Using the Playground Features in the GO Competition – Mars Math Expedition

The GO Competition – Mars Math Expedition Playground in VEXcode VR enables you to code a Virtual VEX GO Hero Robot to complete tasks from the VEX GO Mars Math Expedition Competition. The Playground Window in GO Competition – Mars Math Expedition has a few game-specific features on top of the current VR Playground Window Features.

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Selecting a Stage

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There are four Stages in the GO Competition – Mars Math Expedition. Each Stage adds tasks and the Field size grows.

When the GO Competition – Mars Math Expedition Playground is selected, it will open the Stage 1 Field by default. 

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To select a different Stage, first select the Expand button in the upper left corner of the Playground Window.

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Next, select the location icon that appears when the menu is open.

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Then, select your desired Stage from the ‘Select Stage’ options.

To learn more about the tasks included in each Stage of the competition, see this article.

Follow these steps to change your Stage selection at any time.


Downloading a Playground Image

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You can download an image of the GO Competition – Mars Math Expedition Playground at any time. This can be useful to show the position of the robot and game objects at the end of a project.

To download a Playground image, first select the Expand button in the top left corner of the Playground Window.

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Then, select the Download Playground button.

The Download Playground button will download the entire Playground Window image as a .png image file. This includes:

  • The current position of the VR Robot and game objects on the Field
  • The timer at the moment of download
  • The score
  • All buttons on the Playground Window

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Here is an example of a downloaded Playground image at the end of a project to lift a game object.


Using the Helicopter Button

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The Stages 3 and 4 Fields of the GO Competition – Mars Math Expedition Playground include a helicopter that can be placed on the Landing Site when debris is cleared.

In the VEXcode VR Playground, this task is completed using the Helicopter button, in the lower right corner of the Playground Window.

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The Helicopter button is inactive until the debris is cleared from the Landing Site. When inactive, the button will appear to be grayed out, and you will not be able to select it.

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The Helicopter button will become active when the debris is cleared from the Landing Site. One example of ‘cleared debris’ is shown in the image to the right.

Select the Helicopter button to move the Helicopter onto the Landing Site, in order to score the extra point.

View this screen recording to see one example of how the Helicopter button can be used once the Landing Site is cleared.

For more information, help, and tips, check out the many resources at VEX Professional Development Plus

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