Robot-Specific Blocks#

Introduction #

The Hero Bot, Moby, includes a motor group, Optical Sensor, Rotation Sensor, and Game Positioning System (GPS) Sensor.

All standard VEXcode VR Blocks are available for use in the V5RC 21-22 Tipping Point Playground.

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

Drivetrain – Move and turn the robot.

Actions
- drive — Moves the robot forward or reverse forever.
- drive for — Moves the robot forward or reverse for a specific distance.
- turn — Turns the robot left or right forever.
- turn for — Turns the robot left or right for a specific number of degrees.
- turn to heading — Turns the robot to face a specific heading.
- turn to rotation — Turns the robot to a specific rotation.
- stop driving — Stops the robot’s movement.
Settings
- set drive velocity — Tells the robot how fast to drive.
- set turn velocity — Tells the robot how fast to turn.
- set drive heading — Changes the robot’s current heading to a new heading.
- set drive rotation — Changes the robot’s current rotation to a new rotation.
- set drive timeout — Sets how many seconds the robot will try to finish a movement.
Values
- drive is done — Reports whether the robot is finished moving.
- drive is moving — Reports whether the robot is moving.
- drive heading — Reports the robot’s current heading from 0 to 359.99 degrees.
- drive rotation — Reports the robot’s current rotation.
- drive velocity — Reports how fast the robot is driving.

Motion – Move and track the robot’s motors.

Actions
- spin motor – Spins a motor group down or up forever.
- spin motor for – Spins a motor group for a specific distance in degrees or turns.
- spin motor to position – Spins a motor group to a specific position.
- stop motor – Stops a motor group from spinning.
Settings
- set motor velocity – Tells a motor group how fast to spin.
- set motor timeout – Sets how much time a motor group will try to finish a movement.
- set motor position – Changes the motor group’s current position to a new value.
Values
- motor is done – Reports whether the motor group is finished moving.
- motor is spinning – Reports whether the motor group is spinning.
- motor position – Reports the motor group’s current position.
- motor velocity – Reports how fast the motor group is spinning, as a percentage from -100% to 100%.

Sensing – Utilize the robot’s various sensors.

Optical
- Optical found an object – Reports whether the sensor is detecting an object within range.
- Optical detects color – Reports whether the Optical Sensor detects a specified color.
- Optical brightness – Reports the brightness detected by the Optical Sensor.
- Optical hue – Reports the hue detected by the Optical Sensor.
- when Optical – Runs the attached stack of blocks when the Optical Sensor detects or loses an object.
Rotation
- set Rotation Sensor position – Sets the current position of the Rotation Sensor to a specific value.
- Rotation Sensor angle – Returns the current angle of the sensor between 0 and 359.99 degrees.
- Rotation Sensor position – Returns the total rotational position in degrees or turns.
GPS
- GPS position – Returns the X or Y position from the GPS Sensor.
- GPS heading – Returns the heading the robot is currently facing.

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

Drivetrain #

The drivetrain controls how the VR Robot drives and turns. The drivetrain can move forward or reverse, turn left or right, turn to headings, and track its rotation.

Actions #

drive #

The drive stack block moves the robot forward or reverse forever. The robot will continue to move until it is given another action, like turning or stopping.

  drive [forward v]

Parameters	Description
direction	The direction the robot moves: forward or reverse.

Example

  when started :: hat events
  [Drive forward, then stop.]
  drive [forward v]
  wait (2) seconds
  stop driving

drive for #

The drive for stack block moves the robot forward or reverse for a specific distance. The project will wait until the robot is done moving before the next block in the stack runs.

  drive [forward v] for (200) [mm v] ▶

Parameters	Description
direction	The direction the robot moves: forward or reverse.
distance	The distance the robot drives. This can be an integer or a decimal.
unit	The distance unit: mm (millimeters) or inches
and don’t wait	Select the arrow ( ▶ ) to expand the block to say and don’t wait, so the next block in the stack will run right away.

Example

  when started :: hat events
  [Drive forward.]
  drive [forward v] for (500) [mm v] ▶

turn #

The turn stack block turns the robot left or right forever. The robot will continue to turn until it is given another action, like driving or stopping.

  turn [right v]

Parameters	Description
direction	The direction the robot turns: left or right.

Example

  when started :: hat events
  [Turn right, then stop.]
  turn [right v]
  wait (2) seconds
  stop driving

The turn for stack block turns the robot left or right for a specific number of degrees. The turn is relative to the current position of the robot. The project will wait until the robot is done turning before the next block in the stack runs.

  turn [right v] for (90) degrees ▶

Parameters	Description
direction	The direction the robot turns: left or right.
angle	The number of degrees the robot turns. This can be an integer or a decimal.
and don’t wait	Select the arrow ( ▶ ) to expand the block to say and don’t wait, so the next block in the stack will run right away.

Example

  when started :: hat events
  [Turn left, then turn around to the right.]
  turn [left v] for (90) degrees ▶
  turn [right v] for (180) degrees ▶

turn to heading #

A heading is the direction the robot is facing, measured in degrees. The turn to heading stack block turns the robot to face a specific heading from -359 to 359 degrees. The robot will turn the shortest direction to reach the target heading.

The starting heading is 0 degrees.

The project will wait until the robot is done turning before the next block in the stack runs.

  turn to heading (90) degrees ▶

Parameters	Description
heading	The heading the robot should face, from -359 to 359 degrees.
and don’t wait	Select the arrow ( ▶ ) to expand the block to say and don’t wait, so the next block in the stack will run right away.

Example

  when started :: hat events
  [Turn to face the cardinal directions.]
  turn to heading (90) degrees ▶
  wait (2) seconds
  turn to heading (180) degrees ▶
  wait (2) seconds
  turn to heading (270) degrees ▶
  wait (2) seconds
  turn to heading (0) degrees ▶
  wait (2) seconds

turn to rotation #

The turn to rotation stack block turns the robot to a specific rotation.

Rotation is how much the robot has turned, measured in degrees. At the beginning of a project, the rotation value is set to 0 degrees. Rotation can also be set using the set drive rotation block.

Rotation values are absolute. This means the direction of the turn depends on the robot’s current rotation. Turning right increases the rotation, and turning left decreases the rotation.

For example, if the robot starts at 0 degrees and you turn to a rotation of 720 degrees, it will turn right twice. If you then turn to a rotation of 360 degrees, it will turn left once, because 360 is less than 720.

The project will wait until the robot is done turning before the next block in the stack runs.

  turn to rotation (90) degrees ▶

Parameters	Description
rotation	The rotation value, in degrees, that the robot will turn to. This can be an integer or a decimal.
and don’t wait	Select the arrow ( ▶ ) to expand the block to say and don’t wait, so the next block in the stack will run right away.

Example

  when started :: hat events
  [Turn left, then spin in a circle clockwise and face right.]
  turn to rotation (-90) degrees ▶
  wait (2) seconds
  turn to rotation (450) degrees ▶

stop driving #

The stop driving stack block stops the robot’s movement.

  stop driving

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

  when started :: hat events
  [Drive forward, then stop.]
  drive [forward v]
  wait [4] seconds
  stop driving

Settings #

set drive velocity #

The set drive velocity stack block tells the robot how fast to drive. A higher percentage makes the robot drive faster and a lower percentage makes the robot drive slower.

Every project begins with the robot driving at 50% velocity by default.

Note: A higher velocity makes the robot drive faster, but it may be less precise. A lower velocity makes the robot drive slower, but it can be more precise.

  set drive velocity to (50) [% v]

Parameters	Description
velocity	The velocity to drive with from 0% to 100%.
unit	The velocity unit: %

Example

  when started :: hat events
  [Drive forward at the default velocity.]
  drive [forward v] for (100) [mm v] ▶
  wait (1) seconds
  [Move slower.]
  set drive velocity to (20) [% v]
  drive [forward v] for (100) [mm v] ▶
  wait (1) seconds
  [Move faster.]
  set drive velocity to (100) [% v]
  drive [forward v] for (100) [mm v] ▶
  wait (1) seconds

set turn velocity #

The set turn velocity stack block tells the robot how fast to turn. A higher percentage makes the robot turn faster and a lower percentage makes the robot turn slower.

Every project begins with the robot turning at 50% velocity by default.

Note: A higher velocity makes the robot turn faster, but it may be less precise. A lower velocity makes the robot turn slower, but it can be more precise.

  set turn velocity to (50) [% v]

Parameters	Description
velocity	The velocity to turn with from 0% to 100%.
unit	The velocity unit: %

Example

  when started :: hat events
  [Turn at default velocity.]
  turn [right v] for (100) degrees ▶
  wait (1) seconds
  [Turn slower.]
  set turn velocity to (20)%
  turn [right v] for (100) degrees ▶
  wait (1) seconds
  [Turn faster.]
  set turn velocity to (100)%
  turn [right v] for (100) degrees ▶
  wait (1) seconds

set drive heading #

A heading is the direction the robot is facing, measured in degrees. The set drive heading stack block changes the robot’s current heading to a new heading value.

For example, if the robot has turned to face right, setting the heading to 0 degrees makes that right-facing position the new 0 degrees. Then the robot can turn to other positions based on that new heading.

  set drive heading to (0) degrees

Parameters	Description
heading	The heading value, in degrees, to set for the robot.

Example

  when started :: hat events
  [Turn to the left.]
  set drive heading to (90) degrees
  turn to heading (0) degrees ▶

set drive rotation #

Rotation is how much the robot has turned, measured in degrees. At the beginning of a project, the rotation value is set to 0 degrees. The set drive rotation stack block changes the robot’s current rotation to a new value.

For example, if the robot has made two full turns to the right, its rotation value will be 720 degrees. Setting the rotation to 0 degrees will reset that rotation from 720 to 0 degrees. Then the robot can turn to rotations based on that new value.

  set drive rotation to (0) degrees

Parameters	Description
rotation	The rotation value, in degrees, to set for the robot. This can be an integer or a decimal.

Example

  when started :: hat events
  [Spin counterclockwise two times.]
  set drive rotation to (720) degrees
  turn to rotation (0) degrees ▶

set drive timeout #

The set drive timeout stack block sets how many seconds the robot will try to finish a movement. If the robot cannot finish in that time it will stop trying and move on to the next block in the stack. This keeps the robot from getting stuck on a movement.

  set drive timeout to (1) seconds

Parameters	Description
time	The number of seconds the robot can try to finish a movement. This can be a whole number or a decimal.

Example

When started, limits drive time to 1 second and then turns 90 degrees.#

  when started :: hat events
  [Drive forward for 1 second, then turn.]
  set drive timeout to (1) seconds
  drive [forward v] for (25) [inches v] ▶
  turn [right v] for (90) degrees ▶

Values #

drive is done #

The drive is done Boolean block reports whether the robot is finished moving. This can be used to control the timing of other behaviors based on the robot’s movement.

True — The robot is finished moving.
False — The robot is still moving.

This block works together with drivetrain blocks that have the and don’t wait parameter.

    <drive is done?>

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

    when started :: hat events
    [Start spinning when the drive is complete.]
    drive [forward v] for (200) [mm v] ◀ and don't wait
    wait until <drive is done?>
    turn [right v] for (360) degrees ▶

drive is moving #

The drive is moving Boolean block reports whether the robot is moving. This can be used to control the timing of other behaviors based on the robot’s movement.

True — The robot is moving.
False — The robot is not moving.

This block works together with drivetrain blocks that have the and don’t wait parameter.

    <drive is moving?>

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

    when started :: hat events
    [Print that the robot is moving while it is still driving.]
    drive [forward v] for (200) [mm v] ◀ and don't wait
    while <drive is moving?>
    print [Still Moving...] ▶
    wait (0.1) seconds
    clear screen
    end
    print [Done!] ▶

drive heading #

A heading is the direction the robot is facing, measured in degrees. The drive heading reporter block reports that heading from 0 to 359.99 degrees.

The robot’s starting heading is 0 degrees.

    (drive heading in degrees)

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

    when started :: hat events
    [Display the heading after turning.]
    turn [right v] for (450) degrees ▶
    print (drive heading in degrees) on screen ◀ and set cursor to next row

drive rotation #

Rotation is how much the robot has turned, measured in degrees. At the beginning of a project, the rotation value is set to 0 degrees. The drive rotation reporter block reports the robot’s current rotation.

Turning right increases the rotation, and turning left decreases the rotation. For example, making two full turns to the right will report a rotation of 720 degrees.

    (drive rotation in degrees)

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Example

    when started :: hat events
    [Display the rotation after turning.]
    turn [right v] for (450) degrees ▶
    print (drive rotation in degrees) on screen ◀ and set cursor to next row

drive velocity #

The drive velocity reporter block reports how fast the robot is driving.

    (drive velocity in [% v])

Parameters	Description
unit	The velocity unit: %

Example

    when started :: hat events
    [Display the velocity after driving.]
    drive [forward v] for (200) [mm v] ▶
    print (drive velocity in [% v]) on screen ◀ and set cursor to next row

Motion #

Moby uses the fork motor group to raise and lower the forks so Rings and Mobile Goals can be transported and scored.

Actions #

spin motor #

The spin motor stack block spins a motor group down or up forever. The motor group will continue to spin until it is given another action, like spinning in a different direction or stopping.

    spin [ForkMotorGroup v] [down v]

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor group to spin: ForkMotorGroup.
direction	The direction the motor group spins: down or up.

Example

  when started
  [Spin the Fork Motor Group forward and then stop.]
  spin [ForkMotorGroup v] [up v]
  wait (1) seconds
  stop [ForkMotorGroup v]

spin motor for #

The spin motor for stack block spins a motor group for a specific distance. The spin is relative to the current position of the motor group. The project will wait until the motor group is done spinning before the next block in the stack runs.

    spin [ForkMotorGroup v] [up v] for (90) [degrees v] ▶

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor group to spin: ForkMotorGroup.
direction	The direction the motor group spins: down or up.
distance	The distance the motor group spins. Degrees use integers. Turns can use integers or decimals.
unit	The distance unit: degrees or turns.
and don’t wait	Select the arrow ( ▶ ) to expand the block to say and don’t wait, so the next block in the stack will run right away.

Example

  when started
  [Spin the Fork Motor Group forward and then stop.]
  spin [ForkMotorGroup v] [up v] for [1] [turns v] ▶

spin motor to position #

The spin motor to position stack block spins a motor group to a specific position.

A motor group’s position is how far it has spun, measured in degrees or turns. One turn is equal to 360 degrees. At the beginning of a project, the motor group position is set to 0 degrees. The motor group position can also be set using the set motor position block.

Position values are absolute. This means the direction of the spin depends on the motor group’s current position.

For example, if the motor group starts at 0 degrees and spins to a position of 720 degrees, it will spin forward two turns. If it then spins to a position of 360 degrees, it will spin reverse one turn, because 360 is less than 720.

    spin [ForkMotorGroup v] to position (90) [degrees v] ▶

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor group to spin: ForkMotorGroup.
position	The position value the motor group will spin to. Degrees use integers. Turns can use integers or decimals.
unit	The position unit: degrees or turns.
and don’t wait	Select the arrow ( ▶ ) to expand the block to say and don’t wait, so the next block in the stack will run right away.

Example

  when started
  [Spin the Fork Motor Group forward and then stop.]
  spin [ForkMotorGroup v] to position [270] [degrees v] ▶

stop motor #

The stop motor stack block stops the selected motor group.

    stop [ForkMotorGroup v]

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor group to stop: ForkMotorGroup.

Example

  when started
  [Spin the Fork Motor Group forward and then stop.]
  spin [ForkMotorGroup v] [up v]
  wait (1) seconds
  stop [ForkMotorGroup v]

Settings #

set motor velocity #

The set motor velocity stack block tells a motor group how fast to spin. A higher percentage makes the motor group spin faster and a lower percentage makes the motor group spin slower.

Every project begins with each motor group spinning at 50% velocity by default.

Note: A higher velocity makes the motor group spin faster, but it may be less precise. A lower velocity makes the motor group spin slower, but it can be more precise.

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

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor group to set the velocity of: ForkMotorGroup.
velocity	The speed the motor group will spin at. Percent uses whole numbers from 0% to 100%.
unit	The velocity unit: %.

Example

  when started
  [Spin the Fork Motor Group forward and then stop.]
  set [ForkMotorGroup v] velocity to [75] [% v]
  spin [ForkMotorGroup v] [up v] for [1] [turns v] ▶

set motor timeout #

The set motor timeout stack block sets how much time a motor group will try to finish a movement. If the motor group cannot finish in that time, it will stop trying and move on to the next block in the stack. This keeps the motor group from getting stuck on a movement.

    set [ForkMotorGroup v] timeout to [1] seconds

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor group to set the timeout of: ForkMotorGroup.
time	The number of seconds the motor group can try to finish a movement. This can be a whole number or decimal.

Example

  when started
  [Spin the Fork Motor Group forward and then stop.]
  set [ForkMotorGroup v] timeout to [2] seconds
  spin [ForkMotorGroup v] [up v] for [3] [turns v] ▶

Position #

motor position #

A motor group’s position is how far it has spun, measured in degrees or turns. One turn is equal to 360 degrees. The motor position reporter block reports the motor group’s current position.

At the beginning of a project, the motor group position is set to 0 degrees. If the motor group spins one full turn forward, the position will be 360 degrees or 1 turn. If the motor group spins the other direction, the position will be negative.

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

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor group to report the position of: ForkMotorGroup.
unit	The unit to report the motor position in: degrees or turns.

set motor position #

A motor group’s position is how far it has spun, measured in degrees or turns. One turn is equal to 360 degrees. The set motor position stack block changes the motor group’s current position to a new value.

For example, if a motor group has spun to 180 degrees, setting the position to 0 degrees will reset that position from 180 to 0 degrees. Then the motor group can spin to positions based on that new value.

    set [ForkMotorGroup v] position to (0) [degrees v]

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor group to set the position of: ForkMotorGroup.
position	The position value to set for the motor group. Degrees use integers. Turns can use integers or decimals.
unit	The position unit: degrees or turns.

Example

  when started
  [Spin the Fork Motor Group forward and then stop.]
  set [ForkMotorGroup v] position to [90] [degrees v]
  spin [ForkMotorGroup v] to position [0] [degrees v] ▶

Values #

motor is done #

The motor is done Boolean block reports whether the motor group is finished moving. This can be used to control the timing of other behaviors based on the motor group’s movement.

True — The motor group is finished moving.
False — The motor group is still moving.

This block works together with the following Motion blocks that have the and don’t wait parameter: spin motor for and spin motor to position.

    <[ForkMotorGroup v] is done?>

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor group to report whether it is finished moving: ForkMotorGroup.

motor is spinning #

The motor is spinning Boolean block reports whether the motor group is spinning. This can be used to control the timing of other behaviors based on the motor group’s movement.

True — The motor group is spinning.
False — The motor group is not spinning.

This block works together with the following Motion blocks that have the and don’t wait parameter: spin motor for and spin motor to position.

    <[ForkMotorGroup v] is spinning?>

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor group to report whether it is spinning: ForkMotorGroup.

Example

  when started
  [Take a ring onto the Forks.]
  spin [ForkMotorGroup v] [up v] for [90] [degrees v] ◀ and don't wait
  while <[ForkMotorGroup v] is spinning?>
  spin [ForkMotorGroup v] to position [1000] [degrees v] ◀ and don't wait
  end

motor velocity #

The motor velocity reporter block reports how fast the motor group is spinning, as a percentage from -100% to 100%.

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

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor group to report the velocity of: ForkMotorGroup.
unit	The unit to report the motor velocity in: %.

Sensing #

Optical #

Optical found an object #

The Optical found an object Boolean block reports whether or not the Optical Sensor detects an object within range.

True — The Optical Sensor detects an object.
False — The Optical Sensor does not detect an object.

    <[Optical v] found an object?>

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Optical detects color #

The Optical detects color Boolean block reports whether the Optical Sensor detects a specified color, based on the detected hue value.

True – The sensor detects the specified color.
False – The sensor does not detect the specified color.

Note: The Optical Sensor is looking for hue ranges that match the specified color. For detecting specific hue ranges, see the Optical hue block.

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

Parameters	Description
color	Which color to look for: red – A detected hue value between 340° - 20°. green – A detected hue value between 80° - 140°. blue – A detected hue value between 200° - 240°. yellow – A detected hue value between 40° - 60°. orange – A detected hue value between 20° - 40°. purple – A detected hue value between 240° - 280°. cyan – A detected hue value between 140° - 200°.

Parameters

Description

color

Which color to look for:

red – A detected hue value between 340° - 20°.
green – A detected hue value between 80° - 140°.
blue – A detected hue value between 200° - 240°.
yellow – A detected hue value between 40° - 60°.
orange – A detected hue value between 20° - 40°.
purple – A detected hue value between 240° - 280°.
cyan – A detected hue value between 140° - 200°.

Optical brightness #

The Optical brightness reporter block reports how much light is reflected back to the Optical Sensor, as a percentage from 0% to 100%.

A higher percentage means more light is reflected back to the Optical Sensor. A lower percentage means less light is reflected back.

    ([Optical v] brightness in %)

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Optical hue #

The Optical hue reporter block reports the hue detected by the Optical Sensor as a number from 0 to 359 degrees.

Hue is a way to describe color using numbers around a color wheel.

A circular color wheel displaying a full spectrum of hues labeled with degree values around the perimeter, increasing in 30-degree increments from 0° at the top to 360°.

    ([Optical v] hue in degrees)

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

when Optical #

The when Optical hat block runs the attached stack of blocks whenever the Optical Sensor detects or loses an object.

    when [Optical v] [detects v] an object

Parameters	Description
state	When the attached stack of blocks will run: detects runs when an undetected object is detected, while loses runs when a detected object is now no longer detected.

Rotation #

set Rotation Sensor position #

The set Rotation Sensor position block sets the current position of the Rotation Sensor to a value in degrees.

  set [Rotation v] position to [0] degrees

Parameters	Description
position	The position to set the Rotation Sensor to.

Rotation Sensor angle #

The Rotation Sensor angle block returns the current angle of the sensor between 0 and 359.99 degrees.

  ([Rotation v] angle in degrees)

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Rotation Sensor position #

The Rotation Sensor position block returns the total rotational position in degrees or turns.

  ([Rotation v] position in [degrees v] :: custom-sensing)

Parameters	Description
units	The rotation unit: degrees or turns.

GPS #

GPS position #

The GPS position block returns the positional offset of the robot’s turning reference point from the center of a field with the GPS (Game Positioning System™) Sensor.

    ([GPS v] position [X v] in [mm v])

Parameters	Description
axis	Which axis to report: X Y
units	The unit to represent the position: mm or inches

Parameters

Description

axis

Which axis to report:

units

The unit to represent the position: mm or inches

GPS heading #

The GPS heading block returns the heading that the robot is currently facing based on the GPS (Game Positioning System™) Sensor’s readings from the VEX GPS Field Code from 0.00 to 359.99 degrees.

    ([GPS v] heading in degrees)

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.