Does anyone know whether a design log is required for machines? When searching it up, a design log is required for most events, but I can't find anything about a design log in the rules manual for machines or what is required for the build log, since it varies.
Thanks!
PS:Is a practice log required too?
Build Log for Machines
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YoGabbaGabby
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Build Log for Machines
Last edited by YoGabbaGabby on Sat Jan 17, 2026 6:19 am, edited 2 times in total.
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knightmoves
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Re: Build Log for Machines
As always, the current year's rules and posted FAQs are definitive.
The place you should be "searching it up" is in the rules.
When you read the Machines rules from start to end, you will find no mention of a design log or a practice log. That tells you that those things are not required.
I would encourage you to both design your device, and to practice with it, because that's how you get a good answer. But bringing logs with you isn't necessary, and they won't be graded.
(SO seems to have swung back and forth on logs. Design logs are great, in theory, but grading them is awful. Event Supervisors don't have time to read through a detailed design process and give it a grade for completeness, making sensible choices, exploring reasonable options, and so on. What you usually get is a low-value box-ticking exercise that penalizes an otherwise outstanding body of work for one careless omission, but gives full credit to a piece of superficial box-ticking.)
The place you should be "searching it up" is in the rules.
When you read the Machines rules from start to end, you will find no mention of a design log or a practice log. That tells you that those things are not required.
I would encourage you to both design your device, and to practice with it, because that's how you get a good answer. But bringing logs with you isn't necessary, and they won't be graded.
(SO seems to have swung back and forth on logs. Design logs are great, in theory, but grading them is awful. Event Supervisors don't have time to read through a detailed design process and give it a grade for completeness, making sensible choices, exploring reasonable options, and so on. What you usually get is a low-value box-ticking exercise that penalizes an otherwise outstanding body of work for one careless omission, but gives full credit to a piece of superficial box-ticking.)
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- Unome (Mon Jan 19, 2026 3:03 pm) • YoGabbaGabby (Mon Jan 19, 2026 4:14 pm)
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YoGabbaGabby
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Re: Build Log for Machines
That makes sense, thanks. How did you find that they wont be graded? Some people have told me that they're not required but essentially extra credit
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knightmoves
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Re: Build Log for Machines
How do you find out? You read the rules. Make sure you are reading the 2026 version of the rules. You will not find the words "design log" or "practice log" anywhere. You will find a description of how the event is scored (45% exam, 15% time to complete ratio measurement, 40% accuracy of ratio measurement).YoGabbaGabby wrote: ↑Tue Jan 20, 2026 4:04 pm That makes sense, thanks. How did you find that they wont be graded? Some people have told me that they're not required but essentially extra credit
What "some people have told you" is irrelevant. Read the rules, and read the FAQs on the soinc website. That defines what the event is.
(Different events have different rules, of course. If you were talking to someone who did Helicopter, for example, then having a complete flight log in that event is worth a 20% increase in flight time. Machines and Helicopter are not the same event.)