Converting an IQ (2nd gen) project to use with an IQ (1st gen) Brain – VEX Library

While working with VEX IQ, you may want to run a project that was configured for a (2nd generation) Brain on a robot with a (1st generation) Brain. To do this, you will need to convert your project from '2nd gen' to '1st gen' in VEXcode IQ.

Screenshot of VEXcode IQ interface highlighting key features for programming VEX IQ robotics, including code blocks, project options, and user-friendly design for educational purposes.

In some scenarios, minor changes are automatically made to the code or configuration during a conversion, and these changes will not affect how your project runs on an IQ (1st gen) Brain. However, there are some circumstances where changes are made to a project during conversion that require the project to be updated in order to run on a robot with a (1st gen) Brain.

Converting a Project with External Gyro - No Changes to Code

Icon representing the VEX IQ Robotics platform, highlighting key features of VEXcode IQ for educational purposes and beginner robotics enthusiasts.

Open a (2nd generation) project in the workspace. Then, select the Devices window icon.

Screenshot of the VEXcode IQ interface highlighting the 'Select the First Gen Button' feature, part of the VEX IQ robotics platform documentation for educational purposes.

Once the Devices window is open, select the '1st gen' icon.

Image of a light blue VEX IQ robot showcasing its design and features, related to the VEXcode IQ programming environment, highlighting key functionalities for educational robotics and beginner enthusiasts.

The '1st gen' icon will highlight in blue to show that the project has been converted. You can now run this project on a (1st gen) Brain.

Note: In this example the external Gyro is configured for port 4 and no updates need to be made. If you were to convert back to a 2nd gen project, there is a step where you would need to confirm this configuration. See this article for more information.

Converting a Project with Brain Inertial Configured - No Changes to Code

If the Brain Inertial is configured in the IQ (2nd gen) project, you will need to update to either configure for an external Gyro sensor, or no Gyro.

Icon representing the VEX IQ Robotics platform, highlighting key features of VEXcode IQ for educational purposes and beginner robotics enthusiasts.

Open a (2nd generation) project in the workspace. Then, select the Devices window icon.

Screenshot of VEXcode IQ interface highlighting key features for programming VEX IQ robotics, including tool options and project management elements, designed for educational use and beginner robotics enthusiasts.

Once the Devices window is open, select the '1st gen' icon.

Diagram illustrating the key features of VEXcode IQ, highlighting its user-friendly interface, programming capabilities, and tools designed for VEX IQ robotics education and project development.

A message will appear to alert you that the project will need to be converted. Select 'Continue' to proceed with the conversion.

Screenshot showing a completed project conversion in VEXcode IQ, highlighting that the inertial sensor configuration has been removed, relevant to VEX IQ robotics platform documentation.

A conversion completion message will open alerting you that the Brain Inertial sensor configuration has been removed. It will also list any changes that were made. See below for more information on hot to interpret dialog box messages.

Select 'OK" to proceed.

Diagram illustrating the first generation of VEX IQ robotics without a gyro sensor, highlighting key features relevant to programming and building robots in the VEXcode IQ environment.

The '1st gen' icon will highlight in blue to show that the project has been converted. You can now run this project on a (1st gen) Brain.

You will either need to configure an external Gyro, or proceed with no Gyro configured.

Converting a Project with Changes to Code

Icon representing device selection in VEXcode IQ, a programming environment for VEX IQ Robotics, highlighting key features for educational robotics and beginner enthusiasts.

Open a (2nd generation) project in the workspace. Then, select the Devices window icon.

Screenshot of VEXcode IQ interface highlighting key features, including programming options and tools for VEX IQ robotics platform, aimed at educational use and beginner robotics enthusiasts.

Once the Devices window is open, select the '1st gen' icon.

Screenshot highlighting the key features of VEXcode IQ, including programming interface elements and functionalities designed for VEX IQ Robotics platform users, aimed at enhancing educational experiences in robotics.

A message will appear to alert you that the project will need to be converted. Select 'Continue' to proceed with the conversion.

Note: This message will only open if changes will be made to the project code.

Screenshot of VEXcode IQ interface highlighting the 'Select' and 'OK' buttons for conversion, illustrating key features for programming VEX IQ robots in an educational context.

A conversion completion message will open and list any changes that were made. In this example, the {When Brain button} event block dropdown menu was updated from 2nd to 1st generation configuration.

See the section below for more information on the different messages that you may receive, and how to interpret them.

Select 'OK' to save the project conversion.

VEX IQ icon representing the VEX IQ Robotics platform, which provides educational resources, programming tools, and project ideas for beginners and educators in robotics.

The '1st gen' icon will be highlighted in blue to show that the project has been converted. You can now run this project on a (1st generation) Brain.

Interpreting Dialog Messages when Converting Projects

If there was a change to the code needed due to any of the conditions shown below, the message after conversion will be: "Project conversion has been completed with these changes," followed by a list of any changes that were made to the code. Below are the changes that you may encounter when converting a (2nd generation) project to run on a (1st generation) Brain.

Dialog Messages for Changes Made Automatically

{When Brain button} Dropdown Menu Updated

Illustration of the Brain Button event in VEXcode IQ, depicting the programming interface used to control the VEX IQ robotics platform, highlighting key features for educational and beginner robotics enthusiasts.

{When Brain button} Dropdown Menu Updated

Here the message tells you that the conversion is completed, and the dropdown menu of the {When Brain button} block has been updated.

Arrow button indicating menu changes in VEXcode IQ, highlighting key features and navigation options for the VEX IQ Robotics platform.

Because the Arrow buttons on the (2nd gen) Brain are 'Left' and 'Right', but they are 'Up' and 'Down' on the (1st gen) Brain, the parameters in the dropdown menu for the Blocks connected to the Arrow buttons have to be updated.

Dropdown Menu Updated

Illustration of the brain button sensing feature in VEXcode IQ, highlighting its role in programming and controlling VEX IQ robots for educational robotics projects.

This message tells you that the dropdown menu of the <Brain button pressed> block has been updated during the conversion.

Screenshot of the VEXcode IQ sensor block menu, showcasing various programming options for VEX IQ robotics, including sensor configurations and block functionalities to enhance educational robotics projects.

Project Slot Changed

Screenshot of VEXcode IQ interface showing project slot options, highlighting key features for educational robotics programming and project organization within the VEX IQ platform.

Here the message tells you that the Project Slot has been changed during the conversion.

Screenshot of VEXcode IQ interface highlighting key features, including programming options and tools for VEX IQ Robotics platform, aimed at enhancing educational experiences for beginners in robotics.

An IQ (1st generation) Brain is only configured with 4 slots for user projects, while a (2nd generation) Brain is configured with 8 slots. A project configured for slots 5 - 8 will automatically be reconfigured for Slot 4.

Dialog Messages for Changes that Require Code to Be Updated

Drivetrain Inertial Sensor Removed

Diagram of an inertial sensor used in VEX IQ robotics, illustrating its key features and components for educational purposes in programming and building robots.

This dialog message tells that the Drivetrain Inertial Sensor configuration has been removed during the conversion.

Flowchart illustrating the selection process between a Gyro sensor and an Inertial sensor in VEXcode IQ for VEX IQ Robotics platform, highlighting key features and decision points for educational robotics projects.

If a project is configured with the Inertial Sensor that is built into the (2nd generation) Brain, the Inertial Sensor will be removed from the Drivetrain configuration in order to be compatible with the (1st generation) Brain.

You may need to configure a Gyro Sensor for your project to run as desired on the (1st generation) Brain.

Some {When started} blocks have been disabled

Screenshot illustrating the key features of VEXcode IQ, highlighting programming tools and resources for VEX IQ Robotics platform, aimed at enhancing educational experiences for beginners and educators in robotics.

This message tells you that some {When started} blocks have been disabled during the conversion.

Flowchart illustrating the key features of VEXcode IQ, highlighting components such as programming interface, robot control, and educational resources for VEX IQ Robotics platform users.

A (1st generation) Brain can only support up to 3 {When started} blocks, while the (2nd generation) Brain supports up to 8. If there are more than 3 {When started} blocks in the (2nd generation) project, the additional {When started} block(s) will be disabled during the conversion process. You will not be able to enable the extra when started while in gen 1 mode.

Note: The software will prioritize {When started} blocks from the top left corner of the Workspace.

Note: If the project is converted back to 2nd generation, these blocks will not automatically be enabled. You will have to enable them manually in the Workspace.

See this article for more information on how to enable blocks and what happens when blocks are disabled in a project.

IQ (2nd generation) Specific Blocks Disabled

Screenshot of VEXcode IQ interface highlighting key features for programming VEX IQ robots, including block-based coding options and project management tools, aimed at enhancing educational experiences in robotics.

This message lets you know that any blocks specific to IQ (2nd generation) have been disabled.

Image showing a disabled block in VEXcode IQ programming interface, illustrating a key feature related to programming limitations or errors within the VEX IQ robotics platform.

If blocks are disabled, they will not run in a project. It may be necessary to update the project so that it runs as desired.

Additionally, if block parameters are set for IQ (2nd generation)-specific configurations as shown on the left, the block will be disabled in the conversion. This block can be enabled after the conversion by changing the 'BrainInertial' parameter in the drop down window.

Note: If the project is then converted back to 2nd generation, these blocks will not automatically be enabled. You will have to enable them manually in the Workspace. You will not be able to re-enable blocks that are specific to the IQ (2nd gen) Brain.

See this article for more information on how to enable blocks and what happens when blocks are disabled in a project.

Diagram illustrating the key features of VEXcode IQ, highlighting components and functionalities designed for educational robotics with the VEX IQ platform.

The blocks shown on the left are examples of IQ (2nd generation)-specific blocks: Draw and Inertial Sensing blocks. These blocks will be disabled if they are in a project that is being converted to 1st generation.

Note: There are some blocks that are shared between the Gyro and Brain Inertial Sensor. If you use those blocks and have the gyro selected, they will not be disabled. Only blocks that have the 'BrainInertial' selected will be disabled.

Screenshot of the VEXcode IQ monitor console interface, showcasing key features and tools for programming VEX IQ robots, including options for debugging and real-time feedback during robot operation.

Because the Console View is not supported for IQ (1st generation), any blocks that have the 'Console' option selected in the menu will be disabled when converting to a 1st gen project.

These blocks can be enabled if the menu option is changed. In the examle on the left, the [Print] block is disabled because 'Console' is selected.

The block can be enabled by selecting the 'Brain' option, since this option is supported.

See this article for more information on how to enable blocks and what happens when blocks are disabled in a project.

Screenshot of VEXcode IQ interface displaying key features and functionalities, designed for educational robotics using the VEX IQ platform, including programming tools and project resources for beginners and educators.

A single project may have multiple changes. VEXcode will make all of the conversions at once and list all changes in a single message — as shown on the left.