DLuders

The X24 and X48 Engines in LDD are awesome! I built some Parts Lists for these (using LDD Manager 0.97), and folks can download them (as a single, PDF document) below. In case that does not work, it's available on SkyDrive here. Parts_Lists_for_Zblj_X24_and_X48_Engines.pdf

I wrote this e-mail to Lego Customer Service yesterday: "The Lego Technic staff has not posted the "Rules and Regulations" for the April 2011 Lego Technic Challenge. All it says on http://consent.lego.com/en-us/PresentTerms.aspx?290dea3a-888e-4be8-953c-217558a47054 is "INSERT TERMS AND CONDITIONS HERE!". It's been that way since April 1st, when the monthly challenge started. Even the contest deadline at the top-right corner of that webpage still says "Deadline March 18th" -- that was LAST MONTH's deadline. What are the rules, and are there any new provisions to fight the overt PLAGIARISM in the March 2011 challenge?" To which they replied today: "Dear David, Thank you for getting in touch! David, I am very sorry that you were experiencing difficululties with the website and building competition. We have looked into this and made sure to correct the issue! Now when you go to upload your photo, it will bring you to the upload page where you can enter your photo as well as read the rules of what the entry should contain. Also, our moderation team is always working incredibly hard to make sure that all models meet every criteria and are not of a copy of someone else's model. If you see anything different, you are always free to contact us and point out the one in question. Please don't hesitate to contact us again if you need anything else! Thanks again and happy building! Jeff LEGO Direct Consumer Services" FINALLY (after a week of futility), the April 2011 Lego Technic Challenge Rules and Regulations have been posted.

"But Wait, There's More!" Grohl's outstanding Sea Harrier Mk.1 photo-sequence Building Instructions ( http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=420794 ) have all been compiled into this single 21.5-MB PDF file which you can access from MegaUpload SkyDrive.

I have compiled the individual JPG images for Sarafiel's "8265 Upgrade (Book 4) -- Worm Steering" ( http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=408224 ) and "8265 Upgrade (Book 5) -- LA Steering" ( http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=409679 ) into PDF documents available from MegaUpload SkyDrive. Click on the hyperlinks below to access the files. (17.3-MB PDF file) BOOK 5 (17.5-MB PDF file) BOOK 4 -- Full Power Functions with Worm-gear Steering: BOOK 5 -- powered Linear Actuator (LA) Steering:

You can get a peek at a Lego Technic W8 engine design by Mortalswordsman on MOCpages and Brickshelf, and then make it twice as long. On Feb 8, 2011, he put it into a Lego Bugatti Veyron 1:13-scale model with Hand-of-God (HOG) steering. Maybe you can add a comment on MOCpages and he might reply to you:

@ Legobouwer: I'm sure you mean that you are a Dutch GUY....

Here's a 2-minute video of the Lego Technic 8457 Power Puller running and pulling: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7357927398745105340#

Lego Technic Ambassador Jetro de Chateau wants everyone to know that "We have just released Hispabrick Magazine 010 which I believe many Technic fans will find interesting (it include an interview with Menno Gorter about his walkers for instance)." On TechnicBRICKS, Conchas published Menno's interview, and posted a video of Menno's Lego NXT-Tripod 3-Legged Walker Robot that is featured on the magazine's cover. In addition, Sariel points out on his Facebook page that "The latest issue of the Hispabrick Magazine includes my scaling tutorial for vehicles (or a part of it, to be specific), starting page #38. It's pretty much the same version as the one at my website, but in a more print-friendly form." You can read the 82-page English version online (page by page) here, or download the entire 65.5-MB PDF file (via MegaUpload) here.

@ Mahjqa: By selling your DETAILED Building Instructions, you will open up the enjoyment of Lego Technic to (possibly) 5 times as many people. The really talented AFOLs (who can reverse-engineer a creation, just by looking at a few pictures) are few and far between. It takes years of experience to be able to do that, and many Technic wanna-be's just want to build something COOL like your Bridge Launcher. One intangible thing about offering CUSTOM Technic Building Instructions is that you will get WORLDWIDE exposure and "glory" (possibly much more than you get on Flickr and Eurobricks). If you place an ad for your instructions on eBay, you will get HUNDREDs of hits and can easily sell dozens of them worldwide. Not everybody knows about Eurobricks, but there are LOTS of folks hunting for "Lego Technic" stuff on eBay.

@ Redmark18: There are actually two ways of downloading the 126-MB "patch": 1) Go to http://ldd.lego.com and just download the file (LDD 4.1.6). It should overwrite your existing LDD 4.0 files when you install it. 2) Run your old (LDD 4.0) program, and a message will pop up to install the "patch". It could be that this is what is giving you problems.

TLG posted the (youth) winner of the March 2011 Lego Technic Challenge. Legomaniac5661 gets the yellow Front-End Loader prize below. He described his MOC: "In the front there is a mechanical arm with three linear actuators, one to raise the boom and two for the function of the excavation. It can be used for excavation,to carry items, for both or the formation of wells. 4 stabilizer arms enable-lifting from the ground about 5 cm." No word on whether there was an AFOL winner or not....

@ Rosenbauer: Welcome to Eurobricks! Your fire truck looks good so far. I like your use of the BIG 24x43 tires. Can you tell us more about your MOC? Will it have a water cannon? Also, "Rosenbauer" (in German) means "Rose Farmer" in English. Is "Rosenbauer" a manufacturer's name?

@ SNIPE: You know, you could get familiar with Bricklink.com's Parts Catalog, and look at all of the various "Disks", "Round" pieces, etc. You obviously don't know what is available, so you should make the effort to find out. "Seek and ye shall find". Instead of posing simple, basic questions here (and waiting hours/days for a reply), you can find out the answer yourself in about 5 minutes. There are no shortcuts to gaining a basic understanding of available Lego parts.

Here is a 172-page, 13.9-MB PDF document that you can download from MegaUpload SkyDrive here. It is the compilation of individual JPGs that I downloaded from the (now defunct) website http://natureworld.dnsalias.org/lego/ years ago. I have built this using real bricks, and it provides a VERY ROBUST platform on which to build your Lego Technic vehicle. You can easily flip through the PDF pages to check it out.

You could look at the instructions for the 8049 "Tractor with Log Loader" set (which can be motorized), and get some good ideas. Replace the pneumatic elements with Linear Actuators and Power Functions Medium Motors. The "grabber" claw is already set up to handle "logs" of 2x2 Round Bricks, and if you add some 45590 "Technic, Axle Connector Double Flexible (Rubber)" as claw tips, it will really hold onto the logs well.

@ SNIPE: If you want a HUGE disk brake, you could use the 4750 "Fabuland Plate, Round 13 2/3 Stud Diameter - (Ferris Wheel Side, Merry-Go-Round Type 2 Base)" Seriously, though, you could use a 60474 "Plate, Round 4 x 4 with Pin Hole" with one or two 4032 "Plates, Round 2 x 2 with Axle Hole" stuck on it.

@ Superkalle: I downloaded the LDD 4.1.6 vs. LDD 4.0.2 Parts Comparison ZIP file you mentioned here, and when I imported it into LDD 4.1.6, I got this error message: "FLEXnet License Finder -- Your application was not able to obtain a license because the FLEXnet license server manager could not determine where to find the licensing data it needs. Please choose one of the following: * Specify the License Server System o Specify the License File" When I select the first choice and press "Next", I get this message with a blank box in which to enter the information: "Enter the Computer Name of the License Server (Contact your System Administrator if you don't know this)." Well, I am the "System Administrator" for my own home computer, and I don't have any idea on what to do. So, I backed up one step and tried the second, original choice. Here's what popped up next: "Your application was not able to find a license file or server for the FLEXnet License Server Manager. Choose the filename you want to use for a license file." I see a blank box in which to type something, but I don't know what to do. I just pressed "Cancel" to get rid of the error message, and this is what popped up: "There is a problem with the license for the Vortex toolkit. No license was available to enable feature : mcd. Please contact support@vxsim.com or visit http://www.vxsim.com : Cannot find license file. (-1, 359.2 "No such file or directory") I pressed the "OK" button to acknowledge the message, and then I can see the various LDD parts on the LU Extended Mode screen. The error messages above SEEM to have no adverse consequence, but I honestly don't know what they are trying to tell me. So, I'm going to ignore them. Is this a bad thing?

Yes, I would be willing to pay US $25-$30 for PDF Building Instructions and a Parts List. Your Bridge Launcher is an excellent example of Lego Technic engineering. You could password-protect the individual PDF files you sell, so that it can only be unlocked by the purchaser's name. I bought Crowkillers' Lamborghini Gallardo PDF Building Instructions for $25 (before he later offered it for free), and had no regrets. His filename was password-protected with a variation of my name. If I ever attempt to sell it, copy it, etc., then EVERYBODY would know who violated his copyright.

Use Oxyclean -- see this Eurobricks post for details.

The 8461 "Williams F1 Team Racer" set uses the 22969 "Wheel 62mm D. x 46mm Technic Racing Large" (pictured below). There is one 4185 "Technic Wedge Belt Wheel (Pulley)" used in this set, so perhaps you could add four more for the "disk brakes".

I took the leap and downloaded the 126 MB LDD 4.1 "patch". I followed Superkalle's instructions on how to access the LDD Extended Mode, and the program runs fine. Many of the Technic pieces that were in the old "Universe Mode" have been moved to the "LU Extended" mode (like the Power Functions XL motor).

@ Taiphun: You and other Canadians can buy the 8070 Lego Technic Supercar on the Shop.Lego.com website for CAD 154.99 . Or, you can go across the border and get one for USD 119.99.

@ SNIPE: You can select either the "soft" or "hard" spring of the proper length on Bricklink.com . I used Bricklink's Catalog function and did a search for the term "spring". You could probably find springs at your local hardware store too, take one out of a ballpoint pen, etc.

You can make your own, custom-length Lego Technic "shock absorber" by combining the following parts. You could use the 53586 "Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Perpendicular with Extension" (pictured below). A Technic Axle is able to SLIDE inside the long tube to give a custom length. I checked the LDD 4.0 LU Mode parts pallette, and it piece is available. The 53586 part is known as "Fric. element, cylinder" near the bottom of the Technic Pins group. Place a 32013 "Technic, Axle and Pin Connector Angled #1" on the other end of the Technic Axle, and voila! You now have a Technic Shock Absorber that can be adjusted up and down to fit.

@ SNIPE: If you want to use a 731c04 6.5L Shock Absorber (first picture below), you can download Tore M's LDD file here and import the shock absorber to your digital model. If you want to use the 48912c01 11.5L Shock Absorber (2nd picture below), you can download marco9999's equivalent LDD assembly here. If you want to use the 2909c02 9.5L Shock Absorber (3rd picture below), you could use LDD Master Zblj's equivalent on his "Bike with All Wheel Drive" (Brickshelf folder). There are two of them on the front fork.