6.4 KiB
MakeCode for FIRST LEGO League
For teams participating in the Open Software Platform Pilot utilizing MakeCode, we’ve compiled a list of resources and information that we hope will be helpful for you.
FAQ
How do I use MakeCode with my EV3?
- You will need to install the latest EV3 firmware on your brick. Instructions on how to do that are located here: https://makecode.mindstorms.com/troubleshoot.
- You will need a computer with a USB port to connect to the EV3 in order to download your programs.
- You will need internet access and a browser on your computer to get to https://makecode.mindstorms.com.
What’s the best way to get started with MakeCode?
Watch some of the videos at https://makecode.mindstorms.com (at the bottom of the page). Try some of the provided tutorials:
- Wake Up! – show your EV3 brick waking up
- Animation – create a custom animation to show
- Music Brick – transform your EV3 into a musical instrument
- Run Motors – control the motors of your robot
- Red Light, Green Light – play red light, green light with the color sensor
- Line Following – have your robot follow a line
Can I load both LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Software and MakeCode programs onto my EV3?
Yes.
How do I figure out what a block does?
You can right-click on any block and select “Help” in the context menu to open the documentation page describing what that block does.
How do I program in JavaScript?
Click the JavaScript button at the top of the page to get to the JavaScript editor. Students can drag and drop code snippets from the Toolbox on the left, or type directly in the editor. You can switch back and forth between Blocks and JavaScript as you program.
Also, watch the Text-based Coding video for more about coding using the JavaScript editor.
How do I use the Simulator?
The Simulator will show the physical representation of your code blocks. For example, based on this code snippet, the Simulator will show the touch sensor on Port 1, and a large motor on Port D.
sensors.touch1.onEvent(ButtonEvent.Pressed, function () {
motors.largeD.run(50)
})
Note that the Simulator is also interactive, so you can simulate inputs with any of the sensors.
See the video Block-based Coding and Simulation for more about using the simulator.
How do I save my programs?
MakeCode will automatically save your recent projects in the browser. However, you can also save a copy of your project as a file on your computer:
- From the Settings menu, select Save Project
- This will download your program from the browser as a lego-myproject.uf2 file
- You can import your saved projects by clicking the Import button on the Home Page
How do I share my programs?
You can share your projects by clicking on the share button in the top left of the screen. This will create a URL which you can send others to open and view your project.
Sharing programs is also shown in the Tips and Tricks video.
Why can't I delete my program (*.uf2) files from the Brick?
There's a bug in the firmware which prevents you from deleting the programs (*.uf2 files) from your EV3 Brick. There isn't a firmware update to fix this yet. As a workaround, you can temporarily downgrade your firmware version, delete the files, and then upgrade back to the version that works with MakeCode.
Follow these steps to downgrade your firmware version, delete the files, and uprgade back again:
- Go into EV3 LabVIEW - if it's not installed get it here
- Plug in your EV3 Brick and start a new project
- Go to the Tools menu in the upper right corner, select Firmware Update
- In the Firmware Update dialog box, click on the Show Details button
- From the Available Firmware Files list, select EV3 Firmware V1.09E
- Click the Update Firmware button and wait for the update to complete
Now the firmware version on the EV3 Brick will be V1.09E. Also, in the process, the downgrade deleted all of the saved programs from the EV3 Brick. To continue to use MakeCode, the firmware version must be at V1.10E or above. So, the Brick firmware needs to be upgraded again. If you don't know or do remember how to do this, see the Upgrade your @drivename@ section in the troubleshooting page.
For other common questions, try the FAQ page https://makecode.mindstorms.com/faq.
Workarounds
- Deleting Programs from the EV3 brick
- Description: Unable to delete program files from the EV3 brick after downloading them
- Status: LEGO Education team is working on a fix, no estimated date yet
Community connection
For questions, issues, feedback and community for the Open Software Platform Pilot:
We are using a messaging service called Slack. Slack can be accessed via an app you download to your computer or mobile device, and via a web interface. For more information about Slack, click here. Anyone in the pilot can participate by signing up with Slack first, and then clicking this FIRST LEGO League Robot SW link to join the Slack workspace.