Tanotrooper

Hello everyone and a happy 2012, I've recently finished my 'Tanoland' figure design, which is hopefully the end of an evolution from Technic figure based figures to Miniland figures to this new 'scale'. (It's pretty much still Miniland scale but the blockiness and simplicity has more or less been left behind, so I can't really call these Miniland anymore.) More info on this infamous Tanoland figure (including a downloadable LDD design): Tanoland basic figure Anyway, the major improvement on these figures is a great range of articulation. I'm in the process of transferring my old Miniland SW figures to this scale but I'm also creating now ones. Here is the first one (which is also my first MOC of 2012): *The picture was deleted, scroll down for the update on this figure or you can check the LDD file.* Some of you might recall the fantastic animated Clone Wars series that was aired on Cartoon Network a few years ago. The figure represents battle damaged Anakin Skywalker during his battle with Asajj Ventress on Yavin 4: A white bar will be added on the inside of his lightsaber, but this is something I'd rather figure out with real bricks instead of LDD. I'm working on several more figures on LDD, and when I have a decent amount of them I'll order the parts to make them in real life. The real figures will be a lot easier to pose than their LDD counterparts. I've added the LDD file to this post and will do the same for my upcoming figures. (This way you can check the techniques used or just look at the model in 3D.) That's it for now. Feel free to share criticism, comments etc. Cheers, Gaetano TanolandAnakinSkywalkerYavin4duel.lxf

Sorry, forgot to angle the tan tiles so there's another new picture now. Why can't Flickr have a replace button? Gaetano

Thanks and thank you very much for the blog! Just like Samurai Jack (from the same creator), the show and style either works or doesn't work for people. And thanks! Yes the torso has been bothering me as well as of late. So: TL Anakin Skywalker update on Flickr I've narrowed the waist so that it looks more like the show's style. (I think the narrower waist might become standard on regular figures except armoured ones for example.) This way, I've also added a (or multiple on this one) waist joint(s). (This is due to the lack of 2*2 plates in dark tan. On the other hand, it goes well with the 'bandage' idea.) Hope you like it now! I've also just realised that I deleted the first picture on Flickr, sorry for that Brickdoctor... The LDD is still there though. I've got several armoured figures coming up, so stay tuned. Cheers, Gaetano TanolandAnakinSkywalkerYavin4duelupdate2.lxf

This is the first lego vessel I've seen that has the beautiful hull curvature like the real ones did (the corners of the base, how the walls are at an angle and the excellent sculpting at the bow and stern). A broad hull, multiple decks, two story rigging, three masts. This has surpassed the level of being merely a lego model, this is a model that can challenge or even surpass most non-lego model building. Well done sire, very well done. Gaetano

Excellent work on these, I love their hair (especially the use of those claws and the minifig hand on Rukia's hair) and the technique you used for the 'rope' at the end of Ichigo's sword. This MOC has so many great techniques and details. (BTW, are they walking hand in hand?) Gaetano

Like I said on Flickr, outstanding work and great techniques involved! Gaetano

Greetings everyone! First of all, I've thought about using the name 'super articulated miniland figures' but in the end these figures have deviated too much from the Miniland design to be called as such. In the end, I suppose I'm more of an 'organic' type of builder as I don't like the blocky heads for most Miniland figures. Changing the heads and looking for more articulation lead to this new figure design. These figures were inspired by action figures, Stikfas figures and miniland figures. They originally started out as my magnofigures, which combined Technic figure bodies that had great articulation with brickbuilt heads, armour and weapons. Since the Technic figures were an extinct race, so were my magnofigures. (Only a few standard colours were used in them.) I used the heads and weapons to make my own miniland figures, which I have done for the last few months. I found myself inspired by Mood's (check his Moodland figures out!) work to continue looking for more articulation and as so to make brickbuilt articulated versions that would match or surpass the articulation of the Technic figures. I first used leg articulation on my Woody figure and used a lot more in my T-800 skeleton. After a few days of thinking the figure design was finally finished. I have now achieved what I always wanted: an action figure scaled modular figure, allowing endless possibilities for customising and with great articulation (which has been accomplished without resorting to parts that only exist in a few colours). The articulation allows the figure to do almost every pose and I hope this will allow me to make brickfilms with them. I'll now 'transfer' the figures I've already built in Miniland scale to this articulated scale as well as creating completely new ones. (I'll mark the threads with TL) Without further undo, here it is: Tanoland figure by Gaetano Dooms on Flickr Feel free to share your opinion about this figure design, it would most certainly be appreciated. I'll add real life images later on to show what poses can be achieved. (It's quite tricky to get the poses right in LDD.) I've also added the LDD file so you can look at the figure in 3D. Cheers, Gaetano Tanolandfigurebase.lxf

Although I've been begging for the Roman legionary for a long time, I have to say the genie is my favourite. It reminds me of Genie from Aladdin and with a few small modifications he'll look just like him. The roman legionary looks great but not as spectacular as I thought he'd be. (The design on the shield isn't my favourite and LEGO could atleast have included a metal round plate for the stud. I'd be happier with a Roman gladius instead of the thrusting spear.) Overall, I think this is the best series yet. There's not one of them I wouldn't mind having. (Even the skater looks great!) The colours look great aswell. Gaetano

Happy Halloween! I figured it was the perfect time to make one of my favourite horror killers, Michael Myers. (And I was inspired by seeing 'Halloween' on the British television this weekend.) The pumpkin was a quick creation, I'll have to downsize it in the future. Sadly, some parts aren't available in those colours (yet?), so I'll have to work with regular blue or change some things. Comments and criticism is welcome as always. Gaetano

Small update: V 'V For Vendetta' was on tv yesterday, and I had to make him in Miniland scale. This is his costume without his trademark hat and cape, those will be added later on. Gaetano

Greetings everyone, I realized that my Magnofigures (of which I still have to post the SW figures ), while having a lot of articulation, are a dying breed thanks to the lack of availability, variety and colours in the technic figure elements. Since these figures are the same scale as the famous Miniland figures, I decided to try this scale. The world of Miniland is quite different from what I'm used to (mainly minifigs), but I'm beginning to prefer the Miniland figures over minifigures. One important reason is that, due to their size, basic parts are used instead of specialised parts. This means they are available in a lot more colours, and so the possibilities are vastly enlarged. For my first figure, I based myself on my Frollo action figure and the head design of my magnofigures. (I don't like the square heads Miniland figures usually have.) The build was fun, and I was able to finish it quite rapidly. But since I don't have the purple parts, I won't be able to post him until I get the parts. (I redesigned him on LDD to use the parts palet that's available at the moment in purple. Sadly, some connections won't work on LDD so he doesn't look good enough to post.) I had a lot of fun designing several figures on LDD (due to lack of physical parts), mostly Disney characters. The only one I've 'finished' so far is Empereur Napoléon I Bonaparte: It's a work in progress though, as I'm redesigning the legs and feet. Most Miniland legs are either on the front or back stud, which looks unnatural. I'm trying to design the legs so that the lower legs are in the middle of the upper leg, and that the parts used are common enough in a wide variety of colours. So that's it for the moment, comments and criticism are appreciated as always. This thread will be regularly updated. Cheers, Gaetano

Greetings everyone, I realized that my Magnofigures (of which I still have to post the SW figures ), while having a lot of articulation, are a dying breed thanks to the lack of availability, variety and colours in the technic figure elements. Since these figures are the same scale as the famous Miniland figures, I decided to try this scale. The world of Miniland is quite different from what I'm used to (mainly minifigs), but I'm beginning to prefer the Miniland figures over minifigures. One important reason is that, due to their size, basic parts are used instead of specialised parts. This means they are available in a lot more colours, and so the possibilities are vastly enlarged. Most of my figures will be posted in this thread: Miniland figures, but I'll make an exception for Star Wars (I believe Star Wars is the first licensed theme to appear in the official miniland layouts.) But anyway, here's my first Star Wars Miniland figure: The standard Stormtrooper with his standard E-11 blaster. The head and blaster design orignate from the magnofigure version, the body is new. I'm very happy with how the pelvis section worked out. The claw on the ground connects to the clip on the barrel of the blaster. At the moment, I don't have enough parts available to make these Miniland figures, so I'm using LDD. Some connections, like the claw, won't work on LDD, but will in real life. I'll transfer the other SW magnofigure heads to Miniland bodies, so expect a scout trooper, clone trooper, imperial officer and darth vader soon. Comments and critcism are very appreciated as always! Gaetano

I tried putting more silver accents in, but they don't work with how the helmet is designed. (It's too 'silvery') And the body lacks any coloured details (except for some very small dots on the belly), so I can't add anything there either. Again, I believe this will look a lot better in person, as LDD makes it look like one solid block of black. Gaetano

Thanks for all the comments. About the tile: I'll wait until I get the parts for the figure and see what works out best. Here's a small update: Shadow/Blackhole Stormtrooper Just a repaint really. Gaetano

And thank you once again. The tiles look better in different positions or in real life. (And most of the poses would either have the arms behind the back or holding the blaster.) I'm working on Darth Vader, but his body will be bigger and taller, so I'll have to modify a lot of things and that might take a while. I'm hoping to have the AT-ST driver and Imperial scanning crew finished soon. (Variations of the officer uniform.) Gaetano EDIT: I've added the file for the black officer so you can see it from different angles. minilandimperialstormtrooperofficer.lxf

Thanks! UPDATE Grand Admiral Thrawn Some artwork shows him with epaulettes, and some without them, I based mine on my Sideshow figure. (I still need to design his Ysalamari.) I used a new leg technique to resemble the 'dress pants' of the officer's uniform. Imperial Fleet Officer (gray) and Stormtrooper/infantry officer (black) The head design is transferred from the magnofigure version but in new colours. Several variations of the black uniform exist. I chose the one with the imperial emblem on his shoulders and with the regular officer belt. The rank insignia is represented by the light bley headlight brick. I tried to represent the insignia as a small plate on the chest, but the tiles with the headlight brick look alot better. Comments and critcism is appreciated as always. Gaetano

Thank you for the comment! I usually use the long umbrella stands for thinner weapons like a foil but these really were more like swords than the fine, elegant fencing/duelling weapons. The sword design might change though. (I haven't tested it out yet) Yes the scutum is obligatory for the Roman legionary but I'll design it later on. In this scale I should be able to give it a nice curve. I am planning on mass producing some of these since availability and cost of parts is a lot better than minifig parts. So I guess I'll have to design horses aswell. A RC Panzer II is also in the works. Oh, and here is the specialised thread for my Star Wars figures: SW Miniland figures Gaetano

Here's an update: French cuirassier à cheval from the Napoleonic wars. The tallest and strongest men were selected to form these elite heavy cavalry regiments. Weighing in at about 150 kilos without the horse, a charge of these armoured cavalrymen could be devestating. Their job was to break enemy formations with a charge, acting as the tanks of their day. The straight sword was about a meter long, and outranged a lot of the enemy's sabres and swords. The unprotected horse was the cuirassier's weak point, as shown when facing off the British squares at Waterloo. reference images This thread will get updated on a regular base, but some feedback would be appreciated. Gaetano

The pictures have been changed. I forgot to add the 'brow' on the helmet, this has now been fixed. Thank you! I was planning on using a 2*2 tile with center stud, but I had to shorten the body, so the jumper plate fits in perfectly now. BBCK? Is that the back 'plate' or the therminal detonator? And thanks, I'm glad you noticed the leg armour, it gets overlooked very often. Cheers, Gaetano

I bring you a new Miniland figure, the Roman legionnaire from the late 1st-early 2nd century AD: This one went very swiftly and only took an hour to design. The blade of the gladius and the back of the helmet don't connect in LDD, but do not despair! They do in real life. C&C are welcome and most appreciated as always. Gaetano P.S. At the moment, these are only LDD images, but they'll get build in real life eventually.

Hello everyone, as some of you might know, I have been creating my own minifigs called 'TTfigs' using the upperbody of regular minifigs but with custom legs allowing more design options aswell as different poses such as kneeling, horseback riding, ... I've made several of my figures from the Star Wars universe aswell and I hope you'll like them. First up Boba Fett based on the The Force Unleashed II comic. (Hence why he's carying the rebel fleet trooper blaster) Since the TTfigs are longer, I had to use the damaged troll cape instead of Boba's damaged cape. Saber guard from the Force Unleashed II. Trained to a certain limit in the Force but experienced with lightsabers. Rebel fleet trooper Stormtrooper, note the asymmetrical leg armour. I did a lot of different designs for the legs, using black parts but nothing did the trick. The simplest design finally appeared to be the best. Clone trooper phase one. Same story on the legs. And finally, Darth Vader battle damaged from The Force Unleashed. Still needs a decent cape though. Comments, criticism and the like are appreciated. TT

Finally after a few months of designing, I'm able to bring you the Magnofigures! Based on the body of a Technic figure, these figures have brickbuilt heads and legs, making them highly customisable and poseable. The first figures were Star Wars themed (which I'll be posting tomorrow) but I'm now expanding them to different themes. Work has begun on a Panzer II in this scale. Leading the vanguard is Fritz, a Wehrmacht soldier who'll be testing out new weapons I can come up with. Fritz really loves his new weapon Closeup of the MG34 Firing from my camera case Firing from prone position And a look at his equipment on his Y-straps. (Rolled up Zeltbahn, entrenching tool, breadbag, mess kit.) And that's all Fritz has to show for the moment, but he'll be back. Auf Wiedersehen! The Star Wars Magnofigures will be uploaded tomorrow in the Star Wars subforum, and this thread will serve for everything non-licensed. I hope you like these new figures, comments and constructive criticism is as always very welcome. TT

The fact that you were able to make a realistic car, put a full interior in it, hide all the robotic joints and are able to transform it without any problem is just amazing. Well played sir, very well played indeed. Gaetano

Happy belated birthday to all of you. Gaetano

Time to revive this thread! Music has been very important for me since I was a child and I think the soundtracks from the Star Wars (my god, I remember the first time I heard duel of the fates...) and Disney movies (Hunchback of the Notre Dame etc.) have had the most influence upon me. I however vowed not to take music classes until I reached a certain form of maturity and was certain of my decision. (I have known many people that played an instrument as a child and got sick of it by their teenage years.) Eventually, I chose to begin my music 'career' at the final year of secondary school. I wanted to be able to play the piano, violin and (military) drum in the following years, and piano seemed like the best option to start with. I always liked that a piano makes the sound you want to hear by pressing the key instead of wrestling to make the sound clear. (Flute, violin,...) Well despite all odds I was able to play 'comptine d'un autre été' by Yann Tiersen by the end of the year on my proclamation. (audience of 400+ , an anmazing experience I'll never forget. Most couldn't believe it was my first year of piano. ) I'm now in my second year of piano and music theory. (Ended as the first of the class for theory with 94% ) I'm mostly playing with I define as 'epic' music: powerful, honest music that plays deeply on our emotions. I do not like songs that are pretending to be like those like 'sad music made for the sole purpose of sobbing'. Recently, I've begun recording my songs and these are the only two uploaded so far: Songs that I'll upload soon: Yiruma - River flows in you / John Williams - Battle of the heroes / ... I've also started composing recently and have more or less finished a piece. The hardest part however is to find an appropriate name for the song! Life has a funny way of turning out since I'm now planning to go to the conservatory in a few years, training my music theory in the meantime. I'm planning on learning to play the violin in a year or so and I've also began experimenting with a flute and a melodica I got from my family. I hope to make some brickfilms that incorporate my music aswell. That's it for now but I'll let you know when I've uploaded something new. (Or you can always subsribe to my youtube channel! ) Gaetano