How to create a lego model from a real building?

[Prince Manic]

I still need to build some things for a upcoming Brick Flim like a western train station but how I can build a prefect replica of a building oh let's say the union train station? I could try doing it within' Lego's Digital Designer and build that way but what could I do for this to happen? should I blueprint them out first or what? I need tips so I can build some models of the building I would love to build.

(I don't know if this would be the correct place to talk about lego Mocs and building)

[samlr]

Hi Prince Manic,

Using LDD in advanced mode is a great way to design MOCs. It give's you an idea on how your creation will look like. It helps you try different techniques and choose your favorite. And you can easily export the part lists.

As an advise, I would tell you not to try to stick perfectly to reality. A blueprint will give you an idea of the proportions but don't try to reproduce them exactly. Play with them. For instance, it's better to have two nice looking windows then three weird stuff on a wall. You can also remove or replace some details which are hard to recreate.

Eurobricks is a nice source of inspiration. You'll find here a lot of great techniques and ideas !

Don't forget to keep an eye an BL. You'll avoid using non existing or very expensive parts.

Good luck and don't forget to share !

SamLr

[emilstorm]

Hi Prince, I am old school, so what I do is I find as many reference pictures I can, then sit down with some millimeter paper and draw it. It takes some getting used to, but I find it much easier than any of the digital alternatives. It is lots faster. I can try and upload some photos of drawings later, if anyone is interested. It is quite easy to draw almost any element by hand, and the 5:6 ratio of a 1x1 brick is really easy to work with.

[lightningtiger]

I use images of real structures to base my designs on and try matching real life scale to Lego scale/parts plus find a balance between real life and minifig scale......remember minifigs are not like humans their legs are shorter.

Good luck 'Prince' with what you have got planned........Brick On !

[Faefrost]

Pictures are your best friend obviously. Especially of the main front facing, Alot of how to do it will depend exactly on what you are trying to do. Do you want an exact perfect scale model of the building? If so at what scale? Minifig scale? Or do you want a recognizable version of the building to interact with minifigures? There is a difference between simply creating a true exact scale model of the building or using selective compression and visual tricks to capture the recognizable essence of it but still keeping the project viable for scale, cost and the limitations of the medium. The best guides and publications on how to look at a building and scale it down to something workable for a display layout can often be found for Model Railroading. (Obviously Model Railroaders do this a lot.) I then just transfer the visual tricks to the medium we have, Lego, and then work around the limitations of its geometries. (ie you may not have space for 3 pane windows, use 2, etc)

Once you decide what your goal in it all is, LDD becomes a great friend. You can play with colors, builds, etc. It has a little bit of a learning curve, but it isn't that steep. If you have the computing power and time to let it churn occasionally then a little program called LDD2POV is also a boon as it lets you render an LDD design into a near photographic approximation of your build. The EB Digital forum will have lots of useful tips for that.

Edited May 17, 2014 by Faefrost