My Number 1 Feature Request for NXT-G
After playing around with NXT-G for some time now, I have grown to like it. It is very powerful, but sometimes you need to be able to go just a little bit deeper. Those are the times when development languages like NXT Byte Code (NBC) is really useful. Unfortunately, you cannot use NBC code from within NXT-G.So my #1 feature request for NXT-G would be:
- a NXT-G block that allows you to embed NBC code (best way because it brings the code right into the NXT-G environment), OR
- a NXT-G block that allows you to issue so-called "direct commands" to the firmware (as specified by the NXT SDK), OR
- a NXT-G block that allows you to run an external program.
With that feature, one can build almost any other brick without using LabVIEW. For instance, building custom blocks that support custom sensors would be extremely easy. So my requested block is a block with which I can build any other block.
But perhaps you'd like something else. What is your most wanted NXT-G update?
posted by Filip @ Wednesday, September 06, 2006
8 Comments:
My #1 request would be... keyboard shorcuts. For switching between the different tools: pointer, pan and text. It should be very easy to implement, and that would make the application so much faster when creating complex programs :)
My request would be to fix some terrible bugs in the software and improve the speed.
NXT-G could also do with extra alerts that tell you what is wrong when you do something impossible like making a dataline between different datatypes or making a datawire from outside a loop enter a loop instead of using variables.
I always get the idea a developer said "It compiles, ship it!"
While I agree with some of these, I feel I should point out that if you make a "dataline between different datatypes" it *does* tell you it's wrong: it shows the wire as broken (grey). And a datawire can enter a loop (or leave a loop)... it just can't enter a Switch set to flat view (as the help files mention).
I also would like keyboard shortcuts, although there already are some hanging around (try drawing out a wire diagonally from a datahub, and then tapping the space bar).
--
Brian Davis
Filip: your wish will be granted once LabView toolkit will be released. From what I found it would have VIs that call direct commands, so building NXT-G blocks that issue direct commands etc. will available soon.
We also need an "Array Suitecase" block. Arrays are built into the VM anyway, but there is no way to access them from NXT-G. Arrays would be very useful for collecting a sequence of readings from a sensor and processing it later. Probably almost trivial to implement.
I don't need new features at least not many, i need a version which will not crash. This NXT-G software has not even reached beta state. I'm not amused by the behavior of LEGO. I was completely unable to file a request through there web side.
It gets very clear that LEGO has a great deficit if it comes to Software QC.
anonymous write:
'I always get the idea a developer said "It compiles, ship it!"'
Normally this is not a statement from a developer - this is the normal statement from a marketing droid.
My #1 request would be to port the NXT-G software to Linux.
The full version of LabView (upon which this is based) runs on Linux. Why doesn't this?
Of course, I'm told that it's possible to create programs using tools like NBC, leJOS iCommand (java), or Lego::NXT (perl).
I don't like being forced to use an inferior OS like MS-Windows just because the Lego organization is run by a bunch of shortsighted, uninformed PHBs.
Actually the Code block would be my number 1 - great suggestion. I've just got NXT and have been going through all the programming options. I love the VPL aspect to NXT-G and it's really growing on me. Another part of me just wants to code it all up given my .NET and Java history.
Having said that I have gotten .NET code working on my WM5 device which I can control the nxt robot with and do callbacks. So I guess I have my ideal coding environment if I want to add a WM5 phone to the robot.
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