Calabar

I have some problem to understand you (English is not my native language). Could you write it again in a clearer way? Thanks!

@PerryMakes Welcome in this topic! You did a good work! The model you reported has three different models using the same pieces: we call that alternates and are considered different sets here. You should then report it as three separate set, with an image for each, named "Space Designer (LEGO MBA Kit 1) [Vers 01]", "Space Designer (LEGO MBA Kit 1) [Vers 02]" and "Space Designer (LEGO MBA Kit 1) [Vers 03]". You can post the present image as an additional image using a text link. Thanks!

LDD has a small availability of decorations in its palette. You only should see if the decorations you are looking for are available in the software. Note that if that decorations are not available now, nothing prevent thet will be added in future releases of LDD. While LDD has a limited number of decorations, other software has not this problem. LDraw system offers customizable .dat files, for example. You should look in their database if there is a model for that pieces (973px637 for the torso and 3678bpx11 for the skirt), ora create that by yourself (you should only add the decorations to the base torso and slope brick used for the skirt).

LDD is a closed software, I think there will ever be bricks that will be not included in its database. You could try another software, SR3D Builder, that uses LDraw 3D models in a 3D interface (similar to the LDD one).

I think there are some things useful to improve instruction: - generate using grups and subroups - automatically choose the best point of view: the best is the one where the hidden area of added bricks and the bricks where they connect is minimal. There could be 4 or 8 points of view, one of which is the main point of View (chosen if there is one than more "best angles" available). It is necessary a bit of tolerance to avoid continuous change of angle. The change of angles have to be reported on the instructions. - The chance to ask user to modify step by step the point of view, and store it in the lxf file.

I think LDD acts correctly: in real bricks is it impossible to connect the 2x1 plate as you show in the picture. It is possible to attach it in the central stud (Image) but LDD don't recognize the connection. NOTE: if I move the assembly on the left hand (referring to my image), LDD crashes every time. No issues with the one on the right hand. EDIT: HERE you can find the lxf file with the placements. Beware that one of that will crash your LDD!

"Right Click" is used to rotate the scene, so it cannot be used. I think SHIFT + "Right Click", the LDD default, is a good compromise for this. Another key for the same use will be a bit redundant. Both right and left click is unused, and it would be a good thing exploit it, maybe with a custom function.

I have to speak about that with Superkalle! I'm thinking to extend the period available for voting. It is summer, and it could be many users are out for the weekend.

About 6 hours to the end of voting! Hurry up! NOTE: 40 entries but 18 votes only!!!

Hurry up to vote, you have today and tomorrow only! At the moment there are much more entries than votes Something similar: you have to assign 3 point to your favourite, then from 1 to 3 points to other two creations, comparing that to the first. For example if you think there is an entry much more beautiful than others, you can assign 3 points to that and 1 point to both the other two. Instead, if you are undecided and you like more than one entry, you can assign 3 points to all the three chosen.

Good work! I recommend to add your works in this key topic, if you didn't it already.

I remember that this procedure goes against LEGO eula, so that the staff asked Bojan to delete his guide. PS: I think you should contact Bojan directly using PM.

Little update to my list (under selection category).

@prateek @ceroknight You have to assign 3 points to a model, at least! What do you mean, exactly?

It's time to vote. All the rules available at post #2. [VOTE YOUR FAVOURITE SETS AFTER THIS POST]

My wishlist updated. No! Left Click add a single brick only, I want to add/subtract whole sections selected with the rectangle tool again (or in any other way!).

Good idea this topic. The old topic has become too heavy and contains requests already implemented in LDD4. Here are my requests: I'll add new requests in this post, editing it. Selection Selection need a great improvement. Allow to "sum"/"subtract" selections made with the rectangle Select inside another selection (subselection) or inside selected group/groups. Add "Category Selection" tool, that allow to select all the bricks belonging to the category of the clicked brick. Add "Group Selection" tool, that allow to select the smaller group whose the brick is part (and the chance to expand the selection to parent groups using + and - keys) Chance to combine selection tools: for example if I want to select all red slopes that form the roof of my house, I combine the "Colour Selection" tool with the "Group Selection" tool (and I work inside a subselection if necessary). We need a sort of checkbox to achieve that. A button to save temporarily one (or more) selection and then reuse it later! Special Groups Selection Tool (see "Special Groups for selection" request). Manage a separate history for selections (in the present version, the history don't care about selections). Other Tools (Hide tool) Allow to unhide a subgroup of bricks: now it is possible to unhide the whole scene only. This function can be easily implemented using groups (selecting and then unhiding a group), or, for a finest work, implement a function that allow to temporary see hidden bricks (as "ghost bricks", using transparency) and then select the brick you want to unhide. (Rotation Tool) Chance to rotate a selection or a group even if the block is not connected. (Rotation Tool) Chance to rotate a selection or a group without a physical pivot, but choosing a pivot on the fly. (Flex Tool) Add to the flex tool a function similar to Hinge align tool: You select a starting point and an end point, the the tool will flex the element so that it fit to the stated position. (Flex Tool) A mirror function for the flexible elements. Very useful to avoid double work with a couple of flexible elements. Groups Chance to place the groups sidebar as an horizontal bar below the viewport. This is very useful if you want to work with groups and bricks palette simultaneously. Naming groups Resizeable group box and less space-wasting frames surrounding the groups boxes. [Done in LDD 4.2.5] Buttons to expand/collapse in one click all groups/subgroups until a certain level (for example, I could need to collapse all groups whose level is greater than the second). Chance to delete a group with all its subgroups with a single operation (now it is necessary to delete all subgroups before) A single button to delete ALL empty Groups. Button to create a parent-group from selected groups Drag'n drop of groups to easy move that inside the group tree. Take advantage of groups order to create building instructions. Special Groups for selection: chance to define a group as "special for selection", so that, using the "Special Group Selection Tools" will be possible to select these groups. It would be very useful to increase playability of the models: for example in a lego chess game every piece should be defined as special group, so it would be possible to move that with the specific selection tool. Another example could be define minifigs as special groups, so that it is easy to move minifigs inside the scene and "play" with that. Note that the difference between standard groups and special groups for selection is that the last ones are selectable directly in the scene using the "Special Group Selection Tools" without opening the "Groups" panel. Allow several groupings instead of a single one. For a single set, I could for example need a group subdivision to logically separate elements (for example minifigs from builds from veichles, ...), one other to easily allow repaint of some elements of the model, one other to create build instructions, etc... Colours Chance to copy in one click the selected colour of the mail palette in the bucket palette (and vice versa). Add a "recent used colour" palette section. It would be useful other dinamic palette like this, for example "more common colours in the scene", "used colours", ecc... but that requires a little extra effort, because it is necessary to study a new shape for the palette. Using the bucket tools is extremely uncomfortable at the moment: if you have a selection and you click on the "paint tool" button, the selected bricks are coloured with the colour already selected in the bucket palette and, doing it, you loose the selection. So, if I have a difficult selection and I decide to recolour it, it is impossible if the colour of the palette is not the one I want (mmm... actually I could create a group, change the colour and then reselect it, but it is a bit uncomfortable...). Bricks Palette Allow to zoom a single element in the brick palette (to inspect it before using it). Provide composed parts as separate elements (for example the turntable 74340, or the hands of a minifig, etc...) Add old parts that has been removed, suck as 4737, present in LDD3. Check if a brick exsists in a specific colour (has been made as a real brick, I mean). A "real brick" filter in the palette would be useful too. A minifig Editor Improve the decoration tool. Often you need to apply the decoration to clearly see it, a preview box would be very useful. Besides the present decoration window has problems when the decorations are in great number (as for the minifig faces), we need something better. A solution could be to take advantage of the left sidebar adding a "Decoration" Tab (in addition to "Bricks", "Templates" and "Groups"). The sidebar should contain a preview pane on the top (to clearly see the applied decoration) and under it the various decorations available for the selected brick (showed as the brick tab shows the bricks). Group similar bricks (different revision of the same brick) in a single icon, and allow to choose different type than main one with a popup (like in DMB mode when you hide colours). Add designID in the palette, under the icon of the element (it could be almost transparent and highlighted with mouse over). Add a button in the palette, under the icon of the element, that open a popup with the available colours for that brick. For available colours I mean the colours the brick was produced in real with. Pretentious Requests Check model stability (with a "shake" function and a "gravity" function, the second very useful to find the center of gravity). Animations Software Issues Fix memory leaks (the one of the bricks palette fill my ram in few time). Fix the issue with rotation tool when you have more than one pivot. Fix the issue due to irregular object bounding boxes: sometimes these boxes interact with the scene, but they shouldn't because are not real (for example the windscreen of the set 6932 lift the spaceship from the ground when I rotate it to close the cabin). Allow bricks outlining in old video card too (I have an old radeon 9700m in the notebook, much more powerful than my pc's integrated graphics, but in the igp I can outline bricks, with the 9700 I can't). Fix the brick list on html built instructions. Often I obtain in the last step a long list of almost all bricks listed as bricks added in that step. The fix means 1) avoid that long list in the last step and 2) provide a correct bricklist at the end. Increase the number of levels supported by building instructions (the present 3 levels could be few, we need 5-6 levels at least). Don't clear history when you save the model. Allow to open more than one file. It is useful to work on a little element on a separate window/tab and than, when complete, add it to the main model. Or it is very useful when you have to modify an imported model before using it on the model you are working on. [New] Solve the slowness opening LDD due to the loading of the recent models: use thumbnails inside the lxf file instead than load the whole model, and load the model only when the user try to rotate it in its preview box. Miscellaneous (Graphics/Screenshot) A key to enhance graphics "on the fly". Very useful for screenshots or to inspect a scene without change graphic settings and restart the software, specially in computer too slow to use a good level of graphic while you work on the model. It should work until the key is pressed or if you move the scene. (Search) Find couple element, useful for those composed bricks listed as separate parts (for example 3937 and 3938). (Search) Find all connectable elements: filter the bricks palette hiding every brick that is not connectable with the selected brick, and excluding standard stud/technic pin/clip connections (too common to be useful in the filter). (Search) Add search options, to improve different levels of tollerance. That options have to be selectable on the fly. (Search) [New] If you search more than one word, the search function requires that the words are in the same order than in the description of the part. Allow to search more words in any order. (Placement) When you drag a brick, you can rotate it "on the fly". I'd like: 1) more intuitive rotation, sometimes I need much time to find the right direction! 2) more angles, for example 45° rotation clicking two arrows together, or a free rotation working as in the brick palette. (Placement) A "drop brick" and "shift brick" functions, to easily place a brick in difficult positions. (Placement) Auto adjust connected gears to fit one other easily. Often technic builder pass the great time of build time to adjust gears and connected elements with little rotations and small adjustment along axles, that's a waste of time that need to be cancelled. (Built Method) Unlock the "Filter Bricks by Boxes" to custom lists. Very very useful to built something when you have the part list. This feature need another simple feature: Easily Import part lists (csv file?) A chance to add "on the fly" parts from standard palette would be necessary too. (Software) Drag'n Drop to open files from file manager! (Mode) Add a "Real Mode" where you can use all bricks, but only in the colours in which that bricks has been produced. A very interesting feature for this mode would be to choose bricks produced in a specific period of time (for example bricks produced from 1998 to 2004). NOTE: the Custom Palette Feature allow to obtain this feature, but manually. (Mode) Add a "PaB Mode" where you can use only bricks available for Pick a Brick. (LXF file) [New] Use higher quality thumbnails inside the lxf file, using downsampling (take the shot at higher resolution and then resize it at the right size for the lxf file).

Oh ok, as you prefer then! But remember that the only difference between Universe Mode and Extended Mode is that the second has more pieces availability. ;) Universe mode was made for LEGO Universe PC Game developer to quickly create elements to insert in the game, and made available for AFOL (that we are!). Now they create a specific tool for AFOL, and this tool is Extended Mode. You can consider Extended Mode as the heir of the Universe Mode. PS: Anyway, "install" is not the right word. All the features are already installed, you simply have to enable (or "unlock" if you prefer) that.

There is nothing to install. You simply have to enable it, exactly as you did with universe mode.

You can attach a zip file containing your file.

[DO NOT ADD ANY MODEL AFTER THIS POST]

The week stated for this contest is passed. We reached a great result, 39 alternate models for a such small set! Much more than I expected, ad the quality is very good, with some excellent models. That has been very surprising for me! Unfortunately 3 models can't take part to the contest (but for two of them I'll wait until tomorrow before excluding them definitively). Tomorrow I'll post the rules for voting, so we can start the poll. Besides, to reach a round number, I'll post the 40th model as a bonus model. The model has been realised before the contest starts. Here is my Minifig Scale Jet with joystick!

Welcome to EB Forum! I think the model is very very nice. What's the cad software you use? Do you think to share the cad file? (if not, I think the topic should be moved to the Space section instead than LDD one).

@efullner Your lxf file is not accessible. You should fix it today, before the contest closes. @legodac [FIXED] Missing lxf file of your creation. Please insert it before the contest closes.

@pigpen Hi, you have to deeplink the image in the topic (use the image tag), the brickshelf gallery is not public still (could be we have to wait some days before it become accessible).