Useful Resources

Here is a page dedicated to useful resources around the interwebs. Enjoy! The links with an asterisk are resources that are especially pertinent or helpful. For further reading, we highly suggest you check out those links.

• This Guide!

  • Game Manual 0

• Official FIRSTInspires Resources

  • 2019-2020 Game and Season Information

  • 2019-2020 Game Manual Part 1*

  • 2019-2020 Game Manual Part 2*

  • FTC Forum - USFIRST

  • Robot Inspection Checklist

  • Field Inspection Checklist

  • DIY Field Perimeter Build Guide

  • Robot Building Resources

  • Robot Programming Resources

  • Team Management Resources (Budget, Engineering Notebook, etc.)

  • FTC Volunteer Resources

  • Mentor Manual

• General Team Resources

  • FTC Startup Guide, by FRC 862 Lightning Robotics. Note that this is written from the perspective of a Michigan team, and FTC in Michigan is somewhat special - e.g. it is only for middle school teams. However, most of the material is relevant for all FTC teams.

  • KNO3 Software/Mechanical/CAD Resources

  • Simbotics FRC Philosophy and Game Analysis*

  • FIRST things FIRST

  • The Orange Alliance (TOA) (Competition/Performance Data)

  • TOA Text (Query TOA Data via text messaging)

  • FTCScores (Sometimes used instead of TOA)

  • FTC Stats (Team Data and Rankings)

  • FTC Scoring Software

  • Slack (Professional Communication)

• Building Resources - Principles

  • Simbotics FRC Mechanical Design Principles*

  • Simbotics FRC Drivetrain Design (designed for FRC)*

  • FTCKey - FTC wiki (slightly outdated)

• Building Resources - Applications

  • goBILDA with TETRIX (Blog for interfacing goBILDA with TETRIX)

  • SDP-SI Timing Belt and Pulley Guide

    • SDP-SI Designing Belt Drives

  • KHK Guide to Gears

  • Fastener Guide

  • Gear Efficiency Comparisons

  • Gears Educational Systems Guide to Chain Drive Systems

  • 3D Printing Practical and Safety Course - Tom Bladykas, FTC 3736

  • 8644 Brainstormers Tips and Tricks

  • 9794 Wizards.exe, many useful rookie guides

• Building Resources - CAD

  • SOLIDWORKS Student Sponsorship for FIRST (SolidWorks Download)

  • 10650 Hazmat Robotics CAD Tutorials

  • 10650 Hazmat Robotics CAD Library, Various Vendors

  • Actobotics (ServoCity) Official CAD Library

  • REV Robotics Official CAD Library

  • Guide to Rendering in CAD - Justin, FTC 9656

  • GrabCAD Workbench (Git for CAD)

  • 4137 Islandbots Library of goBILDA parts in Fusion360 format:

    • axles, hubs, wheels

    • beams

    • channels

    • gears, sprockets, pulleys

    • goRAIL< v-guide, lead screw

    • motors, servos, accessories

    • mounts, spacers, adapters

    • plates, brackets

    • screws, threaded plates, standoffs

• Building Resources - Calculators

  • JVN for FTC Design Calculator*

  • JuliaDesignCalc (JVN Alternative with Flywheel Calculations)

  • Sprocket Center-to-Center Calculator

  • Pulley Center-to-Center Calculator

  • Pulley Center-to-Center Calculator, alternate version

  • Pulley Center-to-Center Calculator, alternate version v2

  • HTD Pulley Generator - Henopied, FTC 8907

• Coding and Software Resources

  • Java in 7 Days Tutorial

  • Advanced Java Tutorial

  • Java Workshop - FTC 4613

  • FTC Robot Controller JavaDocs

  • Introduction to Control Systems

  • REV Robotics Expansion Hub Guide

  • OpenFTC (useful programming tools)* - 4634 FROGbots

  • DogeCV (FTC Computer Vision Library)

  • FTCLib (“Library for everything you will ever need and more”)

  • RoadRunner (FTC 2D Robot Motion Library)

  • FTC Dashboard (Tool for monitoring and debugging FTC applications remotely)

  • Virtual Robot (Write OpModes without a robot!)

  • Editable Control Award Document - Ryan, FTC 1002

• Vendor Resources

  • REV Robotics Technical Resources

• Discord

  • FTC Discord*

  • The FIRST Tech Challenge Discord server is a discussion-based community server that has teams ranging from first-year rookies to Winning Alliance Captains at the World Championships. It also has a channel for direct access to vendors.

  • FIRST Updates Now Discord

  • FIRST Updates Now provides FTC/FRC related content including recaps, shows, analysis, reveals, and top 25.