Master Series

A practical walkthrough for FTC programmers: object-oriented design for OpModes, and a Git workflow so your whole team can code together without having conflicting code.

What this video is going to discuss 

This video is a hands-on tutorial made for FTC teams that are new to Git. 

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) for FTC

1. • Explains why designing your robot code with classes and objects make testing and reusability far more efficient than procedural OpModes.
     
     

   • Demonstrates how OOP patterns reduce duplication, make autonomous routines composable, and let multiple programmers work on different subsystems safely.
     The video assumes teams are using the FTC Java/Android toolchain (Android Studio + FTC SDK), which is the standard development flow for FIRST Tech Challenge teams.
     
     

Git for teamwork: setup, workflow, and best practices

1. • Covers how to host your team code in Github and use branching, commits, and pull requests so multiple programmers can collaborate without losing progress.
     
     

   • Demonstrates Git workflow: feature branches, small commits, descriptive commit messages, code reviews via pull requests, and resolving merge conflicts.
     
     

   • Github is an essential teamwork tool — not just for backups, but for code review, accountability, and safe experiments.

This workshop teaches designers how to use Onshape to design robot parts and mechanisms. Participants learn the difference between Part Studios and Assemblies, how to create 3D parts from 2D sketches, how to insert official FTC hardware components, and how to use mates to realistically constrain motion. The focus is on core CAD skills that apply directly to FTC robot design and mechanical development.

What the Video Covers

How Onshape Organizes Models

The workshop begins by explaining the two main workspaces in Onshape:

• Part Studios — where individual parts are created
  
  

• Assemblies — where multiple parts are positioned and connected into functional mechanisms
  
  

This structure helps keep robot designs organized and easy to modify.

Creating Parts in a Part Studio

Students learn foundational modeling skills, including:

• Sketching simple shapes like rectangles and circles
  
  

• Converting sketches to solid parts using extrude
  
  

• Adding fillets to smooth edges
  
  

• Adjusting features through the feature tree for clean edits
  
  

These tools are applied to real robot components such as brackets, spacers, and mounting plates.

Using FTC Hardware Libraries

The workshop demonstrates how to insert pre-made, competition-legal parts into a design, including:

• GoBilda structural components, shafts, wheels, and hubs
  
  

• REV Robotics extrusion and slides
  
  

• Standard fasteners such as standoffs, screws, and nuts
  
  

Using real manufactured parts ensures the CAD model matches the robot that will be physically built.

Building Assemblies with Mates

Students learn how to constrain and test motion using mates. The workshop also covers mate limits to ensure movement in the model reflects real mechanical constraints.

Practice Modeling Exercises

Two hands-on examples are completed:

• A simple intake roller assembly
  
  

• A mug and handle model to practice assembling multiple separate parts
  
  

These builds help students develop spatial understanding and multi-part design habits.

Follow-Up Assignment

Participants are asked to:

1. Insert a nut and bolt from the library
   
   

2. Apply a cylindrical or screw mate
   
   

3. Verify the bolt rotates realistically
   
   

This reinforces both CAD technique and mechanical reasoning.