Jim

While you are absolutely right, in this case it's a thin line. We will publish new guidelines about Cada and other brands soon-ish. In this case, it's okay to talk about the availability of the model in this topic.

Yeah, there is definitely room for a scene. Having a bath or taking a dump while looking at the AT-AT sounds great

With Pybricks you can use almost every hub. This is obviously a plus for simple functions. It should be fairly simple. Hopefully you will get it to work. Absolutely!!

True that. Let's stick to the spaceship! That's what we are aiming for.

A bit late, but here they are...

MINDSTORMS HUB-TO-HUB COMMUNICATION INTRODUCTION A while ago I started my Big Robot V2 project. In order for that project to succeed, I need to be able to sort out hub to hub communications. Back in the good old EV3 days, there was something called daisy-chaining allowing four hubs to be connected. Unfortunately this functionality isn't supported by the new Mindstorms hub. In order to do brick to brick communication, we need to rely on broadcasting messages. Thanks to TLG I got another Mindstorms hub in order to experiment and demonstrate hub-to-hub communications. PICTURES Pictures can be clicked to view hi-res versions. My Flickr album contains all the photos taken for this review. DISCLAIMER The CEE Team of TLG has provided these elements. It's not my goal to promote these elements. It's my goal to give you an honest opinion about them. Therefore, the opinion in this review is my own and is in no way linked to TLG. PREREQUISITES What do we need for hub-to-hub communication? Obviously, we need at least two hubs. And we need a programming environment. This is where things already start to get iffy. There are two applications which support the new Mindstorms hub. The Mindstorms app and the Spike Prime app. Before we can start using Communication blocks, we need to add extra blocks to the templates. The extra blocks are apparently considered "experimental". We can see the hub-to-hub communications block in the list of extensions. After adding the communication blocks, we get three extra blocks to handle communications: A block for transmitting a signal A block for receiving a signal A block for the value being received At this point you would think that you can add these blocks in the Spike environment as well. That would have made way too much sense, so you can't. LEGO Electronics work in mysterious ways. Hub to hub might not be part of the curriculum, but why not add these blocks to Spike anyway. That way enthusiastic students can do more than follow the curriculum. SETUP I have created a setup with two hubs and each hub has two motors connected. When I turn the first motor on one hub the second motor will match it's position. The hub will also broadcast a signal which the second hub is listening too. When the second hub received the signal, both connected motors will match the position of the other motors. VERSION 1 In order to establish hub-to-hub communication, I will create a sender and a receiver program. Let's start with the sender. This program consists of a simple loop that will run forever. When I turn the right wheel, the left wheel will go the same position. And the program will broadcast a message with the position (rotation) of the wheel. The receiver is listening to any messages being broadcast. When it receives a message, it will turn both wheels to the same position. The video below demonstrates the setup. The most noticeable thing is that both motors on the second block don't move in parallel. Movement is sequential, so the second motor doesn't start moving until movement of the first one is complete. Another observation is that the first motor on the second hub seems to be rotating more or less simultaneously with the motor on the first hub. I expected the motor on the second to start moving after the motor on the first hub had finished. Apparently, the broadcast is done in parallel and it doesn't need to wait for the motor block to finish its movement. VERSION 2 Let's make some adjustments to the programs. First of all we will do the broadcast before rotating the second motor (even though this doesn't seem to matter). And we will change the receiver that we will move both motors using a single block. Below is the video demonstrating the second setup. If there is a difference between the first and second setup regarding the start of the motors, it's not visible to me. The difference between the parallel and sequential movement is clearly visible in this setup. Both motors on the second will start moving simultaneously. For me, this is very important since I want to do a four wheel setup in my Robot project. In order to test the feasibility of my desired setup, I have created a simple prototype robot, which we will test next. PROTOTYPE ROBOT So we have concluded that in order to move motors simultaneously, we need to start them using the same block. This won't pose a problem for me, since I need to run all four wheels simulaneously anyway. With our preliminary testing out of the way, I'd like to see if my setup will work using an actual robot. The picture below shows the simple prototype I have created for this purpose. It uses two hubs and 8 motors. 4 steering motors connected to one hub and 4 driving motors connected to the other hub. I figured it's best to separate the functions, because I need to use a single block for driving. Being able to let one brick focus on one function allows me to have better control over driving and steering. At this point I wanted to connect the Spike hubs to the Mindstorms app, but this didn't work because I needed to update the firmware. The Spike and Mindstorms firmware aren't interchangeable. I had some issues connecting the Spike hubs to my laptops. This was caused by the fact that I had installed Pybricks firmware on both of them. If you visit the Pybvricks website you can easily "downgrade" to Spike firmware again and after that, I could install the 51515 firmware. The video below demonstrates the steering mechanism. This does seem to work properly. At the end of the video you see the limitations of the "nearest path" principle. Some of the wheels turn the other way around. This can easily be solved in the software. For now, test succeeded! CONCLUSION So what did I learn of this demonstration and can the Mindstorms software be used to program my big robot project? Right off the bat, I need to mention that the Mindstorms software is end of life and it won't be supported by TLG in a year or two. The Spike Prime software doesn't support hub-to-hub communication (at the moment), so that is of no use either. This leaves with a bit of a predicament. At this point I am not sure what to do, because it's unclear what the future of Spike and Mindstorms will bring. Obviously, I am disappointed that the Mindstorms software is terminated, but maybe TLG will move the communication blocks to the Spike software and it won't be an issue. But there is very little information available if this might happen. In order to create more sophisticated robots and have more control over the motors it might be better to switch to Python using Pybricks anyway. So, in the near future I will do some tests with Pybricks with the same setup and choose the desired solution. Being a software engineer myself, it's to be expected that Pybricks will be my favorite, but it doesn't hurt to do a proof of concept. To be continued... INTERESTING LINKS When I was looking into my motor sync issues, I found two interesting sources: Motor sync issues by Antons Mindstorms Mindstorms Hub to Hub Robot Arm by Creator Academy Australia Thanks you for reading this review. All pictures can be found here.

Yeah sure. Will post them today or tomorrow.

I know you have been civilized. Just a friendly reminder. Without pointing fingers. No need to discuss here.

Now I know who I need to address when I need a backstory for a future contest Nice work on the model. Looking forward to more progress.

This can happen when you enter a width in the Editor. This will show the image as 1000 wide, but actually it's a lot wider. Thanks for taking care of it. And a very nice start for the contest! This is definitely what we are looking for. Keep up the good work. PS someting totally off-topic; why don't you upload an avatar pic. This one is way too anonymous for a regular member

@SamVimes and @SirBlake Let's keep it civilized okay? Thanks

Wednesday and Sunday are travel days.

Very cool. I like the inclusion of the Mindstorms Hub.

My two sets have arrived. So I will be upgrading the scene soon. Maybe I need to throw some random 1x1 round white bricks on the floor as well. Or create some snow piles here and there.

I figured it had to be something like this. Makes sense. Although it still doesn't feel right to put Chewie in the scene The cases don't come cheap, that's for sure. If you want to protect more than a couple of sets, it adds up quickly. That's why I added the disclaimer that I am not the biggest Star Wars nerd. And I tend to forget things in movies pretty quickly. But.....I do have two nephews who are new to Star Wars, so it's a good excuse to start watching the movies. I tried a couple of years ago, but not being able to read the subtitles made it hard for them. But now is the time! A while ago I started the AT-AT by Cavegod, but I somehow never finished the project. I was planning on doing a diorama kind of scene back in the days, adding brick built snow ground etc. I was planning on adding some additional stuff so I am happy to do this with the current set. Like I said in the review; I didn't find the build enjoyable at all, but seeing the set in the scene and adding cool stuff does make up for it.

Badummm tsssss So I ordered the AT-ST. When I looked at the box, I noticed Chewie is in the set. I tried to dig in my memory, but I can't recall seeing Chewie on Hoth with an AT-ST. To be honest, I can't remember an AT-ST at all. I looked it up and apparently, there is an AT-ST briefly shown alongside an AT-AT. This leaves me wonder where Chewie is/was and why he is in the set? I know he was in the base on Hoth, so maybe that's the reason. But they could have thrown in Han as well. Not that I actually care, but I was wondering anyway And no, I am not the biggest Star Wars nerd LoL.

Just ordered both of them so I can complete the scene

I have been thinking about adding a Snowspeeder and possibly get a battle pack of Minifigs. But an AT-ST is actually a good idea. Which one do you recommend? I reckon this one will do https://www.lego.com/nl-nl/product/hoth-at-st-75322 I can add one of these as well: https://www.lego.com/nl-nl/product/snowtrooper-battle-pack-75320

Funny that you mention it. When I came in the room, there was a different smell and I was wondering if it was because of the case.

Yeah sure! Absolutely

That is exactly what I understood from online reviews. I will check it out again, although I promised to play more games instead of buy more games hehe Yup *cough* Mansion *cough* of Madness. Although that game is playable without expansions. Looking forward to it.

Lol, this is only part (half) of my collection. But you indeed caught me, because the other half doesn't contain both games either. Outer Rim has been on my radar for quite some time and is still on my "dormant wish list". I will probably pick it up at some point. As for Rebellion...I'm kinda the guy in the picture. It's better not to start playing Rebellion I just checked out your Clash of Clans! project. Awesome. Supported it.

REVIEW - IDISPLAYIT - 75313 AT-AT DISPLAY CASE INTRODUCTION It's been a while since I have written a review. And this review isn't about a LEGO set, but of a display case. I am not in the habit of showcasing my sets, but for some I do make an exception. Some of you might have seen my review for the Pure Display (iDisplayIt) Case for the Millennium Falcon. This time I am doing a review for another display case for a special LEGO set and that is the 75313 UCS AT-AT. Ever since I started eyeballing UCS Star Wars sets, and that started a while ago, I have been hoping for an official AT-AT set to be released. And in 2021, my dreams came true. At the time I didn't want to fork out the cash for that set, but just before Christmas 2022 I bit the bullet anyway. I purchased the set and started building. To be honest; the build was quite disappointing for me. A very tedious, repetitive and boring build with stuff falling of the AT-AT just upon looking at it. It's an understatement to say that the build wasn't very enjoyable to me. However, the end result does compensate the build process. That means this set deserves a special place in my home. If you have read the review of the display case for the Millennium Falcon you will know we had some fun proposing to put the model in the living room. My wife (Kitty) will surely appreciate that hehe. My plan is to display it in the guest room and relocate the Millennium Falcon, but since both are so big and you need the space of about twice the height of the display case to be able to place the case over the model, it's hard to place it on a high cabinet. I like to place it one on my boardgame cabinet, but more on that later. Before we start, I like to express my gratitude to Steve Chan from iDisplayIt. I proprosed to do another review and he was so kind to send me the coolest version of the display case within 24 hours. Thank you so much! Let's dive in so I can tell you more about the different versions of the case. CASE INFORMATION As I stated in the introduction, there are multiple versions of this casing. Usually, there is one with a black and one with a white base. However, this one comes with a Vinyl background and floor. This means the background and floor are printed with a Hoth like scene. The price of the regular display case is (with and without print): EU: 140 Pounds or 115 Pounds (ex tax) GB: 168 Pounds or 138 Pounds (includes tax) US: 224 USD or 184 USD (ex tax, I assume) The GB price is including tax while the others do not. I had to pay taxes when I received the package in The Netherlands. All prices exclude shipping. Approximate External Size (cm) Ext. Length 80cm Ext. Width 34cm Ext. Height 66cm Approximate Internal Size (cm) Int. Length 78cm Int. Width 32cm Int. Height 65cm THE BOX As usual, the box comes with "Fragile" tape indicating it should be handled with care. CONTENTS OF THE BOX What I like about these cases is that everything is neatly packed and well protected. THE BUILD The beast is standing-by and the Galaxy Explorer is around to follow the progress. Until I manage to put the Millennium Falcon on the boardgame cabinet, the AT-AT will probably reside left of the monitor. When you remove the carton, the plexiglass panels are exposed. They all have a blue protective film to avoid scratching. There is one unnumbered bag with parts. No new parts or parts in new colors There is also an instruction manual which included a link to the website and Facebook page. The panel below is the printed floor. It shows a snow-like terrain which obviously matches the iconic Battle of Hoth scene from The Empire Strikes Back. The back panel shows a generic snow-mountain-environment to match the floor. This scene has a painted feel to it and it's not simply a random picture. Bobb Ross would be proud of this. A little Van Dyke Brown....o wait, there not a lot of brown in the scene. The display case is starting to take shape and you can already see the scene where the AT-AT will be standing. I absolutely love the background. Low and behold, the finished display case. Assembling the case is a breeze. The mechanism with the "pins and connectors" is really easy to follow. Took me around 15 minutes or so to build the case. Most of the time was for unpacking and removing the protective film. THE DISPLAY CASE For now this will be where I will locate the display case. It's important to choose the correct spot, because once the model is placed in the case, it's very hard to move it. You can push it around a bit, but you CANNOT lift the case with model. The case is to protect the model from dust, not to move it around. For the purists; Luke needs to be attached to the bottom of the AT-AT. But the last time I touched the bottom, lots of stuff fell off and I had a hard time putting it back on. So I don't touch the bottom anymore....ever! As you can see in the bottom left corner, I didn't place the display case correctly. It sure is an impressive sight to behold and the printed panels really add value to the scene. At this point I wanted to write that I wished the Millennium Falcon case would come with a printed background. Then I suddenly realized, maybe there is one with a printed background nowadays. At the time of writing my review for that case, there wasn't one with a background. I looked it up and of course, there is one. I sure wish my version had such a cool background. Anyway, back to the AT-AT. It does feel a bit too big to place on a desk hehe. On the other hand, it is cool to look at when you are doing some work. Rule number one; take a shot from below to make something look more impressive. And it sure does look impressive. And a final picture where I correctly placed the case on the base. REARRANGING THE DISPLAY CASES The initial plan was to place the AT-AT in the guest room with the Millennium Falcon. However, my board game cabinet is too high to put the MF or AT-AT on top of it. There is enough space, but I can't place the case over the model. But I had an epiphany. The board game cabinet consists of two Kallax cabinets. I can empty the top cabinet and put it on the floor. Put the MF or AT-AT on it and lift it on the lower cabinet. I decided to relocate the MF so the AT-AT can take its place for a while. Maybe I will switch them in the future. Here they are, both in the guest room. Looking at the MF, I do miss the cool background the AT-AT has. I might try to get a background for the MF as well. Maybe I can get a separate panel or something. And one final picture of the AT-AT and display in the guest room. Who doesn't want to wake up with a huge Millennium Falcon and AT-AT in their room :D THE VERDICT The verdict from the Millennium Falcon case review can be copied here and it would be exactly the same. These display cases are a fantastic solution to protect your sets. Obviously, they do add up to the price of the set, but in my opinion protecting USC Star Wars sets like the Millennium Falcon or AT-AT also protects the value of the sets. I definitely recommend getting these cases to display your sets and to protect your collection. Again, a big shout out to Steve and iDisplayIt for providing me with this case! Thanks you for reading this review. All pictures can be found here.

I am actually tempted to buy the Cada version for the instructions and build it with genuine LEGO (except the few missing parts).

Yes, it sure can! And it certainly doesn't have to be a realistic spaceship, as long as it's a spaceship