letsbuild

[LB-X18] Collaboration/Group Project

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Hello everyone!

I have had an idea. A terrific one, if I may say so myself.

You know how in grade school, you always had these group projects, where you'd split up the work between everyone in the group?

Well, how about we do that, but with a model? EX. someone builds the front axle, another builds the frame, one builds the roof, etc.

It is purely speculation, at this point, but I would like to hear your thoughts!

 

Edit: 

Good morning, everyone!

Here is the full layout of the model. I will update this reply with names as people join in.

Plan:

We build an all-wheel-drive, mid-engined supercar using these wheels. The total width of the car will be 23 studs, length as needed. It would feature a four-speed gearbox, butterfly-wing doors, and pop-up headlights.

 

Positions:

Project Manager- @letsbuild

Designers

Builders:

*undecided

Click here for the current LDD file.

If there are any complaints, let me know, and I'll try to work everything out.

Edited by letsbuild

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This has been done in the past, but I do not think a final model was ever made.  Very cool idea though! 

 

 

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This really sounds interesting, i wonder what kind of model might result from this, i hope it is a nice off road truck

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I had this idea once, but I never thought of sharing it because I was worried that nobody would do it. This sounds like tons of fun though!

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I like the idea. One thing I've learned from this kind of projects is that they are most successful when there is a strong leader. Someone who can make decisions, prioritize, delegate and enthuse. Someone who feels responsible for the end-result. In scrum terms I would refer to this person as product owner. Second, you need a collaborative team with members that are willing to sacrifice personal goals in favor of team goals. All members need to communicate about everything they do for the project. Everybody needs to know what everyone else is working on.

In my professional career I am an IT product architect and serve as the right hand of our product owner. I'm responsible for the overall architecture and for making sure our line of products make a consistent whole. I tell the product owner what's needed to obtain our goals and let him do the dirty work, that is the lobbying, the delegating, the inspiring etc. When decisions are made I help our teams of developers to make sure they know where we're headed. I explain the why and adjust the architectural goals based on feedback from developers. This role fits me well and could also be what I could bring to this project. Not the product owner, but the product architect, responsible for making sure everything fits together and makes a consistent whole. As such, I could work on integrating components into a single frame and keep track of the overall consistency.

For my own projects I'm using LDD for designing and Git (Bitbucket) to keep track of versions. However, merging LDD files with Git won't work, so I don't make use of branches etc. I simply make file copies to work on separate tasks and when done merge everything back to the main file manually. I use Git only as a means of version control. This could be a way of working for a group project too.

Finally, we need to have clear goals and low expectations. What type of model are we going to make? A supercar, a truck, a buggy? I wouldn't strive for replicating a real life model, that makes things only more complicated, although some images of what we are aiming for would be convenient. What features do we want? Again, I wouldnt strive for being innovative here. A good-working 4-speed gearbox could suffice. The group effort is the innovative part.

So, what I think we need in a team (these are roles, some team members could have multiple roles):

  • A product owner (or project lead)
  • A product architect (or lead designer)
  • Designers
  • Builders (we need to test things in real life don't we?)
Edited by Didumos69

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Yeah sounds like fun, I would be in the building team as I'd rather not design or fiddle around with LDD mechanics that I don't know that well. I can work from LDD, not just with it.

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Split back into its own topic.

1b0ef7d6c3ee29dcc74348e5df7ca984.jpg

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Ooohh, sounds fun! I like the idea of having multiple roles. I also do not know how to work with LDD, so if I could join you guys I would be on the building side too. 

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You should try and build something modular. Decide on the scale, wheels (or not), then on the size of the module itself (height, length, width), and it has to have a uniformed connections all around so that can be attached to another module with just a few pins (lets say for example a 2M connector). I personally would like to see a modular truck in a big scale.

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2 hours ago, Jim said:

Split back into its own topic

:thumbup: Thanks! I would be happy to participate again!

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Interesting idea, but will be a challenge to do. Partly because it's over the internet - someone (ideally multiple people) will have to do physical builds to test everything. Also, be sure to pick a suitable subject matter. Something modular - that's easily subdivided into separate sections - lends itself better than something that's tightly interconnected.
 
Also, I find that when I do physical builds I always find small areas to improve Even if it's replacing these three parts with three other parts. What if three people are doing these builds and come up with different improvements? Who's gonna decide on a final option? Someone will have to do that, you can't vote over everything.
 
However, the biggest hurdle I see is the risk of it becoming a "collaboration for collaboration's sake". I have seen the same problem on a hobby game development forum, and it might crop up here as well. The key to good co-operation, I have found, is that there are people who can do what the others can't (and need). If everyone has the same talents, it will be hard to do co-operation, because you'll get in the way of each other, and you won't get a better build than each individual person could do. People can only co-operate constructively if they need each other's strong suites.
 
For example. I, as a game mechanics programmer, shouldn't co-program with another game mechanics programmer, or we'll get into fruitless discussions (especially if you're as stubborn as I can be sometimes). It's much wiser if I find an artist and make him responsible for the visuals, because that's a skill I don't have, so working together with him/her would actually improve the result. For my game development I work together with one other guy (most of the time), and the reason it works so well is we view things from quite different angles and both have different ideas that complement each other very well. I'm more detail-oriented, technical-oriented and a number-cruncher, he is more looking for the bigger connecting themes/principles and is more theme/setting/story oriented and not hindered by programming know-how. The reason this works, is because we both bring different talents to the table.
 
The same goes for this project. Let's, for the sake of the argument, assume @Didumos69 will be joining. Then, if he would be going over structural ridigity (which is something he is good at), this aspect of the build would become his responsibility and is hence covered, so no need to have someone else doing the same thing (or specialized in the same skill). Rather not, because too many people doing the same thing will lead to fruitless arguments. So, I think the key is to find the different specific talents of the people who want to join in, and see how they complement each other. I know there are prople doing great gearboxes, or axle design, or shaping, etc. If some of those can sit together and cover each other's weak spots, then this can go very interesting ways. (So you need people who have weak spots and accept them to be covered by others. That is, you need specialists, not generalists. I'd probably not join, because I see myself as more of a generalist; also, I lack the dedication to work on a longtime Lego project).
Edited by Erik Leppen

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I've always wanted to do something like this. So if we really make concrete plans I would most likely join.

I agree with what everyone else has said, we really need to plan this out thoroughly in order for it to be done right. Things like exactly what model are we creating, who is the leader, who's working on what, ect.

We really should make sure everyone knows their specific roles and we don't have different people doing the same thing in different ways and lead to conflict. But we can have people working together on the same thing and collaborating. Basically what @Erik Leppen said.

I also think we should try to make a time frame, because if not, the project might start to "collect dust on the shelf" and be forgotten. Not to make it hard on people, but just a general idea of when we want to try to get things done.

If done right, this could have a lot of potential. Plus we could have people help on things other than building. Possibly filming, posting online (ex. Rebrickable) things like that. But I'm probably getting ahead of myself:wink:

Edited by Offroadcreat1ons

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11 hours ago, Didumos69 said:

:snip:

3 hours ago, Erik Leppen said:
:snip:

Thank you for such detailed answers!

My plan was to find everyone who wanted to do this project, then decide upon a model and split up the sections between everyone. If I understand you correctly, you suggest I invite specific people to the project, people who are best at one section. Am I understanding you right?

Also, modularity is definitely of the utmost importance, here.

13 hours ago, aminnich said:

:snip:

Oops, hadn't seen that. Oh well!

7 hours ago, BrickbyBrickTechnic said:

:snip:

I never said anything about LDD just yet, but it's nice to see you're on board!

7 hours ago, IA creations said:

:snip:

You should pick one!

6 hours ago, pagicence said:

:snip:

Of course, I was going to settle the specifics once the team was assembled.

 

1 hour ago, Offroadcreat1ons said:

I've always wanted to do something like this. So if we really make concrete plans I would most likely join.

I agree with what everyone else has said, we really need to plan this out thoroughly in order for it to be done right. Things like exactly what model are we creating, who is the leader, who's working on what, ect. We should make sure everyone knows their specific roles and we don't have different people doing the same thing in different ways and lead to conflict. But we can have people working together on the same thing.  Basically what @Erik Leppen said.

Nice to hear!

 

As for project management, here are my suggested positions:

Project Manager-

Designers:

  • Front axle-
  • Framework-
  • Gearbox-
  • Rear axle-
  • Engine-
  • Bodywork-

Builders:

  • #1-
  • #2-
  • #3-
  • #4-

Each - is a position for someone to fill.

How's this?

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2 hours ago, letsbuild said:
  • Front axle-
  • Framework-
  • Gearbox-
  • Rear axle-
  • Engine-
  • Bodywork-

Did anyone say it would be a supercar, or have I missed something? :tongue:

Anyways, I'm willing to be a builder.

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2 hours ago, BrickbyBrickTechnic said:

Did anyone say it would be a supercar, or have I missed something? :tongue:

Anyways, I'm willing to be a builder.

No one has said anything about a supercar, I thought these positions would apply for both a trial truck and supercar.

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1 hour ago, BrickbyBrickTechnic said:

Did anyone say it would be a supercar, or have I missed something? :tongue:

Well, and here's the thing. Someone's going to have to make the call what it is that people will be building. We can't all wait for a decision to fall, because no decision will be made unless someone actually makes the decision. Maybe not everyone wants to build a car, or even a vehicle, but whatever you'll pick there's gonna be some people who are not interested. At least, with the proposal of @letsbuild, he gets very concrete and stuff will happen. The most important thing when doing something like this is get started. Just start somewhere, and ideas will pop up. Click a pin into a beam and before you know it, it's 3 AM. :wink: If you wait endlessly, people who are enthousiastic now will drip down disappointed and you end up with no project at all. I've seen that with the game dev project I talked about.

Personally I think a supercar is a good project, because we all fairly agree on what a supercar is and what components it has, and there is relatively little variety. For starters, you don't have to discuss the number of wheels :wink: but secondly, there are only approximately two common scales which narrows down the options, so the first decision to make will be an easy one to get into the groove :classic:

Edited by Erik Leppen

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2 hours ago, Erik Leppen said:

Personally I think a supercar is a good project, because we all fairly agree on what a supercar is and what components it has, and there is relatively little variety. For starters, you don't have to discuss the number of wheels :wink: but secondly, there are only approximately two common scales which narrows down the options, so the first decision to make will be an easy one to get into the groove :classic:

That is entirely right! I'll set a definite goal tomorrow morning, with definite positions, and once all positions are filled, we'll start the building!

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28 minutes ago, letsbuild said:

That is entirely right! I'll set a definite goal tomorrow morning, with definite positions, and once all positions are filled, we'll start the building!

Sweet! I look forward to it.

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@letsbuild, would be great if you could come up with a definite goal tomorrow. I don't care what type of vehicle it is going to be, as long as a type and scale is chosen. You're in charge now, so it's your call. For me the fun lies in the experiment. You can put my name behind framework - if no one objects - and I will of course monitor the coherence of the entire build.

About communication. I was thinking of using messages to communicate or a conversation with all team members, but maybe it would be even better to do all exchange of ideas, files, etc., in this thread. We could at least try and see what happens.

4 hours ago, letsbuild said:

My plan was to find everyone who wanted to do this project, then decide upon a model and split up the sections between everyone. If I understand you correctly, you suggest I invite specific people to the project, people who are best at one section. Am I understanding you right?

Yes. People should of course have volunteered to participate, but I would certainly assign specific people to specific tasks. You can assign multiple people to a single task or section, but then you should put one of them in the lead. Delegate and keep your lines short.

Edited by Didumos69

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I will wait untill we get the ''goal'' chosen and then I will make my call. As of now I defenetly want to be a designer ?

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2 hours ago, Didumos69 said:

:snip:

Alright, I will put your name down for framework.

As for communication, I believe we could just do it in this thread. I'll update the first post with all the information needed for the other members of the collab.

2 hours ago, IA creations said:

:snip:

Sweet. Would you be okay if I put you down for the engine?

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1 hour ago, letsbuild said:

As for communication, I believe we could just do it in this thread. I'll update the first post with all the information needed for the other members of the collab.

Need a suspension guy? I'm down for that. I've got time.

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10 minutes ago, Aventador2004 said:

Need a suspension guy? I'm down for that. I've got time.

Does the rear axle sound good?

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