Robot Specific Python

Introduction

The VIQRC Virtual Skills - Mix & Match Playground features methods exclusive to the build designed for this Playground, including two motor options, a Distance Sensor, Optical Sensor, and Touch LED.

All standard VEXcode VR methods are available for use in the VIQRC Virtual Skills - Mix & Match Playground.

Below is a list of all available Playground specific methods:

Motion – Move and track the robot’s motors.

• Actions

  • spin – Spins the selected motor or motor group indefinitely.

  • spin_for – Spins a motor or group for a specific distance in degrees or turns.

  • spin_to_position – Spins a motor or motor group to a set position.

  • stop – Stops a specific motor or motor group from spinning.

• Mutators

  • set_position – Sets the encoder value of a motor or motor group.

  • set_velocity – Sets the speed of a motor or motor group as a percentage.

  • set_timeout – Limits how long a motor block waits before giving up if movement is blocked.

• Getters

  • is_done – Returns a Boolean indicating whether the motor is no longer spinning.

  • is_spinning – Returns a Boolean indicating whether the motor is currently spinning.

  • position – Returns the motor’s current rotational position in degrees or turns.

  • velocity – Returns the motor’s current velocity in % or rpm.

Sensing - Utilize the robot’s various sensors.

• Touch LED

  • set_color – Sets the TouchLED to a selected color.

• Optical

  • is_near_object – Returns whether a detected object is near the Optical Sensor.

  • color – Returns the color detected from the Optical Sensor.

  • brightness – Returns the brightness percentage detected by the sensor.

  • hue – Returns the hue value of the detected color.

  • object_detected – Registers a callback function for when the Optical Sensor detects an object.

  • object_lost – Registers a callback function for when the Optical Sensor loses an object.

• Distance

  • is_object_detected – Returns whether any object is currently detected by the Distance Sensor.

  • object_distance – Returns the distance of the nearest object from the Distance Sensor.

Motion

Actions

spin

spin spins a motor indefinitely.

Usage:
motor.spin(direction)

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to spin: claw_motor – claw_motor.spin() lift_motor – lift_motor.spin()
direction	The direction for the motor to move in: FORWARD – Opens claw or lowers the lift. REVERSE – Closes claw or raises the lift.

# Example coming soon!

spin_for

spin_for spins a motor for a given amount of degrees or turns.

Usage:
motor.spin_for(direction, distance, units, wait=True)

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to spin: claw_motor – claw_motor.spin_for() lift_motor – lift_motor.spin_for()
direction	The direction for the motor to move in: FORWARD – Opens claw or lowers the lift. REVERSE – Closes claw or raises the lift.
distance	The distance for the motor to move as an integer.
units	The unit that represents the distance to rotate: DEGREES TURNS
wait	Optional. wait=True (default) - The robot waits until spin_for is complete before executing the next line of code. wait=False - The robot starts the action and moves on to the next line of code right away, without waiting for spin_for to finish.

# Example coming soon!

spin_to_position

spin_to spins a motor to a given position.

Usage:
motor.spin_to_position(angle, units, wait=True)

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to spin: claw_motor – claw_motor.spin_to_position() lift_motor – lift_motor.spin_to_position()
angle	The specific angle or number of turns that the motor will spin to.
units	The unit that represents the angle to rotate to: DEGREES TURNS
wait	Optional. wait=True (default) - The robot waits until spin_to_position is complete before executing the next line of code. wait=False - The robot starts the action and moves on to the next line of code right away, without waiting for spin_to_position to finish.

# Example coming soon!

stop

stop stops a motor from spinning.

Usage:
motor.stop()

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to spin: claw_motor – claw_motor.stop() lift_motor – lift_motor.stop()

# Example coming soon!

Mutators

set_position

set_position sets a motor’s encoder position to the given position value.

Usage:
motor.set_position(position, units)

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to spin: claw_motor – claw_motor.set_position() lift_motor – lift_motor.set_position()
position	The specific integer for the Motor’s encoder to be set to.
units	The unit that represents the angle to rotate to: DEGREES TURNS

# Example coming soon!

set_velocity

set_velocity sets the speed of a motor.

Usage:
motor.set_velocity(velocity, units)

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to spin: claw_motor – claw_motor.set_velocity() lift_motor – lift_motor.set_velocity()
velocity	The speed that the IQ Motor will spin at, ranging from 0 to 100.
units	The unit that represents the new velocity: PERCENT

# Example coming soon!

set_timeout

set_timeout sets a time limit for a motor’s movement commands. This prevents motion commands that do not reach their intended position from preventing subsequent commands from running.

Usage:
motor.set_timeout(value, units)

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to spin: claw_motor – claw_motor.set_timeout() lift_motor – lift_motor.set_timeout()
value	The amount of time the motor will wait before stopping.
units	The unit to represent the timeout: SECONDS MSEC – milliseconds

# Example coming soon!

Getters

is_done

is_done returns a Boolean indicating whether the specified motor is not spinning.

• True – The specified motor is not spinning.

• False – The specified motor is spinning.

Usage:
motor.is_done()

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to spin: claw_motor – claw_motor.is_done() lift_motor – lift_motor.is_done()

# Example coming soon!

is_spinning

is_spinning returns a Boolean indicating whether the specified motor is not spinning.

• True – The specified motor is spinning.

• False – The specified motor is not spinning.

Usage:
motor.is_spinning()

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to spin: claw_motor – claw_motor.is_spinning() lift_motor – lift_motor.is_spinning()

# Example coming soon!

position

position returns the total distance the specified motor or motor group has rotated.

Usage:
motor.position(units)

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to spin: claw_motor – claw_motor.position() lift_motor – lift_motor.position()
units	The units that represent the motor’s position: DEGREES TURNS

# Example coming soon!

velocity

velocity returns the current rotational speed of the motor or motor group.

Usage:
motor.velocity()

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to spin: claw_motor – claw_motor.velocity() lift_motor – lift_motor.velocity()
units	The units that represent the motor’s position: DEGREES TURNS

# Example coming soon!

Sensing

Touch LED

set_color

set_color sets the color of the Touch LED.

Usage:
touchled.set_color(color)

Parameters	Description
color	The color to set the Touch LED to: NONE – Turns off the Touch LED RED GREEN BLUE YELLOW ORANGE PURPLE WHITE RED_VIOLET VIOLET BLUE_VIOLET BLUE_GREEN YELLOW_GREEN YELLOW_ORANGE RED_ORANGE

# Example coming soon!

Optical

is_near_object

is_near_object returns a Boolean indicating whether or not the Optical Sensor detects an object close to the sensor.

• True – The object is close to the Optical Sensor.

• False – The object is not close to the Optical Sensor.

Usage:
optical.is_near_object()

Parameters	Description
	This method has no parameters.

# Example coming soon!

color

color returns the color detected by the Optical Sensor:

Color Returned:
NONE – No color detected. RED GREEN BLUE YELLOW ORANGE PURPLE WHITE RED_VIOLET VIOLET BLUE_VIOLET BLUE_GREEN YELLOW_GREEN YELLOW_ORANGE RED_ORANGE

Usage:
optical.color()

Parameters	Description
	This method has no parameters.

# Example coming soon!

brightness

brightness returns the brightness value detected by the Optical Sensor as a percent from 0% to 100%.

Usage:
optical.brightness()

Parameters	Description
	This method has no parameters.

# Example coming soon!

hue

hue returns the hue detected by the Optical Sensor.

Hue values range from 0 to 359 degrees, corresponding to positions on the color wheel shown below.

Usage:
optical.hue()

Parameters	Description
	This method has no parameters.

# Example coming soon!

object_detected

object_detected registers a callback function for when the Optical Sensor detects an object.

Usage:
optical.object_detected(callback, arg)

Parameters	Description
callback	A function that will be called when an object is detected.
arg	Optional. A tuple that is used to pass arguments to the callback function.

# Example coming soon!

object_lost

object_lost registers a callback function for when the Optical Sensor loses an object.

Usage:
optical.object_lost(callback, arg)

Parameters	Description
callback	A function that will be called when an object is lost.
arg	Optional. A tuple that is used to pass arguments to the callback function.

# Example coming soon!

Distance

is_object_detected

is_object_detected returns a Boolean indicating whether the Distance Sensor detects an object.

• True – The Distance Sensor detects an object.

• False – The Distance Sensor does not detect an object.

Usage:
distance.is_object_detected()

Parameters	Description
	This method has no parameters.

# Example coming soon!

object_distance

object_distance returns the distance of the nearest object from the Distance Sensor.

Usage:
distance.object_distance(units)

Parameters	Description
units	The units that represents the distance: MM INCHES

# Example coming soon!