SaperPL

About voting - I noticed that voting is a bit cumbersome, and while the numbers' game may work perfectly in deciding the order, maybe we could have a form or a javascript widget for making it easier. We have multiple clever people here doing various things including websites, maybe someone would pick up the task to make something useful that would encourage people to vote? Ideally I would see a widget that lets you visually order the promo images, one of each from the submissions while showing points given out, this would mean that while you browse and you'll find something that you like better than previous choices, you can simply put it there quickly to shift your order. One way or another we could think about whether there's a laziness factor involved in why people don't participate. Also maybe giving out badges for figuring out the podium or just counting people who took part in voting in some way would be rewarding enough for people to be less lazy. About the shrinking contest - if we end up with multiple people stating they are already working on something, setting a specific size and/or parts count could make it harder to luckily fit into the requirements. There's a big difference between 9, 11 and 13 stud wide vehicles when it comes chassis and body shape. Finally, when it comes to contests with smal size/parts limit, I would really like a contest with required virtual model submission. People come up with some various clever assembly techniques under size restrictions and it often ends up being hidden underneath the body.

Looks very promising. How is the bed raising working with a full load? Probably there is a reason for it. I would make an opening in that surface over the cab to put the hog knob through. Steering from multiple places that are not in line with centre gets tricky and especially something with more than 4 wheels will be weird to move around and steer at the same time. I agree, it's the style of the cab that doesn't match the full curved panel construction of the rest of the model here. I would recommend making the front window frame with axle connectors and/or linkages and using curved panels in some way on the corners of the roof. I did it some time ago at similar scale for my RC truck here: https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/187274-mini-rc-euro-semi-truck-with-free-instructions/ The problem I see is that you kind of made the cabin smaller scale than the rest of the truck and it's sitting a bit higher which looks like it's actually bigger than usual truck - was it on purpose that it's supposed to be some king of heavy duty off-road truck or is it just initial concept here? Because with current position you will not have enough place for roof built with panels, but if you'd move the cab a bit down, you'd have the room for it.

I think it was always like you need to submit one? You can have two threads and decide last minute though.

Well, I guess that's going to be similar to the vibe of studded into studless, but this time it's about shrinking. Would it be about just Technic sets or also others like creator expert (model team)? Asking because I'm wondering if the rule would be to make it studless without model team approach, then for some sets it would become something similar to studless conversion, otherwise we might end up with speed champions-like studded cars...

What is that 12T gear doing? Is there a function for this trailer? It's not a hog pass-through to the truck isn't it?

That thing is pretty cool. Not up to the current standards of the looks, but the simplicity of its chassis is awesome. If something else is supposed to be later this year, then maybe small modular cars for summer contest ? :D

Awesome, let's do this :D But really, this is such an awesome thing to do because if you keep things modular, then later on others can either use the chassis or the body. I love those photos from @ArsMan064's El Toro Loco as a reference here because it shows that the model was really thought through well: Also for me, my front engine V6 chassis project where I ended up with a car that had easily removable body was one of the most playable MOCs that I did - I would take it apart and put back together many times, it was like a fidgeting toy to me: The challenge of making a chassis that is clean and sturdy without the body, and then needs to accept attachment of the body is something that is really interesting here, and at small scale (parts count or size limitation) we end up seeing a lot of how the chassis is constructed.

The thing is, I think that TC18 might've pushed things forward with how much we get in car transporter-sized sport cars. For me it could've been cyclic events about sport cars and construction vehicles every two years but each time with some kind of twist so it's not getting repetitive too much, but if Lego designers are taking inspiration from what's happening here, than maybe this could be a good feedback loop for them on what we can do with new parts they are introducing, but faster than waiting few years for the topic to get too old. you mean the thread type like the ones in the jeep or specifically the ones from tractor sets, the bigger ones? Btw, what do you think about this kind of idea: modular chassis contest - body needs to be easily detachable, engine needs to be easily replaceable, chassis has to work with different types of wheels. You have to make two types of bodies, two types of engines, everything needs to work with everything, two types of wheels/tyres etc, and show replacement procedure on the video.

yes, I know. I just missed this one, and also this is something that IMO had quite a lot of creativity poured in by the contestants because topic cars is really big part of what people are doing with Lego Technic.And it shouldn't be a big problem to revisit this topic since we've got many new parts, especially some small panels introduced by Lego since that contest.

I liked (though didn't participate in) TC18 - small Technic car context and I liked when we were making small construction vehicles. The size and or part limitation makes it inclusive/approachable for more people to work on something that is neat and can be also recreated by others easily later on. Shrinking sets sounds interesting, but I'm wondering if maybe something like making Senna/Bolide-size&quality competitors would be something that a lot of people would be into as we all are into making cars, and it could be an event to share creativity again on using of the new parts.

Looks great. I'm not into tractors in general (despite having built small tractor last year), but that front with incorporated sensor has that sci-fi dystopian vibe - love it :)

10: 10 5: 6 7: 4 1: 3 6: 2 8: 1

Awesome, thanks! I should follow this blog, but I keep forgetting about that once place.

I don't like how it looks, maybe it'll look better IRL like some other medium sets do. But if that's actually DBG, some of those parts are going to land in my Sherman, especially those new rounded corner panels that were first shown as GT40 headlights. Btw, is there a studio/ldraw model for that part yet? The part number seems like really, really old part and it can't be true.

@T Lego I keep coming back to this thread to take a look at the photos and compare them to figure out what it is that this model is so good, and it keeps blowing my mind that Lego is nowhere near the level of perfection that you achieved in this model. This model has just that one single imperfection that the front wheel arc/headlight connection is see through, but in comparison to that, Daytona SP3 is like all over the place with techniques, sides built with liftarms, plates sticking out at the rear corners - just too many techniques at once. I wonder if this model is going to change the quality bar for future Lego supercar sets... I definitely hope so.

Another update - got some more parts, the suspension is fully on the springs from yellow shock absorbers now. Body is more complete now, but still need to source DBG parts from 3rd party...

Non video update - not that much of new things to show yet. Also not that April Fools thing obviously. I've tested the round turret sides structure and it works perfectly: And since this is taking shape, I can show off what's the actual plan here: I based the shape off the welded Sherman model that I could grab from the web, but I've adjusted proportions to match what I had, so it's still slightly stretched vertically. Anyway compared to the IRL M4A1 it looks fairly OK: I've placed few orders for DBG coloured parts, but for those that don't exist in Lego colouring I may need to paint them as FDM 3d prints are not as rigid and don't looks so smooth as the original parts. Still a lot of things to figure out.

Another update, some progress with cables and body:

Doesn't make sense to do this at this scale with what I want to make. I want to have the interiors like the supercar models have and there wouldn't be any space inside turret if I had to make a mechanism that shoots some axles or pins. Also the barrel would need to be large diameter or I would have to shoot beside it and still it wouldn't be a strong shooting mechanism at this scale, so that doesn't make sense to me.

There's this guy on the grabcad which has good quality parts made in solids so you can also edit them in CAD: https://grabcad.com/dk For most of the parts I can manage myself, but the panels have complex curves and I just gave up. I would probably have already printed those versions if not of the another part request from eric trax which occupied my printer for some time :P

Yes they are - those are actually ripped from studio, but I have a better model since then, but just didn't have enough time to print it. The reason is that the arch is not available in DBG.

Thanks! I actually want it to be made in supercar model approach where the interior is fully furnished with details and mechanics are somewhat representative of the actual historical tank, but there's some limitation coming from the fact that the hull will have double floor fitting mechanisation, so it's going to be vertically inaccurate in the driver and hull gunner compartment most likely. I don't think that there's going to be a lot of unique building techniques, maybe apart from how the rear is slanted as there's a lot of complex things going on there both in terms of fitting the RC hub/battery and making the engine compartment historically accurate. I'm strongly considering making some custom parts though as there is a list of details that are making it hard for the looks. Starting with the hull gun ball mount as the only thing that would be functional will look like this: I'll probably prototype pieces for this based on the big ball mounts (the ones used in suspension pieces that fit universal joint inside and/or the ones in helicopter swash plate). Apart from that I'll definitely use a custom sized 8T sprocket: as the idler wheel at the back. Already have it printed, I'm just short on the track links and not yet 100% ready to pull the trigger on pick a brick order for this project. Apart from this there's: a commander's cupola which I think is impossible to do with what we have in Lego, at this scale, gun mantlet cover in the front which is a specifically shaped piece that would be hard to make and attach, again at this scale, sprocket/idler fronts matching the looks of the original (but that's just finishing detail to be honest) 4L liftarm thick with all pin holes as suspension arm Browning .30 cal box/internal part for coaxial and hull gunner But I'm not really sure if I should go with customising it this much with custom printed parts.

Trax was showing off various details, so he knows what and when he can show off, I have no idea what's the exact deal with that. I assumed that there was a reason that Trax teased the info about the new part, and I thought there would be a response to that.

I'm pretty disappointed that noone started asking about this part after this teaser from @eric trax. It's actually still pretty mind blowing to me that we could manage to print a prototype of it that worked well for his model on a FDM printer :P

Update on the model, I might need to update the topic title...