Add a 1/2" of wood on back side and get over it. Or add 1/2" of extruded aluminum to top face and get over it… Literally 
Rebuilding the team version of the obstacle is really the least difficult part of dealing with this change. Some of us have already designed our drivetrains and are locked into solutions that will at best be sketchy and at worst just not work with the new dimensions.
It’s probably more than 20% for most teams since this isn’t being conveyed in a Team Update until Friday, which is Day 14 of the build season.
This game is by far the most difficult for teams in terms of field construction. It’s unfortunate that teams now have to remake this section of the field, especially for teams who went with metal version. Not to mention the impact on teams who have prototyped and designed drivetrains based on the original incorrect spec. The obviously isn’t a deal breaker for anyone as teams can find ways to work around this, however it’s still frustrating and disappointing. Over the past few years in FRC, the GDC has basically always made team/customer friendly decisions when it comes to changes like this; hopefully they’ll reconsider this one to keep with that trend.
The other pertinent question is which is easier to fix and which does FIRST have more control over? 20 ish fields (best guess, there are probably less), each containing 2-3 rock wall defenses (assuming they are all built already). Or 3000 teams?
With the Team Update unreleased, but coming, do we start swapping our rock walls now? Or Friday? What if they reverse it?
Sigh.
I feel like they released that Q&A too quickly.
Originally Posted by Sunshine View Post
Add a 1/2" of wood on back side and get over it. Or add 1/2" of extruded aluminum to top face and get over it… Literally
Wow, that pun went over well!
Chris, I hope that your team gets over it, and over it, and over it, and over it…
FIRST dun goofed. They should just keep it as it was written. This is a game of inches and they just added one.
Are we joking here? Field tolerances an different regionals have always been +/- 1 in. Apparently this year the field drawings are the same.
One would hope certain field tolerances could be held slightly tighter than that, though. I mean if the rock wall was 5.5x5.5 and the moat walls were an extra inch taller, they’d be enormously more difficult. Or if the rough terrain gaps were 2.5" instead of 1.5".
Mostly I don’t think the +/- 1" should apply to the defenses because they’re such an integral part of the game. It’s like the boulders were suddenly 9"-11" diameter. It has the potential to greatly affect robot performance.
Also, the situation is pretty insane. Literally every piece of information given to teams says 4.5" up to and including the CAD drawings. It seems like it’s obviously a manufacturing error, and if I shopped out parts and had them come back 25% out of spec, they’d be sent back as rejected and I’d probably be looking for a new supplier.
The field drawings contain the tolerances, which vary based on the field element. Check out the field assembly document.
The overall length of the field is +/- 3", because that’s a dimension that’s incredibly difficult to get perfect, and impossible to keep consistent over the course of a 3 day competition.
Measurements from a wall to a piece of tape (and tape to tape) are +/- 0.5", and those are easier to keep within spec.
UPDATE: FRC Q&A Has revised the response to Q612:
Hopefully this means they are reconsidering what the “true” field dimensions will be. I’m sure we’ll get some more insight on GameSense tonight with Frank.
Fizz wanabe
I don’t think they can change the fields now, the fields have probably already been fabricated.
Doesn’t mean they can’t change. The rock wall isn’t integral into the structure or shape of the field. It’s an easy fix and FIRST should be the ones to take the expense and change.
If FIRST can’t find someone to cut and bend 20ish pieces of sheet steel in a month, they really need some new suppliers.
I believe the material is 5 gage aluminum sheet. But your point is still valid.
I’m not sure, they show it welded to steel sheet in the drawings, no?
Another point of confusion.
No, it’s steel. They screwed up that part of the drawing too. The assembly drawing makes it clear it’s a weldment and refers to it as “steel bump”.
Next year’s game will be building robots to read field drawings and go out and verify the actual field against them. Then the field not matching the drawings will be entirely by design.
An error in the field drawings? Say it ain’t so!
I’m surprised with this update that the material wasn’t addressed also. Does anyone know if that is a question already submitted?