Superkalle

Thank you Prateek! You're the man!

Oooh, yes - you're right - FLEX TOOL. And have you seen the graphics with the reflections in the LEGO-bricks in the second video. Gorgeous. OK, so we got brick outlines AND new rendering. Nice Last icon looks like bricks and a dollar sign - probably Replace bricks with buyable ones and Check Price.

TLG has previously announced the release of an updated DesignByMe concept due in September, along with a new version of Lego Digital Designer. Now, hot of the presses, here is the first footage on this update, including a first glance of LDD 4.0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prk5MBaLHcg" And discuss it here

DbM has released a video showing a new, wamped up site layout. And guess what they also show. LDD 4.0! EDIT: Summary of what's been spotted in the videos so far: First video: 0:35 - Flex tool (spotted by SpiderSpaceMan) 0:37 - Modified GUI with possible Brick search field 1:04 - Brick Outlines (gaps between bricks). Second video (see Zblj's post below) 0:15 - New brick rendering with advanced shading Video 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prk5MBaLHcg

Strange. There is a known bug on Mac with the sound: "A sound error can occur in OS 10.4 which prevents LDD from running. This issue can be fixed by downloading and installing a patch, which can be downloaded " However, I never heard anything about PC problems. What version of DirectX do you have (DirectX sound drivers that is). Will the problem go away if you download the latest DirectX from Microsoft?

Fantastic work Shimon. If I were the Arvo's, I'd be honored. But like you write, better pop them a mail first to ask permission. A question - how did you reverse engineer it, specially the internal structure so that it holds together? The color change question is an interesting one. I'm working on a feature to do that in LDD Manager - basically "Which other colors (that has been produced) is this model possible to build in".

You guys are the best PS: It felt actually kind of awkward to request something. I mean, why don't I do it myself? But it is a request topic - so why not

Humble request: 5892 Sonic Boom UPDATE: Done by Prateek. Thanks!!!

Welcome to the LDD forum (again ) To get you started, read the LDD index topic Specifically about the parts and colors - read here about Universe Mode

Hi Cara Welcome to the LDD Forum here on Eurobricks. In the LDD+Bricks class the contestants didn't have to upload the LXF-file, so most didn't. Regarding the Anastasia, Lgorlando is working on a short article about his build that will be published here on the forum eventually, but I don't think he will publish the LXF-model for download.

Sorry, I have no idea what so ever.

Hi there Most welcome to the LDD forum here on Eurobricks. Unfortunately there is no way to generate a part list within LDD. You can however use LDD Manager. Read more about it here. PS: when you reply to a large post, avoid to quote the entire post. It just disruptes the flow of the thread. Please edit your post.

Excellent work ILikePi! As usuall the builder of CubeDues uses illegal techniques (technic brick with hole). I wonder if he at all knows about it? Anyway, the CubeDues are so cool. It's inspiring to see that a whole new concept to Lego building can still be invented. Only thing is that you have to look at the small guys head on, otherwise they don't look so good.

A numbered series of 2000? That is a majorly rare set! BTW: Thanks to your scans Kim, the LDD instructions for these cubes dudes are now available in the LDD Forum: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=41226&view=findpost&p=799527

Wonderful ship. I'm a big fan of Microscale, so this appeals to me! The only thing I don't like is the front sail (called fock in Swedish - yes it's true) Is there any way you can attach that more securly with help of other Lego elements?

Welcome. Here you are among peers

You're welcome. And I agree with LEGO's PDF's. As a matter of fact LEGO has for a long time had problems with how to separate black from dark grey, and also that black sometimes becomes really black - both in PDF and in print. Particularly stange is that they don't use white edge outlines on the black bricks like they used to many years ago. Black on black is not a good combination

This is how the reasoning goes at Lego, and thus at LDD too: Parts that are pre-assembled at the factory are not, and probably never will be, available as separate parts. For example minifig hands are mounted at the LEGO factory and are not supposed to be taken apart (childs safety and all that). So, what about the bottom half of the 2x2 turntables you say (image below) - they have been used as separated parts (for example in the Taj Mahal). Well, if you think carefully they are not mounted from factory, but come as two separate pieces that you have to assemble, and thus are pieces we could actually see in LDD in the future.

OK, about instructions from LEGO the answer is: 1) It's the real ones. 2) They don't exist on lego.com. You have to call customer service. 3) They cost money. The cost is about what you'd pay at BrickLink (or even a bit more to be honest. Instructions are cheap to buy from BrickLink). 4) Lego usually only has instructions that go back a few years. So if you want to stock up on lost instructions, particularly if they are a few years old, it's defintly better to buy from BrickLink. Regarding PDF instructions, the freelegoinstructions.com site seems quite dubious in my mind. They seem to have a mix of scanned instructions (possibly from Peeron.com) and rip-offs from LEGO.com.

Very clean, very sharp, very good. I really like these kind of surprises - something unexpected. The tubular glass in the bridge is just awesome. I can't remember having seen that before. Is it an original idea? Good luck in the contest!

As far as I understand jacob_uno is not asking how to download the PDF (apperantly he knows about them ), but if the ones you buy from Lego are the originals or PDF. We'll see what he really asked for when he reads this.

Dates are OK with me!

Great - look sturdier now. I heard that they got over 1400 entries to the DbM "Starter Model" contest. It's going to be interesting to see which ones they chose to be in the LDD 4.0 release.

You're welcome I would assume that this is more because that all residue/grease/dust on the studs and anti-studs* are cleaned (I mean with hydrogen peroxide you get a VERY clean surface). Regarding yellowing of plastic, the above mentioned professor said: When plastic comes into contact with oxygen and UV-light, a degradation begins that results in a increasing discoloration. The discoloration is a results of double bindings being created in the polymer chains, so that a series of single- and double bindings absorb the blue light in the spectrum, thus making the plastic look yellow. So what does this mean for us Lego-nerds? Keep the Lego away from direct sunlight and excessive heat, but we already knew that *) Anti-studs: Internal TGL lingo for the cavities where....well, the studs go. And to be completely true, TLG actually call it knobs and anti-knobs, I guess it feels more natural to them since a stud in Danish is called a "knobb".

I had the fortune and pleasure to talk to a few TGL designers at one time, and was told that TLG themselves use an "oven test" to test model design. This means that they heat all models to 60-70 degrees for many hours. Excessive heat makes the plastic shrink a tiny amount. They do this oven-test to verify how well a model will hold together when being played by kids (i.e. a way to identify weak spots in the design). In other words, excessive heat will make the pieces loose their clutch power because of plastic shrinkage. I had a talk to a professor of Polymer Materials some time ago, and he said that part of the explanation is the butadien (rubber) componentn in ABS that will make bricks shrink ever so slightly. Compare to an old rubber band and see how it becomes brittle and dry over time. Of couse this process is much, much slower in ABS then in rubber; but it occurs to some extent. So in SuperCurrys case, it may have been that the Lego had been exposed to high temperatures of a longer period of time. Perhaps the LEGO was left in the trunk of a car or similar for days? Then there is another intresting aging process in Lego bricks that is worth mentioning, and that is INCREASED clutch power due to increaseed surface friction. This is caused by molecular changes in the surface structure over time. At TLG they have huge shelfs with drawers of Lego-bricks used by designers to build models. This Lego is replaced every 5 years or so because the clutch power increases over years - older brickcs become more "squeaqy" when put together. And once again, designers do not want Lego bricks that hold together in a way that is not representative of how the bricks act out of the box. However, heating bricks in the "oven test" will make them shrink more than the friction increases. Hope that helpes somewhat. Naturally there may be other causes for shrinkes, for example if the Lego was exposed to various chemical agents, but the first thing that comes to mind is the heat. Trivia - regarding the oven test, TGL ran in to troubles when they wanted to test the UCS Millenium Falcon. Their test oven was simply to small. So they called a local Pizza-place and borrowed their oven. Funny but true