ROBOTMAK3RS Blog

Philo from France, well-known for numerous great NXT creations and as an author of many LDraw files, has updated the web page for his NXT-3D Laser Scanner . The Scanner is able to create three-dimensional computer models of things it scans with a laser: Amongst other things, Philo uses it to create LDraw models for new LEGO® parts.

I consider myself a happy person and this news makes me even happier. I like LEGO and I also like re-creating and saving LEGO contraptions with a CAD setup. You might have seen products of such a setup in the form of building instructions shared on the web or in several MINDSTORMS books available on the shelves. My setup of choice is LDraw and MLCad and both have inhabited my PCs for over 12 years. These are excellent free programs and are supported by a fantastic group of developers that work with an impeccable attention to the details. Their work really shows in the building instructions that can be created. Updates and new versions are always big news...maybe this is one of the bigger times things are coming together. MLCad version 3.30 is released to the world and the LDraw 2010-02 Parts Update is now available containing a great number of new finely-crafted official CAD parts. Installing the software can be a bit tricky sometimes but help can be found in a few books (inc...

On popular demand (and personal need) I have enhanced Lemon , the NXT model comparer, with the capability to handle LDraw multipart files. Next to LDD and classic LDraw (.ldr) files you can compare also a LEGO® model against the different NXT sets now that is stored as a multipart model in the LDraw .mpd format. Check out the new version 2.1.0 here and do not hesitate to provide feedback .

Lemon (LEGO® Model Nibbler) is a tool that allows for finding out whether a LEGO® model can built with a particular NXT set or which parts are needed beyond the contents of that set. The brand-new version 2.0 is a Java application that compares a LEGO® models laid down in LDraw or LEGO® Digital Designer   format against different NXT sets and lists  the parts that are used in one model but not in the kit (and vice versa). Using a graphical user interface, the model can be checked against the NXT Kit 1.0 (#8527) the NXT Kit 2.0 (#8547) the NXT Education Kit (#9797) the NXT Education Resource Set (#9648) the NXT Education Kit plus the NXT Education Resource Set The results might be exported to a HTML, PDF or Excel file then. All you need for installation (best with Firefox web browser) is a Java 6 Runtime on your machine. Give it a try - I'd be grateful for feedback, proposals or bug reports . Don't hesitate to contact me in case of troubles with t...

As an addendum to yesterday's post on WeDo: the according LDraw parts are available now, again provided by Philo : the USB hub the tilt sensor the distance sensor

Philo , MCP and relentless Wizard of LDraw parts, has published LDraw files for the treads contained in the NXT Education supplemental kit (other configurations of the treads can be found here and here ). Hence you can model your NXT robots that run on these treads now in LDraw. Thanks, Philo!

I've released version 1.6 of Lemon , the LEGO® model differ. Lemon ( LEGO® Model Nibbler ) is a Java application that compares two LEGO® models laid down in LDRAW or LDD format and lists the parts that are used in one model but not in the other one (and vice versa) as well as the common parts of both models. It is possible also to check a model against the NXT Retail Kit or the NXT Education Kit. The new version comprises a new export feature for comparison results (into a text file) as well as numerous bug fixes (in particular for the Java 5/6 version issue). To install it, just click on the installer link on Lemon's home page (you will need to have Java installed). If you encounter problems or want to provide feedback, please contact me via my contact page .

Today I've published version 1.5 of Lemon on my web site for Download . Lemon is a Java -based application with a graphical user interface that allows for comparing two LEGO® models that are stored in LDraw or LDD format; the common parts are listed as well as the ones that are contained in one of the models only. It's also possible to check a model against the NXT Retail Kit or (new to 1.5) against the NXT Education Kit - comes in handy if you want to know whether a model can be built with one of these kits. Moreover, the new version supports multi module models now and contains numerous bugfixes. Give it a try, please, and provide feedback and proposals. Addendum: If someone is encountering problems with Lemon, please do not hesitate to contact me via the contact page on my web site.

While not solely related to the NXT, I felt this was close enough to a lot of readers interests to post it. Kevin Clague, one of the members of the MUP program from the early days of the NXT, has been awarded the James Jessiman Memorial Award for 2007 . This award is given out to someone who has helped or contributed to the continued legacy of James Jessiman , the young man who wrote the first community LEGO design program (LDraw) and defined the early format for the data files way back in 1995. While James died at the age of 26, what he started has grown into the LDraw community, and the community and the family of James usually announce an award for someone who has been instrumental in the LDraw community. Kevin Clague has been contributing since 2002, with software like LPub and LSynth (for publishing and modeling flexible elements) as well as being a co-author of the popular book " LEGO Software Power Tools " and playing an organizational role within the LDraw organizatio...

Philo did it again! After a lot of work, he now has published the LDraw file for the Power Functions Infrared Remote Control to the LDraw Parts Tracker . Merci, Philo!

Philo , The Mighty And Relentless Wizard of LDRAW parts, has created such for HiTechnic's Color Sensor and Codatex's new RFID Sensor (including the RFID tag). You can find them on his Unofficial LDraw Parts page , contained in the most recent NXT parts archive. Merci, Philo!

Remember the beta release of a Model Differ application I posted about some days ago? Finally, the first productional of it is available now, called Lemon 1.0 . It features comparing LEGO(R) models laid down in LDRAW (.ldr) or LEGO Digital Designer (.lxf) format comparing such models against the NXT Retail Kit listing parts contained in each model only listing parts commonly contained in both models easy one-click installation and running using Java Web Start (the only thing you need is a Java 5 (or above) runtime on your computer - might already come pre-installed on your operating system) supported on all platforms Java 5 is available for (in particular Windows XP, Mac OSX, Linux) If you ever needed to know if your (or other people's) model can be built with a single NXT Retail Kit and which parts you need in addition, or if you ever were curious in which parts two models differ, this Java-based application might prove useful for you.

As someone who is running simply a large trunk with LEGO parts where a new NXT kit gets emptied out to for further building I have found it hard in the past to answer frequent questions like "Can this model of your's been built with a single retail kit?" - figuring out the answer to that was somewhat troublesome and required a lot of comparing to the according parts inventory at Peeron. Hence I finally implemented a Java application that may come in handy: Model Differ (working title). It allows for comparison of two models that are laid down in LDRAW format and lists the parts that are mutually not contained (honoring also the number of occurrences of a particular part). For convenience, it's possible also to check a model directly against the NXT Retail Kit. If you are into CADing your models with LDRAW, have a look - the only thing you need is a Java Runtime (version 5 or above). And some LDRAW model, of course.

Now, you (or our parents) have an additional option! LEGO Shop@Home is now offering the NXT Idea Book in the Fall/Winter (you know, Christmas) season catalog. In case you missed it...find it here on page 43 within the 2 NXT pages! Same goes for the print version if you received a copy. The NXT Idea Book really is a nice way to expand your NXT experience. Enjoy! Christopher

V. Padovan has created MLCad files of the four main robots in the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT kit. Spike, T-56, Rex and TriBot. You can download the MPD files here: MPD Files of the NXT Robots Courtesy of NXTasy.org If you know of any other models with MLCad instructions, please post a link on the comments.

Philo , one of the Grandmasters of LEGO(R) CADing, has provided unofficial LDRAW parts for the new Power Function elements (as contained in the new fancy remote-controlled Bulldozer set #8275): can you find them here . So now you can document your models that use these elements. Please note that the collection is not complete yet (some parts, in particular the XL motor, are very hard to model). Thanks, Philo!