Randal

There will be some limited impact. I know I build both MOCs and official sets using LDD. If they felt that it was an issue monitarily, they might think about putting codes on slips of paper to allow you access to their instructions database. Otherwise they could start charging people a nominal fee to download the instruction pdfs. It's probably why they're only allowing the publication of how to use the LU mod under very strict conditions. On the other hand, as much fun as LDD is, it is still not as fun as building the actual lego bricks with your hands... And I think Lego knows this. The biggest advantage LDD has for me is the speed in which I can make my comics. I don't need to build whole sets all the time, I don't need to have a good digital camera and figure out lighting or tripod placement. (those of you with blurry lego comics... get a mini-tripod). I can suspend bricks in the air, make propellers look like they're moving... there's more, but I don't want to bore you any more than I am already. =B

I wish these figures were available in LDD =B I can understand why they're not, though I could understand how they should be. Especially if there's a link between LDD and LU. If LU only has options available in the LU portion of LDD, then a lot of people would complain. (I'd be one of them.) I know you beta testers can't comment, but it would be nice to know if these custom minifigs are directly or indirectly related to the massive minifig customization that would be needed to make LU successful. (For casual browsers, LDD = Lego Digital Designer and LU = Lego Universe MMORPG)

Hi. Brick is a 'brick' comic, but it's also made using LDD... So I think one of my threads should be a link to the other, but I don't know if this should link to the LDD thread, or if the LDD thread should lead here. I dunno. All I know is that Brick is usually safe for work and it updates every day. If you read it and like it, but don't want to join Drunk Duck to tell me so, just leave shouts out to whichever thread the mods tell you to leave them in, because I don't know which one they're going to pick. They seem to be pretty set on all LDD things being in the LDD forum. Anyway, if you're not offended by the occasional mature humor joke and want to see a comic strip rendered using LDD (Now with LU bricks) click on the banner in my forum signature. Good or bad, leave your feedback in one of these threads. (The one in the LDD forum is labeled "LDD comics"). But please don't leave them here if everyone is leaving comments there, or don't leave them there if you see comments here. I don't want to upset the mods...

thanks. Yeah. I never intended this for building. Though there's always the option of painting these pieces like I think I heard some people do... if they ever wanted to. I will be posting the LXF when it's done. I haven't had much chance to work on it in the last few days. Though I may tonight after checking on that engine design. though since it's steam punk and I have smokestacks built already, I'll probably use a steam boiler with steam pipe greeb. I actually already started the boiler, come to think of it. EDIT: Still needs: more engine greeb, wheel, gyros and props, crew, etc...

Aw. You've shattered my love of castle lego. I really only had a few sets from long ago, one being the yellow castle, so I had a lot of hard grey plastic weapons. To know that If I go out and get Castle Lego today, that the swords and polearms will bend and flex is disheartening. I also wish I hadn't given all my lego bricks away after reaching adulthood, as I'm only rediscovering my love of Lego now that I have children getting their own sets.

Jules Verne-ian heroes and villains. With Nemo and Robur-like characters and their accompanying crews manning ships reminiscent of the Nautilus, Albatross and Terror. Basically, gilded age pirate-y sci-fi. Orwellian time machines would be cool too. Stuff reminiscent of Doc Brown's time machine train at the end of Back to the Future III. Huh. I thought I was in the pirate forum. Sorry. My mistake. In the kingdom area, I'd like to see the Viking line extended. (Unless it was a total failure, seeing as there are no new viking sets.) I'd also like to see more fudal Japan and China. From what I've seen, the ninja stuff looks cool, but I'd like to see shogun palaces and ronin minisets.

That would be fantastic. Trying to find particular bricks in Universe is as tedious as looking stuff up on Lego's Pick-a-Brick. That said, I'm curious why Lego's website didn't set up pab to work like the brick toolbar in LDD. NOPE. Everything is listed in alphabetical order.... so you have to know a part by name. (which I'm too lazy to look up. I'm an artist, not an engineer. Engineers like that stuff. I don't.) =B

Reminds me of the Mega-Corps in Shadowrun

I think you misunderstand. I'm one of the people who do like to share stuff. I was actually asking if people had templates they wouldn't mind sharing or at least showing. Perhaps something got lost in translation. I'm not actually "Euro". =)

yeah, i figured that early on. (I modeled my entire house to scale, every stud being 6 inches.) I'd show it, but it's on my HD that's toast. =(

I don't think it's as far out as you think, special effects companies have programs that do this for their design models... and they probably have to be more complex than "arrange these bricks this way as long as they fit"

I don't want any details that would break NDA, but would an adult who likes complex builds find this fun? are complex user builds even possible? It would be nice if the sky was the limit. My biggest fear is that you can't re-purpose pieces. (For example, I'm making a steampunk airship, and for the dirigible balloons, I used some upside down airliner noses and bodies butted back to back.)

I looked, but was bummed to find out no. maybe some day. I mean, I was thinking, "come on, not even replacement base plates? man...."

I see people making custom figures all over the internet. Usually breaking other licenses... Like KISS minifigs, or superhero designs. I don't know how much trouble they get into, if any... probably none. They must see that there's a market though, as they're now putting out their own collectible sets of highly detailed minifigs. I know I want them. =3

I know a lot of people like to make up their own greeble, but I'd like a feature that either has some in a cache that you can pick templates from and then modify, or I would alternately like a random greeble generator that I can use as is or modify once it's generated. A film director and choreographer named Busby Berkeley once said, when asked what to do with a group of dancers, "just have them do something, anything. That way we have something to change." I can modify the stuff to suit me, but I have a hard time futzing around with it in the first place, trying to get something workable. It doesn't even have to be super fantastic, because then I have something to change. My thinking would be that you designate an area on the build, hit "generate greeble" and it does. maybe specify a type. say... space... or steampunk... or city sewer... Anyway, I know there will be a group of you who think it's a horrible idea... but it's still something I want.

If there's one thing I'm not good at, it's functional greebs. I was just wondering if anyone had lxf's they store in their "templates" tab. I know some people are funny about sharing techniques, but others aren't. I'm one of the 'aren't'. I don't mind if people build my models, as long as they don't pass them off as theirs. ;) Actually, that gives me an idea for a "wish list feature"

Yeah. but that's him. I can't download the fun he had putting it together. =P

"Divers" is one of my more recurrent themes in Brick. Though usually they are in a submersible. I like the bright yellow sea explorer sets, but the red and green stuff they have now looks nice. Sort of "space theme for underwater" though. (If you are easily offended, I use some suggestive humor. I stay away from using vulgar terms though. Except for the one time I used the S word, which erks me and I may change it.) My latest underwater one actually uses a repurposed mini-jet. This set has a nice innocent town snapshot feel to it though. It's nice.

I want to do the Taj Mahal, but it woud take up so much time that I'd have to use it in about a month's worth "Brick" updates. And there's only so many jokes you could do about a mausoleum in India. :/ and I don't know any of them.

I wish LDD had blue coats and red coats... I'd participate. I mean. with the mod, I can MAKE red and blue coats, but without the decals on the chests, It wouldn't be the same. :(

The final version looks very nice. Better than the one you scrapped.

So these new sets that come out that are of ships that already came out, are they revisualizations with entirely new builds? or re-issued sets with a few changes? or both?

To answer someone elses question, Yes I did find the LU mod and have already used it in my comic. To nswer aanchir, I saw the pieces you mentioned in the Lego Universe version after I installed the mod. (I'm going to have to make a comic with transparent tires, I love that the LU Mod lets you make anything in any color. :D

Re: Silver going white. I thought that too until I started adding effects to them, If you look at some of my comics where I used silver, (Except, ironically, the silver surfer one, which I think had more to do with the computer I was using), you will see they tend to look ait more silvery. Another good chrome example would be the chrome bits on legs of the Mech I posted in the "Post your creations" thread. Also, it seems the more polys the piece has, the more chromed it looks.

If there are any Lovecraft fans, I used Atlantis parts to make Cthulhu for today's comic.