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Hi,

BC2 version 2.7 has been released for Android:

Changes:
- Dark mode
- Updated UI:
- Swipe to delete items
- Updated dialogs
- Fixed joy dead zone option
- Added joy active zone option
- Fixed SBrick direction handling when setting zero output

Version 2.8 for iOS containing the controller action creation crash is under review in the AppStore and should be live shortly.

Happy playing!

7 hours ago, rm8 said:

do you have plans to support new Mindstorm block?

I don't have experience with that but I'll try to add support for it.

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It would be nice to be able to limit the travel of a stepper motor in its total. Example, I drive the volvo A60H with the app, I'm manually shifting true the gearbox. I would like to limit the movement of the stepper that it canot go further than a preset total value. In this case 2*90°. So a total of 180° ranging from 1e gear being 0° and 2e 90° 3e 180°. So that when pushing again on the shift up it won't go further than the max 180°

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43 minutes ago, benovitch said:

It would be nice to be able to limit the travel of a stepper motor in its total. Example, I drive the volvo A60H with the app, I'm manually shifting true the gearbox. I would like to limit the movement of the stepper that it canot go further than a preset total value. In this case 2*90°. So a total of 180° ranging from 1e gear being 0° and 2e 90° 3e 180°. So that when pushing again on the shift up it won't go further than the max 180°

Yes, and sometimes the stepper function of the new motors not that accurate, so it tends to shift a little bit. My idea is to use the servo function instead with a predefined sequence of angles. Hopefully that would be better for such functionality.

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Found a sollution for my gearbox problem. Changed the motor type to Servomotor, range 90°, Buttontype: Simpltoggle. In the advanced settings set the base angle to 90°. A second button to shift down only the channel is inveted all the rest is the same.

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Thanks for creating this app. I might have missed it in the previous discussion, but is there a way to adjust the zero offset for the PF Servo Motors?

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I don't think it can be done directly, but there's a bit of a hack you can use.  Assign a button to the same output, set it to "simple toggle" and set the maximum output to the offset that you want, inverted if necessary.  Then press the button when you start the profile and it should offset the servo, as the two outputs will be added together.

Bear in mind that the PF servos only have 7 positions in each direction, so you won't get very precise control over the offset.

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7 hours ago, P McCatty said:

Thanks for creating this app. I might have missed it in the previous discussion, but is there a way to adjust the zero offset for the PF Servo Motors?

Hi, there is no such setting in the app for PF servo.

 

9 minutes ago, pdw said:

I don't think it can be done directly, but there's a bit of a hack you can use.  Assign a button to the same output, set it to "simple toggle" and set the maximum output to the offset that you want, inverted if necessary.  Then press the button when you start the profile and it should offset the servo, as the two outputs will be added together.

Bear in mind that the PF servos only have 7 positions in each direction, so you won't get very precise control over the offset.

Hi, that's a cool trick. I haven't though about it to be honest :)
And yes, the reason I didn't add such a setting is that the PF servo has only 7 positions on each directions and it would not be that precise and the range would be reduces on one direction.

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I just got the 88009 / HUB NO.4 and while it connects, the L and XL motors don't seem to work on it, I don't have other PoweredUP motors.

There is no reaction on sliders in Devices list nor when I use the profile. I have no such issues with big technic hub.

Is there something specific I should know about this hub or another way I can test whether this is an issue with the hub or with the app?

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I'm not sure if that hub can use those motors without running Pybricks. Have you tried the standard Powered Up app?

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18 minutes ago, AVCampos said:

I'm not sure if that hub can use those motors without running Pybricks. Have you tried the standard Powered Up app?

It does, it's exactly what's in the Crocodile loco.
(But you need a self written programm to run the XL.)

You can use the Croco-Part in the Powered Up App to test with the 88013.

And they both work with BC2 V 2.6 and the 88009

 

Edited by Lok24

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1 hour ago, SaperPL said:

I just got the 88009 / HUB NO.4 and while it connects, the L and XL motors don't seem to work on it, I don't have other PoweredUP motors.

There is no reaction on sliders in Devices list nor when I use the profile. I have no such issues with big technic hub.

Is there something specific I should know about this hub or another way I can test whether this is an issue with the hub or with the app?

Hi, I have that hub from the BatMobile set and it can operate both the new L and XL motors in BC2. The firmware version is 1.1.2.0 and the hw version is 0.1.0.0 on mine.

Maybe newer firmwares behave differently?

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1 hour ago, AVCampos said:

Have you tried the standard Powered Up app?

That's a great tip there - thanks. It actually needed to pull the update to flash the firmware to newer version and now it works in brick controller 2. 

Now I have the issue that it behaves really weird as the servo is a bit unstable when going to specific position, like it was unsure if that's the actual signal. I don't have this on big hub.

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5 minutes ago, imurvai said:

The firmware version is 1.1.2.0 and the hw version is 0.1.0.0 on mine.

 

I think this is the newest FW, same for mine.

@SaperPL Sure that the hub works? Does it connect with BC2 respond and report HW and FW Version?

Did you load newest FW, and do you know how to do this properly?

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9 minutes ago, Lok24 said:

I think this is the newest FW, same for mine.

@SaperPL Sure that the hub works? Does it connect with BC2 respond and report HW and FW Version?

Did you load newest FW, and do you know how to do this properly?

It shows FW: 1.1.2.0 and HW 0.1.0.0
 

I didn't really have such issues with big hub. The two main issues so far for me with the overall use is that albeit my phone should be able to handle up to 4 bt devices at the same time, the input signal seems to die or freeze quite often and when disconnecting and reconnecting to tweak things in the profile, I often have it working only on every second connection (first connection after reconnect hangs indefinitely). So it might be something wrong with my phone's bt module after all. But the steering through servo isn't behaving so unstably on the bigger hub.

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Dear Istvan, thank you for your great app!
 
2 questions please, if you have time:
- will you update the app to include support for buwizz 3.0?
- any chance to add "special features" like tracked steering and Control+ motors as servos?
 
At the moment it seems for those you need to use Buwizz app (which cannot steer via gamepad however).. so I'd prefer your app. thanks again!
 

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14 minutes ago, wower said:
Dear Istvan, thank you for your great app!
 
2 questions please, if you have time:
- will you update the app to include support for buwizz 3.0?
- any chance to add "special features" like tracked steering and Control+ motors as servos?
 
At the moment it seems for those you need to use Buwizz app (which cannot steer via gamepad however).. so I'd prefer your app. thanks again!
 

Hi,

I'm planning to add support for BW 3.0, however I don't have any estimate when I can do it. I'm waiting for the bluetooth protocol of BW 3.0 to be published.

Tracked vehicle steering is already possible, just add two actions for the same controller event - for forward and backward set the same direction of the two motors, for left and right set the opposite directions of the two motors.

Servo option for C+ motors is also supported, you can change the motor type for them as normal, servo or stepper, then you can do the calibration either automatically or manually.

I hope it helped :)

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Hi,

I am trying to use the servo motor from 42114, and would like to use more than 180 degrees. Is there any way to increase the servo limit of 180 degrees in the app without just manually gearing up the motor? Assuming this would also be useful for using the new control plus motors as servos as they don't have the 180 degree limit like the power functions equivalent. Not sure if its possible but if it is, would be a welcome feature.

Cheers.

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9 hours ago, imurvai said:

Hi,

I'm planning to add support for BW 3.0, however I don't have any estimate when I can do it. I'm waiting for the bluetooth protocol of BW 3.0 to be published.

Tracked vehicle steering is already possible, just add two actions for the same controller event - for forward and backward set the same direction of the two motors, for left and right set the opposite directions of the two motors.

Servo option for C+ motors is also supported, you can change the motor type for them as normal, servo or stepper, then you can do the calibration either automatically or manually.

I hope it helped :)

ah great thanks. not sure I know how the c+ servo thing workes, I might ask again when I have buwizz 3 and c+ motors in use soon.

really hope you get the bluetooth protocol soon!! is buwizz company supportive in such matters? To me they seemed very friendly but when I asked if they implement gamepads like your app, they said they don't have the resources.. :-( Obviously I have no idea of app programming, but you and your app are not exactly a huge corporation either it seems..

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13 hours ago, wower said:

ah great thanks. not sure I know how the c+ servo thing workes, I might ask again when I have buwizz 3 and c+ motors in use soon.

really hope you get the bluetooth protocol soon!! is buwizz company supportive in such matters? To me they seemed very friendly but when I asked if they implement gamepads like your app, they said they don't have the resources.. :-( Obviously I have no idea of app programming, but you and your app are not exactly a huge corporation either it seems..

Well, BW promised to publish the protocol, but as far as I know they are still actively developing it, so not sure when it will be released.

And for the programming, I'm sure the BW application is much more complex, it has a UI designer, the whole app is designed better than BrickController2, not to mention they developed hardware parts as well and they also maintain a support chain and a web site. In contrast, BrickController2 is "just" an app developed by me in my spare time and the only focus is the gamepad playing.

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On 5/21/2021 at 12:58 PM, imurvai said:

Well, BW promised to publish the protocol, but as far as I know they are still actively developing it, so not sure when it will be released.

And for the programming, I'm sure the BW application is much more complex, it has a UI designer, the whole app is designed better than BrickController2, not to mention they developed hardware parts as well and they also maintain a support chain and a web site. In contrast, BrickController2 is "just" an app developed by me in my spare time and the only focus is the gamepad playing.

Yeah they told me they're still busy bugfixing and writing a userguide. I love their product but it seems they're again selling some more or less finished thing (let's hope contrary to BW2 they actually deliver firmware updates later that fix stuff).

Why they haven't long copied your gamepad playing element (or hired you) is completely beyond me.. with eyes on the rc car and without haptic feedback touchscreen steering is annoying and unprecise. :-(

Long story short: I pray for your update soon.. I'd even pay for that obviously. Spare time or not, you've done something great here! 

 

Edited by wower

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Tried BC2 version 2.7 and still can't use Control+ servos since version 2.3. I'm getting strange jitter when trying to use analog stick with the Control+ motors in servo mode. It works perfect on older version.

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5 hours ago, apachaihapachai said:

Tried BC2 version 2.7 and still can't use Control+ servos since version 2.3. I'm getting strange jitter when trying to use analog stick with the Control+ motors in servo mode. It works perfect on older version.

Can you post which hub are you using? I'm having weird jitter on that small 88009 hub.

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16 hours ago, SaperPL said:

Can you post which hub are you using? I'm having weird jitter on that small 88009 hub.

I'm using 3 88012 hubs.
 

  • FW: 1.1.0.0 HW: 0.8.0.0
  • FW: 1.1.0.0 HW: 0.8.0.0
  • FW: 1.1.0.0 HW: 0.7.0.0

The jitter can be seen on all of them.

Edited by apachaihapachai

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Dear Istvan,

First of all I'd like to thank you for your great app! Since I discovered BC2 I use it to control all of my MOCs.

Especially, I appreciate the ability to assign more than one motor to the same button of controller.

I use this feature to control pneumatics. Controlling a valve and an air pump at once with one joystick enables to operate pneumatic cylinders precisely.

Unfortunately, I encountered an issue while controlling more than one valve at once. Namely, because an air pump motor is connected to a few buttons, in some cases it gets conflicting orders. So, one joystick forces it to revolve clockwise while another counter clockwise. As a result the motor stops.

There is a picture of an app configuration:

Channels 3 and 4 control valves and channel 1 controls the air pump motor.

Screenshot_20210705-122915

And there is a movie for better understanding what I mean:

Please, don't get me wrong, I don't complain about your app. It's still great, but if you don't mind, I'd like to suggest small improvements to solve this problem and to make your app even more functional. 

If it's possible in sake of an app coding and you would be so kind and implement my suggestion, nothing would make me more happy than a small ABS toggle button next to the "Invert" button. The function should enable to read only absolut value of a joystick deflection, without +/- direction. With the function switched on the joysticks deflected in opposite direction wouldn't sent conflict orders to the same motor. Further feature could be another toggle button CW/CCW (clockwise/counter clockwise) enabled after switching on the ABS button.

With hope and best regards I'm waiting for the next update of BC2 :) 

P.S. If my explanation isn't clear enough, please don't hesitate to ask for more info.

 

 

Edited by McMarky

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