| Discussion Forum: Thread 162848 |
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| | | Author: | VxiomV  | | Posted: | Dec 22, 2013 07:39 | | Subject: | Future of Bricklink: offline brick management | | Viewed: | 316 times | | Topic: | Suggestions | | Status: | Discarded | |
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| Hello,
This is my first posting on Bricklink and I am not sure I am doing it in the
right place but I wanted to bring my contribution and point of view, as a buyer,
in regards to Bricklink updates to come. This message is addressed to Bricklink
management team but everybody is obviously free to give feedback! I guess most
of what follows has already been said and is maybe obvious for many Bricklink
users and admin... If so, just ignore it!
I am a brick buyer on Bricklink, not a set or minifig buyer. To me, what matters
the most when designing models and buying LEGO bricks is the ability to transfer
data back and forth from one software to another and then to Bricklink.
The overall process I use is complex and may not be optimal but it works fine:
- I design in LDD
- I convert LDD files to LDraw files using LDD export utility, with an updated
conversion table Ldraw.xml (from trinagle 717)
- The conversion is not perfect but over 90% OK when using the updated table
- I use LDraw and LPub to make instructions
- I import Ldraw model into Brickstore to create and manage bricks lists for
everything I design
- Here again, the conversion is not perfect but I found a way to manipulate
the LDraw files as text files and multi-replace incoherent brick references
And this does the trick for the designing activity.
Now for the stock management and buying activity, which is more directly related
to Bricklink:
- I manage my current stock of bricks in Brickstore
- Whenever I want to make a new model or reproduce an existing one, I manipulate
the lists in Bricklink, substracting required bricks from the stock list and
creating lists of missing bricks for everything I need to buy.
- From Brickstore, I upload the missing brick lists into Bricklink wanted lists
using the xml export option of Brickstore
- Using the different wanted lists, I optimize my supply and bricks orders in
Bricklink
- Everytime I place an order on Bricklink, I import the list of bricks of the
order in Brickstore using the import feature of Brickstore
- I can then readjust the lists of needed bricks offline using Brickstore and
reupload them on Brickstore to make new orders
- When I receive bricks orders, I also use Brickstore to check if everything
I ordered is there or not and then I update my current stock of bricks.
- When I build a new model, I substract stock minus model bricks list to keep
my stock up-to-date
As a conclusion, all my brick management process and ability to order from Bricklink
is based on the communication between Brickstore and Bricklink. It would be impossible
for me to keep doing what I do without a way to manage list of bricks offline.
And this is my message to Bricklink managers: please preserve a link between
Bricklink and an offline brick management software in the future of Bricklink.
Brickstore does the job for me but it can be something else (I read in another
post that alternative software is in development): what matters is to preserve
the bridges [LDD]-[Ldraw]-[Brick management software]-[Bricklink]. What matters
from a Bricklink perspective is to be able to upload wanted lists from the brick
management software, then import orders bricks list to the software.
Do not hesitate to reply and give me your point of view! I am also very curious
to learn more about other AFOL virtual design process and ways to manage their
bricks stock and orders!
Thanks for reading!
Pascal
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France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
