Using the Pen on the VR 123 Robot

The VR 123 Robot in the 123 Playspace in VEXcode VR is equipped with a VR Pen. This enables you to add color, lines, and drawings to your projects on the Field. You can adjust the Pen width and color, move the Pen up and down to draw, and fill in areas on the Field with color using the Pen.


Setting the Pen Width

Screenshot of the VEXcode VR 123 Playspace, showcasing a virtual robot environment with a block-based coding interface, designed for coding education and robotics principles, suitable for beginners and advanced users in STEM learning.

The [Set pen width] block is used to adjust the width of the line drawn by the Pen on the VR 123 Robot. The default width is set to thin.

The line can be made more fine by setting the Pen width to 'extra thin', or wider by setting the Pen width to 'medium', 'wide', or 'extra wide'. 

Screenshot of the VEXcode VR 123 Playspace interface, showcasing a block-based coding environment for programming a virtual robot, designed for educational purposes in STEM learning.

This image shows an example of the difference in line thickness from 'extra thin' (at the bottom) to 'extra wide' (at the top). 

Moving the Pen

Screenshot of the VEXcode VR 123 Playspace interface, showcasing a virtual robot and block-based coding options designed for users to learn coding concepts and robotics principles in an educational environment.

To draw with the Pen on the VR 123 Robot, you must move the Pen 'down' onto the Field using the [Move Pen] block. 

The default setting for the Pen is 'up', or not drawing on the Field. 

Screenshot of the 123 Playspace in VEXcode VR, showcasing the virtual environment where users can program and control a virtual robot, designed to facilitate learning in coding and robotics.

This image shows an example where the Pen was moved between 'down' and 'up' to draw lines and leave a space between.

Screenshot of the VEXcode VR 123 Playspace interface, showcasing the block-based coding environment designed for programming a virtual robot, with various coding tools and options visible for users to create and test their code.

Moving the Pen 'down' then immediately 'up' will result in drawing a spot on the Field, as shown in this image.

Setting the Pen Color

Screenshot of the 123 Playspace in VEXcode VR, showcasing the virtual robot environment where users can create and test code using a block-based interface, designed for educational purposes in coding and robotics.

There are two ways to adjust the Pen color. The first is using the [Set Pen color] block to set the Pen color to one of four preset basic colors – black, red, green, or blue.

The default color for the Pen on the VR 123 Robot is black.

Screenshot of the VEXcode VR 123 Playspace interface, showcasing a block-based coding environment for programming a virtual robot, designed for educational purposes in STEM learning.

You can also use the [Set Pen color] block with color sliders to set the Pen color to any shade.

Move the sliders within the block to adjust the red, green, and blue values.

Move the opacity slider to adjust how solid or translucent your color appears on the Field.

Screenshot of the 123 Playspace in VEXcode VR, showcasing a virtual robot environment with coding blocks and programming options, designed for educational purposes in STEM learning.

As the sliders are moved, the color in the [Set Pen color] block will change to reflect that color combination.

Continue moving the sliders until your desired color is created.

Screenshot of the VEXcode VR 123 Playspace interface, showcasing a block-based coding environment for programming a virtual robot, designed to facilitate learning in coding and robotics for students and educators.

In this example, the [Set Pen color] block is used to draw a multi-colored square.

Filling an Area with Color

Screenshot of the VEXcode VR 123 Playspace, showcasing the virtual robot interface with block-based coding elements, designed for educational purposes in coding and robotics.

You can also use the Pen on the VR 123 Robot to color in an area on the Field, using the [Fill area with color] block.

Move the sliders within the block to adjust the red, green, and blue values. 

Move the opacity slider to adjust how solid or translucent your color appears on the Field.

Continue moving the sliders until your desired color is created.

Screenshot of the 123 Playspace in VEXcode VR, showcasing the virtual robot interface with block-based coding options, designed for learning coding concepts and robotics principles in an educational setting.

In this example, the [Fill area with color] block was used to color the Field. You can also use this feature to color in shapes that you have drawn with the Pen. 

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

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