on those three deviations (P, I and D) to get to a "turn" amount, which is then passed on to the motor to execute.

You can read all about the PID control implemented here in the link in the left top corner of your diagram, which is this: http://inpharmix.com/jps/PID_Controller_For_Lego_Mindstorms_Robots.html. It actually explains the concept pretty well and is relatively easy to follow, as it is targeted towards FLL students (i.e. 9-14 year old kids).

The author of the article also explains why he uses the sensor in RAW mode:

  Using raw light values (0 to 1023 scale), instead of uncalibrated
  light values, might increase the dynamic range of the light sensors.
  For our example light values black would be 400 and white 500. The
  offset would be 450 with a range of +/-50 instead of +/-5. The raw
  light values is available from a data port on the light sensor block.
  If you calibrate your light sensor under your lighting conditions and
  use the calibrated values then white will be about 100 and black will
  be about 0. This is another way to increase the proportional range of
  the light sensor. In both the raw and calibrated modes the light
  values probably are not accurate in the last digit but hopefully the
  values are somewhat more precise than using a light value range of
  just 10 or so.

In short: the range of values coming from the default light sensor is more coarse (0-100) than when using the sensor in raw mode (0-1023), so you get better control over the motor output as there are more light levels to play with.


How to flash a LEGO Mindstorms brick and program it in another language

I've had great success with Bricx Command Center or BricxCC (as mentioned in this post) on my NXT using NXC (which is easy to pick-up when you already have a C/C++ foundation like you've mentioned).

Installation, using the supplied drivers and connecting via USB is a breeze :)

Hope this helps!


Lego NXT Exploitation or Vulnerabilities?

Is this even slightly possible or a waste of time?

It might be possible but requires effort and probably a fair amount of research and hacking on your part. I'm not saying I know for sure if an exploit exists, either in the communications protocol or the BT firmware, but exploits are always possible. And it's not like LEGO is incentivized to look for obscure security issues in this stuff -- it just isn't that important.

Exploits come in different flavours, as do attacks. One place to start looking is the vendors that LEGO sourced for the various pieces of the NXT platform, and not just Bluetooth. We are looking for manufacturers that have released security notices for their hardware and drivers in the hopes that an exploit is still in the wild in an unpatched device used on NXT.

Another trick is to decide what sort of attack payloads are available. For example, even if you can't get debug access to the device, maybe you could keep the device so busy with bogus or specially crafted connection attempts that you gain some advantage. A denial-of-service attack is often just as effective as a direct hack.

You want to start looking at all the I/O that NXT uses, and then see how you can exploit it for direct access or some sort of leverage that gives you an advantage of some other sort.

And often exploits are leveraged in concert to get the access the hacker wants. So, you want to collect as much information as possible, and then start hacking your Kobayashi Maru solution.

Well, I recently ran across this answer, which shows that the LEGO Group sometimes patches security holes. The best part about knowing about patches is knowing some version has a security hole.


Why does this program work in LabView when targeted to computer but not to NXT?

I would recommend you post this question to the National Instruments Discussion Forums. We have a dedicated board for supporting the LabVIEW for Mindstorms software. Since you are using LabVIEW, you can post the question there and NI support engineers are guaranteed to help you.
http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW-for-LEGO-MINDSTORMS-and/bd-p/460


I've been parting out some of my old Technic sets for my son to play with, and I've found that tackle boxes work nicely for individual sets. It doesn't matter too much which brand you go with. Most of the major brands offer a variety of sizes. Here's a set I just parted out using a Plano 3700 series box:

I also like the parts bins with removable internal sections for storing sets. These are great while building as you can take the bins out and place them in convenient places.

(source: harborfreight.com)
Stanley makes great bins like this, but I've found the cheaper knock-off bins work fine for LEGO at about half the price.
If you are looking for a free solution, I sometimes use pick-a-brick cups or plastic jars such as the ones peanut butter is sold in for storing smaller sets or groups of parts.


Where does the left hobo's head come from at 0:18

It appears to be this minifig, but the face is further customized with a marker. If you look at the eyebrows and the eyebags they have the same lines. But the mouth and nose and painted over, and the hair is darkened as well: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=3626bpx109&in=M


Why does the Duplo bathtub piece have an odd height?

Although we probably won't get a definite answer to why this decision was made, unless a LEGO part designer steps in to answer the question, here are some things to consider.

The LEGO DUPLO bathtub, toilet, and sink all have two studs at the end. Looking through all the sets these pieces appear in, the studs are used for attaching accessories, like a shower head (for the bathtub), mirror (for the sink), or printed bricks with various bathroom accessories. They are not made to be integrated into a wall (at least not as a primary feature).

Even though the toilet and sink are 1.5 LEGO DUPLO bricks tall with two studs, I can find very few examples when this was taken advantage of by incorporating the pieces into a wall. In the vast majority of LEGO DUPLO sets, the bathtub, toilet, and sink are freestanding next to a wall, and often next to each other. To mimic realism, the bathtub needed to be shorter than the sink, but tall enough to fit a figure - thus the odd height.

In the case of LEGO DUPLO accessories, furniture pieces, and fixtures, this is often the case. LEGO DUPLO element designers will make sure a piece can fit with other pieces in at least one primary way, but there are other considerations as well, like scale in relation to other pieces and fitting the figures properly.

We should remember that while LEGO DUPLO is a construction toy, it is meant to be for the youngest of children. So, while building and rebuilding is possible, the parts are not designed to be attached using complex building techniques or repurposed in many different ways, as we see in LEGO System sets.

As far as the idea of integrating the bathtub with the slide, how about putting a couple of LEGO System plates under the pieces to even out the height? LEGO System plates are compatible with LEGO DUPLO if placed on the underside. I do not have the pieces to test this out myself, but OP's question made me curious.


LEGO and fuel company commercial relationship?

The exact details of the business agreements between LEGO and the companies whose names and logos it has license to use are confidential, but we can infer some general information.

The sets LEGO has produced that feature an oil company name or logo fall into three general categories:

Sets produced by LEGO with only the branding of the oil company and without any LEGO branding on the package. These were used as promotional items by the oil company.
Sets produced as promotional items and distributed through the stations of the oil company that had both LEGO branding and the name/logo of the oil company
Sets sold in the LEGO catalog and regular retail stores that included oil company names and logos

In the first category were the 1:87 vehicle models LEGO produced for Esso in 1955. These were given away at Esso stations with a 3-liter minimum purchase of fuel. The packaging was a printed cardboard box featuring the Esso brand and its "oil-drop" man mascot. The LEGO name appeared only on the underside of the model. Because these sets did not have prominent LEGO branding, it is possible Esso simply contracted with LEGO to produce them and purchased them directly from LEGO.

At the same time Esso was giving these LEGO-made models away, however, LEGO was also selling them in its catalog with co-branded packaging:

In a typical license agreement, a company will pay an agreed amount to use another company's trade name and logo on its products. The agreement will usually indicate what products will carry the logo and the length of time the agreement is in effect. Since it appears LEGO was producing sets for Esso at the same time it was using Esso's logo on sets it sold to the public, there may have been a reciprocal agreement between the companies where LEGO "traded" its truck models for the license to use the Esso logo on its retail sets.

In the second category are sets like 1255 Shell Car Wash. These were LEGO sets with the Shell brand that were sold only through Shell stations and not made available in the LEGO catalog or at regular retail stores.

As with Esso, however, LEGO was also producing regular retail sets that included the Shell name and logo at the same time it was producing exclusive promotional sets that were sold only at Shell stations. Since both companies stood to benefit from the arrangement, it is possible they had a reciprocal agreement where LEGO produced exclusive sets for Shell in exchange for license to use the Shell name and logo on retail sets. LEGO stopped producing Shell branded sets in 1992. In 2004, the Shell brand reappeared on some promotional sets like Ferrari F1 Racer, which include the Shell logo as well as several other sponsors of the Ferrari racing team.

In the third category are the regular retail sets that have oil company logos and names. All of the Exxon-branded sets fall in this category, as it does not seem LEGO ever produced any exclusive promotional Exxon sets that were sold only through fuel stations. In the case of Exxon, it may be that a regular license agreement was in effect where LEGO paid Exxon for the use of its name and logo for a certain length of time.

A typical license agreement also names the geographical areas where the licensed products will be sold. Prior to 1986, LEGO only sold retail Shell products in the UK, Europe and Australia. It is likely their agreement with Shell only covered these geographical areas. From 1986 to 1992 Shell-branded sets became available in the United States, suggesting that the license agreement was expanded around 1986. Exxon-branded sets were sold only in the United States from 1979 to 1982.

With the exception of some promotional sets, LEGO stopped using actual oil company names and logos on its sets in 1992 when it introduced the fictional Octan brand. At that time it appears Shell was the only oil company LEGO had an active license agreement with. It is likely its agreement with Shell had expired and the two companies agreed not to renew it. The switch to Octan has obvious advantages to LEGO as it is not restricted by any license agreements as to where the products can be sold or which products carry the logo.


Is it possible to build 3 or more concentric circles / nested circles / telescoping pieces?

There is only one piece that fits all your criteria: 41823. Placing four of those pieces together will create a 6x6 circle with a 4x4 interior gap. Albeit, it is a decorative fence piece and it's two studs tall, so it might not work for what you are trying to accomplish.


Is the LEGO Mindstorms Education (not Home, not Scratch based) Edition for Mac OS gone?

It looks like LEGO have indeed completely pulled the previous version.
According to the announcement last year (emphasis added):

Mac Catalina Issues
[…] We have therefore decided to replace the current EV3 Lab software and EV3 Programming App with a completely new app, called LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Education EV3 Classroom. Featuring a coding language based on Scratch, EV3 Classroom will initially launch for macOS in November 2019 and in spring 2020 for iOS, Windows 10, Android and Chrome. EV3 Classroom will offer a consistent experience, features, and content across all devices.

As such, it would appear that this is the only official release you can now download for MacOS from their site.
If you have not yet upgraded your Mac to Catalina, you might be able to use the Mindstorms Lab download from the Retired Products section, where the same warning is included.
If you're unable to locate it on the Retired Products section, a direct link may be available here: LME-EV3_Full-setup_1.4.2_en-US_OSX.dmg


Can't send multiple commands to EV3 using Python

Works for me if you set buffering to 0 and get rid of the newlines.

import time

# command to start motor on port A at speed 20
start_motor = '\x0C\x00\x00\x00\x80\x00\x00\xA4\x00\x01\x14\xA6\x00\x01'

# command to stop motor on port A
stop_motor = '\x09\x00\x01\x00\x80\x00\x00\xA3\x00\x01\x00'

# send commands to EV3 via bluetooth
with open('/dev/tty.EV3-SerialPort', 'w', 0) as bt:
    bt.write(start_motor)
    time.sleep(5)
    bt.write(stop_motor)


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


Strange 2x2 Inverted slope with hollow center Identification

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

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


What are the thick red cylinders in 80104?

Michael has answered what pieces it is, but you ask what they represent, so I'm going to offer a guess at that: Fireworks.


What parts are in each bag for the Star Wars Death Star 75159?

I have an idea that might just work for you.
You clearly have two of everything that you need, so I recommend use Bricklink and go through your list selecting the quantity of bricks required from the pile of bricks that have been opened. That should leave you a pile that you do not need (for the second build)
This will be a good starting point.
Good luck.


What set does this large sand green roof piece belong to and what is it?

This part is Tower Roof W. Tiles and because its only made in 3 colors and as the other two available colors are black and lilac, this must be the sand green version. Color in the photo has a more blueish tint to it

This version is only used in two Harry Potter Hogwarts set:

4842-1: Hogwarts Castle

4867-1: Hogwarts


What is the longest 1×x brick ever released?

If you mean specifically Lego bricks, I'm pretty sure the 1x16 was/is the longest one made. Outside of the 1x? sized bricks, the longest plain shaped brick that I know of is part #30072 or #47122 at 24 studs long.  I don't know about other brands though.

Interesting related post:
What is the largest single LEGO piece?


As far as regular sets go (ie. no furniture or big-boxes like that Chima combo), the current UCS Millennium Falcon does appear to be the largest box by total volume.

75192-1 Millennium Falcon - UCS (2nd edition)

54 x 45 x 39 cm = 94770 cm3

54 x 45 cm = 2430 cm2

The original UCS Millennium Falcon box was actually larger in 2 directions however, though the total volume is smaller.

10179-1 Millennium Falcon - UCS

64.39 x 47.63 x 19.69 cm = 60387.176333 cm3

64.39 x 47.63 cm = 3066.8957 cm2

There appear to be a number of sets that are larger in at-least one direction, see this answer for the longest one identified so-far.


What will happen if I submerge LEGO in water?

The Atlantis Submarine Voyage ride at LEGOLAND Windsor has almost 100 models (albeit glued together) submerged in a 1,000,000 litre tank with 'upto 50 species of rare sharks, rays and tropical fish'. If LEGO bricks can withstand those conditions, I think you'll be fine.

Most of these models are quite large (and heavy), so you may need to weigh down or attach some of your models to the bottom of the tub to stop them floating.

Unlike LEGOLAND, you won't have to worry about the upkeep of plants and fishes. I would suggest you replace the water every week or whenever you see it is getting too stagnant.

Exceptions

Apart from the traditional plastic LEGO brick, electronics and batteries should never be submerged in water. Other 'non-traditional' parts including Cloth, Foam, String, Paper and Rubber Bands may deteriorate more rapidly when submerged (depending on the water contents) and stickers will very likely lose their adhesive and peel off.


How to parameter the ports in move tank block EV3?

Create a My Block that looks something like this:

Then you can select the ports like this:

The 23 means ports B+C (see below).

From the help file:

Wired Input of Two Ports
If you configure a Move Steering or Move Tank block for wired port input, you will need to specify two different port numbers: one for the left motor port, and one for the right motor port. This is done by using a two-digit number for the Port input. The first digit of the number (the 10’s digit) specifies the port number for the left motor, and the second digit (the 1’s digit) specifies the port number for the right motor.
EV3 Motor Ports
(Left, Right)     Value of Port input
-------------------------------------
B, C              23
C, B              32
A, B              12
A, D              14

See the table above for the individual motor port number values. The table below shows some examples of Port inputs to specify two ports.


That's a 1x2 hinge brick. Here's a better image of what you're looking at:

This is part 3937 and 3938. Here are the two parts viewed separately:


Can the EV3 software program switch block take inputs?

Yes, it is possible to connect data wires from outside switch blocks and loop block to inside of them. Note: Switch blocks must be switched to the tabbed view by clicking on the  icon. Then just drag the output data wire from the math block to the input of the steering block the same as if the switch block was not there.


List of parts to buy for to "upgrade" existing Mindstorms NXT 1.0 to Mindstorms EV3 set?

I don't know of such a list, but you can find the inventory for the EV3 on Bricklink and other similar sites.

However, it would be more economical to buy an entire EV3 set. The 31313 retail set is about $350 (USD). To buy just the EV3 brick, motors and sensors individually would be more than that.

EV3 Intelligent Brick - $190
EV3 Large Motor - $25 x 2
EV3 Medium Motor - $20
EV3 Infrared Sensor - $30
EV3 Infrared Beacon - $30
EV3 Touch Sensor - $20
EV3 Color Sensor - $40
Total: $380

It is also possible to use the EV3 programming software (the desktop version) to program the NXT brick (with some limitations, like no Bluetooth support). So, you could "upgrade" the software without having to obtain any new parts.


LEGO Mindstorms NXT - bossa driver prevents firmware upgrade

Read the RobotC NXT Forum thread Firmware Update & Arduino IDE Issues (Renamed). The only post that count is the 31th post. Simply go to the Device Manager with the brick connected, choose the Bossa Device, choose property, pilot update and replace the Bossa device by the Lego Mindstorm device.

Here are the explicit instructions from that post:

Complete a Hard Reset on the NXT Brick

Push and Hold Silver Button on Back of Brick for at least 10 Seconds
You Should Hear a Clicking Sound

Plug the NXT Brick into the Computer via USB Cable
Click on the Windows Start Button
Right Click on Computer
Choose Manage
Expand the Ports
Right Click on the “BOSSA” Port
Choose Update Driver Software
Choose Manual Selection
Click “Choose from List Provided”
Select the Lego Option
Open RobotC
Click Robot and Download Firmware


My building is developing gaps and spaces

Without more information, it's hard to know what can be causing the gaps. My theory is that the structure has gotten large enough that the spacing in the bricks is adding up such that your structure is no longer "square".

According to this page, there is a 0.1mm gap between two bricks attached to a common base. This gap makes it possible to remove the bricks once they've been placed. Also, Lego claims their manufacturing process has a tolerance of 0.01mm (10 microns). With a long enough structure, those mm add up.

Here is an example of the gap in play

There are the same number of plates on the left and on the right. The left ones are all pushed together, the right ones are attached to a baseplate (or some other 16-stud plate or brick). Because each plate has a 0.1mm gap, multiplied by 16 plates gives 1.6mm difference. Even if the 0.1mm isn't the right value, you can see that there IS a gap and it is large enough to be significant over a small distance.

When you are building a very large creation, inevitably some things won't want to fit properly. I am building a multi-story building using 1xN bricks for the walls (mostly 1x2 and 1x4 bricks). Each story is the same size as the previous one, and each one is re-inforced by the flooring and internal walls, but it's painfully obvious that the different stories don't fit well together. When I take one story off another, it doesn't want to snap back into position later.

It's even possible to take advantage of the gaps to make curves. If you make a long enough wall out of 2x1 bricks, you can physically bend it into a circle.

As far as advice on how to avoid this problem, I don't really have anything concrete. One thing you could try to do is to space things uniformly, using the same kinds of pieces all the time. If you build a long strip using 2x4 bricks on one side, and 2x2 bricks on the other, you may find that they are not the same length even though they have the same number of studs. Or, design your creation in modular sections, counting on the fact that it will not quite meet at section boundaries. This is how people build bridges: they are frequently designed to allow for expansion and contraction of the bridge sections by placing seams that allow for the change in size as the bridge temperature changes.


Buying minifigure parts at the Lego Store

Short Answer: Yes, you could buy minifig heads at a lego store.
Caveats: The heads are part of the "build-a-mini" feature of the lego store. So while you could technically just pick 1 head, you would still be charged for the whole set ($9.99 in USA, I believe). So you may as well pick whole minifigs + 1 accessory + hair/hat. Variety of head, torso, legs and accessories is limited and poor...

If you're ok with "generic", then it may not be so bad. If you need to build an army of medieval hun knights stormtrooper with galactic helmets... not so much.


How to find a set(s) contain most parts of my wanted parts list

I've never tried it, but I suspect you can do this with Rebrickable.com. It lets you upload MOCs, which must have an inventory. It then lets you see how close your collection comes to building that set, including some possible piece substitution (i.e. similar parts, related molds, ignore colour, etc). Finally, it recommends sets to buy to increase your total. To my knowledge it doesn't try to optimize the "purchase" list to maximize coverage or keep costs down, but it should at least give you some candidates.

For example, when I try to build this MOC, it tells me I'm missing a bunch of black pieces:

Then it suggests some sets I might buy:

Note that the suggested sets are not always practical.


Have LEGO stickers changed materials over time?

Note. Speaking from my experience from year 1990 onward. During this time I can distinguish at least 3 periods of different experience with stickers.

From 1990 till sometime before 2000 (or early 2000's) there was period of superb stickers. Plastic was thick and glue was superb. I don't know what else LEGO used by then but most of them have survived my childhood abuse. Yes, they look rough, but they are there where I've placed them about 30 years ago. Both, clear and opaque.
Now second period begin somewhere early 2000's. Cannot tell exact period, speaking from experience of used sets I bought from that period. This is the worst time. Stickers applied onto sets during that moment not only cracking, but also peeling off badly. Plastic used for stickers seems to be thinner and glue is not as strong as it was before. Another odd thing is that different colors of the same stickers peel off differently. Some colors (like black) stick a little better (than white).
Last period is what I would call "modern" days. Must have started somewhere before 2013 when I have returned from dark age. Plastic for these stickers feels to be same thickness as previous period, but they seem to behave a little better. Perhaps not that much time has passed for them to deteriorate yet.
Looking at pre-1990 sets and minifigures some of them seem to have had paper based stickers (like minifigure torso prints). I have none of these, so cannot tell about their properties.


How can I make a working pin tumbler lock?

This would push the pins up and down like a normal key would.

Here is the basic system. I don't have time to build to whole thing but this resolves the main problem and proves the feasibility.

The main problem was to reproduce the pins system with LEGO bricks since each pins needs to have different lengths.   Early in this project, I wanted to have a 'analog' approach of setting the pins length so to not be constrained by only stacking plates.  For that I used axle perpendicular-joiner (6536) on an axle to build the driver pins (top pins):

The key pins (lower pins) are caped with angles connectors (32013) creating the needed round tips on which the key can push.

In a standard pin tumbler lock system, if the right key is not pushing on the pins, both the driver pins and the key pins can prevent the rotation motion.  If the key tooth is too low, the driver pins is blocking and, if the key tooth is too high, the key pin is blocking.  In my system the driver pins are doing both functions.

In the prototype the red rounded beam and the driver pins would be fixed while the rest would rotating with the key.  In the following picture you can see the lock without the key.  In that state all the driver pins go through the black Technic beam (under the red rounded beam). This would prevent the key from turning.

In the following picture the key is now inserted and all the driver pins are now flushed.  In this position ther driver keys are not engaged into the beams that are part of the rotating module.  This enables the key to turn.

If the wrong key is used or the key is not inserted correctly, the pins would be either too low or too high engaging into the beams that are part of the rotating module and thus preventing rotation.

Movie time! Here's a video demonstrating the mechanism.

The biggest downsides of this system are the size and the fact that the driver pins are not pushed down by spring but by gravity.  Both of those troubles are put to shame by the total awesomeness of having a functioning pin tumble lock made of LEGO bricks.


Are 10682 "Creative Suitcase" and 10695 "Creative Building Box" compatible?

Yes. These two sets, and basically every other LEGO set that has been produced, are compatible with one another. The major exception to this rule is DUPLO, which is twice the size of regular LEGO system bricks. However, even DUPLO is compatible in some ways.

These two sets are both essentially just boxes with lots of bricks in them. They may include some instructions and ideas, but they are designed to allow children to build creatively. Combining pieces from both of these sets will only add to fun!


Duplo Locomotive: What is this inner part used for?

They are protective locks. If something (let’s say kids hair, or part of their clothes) gets stuck and dragged inside the wheel, these tiny blocks will lock the wheels and make sure it doesn’t keep dragging whatever is stuck. As soon as you pull the stuck part back, the springs unlock.


Pirate hat: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=2528#T=C

Plume: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=4502c#T=C

Torso: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=973pb0665c01#T=C&C=11

Capes (appear to be two standard capes): https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=522#T=C

Scabbard: https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=95348#T=C


Please help identify set with 2x3 and 3x4 red slopes with blue and yellow triangle printing?

Part 3297px18 - Slope 33 3 x 4 with Blue Triangles with Yellow Borders Pattern appears in 5 sets.

Assuming for a moment that all 4 of these bricks come from the same set, there are two possible sets that you could have (there is one more set that has 1 of the 3x4 and two of the 3x2 slopes).

4226 Building Monsters - contains 4 of each.

9287 Bonus Lego Basic Town - contains 12 of each.


What is the male:female ratio of gendered minifigures?

I found this interesting comment by J on a blog post about LEGO female oriented sets.

I did a count of male and female mini-figures by theme in the 2011
releases for which we have visual evidence. The modular house line
always tends to be more balanced so there’s still potential there but
the City theme is particularly bad this year. Here’s the results
(aliens/creatures are excluded except where male-female
differentiation exists:
Alien Abduction: 9 male, 1 female
Atlantis: 7 male, 1 female
Castle: 15 male, 1 female
City: 59 male, 5 female
Collectible Mini-Figures: 37 male, 10 female (omit 1 alien)
Creator: 2 male, 0 female
Dacta: 33 male, 19 female
Duplo: 16 male, 4 female
Harry Potter: 20 male, 3 female
Ninjago: 30 male, 3 female
Pharaoh’s Quest: 9 male, 1 female
Pirates of the Caribbean: 32 male, 4 female
Star Wars: 43 male, 7 female
Trains: 3 male, 0 female
TOTAL SYSTEM: 299 male, 55 female
TOTAL DUPLO: 16 male, 4 female
TOTAL: 315 male, 59 female
That’s greater than a 5:1 ratio and if you remove the Dacta and
Collectible Mini-figure sets from the equation, you get a pathetic 8:1
ratio (245 male, 30 female). I’ll say it again. If Lego wants girls to
take interest in their products, they should make a better effort to
include figures through which girls can identify.

The survey only takes into account 374 minifigures of the last year. It would be interesting to compare this data to minifigures released, 10, 20 and 30 years back to see how the gender ratio has changed.

Collectable Minifigures Series 1-9 & Team GB
I've performed my own test, this time with Collectable Minifigures.
(Feel free to correct me on any of the ambiguous minifigures.)

Series 1: 10 male, 2 female, 4 ambiguous (Tribal Hunter, Circus
Clown, Robot, Demolition Dummy)
Series 2: 12 males, 3 females, 1 ambiguous (Mime)
Series 3: 11 male, 3 female, 2 ambiguous (Mummy, Space Alien)
Series 4: 13 male, 3 female
Series 5: 11 male, 4 female, 1 ambiguous (Small Clown)
Series 6: 9 male, 5 female, 2 ambiguous (Classic Alien, Clockwork
Robot)
Series 7: 11 male, 5 female
Series 8: 10 male, 5 female, 1 ambiguous (Evil Robot)
Series 9: 10 male, 5 female, 1 ambiguous (Battle Mech)
Team GB: 6 male, 3 female
TOTAL: 91 male, 30 female, 11 ambiguous
The ratio can roughly be simplified as 9:3:1 (m/f/a)

Download .CSV [?]
Collectable Minifigures REVISITED (December 2014)
All the genders of ambiguous minifigures have been confirmed using the gender pronouns used on the official LEGO Minifigure minisite character page.

Series 1: 14 male, 2 female
Series 2: 13 males, 3 females
Series 3: 11 male, 3 female, 2 ambiguous (Mummy, Space Alien)
Series 4: 13 male, 3 female
Series 5: 12 male, 4 female
Series 6: 11 male, 5 female
Series 7: 11 male, 5 female
Series 8: 10 male, 5 female, 1 ambiguous (Evil Robot)
Series 9: 10 male, 5 female, 1 ambiguous (Battle Mech)
Series 10: 11 male, 5 female
Series 11: 10 male, 5 female,  ambiguous (Evil Mech)
Series 12: 11 male, 5 female
Team GB: 6 male, 3 female
The Simpsons: 13 male, 3 female
The LEGO Movie: 10 male, 6 female
TOTAL: 166 male, 22 female, 5 ambiguous

The share of unique female Collectable Minifigure from the main series have improved from 1/8 in Series 1 up to ~1/3 in Series 12. Collectable Minifigure that are not part of the standard series (Team GB, The Simpsons and The LEGO Movie) tend to vary.
Download .CSV [?]


Smallest rubber wheel that can be turned by a technic axle

I think the smallest one in diameter is the tire 3641

with the bush 4265c.

Alternatively, you can use the tire 3139

which has a smooth surface and also compatible (but a little bit loosely) with the same bush.


I have been experimenting to find the answer to this question, and today I have finally found it. I stumbled across a youtube vid of a child explaining his method, and mine was built off of his.  His idea is to take labels, cut them into tiny pieces that are stuck onto the arm at the point where it connects into the torso. This works, all too well. Here's the problem. The arms get incredibly tight, as a result of there being too much pressure. This pressure slowly puts stress on the torso, and within weeks you will notice the modified figures busting open at the seam off the torso. This is generally on the sides, at the base, and it slowly cracks it's way up to the armpit permanently destroying your figures. I found this out the hard way when 10 of my superhero figures were destroyed. Still, I am thankful because this lead to my discovery. Once the figures had been destroyed, I quickly removed the labels from all the others I had done, to stop them from suffering the same fate. What I realized was that once the arms had been doctored, after removing the label (I used small pieces of a cat hair roller, and I'd advise you use this because I'm not sure labels are sticky enough) the arms retained Their clutch. This is a result of the stickiness staying with the arms after the sticky paper/cat roller material had been removed, but it feels like a perfect arm. The clutch is there, and you will not have to worry about the torso cracking. So now that you know, don't make the same mistake I did. This is what I would advise.

Remove the loose arm.
cut a small square off the cat roller.
place it on the connected part of the loose arm.
insert it into a torso that you have double of, or don't care about.
set it down, and wait an hour.
remove the arm, take off the sticky paper.
carefully insert arm back into the original torso.

Now you have a perfect arm. It has amazing clutch, and best of all because the clutch comes from a sticky texture instead of immense pressure, your torsos will stay intact.


General guidelines to identify real LEGO pieces from fake or copy?

The most obvious sign is the LEGO mark present on each stud*. I have yet to learn of any single copycat company that would go through the legal and technical trouble required to mold these onto every stud of every piece in a consistent fashion.
If the piece has no studs to check or the markings are present and you still have doubts you can take a suitably strong light and magnifying lens and look for a trademark or a 4-5 digit part ID. This on the right side is a very obviously visible example, others might be much smaller and better hidden. A missing ID would obviously indicate a fake piece. But even if it is present you can cross-check the existing LEGO piece databases to see if the part ID does indeed represent the part you have.
Should a bootleg company go to the lengths to correctly add all such markings, you can still take a  known genuine part of the same design and check for any differences in dimensions. LEGO has notoriously tight tolerances when it comes to precise size. You can check the material as well, fakes could have different weight, sheen, flexibility, clutch power or could feel different to the touch.
And in the unthinkable case when a competitor manages to get all markings, dimension and material properties right, can evade all inherent lawsuits and their prices are not egregiously high then they maybe deserve to be used as "real" LEGO pieces :)
But only then ;)
Sidenote: Old LEGO jewels (diamonds) don't have any ID or trademark on them, the newer ones do have both though.

*: On 2020-08-30 BrickFinder published an article about chinese fake LEGO bricks being found "in the wild" with almost perfect LEGO lettering on their studs. These have nearly imperceptable differences in the lettering, the gloss and colour of the bricks and their dimensions.


Why does the pin recess on the Technic turntable continue to the edge of the part?

As suggested by bumbumfish, it is indeed required by the molding process to be able to remove the part from the mold. This does exist in many other parts, such as Technic frames:

The alternative is a mold with moving parts, but this is more expensive, and can't be used anyway where there is not enough room for the mechanism (e.g. inside frames).


Can anyone tell me what these LEGO sets are?

At least some of these parts are from 4433 Dirt Bike Transporter.

The clue is the sticker on the assembly in the top right corner of the image. Number plate stickers typically indicate the initials of the designer (for modern sets) and then the number of the set. In this case, "DM 4433", which matches the set number 4433.


Identify brick with internal battery, light and sound

This is part # bb0042 : Electric, Light & Sound Siren 4 x 2 x 4 Jack Stone

and here you can hear the sound

it is from Set 4621-1: Red Flash Station

don't know if the battery is replaceable


What's the part number of this LEGO element?

That's a rather old part (50 years, actually) used mainly for tipper buckets in trains or trucks, you can see it in this train for example:

Its part ID is 3145.


Can you identify this yellow translucent snake piece and sets it may come from?

It is part 98348 Minifig Weapon, Whip Bent with Snake Head and Pin Hole.

On this page you can find more info about this part, what colors it exists in, and all of the sets it appears in.

The part exists in this color in 3 sets: 41518 Glomp, 41519 Glurt, and in 9557 Lizaru Polybag.


Quality of Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Headlight over time

I just got a call from LEGO Support. I can't repeat it word for word, but (translating to English) it was like:

  Over the last decade manufacturing process of this brick has undergone many improvements that have improved its durability. You shouldn't encounter any problems with new ones if you will buy them, and if you will have problems in two years after buy, we will replace them free of charge. Sadly, we can't replace parts older than 2 years for you for free.

Two years of play is quite a long time, so it seems they are pretty confident about quality now.


Anyone knows this piece with a clip and a pin hole?

This is the so-called Bad Robot Arm, introduced with the Exo-Force theme but used since then:


LEGO Friends drinking bottle (850817) containing BPA?

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


How do I make a remote control car without LEGO motors?

It sounds like you are asking how to motorize your own custom LEGO creations using motors that you may already have around the house rather than purchasing official motors.

Before I answer this, I just want to make sure that you are aware that you can purchase the PF motors individually on LEGO.com for fairly cheap. You don't have to buy large, expensive sets in order to get motors. The basic PF motor set which includes a battery box, motor, wiring, and lighting is $30 USD. Unfortunately, as pointed out in the comments, this kit doesn't include a proper RC remote, so you'd need to buy an IR receiver and IR remote as well, which would add another $25 to the cost.

The first thing that you'll need to do is find a suitable motor. Old toys are probably your best bet. If you're going for small, you could also take a pager motor out of an old cell phone. This is what Phillipe used to make a motorized city-scale vehicle in another question:

The main challenges with using custom motors are:

Attaching the motors to LEGO bricks

The strongest connection will likely be created using some sort of glue or epoxy. Most two-part epoxies should be sufficient for small motors. Here's an example from Eurobricks:

You could probably get away with using screws or even rubber bands, but it's a bit trickier to make everything line up the way you want.

Converting the output of the motor to rotation of a LEGO axle

Assuming that the motor axle is relatively small, it is possible to drill out the center of a Technic axle and slide it onto the motor's axle. This can be a little tricky to get right, but it does work. Here's a video that explains it.

If your motor already has a pulley attached, it's easy to just run a belt between the motor and a Technic pulley.

Powering and controlling the motors

If you don't mind your creation having a tail, the easiest way to power the motors is to simply run a wire to the vehicle from some sort of controller. It's fairly easy to put together a working system if you have old wired remote controlled toys like this one laying around:

If you have any radio controlled toys laying around, it's also fairly easy to just rip the electrical parts out, put those on your LEGO model, and wire up your motors. You could also use the motors from the original toy. Then you don't even need to do any wiring. You would have to find a place for batteries and the receiver hardware on your creation, though.


Which blocks are these with small round knobs?

I think this is Marklin plus,
a building system by Marklin which ran from 1973 till the end of the seventies

also see http://www.metallbaukasten.de/marklin/plus.html

thanks to the comment of Jan Windemuth for pointing me to Marklin


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

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


What minifig and set is this shirt from?

This torso belongs to Deadshot as he appears in 76053 Gotham City Cycle Chase.


What IR Codes are the Power Function remotes sending to the receiver?

As with most things related to Power Function,s you can find this information on Philo's page on Power Functions.

If you scroll down a little, you'll find a link to "LEGO Power Functions RC" which is a document straight from LEGO outlining the PF RC protocol. The protocol does include commands to set an absolute speed.

Now, whether you can make sense of it is another story altogether. That's what HiTechnic used to create the NXT IRLink Sensor, and with it connected to a NXT you can indeed send the commands to set the speed to a defined level instead of increasing/decreasing.

Note that due to power limitations in the NXT, IRLink has a short transmission range.


It sounds like you want to use the Ultrasonic sensor as a revolving radar dish. This is definitely possible. Note that because of the wire, you probably want the sensor to pan back and forth rather than go around in complete circles. Here's an example of what this could look like:

There are building instructions for this project available here:

http://www.nxtprograms.com/radar/


That stickered tile seems to only appear in set 8186 from 2009.


What's a good age to start getting into Mindstorms with my child?

I started at age 9 and it was just right for me. Since Mindstorms now comes with a modified version of LabVIEW, I'd maybe wait until they can learn how to use the software.


Why do two EV3 bricks have different power outputs?

Some possible reasons:

A motor is defective
One of the brick has lesser battery charge
Firmware problem: make sure both bricks have latest firmware


Based on the silver jetpack, Jango Fett head, Phase I clone helmet, and orange battle droid parts, I believe it is 75015 Corporate Alliance Tank Droid.


ERROR CODE 7- Cannot download needed file for the program

This is most probably an accessory file (sound or image) not present on your machine. Verify all the sound or display blocks that might use such non-standard contents.


Short answer: Yes.

Long answer:

Technically linear actuators are not part of PF/PU system, so they are treated as generic part. S@H don't sell individual parts apart from PF/PU elements. Pick-a-Brick (PAB) has very limited part selection and linear actuators are never available there as well. I also haven't seen LEGO Education selling any actuators, only PF/PU elements. This brings us to the only possible place - Bricks'n'Pieces (B'n'P). Here you can usually buy most of individual parts from recently produced sets. However some parts are never listed for sale. These are either absent or have a note suggesting that piece cannot be bought this way (for example, PF/PU items). I remember linear actuators being in this grey area so I cannot tell if actuator you are interested in (even though I'm interested in new Technic elements I didn't pay much attention to this piece) was available for sale at any point. Missing/broken parts option, which is similar to B'n'P, on LEGO Service webpage actually has Large Actuator on the list and can be requested if your is broken or missing, obviously. So it may be possible that this item could be purchased on B'n'P after all. However this cannot be confirmed by the time of this answer as Bricks'n'Pieces is unavailable due to COVID-19.

If you really need the piece - you already found it on secondary market. There is nothing really against using it as prices are often lower than LEGO B'n'P offers. Shipping is also quicker than LEGO could offer.


I am looking for building instructions for the Megabloks Viking Ship 9604


LEGO moulds bricks in the following plants: Billund in Denmark, Nyíregyháza in Hungary and Monterrey in Mexico.

In addition, it has another facility in Kladno, Czech Republic, that handles painting and packaging for some of the bricks produced in Denmark and Hungary.

The headquarters in Denmark is still where the most of R&D and product development happens.


How do I remove orange (rust?) stains from white elements?

Maybe you can try with toothpaste and a toothbrush as toothpaste is one of the mildest polishers.


I need help Identifing this set by the picture

That picture is quite blurry, but I'm pretty sure it's 8466 4x4 Off Roader from 2001:

The wheels in the picture look like they are metallic silver, and I think this is the only set of this size with metallic silver wheels and lime accents.


What is the origin of the 2001 BIONICLE pin?

This is

Pin85 BIONICLE Toa

a Patch & Pin set

given for free with LEGO Magazine or available at LEGOLAND Parks

Pin85 BIONICLE Toa at Bricklink.com

Pin85 BIONICLE Toa at lego.fandom.com


What LEGO set does this yellow and lime green vehicle belong to?

It is part of Toxikita's Toxic Meltdown (70163) from Ultra Agents


EV3 education brick doesn't work as is should

Contrary to the previous answer, I don't believe that the problem is EV3.

I do believe that your problem is a hardware issue. I have personally run a test or two on this, and my conclusion is that the wheels are set off kilter on their axles.

The answer is bushings. Bushings are the little doodads that keep a gear or wheel in place on the axle. Put one on either side of a wheel, and the result is that those 90-degree turns, which produce torque on the wheel, relieved by movement along the cross-axle, will no longer set your wheel out of place. If this doesn't work, I would do as the commentators and other answer-er suggest, and make sure that your unit can hold a charge.

Measure this by telling just one motor with your EV3 unit to turn. Measure the amount of rotation. Now run the program again. You don't need anything attached on the motor, so as not to throw it off, and when the next turn program is run, you will have your answer based on the amount of rotation.

If it is lower, your EV3 doesn't hold charge anymore, and you need a new one. Sorry.

If it is the same, it is a structural problem, and you just need to make sure that nothing is moving noticeably out of place when running it.


How can I preserve opened Lego packages?

Well I used to keep mine as well. One thing I found very good was to take a razor or a box cutter and cut the front and backs off! this may seem obvious or defeat the purpose, but it made them easier to store. I would stack them all and slip them on a shelf or under my bed to keep them flat. This proved to be a very effective solution. Also, you could try to collapse them at the ends to have them take up less room as well.


This part was introduced for licensed polybags in the Racers Ferrarri line (30195 and 30190):

It has been used that way a few other times since then, but it has also been used a few other ways in released sets.

It was used in 95012-1 BARC Speeder with Sidecar to round out the back end of the CIS speeder nicely:

And identically in 75017-1 Duel on Geonosis:

The part was also used to create a nice nose for a dragon in 70736-1 Attack of the Morro Dragon:

It has also been used in a couple different City sets to round off aircraft components such as the engines on 4209-1 Fire Plane:

And the top of the Helicopter in 60010 Fire Helicopter:

This part has only appeared in about a dozen sets in six different colors. It's fun to have another shape to play with in models, and this part adds some unique possibilities to possible builds.


Does anyone here know how to apply for MFi product plan id to LEGO?

MFi (Made For iPod/iPhone/iPad) is a program from Apple, not LEGO. You can apply on Apple's website: https://developer.apple.com/programs/mfi/.


Connecting to NXT Brick via Processing over Bluetooth

You can use any programming language you like to remotely control the NXT provided that it can access a serial port of your computer. The Bluetooth connection on the NXT provides a virtual serial port. You can see this by opening "Devices and  Printers" and double-clicking on the NXT (provided that you have already paired it). Then have a look at the "Services" tab in the window that opens.

In the screenshot above, my NXT provides a serial port on COM4. Yours may be a different number.

So you need to do two things:

Figure out how to open a COM port on Windows using the Processing programming language.
Use the information in the NXT Bluetooth Developer Kit (available from the LEGO MINDSTORMS download page) to send commands to your NXT.

To use other Bluetooth devices with your NXT, you will need to relay the information though a computer to translate it into the commands from the NXT Bluetooth Developer Kit. In the case of the iPhone, you could write a custom program just as you would for a regular computer.


Help identifying inverted wedge with studs on the slope

It's an old piece from 1969 - 1982, typically used for train cars or trucks with buckets that could be tipped to dump their contents.

3145 Vehicle, Tipper End Flat with Pins

There's also a newer variant from 1996 - 2016 without the pins and hole.

30022 Vehicle, Tipper End Flat without Pins


Will The Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine come back in stock at retailers?

Regarding the set 75902 Scooby Doo Mystery Machine - it is a retired set according to the UK LEGO Shop at Home site:

The US LEGO Shop at Home site has not yet applied the "Retired Product" label, but shows this set as Sold Out:

As a general rule, it is best to check both US and EU Shop at Home sites (one of the many EU sites is enough) as set retirement information is maintained separately for both markets. Alternatively you can look at the Brickset page for a given set, it shows availability information for all markets (though it doesn't give a definite "Retired" status).

LEGO set retirements are rather unpredictable. On average, sets are available for around 2 years - but it greatly varies. Some sets have retired after 6 months on the market (76039 Ant-Man Final Battle is a recent example). Some sets stay available for more than 5 years (10220 Volkswagen T1 Camper Van is an example of this, and so was 10188 Death Star).

As you mention - getting Out of Stock at retailers (including LEGO Shop at Home) is often a sign of a set retiring, but it could also mean a temporary shortage of product. Finally, there are sets that are produced seasonally and those will go to Sold Out for longer periods of time at LEGO Shop at Home, only to return closer to the season - for example 10254 Winter Holiday Train.

Back to Scooby Doo - I do not think that LEGO has the Scooby Doo license anymore (though they could always opt to renew it at some point) and as such, most AFOLs consider this line to be done. As The LEGO Group is a private company, outsiders can typically only guess the plans - TLG could always surprise us.

And maybe some hope: Since the Mystery Machine set has not been retired for long, at least in the US, you might still be able to find one in places like Toys 'r Us or KMart, where they typically do not get rid of their stock very fast.

UPDATE: Not even 3 hours after posting this, the set has now gone to Retired Product status on the US Shop At Home site as well:


Retrobrite cleaning on old cellulose acetate bricks?

The yellowing that is common in some colors is caused when a fire retardant that was added to the ABS plastic breaks down under UV light.

One of the elements used in the fire retardant is bromine. When the chemical degrades, bromine atoms can be freed and can make their way to the surface of the brick where they bond with an oxygen molecule (O2) and take on a characteristic brown tint.

The Retrobrite process uses UV light to break the weak bond between the bromine and oxygen and then replaces the oxygen molecule with hydrogen (from the hydrogen peroxide solution). This molecule is colorless, so the brown tint disappears.

Cellulose acetate bricks did not contain the brominated fire retardant chemical and so are not susceptible to the yellowing problem. You will usually find that the older cellulose acetate bricks are brighter and hold their color more consistently than newer bricks that contained the retardant. Modern LEGO bricks no longer contain brominated chemicals.

Hydrogen peroxide can have a bleaching effect on cellulose acetate plastic. As with any bleach, prolonged exposure can damage materials. The solutions of hydrogen peroxide that are sold as household strength are relatively weak and should not significantly damage the plastic for the few hours they are normally in the retrobrite solution.


How can I make a pigglet headed LEGO figure to be a sidekick for my Gadget Hero?

The 1979–1989 Fabuland animals figures have a human body slightly larger than a minifigure, the head, arms and legs move but cannot be removed. The figures are no longer produced but remain quite popular amongst AFOL's. They can still be purchased on sites like Bricklink.


The minifigures and the guns will be custom made. There are a number of sites that offer custom printed minifigs in military uniforms, and Brick Arms is a good place to start if you're after specific weapons.

The LEGO Group have a policy of not creating "realistic" weapons, although both fantasy and futuristic are acceptable.


Where is the motor in the 42082 Rough Terrain Crane box supposed to be?

YouTuber Swedish Brick put up a nice unboxing video of your set here.

The motor/battery box seem to be in the white enclosed box, he pulls them both out off camera.

By his video, you will end up with:

26 Bags.

 2 Motors  1 Battery holder, and 1 Motor in a sealed bag.

4 Wheels.

4 Rims.

A sealed instructions bag with 1 sheet of stickers, and 2 large manuals.


Online I would recommend BrickEngraver
I think your best bet would be to find a local trophy shop, most will engrave items.  Take them some LEGO to test and they should be able to provide what you need without the need to pay shipping.


How to speed up the disassembly of large LEGO technic sets?

"Reverse Construction"
Most Technic models are built in a modular fashion. This particular model (42043 Mercedes-Benz Arocs) is no different, from the instructions you can tell it has been built in the following order: Engine/Chasis, Cab, Wheels, Truck Bed and finally the Crane.
Large sets often use red pins to join together major components. Therefore the best way to deconstruct a Technic set is to do exactly the opposite and work your way back through the instructions or at least the 'major components'.

Major components (for lack of a better term) are usually highlighted in the instructions and typically have their own numbered bags. Below you can see the truck bed.

The truck bed consists of a number of sub-components such as the truck outrigger.

Working backwards through the instructions you can either tackle the disassembly on a piece-by-piece basis or on each sub-component.
Use a Pin Pusher
Disassembling Technic models has always been a painful experience for me, particularly on my thumbs when removing the many, many pins and axles used.
I like to use a 'Pin Popper' to easily remove most pins. It's essentially a axle (Generally the longer the axle the better). I like to put a few Brick, 'Round 2 x 2 with Axle Hole' at one end to use as a handle and to stop the axle digging into the palm of my hand.

I have also started to use an alternative pin-pusher design to speed up the process.


Help identifying LEGO set, smaller pieces with M printed on them?

http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/Modulex From the sounds of it looks like they are part of the Modulex line that was released for professionals. From what I've read they are smaller than normal LEGO system parts.


What is this LEGO minifigure with huge teeth?

This minifigure is Atlantis Hammerhead Warrior.

However it is missing its headgear - Minifigure, Headgear Head Cover, Hammerhead Shark with Eyes and Light Bluish Gray Lines Pattern pictured here:


LEGO Power Functions would probably be the most suitable option. You could use a PF M-Motor (8883) combined with a PF AAA Battery Box (88000) which has a two-way switch and is more than capable of powering four medium size or two extra large motors (each item sold separately).


What LEGO piece is this arc with ball joint?

That is the Vehicle, Trailer Base 4 x 13. It came in one set, the #378 Tractor from 1972.
Found by searching first 4x9 (didn't find it) and then 4x13 (the total length).


Is anyone able to identify these two pieces?

These are Skeleton Arm #4:

and Skeleton Leg:


The half pins on the ends of the lift arms will fit into the round holes of the steering link, yes, but they will obviously have full rotation within that - it's not a "locking" connection.

The idea with the link is to lock a pair of those arms together so that they pivot in unison.


Can anyone identify these Batman minifigures?

After scouring all of the Batman minifigures catalogized by Brickset, I couldn't find any exact matches for any of the two torsos, but it is just as possible that these particular figures are not indexed by Brickset or have some kind of other name.

The wings of the right one seem peculiar to me, I suspect they are non-genuine.

Higher resolution photos could be helpful for further investigation, or you could check for the LEGO trademarks on each piece (they are usually hidden inside or on the underside) to determine if the base plastic pieces are genuine. If they are, the printing might still be 3rd party.


What are the angles used in angle connectors and liftarms?

The regular connector have simple angles which are multiples of 22.5°. #4 is 45°, #3 is 22.5° and #5 is 67.5°. That's pretty boring stuff, but there you go.

The 53.5 angle isn't as bizarre as you would think and there's a very good reason for it (and less boring to me, but YMMV).

That reason is that it forms a Pythagorean triangle, and specifically the best known 3:4:5 one, meaning these liftarms can be used together with regular right-angle frames to make sturdy constructions.

The one you chose isn't the best example as the beam doesn't extend to the full  hypotenuse (the connection points need to be 5 studs apart), but the longer one is perfect for that. If the small side is attached to a beam, the cross at the end of the long side will be perfectly aligned on a beam that would be 4 studs higher.

LEGO uses that to connect beams 4 studs apart in a very solid way, for example in 8435 - 4WD (the blue beam behind the front wheel) or in the more recent 8053 - Mobile Crane (left of the linear actuator)

And for the record, the angle in degrees is weirder that just 53.5°; it's actually 53.130102...°, or the invert cosine of 3/5. So if you thought Pythagoras and trigonometry wouldn't come and annoy you in your play, you're oh so wrong.


42042 Crawler Crane: conversion to remote control

There's a nice looking mod on Rebrickable that includes full building instructions.

This includes the following PF components:

2 L-Motors - drive
1 M-Motor - tilt cab
1 M-Motor - boom elevation
1 M-Motor - rotate
1 M-Motor - winch
3 IR Receiver
3 IR Remote Control
1 Battery Box


In this discussion at LUGNET the conclusion seems to be that you could use dry graphite if you are comfortable with graphite powder everywhere. Else you should try lithium grease or canola oil.

There is also a serious warning about using hydrocarbon oils that could damage the rubber seals inside pistons and the rubber air tubes.

One poster also noted that stiff pneumatic cylinders can be unstuck by moving them by hand for a while. This definitely does worth a shot before trying to add any kind of "foreign" material such as oil.


To understand how to use the data, it help to understand how the color sensor works. Let's take a step back for a minute and have a look. The sensitive electrical component here is just a photodiode or phototransistor that lets us measure light intensity.

If we turn all of the LEDs off we are just measuring ambient light. If we turn on just one of the LEDs and hold the sensor close to a surface, we are measuring mostly the reflected light from that one LED (and some ambient light).

When we switch to color mode, it looks like all 3 LEDs are on at the same time, but what is actually happening is that they are being switched in sequence very rapidly. off-red-green-blue-off-red-green-blue-... and so on.

This means the mysterious 4th value, INPUT_BLANK, is the off part of the cycle - it is just measuring ambient light.

You said that you would take intensity as a bonus, but actually that is all you are getting. If you hold the sensor close to a white surface, you should get high values for all 3 colors. If you move the sensor even closer (but not too close), the values will increase. This is because the reflected intensity is getting strong, not because the surface is getting whiter.

This means the RGB values are not like the ones on your computer screen. If you do a web search for robotic vision systems, you will find that RGB just doesn't work. The common practice is to convert the values to HSV (hue-saturation-value). The HSV values can more easily deal with changes in ambient light allowing you to more accurately determine colors.

I am not sure how the normalized and scaled values are calculated in ReadSensorColorEx, but you can play around with them and see if they give you better results for whatever it is that you are trying to do.


I am also going to recommend Technic as the stronger support option, but I would make the case out of "normal" Lego, and then implement 2 Technic rectangular "rings" around the case at the place of your pillars, joined at the top and bottom (on the top the joint could form the handle). Make these rings or braces by overlapping Technic pieces and joining them with Technic pins. Then, in your case, insert a few pieces that can also accommodate a Technic pin (1x2 brick with center hole) and secure the brick-built case to the Technic rings that way. If you think this through, you could make that connection easily removable, so that you can slide the brick-built case out of the 2 rings and have an opening side panel allowing access to the internals - a very flexible but still very strong design.

I have mocked up this case, see the below pictures. No comments on the sloppy building style - I had to work with whatever my son did not have incorporated into one of his builds :). The Technic rings obviously need some more bracing in your final design, but I think this shows the concept of using 2 rings, a handle, and pins to secure and remove the central case pretty well:


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


Can you identify the set that these bird-like LEGO assemblies came out of?

This is a partial #70003 LEGO Legends of Chima Eris' Eagle Interceptor released in 2013:   https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?S=70003-1#T=S&O=


Understanding the makeup of an XML .ev3p file

I personally doubt that there is any publicly available documentation of the contents of these files. However, you may gain some insight from the documentation in the "EV3 Block Developer Kit" available on the LEGO MINDSTORMS Download page.

Tip: rather than using the outdated copy of the EV3 software included in the EV3 Block Developer Kit, I have found that you can create a file named MindstormsEV3.ini with the following contents:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<Tokens DeveloperMode="True" />

and save it in the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 program directory to enable developer mode on any installed version of the software.


This recommendation is a bit time consuming: fiddle about with it a lot and it wil loosen.


Why isn't the LEGO logo on studs in more official computer animated shows, movies, and games?

I can not give a clear answer for licencing, as that is a very broad topic covering various mediums and possibly covers legislation across nations and regions. There are a few practical design cases I can think of though.
Early media
For interactive media, games historically have had limitations on processing and graphical power. Early games, such as LEGO Island released in 1997 had extremely limited graphics (by modern standards) yet were still very effective at representing LEGO bricks and characters fully.

Rather than attempting to recreate LEGO pieces as realistically as possible, they aimed to make the characters and environment full of life, immersive and fun. Very important for a product aimed at children.
Many designers completely ignore the realistic limitations of the hard plastic joints and pivots of a real minifigure and went for a more expressive style. Arms and legs unnaturally contort to give more expression and dynamics to the characters.

I believe the idea of LEGO bricks and what they represent to the imagination were considered more important to the physical aspects. Aside from technical limitations, the need to represent the bricks as accurately as possible just was not necessary and could even detract from the style.
It is even possible that rendering every individual stud on a brick could have produced a sickening Moiré effect as objects were moved around and their scale changed. This issue would be particularly worse at lower rendering resolutions.
Hyperrealism
The LEGO Movie released in 2014 was perhaps the first time LEGO fully embraced realistic animation. Although being fully animated digitally, they embraced the visual aesthetic of fans making stop-motion LEGO animations (also known as Brickfilms).
The painstaking details, involved placing minifigures under microscopes to capture the seam lines, dirt and grime into the digital textures. The character Benny the spaceman for example, includes the broken helmet chin strap, a common defect of the space sets.

It seemed from the design brief, it was important to provide realism to capture the physical nature of bricks for the sake of nostalgia, in combination with having certain creative freedoms to still make the parts feel alive and animated.

Summary
I could quite easily cover many more examples but I think it would generally be the case that many production companies contracted to design these media by The LEGO Group would have their own production standards, guidelines and interpretations of the artistic and technical style.


LEGO has released a number of large brick buckets over the years. A few of these came with instructions and ideas for models that could be built with the contents. These include lots of ideas for animals, vehicles, and structures. Here are a few examples:

There are plenty of ideas available if you browse through the instructions for these sets. Here are some of the larger brick set with links to their instruction scans:

7825
7836
4104
4224
515
1615


How do LEGO Technic pneumatics parts age?

The tubes generally age very well and I have never experienced a problem with them (I have had several of these sets over the years).

I would double check that the pump is working correctly and you have definitely not got a poor connection somewhere (a leak).

Double check also for blockages in the hard plastic dark old grey connecting tubes that are clipped on and the 'T's. These have a smaller inner diameter than the rubber tube and would be the first to get a blockage if something has got in to the system.

If you are certain its a tube problem you can buy replacement tube online. I would carefully double check for another problem before buying tube as the tube rarely fails unless it has been exposed to chemicals or a lot of sunlight.


Do they have every brick type or just the basics at the PaB wall?

At the LEGOLAND California Pick a Brick wall last week (March 9th 2019) they had mostly basic brick shapes. There were some plates, some modified bricks with studs on the side, and a couple of containers had thick rubber wheels, the smallest kind. There was also a container of 1x6x6 panels in white. Nothing else stood out as particularly interesting.


When rotation / movements is blocked in a pneumatic set, this is often caused by the routing of the hoses.

Remove the crane and check if its possible to rotate the crane by hand. If not, check if the hoses have enough slack to allow movement, or try the re-route them again.


Unidentified #2 bag from 2007 with black and yellow pieces and many black 1x2 clip pieces!

Welcome to Bricks.SE, Amy!

Indeed, this bag is not from a Star Wars set. It is from Exo-Force set 8117 Storm Lasher from 2007. This set contains both the 2 yellow pincer-like blades as well as the concave windscreen in trans-black, and many of the hinge pieces displayed in the left bottom corner of your picture.


How I can program a solar panel heliostat?

As far as I see, you have two possible ways of accomplishing this, given that you have already built an Altazimuth mount or any other two-dimension mount from the two motors that can hold the color sensor and point it in any direction.

Calculation

This is the harder way but it grants neater results. It involves taking a precise measurement of the device's location and orientation, setting up a known orientation for both motors as zero, and porting a known solar-tracking algorithm to the EV3 (like this or this). The resulting setup then must not be shut down, moved or rotated since the control of the motors is done by an algorithm which only takes into account the starting conditions (spatial and temporal) and the elapsed time. The accuracy of the EV3 internal clock may also factor into the precision if the project is to be left running for a long time. As an added bonus, you don't need the color sensor at all.

Using iterative methods

This approach requires a lot less intial setup but offers a not-so polished end result. The basic premise is using the color sensor to get an estimation of the amount of the light incoming from the current direction, then comparing it with the measurement(s) from some other direction(s), finally turning toward the higher value.

There are two problems to be solved here: first, the current position of the Sun (or its equivalent if you are indoors) must be found among all possible orientations. This is an example of the mathematical operation known as finding the global maxima of a two-dimensional function on a constrained range, where the two input dimensions are the altitude and the azimuth and the output is the measured amount of light coming from the given direction.

Then, the software must account for the inevitable changes due to the relative movement of the Sun in the sky. Since you have chosen this way and not the first (Calculation), you can not know in advance which direction the Sun will move in. So you can only attempt to find it again after a set amount of time or after the measured brightness drops to (or by) a specified amount.

There are countless ways this approach can be fine-tuned, depending on the precision of the motors, the precision, update rate and measuring range of the sensor, the amount of location and orientation information known beforehand, the required precision of the resulting system, the allowed complexity of the software, etc.

The most basic and a very ineffective system would consist of the following pseudocode:

repeat forever:
    oldBrightness = read(colorSensor)
    movementXAxis = getRandom(-10, 10) // decide on a random direction to turn to
    movementYAxis = getRandom(-10, 10)
    moveXAxis(movementXAxis)           // turn to the new direction
    moveYAxis(movementYAxis)
    newBrightness = read(colorSensor)
    if(newBrightness < oldBrightness)  // if the new direction is worse than the old
        moveXAxis(-movementXAxis)      // then turn back to the old direction
        moveYAxis(-movementYAxis)
    wait(someTime)                     // bask in the sun for a while :)

This of course can be updated with more advanced logic, including but not limited to

paying attention to the amount of difference between the old and new measurements
moving first in larger steps to get a coarse direction and then refine it further with smaller steps
staying pointed in a direction longer if the brightness is higher there
moving continuously in one direction while the brightness is increasing and stopping when it starts to fall
storing directions and corresponding measurements to create a 2D function which can be analysed using mathematical methods to find the best result
storing historical data to predict and account for changes in the long run
(but by now you are practically in the complexity region of the Calculation-way)
etc.

Consult the relevant Wikipedia page for some advanced reading material and as a starting point if you are interested in learning more about the applicable algorithms.


That looks like part of the Power Racers Theme, set 8647-1 "Night Racer".  From 2005, 76 parts.


LEGO mindstorm - which product to use to make projects mentioned below

A basic EV3 seems to be enough for most of the basic projects, but you might find yourself in need of a handful of extra parts (gears, beams, etc). The basic kit does not include a gyroscope, but you can buy an extra one separately. The same stands for the ultrasonic distance sensor.
The alternative is the educational set which already includes the ultrasonic sensor.

All EV3 sets come with the official software, but for any serious project you should indeed look for a more capable software. For Java there is LeJOS, for C there is NXC. Both are free and open source.

The motors sold in EV3 kits are capable of continuous rotation, but also have position encoders in them, making them capable of moving with 1° precision. For more precision you can always use gearing or other mechanics to reduce movement.

Remote controlling is possible with Bluetooth (built in) or with WiFi (via an external USB dongle).


Can I use a generic (non-Lego) transformer with a rechargable Power Functions battery?

Yes, you can use another transformer, even if it's not recommended by LEGO and you do so at your own risk (which should be minimal if you pay attention to what you do).

The plug polarity is + in the center and - on the outside; it should be mentioned on the battery and the real transformer (I wish I could find the one I have to check), and the size is a standard (but small) one. (Note that there is a protection in place should you reverse the polarity, but it won't work). Usually if you get a transformer with multiple plug adapters, it will be one of them. Note that is must be DC, this may seems obvious but since older LEGO transformers used AC it's better to make sure that point is understood. (and of course that's also why polarity is important).

The trick is to find one which outputs 10v DC, as 9v will not be enough to trigger the charge circuitry (the threshold is 9.5v). Apparently, you can charge it at 12v without too much trouble, but it will be slightly slower.

Edit: just go read RailBricks magazine issue 7 which has an extremely detailed article on the topic on pages 46 to 55 (yes, a full 10 pages).


Site or example project / downloadable programme resource anywhere for the EV3 mindstorm?

I have found a few project collections, but they tend to be hit-and-miss regarding the number and quality of downloadables.

Into Robotics
Mindcub3r, a single project
EV3 projects on leJOS forums
Mindstorms project collection on Genius, contains projects for NXT too that could be adapted for EV3
Tilted Twister, a collection of NXT projects that could be adapted to EV3

Do these fit your needs or would you like something different?


Can anyone ID this torso? White torso with electronics and tubing printed

It is 973pb0270c02 Torso SW AT-AT Driver Pattern / Dark Bluish Gray Arms / White Hands.

Comes from three possible sets: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemIn.asp?P=973pb0270c02&in=S


Lego is generally quite robust, but there are potential weaknesses:

Material Problems

Some parts are prone to damage as a consequence of the material from which they are made:

Plastic

Sunlight can cause discoloration
Bricks can be damaged by extremes of temperature
Older bricks (pre ABS) are prone to warping, discoloration and may become brittle
Most plastic bricks are easily damaged by pressure (eg. from teeth) and abrasion

Stickers

Most are easily damaged by water
Wear easily
Are easily damaged when they span components

Rubber

Rubber bands tend to perish

Structural Problems

Damage can also be caused due to the shape and structure of some components:

Long Parts

Long thin parts are prone to bending or snapping under load, for example:

Long technic beams
Flags, signs etc. with long stems
Larger plates and baseboards
Swords
Propeller blades

Clips and Other Joints

Lego clips are prone to breaking under stress, for example:

Minifigure hands
Flags that clip on to flag poles
Bricks with clips on
etc.

For older types of window frame, the lugs that hold the shutters can snap off quite easily:

Ball sockets can break if you force the ball out by levering it against the socket instead of pulling it straight out.

The hinge holes on chests can be stripped out by pushing the lid open too far

Technic Parts

Wheels and gears can crack under stress
Smaller items that fit on technic (axles bushes and the smaller cogs) are easily crushed

Other Parts

It is rather easy to supply excessive force to angle brackets eg. by stepping on them or when they are at the junction long parts that can apply leverage

Electronics

Electronic items have special problems:

Battery boxes can be ruined by leaking batteries
Electrical items can be damaged by applying the wrong voltage, eg. 12v to 4.5v lamps
Most electrical items can be damaged by water
Cables break easily, and (at least in the case of the old 4.5v system) can easily be pulled from plugs
Some conductors are prone to corrosion

Recommendations

I recommend:

Sort lego before washing to remove parts that will be damaged by water
Don't play with lego on the floor where it can be stepped on
Keep bricks out of sunlight
Don't let bricks get too hot
Keeping lego away from children(!) and pets
Remove batteries when not in use


Could you help me identify these vintage bricks with holes in the studs?

LEGO made plastic bricks from 1949 and didn't get the patent for the tubes underneath until 1958, in the years between they made plenty of bricks with nothing underneath.

Many (I don't remember if it's all) of the (larger) LEGO bricks from that era, has a slot in one side.

That being said, with the small holes through the studs on the 2x4 and the slightly recessed studs, these bricks doesn't look like anything I've ever seen from LEGO.

Square holes underneath I have seen though, so that's not an argument against your green plate being LEGO, but without having seen it, I can't say for sure.


What plane is the Aviation Adventures set based off?

My understanding is this model's design is meant to resemble a WWII style warbird, but probably not any specific model.

LEGO has a pretty strict policy about creating army-related sets, and when they do they are usually fantasy-based.

  Are there any chances that Lego will ever start producing modern day warfare Lego, with tanks and helicopters and what not?

  We have a strict policy regarding military models, and therefore, we do not produce tanks, helicopters, etc. While we always support the men and women who serve their country, we prefer to keep the play experiences we provide for children in the realm of fantasy.

  -- Gizmodo - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Lego

The most-modern military planes they have made so far are WWI models of Red Baron and Sopwith Camel.

For this reason, it would make sense that they would avoid making it look exactly like any specific military plane.


Any substitute / schematic for Mindstorms 2.0 IR tower?

There is no non-LEGO product that can substitute the infrared tower used for communicating with the RCX, as the USB and Serial towers use a very specific protocol that does not match that of other Infrared devices. Nonetheless, it does appear that there are schematics available for the IR Tower, courtesy of Mark Bellis:

I'm no expert on low-level electronics, but it looks like this site has a lot of additional information that could be useful if you want to replicate/manipulate the IR tower.


I prefer what I call the "block" method. You can get to almost every piece in less than 3 steps.

I was inspired by this: http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/efficientlego


Why are Technic holes slightly smaller than studs?

I'm going to guess that when axles were first introduced Expert Builder was not a thing and the hole size was based on making a convenient path through the 4x2 brick that was the only thing with holes in it. Those holes do not work with studs, they are too large. Even the "new" 1x2 bricks with hole type 1 and 2 didn't accept studs (and the gap/slot at the top prevented it). That allows axle slop, but with the huge parts at that time this was not a problem, in fact it meant low-precision models worked just fine.

In 1970 there was the "Gear Supplementary Set" and "Gear Set with Motor" that had the first mention I can find of axles and gears.

Note that the set is labelled "Universal Building Set" and TLG appear to agree that "Expert Builder" appeared after that in 1977. In 1976 when the 695 "race car" was released it used second variant red axle stops and 1x2 brick with hole type 2 but wasn't Expert Builder.

The 1x2 brick with hole makes it clear that putting a stud in the hole was not possible (this may be the reason for the slot?)

AFAIK those bricks and axles are compatible with current Technic (they work IME but the dimensions might have changed a tiny amount and I wouldn't know)

Then we can look at TLG's current view of their history and see this from "The beginning" of Technic

  In the early 1970s, Jan Ryaa was one of the very first LEGO designers to play with the idea of building cars, using large square LEGO Mobil bricks in yellow, red and blue with white cross-axles and cogwheels. These were used for showroom models and were not planned as production models, nor intended for sale.

I suspect he was using the production axles and bricks, but trying to make more mechanically accurate/challenging models and found the giant gears and 4x2 bricks a bit useless.

Brickset's history of Expert Builder makes it clear that by the time that theme was launched the "modern" Technic brick was in production. All four models used those bricks, and the hole were as compatible with studs as they are today.

Again, I can't find an official statement from TLG on this, but I will guess that since Expert Builder used existing axles they just ran with that size, only tightening up the hole a little to make their tiny-toothed gears work properly.


From looking at the picture, it appears as if there is a brick (a 1x2 brick, light gray) behind the headlight. The headlight connects to it in a similar fashion as shown in the following image:

Hopefully that helps.


Can anyone tell me which LEGO set this is?

Y-Wing Starfighter, set 75172 from 2017

It comes in five bags.

Building instructions at lego.com


What set did this Technic container come from?

That's Container, Throwbot / Slizer 'Flying' Case Lid

This item in Purple color was available in two sets.


How can I transmit horizontal torque to vertical?

There are a number of ways to do this. This is one of the easiest and earliest methods:

For that design, you'll need this part (3650):

You can also do something similar using a combination of bevel gears or double bevel gears:


This minifig is indeed from Atlantis, it is a Atlantis Manta Warrior


Looking for information on a Lego manual I had as a kid

The book you're looking for is the "Expert Builder Idea Book (8888)". The complete book is available on Peeron.


Why are minifigure wrenches tapered at the end?

Your second guess was correct. It's not just a wrench. It's listed as a Screwdriver/spanner on Lego.com:

This part was also included in several sets in the Games line as a human tool to remove tiles from the dice. It's unclear (at least to me) whether this part was intended to be used for tile removal when it was introduced in 1979. Here's an example from the Creationary instructions:


When did Lego switch from 4 to 6 stud width of Windscreen?

I noticed this, too. But only after the "Speed Champions" came out a few years ago. (I didn't give much attention to CITY.) It seems to me like the LEGO Racers got wider, more detailed sets starting from 2008 or so.

Also: I often check the Bricklink inventory part page (example: 92583), to find the Years Released under the "Item Info" section. I cross reference those dates with the list of sets that an item was used in.


I definitely know them as the headlight brick, and they look like this:

HoMa's world of bricks has a nice page dedicated to this brick!

http://www.holgermatthes.de/bricks/en/lampenstein.php

LEGO's Pick a Brick lists this as an "Angular Brick 1x1", Design ID 4070 (equivalent to the piece/part id).


Can you identify these snowy icicles for me?

Barb / Claw / Horn - Large Flexible

and

Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Tooth Vertical

Ice Cream Scoops


Not a LEGO set. Following up on details in comments it appears that Dcbarkley has managed to identify pictured model as a LEGO set thanks to this answer. However, my initial (wrong) assumption was based on dark color of the bricks used in the model. Picking up quite unique piece for cross-checking eventually led to correct set identification. Below you will find original answer:

Confirmed with Slope, Curved 5 x 8 x 2/3. It appears to be used in Black, however there's no set produced to have these slopes in Black. In case Dark Bluish Gray was used in the model, then still, none of the sets having this slope look like your model.


Building technique for plate at near 45 degree angle

ROUND 2.

HERE, experiment with this new greeblin' compatible .LXF file.

EDIT:  Added X-ray animation to better see the internal contruction.

Please excuse the non-symmetrical sloppiness of this draft (I got lazy).

Note: The non-connecting hinges, and 1x1 circular pieces are to help cover the visible plate gaps.

We all know LEGO Digital Draw gets anal with the exact distances between pieces, so even if these hinges don't connect on this digital plane doesn't mean they won't in a real life physical build.

Oh, and the structural integrity is not based on the connectivity of said hinges.

I stole the idea from Set #7661 Jedi Starfighter with Hyperdrive Booster Ring, and added a bit o' me own greeblin';)


Lego Mindstorms education NXT 9797 software for a MacBook Air

You can download software for programming the LEGO Mindstorms NXT robots on macOS directly from the LEGO Mindstorms website.

The software is packaged in an ISO image, and there are instructions for how to install it also available on the same page.

Keep in mind that this is the retail version of the software, designed for use with the 8547 NXT 2.0 set, not the education version. The programming functionality for both sets will be the same, but the retail software does include some features specific for the 8547 set, such as building instructions, and does not include some features that the educational software does, such as data logging.


How to build an automatic Lego train system?

I think I'd use the ultrasound sensor instead of the touch sensor (or the brightness sensor with the light turned on in a dark tunnel). I haven't tried this but I'd worry about the touch sensor derailing or scratching the train. Otherwse, your system sounds pretty doable. The collision risk could be addressed by setting up the sensor a little further before the station and sending a stop signal to the second train if it triggers the sensor while the first train is still at the station.


Can I re-use my LEGO Store Pick a Brick cup?

Yes, you can. Or at least I've been able to reuse mine in the past. I believe it was $0.50 off for the big cup and $0.25 for the small cup.