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unquantumphysics wrote:I am new to this event for my states competition, so I would greatly appreciate any help from veteran MPers!

Throughout this forum, I have noticed over and over again that people are thinking about covering their stack of blocks with something (i.e. cage). Isn't this prohibited by the rules? I was under the impression that the stack has to be completely independent, without any support from something like a cage!

Read me, me, and me. It really depends on the set-up. Long story short: most judges are okay with walls/cages, so long as the stack would still stand if you removed the wall/cage/string/rod.

Wait... but that is in contradiction with a post from the second page of this thread
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Question 1: Can the blocks land in a corral / walled structure to help position them (the
structure could be removed after the machine's run has completed to
demonstrate to judges that the blocks are self-supporting)?

Response: The rules clearly state that the blocks must support each other once stacked,
not after the run has been completed. Even a little bit of contact imparts a
bit of force on an object. Thus a corral / wall that touches the blocks
wouldn't be allowed.

unquantumphysics wrote:Wait... but that is in contradiction with a post from the second page of this thread
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Question 1: Can the blocks land in a corral / walled structure to help position them (the
structure could be removed after the machine's run has completed to
demonstrate to judges that the blocks are self-supporting)?

Response: The rules clearly state that the blocks must support each other once stacked,
not after the run has been completed. Even a little bit of contact imparts a
bit of force on an object. Thus a corral / wall that touches the blocks
wouldn't be allowed.

They either changed their stance, or that is a state clarification and not a national clarification. Either way, go with the official information posted on the national website. Your state should have a policy which ensures that regional/state competitions also follow national clarifications.

illusionist wrote:If I was to use string running through holes in the blocks, and then pulling the string vertical to raise the blocks method, could I use the pulley system to raise the blocks. But then the pulley system isn't actually going to "lift a mass". Could I tie a mass to the end of the string in the pulley system, and then attach the string for the blocks onto the mass?
Did that make any sense?

Parallel tasks.

killer225whale wrote:

illusionist wrote:If I was to use string running through holes in the blocks, and then pulling the string vertical to raise the blocks method, could I use the pulley system to raise the blocks. But then the pulley system isn't actually going to "lift a mass". Could I tie a mass to the end of the string in the pulley system, and then attach the string for the blocks onto the mass?
Did that make any sense?

Parallel tasks.

The way i read it, i don't think it's parallel tasks.
If the gas can inflate the balloon, I think it's okay.

People are pretty paranoid about parallel tasks. I think the way they define parallel is different than the way most people do. They're saying, if you have one task that triggers two, it's parallel. But it's okay if the tasks overlap a little bit in timing as long as it's just the one causing the other.

bwy wrote:

killer225whale wrote:

illusionist wrote:If I was to use string running through holes in the blocks, and then pulling the string vertical to raise the blocks method, could I use the pulley system to raise the blocks. But then the pulley system isn't actually going to "lift a mass". Could I tie a mass to the end of the string in the pulley system, and then attach the string for the blocks onto the mass?
Did that make any sense?

Parallel tasks.

The way i read it, i don't think it's parallel tasks.
If the gas can inflate the balloon, I think it's okay.

People are pretty paranoid about parallel tasks. I think the way they define parallel is different than the way most people do. They're saying, if you have one task that triggers two, it's parallel. But it's okay if the tasks overlap a little bit in timing as long as it's just the one causing the other.

I'm not so sure about that. I see parallel as any overlapping tasks or a task that starts more than one other. I'd honestly rather entirely keep the tasks separated, just to be safe. Whenever I'm unsure about the interpretation of the rules in an SO event, I stick with the most obvious interpretation just to be safe. It's worked for me so far. Two friends on my team who went out on a limb like this got disqualified in tower, which they would have won had they been more cautious interpreting the rules.

Don't let this be you!

Warning - Opinion follows!
As long as the objective of a task is completed before it initiates the beginning of the next task, it should be allowed even though it continues to operate. Once the next task is initiated, any actions performed by the previous one don't count. If the next task starts before the objective of the previous one has been completed, you are operating in a gray area. Sometimes you may get away with it and sometimes you won't.

In the case of inflating the balloon, as long as it's the inflation of the balloon that starts the next task, continued inflation of the balloon simply doesn't exist as part of the device's operation. In using the pulleys & string to stack the blocks, a mass has been lifted as soon as the first block starts to raise. That task has been completed, so continuing to lift/stack the blocks by pulling on the string is part of the next task.

On a final note, the only definitive interpretation is one that comes from the event supervisor at the tournament you will be competing in. As they say: "Your results may vary".

For the pulley to blocks tasks, the mass has to rise at least 15cm first, before the first block begins to stack. On my machine, I just switched the pulley task out for a temperature task.

bwy wrote:

killer225whale wrote:

illusionist wrote:If I was to use string running through holes in the blocks, and then pulling the string vertical to raise the blocks method, could I use the pulley system to raise the blocks. But then the pulley system isn't actually going to "lift a mass". Could I tie a mass to the end of the string in the pulley system, and then attach the string for the blocks onto the mass?
Did that make any sense?

Parallel tasks.

The way i read it, i don't think it's parallel tasks.
If the gas can inflate the balloon, I think it's okay.

People are pretty paranoid about parallel tasks. I think the way they define parallel is different than the way most people do. They're saying, if you have one task that triggers two, it's parallel. But it's okay if the tasks overlap a little bit in timing as long as it's just the one causing the other.

the pulley would first straighten the string, stacking the blocks, and after or at the same time raise the mass; either way the blocks task is completed during the pulley task = parallel tasks. Also, it is the mass being lifted that has to cause the next action; not the string straightening.

illusionist wrote:For the pulley to blocks tasks, the mass has to rise at least 15cm first, before the first block begins to stack. On my machine, I just switched the pulley task out for a temperature task.

I think that should be fine then, as long as it's the mass that causes the blocks to stack.