MyBlocks

modified from work by Sanjay and Arvind Seshan

INTRODUCTION TO MY BLOCKS

A My Block is a combination of one or more blocks that you create that can be grouped into a single block

it's custom and can be used in multiple programs

accepts input and renders output

​

What is a My Block?

Multiple Choice

Select the FALSE statement about My Blocks.

• My Blocks can only be used once in a project.
• My Blocks can be programmed to combine multiple other commands.

• My Blocks can be shared with other users and used in other programs.

• My Blocks can be customized with user-defined inputs.

Why Should You Bother?

Because of My Blocks, your missions will look like this…

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Instead of this….

This makes your code easier to read and easier to modify!!!

calibration to your build will be required, but you could easily adjust your turns based on map changes without having to guess and check

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Examining My Blocks vs Standard

Labeling

Which blocks represent My Blocks?

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

these are typical action blocks

these ones

What Makes a Useful My Block

Making My Blocks with inputs and outputs can make them more useful. However, you need to be careful not to make the My Block too complicated.

Question: Look at the list of three My Blocks below. Which ones do you think are useful for to use?

◦ Move5CM (Moves the robot five centimeters)
◦ MoveCM with a centimeter and power input
◦ MoveCM with centimeter, power, angle, coast/brake, etc. inputs

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What Makes a Useful My Block

Question: Look at the list of three My Blocks below. Which ones do you think are useful for to use?

Answer:

◦ Move5CM may be used often, but you will be forced to make other My Blocks for other distances. This will not be fixable later.

◦ MoveCM with centimeters and power as inputs is probably the best choice.
◦ MoveCM with centimeters, power, angle, coast/brake, etc. might be most customizable, but some of the inputs might never be used.

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Multiple Choice

Which is probably the most useful of the My Blocks listed below?

• power on and power off

• Move5in : moves the robot 5 inches

• MovePowerIn : moves the robot a selected number of inches and power level

• MovePowerInAngle Coast/Brake : moves the robot a selected number of inches, power level, and sets coast or brake

Step 1: Highlight Blocks

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For this lesson, our goal is to move a desired amount of rotations at a desired power and return the ultrasonic value at the end

• Step 1: Select the two blocks in the code that you want to turn into a My Block

Multiple Choice

Based on the lesson goal and the blocks shown, what would be the inputs and outputs for the My Block?

• Inputs: power, rotations

  Outputs: distance measured by the ultrasonic sensor

• Inputs: power

  Outputs: rotations, and distance measured by the ultrasonic sensor

• Inputs: Power, measurement of the ultrasonic sensor

  Outputs: rotations

• Inputs: Power, measurement of the ultrasonic sensor, rotations

  Outputs: none

Step 2: Launch My Block builder

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• A: Go to Tools 🡪 My Block

Builder - If you encounter an error, view the next slide

• B: Pick a My Block Name

• C. Add a Description

• D. Select an Icon for the
whole My Block

Move Rotations and output
Ultrasonic

A

B

C

D

Reorder

Reorder the following steps after you have launched the My Block builder:

• Go to Tools 🡪 My Block Builder

• Pick a My Block Name

• Add a Description

• Select an Icon for the whole My Block

1

2

3

4

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Common Error Messages

◦ SOLUTION: You need to highlight all the blocks again before going into My Block Builder

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​ERROR 1: You must be on a diagram with a selection to create a My Block:

Common Error Messages

ERROR 2: Start Blocks are not allowed in the selection when creating My Blocks. Remove any Start Blocks from your selection and try making your My Block again.

◦ SOLUTION: Un-highlight the start block before going into My Block Builder

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​X

Common Error Messages

• If you continue to have trouble at this step, just select a single block in your program and create a My Block from it.

• You can edit add more blocks to a My Block at any time.

• However, you cannot change the inputs and outputs of a My Block after creation.

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Multiple Choice

True or False: You should always include a start block in your selections for My Block conversions.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Step 3: Add Inputs/Outputs

A. We need to add two inputs and one output so we will click the +
button three times

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Step 3: Add Inputs/Outputs

B. Go back to the first parameter

C. Go to Parameter Setup

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Open Ended

What is the difference between an input and an output for your Lego Ev3?

Step 4: Setup Parameter for Power

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B. Select Input

A. Pick a Name

D. Choose a default value

Move Rotations and output
Ultrasonic

Set min & max values (only available with slider)

C. Power is a Number

E. Choose button Style

A

B
C
D

E

Reorder

Reorder the first broad steps to making My Blocks:

• highlight blocks

• launch My Block builder

• add Inputs/ Outputs

• Setup Parameter for power

1

2

3

4

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Step 5: Setup Parameter for Rotation

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Move Rotations and output
Ultrasonic

Now click on the
second parameter

A

B
C
D

E

B. Select Input

A. Pick a Name

D. Choose a default value

C. Rotation is a Number

E. Choose button Style

Step 6: Setup Parameter for
Ultrasonic

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Move Rotations and output
Ultrasonic

A

B
C

Now click on the
third parameter

B. Select Output

A. Pick a Name

C. Ultrasonic output is a Number

Step 7: Setup Parameter Icons

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In this step, we will change the icons for the parameters from “a” to an image of your choice.

A. Click on a parameter

B. Click on the tab Parameter Icons if not already on this tab, and choose an icon

C. Repeat steps A and B for each parameter

D. Press Finish when you are done.

Reorder

Reorder the first broad steps to making My Blocks:

• highlight blocks

• launch My Block builder

• add Inputs/ Outputs

• Setup Parameter for Power, Rotation, and Ultrasonic

1

2

3

4

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Step 8: Add Data Wires

A. When you click Finish (on previous slide) you will see this.

B. Wire up the My Block by dragging a data wire from each parameter to its corresponding slot on the move steering block and sensor block.

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​These grey blocks are our inputs/outputs (parameters) that were set up automatically by the My Block Builder

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of a data wire?

• To cook food, play music, or control temperature

• To transmit data between parts of the programs

• to record values experienced by the sensors in the RAM

• To make the program easier to read

Where is the My Block?

A. Your My Block will appear in the turquoise tab. You can now use this block in any program.

B. Below, the same My Block is used twice. Once to move forward 2 rotations and then backwards 5 rotations.

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Credits

This tutorial was created by Sanjay Seshan and Arvind Seshan

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.