Robot-Specific Blocks

Introduction

The VIQRC 21-22 Pitching In Playground features blocks exclusive to this Playground, including three motor options and the Color Sensor.

All standard VEXcode VR Blocks are available for use in the VIQRC 21-22 Pitching In Playground.

Below is a list of all available Playground-specific Blocks:

Motion - Move and track the robot’s motors.

• Actions

  • spin motor - Spins the selected motor indefinitely.

  • spin motor for - Spins a motor for a specific distance in degrees or turns.

  • spin motor to position - Spins a motor to a set position.

  • stop motor - Stops a specific motor from spinning.

• Settings

  • set motor velocity - Sets the speed of a motor as a percentage.

  • set motor timeout - Limits how long a motor block waits before giving up if movement is blocked.

• Position

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

  • set motor position - Sets the encoder value of a motor.

• Values

  • motor is done? - Returns a Boolean indicating whether the motor is no longer spinning.

  • motor is spinning? - Returns a Boolean indicating whether the motor is currently spinning.

  • motor velocity - Returns the motor’s current velocity in %.

Sensing - Utilize the robot’s various sensors.

• Color

  • Color found an object? - Returns whether an object is detected near the Color Sensor.

  • Color detects color? - Returns whether a specific color is detected.

  • color name - Returns the detected color name.

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

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

The examples on this page use the default Playground start position.

Motion

Actions

spin motor

The spin motor block spins a selected motor in a specified direction using the current motor velocity.

    spin [IntakeMotor v] [intake v]

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor to spin: IntakeMotor CatapultMotor CatapultTensionMotor
direction	The direction to spin depends on the selected motor. Intake Motor uses intake and outtake. Catapult Motor and Catapult Tension Motor use motor-specific forward and reverse directions.

Example

    when started
    [Spin the Intake Motor before stopping.]
    spin [IntakeMotor v] [intake v]
    wait (1) seconds
    stop [IntakeMotor v]

spin motor for

The spin motor for block spins a selected motor for a specific amount of rotation using the current motor velocity, measured in degrees or turns.

    spin [IntakeMotor v] [intake v] for [90] [degrees v] ▶

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor to spin: IntakeMotor CatapultMotor CatapultTensionMotor
direction	The direction to spin depends on the selected motor.
distance	The rotation amount, as an integer or decimal.
unit	The unit of measurement representing the distance: degrees turns
expanding arrow	By default, this is a waiting block, so the motor will finish moving before running the next block. Expand the block to say and don’t wait to make it non-waiting.

Example

    when started
    [Collect a Ball with the Intake Motor.]
    spin [IntakeMotor v] [intake v] for [1] [turns v] ▶

spin motor to position

The spin motor to position block spins a motor to a specific absolute position using the current motor velocity and motor position.

    spin [CatapultMotor v] to position [90] [degrees v] ▶

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor to spin: IntakeMotor CatapultMotor CatapultTensionMotor
position	The target position to spin the motor to.
unit	The unit of measurement: degrees turns
expanding arrow	By default, this is a waiting block, so the motor will finish moving before running the next block. Expand the block to say and don’t wait to make it non-waiting.

Example

    when started
    [Move the Catapult Motor to a launch position.]
    spin [CatapultMotor v] to position [2600] [degrees v] ▶

stop motor

The stop motor block immediately stops the selected motor.

    stop [IntakeMotor v]

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor to stop: IntakeMotor CatapultMotor CatapultTensionMotor

Example

    when started
    [Spin the Intake Motor, then stop it.]
    spin [IntakeMotor v] [intake v]
    wait (1) seconds
    stop [IntakeMotor v]

Settings

set motor velocity

The set motor velocity block sets the default spinning speed of a motor as a percentage for all subsequent Motor blocks in the project.

    set [CatapultMotor v] velocity to [50] [% v]

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor to set the velocity of: IntakeMotor CatapultMotor CatapultTensionMotor
velocity	Sets the default movement velocity from 0 to 100 as a percent.
unit	The unit that represents the velocity: %

Example

    when started
    [Set the Catapult Motor velocity before moving it.]
    set [CatapultMotor v] velocity to [75] [% v]
    spin [CatapultMotor v] to position [2600] [degrees v] ▶

set motor timeout

The set motor timeout block sets a time limit for how long a Motor block will wait to reach its target. If the robot cannot complete the movement within the set time, it will stop automatically and continue with the next block.

    set [CatapultMotor v] timeout to [1] seconds

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor to set the timeout of: IntakeMotor CatapultMotor CatapultTensionMotor
time	The maximum number of seconds a Motor block will run before stopping and moving to the next block.

Example

    when started
    [Limit how long the Catapult Motor will wait to move.]
    set [CatapultMotor v] timeout to [2] seconds
    spin [CatapultMotor v] to position [5000] [degrees v] ▶

Position

motor position

The motor position block returns the total distance the selected motor has rotated.

    ([CatapultMotor v] position in [degrees v])

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor to return the position of: IntakeMotor CatapultMotor CatapultTensionMotor
unit	The unit of measurement: degrees turns

set motor position

The set motor position block sets a specific position value to a motor, which updates the encoder reading.

    set [CatapultMotor v] position to [0] [degrees v]

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor to set the position of: IntakeMotor CatapultMotor CatapultTensionMotor
position	The encoder position value to set.
unit	The unit of measurement: degrees turns

Example

    when started
    [Set the Catapult Motor position, then return to 0 degrees.]
    set [CatapultMotor v] position to [2600] [degrees v]
    spin [CatapultMotor v] to position [0] [degrees v] ▶

Values

motor is done

The motor is done? block returns a Boolean indicating whether the motor is not spinning.

• True - The motor is not spinning.

• False - The motor is spinning.

    <[IntakeMotor v] is done?>

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor to check if it is done spinning: IntakeMotor CatapultMotor CatapultTensionMotor

motor is spinning?

The motor is spinning? block returns a Boolean indicating whether the motor is spinning.

• True - The motor is spinning.

• False - The motor is not spinning.

    <[IntakeMotor v] is spinning?>

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor to check if it is currently spinning: IntakeMotor CatapultMotor CatapultTensionMotor

motor velocity

The motor velocity block returns the current rotational speed of the motor in a range from -100% to 100%.

    ([IntakeMotor v] velocity in [% v] :: custom-motion)

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor to return the velocity of: IntakeMotor CatapultMotor CatapultTensionMotor
unit	The unit that represents the velocity: %

Sensing

Color

Color found an object?

The Color found an object? block returns a Boolean indicating whether the Color Sensor has detected an object near the sensor.

• True - The Color Sensor has detected an object nearby.

• False - The Color Sensor has not detected an object nearby.

    <[Color v] found an object?>

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Color detects color

The Color detects color? block returns a Boolean indicating whether the Color Sensor has detected a specific color.

• True - The Color Sensor has detected the specified color.

• False - The Color Sensor has not detected the specified color.

    <[Color v] detects [red v]?>

Parameters	Description
color	Which color to check for: red green blue white yellow orange purple red violet violet blue violet blue green yellow green yellow orange red orange

color name

The color name block returns the name of the color currently detected by the Color Sensor.

    ([Color v] color name)

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

brightness

The brightness block returns the amount of light detected by the Color Sensor in a range from 0% to 100%.

    ([Color v] brightness in %)

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

hue

The hue block returns the hue value of the color detected by the Color Sensor.

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

    ([Color v] hue in degrees)

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.