Development Tools

If you’re doing any robot development work these tools are necessary:

• WPILIB VS Code: VS Code is the development environnement we use to develop robot code.

• NI Game Tools

Software Tools for Hardware Vendors

These tools are less critical for individual student laptops to have, the ThunderChickens Programming Department laptops all have these tools installed.

• REV Hardware Client

• CTRE Phoenix Tuner X

• Redux Alchemist

• Swyft Servo Programmer

• Studica NavX2-UI

WPILIB: The WPI Robotics Library (WPILib)

• WPILIB Documentation: If you don’t know something robot code related, start here.

• WPILIB Java Reference: If you don’t know a method or clas, look here.

• WPILIB Repository: Development repository for WIPLIB.

Java Training Materials:

• Jacob’s Tutorials

Text Formatting (Across Platforms)

• Discord Flavored Markdown

• GitHub Flavored Markdown

• GitLab Flavored Markdown

FRC Community Projects

• QuestNav: Robot odometry utilizing the Meta Quest 3s VR headset.

• LimeLight: COTS vision system - alternative to PhotonVision.

• FRC Web Components: Web based dashboard alternative.

• MapleSim: Physics engine for advanced robot simulation.

• Elastic: Drag and drop dashboard solution (replaces SmartDashboard/Shuffleboard).

• YAGSL: Yet Another Generic Swerve Library a highly configurable JSON based swerve drive solution.

• DogLog: Simplified logging for FRC.

• AdvantageScope: Diagnostic and log analysis toolset.

• AdvantageKit: Advanced logging tool built around modular I/O layers & replay support.

• PathPlanner: Motion profile builder with easy to use GUI (Primary use for autons).

• Choreo: A Graphical tool for planning time-optimized trajectories (advanced PathPlanner motion profiling).

• PhotonVision: Purpose built OS for FRC vision processing.

Scouting App Development

• Flutter: Chicken Scratch our in-house scouting app is built on Flutter.

• Android Studio: Android Studio offers development tools and emulators to aid in app development.

Misc.

• ChiefDelphi: Forum for all things FIRST. Great for programming support questions.

• The Blue Alliance: All FRC event data (Matches, Scores, Awards, etc.)

• The Blue Alliance API Documentation: TBA offers a REST API for pulling match and event information.

• Statbotics: FRC data analytics & predictive analysis.

• Statbotics Python API Documentation: Python API documentation for Statbotics.

• Statbotics Rest API Documentation: Rest API documentation for Statbotics.

• Cheesy Arena: Open Source FMS server for running our practice field.

• Go Language: Cheesy Arena is written in Go.