Giving continuity to the initiative from the last year [1], TBs 
is now hosting a new edition from the TechREVERSE Challenge.
In collaboration with the LEGO Technic product line, we decided to bring one of the 1H2011 models into contest.
As you are probably already guessing, the challenge will consist in reverse-build one of the new small models. The model to choose should not include any new element, out of the element assortment available in 2010 (new colors for already existing elements may however apply).
So the set selection for the current TechREVERSE Challenge issue is the 8066 (SUV).
And then the challenge TBs has for you, is exactly this!
Reverse and build your own LDraw reproduction from the 8066 main model, based on the product pictures available below. 
In order to prepare an LDraw model for this set, you may need to install the
LDraw Tools if not having them already installed in your system.
Even this model not using new parts, you may eventually face the need to use some parts not yet released into the
LDraw official library or the latest
Parts Update available (please realize I'm not stating you will do). In that case you may want to download the still
unofficial LDraw parts.
So, in case you miss some required parts in your MLCad installation or similar, we advise you to look for them into the
Parts Tracker list (repository of not yet official parts submitted to LDraw Part Library).
Additional parts may also be found from a
work repository, with parts being shared by the LEGO Universe Team with the LDraw.org community.
If for some reason you become convinced that the part you are looking for, is not present into the LDraw official library neither the unofficial LDraw parts, or the work repository above mentioned, then you should skip it and leave the correspondent space empty..
In the eventually of such missing parts, they should not impact the final classifications, as they would affect everyone in the same manner.
In case you have difficulties with the LDraw unofficial parts and need further help about this, you may find helpful some of the tutorials published before at TBs
[
2,
3].
As for every contest, there must be some rules defined, that will help us later to determine who's the winner contestant.
Slight changes have occurred when compared to the rules used in 2009. Read carefully!
Challenge Goal:
- Reverse engineer and reproduce into a LDraw file format, the Challenge proposed model.
- The reproduction should be exact (model complete assembly, parts color and parts list).
Challenge Participation Rules:
- Every contestant should submit his participation in the form of one single LDraw file.
Hierarchical organization into sub-models is also allowed.
- The contestants are allowed to enter one single submission (always the first one submitted).
- Each contest submission must include one single model only.
- Contestants must also include one render image from their model, with a minimum resolution of 800x600.
It would be great if you have skills for photo-realistic rendering, but not considered for the purpose of contest evaluation.
- Any eventual special elements in the model must be reproduced accordingly (e.g. flexible parts, shock absorbers, etc...). Reproduction should be as close as possible to the original.
- All the submissions must be sent via e-mail, to the TBs mailbox setup for the purpose of this challenge, with indication of the applicant identification (full name and nickname if applicable), postal* and e-mail addresses.
TBs TechREVERSE Challenge mailbox: challenge[at]technicbricks.com
Classification Criteria:
- The winning participation will be the first submission sent, that exactly matches the LEGO official model being reproduced: model complete assembly, parts color and parts list.
- If none of the submissions fill all the criteria above, it will be selected the first submitted model, that gets closer to the original, based the total number of mismatches counted.
Schedules:
- All the submissions must be sent to the mailbox above indicated, in the next two weeks. Thus before the 7th of December 2010, 24:00 CET**.
- The organization reserves the right to extend the submission period, if there is a reasonable justification.
- Final results are expected to be published by the end of December or begin of next January, depending on the overall participation figures.
Prizes:
- The Challenge winner will be awarded with one set sponsored by the LEGO Technic product line.
- There will be also a few extra prizes, for those ending in following rank positions.
- Due to formalities, the details about the contest prizes won't be communicated immediately, but in the beginning of December. Stay tunned!
Exceptions:
- In the event of any eventual leak with further official details about this model, during the participations submission period, may become a justification to close the submissions period with immediate effect.
- Any eventual issues not foreseen in the contest rules, shall be evaluated and decided by majority among the TBs editors.
- The organization reserves the right to cancel the contest at anytime, if participation quality levels are not getting satisfactory.
Take part in the fun!
And do not forget... these unique prizes can become yours.
*) Rest assured your private data won't be published, or used for any other purpose other than this contest.
**) Use the link provided, to find the correspondent local time at your Time Zone.
While planning this TechREVERSE 2nd edition, it came across the possibility to accept files in other formats than those from LDraw (.LDR or .MPD). Namely .LXF files from 'LEGO Digital Designer' (LDD) or .L3B from 'SR 3D Builder'.
Despite an idea, this is a relative complex topic, and for obvious reasons I intend to keep the workload generated by this Challenge under affordable limits. Thus avoiding diversity and the use of multiple tools to verify each participant's submission.
Because this is a topic not yet analyzed to its full extent, I decided to remain with LDraw, and all submissions will be evaluated with MLCad editor.
Nevertheless I'd find very useful if we could have some discussion on the limitations, pros & cons from using other CAD applications and file formats, for the TechREVERSE Challenge purpose.
Depending on the conclusions we will reach, maybe we could have a different LEGO CAD tool in use at a future edition of the TechREVERSE Challenge.
Despite more user friendly interfaces and features from some other tools (e.g. handling of flexible parts), I'm specially concerned with:
Please remind, my ultimate goal is to use only one single tool to evaluate all the submissions, without loosing any of the information included into the submitted files. Eventually letting the contestants to use the tool of their preference.
Despite of LDraw being the format chosen for this edition, if you like it, you may also send the corresponding LDD or SR 3D files, for the purpose of this future evaluation.
Feel free to add your thoughts about this subject, as comments to this post.
Edit:
Before submitting the LDraw file from your model to contest, please make sure you have the latest Parts Library Update installed into your system. The latest update is actually release 2010-02.
Please also notice that LDraw Library Update files are not cumulative. Thus you must install also those made available since your last update.
Alternatively you may also reinstall the Entire Official Library, which should turn things easier and safer.
By not doing this, you incur into several problems like:
- Parts not found when it comes to evaluate the submissions.
As a matter of example, sometimes part numbers change from non official IDs into official ones (it was the case from the Bionicle Teeths, formerly x346.dat, now 41669.dat).
- Parts version update warnings, stating that the file being loaded uses older versions of specific parts.
This may not cause problems, but can also become a the source of mismatches, for instance in case the respective parts definition suffered modifications regarding part orientation, origin, etc...
Last Update: 2010.Nov.27 00:49 CET
start... Thus, don't expect it to be fresh breaking news! 
The TBs TechChallenge contest is returning in 2010. 
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