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NathanR

Eurobricks Knights
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Everything posted by NathanR

  1. NathanR
    Mecabricks do a free blender plugin, and a more advanced paid-for plugin. Basically you build in mecabricks (or upload from LDD), then export the lego model as a .dae file. Import into blender, run the script, and you get all the materials and effects set up for you. All you need to do is tweak the background and lighting to suit, and load an environment map (the mecabricks site links to some free HDR files). This was produced with an old version of the free mecabricks script: Check the mecabricks site for more details, what can be achieved with the advanced script is simply amazing (I just don't really have the computer processing power to do it unfortunately)
  2. NathanR
    Interesting... I'm completely clueless about all this stuff, though it still fascinates me. The mecabricks advanced blender script recently added in new texture details like thumbprints, scratches, and some kind of roughness texture. Is this the same kind of thing?
  3. NathanR
    Actually, just a thought - could the extra parts be needed for the B-model? Extras of small parts are very common (1x1 plates, 2L axles or pins, that kind of thing), but I've never had extras of any larger parts. Regarding the harvester - instead of buying the set, have you considered buying only the pieces, through something like brick link? There's also Lego "Bricks and Pieces"/Customer service for rare parts which are still in production. Swap some rare or out of production parts for cheaper alternatives, you might make quite a savings.
  4. NathanR
    There was one done and put on Lego Ideas... Actually you've got me thinking about the different vehicles in the original trilogy now. Not that many really: For ANH I think everything has been done by someone (Bantha maybe...?). ESB: Rebel cargo ship, AT-ST type walker (not actually an AT-ST though), Tie Bomber (think I've seen one of those though), Twin pod cloud car, Cloud City? ROTJ: Jabba's sail barge, desert skiff, Mon-Cal star cruiser, Imperial Speeder Bike.
  5. NathanR
    Ebon Hawk? Dash Rendar's Outrider? Jedi Starfighters (the Eta-2, I think, not the Delta 7)... There's not that many iconic ships that spring to mind. If you're going in for sculptures though, like Yoda and Darth Maul, then pretty much anything goes. Darth Vader, Obi-Wan, Jar-Jar Binks...
  6. NathanR
    It depends what build technique you want to use for the main hull. The most common method I've seen is to build 4 large triangles out of the classic 6x3 wing plates. In this case, the perfect technic frame to adopt is the one used in the official Lego set 75055. It's a technic structure (called an A-Frame?), with three crossbeams for strength and rigidty. A bigger star destroyer can be made by simply extending the frame further backwards and adding an extra support. For greebles on the side, I'd suggest making the A-Frame fatter, adding plates top and bottom, so you can attach plates to the technic beams. If you don't need an interior (like 10030) maybe try and move the hinge mechanism to the inside? This should be possible - 10030 and 75055 both use the same wing plates for the hull, so essentially what you're after is a fusion of the two.
  7. NathanR
    Me neither, until now. About a year back I tried repainting Yoda's head to olive green (possibly more accurate...?) but the required part types don't exist in the colour. Though with the 1x2 sand green jumper appearing in the "Adventure Time" ideas set, and the sand green featuring heavily in the upcoming Ninjago movies sets, Yoda might become a bit easier to build in the future...
  8. NathanR
    Nicely done! I would suggest to skip the official turntable. a suitable replacement can be made by stacking: 4x4 plate, 61485, then 2x 60474, should all fit ok and be a lot cheaper than £13! Also, I would advise against using LDD instructions - given you have so many parts from the official build, surely it's easier to just download the official instruction manual?
  9. NathanR
    For set 7194, Yoda's head can indeed rotate courtesy of a 4x4 turntable that is built into the body. Suitable alternatives include parts 61485 4x4 turntable base and 604744x4 round plate. Wow! Firstly - in this case you already have the required turntable, just start building . Secondly - how did you manage to all the sand green parts for then head? Used, New, mix of both?
  10. NathanR
    Sounds like fun, and definitely a set I'd love to play with. I heard about the "3D Printer" model, that alone would make me want to buy the set. Are instructions for the models available online, or only through the app? Also, can you use a phone or a laptop to run the programming app, or does it have to be a tablet?
  11. NathanR
    Nope, the cockpit is spot on. It was very boxy in the original game: Edit : Ok, no idea why I can't get this image to appear. You can view it here: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/File:Knights_screen004.jpg
  12. NathanR
    Beautiful model, it's so rare to see the Ebon Hawk done in Lego. I like the mix of the old and new greys, it add some lovely texturing.
  13. NathanR
    Thanks for the offer, but I have my own LDD file (I also tweaked the design a bit to allow a cargo container full of wookies to fit in the cargo bay. I also redesigned the Phantom to use a new windscreen and allow Hera to fit as pilot. Must get some screenshots online at some point...
  14. NathanR
    Got to say Wall-E, despite the floppy neck joint. Although the Saturn V and the DeLorean are firm favourites too...
  15. NathanR
    Aw, that is beautiful! (I still have a very soft spot for Thomas the tank engine... )
  16. NathanR
    I would also be interested in instructions for this beauty, though I'm not aware that any exist. Also, I think some of the part/colour combinations have never been created in real life (though hopefully I'm wrong)
  17. NathanR
    Very nice models! Though I agree with Stefaneris, I don't think the pixel ball joints could support the weight. It's also good the way all the models are immediately recognisable (well, I had to look up Viking 1 as I've never seen the orbiter for that one), even though some of the proportions are a bit off. I have a few criticisms of Hubble - the solar panels shouldn't run the length of the body, the main body should be a wider cylinder at the back, and the sunshade should be a bit bigger (if you look at the real one, it completely blocks off the lens cap cylinder, so should be 4 studs wide). I'd also suggest making the shuttle external tank a bit taller/bigger, it's undersized compared to the orbiter. Fantastic detailing on the orbiter though - no changes needed there
  18. NathanR
    Brilliant find! It's a fantastic model, but although I supported it I don't think it's ever going to be an official set. When you think of the time needed to get 10k votes, go through the review, the design process, and finally get it on the shelves... I suspect the Saturn V will have retired by the time you get to buy the launch tower. I'm seriously hoping for instructions to surface though...
  19. NathanR
    Thanks for the responses, it's definitely been food for thought. It's a shame that so much of the design process boils down to "try it with real bricks", I mean I know that's the whole point of having Lego building as a hobby, but it gets frustrating for me given how far away I am from my collection of bricks. I suppose it doesn't help that I always seem to end up working in odd scales, or that I'm always trying to build such exact scale miniatures... Guess I just need to keep plugging away at it.
  20. NathanR
    Wow, brilliant model! I love the deployment rack, very nicely done!
  21. NathanR
    Damn! I'll have to look to my own photo bucket account, but this is very very bad - this model of the Ghost was the best I have ever seen. I remember about a year, back I spent a month reverse-engineering the model from the build photos that had been posted. And to think I deleted my offline copies the other week as part of a HD cleanup...
  22. NathanR
    There is a dedicated thread for this kind of discussion ( LEGO Star Wars 2017 Pictures and Rumors), so it's best to chat there. As I understand it, the current rumours are for a UCS Millennium Falcon (price around 800 USD, piece count around 7000), and a UCS BB-8 statue (not sure on price, something like 1000 pieces). Both are slated to be released later this year. Beyond that... "Impossible to see, the future is" I wouldn't say underwhelming. We've had Slave 1, a Tie Fighter, Insult Assault on Hoth (Ok, that one was bad), and the Snowspeeder (which really is a masterpiece)
  23. NathanR
    Yeah... The problem is that I went for 1:100 as the Mercury capsule was 2m wide, but to check the rest of the rocket height-wise I had to resort to print-screen and then photoshop onto a blueprint image. I think this is where I've gone wrong, as LDD has a camera field-of-view and perspective, which distorts the image a bit. Also, scaling the image by just one or two pixels has an amazing effect on the apparent height of the rocket, given how tall and thin this one is. Another issue I've had is that every picture showing the markings and United States logo seem to have the rocket a different height. I'll figure it out. Eventually.,..
  24. NathanR
    I spend long periods away from home and my Lego bricks due to my work, so I end up doing a lot of design in computer with the likes of LDD, LDraw/bricksmith, and mecabricks. The problem is that none of these have any "physics" in them, I can't ever see how strong or stable the model is. So I end up spending hours agonising over the way the bricks are stacked, worrying over whether or not they will lock together solidly enough in real life. I also spend ages checking brick link and Lego bricks and pieces to make sure the pieces I use are available in the colours I choose, but that's another story. When I finally do treat myself and buy the bricks for one of my creations, they invariably fall apart. A couple of years back it was a 50 piece micro-scale particle detector that took 2 hours to get together and exploded at the slightest touch (and I do mean that literally, bits went flying all over the room!). My latest fiasco is a model of the Mercury-Redstone rocket, which I designed to go with the Lego Ideas Saturn V. It's just a stack of 2x2 round bricks with three axles inside due to it's height, yet despite my best efforts to put the axle transitions well inside bricks, the rocket easily falls apart into three neat chunks (one for each axle). So, what's the secret? When you design in computer do you care at all about how the model would behave in real life? And if you do care, do you have any tips on making sure that the model holds up well when physically built?
  25. NathanR
    My lego bricks arrived today... unfortunately the "updated" model isn't as good as I'd have liked. Firstly, it breaks easily at the joints between the three axles that are supposed to keep it rigid. Secondly, I forgot to order the 6x6 round base plate And thirdly... It turns out I've built it to the wrong scale. The Lego Ideas Saturn V is 1:110, not 1:100 as I'd assumed, so the entire rocket is about 2 bricks too short. So, I guess it's back to the drawing board. Who knew a stack of 2x2 bricks could be so difficult?
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