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I also love LEGO geometry^^. You can get my mlcad file for cycloid drive at http://www.bricksafe...ki/cycloiddrive

And this is my current progress on Fork2Fork:

Thanks! These files will make my progress much faster. I will make sure to credit you on the instructions.

...and you can count on me if you miss a LDraw part!

Thanks Philo. So far I have found LDraw parts for everything I need. Only the most current modules would use something not available, I would think.

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Good news everyone! Instructions for Akiyuki's Invisible Lift are now tested and complete and are available here along with a Brickstore parts list.

  • 135 pages
  • 3203 parts
640x360.jpg

I have to start by crediting Akiyuki for the design, and then of course The Rebricker for his reverse engineering. I set up the LDraw file using The ReBricker's video as a starting point. Although the model will function if everything is oriented as shown in the instructions, the PDF does not specifically discuss the aspects of timing and tuning the model, so I still recommend the videos for that, especially if you have problems. I built the file in the "rig position" which is the position in which you show the build to align all the timing. When getting to the last steps of adding the actuator arms, I found that the position of the arms looked really weird and I suspected it wasn't right, so I thought I must have made an error in alignment. Since MLCAD allows parts to overlap and interfere, it is easy to build something that can't really exist. I ended up scrutinizing some of Akiyuki's videos frame by frame. You know how one of the first animations was a series of photos taken to determine whether or not all 4 legs of a galloping horse were off the ground at the same time? In the same way, I wanted to find out if there a point at which all 4 antennae were at the same level and toward center at the same time. This image clearly shows all 4 at the same level, and this image clearly shows all 4 grabbing the ball at the same time. In retrospect, this makes perfect sense because this is the state at which the ball is passed from one pair to the next. If the antennae were not all at center at the same time, there would be a moment when the ball was falling. It just so happens that this is the state in which the machine is at the point of timing alignment.

My file differs from The Rebricker's in a couple of ways. The most obvious way is the ball ramp. He used a simple sideways stack of DGB 2x2 corner bricks. I noticed that Akiyuki's original uses black sides and a LBG base which I wanted to replicate, so I came up with a way of doing it with SNOT. I think it looks really good and it works perfectly.

400x395.jpg

When I first built the model, it was not very reliable and would drop balls regularly. I found that the problem was that one of the sets of antennae (front right) was not really moving far enough forward and therefore was not gripping the balls tightly enough. One solution would be to adjust the actuation link for the cams down 1/2 stud, but there was no obvious way to do that. Instead I added tires to the rollers. Akiyuki's design uses tires on the left hand cams but not on the right hand cams. I added tires to the right front and now it works perfectly. YMMV, so do what you need to do to get yours to work correctly.

Enjoy!

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I cannot build it either, but I've made some instruction pages for testing. The stepping is well made, so if wanted, I can make the instructions at least that the steps are clear enough to build it for everybody. Especially there's a lot of rotation angles to do to see all parts where they belong.

Don't worry about it just yet. I may end up making changes to the file first.

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I have the base template for most of Akiyukis modules it is done in LDD though

What do you mean by "base template"?

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At the GBC wiki we've been toying with the idea of having articles dedicated to specific modules. Admittedly progress has been somewhat slow of late, but I think this project might provide the impetus we need to kick back into gear. If I can get a template made up, what would folks say to putting the content there instead of (or as well as) here. I can see two advantages: Forum threads eventually leave the front page and fall into obscurity; and forum threads get filled with posts containing nothing more than "This is a great idea" sentiment - which, while good for fostering community, can get in the way of having a consolidated resource.

Thoughts?

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At the GBC wiki we've been toying with the idea of having articles dedicated to specific modules.

Of course I'm in favor. For example, over there we just had a long forum discussion on the Akiyuki Train. Some of that content deserves not to be buried in a forum, and should be part of the Akiyuki Project. Wiki articles always have an associated discussion (or "talk") page, which functions like a forum for that article.

An article for this project would be nice, too, to better organize the collaboration. If there's support for that from the major contributors, I'll go ahead and stub it next week.

My hands itch to make a "real" coherent collection of instructions out of these files.

This is something the Wiki could satisfy nicely. It's currently a pain to upload images/videos and impossible to upload CAD files, but linking to them is trivial. Although the infrastructure isn't currently in place for a seamless repository, one thing a wiki is good at is extensibility. Come to think of it, legolijntje, if your hands are itching, maybe you'd like to at least collect and organize links to these files in a GBC Wiki article?

On forums at the GBC wiki: One current problem with the GBC Wiki Forum (but not the rest of the Wiki) is that it can't email notifications. I think a fix is imminent, though. What I would love is to be able to cross-post between a specific thread on the Wiki and the GBC thread here.

Incidentally, if you've never logged into the GBC Wiki, it's hosted on http://www.brickimedia.org (the Brickipedia folks) and uses the same login account.

Edited by ALittleSlow

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At the GBC wiki we've been toying with the idea of having articles dedicated to specific modules. Admittedly progress has been somewhat slow of late, but I think this project might provide the impetus we need to kick back into gear. If I can get a template made up, what would folks say to putting the content there instead of (or as well as) here. I can see two advantages: Forum threads eventually leave the front page and fall into obscurity; and forum threads get filled with posts containing nothing more than "This is a great idea" sentiment - which, while good for fostering community, can get in the way of having a consolidated resource.

I don't have any objection to your duplicating any of the content in this topic (or my other topics) on the wiki, but I wouldn't want it to replace this forum. I think a permanent article (like Technicopedia!) is a great idea for these modules. They are worth it.

Incidentally, I want to remind everyone reading this topic to check the opening post regularly. I am making updates to that post as we go along so it serves as an index of the current project status.

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Instructions for Akiyuki's Six Heads are now tested and complete and are available here along with a Brickstore parts list.

  • 117 pages
  • 1696 parts
640x360.jpg

There were certainly some challenges with this module:

  • While at first it might seem a simple matter to make one head and then convert it into 6 different colors, it turns out that each head is different due to part availability. Not only are some parts in non-matching colors (like the nose of the lime green head), but some parts of the assembly are actually built differently like the base of the neck. The sloped parts in this are are critical or the necks collide and jam.
  • After putting everything together in MLCAD and lining it all up nicely, I noticed by counting holes that my input hopper seemed one stud too far to the right compared to Akiyuki's. After further scrutiny, I realized the the necks actually all curve to the left when down due to the stresses in the parts, resulting in an input hopper which needs to be one stud left compared with what the computer would imply.
  • The tiles at the bottom of the input hopper need to be flush with the bottom of the sloped ramps, but they always came out 4LDU either too high or too low when using plates to support them. Finally I realized that they need to be supported with Technic connectors, then it comes out perfectly.
  • Although everything looked great in the file, when I first built the module it didn't work at all. The heads just sat there and didn't move because a pin in the center of the driving link wasn't constrained and so the link just buckled. I agonized over the videos for a long time before I realized there was a constraint that can't be seen behind the driving link. I added single frictionless pin to each head which completely solved the problem.
  • The instructions show all the heads in the down position at the same time which can never really happen. I did it this way because it was just too complicated to align all the heads properly in the file, and having each head be different would actually make the instructions harder to follow. Hopefully it is obvious that each head needs to be connected to it's driving link.
  • In case it is not obvious, the 5th head in not LBG but actually pearly light gray. Of course it could be built in LBG instead to save money. The cheapest version would be to alternate between black and red heads which would match the colors of the bucket wheel tower.
  • This module is a lot bigger than you might expect. It is actually roughly the size of the bucket factory.

There are also a couple of differences between my build and Akiyuki's:

  • My output hopper is 6 studs narrower than Akiyuki's. The original design has margins on the left and right which are unnecessary because the heads never go there. In addition to reducing part count, the narrower hopper reduces the overall footprint of the model since the hopper is the widest part.
  • Akiyuki's output ramp is built with DBG bricks assembled sideways. I used a tiled yellow ramp inspired by the LXF file posted by GBCPeter on Doktor-Brick.

Other than the crankshaft timing which is detailed in the instructions, there aren't really any timing steps in this module so it is quite easy to build and get working from the PDF instructions. The only minor complaint I have about the module is the motor placement. It sticks out on the back side and is quite conspicuous and also easy to bump. It would be better if it was hidden under one of the hoppers where there is plenty of space.

I've run the module a lot for my kids and it works great at any speed. It can clear balls very quickly.

Enjoy!

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Instructions for Akiyuki's Six Heads are now tested and complete and are available here along with a Brickstore parts list.

  • 117 pages
  • 1696 parts

I've run the module a lot for my kids and it works great at any speed. It can clear balls very quickly.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the kind explanation^^ and the instruction^^

Edited by jesuskyr

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By the way, I would love if it people would post pictures of any of these modules they happen to build. Even with instructions, it seems that people inevitably build a little differently with color differences or other variations. I'd like to hear and see how it goes! My goal is not to post any module until it is reliable, but even so I'd be happy to hear about any improvements.

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I've begun to investigate reverse engineering the Ball Shooter. I've started off using LDD to model the shooter mechanism. Here's a picture of the progress so far;

800x334.jpg

I'll chug along with the reverse engineering in LDD. Assuming I get adequately close to completing the reverse engineering, I'll switch to LDCAD or MLCAD and produce an LDraw file and perhaps a PDF of the build instructions. I can't commit to a timeline as I have a few things on the go at present.

Regards,

David

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I've begun to investigate reverse engineering the Ball Shooter. I've started off using LDD to model the shooter mechanism......I'll chug along with the reverse engineering in LDD. Assuming I get adequately close to completing the reverse engineering, I'll switch to LDCAD or MLCAD and produce an LDraw file and perhaps a PDF of the build instructions. I can't commit to a timeline as I have a few things on the go at present.

Excellent! I'd love to be able to build this one. You may of course do as you like, but my goal is to have a final set of instructions with a similar layout and format. I'd be willing to do the LPub work to make the instructions look like the others if you could get the file in order. Someone will also have to test the build and make sure it works prior to publication.

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Hello,

I also was conducting the reverse-engineering of spiral Staircase. The following is my progress so far:

800x388.jpg

I need to solve the mystery of the bottom structure of staircase.

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I also was conducting the reverse-engineering of spiral Staircase. The following is my progress so far:

Glad to hear you are working on this one. For whatever reason, this is my kids' favorite and they keep begging me to build it.

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Instructions for Akiyuki's Bucket Wheel Tower are now tested and complete and are available here along with a Brickstore parts list.

  • 96 pages
  • 1415 parts
512x640.jpg

At first I thought all I had to do was make one bucket and this just copy it 12 times: 6 black and 6 red. Of course, it should have been obvious that there need to be at least two different kinds of buckets because they need to overlap. This means there needs to be one type which has a support close to the tower and one which hangs further out. It also turns out that the bottom bucket is quite different to allow it to pick up balls. Finally, the red and black buckets are different because of parts availability. In the end, there are 6 different bucket types. Having done all that CAD work, I wanted to make sure that I'd actually built them in a way which would work so I made the following animations as a test. These serve as a good way to understand the interleaving of the buckets.

anim1.gif
 
anim2.gif
 
anim3.gif

I call the trough at the bottom the "skate park" and it was also more trouble than I anticipated. In particular, the height of the inlet ramp was always off by 4LDU, but I finally found a way to make it just right. I have no idea if Akiyuki did it the same way since this part of the model is not visible, but it works perfectly.

The only timing in this model involves making sure all the 40 tooth gears are aligned so the buckets stay parallel, and ensuring that the red buckets are clocked 90 degrees out of phase with the black buckets.

This module works great. It has no real issues. No jams or dropped balls. The only "improvement" that could be made is that it has no real output ramp; the balls just drop from the top. Some later Akiyuki videos show a possible output idea.

I want to thank legolijntje for his help with stepping the "tower" sub-model while I was working on other projects.

Enjoy!

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Well done!

with all this work - it really gives you an insight into the creator - yet I sometimes still can't fathom how he comes up with the ideas, how much prototyping must happen (we do see that in some of his videos), and also, the amount of parts he must have, and be continually ordering!!

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with all this work - it really gives you an insight into the creator - yet I sometimes still can't fathom how he comes up with the ideas, how much prototyping must happen (we do see that in some of his videos), and also, the amount of parts he must have, and be continually ordering!!

He is certainly very creative. It is one thing to make something complicated, but these devices are also elegant and even beautiful.

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I agree that Akiyuki is really creative and genius!!! And your animation is really fantastic^^

Umm.... I just finished his Sprial Staircase, but I'm not sure that this one is working.

I really want that you will build this one for your kids.

I uploaded the cad file at my bricksafe folder.

800x388.jpg

800x388.jpg

800x388.jpg

Edited by jesuskyr

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Wow! I should have popped in here much sooner! To all of you whom I may have assisted in giving the GBC bug, I'm NOT sorry! I started reverse engineering because I really wanted to build these wonders! And now with this great community, I have more projects to build than I know what to do with!

As a side note, I have the Lift Triggered by a stuck Ball complete. I was going to shoot a build video of it as soon as I get a spare day or two.

I've also started on the Fast Ball Sorter (EV3 Model) but I see someone else has already worked through it. Has it been completed?

My file differs from The Rebricker's in a couple of ways. The most obvious way is the ball ramp. He used a simple sideways stack of DGB 2x2 corner bricks. I noticed that Akiyuki's original uses black sides and a LBG base which I wanted to replicate, so I came up with a way of doing it with SNOT. I think it looks really good and it works perfectly.

400x395.jpg

I love it!!! It was a change I did make as my SNOT was not up to par at that point. Great work!!!

You may want to Add Akiyuki's Train module to the list.. I have just showcased the Loader, Switcher and direction changer, Dumper as well as the mechanisms to allow two cars to be running on the same track and have them stop and go as tracks are cleared. I'll shoot the videos for that and upload them. I'm sure there are some VERY talented instruction designers here who could whip it up into a beautiful PDF!

Let me know if you need anything tested. :classic:

Edited by TheRebricker

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As a side note, I have the Lift Triggered by a stuck Ball complete. I was going to shoot a build video of it as soon as I get a spare day or two.

I've been looking forward to that one.

I've also started on the Fast Ball Sorter (EV3 Model) but I see someone else has already worked through it. Has it been completed?

I don't have any information on the state of that module. I wasn't planning to do instructions for any of the Windstorms modules (mostly because I don't have any Mindstorms) but I could probably be convinced.

You may want to Add Akiyuki's Train module to the list.. I have just showcased the Loader, Switcher and direction changer, Dumper as well as the mechanisms to allow two cars to be running on the same track and have them stop and go as tracks are cleared. I'll shoot the videos for that and upload them. I'm sure there are some VERY talented instruction designers here who could whip it up into a beautiful PDF!

I have little doubt your wish will be granted.

Let me know if you need anything tested.

The spiral staircase could use a test build. Contact me off list if you are interested.

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All of these designs are amazing,

All of the instructions for them are amazing,

The fact that you can buy all the bits from a fan made store is amazing,

It's all made by the fans, it all works together beautifully and it's all amazing!

Thousands and thousands of hours of work by all involved, and it's all there to enjoy.

I love this community and this is a wonderful display of it. Best in the world! :thumbup::classic:

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