Compiling a "Missing Manual"

[FayRhodes]

The purpose of this thread is to compose a sort of Missing Manual for new NXT users. Please share what you wish you'd know when you started using the NXT. If we get a good response maybe I can organize the suggestions and compile them into a .pdf booklet that can be downloaded.

[FayRhodes]

My first suggestion is to update the firmware. Almost four years after release, ssomeone is still selling NXT's with old firmware---and it will cause problems you don't want.

[mpscholz]

There should be a paragraph on options the NXT user has in regard to programming environments. I suspect that many new NXT users are not aware of the set of programming languages/platforms for the NXT out there but consider NXT-G the only option.
No programming language is suited for anyone's background, for any purpose or for any need (NXT-G not at all, just to name a prominent one), so it will be very useful for new users to know about the available options.

[DaveParker]

1. Many new users of the NXT have lots of trouble figuring out how to attach the motors to the NXT brick in a reasonably strong way.  Several examples would be useful.

2. Many Technic builders have trouble figuring out how to get the holes to point the right direction for attaching more parts.  Examples of how to use some of the key parts for this (e.g. cross block, extended cross block, inverted cross block, H- and L-shaped plug joints) would be helpful.

3. Sample small NXT-G programs that do various things, including at least one use of each block and structure type, would be helpful to many.

[legouabc]

Adding a chapter on programming "on the metal"

[mg1937]

Adding a chapter on programming "on the metal"

I don't think that would be appropriate in a pamphlet aimed at new users of the NXT. That's a very advanced topic only a relatively small number of experienced users would be interested in.

[LinearActuator]

1) Dave Parker's idea of adding sample NXT-G programs - I only found out how to do simple things like find the reading of an ultrasonic sensor by looking at a program

2) The many ways in which you can control the NXT:
- Bluetooth - Mobile, Laptop/PC, Another NXT brick etc
- Infrared - PF - How to set this up

Applications for controlling the NXT via a Bluetooth enabled Mobile, and where to find them
E.g.
NXT Mobile application software - http://mindstorms.lego.com/Overview/Mobile%20Application.aspx

FunkNXT
http://funknxt.homepage.t-online.de/FunkNXT/Willkommen.html

3) Where to find other sensors for the NXT (Most people do know, but I have seen many posts asking where to find an RFID sensor, etc.)

More as I think of them...

LA

[megamindstorm101]

Well I think that a programming section would be usefull just to get used to each thing. And maby one or two sentences on each block would have been nice. SOmething I esspecially got perterbed about when I got my nxt was not having a clue how wires worked. I think a good section on how wires work will be nice. 

Bluetooth. That is something most people want to make first. An example or two of each type of bluetooth program would be nice (in fact I myself am writing a book on double nxts with instructions and extreme explanations on bluetooth communication with two nxts but thats all the information im giving out...for now )  Making two nxt rc, computer to nxt rc (ex. brixcc joystick), phone to nxt (i never had a phone that was the right brand) and an extra special section (though it might be too advanced) is controlling an nxt with wii or xbox 360 controller. 

All sensors motors and things.  It would be nice to include a list of all the vernier sensors, hitechnic sensors, mindsensor sensors, techno-stuff sensors, simple homebrew, and any more i cant think of right now.  Also all the motors pf nxt and servo controlled with mindsensors/other sensor would be nice along with using old motors with ways to use converters to use different motors in different ways (ex. the pf to nxt homemade cable). 

And a couple more sample robots with programs that use more then just the common pallete like the nxt includes. That was one thing I was very very dissapointed on. They had a nice robots and I thought the programs were going to be great with all sorts of cool blocks but it was only stuck to the common pallete I had to find other programs on the internet (I learned from downloading sample programs from the unnoficial lego mindsotmrs nxt guide something i cant remember by david j perdue. I dont have the book but it still tought me by just looking at the programs though i should really get a hold of it. I feel bad learning off of it and not even buying the book). 

lastly some games with nxt would be nice. Not super crazy one but something like my fun game prgorams 1. With the reflex game and touch counter timer game.  Both on nxtlog for those of you that want to see it. I think something as advanced as my fun gameprgrams 3 or 4 might not be too friendly for beginners. 





I know already most of this stuff but I really wish it was all in the instruction manual becasue I had to do a lot of searching to find this stuff.

[luca]

The purpose of this thread is to compose a sort of Missing Manual for new NXT users. Please share what you wish you'd know when you started using the NXT. If we get a good response maybe I can organize the suggestions and compile them into a .pdf booklet that can be downloaded.

Please, think of a companion site to which refer for blocks/programs, since at the moment they are spread on a number of forums (some of them are dead see for example the disappearance of http://web.archive.org/web/20061019094014/http://bnxt.com/blog/2006/09/custom-icons-for-custom-nxt-g-bricks.html ; (*)).
I suggest you to convince Bdavis to put his marvellous examples in some chapter of the booklet (http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=191310).

Please could you select a file format which is easy to translate? I mean, pdf should be the final format!
(I could try to translate it into italian; some other in spanish...; do not forget a page showing the correspondence between figure and english word, e.g. the figure of a peg and the word "peg"; you can't imagine how it is difficult to understand what are those small mechanical parts in a different language).

I wonder if  something like GoogleDocs is sufficiently simple for everyone to be able to build the document together with you (clearly if you're available!!!).

(*) this could be a paragraph of your booklet, as well as a short description of the LEGO directory tree contents (for example, it is useful for parents to store into file the given, spoken explanations of some blocks in simpler words; this means to be able to modify the help file; some caveat are to be known: it is important to keep the font for example)

[FayRhodes]

I'm sure that this sounds frustrating ("been there, done that") to people who have been posting helpful information for years; but for many of us, what exists is a confusing maze of scattered information. Perhaps, if we can collect and prepare some quality pdf chapters, LEGO might even agree to post them on their site.

Here is what I propose:

Let's now refer to this project as MMJ---the Missing Manual Project.

(If this turns into a legitimate on-going project---rather than some good intentions---I will ask the NXT Step webmaster for a Restricted Forum address, for taking care of business.)

If you are interested in working on producing a chapter (or chapters) for this online resource, select a topic (or topics) you want to work on---and post that topic here. Then, if someone would like to help with that project, they can contact you through the forum email. If you have some material that is already prepared--so much the better.

I will volunteer to:

1. Take any text, pdf and/or graphics files, and compile them into pdf "booklets".
2. Recruit NXT Bloggers to "tech edit" the material. They will be asked to suggest corrections, enhancements and modifications---and communicate those to you.
3. Reproduce the updated pdf booklet on your topic.

After review by a qualified-but-anonymous review board (of my choosing), I will submit it to the final resource site--ideally on the LEGO/NXT site, on the NXT Step site, or both. I will also send the files to anyone who is translating booklets into another language. (Volunteers to do this---or to translate helpful existing material into English---are most welcome.)

Caution....
Just like any form of publishing, this will require patience, cooperation and hard work----with no financial rewards. BIG EGOS will not be tolerated. If you want to include existing material from another site, please contact the author of the material and request permission to include it in our project. As much as humanly possible, please include credits with borrowed material---and include your own author information on the last page.

If there is anyone who would be willing to serve as a back-up project manager or desktop publisher, that would be terrific---since I don't plan to live forever.

Fay

[megamindstorm101]

so to sum it all up your saying I (or anyone else) can make a written section of the book and then post it here and we can all work together to make it better and then someone will take all the chapters and put it into a pdf and try to post it in various places including the lego site. 

I already have ideas for the bluetooth section with nxt to nxt (im actually trying to write a book on just that section already )

also you need someone as backup in case something happens to you (lets not think that way though :-/ ) 

oh and you cant have an ego or show off a lot. you dont want that.  And there is no reward (who cares about a reward anyways. I know i dont). cool. I cant wait to start writing.

[LinearActuator]

I can compile a chapter on using Bluetooth with the NXT, and maybe also on manipulating the TECNIC pieces to get them in the right place. And a description of the sensors and motors and where to find them.

LA

[megamindstorm101]

oh one more thing I forgot. I can probably write about some games in nxt-g

[mg1937]

Here are two things I think should appear in the MM.

1. Batteries should be at maximum charge when installing new firmware into the NXT brick. This helps to ensure a successful firmware upgrade.
2. Why one might need to reset the brick and how to do it. A picture of a brick being reset would be nice.

Rationale for (1): I have measured the battery voltage before and after a firmware upgrade. The voltage drops significantly, so installing new firmware is hard on the batteries. If they are already rundown, you could have the voltage fall below what's required before the installation completes, which would leave your brick in a bad way.

[megamindstorm101]

isnt #2 already in the manual? though maby a better explanation may be good?