Toa_Of_Justice

I had these ideas for a while now. Thanks for the opportunity to post them, CopMike! My Idea #1: Gender: Male Occupation/print on torso: Race Car Driver Type of headgear: Modern Helmet Type of facial expression: Smiling/Determined Color on torso/legs: Red and White OR Dark Green and Yellow Accessory: Steering Wheel and/or Checkered Flag (with a black or white Antenna 4H as a flagpole) My Idea #2: Gender: Female Occupation/print on torso: Space Alien Type of headgear: Hair (a ponytail-esque piece, but without any hair on top of the head [the piece would fit into the head stud]) Type of facial expression: Smiling/Friendly Color on torso/legs: Green (I suppose any shade would look good except Lime Green) Accessory: Black Scanner tool with Atlantis-Trans-Green 2x2 radar dish placed over the scanner's antenna (as in this set) -Toa Of Justice

Thank you very much, M_longer! I especially like the brick-built headlights--much better than stickers. That improvement reminds me of the change made from the Ferrari Enzo to the Ferrari FXX. By the way, would you happen to know what that rectangular thing on the roof of the Police Gallardo is supposed to be? EDIT: Never mind--I just figured out that thing seems to be where the top lights are located. -Toa Of Justice EDIT 2: Oh my...did anyone notice the discrepancy on the door of the big picture? It says "POLIZIA" in the real picture, but it says "POLIZI" in M_longer's pic! I hope that gets fixed!

Thank you, LegoGalactus! Actually, I intended the transformation to be primarily the other way around, but I suppose it doesn't matter all that much, since my model can go back and forth between the two modes. -Toa Of Justice

Actually, minifig heads can be decorated on the front and the back, not to mention the top (the top is for this head's metal plates). Torsos can be decorated on the front and back as well. I think you're right about the bricks though. The only exception I found so far is the 1x2 brick, which can be decorated on both of its narrow (1 stud width) sides with what appears to be a sticker from Custom Cars. Here is an example LDD file with a fully decorated minifig. -Toa Of Justice

Unfortunately, my model was rejected from LEGO due to a "trademark violation." "MX-2" yielded many hits on Google, and it probably tipped off the moderators. I tried again--this time, I changed the box name to "LEGO-2 Rover." Hopefully that will pass moderation. Thankfully, my free shipping code still worked. -Toa Of Justice EDIT: I don't believe it--LEGO rejected my model AGAIN!!! I suppose I'll try one more time... EDIT 2: Free shipping code failed! Time to call Customer Service! EDIT 3: Customer Service was nice enough to tell me that my model was rejected the second time due to "Exploration Rover" in the file name. I have changed the Shop at Home link for the benefit of everyone who wants to click the link and order my model. Also, Customer Service told me that I will get free shipping on this model if the moderators approve of it. EDIT 4: A third rejection!? My model might be cursed! Then again, another Customer Service representative advised me to be as generic as possible--not even the word "Rover" should be used due to a potential conflict with NASA. I changed the model name to "My Model," the box template name to "My Box", and the background from the one used on Star Justice and Space Skulls (I think it's the same background, and it was in their Box Designer, so if it's copyrighted, it's their fault) to a snowy background with stars. Now my model looks sort of like an Ice Planet 2002 set. My box also lacks a title to hopefully avoid more conflicts. As with the previous incident, shipping will be waived. If I rejected again though, I'll just do a Pick A Brick order--with no box. EDIT 5: At last, I am happy to report that my "Design byME brick-list was just transferred to [LEGO's] picking-plant!" (Picking-plant? I think it's a strange name, but I'm cool with it) Now all I have to do is wait, and hope my rover makes it past all that volcanic ash! EDIT 6: The MX-2 Rover has safely landed at my house! I should have photos up soon, but I encountered 2 major issues with my model: 1.) I accidentally left out a "TECHNIC Plate 2x4 With 3 Holes" behind the Atlantis Green slope in the front. I had to take another of that part from the model and use an ordinary 2x4 plate in its place. 2.) The little Atlantis Green bulb cannot fit into the front radar dish. I have thought about using used glue to keep that part in place. In addition, the radar dish itself is a little loose.

I noticed that your path is missing some spaces in the folder names. Also, all those forward slashes need to be made into backslashes. Here is the correct path: C:\Program Files\LEGO Company\LEGO Digital Designer\Assets\preferences.ini On my 64-bit machine, the path is slightly different: C:\Program Files (x86)\LEGO Company\LEGO Digital Designer\Assets\preferences.ini -Toa Of Justice

Great work, I Scream Clone! I think the guy with the lit dynamite should head for the waterfall to put it out...before it's too late! My favorite parts are the waterfall, mining cart track, big crane, and realistic woodwork. -Toa Of Justice

Thank you both for the nice comments! Ironically, Classic Space styling was not my original goal, but now that I think about it, my creation does look like something that could have been from Classic Space or Neo-Classic Space. The classic look of my creation could be attributed to my desire to keep things simple while adding as many working features as possible, as well as LDD's parts selection and my knowledge of how to use them. Also, I originally intended the color scheme to follow that of Mars Mission, but due to the windscreens only being available in Atlantis Green, I ended up using a Blacktron 2-esque color scheme, but with more white than black. Also, I thank LEGO for producing that cool minifigure torso with the Classic Space astronaut on it. I'd like to see that pattern on a real T-shirt (if it hasn't been done already). -Toa Of Justice EDIT: I ordered the MX-2 Rover from LEGO today, and I hope to show some pictures of the model in real life (as well as the box I designed for it). That Icelandic volcano may significantly delay those pictures though.

NeuroMimetis, please accept my thanks as well for that awesome idea! It works great! -Toa Of Justice

Nice work, wooootles! It reminds me very much of my neighborhood pizza places, with all the interior details, except none of the ones in my area have stairs leading up to a second floor, if I recall correctly. From what I remember, a back door in any establishment is usually for deliveries, emergency exits, or an alternate entrance. -Toa Of Justice

Thanks for the review, Inconspicuous! I especially like your alternate transformation! This is also one of my favorite Alpha Team sets, next to Ice Blade. I remember the day I got this set from Shop at Home along with Ice Blade in 2004...I was very happy then. My only complaint about this set is that some pieces in my set are somewhat loose--the stabilizer/leg mounts and the ice axe in its side holster. Other than those minor flaws, I give Chill Speeder a 5/5! -Toa Of Justice

Actually, I was thinking that LU mode might not be so detrimental to LEGO. I tend to think that it was meant to promote LU by letting potential customers design models and minifigures to include in LU, which they may be more tempted to buy if they could use their creations in the game. On the other hand, perhaps LU mode is just LEGO's own system for designing things for LU. Speaking of designing things, I recently completed another rendering in LU mode. It's only an official set, not an MOC, but it uses quite a variety of pieces and some tricky connections, including these pesky parts, which LDD gave me such a hard time with. I managed to wrestle the software into submission though. Anyway, here's the result of my labors: Claw Catcher! Bigger Picture LXF File Unfortunately, there are a few inaccuracies, but otherwise, I believe my rendering is 100% instructions-accurate. Feel free to point out anything else I can do to improve it. The Lava Monster has no eyes, but that's a limitation of LDD. The driver (Brains) has a substituted torso print, and no leg printing. Obviously, stickers were left off (they weren't available in LDD). Not all accessories could fit into the side crates, but again, that's a limitation of LDD. Fixed! I was able to use clip plates to secure some of the accessories in temporarily, then I deleted the clip plates to give the illusion of the accessories in their crates. There is supposed to be an 8x8 grill plate over the water tank, but it wouldn't fit over the hinge plate, so I used a regular 8x8 plate instead. Of course, since I can't play with the claw in LDD, I'd rather have the real set, but my rendering should satisfy me for now (or not ) until it's released in America this summer. Enjoy! I plan to do Seabed Scavenger, Smash 'n' Grab, and Mini Telehandler next. -Toa Of Justice UPDATE: Seabed Scavenger is done! Small Picture Big Picture LXF File Unfortunately, the helmet piece is different (I couldn't find the proper one), there's no leg or torso printing on either figure, and there's no stickers. Also, I had to put the diver's flippers somewhere. Ordinarily, I would have used the holes on either side of the Atlantis helmet, but I couldn't do that this time. In addition, LDD's poorly programmed hinge controls completely prevented me from moving the joystick in the cockpit into the minifigure's hand, but that's a minor problem. Otherwise, I followed the instructions 100%. UPDATE 2: Smash 'n' Grab is done! Small Picture Big Picture LXF File Once again, I followed the instructions to the best of my ability, but there were several issues. First of all, both minifigures have substituted torso prints. Secondly, I couldn't find Squidtron's head in LDD, so I used an ordinary head coupled with a reversed jester hat as a mockup. The biggest issue by far (which was present even in LDD 1.4!) is that the hook cannot fit into its socket, so I had to use some bricks to slide it into place. I used a similar technique to get the money inside the ATM. Once again, there are no stickers. UPDATE 3: Mini Telehandler is done! Small Picture Big Picture LXF File I only had one major issue with this model: the "Catch W. Cross Hole" (also available in Design byME) was too long. For the sake of appearance, I used a black 9L axle to compensate for that other part's incorrect geometry. I'd like to thank LEGO once again for their innovative set designs, and providing me with the opportunity to further test LDD's connection capabilities by building their sets.

Ah, that's where the weird names came from. Thanks for that info. By the way, here's a screenshot of all the BIONICLE pieces I found so far in LU mode, including BIONICLE minifig pieces. The unusual colors are just examples. You can download the file with those pieces here. (Rename the file with an .lxf extension, then save it as "All Files".) -Toa Of Justice

I recently made this alternate model using only the pieces from 7967 Fast. Front (with front end in focus) Front (with rear spoiler in focus) Side View Rear View Brickshelf Gallery (when public) If you have any comments, I will appreciate them. I will also appreciate any criticism, as long as it is constructive. -Toa Of Justice EDIT, FYI: It's not overly noticeable in the pictures, but I had to space the rear wheels slightly farther apart than normal on their axle, otherwise they would rub up against the side pods. The wheels are not so far along the axle that they tend to fall off, though.

Thank you, Darth Legolas, for the nice comments! -Toa Of Justice EDIT: Thanks to you as well, lightningtiger!

Thank you, LEGO, for this amazing gift to your fans! Actually, I found the 2007 BIONICLE figure arm under the block with the antenna picture. When you first open it, there's coins inside, but when you scroll down a bit, you'll find a piece called "Arm W. Ø3 18 Hole" right in between the minifig power drill and the dual lightning piece. Screenshot Speaking of drills, has anyone found either the Power Miners drill bit or the one from Rock Raiders? Curiously, the other Power Miners giant wheel/drill elements are available in LDD under the wheels category and the gears category. Aside from the lack of some pieces and colors, I propose a toast to LEGO for sharing this vast treasure with us. Perhaps a future update will fill in the gaps...who knows... -Toa Of Justice P.S. Here is a picture of what I did so far with this seemingly boundless new palette. P.P.S. At the end of the TECHNIC connectors category, notice the name given to some of the BIONICLE elements: "Voodoo arm" and "Voodoo foot."

Ah, I understand now. Thanks, Dreamweb. -Toa Of Justice

I'm very sorry to hear about what happened. Please accept my condolences. That is a very nice MOC, Dreamweb. How did you attach the white wheel to the black base? -Toa Of Justice

That's the minifigure torch element, slightly redone: Can do...will do...done! Be careful, it's quite large: Brickshelf Link Some of those pieces may not be entirely new, and unfortunately, since LEGO uses ambiguous numbers to identify their minifig heads and torsos, I have no idea which numbers go with which pieces. And...LOL at "Frogman's Feet" and "Mini Lower Part Koks/Orange." -Toa Of Justice EDIT: HUGE PROBLEM: I tried to build a simple knight using the new Mini Knights Helmet, only to discover that it does not seem to fit on any of the heads!!!

You're welcome! At first, I thought that was this piece (with an elliptical eye). I know better now though. Thanks for pointing that out. Between the lack of Atlantis minifig parts and all those misprinted pieces, LEGO seems to have a lot on their hands. I suspect that the reason the whole update was delayed is because they were trying to fix the misprinted pieces, and they may have also been in the process of including Atlantis minifig parts. I hope LEGO rectifies this situation soon... -Toa Of Justice

Yay, LEGO put the 7-blade prop into LDD! They even kept the classic tire and a couple of wedges from the parts they were going to delete--here's my screenshot of what I think are new pieces aside from what superkalle found (it's a bit huge, so I linked it): http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Toa-Of-J..._april_2010.png Besides the preservation of the classic tire, LEGO also included the small tire for this wheel. Also, we get some Power Miners elements--the warning light from Mine Mech and Magma Mech, a pickaxe, and DYNAMITE! There's also new wedges, TECHNIC elements, a pirate sword, ice cream, a castle wheel, new arches and curved slopes, the 2x2 jumper and 2x4 tiles...and so much more! I can't wait to start building! -Toa Of Justice EDIT: It seems that some of the textures aren't quite right on some of the new pieces (the pizza and the new printed minifig elements). I hope LEGO will fix those soon.

From the news article at the top of the topic: "Some of the less used elements are going away..." It seems that piece was used rather infrequently compared to the other minifigure heads. I agree with you about it being a trademark. I think LEGO should keep it along with the classic tire. -Toa Of Justice

The palette update must be coming really soon--here is an ad from LEGO.com's front page. -Toa Of Justice

Either there's a technical problem (e.g., the new parts don't work properly in LDD yet) with implementing the new parts, or perhaps someone in upper management is "stuck in neutral" about the decision to update LDD's palette and/or remove parts. If it's upper management, here's a hint to get things moving along: Just keep all the old bricks after adding the new ones for now, especially that classic tire! Your customers (including me!) will thank you. On the other hand, perhaps LEGO is waiting for an adequate supply of new elements before they make them available. Here's another possibility regarding the classic tire: Perhaps that classic tire isn't really going away, but maybe its part number is being changed to reflect a slightly updated design. If you've bought any recent sets with that tire, try comparing it with older tires and you'll notice a few differences. The old tire has part number 6015, while the "new" tire has part number 60700. Come to think of it, perhaps that's where one of the technical difficulties is coming from... -Toa Of Justice

I'd like to see improved brick textures (light reflections, the word "LEGO" on studs, true-to-life colors, and improved visibility of translucent elements). In addition, I want a multi-axial rotation system like MLCAD has (different key combinations rotate a selected element in different directions), or a rotation system more like LDD 1.6 (the direction of vertical rotation depended on the camera direction). Also, I'd like to see group hinge movement and group paint (group paint was last seen in LDD 1.6 if I recall correctly). The ability to sort and find elements by name (or keyword) within the program would also be very useful. I would also like a more lenient connection system (the ability to turn off automatic connections was last seen in LDD 1.3 if I recall correctly) and the option for a part movement system more like MLCAD's to nudge fussy bricks into place. Additionally, I would like an automatic model centering feature, which takes models built in one corner of the grid and moves them closer to the center. Finally, I would like an option to customize (adjust overall size, line width, and increments) and/or hide/turn off the building grid. -Toa Of Justice EDIT: I just realized that group rotation is already a feature in LDD...D'oh!