How to Make a Custom Decoration
B1Trash started this discussion in Parts and Decorations Design

If you're wondering how to make a custom decoration, here is a step-by-step tutorial, current as of April 2023.

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Part Management:

Minifigure:

I hope this helps. Cheers!

  • sdfsdf
    -sdfsdf
  • sfdasdf
    • sdfs
      -- sdfsf
    • sdfsdf
    • sdfsf
  • sdfsdf
    link
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test code

    doodoo
    [ ] sdfsdf
    sdfs
    sdf @Scrubs
    👍1

Footnotes

  1. Footnote

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204 replies · Page 8 of 11

So the last person that asked the question was using Paint.net. That's why I referenced it in my answer... it was literally a copy-paste with some cleanup. If you're comfortable with the apps you use, i'd stick with those. It's more the capability of the apps that I'm interested in. If I was going to push you toward any program, I'd be pushing you toward a vector based editor like Inkscape (Free), Affinity Designer (Paid) or Adobe Illustrator (Subscription). It's a completely different style of drawing, because you're working with shapes and nodes, but they offer some extremely cool capabilities. And since SVG files are based on nodes, they are infinitely (more or less) scalable. So if Scrubs ever goes to 4k textures, you literally open the file and change the PNG export settings and BAM! You have a 4k texture. Or if you want higher quality customs for offline renders so you don't see the pixels, you can have them there while the 1k textures live on Mecabricks.

As far as the upside-down thing goes, can you rotate the canvas on fire alpaca? That may help. For me, the orientation of the UV map does not matter, because with Inkscape I actually draw my parts on a different part of the canvas than the part I export from. I have a canvas that has the UV map grid as an overlay and then a live clone of my art to a clean area that I export to the PNG. I got tired of forgetting to turn off the UV map layer when I exported parts, so now I don't have to. For parts like the hips, I draw on a full minifig template and then clone the parts to the different export images. So for the back hips, I draw right side up and the clone is rotated and scaled properly into the export group. If you're interested in any of this, let me know.

I am trying to make a custom legs piece (73200) but it won't let me add a texture

Hey Yoooo-

73200 is the assembly of legs and hips. You need to decorate the individual leg and hip pieces first. Here's a link to a walk-thru:
Let's Build a Minifigure!

Hey man, if you don't mind can you send me the template you use to make cohesive prints (its alright if you don't have one or if you don't want to) : )

Do you use Inkscape?

No, I haven't tried it yet

My template is in Inscape... not sure how useful it would be for you.

oh ok, so its not a png image like the templates in the parts library?

Nope... It's an Inscape SVG file that I use to draw all my minifigures. It has a canvas for both front and back and export areas for head, torso, legs and hips. I also use it to automatically create data maps for the metallic bits. If you want a PNG image, then just take a screenshot of a built minifig in Orthographic view.

You should have the customized first part (part A) in the build and a blank second part (part 😎. Take your screenshot and scale it in your drawing software until the blank part B matches up with your UV template. Now you should be able to use your screenshot as a guide to continue your decoration from part A to part B.

Note that a minifig torso has rounded corners, so the UV template will not actually extend to the edges of the part. I'd recommend starting your decoration here first and then flow down to the hips and legs if you're doing a MF.

Hope this helps.

omg I'm so sorry, this whole time I didn't realise that I do have Inkscape downloaded, so sorry. can you still send me the file tho?

i tried doing part 51283 and it never showed the decorated thing

Hi Eransley-

Unfortunately you ran into an odd piece. It is a 2nd generation part, but since Scrubs did not create a UV map for decorations for that part. I think a good rule of thumb is if Lego never decorated the part, you probably won't be able to decorate it here. You can make a "custom" part of 51283, but the only thing you'll be able to customize is the name and the default material. I should update the tutorial.

This wasn't working because I couldn't find the decoration tab

What do you do if it says "referance already in use?"

@ Prider - Use a unique Reference name. The actual name can be repeated among parts, but the reference must be unique to each part.

If you want to see it with a picture, you can use this link here to the front page:
Step 4: Create your custom decorated part

How do you make a custom part group?

@Outlawious-

Can you be more specific? What are you trying to group together?

like multiple part group

Third button down on the left... just under the single brick.

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