I am new to FLL this year (and new to the listserv), although coached 

(3) years of Junior FLL leading up to this year.  I am a former Adept 

and Staubli robot programmer, so I feel I am helping the kids structure 

reasonable code.  However, I am having trouble with the EV3 software. 

Our blocks of code get into a mode where much of the information in a 

given block of code is not visible and nothing in that program at all is 

selectable.  Please see attached picture.  For example, a simple math 

block has an "a" and a "b" and numbers or data wires in the associated 

boxes.  The "a" and the "b" are not visible.  The block body is blank 

instead.  The values for "a" and "b" are blank.  The values can't be 

changed.  The block can't be selected.  And much of the time, nothing at 

all in the entire program is selectable.  Occasionally, I fidget around 

with other things and come back to it, and suddenly it is all back to 

normal.  But a few minutes later, the problems come back.



It seems very unusual that the project is only 93 KB, but the software 

takes about 4 minutes to load the project.  The software struggles to 

close properly and often requires Task Manager to open and close to 

actually get the graphics off the desk top.



I have uninstalled and reinstalled the software on my Windows machine. 

I have also tried loading the software and code on my wife's Windows 

machine.   It operates the same on both machines.  I installed the 

latest update that became available today without effect.



Can anyone tell me how to get past this problem?  Right now the kids and 

I are fighting this software issue instead of having fun programming the 

robot.



I am wondering if using a Windows machine is the problem.  Do I need to 

buy a Mac or try the iPad interface or something like that?



Any advice on this issue would be much appreciated.  I know this next 

question is absolutely ridiculous in all likelihood, but is there a 

chance that the code we are writing is too sophisticated?  We are 

writing code that closes the loop around the gyro with switch blocks 

internal to that control loop.  Seems like fairly simple stuff, but I 

noticed the problems right about the time we decided that switches 

inside the control loop helped us with several accuracies.



Matt Michel



Junior FLL Fire Chargers 2014

Junior FLL Golden Dragons 2015

Junior FLL Golden Dragons 2016

FLL Golden Dragons 2016



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