Digital Instruction Animation (useful or not?)

[MRLEGOMAN3D]

Hi I wanted to start a discussion on the usefulness of digital instruction animations. Some feedback I have received from people has indicated it helps them understand the build process. This is probably especially true for less experienced people and/or kids, but do you think they are worthwhile for more experienced builders as well?
 

 

[ExeSandbox]

What in tarnation!?  (2:28 in video)

Kidding aside, animated building instructions is really dope. But for complex models, I think it takes so much effort to make sure it doesn't end up becoming confusing or waste the viewers time, if there is a very repetitive step. But for a simple model like in your video, it works nicely!

[MRLEGOMAN3D]

12 hours ago, ExeSandbox said:

What in tarnation!?  (2:28 in video)

Kidding aside, animated building instructions is really dope. But for complex models, I think it takes so much effort to make sure it doesn't end up becoming confusing or waste the viewers time, if there is a very repetitive step. But for a simple model like in your video, it works nicely!

??? what is it?

Thanks for the feedback - yeah I am still trying to figure out how I can use if for larger models - I may use fade in/out functionality to show only certain areas of interest

[ExeSandbox]

9 hours ago, MRLEGOMAN3D said:

??? what is it?

(in 2:28 of the video) I don't think cross axles are supposed to fit into 3.2 mm holes. 

[MRLEGOMAN3D]

13 hours ago, ExeSandbox said:

(in 2:28 of the video) I don't think cross axles are supposed to fit into 3.2 mm holes. 

This is my bad - I just realised I put this part in as a placeholder and forgot to replace it. Thanks for pointing this out

[Mylenium]

On 1/4/2022 at 5:56 PM, MRLEGOMAN3D said:

This is probably especially true for less experienced people and/or kids, but do you think they are worthwhile for more experienced builders as well?

Entirely depends on the complexity of the project and its respective requirements. This is the old gag I've seen so many times doing my animations as 3D artist or working with engineers and tech-doc people. Everything is nice and easy if you're working on a simple static view, but god forbid people need to rotate a view in Acrobat 3D or navigate around their model... I guess ultimately that's one of the reasons why a lot of such stuff is still done "on paper" with fixed perspectives and all sorts of text explanations and auxiliary callouts. Your example pretty much only works because there's nothing obstructing the view, but things could be infinitely more complicated e.g. on a complex Technic model. It's one of the reasons why I can't get behind LEGO's interactive instruction apps, perhaps simply because I know the limitations all too well...

Mylenium

[MRLEGOMAN3D]

2 minutes ago, Mylenium said:

Entirely depends on the complexity of the project and its respective requirements. This is the old gag I've seen so many times doing my animations as 3D artist or working with engineers and tech-doc people. Everything is nice and easy if you're working on a simple static view, but god forbid people need to rotate a view in Acrobat 3D or navigate around their model... I guess ultimately that's one of the reasons why a lot of such stuff is still done "on paper" with fixed perspectives and all sorts of text explanations and auxiliary callouts. Your example pretty much only works because there's nothing obstructing the view, but things could be infinitely more complicated e.g. on a complex Technic model. It's one of the reasons why I can't get behind LEGO's interactive instruction apps, perhaps simply because I know the limitations all too well...

Mylenium

Hi Mylenium. thanks for the detailed reply. Yeah agree that the complexity and the requirements are massive drivers on the usefulness of these instructions. I completely get the point that the model works because nothing obstructs the view. I have purposefully started with simpler models so I can try to understand myself what works and what doesn't. Also because the effort required for the larger models becomes very substantial. However, I will begin exploring other build techniques that are perhaps appropriate for larger models, such as fading in/out parts of the model for clarity or using clipping planes (like for mechanical assemblies) to get access to areas of interest. It is definitely a question I am eager to keep posing though as it may be as fundamental as people enjoying the challenge of interpreting paper instructions when building Lego models.

[MRLEGOMAN3D]

I have looked at a few different animation build methods (this is by no means exhaustive) and would be interested in which of the different methods people would prefer? Thanks

 

 

[Calabar]

I love animate buildings, anyway I never thought about them as building instructions.
My favourite ones are those by Coby Bassett on youtube. OK, the videos are a bit dated and the quality is not top-notch (at the time renders such those required powerful computers and so much rendering time), but the result is really great. Maybe you could take some inspiration from them as he built large models too, but remember that these lego assembly are not thought as building instructions.

PS: I hate videos where someone beg for a subscription instead!
PPS: method 1 is surely my favourite.

Edited January 7, 2022 by Calabar

[MRLEGOMAN3D]

31 minutes ago, Calabar said:

I love animate buildings, anyway I never thought about them as building instructions.
My favourite ones are those by Coby Bassett on youtube. OK, the videos are a bit dated and the quality is not top-notch (at the time renders such those required powerful computers and so much rendering time), but the result is really great. Maybe you could take some inspiration from them as he built large models too, but remember that these lego assembly are not thought as building instructions.

PS: I hate videos where someone beg for a subscription instead!
PPS: method 1 is surely my favourite.

Hey thanks for your reply - I've watched some of Coby's stuff long ago and they are great. Thanks for reminding me I might try something along those lines. I suppose its more of a build highlight than instructions - depends on perspective I suppose. I want to start doing larger models but need to work on the rendering quality before I do that.

ps: I never used to ask for subscription in videos then was told that not doing it was the worst mistake. Subscriptions jumped a fair bit once I started lol

pps: thanks

[Toastie]

On 1/6/2022 at 4:23 PM, Mylenium said:

I guess ultimately that's one of the reasons why a lot of such stuff is still done "on paper" with fixed perspectives and all sorts of text explanations and auxiliary callouts.

This: I believe this is the core of the matter.

Secondly, I believe that the "learning" aspect on "how to build in 3D" - and then securing that knowledge in your head (to be able designing "complex" things on your own) is much better trained using flat 2D paper like instructions with callouts and the like, as @Mylenium has laid out.

There is no reason at all >not< going into the 3D animated route later on - in contrast. But at this stage - assembling LEGO pieces for a model - where you can, at every stage, either return to the instructions or rely on your assessment of what may have gone wrong/right by looking at the model in your hand, is my proposal. At this stage, you should use your head, but not a program/app.

Just my 2 cents.

Best
Thorsten   

[MRLEGOMAN3D]

13 hours ago, Toastie said:

This: I believe this is the core of the matter.

Secondly, I believe that the "learning" aspect on "how to build in 3D" - and then securing that knowledge in your head (to be able designing "complex" things on your own) is much better trained using flat 2D paper like instructions with callouts and the like, as @Mylenium has laid out.

There is no reason at all >not< going into the 3D animated route later on - in contrast. But at this stage - assembling LEGO pieces for a model - where you can, at every stage, either return to the instructions or rely on your assessment of what may have gone wrong/right by looking at the model in your hand, is my proposal. At this stage, you should use your head, but not a program/app.

Just my 2 cents.

Best
Thorsten   

Hi Toastie, thanks for your comments. Very constructive. Yes I agree the animated instructions are by no means a replacement for paper 2D instructions but I do think they can be used as an additional aid, especially for people who are struggling to interpret the paper instructions. Just because something becomes easy to those who are experienced doesn't mean there aren't people who struggle with the fundamentals. So hopefully the videos can be of use to people to help learn but also just to see a build they are interested in.

 

But I am in agreement with your points. Thanks

[MAB]

I find it easier to build from a paper copy or the online PDF rather than continually having to pause and restart, pause and restart, for every piece.  I don't think I have ever not been able to follow LEGO's instructions and need to see a 3D model.

[MRLEGOMAN3D]

Hey I took on board some feedback from the forum and tried to do a more interesting build with better rendering - please see what you think?

 

 

[Toastie]

Nice. Quality wise as well as getting an overall idea of the build.

Now, I tried to "stop and go" the video. Because you are essentially on fast-forward - with multiple pieces arriving temporally separated to the minimum. That is fine, as you could easily go a little slower - the piece load/time, even when doing this apparently easy build (which it is not, as it is of 3D type) is rather high.

What I could not resolve (in the video) was when pieces came from below, without turning the build upside down. As they do in the printed/step-wise instructions.

Other than that: Really cool!

Best wishes,
Thorsten     

Edited February 10, 2022 by Toastie

[Calabar]

On 2/9/2022 at 5:26 PM, MRLEGOMAN3D said:

please see what you think? 

Much better for my taste. Maybe a bit slower, in order to better appreciate the building process.
And... obviously... it should be to the rhythm of music! 

On 1/7/2022 at 4:59 PM, MRLEGOMAN3D said:

Subscriptions jumped a fair bit once I started lol 

Oh, I'm quite sure about that. Anyway I think it is a bit a lack of style.