Introducing my LEGO Parts Guide, which is powered by images exported from LDraw.

[tom alphin]

First off, I think this is a great project, and while there are a lot of existing parts databases, I do think this fills a need for something more curated, presented in more of a narrative style—somewhere in between the purely statistical format of a BL or RB, and the long-form narrative of blogs like NewE.

I like how the information is categorized. I'm always pleasantly surprised as I drill down through the hierarchy and find new information with each step. This, however, can also be a drawback, as there is useful information that can't always be found unless I go down through all the levels.

One thing that does raise my eyebrow is some of the nomenclature you've decided on—particularly when it's at odds with the official terminology. One example would be in the clip category, where you describe the clips as vertical where TLG refers to them as horizontal, and vice versa. For another example, you've adopted a more rigid definition of "arch" and "bow", such that there are parts officially described as "bows" that don't match your definition.

Granted, the TLG descriptions are far from consistent, and I appreciate the need for a more unified nomenclature. (I'm not sure whether the term "blate" will catch on, but I respect the intention.)  I just wonder if finding new uses for already existing terms might not cause more confusion than it eliminates?

Otherwise, again, I truly appreciate the effort behind creating a "handcrafted" resource—there's certainly potential to grow tremendously, and while it will require ongoing effort, I do think it will fill a meaningful void!

Thank you for the kind words!  I'm glad to hear that it feels like I am offering a unique, curated perspective into the wider world of LEGO parts...  This is definitely my goal!

I do think you raise some fair points around naming strategies, such as the arch/bow distinctions and the legitimate question around whether we need a convenient term for something two-plates tall  .  I am always considering ways to continue refining and simplifying the names used on my parts guide and label collection and will keep these points in mind.

In particular, I did not even realize the discrepancy between how TLG refers to horizontal/vertical clips.  My naming matches BrickLink, Rebrickable, and LDraw, which in practice means that it matches the community consensus.  In fact, one of my 'dreams' for this project is to finally motivate TLG to revisit the official part names since they are terrible, often misspelled, wildly inconsistent, and occasionally inappropriate (Some Mindoll part names literally say "ASS" which is an abbreviation for Assembly, but not a very appropriate term when referring to the bottom half of a female figure.)

Sincerely,
---tom



P.S. I launched a completely redesigned Most Common LEGO Parts guide last night - it uses this modern database-driven backend and integrates with the page dedicated to each piece.  This makes it possible to see at-a-glance the lifetime and 'current' ranking for every part in the guide.  I hope people love this addition!