Slegengr

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Everything posted by Slegengr

  1. Slegengr

    Does Bricklink have this Brickowl feature?

    Yes, @gotoAndLego, there is a way to do this in BL. What you want is the "Items for Sale" list for a particular catalog item (be it a part, minifigure, set, etc.). If you want to shop for a part, go to the "Market" tab by the login button, then select "Parts" under "Browse the Catalog". Find the subcategory of the part you want (example: "Animal, Land"). Select the particular item (example: Leopard "bb0787c01pb02"). Now check that you are viewing the "Items for Sale" tab under the image of the part. This is the list that I think you are looking for. There are filters at the top that help specify the information you want, such as particular country for the store locations. The same process is followed for minifigures or whole sets using different categories under the "Market" tab. You can also speed up the search for parts by looking at inventories of sets that include the desired part.
  2. Slegengr

    Help with identifying parts/sets!

    I do not know about the light gray cones, but the other pieces you showed above could have been from the model Weetabix Castle set that LEGO released in 1970. Edit: Also, Eurobricks requires a separate photo-hosting site, such as Flickr, with images shared here using links such as the BBCode to input images right into your post. See Pandora's Flickr Tutorial for example.
  3. @Johnnycrash By the way, did you start the model in extended mode? I do not think you can open a non-extended model in extended mode. What you are describing is how it works when I try to repeat this process without using extended mode. (Maybe there is a way to export/import the model to change the mode? I don't know...) I only build using extended mode due to the freedom allotted with color changing. Generally, I use LDD as a prototype for physical builds I am planning, so I will later verify if parts are actually available in that color or I will check the markets for the part in that color before using it in a build. Extended mode is just simpler to use in my opinion, since you choose pieces and color separately rather than at the same time.
  4. Try the suggestions from SylvainLS that clarify what I am suggesting: Thanks for the clarification. It is so easy to forget the things I do by default. Also, thanks for the direct mention that "Extended Mode" is necessary. I failed to mention this since it is the only mode I use in LDD.
  5. I figured there must be more to the mirroring issue than just the door if you asked for help on that, though it is not obvious from the picture. For recoloring the group, it should work to reverse the final step as well: select the paint bucket with the color you want, then select the group of bricks you want to recolor.
  6. As far as I am aware, there is no mirror function in LDD. For your particular need, though, it should be simple, since it looks like the door just switches sides while the rest of the house is identical. ...unless there are interior details or more things that switch sides that are not visible in the shared picture. For the color change, just build one house in red, then use the selection option showing the arrow and color palate to select all red bricks. Create a group of all red bricks, then copy and past the building. Re-select your red brick group and use the paint tool to change all selected (red) bricks to green. Now you can re-select all red bricks on the pasted building and create another group. This gives you two buildings of different colors that allow for easy color change. Then, if you copy and paste a building and switch the door to the other side, you can repeat the process to have buildings of either color and either door side. To verify the method, I spent about 10 minutes to build simple houses with the ability to change color as shown in these images:
  7. Slegengr

    TLG acquires Bricklink

    I really hope they leave the second-hand market mostly as it is, but I have my doubts. What seems far more likely is that TLG has discovered (surely it did not take this long?) why they estimate only 5% of their sales going to adults: most adults spend far more on the second-hand market due to TLG focusing on children. I know as a child, between my own purchases and gifts from others, I probably had a couple thousand dollars worth of LEGO(R) purchases (no Dark Age for me). As a working adult, I have spent many times that amount, almost exclusively on the second-hand market to purchase sets I missed in my childhood as well as pieces in bulk for MOC-building that are just not available or are very expensive from TLG. Most likely, I see this as a way for LEGO to make the second-hand market expensive to improve their business profit. If the rare chance occurs that this becomes a way for TLG to sell bulk pieces for MOC builders, I may be pleasantly surprised, but this seems like a very slim chance. I know I have wanted to be able to buy certain pieces in bulk for reasonable prices, but I do not have access to the rare chances for such due to no LUG connection or unmentionable opportunities that some have had. New pieces directly from TLG would be nice, but the prices on Bricks and Pieces are quite a bit higher than those on BrickLink. It looks like it is time to make my BL purchases before changes are enacted. With 500+ orders on BL, I have done my share of supporting their business model. I also assume that eBay is quite pleased with this announcement, as they will likely see an increase in LEGO-related sales, no matter how this is handled by TLG.
  8. Slegengr

    [MOC] M-Tron Space Train

    Since this was a theme I loved as a child, I always like to see MOC's like this! Overall, I really like the design of this train. The color scheme and most of the style is very true to the classic M-Tron design. For some reason, I have always been partial to simple rail transportation systems in the LEGO Space setting! I will offer a few critiques: ---The pod design for the train engineer is an apparent reference to classic Blacktron 2, so I would prefer to see a design that more closely represents the cockpits seen on classic M-Tron ships instead. This is mostly just personal opinion, though, since I consider the removable pilot pods to be a distinguishing feature of Blacktron 2 specifically. ---As nice as I think the cars look, the design with black hinged plates for the doors on the cars will not physically work with the hinge method you used. The inside corners of the doors will collide too much to allow the doors to close when open or open when closed. Whichever way they are built, they will become locked. I do not know if this is an issue for you if you never build it with real bricks, but it is a design consideration I like to see even for digital builds that they could be built in reality. The doors might work if they are only 1-stud thick, since the tolerance of bricks may be enough to allow the doors to close with a hinge design like this. There is still interference opening or closing the doors even with doors only 1-stud thick. If you try to use the hinge tool in LDD for opening these doors, it will jump from fully closed directly to the point where the bricks no longer collide due to interference issues.
  9. Slegengr

    Is this a part or a building technique?

    @Corellian Corvette I am pretty sure that it is built as shown in this image with cheese slopes under the Technic pin connectors. This is an LDD build, which verifies all connections as legal according to TLG.
  10. @ProvenceTristram Though I think some of your sentiment is mostly correct, I feel compelled to chime in with my view. It would seem that these days, there is very little MOC activity on EuroBricks as a whole. Some people continue to build, but few comment. The most activity seems to be garnered within specific communities, such as the Guilds of Historica (in which I was once active), where builders begin to recognize one another. On that note, though I rarely log into EuroBricks and comment anymore, your name is definitely one I recognize for an LDD builder that makes models I quite enjoy. I do enjoy LDD MOCs and also make my own, but they are a different consideration in my mind than physical MOCs due to a number of differences. Renders are getting pretty realistic which helps a lot, but digital MOCs will always be missing some of the elements of a physical MOC. I personally build in LDD as a map of parts required for physical MOCs, but this is still limiting at times, since I prefer to just build with actual bricks. The digital MOCs will never have the accomplishment of the investment in acquiring parts, and I find this to be an interesting aspect of building. Considering the use of parts I have rather than always buying all parts adds a nice limitation to design that spurs creativity. This is one aspect that I do not like with LDD: unlimited parts with unlimited colors does not drive my creativity like actual limitations do. Because of this, and since I use LDD as a map for physical MOCs, I am usually pretty careful in LDD to only use parts that actually exist, especially if I already have them. One thing I think about when considering digital MOCs is that the design is only one element of a physical build. LDD only incorporates design, while physical builds incorporate the time to build, investment in parts, and playability/viewability/tangibility in addition to the design. These are valued by those who have fought with these aspects and are more likely to be appreciated when seen in the MOCs of others. There will also always be an element of added perceived value when builders use rare parts or mass quantities of parts, thus demonstrating the difficulty of completing the actual build. This is probably due to synthesized value from supply and demand, but I doubt people are apt to change their minds about the applied extrinsic value (I think my thought here runs along the comparison to why people value gold even though most people are not using it directly but rather are just enjoying the beauty and the value in having something someone else wants). This element of added value will always be missed with LDD and may instead be replaced with the opposite effect since it seems a bit like a cheat of this system since there is unlimited supply. Of course, real limitations apply to physical MOCs that do not apply in LDD, such as gravity effects. Stability is not an issue in LDD like it is in reality. Because of this, I think more value is placed on the physical build, since the photograph is evidence enough that it is physically possible (also why I do not really like MOC photos that are photoshopped for reasons other than view quality). In order to garner this same value with LDD, one must find a way to prove stability, such as building elements in reality to test concepts. Otherwise, it is unproven, which is not to say that the LDD MOC is not stable but just uproven. For me personally, I value the process of building, the touch of the bricks, the sound of rustling through bins, etc. more than just the design, so I prefer physical builds over digital builds. Because of this I will also naturally place more value on the physical builds of others over digital builds. I still really like some digital builds that show obvious time investment into building and rendering unique pieces, but I would prefer to see them in real bricks. If you do not have physical bricks and enjoy digital building, keep doing it regardless of what others think. In the end, I have learned that it is best to do what I enjoy regardless of what anyone else thinks since reliance on others to guide or determine what I like always results in disappointment at some point with someone. I doubt you will ever see me commenting to convince someone not to continue making LDD builds. ...and I did fail to mention that part of what shapes my view is that I am a working engineer with a decent salary who has made a significant investment into physical LEGO pieces. I just try to make good investments into nostalgic sets that may gain value and into MOC pieces that have more than one use for many types of MOCs.
  11. Slegengr

    [SALE] Star Wars Personal Collection

    These lots will be posted to eBay in a few days. The bonuses will not be able to be offered once posted to eBay. If there is any interest in taking advantage of the Eurobricks-exclusive bonuses, please let me know soon.
  12. Do you collect LEGO Star Wars sets and minifigures? Are you a Star Wars army builder? Do you need some Star Wars gifts for the holiday season? ...well, keep reading! After many years of collecting, I have amassed an extraneous collection of Star Wars LEGO builds and minifigures. When I was younger, I had some friends that collected Star Wars sets and minifigures, so I got into it with them and sort of kept it up through college. I really do not have much LEGO time anymore and my LEGO-related interest is in building MOCs mostly in the Castle theme, so this Star Wars collection is for sale. Available are three groups: PREQUELS: Episodes I, II, III (Group Price = $3000, includes builds and minifigures) TRILOGY: Episodes IV, V, VI (Group Price = $2000, includes builds and minifigures) CLONEWARS: Clone Wars (Group Price = $1000, includes builds and minifigures) All currency is in USD or United States Dollars Shipping to continental USA will be free. I would prefer not to ship this order internationally, but I may be willing to consider it at buyer's cost. This image is the first landing image in the album. I have a set list on Rebrickable that covers most of this, though please keep in mind that it is not as good a reference as the pictures. There also may be some items on the Rebrickable list that are not included in the sale, as there are a few sets I plan to keep that are Star Wars related. At the time of this posting, Rebrickable values this collection around $7500 for a very loose reference. The pictures in this Flickr album cover everything offered. They are titled based on the group they fall under. All picture titles starting with "123" are in group PREQUELS All picture titles starting with "456" are in group TRILOGY All picture titles starting with "CW" are in group CLONEWARS Pictures are in a specific order, with an overall group photo of builds or minifigures followed by detail photos where needed. Builds are shown first for each group (no minifigures included in these pictures), and minifigures for each group come after the builds. Many of the instruction booklets will be included, though they are not pictured. If you want to know specifically about the availability and condition of instruction booklets, please ask in a PM. I also have quite a few boxes for these sets, though not nearly all of them. These will be included for their respective sets. Parts and minifigures will be shipped packed in the boxes to save on shipping space. If you want to know about the availability and condition of boxes, again please ask in a PM. The descriptions should be fairly distinct about condition, though I can safely say that these are all in excellent condition or good used condition. All old, marred, nicked, bitten, discolored, etc. parts have been removed (except the cracked slave Leia torso...). Some of the older parts were played with, but most of this entire lot is an adult collection that has been built, disassembled, and stored. Some parts and minifigures are from Bricklink/eBay purchases, but I have verified that all parts are in excellent/good condition. Please note that I took these pictures in May of 2016 with the intent to try to sell then. Life got busy, and I never posted the lot for sale. Since then, The Star Wars collection has been stored in plastic tubs in my basement in the same area as the rest of my LEGO collection. Please send me a PM with any questions/interest. Feel free to make any requests, though I really would rather sell these lots complete rather than parted down. If we work out a sale, I will send a money request through Paypal with the order total. I will NOT accept payment as a gift or money to family to avoid the Paypal fee. To make it simple for the buyer, I will pay the Paypal fee from the amount I receive rather than increasing the total on your end. I am on the Eurobricks' Straight Shooters list through a few small deals and trades, though this is really a leap of trust to verify a sale of this magnitude. If interested, I could make this a superlot for sale through Bricklink, but BL will charge an additional fee for the sale, so the price would be higher. Bonus offers: Total discount of $500 on any 2 Groups (PREQUELS and TRILOGY = $4500, PREQUELS and CLONEWARS = $3500, TRILOGY and CLONEWARS = $2500) Total discount of $1000 on all 3 Groups (PREQUELS and TRILOGY and CLONEWARS = $5000) Extra pieces, incomplete sets, and minifigure parts will be included if buying all 3 Groups (PREQUELS and TRILOGY and CLONEWARS = $5000) If you would like to make offers, reasonable offers may be considered, though I reserve the right to deny any offer for any reason. Please be reasonable and respectful with any offers (well, really with any communication, please). Now, the overall pictures: PREQUEL: TRILOGY: CLONEWARS: Thanks and have a great day, Slegengr
  13. @MovieMocs I would recommend checking out Eurobricks' Guilds of Historica. There are many builds that include amazing forests. You may need to dig a bit, but references for Medieval techniques abound. For some quick advice, I recommend less tan. Usually, you should try to use a limited color palette of 2 or 3 colors for each portion of the terrain, such as only 2 colors for the earth and only 2 main colors in the foliage (aside from flowers or small details). Using too many colors in small scale causes a disoriented and jumbled appearance that is very distracting. I also recommend using reference pictures to ensure color and texture accuracy, as well as to determine what type of forest or any terrain you are trying to build. In your case here, the tan looks like sand from a desert or wasteland mixed with green foliage from a dense forest. These seems out of place together. Putting a palm tree in a snowy terrain would seem out of place. What I mean is to make sure the elements of your terrain and foliage make sense together. This goes for parts usage as well as color usage. Another thing to remember is that using round or wedge plates in addition to square plates gives a more natural and organic appearance. There are very few straight lines in nature. This requires a more diverse set of pieces, but investing in some round plates and wedge plates for terrain may be a very good investment. Avoid using tiles for terrain that is not meant to be completely smooth. Most terrain is rough rather than smooth.
  14. Slegengr

    Part 2530 (Cutlass) in ABS plastic?

    You are welcome. I would not have known about these until I got some from purchased collections.
  15. Slegengr

    Part 2530 (Cutlass) in ABS plastic?

    I know what you mean about this. It is a bother trying to ensure the bows are the right colors when trying to refinish inventory to sort sets. My earlier reference, though, was to a pretty rare early version in "dark brown" that does not match the modern dark brown exactly but is noticeably darker than the old brown. This leads me to believe that the weapon plastic, due to the thinner plastic and the play purpose, was different than the ABS used in bricks. The same applies to the cutlass material, which is currently much more flexible than ABS.
  16. Slegengr

    The Greatest Collectible Minifigure THANKS AND GOODBYE

    Thanks again to @Itaria No Shintaku for running this game and to all who participated in voting!
  17. Slegengr

    Part 2530 (Cutlass) in ABS plastic?

    @Jetflap I am fairly sure that the very earliest cutlasses were made of ABS, just as the early castle short swords were. The switch to a more flexible material was probably due to the blades snapping off from the handle. I have seen many of the ABS castle swords that snapped cleanly off at the handle or had very noticeable white stress marks left from a bend that was straightened. I do not think I have ever seen a sword or cutlass that is made of the newer flexible material get broken. I have a few of those cutlasses that appear to be made of ABS. They were found in some collections I bought off eBay that included parts from sets made in the early 80's. Included were some flags with stickers instead of printing, as well as a number of extra stickers. I do think these ABS cutlasses are interesting (like the very early version of the bow and quiver that are a darker brown), but I do not think they are particularly rare and valuable. Some collectors would likely value them higher than the flexible plastic versions, as the ABS version is not nearly as common as the flexible ones. Most people probably do not even notice the difference. @XBrickmonster The one advantage of the newer flexible material is that they have to be bent much worse before a permanent effect is made. Usually, the bends can be straightened without any ill effect. ABS is much more likely to break or have stress marks from even the slightest bends.
  18. Slegengr

    Book II - Mitgardia: Guild sign-up and Discussion

    @Tyndale Welcome to Mitgardia! I am looking forward to your contributions to the coolest guild!
  19. Slegengr

    Image Uploading / Posting

    See the linked post in my earlier response. It includes a tutorial on how to deeplink from Brickshelf or Flickr so that the image shows in the Eurobricks post.
  20. Slegengr

    Image Uploading / Posting

    @move5 Eurobricks is not an image hosting site, so your limit is very small for things like a profile picture or some small images on your profile page. You will need to make an account with a separate image hosting site and deeplink images from there to your Eurobricks posts. Flickr and Brickshelf seem to be common hosting sites for Eurobricks users. See the middle of this post for information about deeplinking from these sites:
  21. Slegengr

    Roofing

    @XBrickmonster I will be looking forward to seeing your cottage! P.S. When you want to tag another member here on Eurobricks, use the @ symbol as you did, but choose the username from the dropdown that appears. This will cause a notification to pop up when the user logs in.
  22. Slegengr

    Roofing

    @XBrickmonster To achieve a curve, just use hinges or Mixel joints to attach together spans of flat plates. The curve on the right appears to be made up of about 4 sections of plates each about 4-6 studs wide that are jointed together. Complex angles such as this are an advanced technique, but they are not too hard to achieve if you just play around with hinges, Mixel joints, and SNOT bricks. In most cases, the hinged connections or SNOT bricks are hidden on the inside so as not to affect the outside appearance. The above roof shows just how much texturing can be achieved by layering simple plates, wedges, round plates, and tiles to imitate thatching.
  23. Slegengr

    The Greatest Collectible Minifigure THANKS AND GOODBYE

    That is alright, I would not say I am handsome either. Besides, the focus in that vault picture is not your face but something else much more beautiful! You do not need to be handsome with a 6285 MISB in your hands!
  24. Slegengr

    The Greatest Collectible Minifigure THANKS AND GOODBYE

    I wonder if we will still see 70 or more votes in this round? That would be nice if all the scarecrow voters show up! @Itaria No Shintaku Thanks for all you have done putting this game together! It was a brave move to do this knowing that some members would be disappointed as their favorites dropped out of the game. It is nice to see the face behind all this work! That is quite a picture from the LEGO vault!
  25. Slegengr

    Roofing

    There are many different techniques for medieval roofs other than simple slope bricks (but the slope method is still tried and true though simple). Some simple ones: 1. Use plates stacked at different intervals to look like layered thatching. 2. Use tiles on intervals to look like shakes or slate 3. Use 1x2 tiles but only stick down one end completely so the other end sticks up and is not fully engaged on the studs. This represents shakes very well (and is not shown accurately in the image due to LDD). (I cannot seem to find the origination of this or an image, but @Siercon and Coral were the original designers of this technique, I believe) Some more complex techniques are achieved using minifigure hands or droid arms to represent thatching. Black flippers have been used for an interesting shake/slate appearance. Take a look at @Kai NRG's recent blog post (link on Flickr page) for more ideas: Look around in the Historic Forum and the Guilds of Historica Subforum here on Eurobricks for many more ideas. Also, just try some of your own ideas and be creative! That is what the LEGO ideal is about.