knotian

I'd like to go to Blender (Previous experience Cinema 4D - but priced out of tool!) and would like some examples of people using it for animation of Technic models. There are many people examples. If any one would share I'd be appreciative. You can send e-mail if you don't want general sharing. Thanx Ed Bardet aka Knotian

There is absolutely no way photography can replicate the feeling and sense of awe that seeing it in person gives you. I am lucky in being old enough to rememberas a kid rushing to the tracks to watch the trains come thru during WW2. Exceptional memories, at this time, of our troops waving to the people.

Googling will be your best bet. There are several videos on-line. The first picture shows it level. The machinery for opening and closing the bucket, raising and lowering the walking beam, and rotating the arm is located at the rear of the walking beam. It was put there as a counterweight to the arm and ore. The machinery for moving the entire structure forward and back as well as horizontally along the rails at the base was in the triangular shaped building on top of the bridge.

I have not fallen off the edge of the earth! Doing instructions is a painful, sometime frustrating, and I'm noture worthwhile. Any way I wanted to do a set, and they are done. The link is below. The model works, only had to modify one piece for model functional accuracy, and had to use some weights for balance, since plastic does not have a proportional weight to cast iron and steel . https://www.dropbox.com/s/t2vglnulsh7kk33/Ore Unloader Instructions.pdf?dl=0 This has been a learning experience. For anyone who is thinking about creating instructions for their MOC you may have to change your building style due to the way the instruction software (Stud.io) handles steps. Not all bad! My advice would be to do the instructions in parallel with your build. Takes a little longer but each tool will help you with the other. For anyone who reads this, thanks for following.

I'm working on my first set of instructions. ( What a job) I downloaded a few PDF's to look at style. One thing I found was that the vertical orientation is favored by most. What do people think of horizontal? I tried mine both ways and found that using horizontal allowed slightly larger viewing when I set up the viewer for single page and used page down for movement. It also fit well with the normal horizontal orientation of monitors. My design has many very long elements (up to 80 studs by 5-6) and the landscape orientation allowed a better orientation and enlarged elements. Opinions? [no way I'll do two sets!!!!!]

I'll give it a try on the next project. Already went for the pins as a separate step route. Thanx, Ed

I use whatever I have normally. But when it comes to sorting colors I borrow a lamp made for fabric artists and quilters which has great temperature. Check a quilt shop or go on-line.

Whoa! Getting that all in one chassis is quite an accomplishment. Would really like to see detailed pictures, instructions, ANYTHING. My decoupler is in a small unit permanently attached to the engine. Would love to do it better. Thanx, Ed

Ben20 I'd like to use wall power rather than batteries on my stationary models. Thanx, Ed

I have a large model made up of sub-models, with distinctive pins joining them together. Is there a way to show the pins partially inserted on one page of instructions, then on the next page show them inserted, with arrows. It seems like I can't isolate the 'pin pushing ' as a page in instruction builder. They only show in their final position. I could leave the pins out of the submodels and then insert them in a separate step, but I'd like to do the two step way like TLG instructions.

Is this software using the latest ldraw libraries? People still using it?

Berthil - only one available in US

Since Lego has eliminated the rechargeable battery box I need an alternative. How can I wire a 9volt power supply to a regular battery box to run PF motors? My models are stationary so 110 is a practical solution.

Thanks. I was wondering why I could not find any axles. I've found out that several of the current gears, with 1/2 pins, connect the gear with a technic axle quite solidly. Ed

I'm using the old large Samsonite gears in some 1900 era equipment. I was just wondering if there were ever any axles for these, and if so their part numbers. I went through and looked at many sets (bricklink) and could not find any axles. If not axles, were there something that could revolve on? I know the small wheels had metal axles. Don't need it now since the driving mechanism will be standard gears pinned to the old ones, just curious.

Has anyone put together a library of Lego bricks to use as a resource in solid edge? I have seen several complete models, but noy individual bricks. Thanx, Ed

Calabar, Capability of undocking areas and positioning, on a multiple display environment, where ever you want. Remembering closing configuration for restart.

I find that hard to believe, since all the parts in the library are not available to stud.io and there are constant requests for parts to be added.

I do not mind paying for a product. My complaint is that many of us switched to stud.io years ago when it promised to be a good product. The main requests asked for, over several years, by many people, among others, is true windows compatibility. At this date to find out we will have to pay for it is my main complaint. As an aside, with the poor performance of upgrades, I am wondering if they can even produce a competitive product that is bug free. Don't get me wrong, if it proves stable, and gives us the functionality we have been asking for I would buy it. If for no other reason than the learning curve necessary to switch. The lack of use of the 'standard' library, is also an issue, as there is no way to tell how long it will take to get new parts.

supertruper1988 The features mentioned are not 'tailored to that type user' they are ones asked for many times and needed for practical use of the products. Paying for a true windows/multi monitor environment is not acceptable.

Captainowie, Thanks. It looks good for linkages and may be helpful. Shafts and gearing, including bevel gears is my main need in lego.

There is no post, it was in answer to a question where the mention " will be available in the commercial version" was included in the reply by admin.

I believe the minifigs are very over rated and have developed into a cult like fascination for some. I build technic and supporting building infrastructure. The only minifigs I have any use for are workers/supervisors/operators, merely to establish scale and illustrate actions. I've bought over 1/2 dozen City mining team 60184 just to get similar figures for industrial settings. By the way they are cheaper (4 minifigs for 9.99) than building them at 3/$10 from the store bin. Ed

I'm really not concerned with that level of detail. Just things like getting the ratios correct and determining the resultant movement in linked mechanisms. Once I have something worked out I usually layit out on my development platform and try it out.

After fumbling around for a while I believe I need a tool to design and simulate some complex mechanical mocs. Currently I use Stud.io, but am quite willing to switch. I know LDCad has scripting.[That is the direction I am leaning at this time] Is their a software package, at reasonable costs, where I can use Lego gears, shafts, belts, ropes, etc., in a 3d environment and simulate their interactions? (That would be better than LDCad?) I'd like to be able to define the various components and their relationships and then 'put them in motion'. In the absence of a Lego solution, I know that there are simulation programs that just use element definitions, and plain illustrative shapes to do this and I was wondering which one had gained some popularity among the Lego community. Thanx Ed