I want to add Scratch as a sub-inteface to my program my robots. Is this doable?

i-make-robots

I'm writing Robot Overlord, an open source java app for 3D simulating and controlling real robots.

https://hackaday.io/project/12971/

I can create any number of machines, place them, and make them behave. I can write in a very unfriendly language (gcode) to command the robots - go here, do that, etc. What I want is to empower anyone to drive them easily, both in the 3D simulation and when the real robots are connected to the app. I can think of no interface more intuitive than Scratch. Scratch takes makes syntax errors ancient history and turns programming into LEGO.

I imagine the Operators and Control blocks stay the same. The Events, Sensors, and More blocks will probably need tweaking. A user would click on a robot, click “edit program”, then get the familiar scratch interface with the blocks. After editing the program they'd close the popup and run the simulation.

Each robot would have a separate program, though through events or sensors they may communicate to each other, such as a KanBan assembly line.

So… Please: can you help me figure out how to make this happen? I'd much rather work together than alone. I'd prefer to include a library that just makes it work ™ than rebuild from the ground up.

Thank you for your time.

NickyNouse

Hey i-make-robots! There is a way to add new blocks to Scratch that interact with the outside world. They're called Scratch extensions. Unfortunately, you can't remove the existing motion/looks blocks, and your users will have to take extra steps to load the extension when they start your project.

These extensions are written in JavaScript. This post seems like a good place to start.

Last edited by NickyNouse (Aug. 15, 2016 08:53:02)

CodeLegend

It sounds like it would be easier to start from the ground up with block definitions. I'd suggest using blockly.

nanalan

CodeLegend wrote:
I'd suggest using blockly.

+1

dude341

CodeLegend wrote:
It sounds like it would be easier to start from the ground up with block definitions. I'd suggest using blockly.

They want to use Scratch, though.

Pturretdactyl

dude341 wrote:
CodeLegend wrote:
It sounds like it would be easier to start from the ground up with block definitions. I'd suggest using blockly.
They want to use Scratch, though.

Point is that it might be easier, and i-make-robots may want to consider it in that case.

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