BrickLink Export Guide
Photo to BrickLink XML: Preview Free, Then Export a Build Plan
A BrickLink XML file is a buying inventory, not the picture or the assembly instructions. Start with BMBrick's free photo generation, then keep the paid PDF, XML, and structure BOM together so you can buy the parts for the exact mosaic you intend to build.
Direct answer: Generate a photo mosaic for free, confirm crop, size, part style, palette, and skipped cells, then unlock the PDF and export matching BrickLink XML. Check the sum of XML quantities against the plan's active pixel count. Seller availability, tax, shipping, and checkout remain separate in BrickLink.
Best for: Developers and makers comparing mosaic generators or export workflows.
Avoid: Users who only want a finished physical product shipped to them.
Recommended setup: Inspect the public sample first, test your own photo for free, then export the PDF and XML from one confirmed build plan.
Who This Guide Helps
Developers and makers comparing mosaic generators or export workflows.
Who Should Skip It
Users who only want a finished physical product shipped to them.
Bottom Line
Inspect the public sample first, test your own photo for free, then export the PDF and XML from one confirmed build plan.
Three things to confirm before exporting
Finish the visual decisions first. A technically valid file can still describe a crop you do not like or a list you cannot source.
A stable image
Choose the crop, grid, 3024 square plates or 98138 round tiles, palette, and actual skipped cells in the free preview. Any later change requires fresh PDF and parts files.
Matched quantities
For a flat one-part-per-cell mosaic, the sum of XML MINQTY values must equal the active pixel-part count. Base panels, pins, backing, and frame hardware belong in a separate structure/display check.
An external buying check
The XML identifies wanted parts. BrickLink sellers determine availability, condition, minimum lots, prices, shipping, and tax; exporting a file does not purchase bricks.
What the XML fields mean
BMBrick groups required quantities by part and BrickLink color. Keep identifiers distinct from LEGO element IDs or another supplier's color codes.
| Field or file | Example / meaning | What to verify | What it does not include |
|---|---|---|---|
| ITEMTYPE | P = part | Inventory rows describe physical parts | No rendered preview |
| ITEMID | 3024 or 98138 | Matches the confirmed material style | Not a LEGO element ID |
| COLOR | BrickLink color ID | Maps to the intended part color | Not a universal vendor color code |
| MINQTY | Required quantity for this part/color | Sum all rows to the active pixel count | No extra spares unless added separately |
| PDF and structure BOM | Assembly pages and support list | Same saved plan, size, and crop | No seller checkout or frame quote |
A quantity check you can repeat
Take a fully filled 48×48 mosaic using 3024 plates. There are 48 × 48 = 2,304 active cells, so adding every MINQTY in the XML must give 2,304. The number of XML rows is the number of distinct part/color groups, not the piece count. This worked example specifies no background skips and no spare pieces.
If you deliberately skip 960 cells, the active count becomes 2,304 − 960 = 1,344. The XML should then total 1,344, while your structure BOM may still support the full 48×48 footprint. A solid replacement background keeps the pixel count at 2,304; only genuinely skipped cells reduce the required pixel parts.
Move from inventory to supplier review
After a paid blueprint unlock, download the XML and matching PDF. Use BrickLink's Wanted List XML upload workflow, review the detected part/color/quantity rows, then check sourcing options in your own account. Interface labels can change, so use BrickLink's own help if its upload screen differs.
Inspect every shortage before checkout. Multiple sellers may cover different quantities, conditions, or colors; the cheapest visible lot is not necessarily the cheapest complete order after shipping. Add any base panels, pins, backing board, frame, and hanging hardware from the structure/display plan rather than assuming the pixel inventory includes them.
- Confirm 3024 square plates or 98138 round tiles before import.
- Verify each color ID and sum the required quantities.
- Compare seller stock, condition, minimum order, tax, and shipping.
- Save the final PDF, XML, and structure BOM together.
Read the sample before exporting your own photo
The public sample lets you inspect an actual PDF and matching sourcing files without buying a personal blueprint. Compare the sample's stated active count with its CSV and XML, then look at the separate structure BOM. It is a digital planning example, not a completed or shipped physical kit.
BMBrick processes your source photo in the browser. The generated build plan is saved for delivery and recovery. Magic Cut loads its background-removal model remotely and runs inference locally; the browser workflow should not be described as entirely offline.
How to evaluate the product honestly
The most honest way to evaluate a tool like BMBrick is to stop asking whether the preview is impressive and start asking whether the overall workflow gets safer, clearer, and more worth building. A strong product should improve the quality of the decision before the money is spent, not merely flatter the user into spending it. That means the crop should become easier to judge, the cost should become easier to understand, the sourcing should become less chaotic, and the final build should feel more approachable instead of more mysterious.
If a product claim sounds good but does not change any of those downstream realities, it probably is not a meaningful advantage. The useful test is always the same: does this feature help the user make a better project, or does it only make the marketing page easier to believe? BMBrick is strongest when it is held to that standard, because the product is designed around decisions that still matter after the initial excitement wears off.
- Judge the workflow from source image to wall display, not just the first render.
- Check whether the product reduces practical risk, not only aesthetic uncertainty.
- Use the guide library as evidence that the claims stay coherent across real project decisions.
The quickest way to pressure-test the promise is to move straight into Download the Sample Build Files and Compare Parts Export Formats. If the claims still hold there, the product story is probably grounded in the real workflow.
Free generation and paid export are separate steps
Generate, crop, and judge your photo mosaic in the free preview. Purchase the digital blueprint only when the plan works; complete personal PDF and parts exports are paid.
BrickLink XML covers the pixel inventory. Route estimates in BMBrick are planning aids, not a live seller quote. The cost guide separates the digital charge, physical pixels, hardware, tax, and shipping.
FAQ
Can I create the mosaic preview for free?
Yes. Photo generation and preview are free. Complete personal PDF instructions and route-specific parts files, including BrickLink XML, require a paid digital blueprint unlock. The public sample is available to inspect before purchase.
Is BrickLink XML the same as assembly instructions?
No. XML groups part IDs, color IDs, and quantities for sourcing. The PDF provides the mosaic map and assembly pages. Export both from the same confirmed plan.
How do I check the total quantity?
For one pixel part per active cell, add all MINQTY values. A full 48×48 grid totals 2,304; if exactly 960 cells are skipped, it totals 1,344. Base and display hardware are separate.
Does the export buy or ship the bricks?
No. Review stock, condition, quantities, seller minimums, tax, and shipping in BrickLink before checkout. BMBrick supplies the digital plan and files, while physical parts are purchased separately.
Where To Go Next
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