Instructions for Digital Notebooks
Bob
06/02/2023
1
Notebooking with Google Slides
This document has instructions, examples and tips on using Google Slides template for your Digital Engineering Notebook.
Please send suggestions and comments about these Digital Notebooks and Digital Parts to notebooks@vex.com
The sticky-notes on each page provide more information about how that page layout can be used
This theme and all of the page layouts can be modified as you see fit.
Go to View and select Theme Builder
Using Google Slides
4 Google Slide for Engineering Notebooks
Common Pages
Team Organization
Strategy
21 Field with moveable objects
Engineering
Wiring
Coding
Table of Contents
Using Google Slides
Google Slides for Engineering Notebooks
Bob
06/02/2023
4
Using layouts for your Engineering Notebook
Google Slide Numbers vs. Engineering Notebook Page Numbers
Google Slides starts numbering slides from the first page. Engineering Notebooks typically do not number the cover page or any of the Table of Content pages. This means that the first entry page in your notebook, your page 1, will not be what Google labels as slide 1 on the filmstrip (left sidebar). We recommend you ignore Google’s numbers and use the manually entered page numbers that are part of the template.
Additionally, as you add more table of contents pages to your notebook, all the Google slide number for the following pages will change. Again, we recommend ignoring Google’s slide numbers, otherwise you will be continually editing your Table of Contents and Pages.
Hyperlinks in the Table of Contents
Links to pages in the table of contents makes navigating for you and the judges easy. When inserting a link Google will add a slide number before the Project Name of each page. We recommend that you remove the slide number from the link because that can be confused with the page number.
Slide 7: First Team Meeting --> First Team Meeting
Common Pages
Notebooking Tip:
Divider Pages
These divider pages can be any color! Just right click the page, go to Change Background, and then select the color of your choice.
Robo Robot Robotics
1
1
Generic School Name
0000A
05/02/2024
04/25/2023
V2.1 Date 6.12.23
Customize me & make me your own! The template document has several cover versions to choose from to fit your team.
This page was created using the cover option with White Text. The background color was changed to a dark red.
Resources
VRC 2023-2024 Game - Rules & Game Video
Google Slides training and help by Google
Get the latest Digital Notebook templates at notebooks.vex.com
Add your own resources here!
Notebooking Tip:
Table of Contents
Be sure to update the Table of Contents before submitting your notebook for judging!
Consider naming your pages with the engineering process steps you are on, in addition to the subject.
Using Google Slides for Table of Contents
The Table of Contents entries above are examples of links to pages in the notebook.
Before inserting links, it is best to enter a title on the page you are linking to.
Inserting links:
Note: In this example we removed the text “Slide #:” and removed the undelines
This layout is
“Table of Contents”
You can add more of these pages as needed.
Table of Contents
Blank page example
Art
06/05/2023
10
This layout is
“Blank”
This is great for pasting in photos of drawings, code,actual prototypes or anything else you want to document.
Lined example
Dan
06/05/2023
11
Note: Gearing was changed in each step
Robot Iteration 2
<- Selected RPM
The best speed for height and distance for the goal was 1200 RPM
Next Step: Ask the coders if they can make it easy to vary the shooter rpm by the driver.
This layout is “Lined”
The font size is set to 15 to keep the text flowing correctly with the lines.
This layout uses the font “Roboto”. Use any font you prefer.
RPM | Distance | Height |
600 | 48 | 24 |
800 | 56 | 29 |
1000 | 62 | 31 |
1200 | 68 | 33 |
1400 | 72 | 35 |
Notebooking Tip: Tables
Insert tables into your notebook by going to insert > table and selecting the size you need. You can always add more rows or columns by going to format > table while your table is selected.
You can also select your table and go to Format options > Text fitting to get the text to fit in the grid.
GOAL
Testing - Shooter Speed
Dot Grid example
Dan
06/05/2023
12
This layout is
“Dot Grid”
This layout works well for graphics
You can add more of these pages as needed.
Sample Title
Thing
Sample Heading
Accomplish game task | |
Positives | Negatives |
|
|
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
Notebooking Tip:
Legible Formatting
If you find that text on a gridded background is hard to read, you can change the highlighted color to white or put your text into a shape on top of the grid.
Team Organization
Team Bio Example
Dan
06/05/2023
14
Kayla
Coder / Driver
10th grade - 2nd year of VRC
Wants to study artificial intelligence
Joey
Builder / Strategist
9th grade - 2nd year of VRC
Wants to be a mechanical engineer
Sam
Builder / Driver
9th grade - 1st year of VRC
Wants to work on the Moon Rover
Jasmine
Captain / Builder
12th grade - 5th year of VRC
Wants to build rockets for NASA
June 2023
Bob
15
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Team kickoff meeting |
Review the game rules |
Brainstorm Strategies |
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Decide on a strategy |
Prototype |
Prototype |
Test Prototypes |
Improve Prototypes |
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Test Prototypes |
Iterate |
Learn from Failure |
Build on Successes |
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This lined calendar page was made using one of the pre-built month layouts found at the bottom of your template.
Because the text boxes were created using a table, they do not say “Click to add text” but they are still there!
Notebooking Tip:
If you want a fresh copy of this page, go back to the blank template document and copy that page into your notebook.
June 2023
Christine
16
| | | | | | |
| Team kickoff meeting | Review the game rules | Brainstorm Strategies! | | | |
| Decide on a strategy | Prototype | Prototype | Test Prototypes | Improve Prototypes | |
| | Test Prototypes | Iterate | Learn from Failure | Build on Successes | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
This grid calendar page was made using one of the pre-built month layouts found at the bottom of your template.
Like the other calendar layout, because the text boxes were created using a table, they do not say “Click to add text” but they are still there!
Notebooking Tip:
If you want a fresh copy of this page, go back to the blank template document and copy that page into your notebook.
Week of: 06/05/2023
Christine
17
Team kickoff meeting. We will watch the reveal video and everybody will receive a copy of the game rules to read. We will also be doing some team-building activities.
Review the game rules. Now that we have had a day to absorb the game, we will be going through the game rules together and writing down all of the possible ways to score points. This will help us to determine a strategy.
Brainstorm Strategies. Today we are going to brainstorm the ways to score as many points as we can. This may continue into the next couple of days as we start to come up with mechanisms to achieve these strategies.
See Wednesday.
No Meeting
No Meeting
See Wednesday.
This is the “Weekly Planner” layout, if you like to write more than can fit in the monthly layouts or just want to elaborate on your plans.
Strategy
Blank Field example
Susan
06/05/22
19
This is the “Blank Field” layout.
This field is shown at 1/24 scale
1” on the drawing is actually 24”
1/24th Scale
Starting Field Example
Susan
06/05/2023
20
This is the “Starting Field” layout. The game objects are locked into the starting position.
This field is shown at 1/24 scale
1” on the drawing is actually 24”
1/24th Scale
Field with moveable objects
Bob
06/05/2023
21
This is the “Blank Field” layout populated with moveable game objects.
These tri-balls are actually underneath the bar. They are shown on top on this slide so they be can moved.
This field is shown at 1/24 scale
1” on the drawing is actually 24”
Notebooking Tip:
If you want a fresh copy of this page, go back to the blank template document and copy that page into your notebook.
1/24th Scale
Engineering
Full-Scale Grid Example
Tony
06/05/2023
23
This layout is �“Full Scale Grid”
The grid spacing is 1/2”
Notice that the grid aligns with the holes in the VEX parts
VEX hole spacing is 1/2”
This is shown at full scale.
The drawing height is 1”
The actual part height is 1”
Rules help measure the number of holes
Actual size of 1” = Drawing size of 1”
Actual size of 1/2” = Drawing size of 1/2”
Notebooking Tip: Cutting 2D VEX Parts
The metal part drawing above was “cut” to make it shorter.
To cut the 2D VEX parts in Google Slides, use the crop feature.
You can use the same method to cut rulers.
Half-Scale Grid Example
Susan
06/05/2023
24
Actual size of 1” = Drawing size of 1/2”
Actual size of 1/2” = Drawing size of 1/4”
This layout is
“Half Scale Grid”
The grid spacing is 1/4”
This is shown at 1/2 scale.
The drawing height is 1/2”
The actual part height is 1”
1/2 Scale Ruler to match the Half Scale layout
Notebooking Tip: Resizing Parts
You can set an object’s size by right-clicking on the object.
Third-Scale Grid Example
Bob
06/05/2023
25
This layout is
“Third Scale Grid”
The grid spacing is 1/3”
Actual size of 1” = Drawing size of 1/3”
Actual size of 1/2” = Drawing size of 1/6”
This is shown at 1/3 scale.
The drawing height is 1/3”
The actual part height is 1”
1/3 Scale Ruler to match the Third Scale layout
Digital V5 Parts Example
Susan
06/05/2023
26
These parts are copied from a Google Slide that contains Digital V5 Parts.
Go to notebooks.vex.com to get the Digital V5 Parts file.
The chain was drawn using Google Slide shapes.
Notebooking Tip: Transparent Holes
The holes in the parts are transparent.
This allows you to align parts to the grid.
This also allows you to align parts to one another.
Digital V5 Ruler Example
Tony
06/05/2023
27
The digital V5 Ruler allows you to easily measure parts without needing to count holes.
This part is 2 x 15.
This Ruler is placed under the part. The hole count can be seen in the holes. Placing the ruler over the part also works.
Use the Arrange > Order menu to move parts to the front or back.
This Ruler is placed next to the part. The hole count can be seen.
Wiring
V5 Robot Brain Wiring
From distance
to ball
Ball shooter distance
Ball color
sensor
Internal
Sensor
GPS
Shoulder Position
Lift Motor
R Front Drive
R Rear Drive
L Front Drive
L Rear Drive
R Shoulder
Drive
L Shoulder
Drive
L Rear Bumper
R Rear Bumper
Optical
Encoder Top
Optical
Encoder Bottom
Ball 1 Ready Limit Switch
Ball 2 Loaded Limit Switch
Bob
06/05/2023
29
This is the “Brain Port Map” layout. You can document how your Robot Brain is wired on your robot.
V5 Controller Functions
Shoot
Lift Up/Down
Lift Robot Up
Lower Robot Down
Intake Out
Intake In
Drive
Forward/
Backward
Drive L/R
Turbo
Bob
06/05/2023
30
This is the “Controller Map” layout. You can document how your controller is coded on your robot.
Coding
VEXcode Blocks Example
Bob
06/05/2023
32
VEXcode Python Example
Bob
06/05/23
33