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 Robotics / 23302
Subject: 
Re: The Great Ball Contraption
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Mon, 10 Jan 2005 13:17:56 GMT
Viewed: 
7058 times
  
At this point, we're not interested in making the standard more complex,
and
increasing the difficulty of setting it up, when it really doesn't add any
functionality to the whole contraption.

Well, perhaps some things need more complexity, although I would agree a
standard anyone can use is preferable.  The big challenge is getting the
degree of complexity as best you can for all parties which will be involved.

Geoffrey Hyde


Is there something that a module builder can not do because the standard is too simple?

Steve


Subject: 
Re: The Great Ball Contraption
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Mon, 10 Jan 2005 15:01:48 GMT
Viewed: 
7545 times
  
In lugnet.robotics, Steve Hassenplug wrote:
At this point, we're not interested in making the standard more complex,
and
increasing the difficulty of setting it up, when it really doesn't add any
functionality to the whole contraption.

Well, perhaps some things need more complexity, although I would agree a
standard anyone can use is preferable.  The big challenge is getting the
degree of complexity as best you can for all parties which will be involved.

Geoffrey Hyde


Is there something that a module builder can not do because the standard is too simple?

Steve

Not to oversimplify, but I mean if the 'standard' for the ball contraption is 32
studs from the front of the hopper to the back edge of the baseplate, and thus I
personally would probably grab a 32 x 32 stud baseplate to build on, thus the
'in' hopper would be in the bottom left hand corner anyway, wouldn't my module,
by its very nature, be able to be placed 'in line' with the other ones, or 90
degrees, placing the hopper in the same location?

I think that making 90 degree turns (only to the right) would be able to be done
on many modules, just the way they are--phenominal ASCII graphix below!

XXXXXXXXXXYYYYYYYYYY
X        XY        Y
X        XY        Y
X        XY        Y
X        XY        Y
OOO      XOOO      YOOO
O O      XO O      YO O
OOOXXXXXXXOOOYYYYYYYOOO


XXXXXXXXXX
X        X
X        X
X        X
X        X
OOO      XOOOYYYYYYY
O O      XO O      Y
OOOXXXXXXXOOO      Y
          Y        Y
          Y        Y
          Y        Y
          Y        Y
          YYYYYYYYYY
          OOO
          O O
          OOO


X-Module 1
Y-Module 2
O-Input/Output Bin

See, if you leave both 'outer edges' of the bin open, both orientations work

But maybe I'm missing something.

Dave K


Subject: 
Re: The Great Ball Contraption
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Mon, 10 Jan 2005 15:32:07 GMT
Viewed: 
8000 times
  
In lugnet.robotics, tmassey@obscorp.com wrote:
news-gateway@lugnet.com wrote on 01/10/2005 10:01:48 AM:

Is there something that a module builder can not do because the
standard is too simple?

Not to oversimplify, but I mean if the 'standard' for the ball
contraption is 32
studs from the front of the hopper to the back edge of the
baseplate, and thus I
personally would probably grab a 32 x 32 stud baseplate to build on, thus the
'in' hopper would be in the bottom left hand corner anyway, wouldn'tmy module,
by its very nature, be able to be placed 'in line' with the other ones, or 90
degrees, placing the hopper in the same location?

That assumes that there is nothing in front of the hopper.  There is
nothing to say that you are limited to a module 32 studs deep.  If you
choose to build it that way, great, but there is nothing that says you
can't build a 3-foot-deep module (and according to the spec, that *should*
be longer than deep, so it would have to be at *least* 3 feet long!).  In
that case, it could not turn the corner as you've described.

However, to me, that's even more reason to leave the spec alone.  You have
described a simple way to make a spec-compliant module that makes right
corners.  Therefore, there is no reason to define corner pieces!  They're
already defined!  :)

Tim Massey

I completely agree with that assessment.  However, the premise is that I'm using
a 32x32 baseplate with the hopper in the bottom left hand corner--using that
premise, the module can be used either in-line, or 90 degrees.  If one does not
use the 32x32 baseplate with the hooper in the bottom left-hand corner, then all
bets are off ;)

Dave K


Subject: 
Re: The Great Ball Contraption
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Mon, 10 Jan 2005 16:09:41 GMT
Original-From: 
tmassey@NOMORESPAMobscorp.com
Viewed: 
7844 times
  
news-gateway@lugnet.com wrote on 01/10/2005 10:01:48 AM:

Is there something that a module builder can not do because the
standard is too simple?

Not to oversimplify, but I mean if the 'standard' for the ball
contraption is 32
studs from the front of the hopper to the back edge of the
baseplate, and thus I
personally would probably grab a 32 x 32 stud baseplate to build on, • thus the
'in' hopper would be in the bottom left hand corner anyway, wouldn'tmy • module,
by its very nature, be able to be placed 'in line' with the other ones, • or 90
degrees, placing the hopper in the same location?

That assumes that there is nothing in front of the hopper.  There is
nothing to say that you are limited to a module 32 studs deep.  If you
choose to build it that way, great, but there is nothing that says you
can't build a 3-foot-deep module (and according to the spec, that *should*
be longer than deep, so it would have to be at *least* 3 feet long!).  In
that case, it could not turn the corner as you've described.

However, to me, that's even more reason to leave the spec alone.  You have
described a simple way to make a spec-compliant module that makes right
corners.  Therefore, there is no reason to define corner pieces!  They're
already defined!  :)

Tim Massey


Subject: 
Re: The Great Ball Contraption
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Tue, 11 Jan 2005 00:35:04 GMT
Reply-To: 
Geoffrey Hyde <[gDOThyde@bigpondDO]nomorespam[TnetDOTau]>
Viewed: 
7464 times
  
"Steve Hassenplug" <Steve@TeamHassenplug.org> wrote in message

Is there something that a module builder can not do because the standard
is too simple?

Yes.  Currently it's not being able to make turns in both directions with
the hopper feed setup the way it is.  Someone did point out that there would
be a lot of wasted space if there was a large assembly of machines.  I think
standards should be there to be helpful, not cumbersome.

Cheers ...

Geoffrey Hyde


Subject: 
Re: The Great Ball Contraption
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Tue, 11 Jan 2005 01:28:09 GMT
Viewed: 
7348 times
  

"Steve Hassenplug" <Steve@TeamHassenplug.org> wrote in message

Is there something that a module builder can not do because the standard
is too simple?

Yes.  Currently it's not being able to make turns in both directions with
the hopper feed setup the way it is.


That's really not true.  As a module builder, you can make all the turns you want.
This one makes a whole bunch:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1049772

If you can't figure out how to put the output in the correct place, with respect to
the input, that's not a problem with the standard.


See, there are two different things being talked about here.
A) Before Brickfest, many people will be building modules for the GBC
B) At Brickfest, we'll be assembling the modules to create a complete Great Ball
Contraption.

(A) should be possible, no matter how the input/output is arranged.

And, I have no doubt when we're at Brickfest we will succeed at (B), given the
current standard.  Adding turns and things will only make that much more difficult.

If people are not able to make standard modules, that will be a bummer.  But, I
don't really see it as a issue.

Steve


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