Scrubs

The current flex tool on Mecabricks was outdated and has always been hard to use accurately. One of the big issue was also to add new flexible part types. So I decided to rethink everything and redesign the tool from the ground. This is definitely a hard exercise as the goal is to turn complicated concepts into an easy to use tool. After days and days of coding, I finally managed to produce something that I think starts to be quite cool. I made a small short video where I play with a multi path flexible element and a snapping function. Currently, the tool supports: Multi-path flexible elements Multi color elements Real time geometry update Smart dynamic geometry (to put vertices only where it is needed) Snapping Multi point selection Tilt Automatic tilt recalculation to maintain the orientation Procedural generation of virtually any flexible elements which will simplify the addition of random flex stuff like springs, whip 88704 or welder torch 13793 There is a lot more to come as well. Hope to have it released in the next coming weeks. I also posted a few more videos on my youtube channel to show the progress. I also took the opportunity to redesign the translate and rotate gizmo and optimize a lot of the current code. For example this flexible tool works perfectly on iPad.

LEGO actually has part libraries (with multiple resolutions) in Maya for model presentation/rendering which is different from the manufacturing CAD models. For the LEGO movies, animallogic is using its own library.

Correct. I was only highlighting the fact that they are discrepancies between both systems (LDD is not perfect either). Part modeling and LEGO system is not as easy as one could think at first.

Before you dive into it, remember that LDD and LDraw part library are not fully compatible. For example the bricks with the Technic holes are modeled differently which can result in part shift. LDraw uses the LDraw unit and locates the hole centre at 5.6mm while LDD uses real dimensions and located the hole a 5.8mm. Not too sure how both part system would live in a same software.

Hello 3D enthusiasts, I have had an account on artStation for a while but I never really posted anything. This weekend, I though I would try to work on a little project made of a few images that I would add over there with a bit of background and information. This was also a good exercise to push the limits of what Mecabricks is capable to produce. For this project, I chose the Ninjago City set as it is really impressive and also fully complete on Mecabricks. First image is a clean and simple view of the set Ninjago City by Nicolas Jarraud, on Flickr Second night time image required a lot more time to set up and have right. It includes 37 lamps. I used a photo from lightmybricks as a starting point for a cool lighting. This one turned out all right I believe. Ninjago City by Nicolas Jarraud, on Flickr The next one that I quite like is this view from the back of the set from the point of view of a minifigure looking up. Ninjago City by Nicolas Jarraud, on Flickr All these images have been rendered using the integrated Mecabricks tool using pretty much all the options available. I just did a bit of colour correction in photoshop at the end. Here is the link to the project with a few more images.

HDRI lighting looks good in Mecabricks you shall try the option to add the lego logo on studs to test your system further.

The Corner Garage set 10264 is now fully complete on Mecabricks. Mecabricks Corner Garage by Nicolas Jarraud, on Flickr

Good luck with that Mecabricks renders hundreds of files everyday and most nodes work non-stop 24/7. Almost 50K images have been rendered in the past year. And yes it is possible to render for free. This is what 90% of the renders are. Also proof checking your render with a low resolution and low samples before the final version is either free or in the worse case costs a couple of cents. By the way, my system is all based on Blender which I support via their funds. I can show you my spreadsheet with the power consumption and cost - I use dedicated power meters to monitor my usage. I can assure you that a computer with decent specs which is rendering (100% CPU and 100% GPU) is using a lot of it!

I just finished and released a major update to the system. Before, the whole 3D data (geometry and textures) was transferred from the client to the rendering server to be processed and rendered. Even if it was optimised and compressed, it could take some time. Small models file size was between 5 and 10MB while big models with heaps of textures could go above 100MB. This is not the case anymore. For most projects, files transferred are only a few KB! To simplify, I found a way to synchronise the part library from the Mecabricks server with the render server (located on both sides of the globe) and import this format of 3D data into Blender. Everything is lightning fast now. Even a 20K parts model only takes a couple of seconds to upload! For example with this 588 pieces model, it required 9.8MB of data to upload from your browser to the server before the update. Now it is only 13KB! I also used this opportunity to move the system to Blender 2.80 Render Farm Major Update by Nicolas Jarraud, on Flickr

This is fully functional on the latest version of iOS for iPad. Nothing is missing. Mobile phone screens are too small but tablets are perfect. I just added one last option for this year, you can show or hide the LEGO logo on studs in the viewport - It requires a lot of calculations so use smartly.

For the past 2 months I worked on a re-design of the viewport code. I took the opportunity to improve the real time rendering quality and add lots of customisation options. Here are a few of these: Shaded or wireframe mode HDRI, flat or matcap lighting Single Color or Materials Multiple edge calculation type options (boundaries, wire, etc) Background Color or HDRI Environment reflection activated or not X-Ray mode Save these settings for your Mecabricks account etc. Rendering mode improvements: Accurate floor material in viewport Accurate HDRI lighting in viewport (image, rotation, strength) This is just the start and much more will be available at the start of 2019. Follow this link to start building: https://www.mecabricks.com/en/workshop/ Here is a short video showing how to use the viewport options:

I am not talking about the bevel modifier but the bevel shader. It fakes bevels at render time without extra geometry (normals recalculation). It works perfectly for non close up shots.

Hello, Remember to use the bevel shader in Blender. It will add this nice bevel to bricks without spare geometry. Did you try the geometry from Mecabricks? It imports nicely in Blender without any cleaning.

This week we tackled the Bugatti Chiron on Mecabricks. The model is 100% complete with all parts, decorated elements and stickers: www.mecabricks.com/en/models/eVaP7yZPvzB That deserved a couple of renders: Bugatti Chiron by Nicolas Jarraud, on Flickr Render of the Bugatti Chiron by Nicolas Jarraud, on Flickr

Yes, as explained in another thread, I can not afford to pay for people. I invested in hardware and I still need to pay every month for power (and even a small render farm sucks a lot of it) and proper bandwidth among other things. So it is possible to render for free but with some limitations. More info about what you can and cannot do here: https://www.mecabricks.com/en/credits Otherwise, you can still download the free addon for Blender that I made and use your own computer to render.

It has been closed for a few hours this week as I have been installing new hardware. Otherwise it is always up. If you see a green dot in the top right corner, service is open. Make sure you have verified your account too as this is required.

I shall try to model this part. I don’t have the real element but I think I can do it without. This one is long overdue

Mecabricks can import LDD and Ldraw/stud.io models if you wish to try rendering something you already built somewhere else. I based all my work on Blender to make it accessible to most people as this is a free software. Cycles is a beautiful and modern raytracer - Next Gen on Netflix has been made with Blender and rendered with Cycles. Eyesight from stud.io 2 is actually also using Cycles under the hood. Just a simple example here that I made today after modeling new elements for this set (using exclusively the online rendering tool which is also based on Cycles and Blender compositor): I also recently added an option to subdivide selected meshes. It allows to smooth rounded parts. It doesn’t work for all elements but it can be really useful.

Mecabricks works well on iPad now.

Thank you. I can still do better. Having designed the system I can see all the little inaccuracy that I could work on. But it is getting there

Thank you Ldraw support has been added earlier this year. Not all part have been updated with conversion data but we are slowly getting there.

Another image I am quite proud of. I made this one today exclusively with the rendering mode of Mecabricks. I added a lot of functions the last few months including custom lamps to light your scene with or without an HDR image as well as the possibility to subdivide specified meshes to smooth them. You will probably recognise a scene made from new Harry Potter set 75954. I made the 3D models for a good number of new elements belonging to this theme but I still have quite a few more to make. Hogwarts Great Hall by Nicolas Jarraud, on Flickr

@anothergol I don't know what Mecabricks and I did to you but sharing your hate of this software everywhere on the web seems to be something you really like doing. After trashing a post dedicated to online rendering on Mecabricks a few months ago here on eurobricks, then posting the same type of comments on the stud.io forum, you keep going on here... By the way for your information, the new renderer of stud.io is nothing new despite what they try to make you believe. It is simply Cycles from Blender repackaged. I actually found some of my work in their configuration files so who knows what else from my add-ons they use compiled in their code. Sorry for being off topic here.

Don't hesitate to ask if you need any help to build/import/render with Mecabricks

I had a quick read of the your github page. I don't understand everything but I see some cool stuff that it can be used for. I shall try to play with it at some stage. That may be something of interest to include to Mecabricks - I can run python scripts on the server side - but that may be a discussion for later