DLuders

Yes, I encountered the same message just now with Acrobat.com. I have liked using http://splitmerge.us/ . Be advised that with the "free download" there is a limit to the number of files that can be converted before you must purchase the software.

I got the poll to work!

Whoa! This sensor would sure do well in a FIRST Lego League competition! It doesn't have to be used only in "robots" -- it could be used as a "minesweeper" on this NXT Light Explorer tank: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=43669 .

My son and I pre-ordered the Lego Universe game in April, and can't wait for it to be released on October 12, 2010. I looked at the four in-game videos and have these observations: 1. The digital brick-building parts pallette window seems QUITE SMALL compared to the LDD parts pallette, so I hope one can easily see the different part shapes in the real LU game. The last 1/4 of the "In-Game Video: Build" shows how to assign a "behavior" to your bricks via Lego MINDSTORMS-type program blocks. One can save various creations within the game (for later use), and invite others to visit your creations. 2. It sure would be nice to be able to import LDD LU creations into the game (like the official sets folks have already made in http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=41226&view=findpost&p=727293 ) . However, I did not notice any way of importing (or exporting) a model into or out of the LU game. Nevertheless, the video on-screen resolution is too small to be able to read the "fine print" on the various menus so those features COULD BE there. 3. The "Battle" video shows how the players' minifig avatars can chop-up the enemy into their component pieces. I wonder what would happen if they encountered a huge Bionicle creature? The fourth ("Play") video shows a Lego Racers racecar scene, but it is not clear whether the cars "break up" into their Lego pieces when the crash, or just bounce off obstacles and keep going. 4. The videos show elements of these popular Lego themes: Space, Castle, Western, & Racers. It would be nice if they had features of ALL Lego themes (at least the current themes being marketed) so that they really do encompass the entire "Lego Universe"!

You're going to need a bigger desk soon! I like the crane truck lifting the long, gray battery pack and the PLUSH Lego stuffed man. Where did you get him? His picture does not seem to be uploaded (yet) on Bricklink's "Plush Toy" category, so you should submit a photo: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=G&catString=512 .

The reason that the original designer (Paul Boratko from Pennsylvania USA) "didn't care" is that he's posted the Lamborghini Gallardo instructions on his website for free: http://crowkillers.com/index.html . It is very gracious of him to let others mimic his creation. However, your son should learn this "life lesson" -- PLAGIARISM can be a bad thing in the adult world. It is best to give credit (where credit is due), rather than claim that somebody else's work is YOUR OWN. In the adult world, folks can get in BIG TROUBLE over plagiarism.

You could just order them from the USA Toys R Us online store: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=43895&view=findpost&p=774934 . CANADIANS may be interested in reading that post....

Although Shop.Lego.com does not yet have the new 8043 Motorized Excavator set available for US customers ( http://shop.lego.com/ByTheme/Product.aspx?p=8043&cn=57&d=70 ), Toys R Us (USA) has them IN STOCK now for US$199.99 with FREE SHIPPING : http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4057231 . Considering that this set is selling for GBP 139.99 in the UK ( http://shop.lego.com/ByTheme/Product.aspx?p=8043&cn=57&d=70 ) , this is a pretty good price since the conversion rate today is GBP 139.99 = US$214.90. For the CANADIAN AFOLs out there, Toys R Us CANADA sold them for $249.99 Canadian, but is currently "Out of Stock" : http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=4029793&prodFindSrc=search . It is highly likely that this set is going to be sold out. Since there is no assurance that Canadian AFOLs will be able to buy this set in their country in a timely manner (or at a reasonable price), I'm making this offer to Canadians only (since they have such a beautiful country which I've enjoyed visiting many times in my lifetime): If you e-mail me at LudersDG@MSN.com or send me a Eurobricks Private Message (PM), I'll order the Lego 8043 sets for you and ship it to you via the U.S. Postal Service across the border AT COST (at NO PROFIT to me). I live in Spokane, Washington USA (about an 8 hours' drive from Vancouver, British Columbia), and there's a Post Office 1 mile from where I work. I'm an Eagle Scout, and was Scoutmaster in my son's Boy Scout troop for 3-1/2 years, so I'm not going to steer you wrong. This may be your best opportunity, Canadians, to get this set.... Product Weight: 5.7 pounds Product Dimensions (in inches): 22.8" x 18.8" x 3.6" P.S. I just ordered one (for myself), and with Washington State sales tax, the cost was US$216.19. Shipping to your Canadian city will be extra.

As Superkalle pointed out in this Eurobricks post , "You are probably editing the wrong version, there is one in a system wide location and one in a per-user location and it's the per-user one you should modify. Type the following into the explorer address bar: %appdata%\LEGO Company\LEGO Digital Designer\ and it should take you to the right location and allow you to edit the preferences file."

I'm looking at my son's Lego 8466 4x4 Off Roader right now in my hands, and I can see how folks would be tempted to motorize it. There's quite a lot of room for Power Functions components. The 8466's steering pieces (shown below) are very good to use in other MOCs. A fellow named mbmc137 has motorized the Lego 8466 Off Roader kit: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=414313 . He left his e-mail address and 3 videos on that Brickshelf gallery; maybe you could e-mail him for additional info.

On this MOCPages site , the manufacturer of the Australian "Rotocaster Omni-Wheels" is willing to send AFOLs a set of wheels for free if you can create a video of them on your Lego robot MOC. MOCPages is running pretty slow right now (due to an upgrade in progress throughout the month of July), so I'm reprinting the entire article here (for speed's sake): Rotacaster omni-wheels are an Australian made and owned, patented design. Also known as omni-directional wheels, multi-directional wheels or holomonic wheels, Rotacaster omni-wheels are available in both a 125mm wheel diameter and a 48mm wheel diameter. As you are most probably aware, I've been working towards having a version of the Rotacaster Omni-wheel available for your Lego Mindstorms kit. With many thanks to Mr. Peter McKinnon, Managing Director of Rotacaster, the company is tooling up to make a run of some 200 wheels which will fit straght on a standard Lego Technic Axle. On the Lego version of the Double Rotacaster 48mm Omni-wheel, the red rollers will be coated with rubber (TPE) to allow for excellent grip on all surfaces. Mr. McKinnen will be in the US from the 19th to the 30th, and depending on timing may bring some of the prototypes back with him for distribution. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf-cdzgLQhc&feature=player_embedded As part of this development phase of the Lego Compatible Rotacaster, Mr. Peter McKinnon is very keen to get some early Photographs and Video of completed robots in action using the Rotacator Omni-wheels. He is happy to provide wheels free of charge to select individuals who can do so in a relatively short time-frame. If you think you can come up with a winning design which uses Rotacasters, then please contact Rotacaster with your proposal via their Website's Contact Form. Some early concept photograph/video would be advantageous to have ready by the 30 July 2010. Xander Soldatt's Lego Omni-wheel Example Vehicle: Sparra McNamara's Omni-Wheeled Bot video: http://mocpages.com/moc.php/213373 .

@ meenmichael: Be sure to monitor the LDD Index Thread regularly for tips and updates. Also, if you look at this list of Official Lego Sets modeled in LDD , you may find something that you like. Finally, the Lego.com DesignByMe Gallery has a rotating set of other people's MOCs. Sometimes there are some good LDD .lxf models that you can download; search in the Category you like.

Great job! The excavator looks pretty good in red. Since the 8043-1 primary model instructions have not yet been posted, did you build your copy using just photographs? If so, you're good! You may have only one of a handful of 8043 models in the USA right now; Blakbird has one but I know of no others.

If you've built all of the currently-available Lego Racers and Lego Creator sets, you could try to locate some of the older sets. Here are some comprehensive lists of all Racers models and Creator models . You can use Bricklink or eBay to find the sets you want.

Even the London Daily Telegraph newspaper was giving these sets away in 2002 as part of a promotion: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/4757983/Win-a-Lego-WilliamsF1.html . For those who want to buy one, there's an eBay auction going on RIGHT NOW: http://cgi.ebay.nl/Lego-BMW-Williams-F1-racer-1-8-8461-RARE-/110556109251 . The auction ends on July 16th at 19:38:50 hrs. Central European Standard Time (CEST).

When you installed Lego Digital Designer 3.1, did you then follow the instructions for "Lego Universe Mode"? See the blue "Super Topic" on the Eurobricks LDD Index Thread http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=39841 . It says "SUPER TOPIC: Get access to all hidden bricks in LDD - Lego Universe Mode: http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=40794 ." Once in LDD LU Mode, upon startup you should see Starter Models for DesignByMe, Mindstorms, Universe, and Creator in the center of your screen. You can import any LDD .lxf file by using this procedure: 1. Select the "Choose Free Build" option at the center of your startup screen. 2. Next, select FILE--> Import--> [select the .lxf file]. 3. If the LDD model was "zipped", when you unzip it it will uppack into a file named "Image100". To import that, in the IMPORT screen you'll have to change the dropdown selection (at the bottom-right) from "LXF-Files (.lxf)" to "LXFML-Files (.lxfml). The "Image100" file will then appear in the Import box. Once you drop it onto your LDD baseplate, do a "FILE--> Save As" to name your imported file. It will then have an .lxf extension.

I'm glad I read tomacwhite's recommendation about the 8049 B Model, because I got my son that set and he's going to build it soon. I'll recommend that he build the "Log Handler" alternate. Since there is only one "log" (10 ea. brown 2x2 round bricks) provided with the set, I followed Blakbird's recommendation that the 8049 set "needs more logs" and got some more of those pieces.

There may be clues about the 2-speed gearbox in Miha2548's photographs of other Trial Truck MOCs, specifically this one: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=418446 . Recommend that you surf "UP" and down all of his Brickshelf folders for clues .

The sticker set for the 8461 Williams F1 Racer (BMW version) are on the last page (129) of the BrickFactory instruction scans http://www.brickfactory.info/set/index.html'>http://www.brickfactory.info/set/index.html . Sometimes the Technic set stickers are scanned and included in BrickFactory's collection. Type in your set number in http://www.brickfactory.info/ , and see. They would probably be on the very last scanned page; press the >> button to zoom to the end.

The 8043 alternate model (Tracked Loader) has been built and reviewed by Frenchman Tony_st170. He posted many pictures, provided detailed explanations, and made a video too. After you hit the Lottery, maybe you can buy TWO of the new 8043 sets! His French-language review on SeTechnic: http://www.setechnic.com/Forum/topic3291.html . English Translation via Babelfish [NOTE: You can choose your own target native language to translate from the French]: http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-res&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.setechnic.com%2FForum%2Ftopic3291.html&lp=fr_en&btnTrUrl=Translate 16 high-resolution photographs on Brickshelf: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=437787 .

Are you missing the official stickers for a classic Lego Technic set? On his website http://tonyst170.free.fr/lego/stickers/technic.htm , Tonyst170 has posted detailed, downloadable image scans of the stickers for these Lego Technic sets: 8868 Air Claw Tech Rig 8880 Super Car 8280 Fire Truck 8479 Bar Code Multi Set (pictured below as a typical example) 8448 Super Street Sensation/ Super Car Mk II 8450 Mission Experience Pack [supersonic aircraft] 8457 Power Puller 8466 4x4 Off-Roader 8454 Rescue Truck 8439 Front End Loader 8421 Mobile Crane/ Crane Truck (also pictured below) 8285 Tow Truck 8273 Off Road Truck 8292 Cherry Picker 8294 Excavator 8295 Telescopic Handler 8297 Off Roader II 8258 Crane Truck 8264 Hauler 8265 Front Loader 8043 Excavator (New!)

Yes, I believe you do have to create a new account. I already subscribe to BrickJournal (in both electronic and printed form), and I just get some periodic e-mails from the publisher (Tomorrows.com ) about special BrickJournal and other Lego-related items. For example, the publisher sponsored the BrickMagic show in North Carolina, USA in May, so I got an e-mail about that. I think making a new account is harmless enough.

Well, I would part out whatever you've got -- folks are eager for this stuff! The possible "missing" part(s) may be some inconsequential 1x1 round plate or some other tiny part that is easy to get.

As reported by "Erik B" on the Bricklink Forum post http://www.bricklink.com/message.asp?ID=458175 : "Hello all, I cannot find a post here at the forums that has already stated this: I just received a subcribers e-mail from TwoMorrows Publishing that says I (you) can now download BrickJournal 10 in full (85 pages, Zipped PDF format) for FREE. You'll have to visit their website and from there you can 'order' the online issue of BJ 10 either as a visitor or as a logged in member. Just follow the checkout procedure, you won't be charged anything (they didn't charge me anything anyway). At the end of the checkout procedure, you'll find the download link! Erik B (HUP Holland, HUP Holland! )" P.S. Look for the free BrickJournal 10 download by clicking 'FREE stuff!' in the left menu on their homepage. Check it out at http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=78 .

The Shop.Lego.com website http://shop.lego.com/product/?p=7938&LangId=2057&ShipTo=US lists the correct parts count at 669.