A piece that several sets need is shown once, with a row for each tub that needs it. Spare pieces are never asked for, so expect a few pieces to be left in the pile at the end.
Pieces that several sets share
Many pieces turn up in more than one set. When that happens:
- The number under FIND is the total across all the tubs.
- Each tub that needs the piece has its own row and its own counter, such as 0 / 2.
- You drop the right number in each tub and tap each row as you go.
The copies are identical, so it does not matter which one goes in which tub.
A piece only counts as the same piece when both the shape and the colour match. A red brick and a blue brick of the same shape are two different pieces, and are asked for separately.
If the last copies of a shared piece finish two or three sets at once, the app celebrates them together.
To have shared pieces asked for early, open Settings, tap More ways to sort… and choose Shared pieces first. See Goals and starred sets.
Spare pieces
Sets often come with a few spare pieces. BrickSorter leaves them out. It asks only for the pieces a set needs, so the spares stay in the pile.
Other pieces left over
At the end of a sort you may also have:
- pieces from sets that are still waiting for a tub;
- pieces from sets you have not added;
- extra copies, beyond what your sets need.
None of these are asked for. Keep them in a tub with no letter. If they belong to a waiting set, they will be asked for when that set’s turn comes. See More sets than tubs.
What the tray scanner says about them
After a whole-tray scan, the summary counts two kinds of piece that are not put in any tub: pieces not in your sets, and pieces you already have enough of. On the photo, the first kind has a faint outline and the second a pale tick. See Scanning a whole tray.