Dashboard Complete and Compatibility

I'm proud to say that the dash is complete, I received my speedometer last Wednesday. now I won't go into any great detail on how it all works as I covered that in my previous post, but what I do want to cover is compatibility with American Truck Simulator. The simdash application works as it should when used with Euro Truck Simulator, American Truck Simulator, on the other hand, will not load the plugin in a normal game version. there are two necessary things you must do to ensure its compatibility. you will first have to go to your steam library, right click on ATS, then open properties, find your beta tab then opt into the unsupported 32-bit beta, even if your computer is based in 64-bit architecture, 32 bit will run just fine, I've been using the 32 bit for a few days straight now, no mod problems, no crashing, and I even see smoother frames now. The next step gets a little detailed so hang on, when you configure the ATS plugin through simdash it will place your files in these two locations, C:\Program Files (X86)\Steam\Steamapps\common\american truck simulator\bin
once you open the BIN folder you will see an X64 and X86 folder, each contains a PLUGIN folder, open the X86 folder, then the PLUGIN folder and copy the plugin in that folder, then go back to the X64 folder and paste the plugin into the PLUGIN folder and like magic you should receive an SDK request upon starting ATS. I'm not sure where the issue arrives, but the X64 plugin throws a 0000007E error, so the plugin is searching for dependencies but I don't know what. feel free to delete the eurotrucksim64 bit plugin in the X64 plugin folder, I'm not sure if it makes a difference but deleting it will remove the load error from your log if you're picky about it. I'm just about out of time today though so remember if you can dream, you can build it. if you have any questions feel free to comment below or on the video above.

Euro Truck Simualtor 2 Dash Board

No, Lego hasn't fallen away from me, a new project has gripped me that I've devoted hours and hours to, the plan was to build a fully functioning dash board for ETS2. The idea started roughly a year ago, it was 9 sheets of paper taped together, covering my Lego desk, it was completely empty at that time, I now have two desks, one for Legos, and the other for this project. When I say fully functioning dash I mean Full pedals, shifter, steering wheel, and switch panels. Fig 1. Is what this project started as, a plywood shell. the top shelf was originally designed to hold my laptop and printer, I soon realized that with my laptop on the top shelf I was straining myself to see it properly, so the top came off, the stereo was moved from the bottom shelf onto a shelf under my desk this was roughly mid-October.

 

Fig 1.

Fig 2.

Black Friday came and with it brought a brand new 32 inch Samsung smart tv which is connected via an HDMI cable to my laptop, I have to say it was one of my better decisions for this dash so far, now onto the guts of this build. Now at first it may seems like a build that one could never accomplish, but it's actually very simple once you have all your needed parts together. the first part that were going to start with is the Pro Gauge Controller, It's a small circuit board no bigger then an open hand that makes all the magic happens. The board is simple to hook up, if all your connecting lines are long enough so you don't have to work in a confined space it may take all of 3 minutes to connect. A power connector and separate USB connecter can be found at one end of the board, the other end of the board has all necessary connectors for your gauges. A 12 volt, ground, RPM, SPEED, and 6 other terminals provide plenty of possibilities for your setup. The pro gauge controller is not limited to ETS2 its also compatible with ATS, and a variety of other games listed HERE. The next step in the process is your gauge choices, you can use any gauge you please, there are hundreds of gauges on the market available, I went with VDO Vision Chrome gauges, I felt these gauges gave the truckiest feeling,  The VDO gauges are the best gauge as their faces are clear and crisp to read, when backlit at night they're not overly bright, I purchased my gauges from Raneys chrome, in Ocala Florida, they were the best dealer price wise, shipping usually takes two to three weeks as gauges are made to order. Another reason the VDO gauges were my number one choice is that you can easily purchase them without senders, you receive only the gauge with makes wiring your dash and placing your gauges wherever you want them a complete breeze. 

Fig 3.

Fig 4.

Fig 3. Shows the wiring completed for the gauges, it looks like chaos because it is, but its organized chaos that I'm somewhat able to understand. The most important part of the entire dash is case cooling, I purchased two fans to mount in the case, one on each end in a push pull configuration. The lightbulbs in the gauges do produce some heat as they're incandescent bulbs not LEDs. That is the only buildup of heat that I've noticed in my dash so far. If your dash gets to warm inside even with case fans, find a small desk fan that you can place inside and face blowing towards the gauges to cool them, works like a charm. In Fig 4. Were able to see the prefabricated switch panel that I currently have installed, it's to the right of the steering wheel. From the looks of their website it seems that the Cessna 1010 panel has been discontinued, so I would recommend either the 1015 or the 2620, 

!!!DO NOT BUY THE XPLANE VERSION!!!

!!!BUY THE FSX VERSION!!!

I've never played in X plane before, but its seems that it uses a button configuration that differs from others games, if you purchase the X plane the toggles switches will not work correctly. The FSX version works like normal toggle switches. This applies for the switch array that will fill the top rectangle. The hole for the panel needs to be cut roughly 3/4" smaller than the listed dimensions. You can use any gauge wire you please for this project, I recommend 18~22 gauge as it will easily fit in pro gauge terminals. Once you have all this setup it's all down to calibrating your gauges, instructions for that can be found on the Pro Gauges product page. In this Google Drive you can find my work in progress pictures. 

Lego KidsFest Louisville Ky 6-5-2016 Star Wars Exhibit

 I'm not the biggest fan of the Star Wars Saga as i haven"t taken the time to watch the Saga, but i know that some people absolutely drool over Star Wars, then combine that with Legos, its pure heaven, to see the amount of detail that these models possess is stunning, I'm roughly 5' 9", and the Kylo Ren statue and Queen Storm Trooper were above me, BB-8 was roughly 2 FT tall, and excuse my ignorance for not knowing the names of the other Star Wars characters pictured here.

Lego KidsFest Louisville Ky 6-5-2016 Scooby Doo Exhibit

Being a fan of Scooby Doo ever since I was young this exhibit really caught my eye, even with there being Scooby Doo sets released, I have no room to display them and they would all be built once, then tore down to be put back in a box forever. Brick built sets don't interest me as the hold very little functions. From top left to bottom right we have Scooby, Shaggy, a 3D model of Scooby for the Lego dimensions game, We then have Velma, Daphane and Fred. And the bottom picture is of course the infamous Mystery Machine.

Lego Technic Planetary Hub

A Planetary Hub, or gearbox works in the same manner as a regular gearbox, either increasing or decreasing torque and speed. In my video above, I show how to build your own Planetary Hub with Technics. This webpage can give you a better understanding of the principles of a Planetary Hub. Four key components are needed in order to create a proper Planetary gear set (Fig 1.). The Sun gear is usually the input gear in a Planetary setup, but it can also be the output gear. The Sun gear turns the Pinions, in the image below there are only three Pinions, but more Pinions can be added to cope with 

Fig 1.

stress, provided they don't mesh with one another. The Carrier functions as a holder of the Pinions, to keep them evenly spaced, the Carrier is usually what is mounted to the chassis of a vehicle. The Ring gear can be considered the most important part of a Planetary setup as the Ring gear is what’s mounted to a wheel, or any other rotary device. To achieve different gear ratios in a Planetary setup one would change any of the following three: the tooth count on the Sun gear, the tooth count on the Pinions, and finally the tooth count of the Ring gear. In my Planetary setup I used a 24-tooth Ring gear from the old style stud less turntable, when an 8-tooth gear is used as a Sun gear, with two 8-tooth gears used as Pinions, provides a 1:4 ratio. The Black part of the turntable in my Planetary setup doesn't rotate, the grey part of the turntable does turn as the Pinion gears are meshed with the inner gear ring of the grey part. thats all for now, remember if you can dream it, you can build it.

Nuremburg Toy Fair Volvo EW160E Update

Today a video surfaced of the Volvo EW160E loader today, uploaded by Zusammengebaut.com which is a wonderful blog. The Eurobricks Forum has a topic dedicated to the loader. To start off, the loader features V2 pneumatics, which entails longer cylinders, redesigned hoses and ports. It is unclear at this moment in time if the hand pump included with this set is of the V2 variety, or a older style. Three valves control the raising of the boom, the knuckle in the arm, and the opening of the bucket. Outriggers are manually controlled, by flipping a piece down, then another piece flips down and the two lock together, this is clearly shown in the video. Steering is controlled by a wheel in the back, the model only features front wheel steering, nothing fancy like the Claas. The front blade's elevation is manually controlled. Same for the cabin, it’s lifted by use of a linkage that’s connected to what appears to be a 24 tooth driven by a worm gear. The loader contains 2 2x11 cylinders and 1 1x5 cylinder. Lego officials at the toy have confirmed that this set is power functions upgradeable, although at this current point in time we are unsure of what specifics can be powered by a motor. This set will cost roughly $100, That’s all the information I have for now, remember if you can dream it, you can build it. 

2016 Technic 2H Set Images

Fig 1.

Fig 2.

Fig 4.

Fig 3.

Where on earth do I start, today has been an overload of images and information from the London toy fair and Nuremberg toy fair, all images used in this blog (in this post only) are property of Promobricks, I hold no rights to any images shown. In the Technic 2016 2H sets we receive a Volvo EW160E (Fig 12.) with a set number of 42053, a Claas Xerion 5000 Trac VC (Fig 1.) with a set number of 42054, a Bucket Wheel Excavator (Fig 2.) with a set number of 42055, and a Porsche supercar (Fig 7.) with a set number of 42056. in the picture of the Porsche there’s not much to be seen, the weird sticker pattern is either to deceive the prying eye as to what new panels and parts are awaiting us, but we can definitely tell its a Porsche by the distinctive headlights on the front. Now on to the bucket wheel excavator, weighing in at a whopping 3927 pieces, this makes this set the biggest technic set ever to be released. Here are two videos from the Nuremburg toy show displaying the Claas Xerion, and the Bucket Wheel Excavator. The Porsche has not yet been filmed in detail with an explanation for its functions.

Fig 5.

Volvo loader (as of 1/27 has been filmed, my thoughts on it here.) 

Fig 6.

The B model of the Bucket

Wheel Excavator was said to be a mobile aggregate processing plant, while the B model of the Xerion was said to be a silage plow. Now if you've had a look at the crane on the Xerion you'll notice some panels that look like they could have been left off, those panels are for the plow. The crane disassembles and can be rebuilt into a plow, similar to the B model functionality of the Mercedes Benz Unimog (8110) set from 2011. The Xerion features new tires that are marked on the

Fig 7.

sidewall with a 107.4, that's 107.4 MM, or 4.23 inches tall, And roughly 40 MM wide, or 1.6 inches wide. The tires feature actual tractor tread instead of a road tire or a balloon tire. In Fig 3. We see the bucket assembly, the bucket is connected to new gear rack pieces that are in fourths, and 4 pieces are needed to make an entire circle. in the video of the BWE (Bucket Wheel Excavator) there are 2 conveyors system, one takes material away from the buckets, then the other directs material into either a dump or other hauler of sort, ( it will 42043 in my case). The bottom discharge chute can rotate 180 degrees, either by hand, or by turning a double bevel gear at the rear. 

Fig 9.

Fig 8.

Above the double bevel gear is a what appears to be a change over catch, that catch is used to lock the lower boom in place, so you don’t spill your bricks when loading a truck. The Xerion has three steering modes, four wheel steering, crab steering, and normal front wheel steering. The battery box is hidden under the bonnet/ hood of the tractor. So no fake engine for now guys, although I do have enough engine pieces to make a V30 by now. By attachment are raised and lowered by the use of a small linear actuator, I am curious if there is a proper three point hitch on the Xerion. The BWE also has manual lowering and lifting on the superstructure through the use of two large linear actuators that can be operated by a double bevel gear. There is also a miniature dump truck included with the bucket wheel excavator that some believe to be a recolor of 42035, which was released as a 2015 1H set. The BWE also features an 

Fig 10.

Fig 11.

array of FALSE lights, not actual PF lights. From looking at the pictures, I see eight total pairs of lights. Oh, the PF lights ill need to buy for this monster. There is also an operator’s booth, which is on the left hand side. The top of the cabin opens upward. The BWE also features a XL motor and one 

Fig 12.

battery box, all on the opposite end of the digging buckets, to act as a counterweight, I think the XL motor is a wonderful choice of motor in this application as it coasts to a stop when power is cut from the motor. This provides a unique feature when the bucket is rotating and power is shutoff the bucket will coast to a stop instead of a jerking quick stop. current pricing is unsure but this is the rumor of what we know right now.

42053 Volvo EW – £69.99= $100

42054 Class Xerion 5000 Trac – £119.99= $172

42055 Bucket Wheel Excavator – £179.99= $258

42056 Confidential Technic Ultramotive – £249.99= $350

Thats all the information that I have for now, remember to go check out Promobricks as all these pictures are theirs. Remember, if you can dream it, you can build it.

The History of Lego Technic 1988-1997 Part 2

Fig 2.

Fig 1.

Continued from the last post, in 1988 the technic saw the addition of five sets, including a new auto chassis, which is shown in Fig 1. Technic sets were reboxed in a dark blue box and contained a CAD drawing of the set, the dark blue technic box would hold strong for ten years. 1988 also saw the beginning of specialized parts, Fig 2. Shows the US patent for a specialized steering rack assembly, which made car steering systems more compact then they could be built before. The five sets that were released in 1988 were 8712, 8832, 8853, 8855, and 8865. The 8855 prop plane was technics first plane to be released, 1989 showcased the release of second-generation pneumatics (Fig 3.), the new pneumatics featured double acting cylinders. A spring loaded pump was used to compress air which was then directed to a control valve, when one of the two outputs on the valve was choose air would be forced into the corresponding chamber on the cylinder, either retracting or extending the rod.

Fig 3.

The 8862 backhoe was released in 1989 as well as 2 other sets, and four supplementary sets, all can be found here. From here forward instead of linking individual sets I will link the whole year of Technic, as it will be easier for you the reader to view all sets for that year, all sets will be linked to the first indication of year. in 1990 Lego released a new 9v electric system that did away with the 12v train system, the 9v system was exclusive to technic for a short period but Lego soon changed that and used the 9v system in all products line. The engine cylinder, crankshaft, piston, connecting rod, and crankshaft center was also released in 1990 adding to the growing list of specialized parts. Lego started putting their new friction connector into use in 1990 to allow easier removal from parts, even though Lego patented the redesigned the friction connector in 1982. Now to what some would call the best part of 1990, the 8094 Control center (Fig 4.). 

Fig 4.

Dacta, the educational division of Technic had marketed several computer controlled devices in the mid-1980s, the control center would be the first computerized that Lego retailed. The control center features three 9v outputs for to control three motors. 1991 featured the release of the Lego flex system (also known as a Bowden cable), acting just like a Bowden cable allowed for simple steering designs, better functioning grabbers, and just about any other design that requires a transfer of linear torque, Brickset only marks 6 set as making significant use of the flex system. Some would go as far to say the flex system is the most unused asset in the Lego technic line. The Universal joint was also introduced in 1991 adding to the growing list of specialized parts in the technic family. The Universal joint allowed for an easy solution to many builders trying to transfer power from one point to another point on a different plane without using any gearing. 1992 showcased the release of six sets, two of which were pneumatic. The set ranged from a 95 ATV to the 954 piece 8868 Air Tech Claw Rig. These range of sizes started a trend that Lego has followed to the present day models. The 8868 model featured an I6, a turntable for the crane, and an onboard electric compressor. Lego also released its first boat in this year. 1993 saw the introduction of a variety of new parts such as, the Micromotor, Polarity switch, and the Perpendicular connector. the micromotor proved useful to power small details such as fans or decorative items, as the micromotor only turned at roughly 14 RPM's, and had a small 1.25 N*cm of torque. (Thanks to Sariel's gear calculator). The polarity switch does exactly what you think it does, it changes the polarity of the motor to determine its rotation. 1994 saw the introduction of the Clutch gear, Changeover catch, Driving ring, and the Driving ring connector. The 8880 super car was also released and was a marvel for Lego at the time, taking full advantage of all the specialized parts that had been developed up till now. The 8880 super car featured a V8 engine, a 4 speed transmission utilizing all the new transmission parts for 1994, 3 differentials, 8 big shock absorbers, and pop up head lights. The Technic line saw the introduction of the 8460 in 1995 the first crane to feature a pneumatically Raised boom. 1995 also introduced two gearbox casings, one for bevel gears, and a casing for worm gears. The second control center was released in 1995, the set contained instructions to build three different models, on top of the computer control base. The sets of 1995 range in part count from 86 pieces, to 1079 pieces. 1996 introduced the 8480 (Fig 5.)

Fig 5.

 and fiber optics. Also, check out Blakbirds Technicopedia entry about 8480, as it provides valuable information as to the workings of the spaceship. 1996 also sees the infamous Technic Beam (Fig 6.)

Fig 6.

 appear, now the technic beam was not studded, it had rounded ends and could only be attached to another beam by use of a connecter pin or axle. A technic beam also has a aspect ratio of 1:1, where as a technic brick's aspect ratio was 6:5. Technic beams were used in combination with bricks for a few ye.    ars after their development, designers eventually started using beams more the bricks. As beams provided more versatility. Fiber Optics were also introduced in 1996 to simulate the flow of energy, such as spark plugs to a motor, or turn signals. According to Bricklink fiber optics were only used in 2 sets in 1996, and never appeared in Another technic set. 1997 saw the introduction of a barcode reader, also known as code pilot (Fig 7.), 

Fig 7.

this barcode reader only appeared in set 8479, Lost_In_Noise made a wonderful review of set 8479, including some insightful details into the operation of the code pilot. Angle connectors (Fig 8.) 

Fig 8.

were also introduced in 1997, each angle connector is offset from the next by 22.5 Degrees, These connectors are 1-6 from left to right. Until next time, remember if you can dream it, you can build it. I hope to have the next 10 years of history posted within 2 weeks time. There’s so much information to find, and put together. I’d like to thank Bricklink, Brickset, Eurobricks, Brickfactory, for information, pictures, catalog images, and pictorial reviews

First external Forum link

     To many, it's just a Forum post, but to me, It's my first time being linked to an outside forum, which is a small victory to me, especially in a different language. This is the post here, and to the person who created the post, there will be plenty more history to come, it's just to much to comply into one post. That's it for now. My little celebrations over. Remember if you can dream, it you can build it.

The History of Lego Technic 1977-1987 Part 1

Fig 1.

Fig 2.

     Before we start, I would like to say that I will be breaking down the history into chunks, all links can be found at the bottom of this page when all posts are wrote, 38 years of history over four posts. Lego Technic spurred from Lego in 1977 under the name, Expert Builder, or Technical Sets, in 1982 and 1986 the line was renamed Technic. According to Brickset.com, there are currently 273 sets, not counting supplementary sets, and accessory packs. That number is forever changing as every year Lego releases a new batch of Technic sets. The sets are designed 2-3 years in advance to being released, so a set that was released in 2015 got its concept in 2012-2013. In 1977, Lego released what were called "Technical Sets" in Europe; this new line of Lego's was aimed for older children in their teenage years. In 1978 "Expert builder" sets were released in the U.S, both lines are the same sets just under different names; both launches consisted of four models and two supplementary sets. In Fig 1. We see the original Technic elements, some bricks with holes for axles and pins; at the bottom middle, we see a 40-tooth gear, a 24-tooth gear and a 24-tooth crown gear. The crown gear was later replaced by bevel gears, which didn't come along until 1995. In 1979 Lego released its first motorcycle along with its first bulldozer and 6 more supplementary sets, set 951 (Fig 2.) which featured lifting and tipping of a bucket, treads running on 40 tooth gears. The 12-volt motor was also introduced in 1979, it used the same transformer as the 12-volt train motors. In 1980 the 8858, and 8860, were released, both sets were designed to allow the builder to build different designs of their choice. The 8888 expert builder book was also released in 1980. In 1981 five sets and one accessory set were released; 8710, accessory set, 8844, 8845, 8846, 8848, 8859. 1982, the technic year, Lego changed the name of these sets from Expert Builders and Technical sets to Technic in continental Europe, the name was not changed in the USA until 1986, even with the long time between the two continents name change,  The name Technic has held firm ever since. 1982 also saw the introduction of a 4.5 volt motor set, the Friction connector was also introduced, also known as a pin, it became one of the most valued pieces in all of the technic line, its main purpose is to clamp attach two pieces together, by the lip on each end of the pin latching on to the outside edge of a beam or brick. Only four sets were released from the technic line in 1982, those sets were 8030, 8050, 8090, and 8700. In 1983 only three sets were released, the 1924 motorcycle which was designed as a promotional product, the 8841 desert racer, and the 8847 dragster made 1983 a small year. 1984 made up for the drop in 1983 by introducing pneumatics (Fig 3.). This was the first line of pneumatics to be used in technic. to properly set up a proper with these pneumatics one needed to connect a pump to a distribution block, now the air compressor is of course able to create compression but

Fig 3.

somehow the distribution block also creates vacuum pressure; both pressure and vacuum are transferred to a valve to choose between the two. The vacuum or pressure is then routed through the bottom port of the valve and into the only port on the cylinder. The only downside to this pneumatic setup was the cylinders could move a better amount of weight when using pressure instead of vacuum. The only two sets released in 1984 were 8851, 8843 and another idea book for pneumatics. 1985 was a very small year of the technic line as attention was focused elsewhere in the Lego group, the only set to be released was the 1972 Go-Kart. In 1986, Lego released eight set in total, two of which were supplementary packs. the sets of 1986 took on an arctic appeal, 8620, 8640, 8660, 8680, 8842, 8849, 1986 is also when we saw the premiere of technic figures, bigger than a mini figure.1987 was another small year for technic, as only one set was released the 8852 robot, as the transformer movie was released not to long before this set was released Lego tried to catch a part of the hype by creating their own transformer, there was also another idea book released in 1987. as long as this may seem it only covers a 4th of Lego’s long running history, more updates to the history of technic will come soon, until that time, remember if you can dream it you can build it.