aeralure

Thanks for the reply. The includes are set, including lg_color.inc. I did a quick check rendering just the windscreen on basic (default) lighting settings in POVRay and it turned out fine. I had thought about testing this. What had turned out bad was the 1x1 2/3 slope and trans black tile and plate I had on the micro fighter - those were just murky, inky black. That is still present here on the windscreen, but only on the studs themselves, so the render was basically a success. Maybe there is hope after all. Sometimes I have to rebuild 40-50% of a build exported out of LDD in the Mac LDR app (Bricksmith) which is a real downer, but seems like at least it is working enough to maybe attempt that this week. Thanks!

Nice Ender! I like the tree. The purple is unique and that vehicle has a lot of character.

While waiting for Bluerender to work for a Mac, I'm trying the rather labyrinthine method to get a .lxf into POVRay for the Mac. Usually for builds coming from LDD into Bricksmith (LDR app for a mac) too many parts are missing (40-50% often times) that I don't have time to rebuild the project there before render. For the project this week, it's possible as only a few parts are missing, but I found a new problem: Anyone know why a transparent canopy (I use trans brown in LDD and trans black as it should be in Bricksmith) would render in POVRay near-black, muddy, with a few specks of transparency? It basically looks like a messed up solid black brick. Is there a setting change to make, or am I just fated never to pull off a render on a Mac? Thanks for any advice.

Awesome truck. That front end means business! Same here. However, I really like that this detail was thought of in the build. Great job!

The smoke and crevasses are a great idea!

I like the tube connectors to the biodomes. Little details here like that make it feel like everything has a function. The lava and ship looks good too.

That thing looks very capable of chucking some wood. Pretty awesome. Good job!

Love the micro - especially the landing pad outlining! Some nice work in the other scenes too.

I'll say it again - amazing build! I hope to see another build from you soon.

Beautiful! I particularly love the roof. Some tiles are not fully engaged, the roof is not fully tiled, nor is it fully covered in snow - and that is perfect! I of course really like all of the rest of it, too. Well done!

O_O Combines my love of Japanese culture, Lego and Kawashita colors. Sold. I hope it sells well and we get more sets like this for the line. It also just inspired a few ideas for builds I should have thought of before seeing this kit. Huh.

This is a good point. I noticed that in particular this week while working on my build (and in some comments regarding it) - it was all grey - and not really a lot I could do about it. The standard rank-in-file fighters had to be grey to be in line with our color scheme, as did the asteroids, and then the blackness of space. Some of my comments on Octan builds also wowed at the contrast and use of color. It's just a natural thing that happens as regards color use to really gravitate to range and contrast. I wouldn't really mark it as an unfair advantage Octan has - rather - it's simply part of the color scheme usage. I chose to join Kawashita specifically for the color use choices (one of the reasons anyway) so it's on me really to find ways to use it the best I can. I too build for my pleasure. I think it's true for all of us. This game (and others on the site) provide a structure and a means to stimulate creative ideas and a challenge each week such that I build things I might not otherwise do not having the external input. That said, I'm finding more and more that I am also building for my team members and my corporation, as I feel a responsibility to do the best I can each week to support our goals, so it would be wrong for me to say that the scoring is of lessor importance. It's become both a reward for effort and time involved as well as a demarcation of how well I did for the team each week and that is equally important - so I fully understand the discussion here as regards scoring. I've been wishing to stay out of the public conversation as regards scoring here. I made a few comments on our internal threads. I suppose I'll add a few thoughts now that I have dragged myself unto it. Part of what I think makes scoring seem to have an unpredictable range is exactly what Tomsche alluded to above: presentation is a big part of the scoring. I'd go as far to say it makes up for about half of the scoring overall based on what I can see having now participated for enough weeks to see the trend. Things like story, photography, detail shots, integration of the build with the story in terms of movement/changes between scenes, as well as the above-mentioned intangible of aesthetic impact and personal preference as regards "wow factor." These things in addition to more direct build related categories like size, creative part use, color usage and the like. Time and effort spent on a build seem to have little direct impact, as time and effort spent really cannot be reliably estimated by the judges, except as time and effort affects build size. Add to that a bit of "fudge factor." There seems to be no real penalty for limited part availability for someone building using a small parts collection (and this is a good thing, imho) and their effort is rated on other additional factors as regards presentation - sometimes moreso than the build if creativity is deemed to be high. Average all these categories together (how each judge does it, and what categories they use differ I am sure) and compress it to a scale of 1-7 and you're invariably going to find some 3s 4s and 5s comparing directly a little oddly at first glance. I think the very high and the rather low scores probably are more consistent. So given all that I think the process is really pretty good (especially when speed of judging and the volunteering of time is taken into account). I don't have any substantial complaint, which is why I have stayed out of the discussion until now. As for the rest, I am fine knowing that presentation qualities play as much a role as build qualities and leave it at that (if I have estimated the process somewhat accurately), as I understand there are enough intangibles at work in there to create some surprises in scoring expectations. I wouldn't want too much transparency such that we start gaming the scoring system. Then again, even if we knew all the categories and the process exactly, given that there appears to be some emphasis on creative interpretation, presentation and individual wow factor, there may be no way to game the scoring system and transparency would be fine. It might help those who have some questions understand the scoring better. I know for a fact it's not a simple matter of looking at a build and saying it's a 3 or it's a 4 and moving on - I know the judges each have their process - so asking what differentiates a 3 from a 4 has no simple answer. Anyway, there's my wall of text on the matter. I am happy with the judging process and appreciate the work and time involved. I went to art school. I know this kind of thing involves as much subjectivity as it does objectivity so I am not invested in trying to hone it down into an objective system as I know that's not possible.

Yeah, it is so much easier to give advice as regards presentation. A lot of factors affect offering a little constructive criticism, which is why I have mostly shied away from it - that builder's part inventory, time that particular week, build experience, even aesthetic preferences all play a role in the decisions they might make. I've tip-toed past that and mostly found the thing(s) I liked and commented on that. There is usually something in any build that I enjoy or appreciate. Having gone to art school and suffered through many a crit, that's usually the best course too - accentuate the positives and point out a few things that you believe might improve it, remembering for all involved it's simply opinion that's meant to be helpful. If I see "C&C welcome" on a build post I'll try to be more mindful to include something I might think about were it my build to improve it - but remember it's just opinion. Also, to echo NuckElBerg, I've said it elsewhere, but thanks to the judges for their time investment to keep AG running. No small task! Takes me a long time to go through everyone's builds and comment and I am not even judging.

Welcome to AG Donnie Bricko! Looking forward to seeing your builds, even if you are signing up for Mantis. Have fun!

Let's just say I know I have spent some.

Transferring 33 Credits to NuckElBerg please.

Great stuff all around! It's fun to see these group shots.

Thanks! Thanks! You have, although it's not fully complete. Mostly. I may make a custom version too. Really turned out to be the counterpoint to the Reppū I was hoping it would be. I thought you might. May be seeing more than a few cameos, actually.

Soooo nice! The predominance of darker grey offsets the white and touch of Octan red and green so nicely here. The balance is about perfect for a contrasting effect. I also like the little hover vehicle and the landing pad, as well as details on the roof (which is just about to say - everything lol).

The work suit is pretty awesome! That base with the lava and the building work so well together to create a believably hostile environment while looking great doing it! A lot of fun details in there too. I spent hours playing with the original Space base and there's so much more here.

I really like the modules. I'd like to develop some interiors for scenes I wish to do, but I am a ways off on that yet. Lots of minifigs and posing for the action too. Well done!

The underwater landscape works well and i really like the spider mech! It's also always fun to see builds with corporate interaction, using color schemes from each.

Cool vehicle.

Awesome throne room and it's fun to see another alien race.

The hallucinations are fantastic! Great idea for a story.