LEGO CAD: Get Started!

Hi folks! CAD program installations and model rendering are not very fun experiences for someone new to this neck of the woods. It could take a lot of steam from one’s enthusiasm reserves to even figure out how to get started. Since some of the manual installation steps are a bit unclear and/or hard to follow from one site’s page to another… I have finally started to do something about it. As a Host in the Official LEGO MindStorms Forum over the last 8 years I'm often faced with repeat questions and pleas for help. CAD installation help has always been one of the biggest topics. I feel strongly for (and cannot emphasize enough) the importance of rendering any creation and recording it with a CAD program before it is lost forever. The possibility of saving something forever is worth a billion times its electronic weight in gold. Not to mention the completely invaluable worth renderings offer as learning tools when generously shared with the world of fellow builders. So, please use it…it is free for the taking and only costs a little to share. It really isn’t that hard!

This is my attempt at compiling a Quick Install Guide for the essential LEGO CAD tools. It is the first document in a series that I am working on. I am not completely satisfied with it yet. But, please review it and provide some feedback. I have a few worries but will take on any harshness that may follow. Sadly, (well sort of sadly) it is only for the Windows based installations of the programs I feel are the best. MAC folks will have to fend for themselves. I blame my Father for my unfortunate Windows addiction (a habit I wish to crack someday).

For the "LEGO CAD Quick Install Guide"..Click HERE to download a PDF version. If you need a different file type email me directly or offer a clue in the comments area.

Thanks! Christopher

Celebrating MINDSTORMS with a Remix - Part 3

The ROBOTMAK3RS continued their celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS through these Fall and Winter remix projects. Each ROBOTMAK3R was tasked with selecting one LEGO set of their choice and combining it with a MINDSTORMS set. Below are the five amazing models they came up with. Braill3 by Jerry Nicholls Braill3 is an EV3-based LEGO Braille bricks reader. This robot uses its fingertip, made from three touch switches, to read messages written using the LEGO Braille bricks and will speak out what it detected. If it sees a simple maths problem it will attempt to solve it and give the answer as well. To learn more about the process of creating this machine, read Jerry's blog . Braill3 can be viewed here . Set Review: The Braille Bricks set is well thought out. The ratios of the letters is suitable for general use and the addition of some punctuation and arithmetic operators is excellent. There is a card showing what bricks there are and their quantities, but no form of sort...

Celebrating MINDSTORMS with a Remix - Part 2

The ROBOTMAK3RS continued their celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS through these summer and fall remix projects. Each ROBOTMAK3R was tasked with selecting one LEGO set of their choice and combining it with a MINDSTORMS set. Below are the five amazing models they came up with. Remote controlled material handle r by Jozua van Ravenhorst (aka Mr Jo) This remix combines the LEGO Technic Material Handler (42144) with MINDSTORMS EV3 (31313) It uses the power of pneumatic cylinders to move objects around. By using a bluetooth remote control, very precise movements can be made with this model. Touch sensors in the base chassis prevent the turret twisting the cables that go through the turntable to much. The program has several protections to prevent over pressurizing the system for each of the 3 individual pumps and valves that control the 2 booms and claws. The real version of this machine is mostly used in waste material sites to bring the material to machines that sort and...

Celebrating 25 Years of MINDSTORMS

In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS, we take a trip through history. Please also visit ROBOTMAK3RS Community every week as we highlight different projects all through 2023 in celebration of the anniversary. Some of the early history is based on the content shared by Coder Shah in our MINDSTORMS EV3 Community Group . Some of the text and links may have been edited from his original posts for consistency and clarity. 1984 - Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen watched a TV program called "Talking Turtle," where MIT professor Seymour Papert demonstrated how children could control robot "turtles" using LOGO, a programming language he developed. 1988 - The collaboration between MIT and LEGO resulted in LEGO TC Logo in 1988, which allowed students to control LEGO models using computer commands. The video shows Papert demonstrating TC Logo. 1990 - LEGO TC Logo was hampered since the robots you built had to be tethered to a personal computer. LEGO and MIT...

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