Robot-Specific Blocks

Introduction

The VIQRC 24-25 Rapid Relay Playground features blocks exclusive to this Playground, including two motor options.

All standard VEXcode VR Blocks are available for use in the VIQRC 24-25 Rapid Relay 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 or motor group indefinitely.

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

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

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

• Settings

  • set motor velocity - Sets the speed of a motor or motor group 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 or motor group.

• 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.

• Optical

  • Optical found an object? - Returns whether an object is detected.

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

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

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

  • when Optical - Executes attached blocks when the Optical Sensor detects or loses an object.

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

Motion

Actions

spin motor

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

  spin [IntakeMotor v] [intake v]

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to spin: IntakeMotor CatapultGroup
direction	The direction to spin: IntakeMotor intake outtake CatapultGroup lower release

Example

  when started
  [Launch the preloaded Ball.]
  spin [CatapultGroup v] [release v]
  [Lower the Catapult to load a new Ball.]
  spin [CatapultGroup v] [lower v]

spin motor for

The spin motor for block spins a selected motor or motor group 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 or motor group to spin: IntakeMotor CatapultGroup
direction	The direction to spin: IntakeMotor intake outtake CatapultGroup lower release
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
  [Launch the preloaded Ball.]
  spin [CatapultGroup v] [release v]
  [Lower the Catapult to load a new Ball.]
  spin [CatapultGroup v] [lower v] for [1350] [degrees v] ▶

spin motor to position

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

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

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to spin: IntakeMotor CatapultGroup
position	The target position to spin the motor or motor group 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
  [Launch the preloaded Ball.]
  spin [CatapultGroup v] [release v]
  [Lower the Catapult to load a new Ball.]
  spin [CatapultGroup v] to position [1260] [degrees v] ▶

stop motor

The stop motor block immediately stops the selected motor or motor group.

  stop [IntakeMotor v]

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to stop: IntakeMotor CatapultGroup

Example

  when started
  [Start spinning Intake Motor to prepare to pick up a Ball.]
  spin [IntakeMotor v] [intake v]
  wait (1) seconds
  [After the Ball is picked up, stop spinning the Intake Motor.]
  stop [IntakeMotor v]

Settings

set motor position

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

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

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to set the position of: IntakeMotor CatapultGroup
position	The encoder position value to set.
unit	The unit of measurement: degrees turns

Example

  when started
  [Release the preloaded Ball.]
  spin [CatapultGroup v] [release v]
  [Lower the Catapult Arm to prepare for the next Ball.]
  spin [CatapultGroup v] to position [1260] [degrees v] ▶
  [Make the lowered Catapult Arm position the new 0 degrees position.]
  set [CatapultGroup v] position to [0] [degrees v]

set motor velocity

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

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

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to set the velocity of: IntakeMotor CatapultGroup
velocity	Sets the default movement velocity from -100 to 100 as a percent.
unit	The unit that represents the velocity: %

Example

  when started
  [Start spinning the Intake Motor to prepare to pick up Balls.]
  set [IntakeMotor v] velocity to [100] [% v]
  spin [IntakeMotor v] [intake 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 [IntakeMotor v] timeout to [1] seconds

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

Example

  when started
  set [CatapultGroup v] timeout to [2] seconds
  [Lower Catapult Arm to prepare to pick up a Ball.]
  spin [CatapultGroup v] [lower v] for [10] [turns v] ▶

Position

motor position

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

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

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to return the position of: IntakeMotor CatapultGroup
unit	The unit of measurement: degrees turns

Example

  when started
  [Release the preloaded Ball.]
  spin [CatapultGroup v] [release v]
  [Lower the Catapult Arm to prepare for the next Ball.]
  spin [CatapultGroup v] [lower v]
  wait until <[1260] [math_less_than v] ([CatapultGroup v] position in [degrees v])>
  stop [CatapultGroup v]

Values

motor is done

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

• True - The motor or motor group is not spinning.

• False - The motor or motor group is spinning.

  <[IntakeMotor v] is done?>

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to check if it is done spinning: IntakeMotor CatapultGroup

motor is spinning?

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

• True - The motor or motor group is spinning.

• False - The motor or motor group is not spinning.

  <[IntakeMotor v] is spinning?>

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to check if it is currently spinning: IntakeMotor CatapultGroup

motor velocity

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

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

Parameters	Description
motor	The motor or motor group to return the velocity of: IntakeMotor CatapultGroup
unit	The unit that represents the velocity: %

Sensing

Optical

Optical found an object?

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

• True - The Optical Sensor has detected an object.

• False - The Optical Sensor has not detected an object.

  <[IntakeOptical v] found an object?>

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Optical detects color

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

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

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

  <[IntakeOptical v] detects [yellow 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

Optical brightness

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

  ([IntakeOptical v] brightness in %)

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

Optical hue

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

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

  ([IntakeOptical v] hue in degrees)

Parameters	Description
	This block has no parameters.

when Optical

The when Optical block runs its stack when the Optical Sensor detects or loses an object. You can have multiple when Optical blocks to run multiple stacks of blocks at once.

  when [IntakeOptical v] [detects v] an object

Parameters	Description
action	Which action triggers the hat block: detects loses