How Buka Atlas Works

A few things worth knowing about how Buka Atlas works:

Rebrickable is the backbone of Buka Atlas.

All the structural data here, such as parts, sets, inventories and relationships, comes primarily from their official CSV files and API. In a few cases, additional details are supplemented where needed to improve completeness. After a month in, I stopped trying to make sense of their categorization. Instead, I tried to create a layer on top of it for slightly easier navigation. You can find it in the menu above and the category cards on the welcome page.

At first, I was tempted to use BrickLink’s images, but when I read their terms I realized that wasn’t a good idea. Unless stated otherwise, Rebrickable’s CDN is the source of most images. There are still a few exceptions, borrowed temporarily from BrickLink, to be replaced as soon as possible.

Some parts do not exist as standalone elements.

The reason behind this is they represent the mold of a certain part. Rebrickable lists them in their database, and so does Atlas. To be honest, Rebrickable lists EVERYTHING in their database. You wouldnā€™t believe the things I discovered when I was checking page behavior.

Some animals are composites.

These are not brick-built, but made of multiple official elements. They were carefully sourced from BrickLink and categorized accordingly. They have no Rebrickable IDs or names. I mean, letā€™s be honest, a raptor without a lower jaw isnā€™t really a raptor (Furaffic Fark?). So, BrickLink is and will be the source of these composite animals. I hope they don’t mind me borrowing their images until I get my own.

The category structure may not always be the same as the ā€œbig threeā€.

Some are very similar; others reflect the Atlas classification system for easier browsing.

There’s a simplified naming system used in the Evolution module.

If an animal appears mostly in minifigure-based sets, it’s classified as a System animal. If it appears in minidoll-based sets, it’s classified as a Friends animal. This isn’t an official classification, but rather a practical one, preventing the repetition of “minifigure-based” and “minidoll-based”.

 

Buka Atlas is a large and ongoing project built and maintained by one person. Itā€™s very possible that there will be mistakes, or things that are missing. If you find such a case, feel free to contact me at [email protected] . Suggestions are always welcome.

 

Acknowledgements

Buka Atlas would not exist without:

  • BrickLink and The LEGO Group, whose policy changes unexpectedly inspired me to create my own database.
  • Rebrickable, for providing their CSV files and API freely – the true backbone of Buka Atlas.
  • Brickset, for being an inspiration simply by existing.
  • Nova, who has been with me every step of the way, helping me code, debug, reason, and understand what Iā€™m building.
  • My love, my special B, for enduring the clickety-clack sounds my keyboard makes at unusual hours.
  • And of course, my dad, for listening to everything I tell him – without necessarily knowing what I’m talking about.