Subject:
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Re: Lego factory sets / building instructions
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains, lugnet.cad.ldd
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Date:
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Sat, 25 Nov 2006 17:07:09 GMT
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Viewed:
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28412 times
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In lugnet.trains, Ville Tuominen wrote:
> Hey,
>
> I bought following James Mathis's factory sets from shop@home:
> - euro diesel prewar v1
> - db103 v1
> - early 1900s passanger coach
>
> Sets arrived today and I noticed that there is no printed instructions with
> parts.
>
> Is it any easier method (like PDFs) than LCC to print instructions to these
> sets?
>
> Thanks,
> Ville
Hi Ville,
Unfortunately, there's no simple way to get the typical LEGO instructions
experience with Factory. Often LDD's automatic instruction steps aren't well
organized and sometimes impossible to follow. It's better if the model author
designed with LDraw tools and put instruction steps in the LDraw file. These
get preserved when converted to LDD. Sometimes these too are hard to deal with
when viewed or printed with LDD. This is because LDD doesn't show brick
outlines so steps that are easy to follow in an official set (or LPUB rendered)
can still be hard to follow with LDD. The model author needs to anticipate the
way LDD displays things as the instruction steps are created in LDraw. Another
limitation is LDD doesn't allow sub-modules making composite and SNOT designs
harder to document.
I think the best way to go with LDD/Factory models is to build the model next to
your PC while you interactively manipulate the model with LDD. This may require
partially deconstructing the model in LDD to see how things go and/or running
the mouse over individual pieces in "build mode" to see if that's really a 1x8
brick or a pair of 1x4s. I personally don't see printing the instructions with
LDD as very useful regardless of how well the instruction steps were done.
I hope this advice helps and in return I'd like to ask a small favor. When
you're done with the models can you please post back a small review or feedback
about them? I ask because a limitation I see with Factory is the ability to
tell if a model is stable/solid when built with real bricks and/or properly
functional -- before you take the risk to buy it.
With Trains you also have to worry if the model will take turns, if the bogie
attachments were done right, if the couplers can actually reach another car in a
train, etc., etc. I suspect the model authors can't/don't always try this out
themselves.
I think Factory really needs a forum for people to say "Yes I bought and built
this one and it really works", or "Well I bought it and it didn't come together
too well." Even better to offer alternate constructions that fix any problems
found.
It would also be great for a model author who has had the time/money/etc. to
build and test their model to post and point all that out -- "Yes I built it,
yes it's stable, yes it takes turns and couples, etc." -- "Yes I did the
building instructions with LDD viewing in mind." -- or what have you.
I think Factory is a great concept and want it to succeed. I think having our
community take part in evaluating the models and pointing out the ones that are
"production grade" will go a long way to helping it thrive.
As you can see I used your post to make a bigger point I've had on my mind.
Sorry for the long speech!
Enjoy your models!
-Paul D'Urbano
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Message has 1 Reply:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Lego factory sets / building instructions
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| Hey, I bought following James Mathis's factory sets from shop@home: - euro diesel prewar v1 - db103 v1 - early 1900s passanger coach Sets arrived today and I noticed that there is no printed instructions with parts. Is it any easier method (like (...) (18 years ago, 22-Nov-06, to lugnet.trains)
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