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Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.cad
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 05:08:29 GMT
Viewed: 
3752 times
  
In lugnet.cad, Joe Strout wrote:
   Well, I’ve built my first LDD model (a Railroad Crossing sign) and uploaded it to LEGO.com. Some initial impressions:

1. LDD is very frustrating if you’re trying to do anything even slightly nonstandard with the parts. In my example, I want to attach the crossing arms, which are rotated at 45 degrees, to an unrotated 1x1 brick (attached to a lantern brick). This appears impossible. I spent probably 10 minutes futzing with this last step, which I earlier did in about 30 seconds in Bricksmith. I finally gave up, and just put the crossing “close enough” but not actually attached.

2. The “instructions” that LDD generates are not very good. I checked the “Build Up From Base” option in Preferences, and it still had me positioning three parts floating in midair in step 3, to be connected to other things in step 4. From this I conclude that the LEGO software engineering team has been operating from a top-secret space station in orbit about the Earth, or possibly Mars.

3. The part selection is a little frustrating too; it doesn’t even have any 1x1 black bricks, nor brown lantern brick. I had to stick a black lantern brick at the top of my brown post, which looks rather dumb. I know, they’re planning to add more parts, but I thought they’d at least pick a handful of useful colors, and make sure all the standard bricks are provided in them. That doesn’t seem to be the case, at least not yet.

4. Perhaps the most disappointing realization: my 13-piece model costs $18.95 from S@H. Yes, it also comes with 401 extra parts, but I didn’t want 401 extra parts — I wanted my 13-piece model.

The new LEGO Factory is an impressive beginning, and the poor instructions really aren’t a big deal. But the other limitations above conspire to really limit what we’ll be able to do with this.

Best,
– Joe

Today I downloaded the Lego Factory software for the first time. I tried playing with it a little but I was disappointed in the parts selection.

Based on what was just mentioned in this thread.....

...If I say wanted to build a model with 24 1x4x3 black windows, and there are only 6 per House model set, does that mean that I have would have to buy 6 times 401 extra pieces (guessing at a number here) since it would take 6 sets worth to build my model of 24 black windows?

Originally I thought that you would be able to order from a design palette which would allow unlimited parts of a specific color (from the palette) for model building. If that is not the case, then this will really put a damper on design creativity.

Gary Istok


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.cad
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 06:02:13 GMT
Viewed: 
4015 times
  
In lugnet.cad, Gerhard R. Istok wrote:
In lugnet.cad, Joe Strout wrote:
Well, I've built my first LDD model (a Railroad Crossing sign) and uploaded
it to LEGO.com.  Some initial impressions:

-snip-

Joe

Today I downloaded the Lego Factory software for the first time.  I tried
playing with it a little but I was disappointed in the parts selection.

Based on what was just mentioned in this thread.....

...If I say wanted to build a model with 24 1x4x3 black windows, and there
are only 6 per House model set, does that mean that I have would have to buy
6 times 401 extra pieces (guessing at a number here) since it would take 6
sets worth to build my model of 24 black windows?

Originally I thought that you would be able to order from a design palette
which would allow unlimited parts of a specific color (from the palette) for
model building.  If that is not the case, then this will really put a damper
on design creativity.

Gary Istok

Hmmm, something is dawning on me. I mean I think I see the same principle our
MOCs are derived from in real life. When we see someone's My Own Creation, we
look and say wow, look that spaceship has 40 monkey left arms! Oh wow, (this is
where the AFoL does some quick Mathematics.) lettsseee 40 left monkey arms, x
Times oh you only get half a left monkey arm in set 456969 so you would need 160
sets to make that alone! Wow, that's an expensive MOC with exotic parts! WowiE!

Ok, now think in the LEGO distribution system (which is in the far future of
Next Thursday World) the same sets are still going to be produced in the planned
line up. Thing is this Digital Designer is like having a tool to build your own
stuff within the system as it is now. Like a spyglass into what is possible
given the parts in the line up of sets. Duhh right, but see.

The process just gets another chain, and the distribution system of sets is
still the same or rather can go on, just some baggies of parts are diverted to
the Lego Factory sets. Your designed set.

I'm sure it is more complicated and dedicated than that, for the sake of
argument; Which is cool. However! (and I'm not complaining just pointing out for
consumption, a fine point I'd like to see get across here. Possibly for LEGO
itself, and if we are patient, I'm sure will come anyway, I gleen, but here
goes:

A couple of years ago, If I recall, when I heard about all of this comming, I
really thought it was great, and that it was the answer to many prayers of being
able to literally DIP IN TO THE SYSTEM OF PARTS AND REALLY LET EVERYONE BUILD
WITH THE FULL POTENTIAL OF LEGO.

Ya know? So I see at first now it has to begin incrementally. (again duhh
right..) still, check it out.

In reality, this is a start.

Imagine if you will, a giant facility filled with millions of parts. A full
pallet of Lego parts in all system sizes and shapes, with machines to divert,
sort pack feed label and collect the 40 left monkey arms Pharmacy style I need
to complete that ship that guy made! Completely automated, full pallet, Pick and
pack facilty, Parts Farming Madness!

That day will come I hope, where we can go to LEGO and yes, get that exact
amount we need. I would ponder.

Frightening thought, from molding to a chute for every part with machines and
little disperal counters feeding baggies of brown yellow and green left monkey
arms at my request, all on site. The Mega Parts Stock House.

Drool Drool.

LDD is a starting point down that road I hope, because obviously the Mega Parts
Stock House would be an amazing facility. Heh, my next moonbase.

I suppose the same shall we say M.O. when buying multiple sets to get multiples
of parts in tradional aquiring sense keeps the value in place.
While slowing building into place the infrastructure required to fully support a
wide or full pallet of LEGO Parts.

Same issue with being able to import or interface with current Brick Building
CAD technologies, the parts packing and retrievel etc.. its what the LEGO
distribution can handle at this time. Supporting a full pallet of parts already
authored.

A tool for building something you want within the current sets.
Pretty cool if you look at it like that.

OR, what else can I build along with the extra 400 parts I get along with the 13
piece set Joe mentioned, or the monkey arms which ever you prefer...

...for what it is worth, it is neat to ponder.

e


P.S. what about an option to build with full pallet with "Sorry, full pallet not
available until the world of next thursday arives" and the current situ which is
to build from the pallet of sets and upload/buy.

{of course! duhh}

eeeee


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.cad, lugnet.general, lugnet.lego.direct
Followup-To: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 12:00:50 GMT
Highlighted: 
(details)
Viewed: 
10596 times
  
In lugnet.cad, Eric Sophie wrote:

In reality, this is a start.

Imagine if you will, a giant facility filled with millions of parts. A full
pallet of Lego parts in all system sizes and shapes, with machines to divert,
sort pack feed label and collect the 40 left monkey arms Pharmacy style I need
to complete that ship that guy made! Completely automated, full pallet, Pick and
pack facilty, Parts Farming Madness!

Yes, this is probably the kind of system that Jake prompted us to imagine when
he asked us to ponder where this system might be 6-10 years down the road
(provided it is sucessful).  As you brilliantly put it, in the "World of next
Thursday."  I am concerned that this first step, while incredibly neat, might
not draw the huge amounts of people into the system that are needed to get to
"step two."

Personally, I have never understoodthe current parts packing system and I see it
as a roadblock to getting to "step two."  I'd like to see baggies of parts that
have about 10 of the identical element restricted to the most common colors as
the basis of the parts pallettes we can work with in LDD.  This would vastly
reduce the cost of ordering a model that used, say, 15 1x4x3 brown window
frames.  To me, it would also seem easier than diverting baggies from production
sets that might contain 3 brown 1x4x3 windows along with 23 different and
miscellaneously colored parts.  Are they overthinking how to implement this
scheme?  Or would it be too much of a risk to dedicate these 10-pack parts packs
to the LDD/Factory concept?

--
Thomas Main
thomasmain@myrealbox.com


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 15:53:23 GMT
Viewed: 
4157 times
  
In lugnet.cad, Thomas Main wrote:
snip
I am concerned that this first step, while incredibly neat, might
not draw the huge amounts of people into the system that are needed to get to
"step two."

I agree.

Personally, I have never understoodthe current parts packing system and I see it
as a roadblock to getting to "step two."  I'd like to see baggies of parts that
have about 10 of the identical element restricted to the most common colors as
the basis of the parts pallettes we can work with in LDD.  This would vastly
reduce the cost of ordering a model that used, say, 15 1x4x3 brown window
frames.

One other possibility would be allowing us to use existing bulk packs in our
models.  If I am building a house with a black roof, then I could upload a black
roof tiles pack and use that.  The problem I have with the current system is the
same as yours, there are too many parts in each palatte that do not get used in
the model.  These palatte sizes are too large and too expensive.  10 element
bags do seem a bit small.  But 25 or 50 element bags would be great.  Hopefully
some fan input will improve the piece selection.  Currently I do not want to
build anything and order it because I can just go and buy the designer set.

Ben


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 16:10:54 GMT
Viewed: 
4240 times
  
In lugnet.general, Benjamin Ellermann wrote:

   The problem I have with the current system is the same as yours, there are too many parts in each palatte that do not get used in the model. These palatte sizes are too large and too expensive. 10 element bags do seem a bit small. But 25 or 50 element bags would be great. Hopefully some fan input will improve the piece selection. Currently I do not want to build anything and order it because I can just go and buy the designer set.

Well, not necessarily. My Railroad Crossing (rats, it seems that there are no URLs for individual models, so I can’t point you directly to it) model uses parts from all five bricksets, yet the cost is $18.95. So I don’t think you’re buying complete sets, but maybe bags from the designer sets (though this is pure speculation, I haven’t seen any answer from LEGO yet about what the real part sets are).

Best,
– Joe


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 16:31:51 GMT
Highlighted: 
(details)
Viewed: 
4410 times
  
In lugnet.general, Joe Strout wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Benjamin Ellermann wrote:

   The problem I have with the current system is the same as yours, there are too many parts in each palatte that do not get used in the model. These palatte sizes are too large and too expensive. 10 element bags do seem a bit small. But 25 or 50 element bags would be great. Hopefully some fan input will improve the piece selection. Currently I do not want to build anything and order it because I can just go and buy the designer set.

Well, not necessarily. My Railroad Crossing (rats, it seems that there are no URLs for individual models, so I can’t point you directly to it)

And that is a feature we really need, at least at some point. How else can we talk about stuff (except by asking people to search by name?) More importantly, how else are we going to publicise our models and drive incremental sales into the system and help make LF a big success?

   model uses parts from all five bricksets, yet the cost is $18.95. So I don’t think you’re buying complete sets, but maybe bags from the designer sets (though this is pure speculation, I haven’t seen any answer from LEGO yet about what the real part sets are).

I think it fits our guesswork too, it’s bags from sets. The part count on the house matches closely, anyway (although it’s off by 3 parts IIRC) Peeron has the bag info for some sets, but of course that changes over time sometimes. AND it will be a pain to suss out. Swithcing to selecting bags for the palette instead of sets (and including bulk parts already in the assortment) seems a good way to go.


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 16:43:16 GMT
Viewed: 
5232 times
  
In lugnet.general, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Joe Strout wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Benjamin Ellermann wrote:

   The problem I have with the current system is the same as yours, there are too many parts in each palatte that do not get used in the model. These palatte sizes are too large and too expensive. 10 element bags do seem a bit small. But 25 or 50 element bags would be great. Hopefully some fan input will improve the piece selection. Currently I do not want to build anything and order it because I can just go and buy the designer set.

Well, not necessarily. My Railroad Crossing (rats, it seems that there are no URLs for individual models, so I can’t point you directly to it)

And that is a feature we really need, at least at some point. How else can we talk about stuff (except by asking people to search by name?) More importantly, how else are we going to publicise our models and drive incremental sales into the system and help make LF a big success?

Hmm. If you dig around in the page source for the model pop-ups, you can find the lxf file:

http://www1.lego.com/upload/gallery81D4B919-A1F7-4FDD-B69A-3E9D931B7928/f376e653-c50d-47bf-904f-80bd5c33bdbf.lxf

and the thumbnail:

http://cache.lego.com/upload/gallery81D4B919-A1F7-4FDD-B69A-3E9D931B7928/f376e653-c50d-47bf-904f-80bd5c33bdbf.jpg

Of course, an URL that goes right to the model would be a lot nicer.

Marc Nelson Jr.

Marc’s Creations


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 17:37:44 GMT
Viewed: 
4373 times
  
In lugnet.general, Joe Strout wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Benjamin Ellermann wrote:

   The problem I have with the current system is the same as yours, there are too many parts in each palatte that do not get used in the model.

My Railroad Crossing (rats, it seems that there are no URLs for individual models, so I can’t point you directly to it) model uses parts from all five bricksets, yet the cost is $18.95. So I don’t think you’re buying complete sets, but maybe bags from the designer sets (though this is pure speculation, I haven’t seen any answer from LEGO yet about what the real part sets are).

Being a minimalist, the first model I uploaded was a single piece priced at $3.99. It came with 77 spare pieces. I find that reasonable for a custom set.



I captured the S@H screen here: http://www.elecbrick.com/lego/factory/stud.html


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 17:59:58 GMT
Viewed: 
5057 times
  
In lugnet.general, Marc Nelson Jr. wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Joe Strout wrote:

  
  
   Well, not necessarily. My Railroad Crossing (rats, it seems that there are no URLs for individual models, so I can’t point you directly to it)

And that is a feature we really need, at least at some point. How else can we talk about stuff (except by asking people to search by name?) More importantly, how else are we going to publicise our models and drive incremental sales into the system and help make LF a big success?

Hmm. If you dig around in the page source for the model pop-ups, you can find the lxf file:

http://www1.lego.com/upload/gallery81D4B919-A1F7-4FDD-B69A-3E9D931B7928/f376e653-c50d-47bf-904f-80bd5c33bdbf.lxf

and the thumbnail:

http://cache.lego.com/upload/gallery81D4B919-A1F7-4FDD-B69A-3E9D931B7928/f376e653-c50d-47bf-904f-80bd5c33bdbf.jpg

Of course, an URL that goes right to the model would be a lot nicer.

Marc Nelson Jr.

Marc’s
Creations

Good hacks. Can someone else follow those links and buy the model though??? I’m thinking not.


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 18:19:45 GMT
Viewed: 
5147 times
  
In lugnet.general, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Marc Nelson Jr. wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Joe Strout wrote:

  
  
   Well, not necessarily. My Railroad Crossing (rats, it seems that there are no URLs for individual models, so I can’t point you directly to it)

And that is a feature we really need, at least at some point. How else can we talk about stuff (except by asking people to search by name?) More importantly, how else are we going to publicise our models and drive incremental sales into the system and help make LF a big success?

Hmm. If you dig around in the page source for the model pop-ups, you can find the lxf file:

http://www1.lego.com/upload/gallery81D4B919-A1F7-4FDD-B69A-3E9D931B7928/f376e653-c50d-47bf-904f-80bd5c33bdbf.lxf

and the thumbnail:

http://cache.lego.com/upload/gallery81D4B919-A1F7-4FDD-B69A-3E9D931B7928/f376e653-c50d-47bf-904f-80bd5c33bdbf.jpg

Of course, an URL that goes right to the model would be a lot nicer.

Marc Nelson Jr.

Marc’s
Creations

Good hacks. Can someone else follow those links and buy the model though??? I’m thinking not.

Well, try this:

http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=LFH001&mid=36E88CAD-352F-4A46-A594-CA28229B54A8

I went to the gallery, found the railroad crossing, opened the popup and did a price check...that gets you to a webpage.

You can also email your model to someone. For use on LUGNET, though, this would be the way to go.




Joe


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 18:35:59 GMT
Viewed: 
4510 times
  
In lugnet.general, Doug Eaton wrote:
   Being a minimalist, the first model I uploaded was a single piece priced at $3.99. It came with 77 spare pieces. I find that reasonable for a custom set.



I captured the S@H screen here: http://www.elecbrick.com/lego/factory/stud.html

LOL! I love it, having that available next to somebody’s model that took them three days to build. Now, if somebody were really evil, they’d create a separate model for each piece available and name it with the LDraw part number or something.

Kelly


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 18:47:26 GMT
Reply-To: 
CJMASI@*NOGARBAGEPLEASE*RCNspamcake.COM
Viewed: 
4289 times
  
Joe Strout wrote:
In lugnet.general, Benjamin Ellermann wrote:


The problem I have with the current system is the
same as yours, there are too many parts in each palatte that do not get used
in the model.  These palatte sizes are too large and too expensive.  10
element bags do seem a bit small.  But 25 or 50 element bags would be great.
Hopefully some fan input will improve the piece selection.  Currently I do not
want to build anything and order it because I can just go and buy the designer
set.


Well, not necessarily.  My Railroad Crossing (rats, it seems that there are no
URLs for individual models, so I can't point you directly to it) model uses
parts from all five bricksets, yet the cost is $18.95.  So I don't think you're
buying complete sets, but maybe bags from the designer sets (though this is pure
speculation, I haven't seen any answer from LEGO yet about what the real part
sets are).

Best,¬
– Joe

Hmm, then what would be nice is a way of telling when you are openning a
new bag. For example, I built a Red Pickup truck, and my model set
basically works out to be the Designer set that builds cars, but my
model set costs 24.95. Now, if I had known that adding detail x or brick
y was going to force me to open another baggy, then maybe I wouldn't
have opened it. My model would be almost as good, but then I wouldn't
have so many extra parts. (My model used 151 but the set contain 278).

Chris

--
http://users.rcn.com/cjmasi/lego/

Learn about brittle bone disease
http://www.oif.org/


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 19:04:05 GMT
Viewed: 
5356 times
  
In lugnet.general, Joe Meno wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Marc Nelson Jr. wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Joe Strout wrote:

  
  
   Well, not necessarily. My Railroad Crossing (rats, it seems that there are no URLs for individual models, so I can’t point you directly to it)

And that is a feature we really need, at least at some point. How else can we talk about stuff (except by asking people to search by name?) More importantly, how else are we going to publicise our models and drive incremental sales into the system and help make LF a big success?

Hmm. If you dig around in the page source for the model pop-ups, you can find the lxf file:

http://www1.lego.com/upload/gallery81D4B919-A1F7-4FDD-B69A-3E9D931B7928/f376e653-c50d-47bf-904f-80bd5c33bdbf.lxf

and the thumbnail:

http://cache.lego.com/upload/gallery81D4B919-A1F7-4FDD-B69A-3E9D931B7928/f376e653-c50d-47bf-904f-80bd5c33bdbf.jpg

Of course, an URL that goes right to the model would be a lot nicer.

Marc Nelson Jr.

Marc’s
Creations

Good hacks. Can someone else follow those links and buy the model though??? I’m thinking not.

Well, try this:

http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=LFH001&mid=36E88CAD-352F-4A46-A594-CA28229B54A8

I went to the gallery, found the railroad crossing, opened the popup and did a price check...that gets you to a webpage.

You can also email your model to someone. For use on LUGNET, though, this would be the way to go.




Joe

Cool! And the ‘Building Instructions’ link gets you the .lxf file. Great work!

Replacing everything after “mid=” with everything after the last slash in the .lxf and .jpg links gets me a link to my Yellow Jet:

http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=LFH001&mid=f376e653-c50d-47bf-904f-80bd5c33bdbf

It looks like you can’t buy two different LEGO Factory models in the same order - they both have the same SKU (LFH001), and there’s a one per customer limit. When I tried to add my model to the cart after adding Joe’s, I get this:

# Oops: You have exceeded the maximum number allowed for this item. No more of this item can be added.

Marc Nelson Jr.

Marc’s Creations


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 19:15:13 GMT
Highlighted: 
(details)
Viewed: 
5304 times
  
In lugnet.general, Marc Nelson Jr. wrote: (snip) http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=LFH001&mid=f376e653-c50d-47bf-904f-80bd5c33bdbf
  
It looks like you can’t buy two different LEGO Factory models in the same order - they both have the same SKU (LFH001), and there’s a one per customer limit. When I tried to add my model to the cart after adding Joe’s, I get this:

# Oops: You have exceeded the maximum number allowed for this item. No more of this item can be added.

Marc Nelson Jr.

Marc’s
Creations

Now that’s a problem.

Joe


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Fri, 26 Aug 2005 22:25:43 GMT
Viewed: 
4488 times
  
In lugnet.general, Kelly McKiernan wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Doug Eaton wrote:
   Being a minimalist, the first model I uploaded was a single piece priced at $3.99. It came with 77 spare pieces. I find that reasonable for a custom set.

I captured the S@H screen here: http://www.elecbrick.com/lego/factory/stud.html

LOL! I love it, having that available next to somebody’s model that took them three days to build. Now, if somebody were really evil, they’d create a separate model for each piece available and name it with the LDraw part number or something.

Except... Limit 1 per customer :(

ROSCO


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Thu, 1 Sep 2005 06:14:16 GMT
Viewed: 
4180 times
  
In lugnet.cad, Thomas Main wrote:
In lugnet.cad, Eric Sophie wrote:

In reality, this is a start.

Imagine if you will, a giant facility filled with millions of parts. A full
pallet of Lego parts in all system sizes and shapes, with machines to divert,
sort pack feed label and collect the 40 left monkey arms Pharmacy style I need
to complete that ship that guy made! Completely automated, full pallet, Pick and
pack facilty, Parts Farming Madness!

Yes, this is probably the kind of system that Jake prompted us to imagine when
he asked us to ponder where this system might be 6-10 years down the road
(provided it is sucessful).  As you brilliantly put it, in the "World of next
Thursday."  I am concerned that this first step, while incredibly neat, might
not draw the huge amounts of people into the system that are needed to get to
"step two."

Personally, I have never understoodthe current parts packing system and I see it
as a roadblock to getting to "step two."  I'd like to see baggies of parts that
have about 10 of the identical element restricted to the most common colors as
the basis of the parts pallettes we can work with in LDD.  This would vastly
reduce the cost of ordering a model that used, say, 15 1x4x3 brown window
frames.  To me, it would also seem easier than diverting baggies from production
sets that might contain 3 brown 1x4x3 windows along with 23 different and
miscellaneously colored parts.  Are they overthinking how to implement this
scheme?  Or would it be too much of a risk to dedicate these 10-pack parts packs
to the LDD/Factory concept?

--
Thomas Main
thomasmain@myrealbox.com

Thomas,

You must have been reading my mind.... I was thinking about building a Lego
Factory Skyscraper with 8 black 1x4x3 windows on each floor, and making it 10
stories tall.  Well based on the fact that only 6 come in a baggie, I can only
imagine what my final price will be with using 13 baggies that have those, plus
all the other baggies I might need for more common white bricks.  Also, all the
extra parts that will come with these 13+ baggies!  $$$$$

I too am worried about getting to Step 2 if Step 1 is so very restrictive and
may not be successful!  I only hope that the Lego Factory's dependence on these
baggies will not cause its' downfall.

Gary Istok


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Thu, 1 Sep 2005 18:27:25 GMT
Viewed: 
4363 times
  
In lugnet.general, Gerhard R. Istok wrote:
   In lugnet.cad, Thomas Main wrote:
   Personally, I have never understood the current parts packing system and I see it as a roadblock to getting to “step two.” I’d like to see baggies of parts that have about 10 of the identical element restricted to the most common colors as the basis of the parts pallettes we can work with in LDD. This would vastly reduce the cost of ordering a model that used, say, 15 1x4x3 brown window frames.

You must have been reading my mind.... I was thinking about building a Lego Factory Skyscraper with 8 black 1x4x3 windows on each floor, and making it 10 stories tall. Well based on the fact that only 6 come in a baggie, I can only imagine what my final price will be with using 13 baggies that have those, plus all the other baggies I might need for more common white bricks. Also, all the extra parts that will come with these 13+ baggies! $$$$$

To test your theory and see how bad it would actually be, I built your tower.

http://www.elecbrick.com/lego/factory/10storyfactory.htm



10 Story Tower (window frames only): Total Pieces: 637 (Pieces used in set: 78) Price: USD 72.67

You are buying window frames at $0.93 each and getting 559 pieces free. Several BrickLink stores are charging more for these pieces and only one store has that quantity available. I think this is actually a pretty good value proposition for rare parts.

Doug


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Thu, 1 Sep 2005 18:58:02 GMT
Viewed: 
4454 times
  
In lugnet.general, Doug Eaton wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Gerhard R. Istok wrote:
   In lugnet.cad, Thomas Main wrote:
   Personally, I have never understood the current parts packing system and I see it as a roadblock to getting to “step two.” I’d like to see baggies of parts that have about 10 of the identical element restricted to the most common colors as the basis of the parts pallettes we can work with in LDD. This would vastly reduce the cost of ordering a model that used, say, 15 1x4x3 brown window frames.

You must have been reading my mind.... I was thinking about building a Lego Factory Skyscraper with 8 black 1x4x3 windows on each floor, and making it 10 stories tall. Well based on the fact that only 6 come in a baggie, I can only imagine what my final price will be with using 13 baggies that have those, plus all the other baggies I might need for more common white bricks. Also, all the extra parts that will come with these 13+ baggies! $$$$$

To test your theory and see how bad it would actually be, I built your tower.

http://www.elecbrick.com/lego/factory/10storyfactory.htm



10 Story Tower (window frames only): Total Pieces: 637 (Pieces used in set: 78) Price: USD 72.67

You are buying window frames at $0.93 each and getting 559 pieces free. Several BrickLink stores are charging more for these pieces and only one store has that quantity available. I think this is actually a pretty good value proposition for rare parts.

Doug

That depend’s on whether or not the clear glass panes for the windows come in the same baggies. Or will it require another 13 baggies!

That black window is one of the few Brick Factory parts that I don’t mind paying a premium on.

Of course, with my luck that 559 pieces “free” will come with 130 of those headlight bricks that I don’t much care for (in the “Lego I Hate” thread). :-(

Thanks for checking it out Doug!

Gary Istok


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Thu, 1 Sep 2005 19:31:31 GMT
Viewed: 
4461 times
  
In lugnet.general, Gerhard R. Istok wrote:

   That depend’s on whether or not the clear glass panes for the windows come in the same baggies. Or will it require another 13 baggies!


As you got me thinking about this...

Just uploaded a “test” window. One black window with one glass insert. Total cost: $11.98 Pieces used in set: 2 Total pieces: 121

Either it’s one big ol’ bag of parts, or methinks it’s two seperate bags.

Kris


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Thu, 1 Sep 2005 21:24:46 GMT
Viewed: 
4564 times
  
In lugnet.general, Kris Jacobson wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Gerhard R. Istok wrote:

   That depend’s on whether or not the clear glass panes for the windows come in the same baggies. Or will it require another 13 baggies!


As you got me thinking about this...

Just uploaded a “test” window. One black window with one glass insert. Total cost: $11.98 Pieces used in set: 2 Total pieces: 121

Either it’s one big ol’ bag of parts, or methinks it’s two seperate bags.

Kris

Thanks Kris!

That would make $11.98 X 13 = $155.74 (plus the 8 scadzillion other pieces you get) ..... YIKES!!!

Now add into that all the white bricks for making it a decent looking model.... it starts adding up!

I can say this much, before I order anything via the Lego Factory route, I will need to know what all the parts are in each baggie!

Gary Istok


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Thu, 1 Sep 2005 21:49:09 GMT
Viewed: 
4579 times
  
In lugnet.general, Gerhard R. Istok wrote:
   That would make $11.98 X 13 = $155.74 (plus the 8 scadzillion other pieces you get) ..... YIKES!!!

Now add into that all the white bricks for making it a decent looking model.... it starts adding up!

I can say this much, before I order anything via the Lego Factory route, I will need to know what all the parts are in each baggie!

Gary Istok

Tack on a white 2x4 and the price goes to $15.27. You do get 22 white 2x4’s apparently in the next bag, which incidently, if you just make a model of the above mentioned bricks it costs $4.99. So apparently there is savings there with the more you buy ($1.70 in this case adding the bag of 2x4’s and whatever else makes up the 180 total pieces in this 3 piece case scenario.)

Kris


Subject: 
Re: LEGO Factory impressions
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Date: 
Thu, 1 Sep 2005 22:04:03 GMT
Viewed: 
5147 times
  
In lugnet.general, Gerhard R. Istok wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Kris Jacobson wrote:
   In lugnet.general, Gerhard R. Istok wrote:

   That depend’s on whether or not the clear glass panes for the windows come in the same baggies. Or will it require another 13 baggies!


As you got me thinking about this...

Just uploaded a “test” window. One black window with one glass insert. Total cost: $11.98 Pieces used in set: 2 Total pieces: 121

Either it’s one big ol’ bag of parts, or methinks it’s two seperate bags.

Kris

Thanks Kris!

That would make $11.98 X 13 = $155.74 (plus the 8 scadzillion other pieces you get) ..... YIKES!!!

Now add into that all the white bricks for making it a decent looking model.... it starts adding up!

I can say this much, before I order anything via the Lego Factory route, I will need to know what all the parts are in each baggie!

Keep your eye on BrickWiki, then... As discussed in this LEGOFan thread there is some serious hacking into these mysteries, and perl coding, going on as we speak.

The bags have been inventoried (perhaps not quite correctly for My House, the volunteers were working from purchased sets which may not quite match) for My House, My Plane and My Robot. Only My Animal(4884) and My Car(4883) need doing. (Unfortunately Peeron didn’t already carry the bag info in this case, so volunteers are needed, if you have an unopened copy of one of these sets, please inventory them!)

See the inventories, and read about other LDD and LEGO Factory gleanings, by starting in this category: LEGO Factory

If you want to actually change your installation of LDD to account for individual bags, read about it in this article: Custom LDD part sets... you’ll be using files from this category: LDD tix files

This is a community effort and everyone is invited to contribute what they know. The info is growing as we speak. LDD and LF LEGO reps haven’t commented at LEGOFan (the only place they will) for quite a few days now, but there is hope they will do so soon.

++Lar


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