Placing items without studs (i.e. Books)

[FierceEagle]

Hello all!
I am currently facing a probably tiny problem, I am trying to put a utensil book into a shelf,

but I am absolutely incapable of taking it getting it off the ground, if I try to drag it there it just

disappears into the distance.

Could anyone explain how to do it properly? 

Cheers!

[KamalMYafi]

You need to use a scaffolding technique. A scaffolding is a structure that allows you to place a brick where you want to add and, once the brick is placed, have to be removed. You can find many examples of scaffolding in this forum, for example this one.

P.S. Words are from Calabar's post here!

Edited March 27, 2017 by KamalMYafi
Added credit

[inkpanther]

You're asking about part 33009, right? It may be tricky, because you can't connect it in any way to other bricks (AFAIK). The only way I can think of is placing the book on the ground, then using regular plates to lower the ground and then place your shelf underneath the book itself. Still, you'll probably need some SNOT trickery to place your shelf at approximately right spot. After that select both the book and the shelf to move them into appropriate place in your build.

Edited March 27, 2017 by inkpanther

[Calabar]

@inkpanther
No need to lower the ground: once the book is placed in the desired direction (select direction using arrows key while the book is "in the air"), you can move it with easily selecting it together (CTRL+Click) with another brick/plate that you can easily connect using its connectable elements (studs, antistuds, etc...).
For fine tuning, you can use a scaffolding such as a technic axle and an half bush (inserting the bush in the axle), select together the bush and the book, them move the bush along the axle.

[FierceEagle]

Wow guys, 

thanks a lot! I did it with the scaffolding and the axle, and it worked perfectly!
I mean, its kind of disappointing that it has to be so difficult, but once I got the hang of it it was great!

[inkpanther]

@Calabar

In that case I can say "no need to faff around with additional brick" when you can easily lower the ground. ;)

[Calabar]

@inkpanther
Are you sure that lower the ground is the simplest way?  
And don't forget that lower the ground requires additional bricks too!

It seems like in order to reach the moon, you decided to bring the moon here instead then get on a rocket.
Add a brick and move it together with the book is usually the faster and easier way.

[inkpanther]

@Calabar

Yeah, the thing is our methods are very similar. You use additional brick to place a book on a shelf, I use the shelf itself to place that book in the final spot and we both use some sort of scaffolding. The effect is the same, amount of work similar, and in general none of our solutions is superior to other. ;) There's no need for exaggerations. :P

[Calabar]

@inkpanther
Eheh move the moon was a pretty exaggeration!

Anyway I use both the methods (and other methods too), according with the situation.
I think that move the ground is good only if the scene is very simple. If you have a complete building and you want to place a book on the shelf of a room, then the "couple move" method is much better. Try!

[inkpanther]

7 minutes ago, Calabar said:

If you have a complete building and you want to place a book on the shelf of a room

That's the situation I'd rather use my way - it wouldn't disrupt anything that is already build, which may be tricky especially if you need additional scaffolding to place the book and the anchoring brick. Temporarily lowering the ground requires like three plates, it gives room to place the shelf directly under the book and the ground will automatically go back to the way it was after you finished. ;)

But hey, it's Lego, there are many ways to achieve the same effect and everybody is free to build the way they like and feel is the most fun.

[Calabar]

@inkpanther
I think you are imagining the method I described much more complicated than it is, and you are not considering that move a whole building could be difficult to handle for your computer and difficult for you to centre the right position.

Anyway I agree with you: there are many methods, and a builder should use the one he/she prefer.