Start here
Notebook Setup & Team Identity
📑 Slides to fill
- Cover Page
- Table of Contents (Part 1 & 2)
- Team Roster (6-member, two-squad)
- Qualifier & League Squad Photos
- Color Key — EDP Phase System
✍ How to fill them
- Open VEX_Notebook_Template_2026_27_v3-12 and File → Make a copy. Rename it 2822<letter> — Team Name.
- Cover: replace [X], team name, coach, school, logo (square RGB PNG) and season start/end dates.
- Roster: one row per member — name, grade, role (Driver/Engineer/Strategist), squad, and the notebook sections they own.
- Color Key: learn the EDP phase colors — every entry gets tagged by phase (Identify → Iteration).
- Buffer rows (italic, no number) mean 'duplicate this slide as needed' — add the slide, then fill in its number.
Identify
Identify — Game Analysis
📑 Slides to fill
- Season Goals & Problem Statement
- Project Management & Timeline
- Manual Version Tracker
- Game Overview
- Game Elements (Cup, Pin, Alliance Goal)
- Field Elements — Technical Drawings
- Rule Analysis & Team Impact
- Scoring Analysis
- Criteria & Constraints
✍ How to fill them
- Write a one-paragraph problem statement: what does winning Override require?
- Manual Version Tracker: log every game-manual version (v1.0 → v4.0) and the Q&A rulings that affect you.
- Game Overview / Elements: sketch or drop technical drawings of the cups, pins, and alliance goal; label dimensions.
- Scoring Analysis: list every way to score with point values; rank by points-per-second.
- Criteria & Constraints: turn the scoring into design targets (what the robot MUST do) and limits (size, budget, rules).
Brainstorm
Brainstorm & Research
📑 Slides to fill
- Concept Brainstorm — Drivetrain / Intake / Scoring / Defensive
- Research Notes
- Subsystem Comparison — Drivetrain / Intake / Scoring / Defensive
✍ How to fill them
- Generate 3+ distinct concepts per subsystem — sketches, not sentences. No judging yet.
- Research Notes: cite what you learned from other teams, videos, and the knowledge base (with links/dates).
- Subsystem Comparison: put the concepts side by side on the dimensions that matter (speed, reliability, build time, cost).
Select
Select Best Solution — Decision Matrices
📑 Slides to fill
- Decision Matrix — Drivetrain / Intake / Scoring / Defensive
- Discarded Ideas & Lessons
- Preliminary Design Selection (table)
- Preliminary Design — Technical Drawing
✍ How to fill them
- Build a weighted decision matrix per subsystem: criteria as rows, concepts as columns, weights that sum to 100%.
- Score each concept, total, and pick the winner — the math should justify the choice, not the other way around.
- Discarded Ideas: record what you rejected and why (judges love this).
- Lock a preliminary design and add a labeled technical drawing.
Build
Build & Program
📑 Slides to fill
- CAD — Drivetrain / Intake / Scoring / Full Robot
- Build Log — Entries 1–4
- Programming Log
- Software Architecture & Controller Map
- Electronics & Wiring
- Autonomous Strategy [V1]
✍ How to fill them
- CAD: capture OnShape screenshots per subsystem + the integrated robot; note the named version.
- Build Log: date-stamped entries — what you built, what changed, what broke.
- Programming Log + Software Architecture: document your code structure and the controller button map.
- Autonomous Strategy: sketch the V1 auton path and its goal.
Test
Test & Evaluate
📑 Slides to fill
- Test Protocol [Test 1]
- Auton Consistency Log [v1]
✍ How to fill them
- Test Protocol: define what you're measuring, the procedure, and the pass/fail bar — before you run it.
- Auton Consistency Log: run the routine 10–20 times; log successes/failures; find the pattern before re-tuning.
Tournament
Tournament Prep
📑 Slides to fill
- Pre-Competition Prep [Event 1]
- Tournament Reflection [Event 1]
- Tournament Photo Gallery
- Skills Run Log
✍ How to fill them
- Pre-Comp Prep: pack list, robot pre-check, and the inspection checklist done BEFORE event day.
- Tournament Reflection: after the event — what worked, what to change, next iteration.
- Skills Run Log: record every driver & programming skills attempt and the score.
Iteration
Iteration (V[N] Cycle)
📑 Slides to fill
- V[N] Robot — EDP Cycle Divider
- Duplicate slides 12–54 for each new cycle
✍ How to fill them
- When you rebuild (V2.0, V2.5…), start a new EDP cycle: add a V[N] divider and duplicate the Identify→Test slides.
- Each cycle re-runs the design process for what you changed — this is what separates a strong notebook from a diary.
Guides: Season Roadmap ↗
Appendix
Appendix — Sources & Budget
📑 Slides to fill
- Sources & Citations
- Budget & Parts Log + Outreach
✍ How to fill them
- Sources: cite every external reference you used (videos, forums, guides) with links.
- Budget & Parts + Outreach: running spend + community/outreach events (also see Supplement 4).
Guides: Budget Hub ↗ · References & Sources ↗
Supplement
Supplement 1 — Driver & Match Execution
📑 Slides to fill
- Driver Practice Log
- Offensive & Defensive Playbook
- Match Reading & Field Positioning
- Recovery Driving Checklist
- Partner-Controller Map
- Alliance Coordination Sheet
- Pit Crew Role Cards
✍ How to fill them
- Duplicate the Driver Practice Log weekly; aim 3–5 sessions/week before events.
- Playbook: keep to ≤6 named plays with one-word call-signs (drivers can't parse sentences mid-match).
Supplement
Supplement 2 — Autonomous & Programming Depth
📑 Slides to fill
- PID Diagnostics Worksheet
- Autonomous Failure Diagnosis
- Route Planning Map
- Odometry Setup Log
- State Machine Template
- Data Logging Plan
- Exit Conditions Tracker
✍ How to fill them
- Log every PID tuning session (kP/kI/kD + observed behavior) — don't tune from memory.
- Route Planning: draw the path on the tile grid and annotate each sensor event.
Supplement
Supplement 3 — CAD & Fabrication
📑 Slides to fill
- Onshape Version Control Log
- BOM to Notebook Entry
- CAD-to-Build Handoff
- Custom Parts & Fabrication Log
- Mechanism Decision Matrix
✍ How to fill them
- Log every named OnShape version (vMAJOR.MINOR — description) so each build ties to a CAD state.
- BOM to Notebook: export the subsystem BOM with costs + suppliers and tie it to the winning decision.
Supplement
Supplement 4 — Budget & Sponsorship
📑 Slides to fill
- Budget Hub Snapshot
- Team Budget Worksheet
- Cost as a Design Constraint
- Sponsor Outreach Tracker
- Budget in the Judge Interview
✍ How to fill them
- Update the Budget Hub monthly; judges ask about it.
- Cost as a Design Constraint: show one decision where a $ cap eliminated an option — cap → option cut → design choice.
Supplement
Supplement 5 — Scouting & Strategy
📑 Slides to fill
- Match Scouting Sheet
- Picklist Builder
- Alliance Selection Strategy
- Match Score Predictor & EV
- Robot Skills Score Tracker
✍ How to fill them
- Scouting Sheet: one row per opposing robot per match — keep fields minimal so scouts keep pace.
- Picklist + Alliance Selection: pre-decide your top picks and cutoffs before selection day.
Supplement
Supplement 6 — Team Ops & Judging
📑 Slides to fill
- Team Structure & Role Cards
- Kickoff Week & Season Planner
- Project Management Board
- Time Management Log
- Judge Interview Playbook
- Interview Skills Lab
- Outreach & Community Impact
✍ How to fill them
- Review the Project Management Board every meeting; cut stale tasks (>2 weeks).
- Pair the Judge Interview Playbook + Interview Skills Lab with the Judging & Interview Prep Canvas module.