Lemon speaks Multipart

On popular demand (and personal need) I have enhanced Lemon, the NXT model comparer, with the capability to handle LDraw multipart files.
Next to LDD and classic LDraw (.ldr) files you can compare also a LEGO® model against the different NXT sets now that is stored as a multipart model in the LDraw .mpd format.
Check out the new version 2.1.0 here and do not hesitate to provide feedback.

Lemon 2.0: Compare your model against different NXT sets

Lemon (LEGO® Model Nibbler) is a tool that allows for finding out whether a LEGO® model can built with a particular NXT set or which parts are needed beyond the contents of that set. The brand-new version 2.0 is a Java application that compares a LEGO® models laid down in LDraw or LEGO® Digital Designer  format against different NXT sets and lists  the parts that are used in one model but not in the kit (and vice versa).
Using a graphical user interface, the model can be checked against

• the NXT Kit 1.0 (#8527)
• the NXT Kit 2.0 (#8547)
• the NXT Education Kit (#9797)
• the NXT Education Resource Set (#9648)
• the NXT Education Kit plus the NXT Education Resource Set

The results might be exported to a HTML, PDF or Excel file then.

All you need for installation (best with Firefox web browser) is a Java 6 Runtime on your machine.

Give it a try - I'd be grateful for feedback, proposals or bug reports.
Don't hesitate to contact me in case of troubles with the installation.

Outside the Box - NXT-G on Small Screens

People love running programs on systems they weren't quite designed for, and NXT-G is no exception. Several people have found that it will run on very small laptops, but the screen size forces the configuration pane to be invisible, displayed off-screen. Problem.

TeamHassenplug has a solution.

Steve Hassenplug had this problem recently, and with some help wrote a wonderful LabVIEW tool that allows you to display the Configuration pane in a floating window - find it on the above page under "NXT-G add-ins". Now you can run NXT-G on screens with resolutions below N x 600, and have a nifty way to reposition information in the screen for taking screenshots, etc.

While you are there, you might want to check out some of the other tips, tools, and tidbits that pepper the site. There's a lot of information (and custom blocks) in the site.

And in the interest of full disclosure, yeah, some of the stuff on the site is mine as well :) .

--
Brian Davis

Software tools for legacy MINDSTORMS products

Philo, the new (well-deserving) lauréat of the James Jessiman Memorial Award of ldraw.org, has published a site where you can download the tools for the legacy MINDSTORMS products that LEGO® has stopped supporting: RCX™, Scout™ and Spybotics™.
LEGO® removed these tools from their web site in 2008, so this site of indefatigable Philo will be welcome by all the people that are still developing for these products.
It features

• the MINDSTORMS SDK 2.5
• updated USB tower drivers
• RIS 2.0 XP patch

Note: as Philo states on his site, usage of these tools is completely at your own risk.