Playing With Digital Lego (Somewhat 56K OK)

[FSTargetDrone]

And don't say "Legos"!

So I've been playing with Lego's Digital Designer software and after 6-8 hours while watching baseball over the last few nights, this is what I have come up with. The rigs are inspired by a commercially-available set which I own, mostly in the design of the cab.

Full-size pics are available here.

I made 2 versions. The first is closer to the style of the design of the toy linked above, except the cab has functioning doors and it's also stretched to give more room for the Lego Man driver and any passenger he has along, and also more room in the sleeper section.





The second version has full-sized doors (making the cab slightly higher) and has a different design of the undercarriage, mostly with the wheel/axle design. It sits higher off the ground than the one above. Unlike the smaller rig's air deflector up top, the deflector here can also be folded back almost completely horizontally because the cab is longer.





Side by side. I prefer the heavier use of black on the rig on the right (they are both mostly red because only red door pieces are available and I wanted doors on my models). It's also lower to the ground and seems a bit sleeker. The larger rig has more of an off-road look. I still haven't made up my mind about which doors I like better.





The white hoses are intended to be connected to a trailer, but I can't figure out how to "bend" the hoses in the DD software, so at the moment they are just connected to the cabs.

The gray boxes on the back of each are part of the articulation for the trailer. There is a turntable buried underneath the dark gray bricks and the light gray bricks have pins plugged into them which lets the trailer pivot vertically.



Larger tractor and its currently-incomplete trailer. The connection between the tractor and trailer is a bit wonky, but I have to work with the pieces available in the software. As it is right now, the trailer articulates both horizontally and vertically at the connection.







Inside the cab of the larger rig. The black smooth plate is supposed to be a pillow for the "bed" and is also inspired by the Lego set linked way above.



Roll out!



Just added this to the trailer. It's one of those what's-it-called thingies used to hold the trailer upright when it's disconnected from the rig.





I'm still playing around with these, tweaking them here and there. When I am satisfied with the designs, I am going to upload them to Lego's site. Incidentally, the cost of the bricks to build the smaller rig is $34.85 and $41.41 for the larger. After I streamline the smaller design, I am going to order my model and build it for real.

Post some models of your own!

Edit: The trailer is going to be built up more, probably just with a box.

[The Grim Squeaker]

A different colour scheme might make it more awesome.
Think Optimus. Think Prime. Think Autobot.

[Wyrm]

A different colour scheme might make it more awesome.
Think Optimus. Think Prime. Think Autobot.

Are you thinking long-nose or COE truck?

[The Grim Squeaker]

A different colour scheme might make it more awesome.
Think Optimus. Think Prime. Think Autobot.

Are you thinking long-nose or COE truck?

I've always had a liking for things as they were before I was even born

[Havok]

I was waiting for it to transform as well. Pretty cool in any case.

[FSTargetDrone]

A different colour scheme might make it more awesome.
Think Optimus. Think Prime. Think Autobot.

I agree, but like I said, it's a limitation of the door choices, which are red or none.

Anyhow, still refining. I changed the exhaust pipes. Never much liked the first incarnation.

I was waiting for it to transform as well. Pretty cool in any case.

Thanks!

Are you thinking long-nose or COE truck?

Speaking of COE, I was thinking about making the cab tip forward with some of the hinge pieces, exposing a sort of engine underneath. It might be easier with the larger version, but I'm still thinking about it.

But not now. Back to work!

[RogueIce]

I too play with LEGO!



I dub this a Nuclear-powered Guided Missile Laser Frigate (FFGLN). Basically a frigate with VLS launches and frikkin lasers.

Yeah, good times. If I weren't so lazy I'd do the DDGLN and CGLN. Basically, bigger versions with more VLS tubes and more laser cannons.

[FSTargetDrone]

Okay, final version that has been submitted to Lego.com and is awaiting approval:



299 pieces in all.

I too play with LEGO!

<cool pic snipped>

I dub this a Nuclear-powered Guided Missile Laser Frigate (FFGLN). Basically a frigate with VLS launches and frikkin lasers.

Yeah, good times. If I weren't so lazy I'd do the DDGLN and CGLN. Basically, bigger versions with more VLS tubes and more laser cannons.

Awesome! That's a pretty slick-looking ship.

[RogueIce]

How'd you get the white background in place of my auto-transparency?

Also, in futzing around with a police van with the whole black-and-white motif I noticed that when I took a screenshot my white bricks went dull gray for some reason. Do you have any experience with this?

Heck, the hull of that frigate should be white bricks, not grayish.

[FSTargetDrone]

How'd you get the white background in place of my auto-transparency?

Also, in futzing around with a police van with the whole black-and-white motif I noticed that when I took a screenshot my white bricks went dull gray for some reason. Do you have any experience with this?

Heck, the hull of that frigate should be white bricks, not grayish.

Did you use the built-in screenshot feature of Digital Designer? The white background is automatically generated (no grid, like you see when building) when you use the screen grab. On the PC it's CTRL-K and it dumps a PNG file to the C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\My Documents\My Pictures directory. I just took the full-sized file, uploaded to my Flickr account and just used the resize feature before linking it here. I didn't edit the file in any way. I have no idea why it would change the colors on you like that.

Incidentally, I submitted my design to Lego Factory and it is now available for purchase! As soon as I save up enough pennies for my Frivolous Fund, I am going to buy it.

[RogueIce]

Did you use the built-in screenshot feature of Digital Designer? The white background is automatically generated (no grid, like you see when building) when you use the screen grab. On the PC it's CTRL-K and it dumps a PNG file to the C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\My Documents\My Pictures directory. I just took the full-sized file, uploaded to my Flickr account and just used the resize feature before linking it here. I didn't edit the file in any way. I have no idea why it would change the colors on you like that.

That's the method I used too, and I get a transparent PNG and the color shift.

It's probably some funky video card or "will of the Force" crap.

[RogueIce]

Since I couldn't find the previous thread about the Lego Digital Designer (LDD) on the first page, I said "fuck it" and decided to start a new one. Here I shall showcase something I made way back when I first got it, and I've been gradually 'touching up' ever since. As the title implies, it's a fire truck.



Yep, those hatches work. Four in all, mirrored on each side.

Front view of the truck. The grill kind of meshes together for whatever reason, but it's more visible on the angle views.

And of course, the rear of the truck. I even included those traffic control warning lights, because I can.

As you probably noticed, I like keeping my models with the smooth tops, thus I used a bunch of those flat pieces all over (except where I had to keep the plates for the ladder). [FYI, I'm not as anal about the interior of vehicles, just the outsides.] The gray holes in the middle are supposed to be what you'd attach hoses to. Obviously you kind of have to use your imagination for the rest of the equipment, since LDD doesn't exactly provide a full set of firefighting tools.

The number 55 comes from the show Third Watch (Squad 55 was the featured firehouse) and the overall color scheme and design is my best attempt at a "standard" FDNY fire truck. [These models are way better, if smaller, though I blame that on not having all the pieces I need ]

According to the price thingy, this would cost me about $84 if I were to buy the models. It's still a bit of a WIP, as there are probably some areas that I could 'optimize' a little better, and the equipment bays don't actually have any dividers. I'd also probably add in more of the side emergency lights like real trucks tend to have (I only did the ones of the front of the cab thus far).

Thoughts, comments?

[Bounty]

One of my first big Lego sets was the fire station and those little fire trucks will always have a special place in my heart.

Your model looks pretty sweet. You say you're not anal about the interior, but is there one? It doesn't take much to make that work - a few dials, firefighting gear, couple of benches perhaps. The only thing I might change, if LDD permits it, is maybe install slightly bigger wheels.

Clever choice on making it a big truck, too, the size means it gets away with being wide enough for the minifigs. It's probably horribly out of scale but it looks sorta right and that's what matters in the end.

[RogueIce]

One of my first big Lego sets was the fire station and those little fire trucks will always have a special place in my heart.

Your model looks pretty sweet. You say you're not anal about the interior, but is there one? It doesn't take much to make that work - a few dials, firefighting gear, couple of benches perhaps. The only thing I might change, if LDD permits it, is maybe install slightly bigger wheels.

Yes indeed, at least for the cab:


I put in some chairs for them to sit in and even included an extra fireman. I could fill out the other chairs, of course, if I wanted to. I just didn't bother.

EDIT: I also gave the driver some speed/fuel/whatever gauges:


As to the rest of it, well, the choices are limited. For one thing, unlike real Legos, I can't just 'toss' something in those lockers in the back, I need either a mount or a clip or something to attach it to (if you look closely in the second and third pictures of my OP, you can just make out a couple helmets on mounts behind the driver and front passenger).

In addition to that, all I even have to equip them with are helmets, air tanks, saws (which I already have on a clip outside the engine), ladder (and here again I need some place to "stick" it to), and walkie-talkies. That's it for accessories. There is that flexible hose/connecter thing I could pretend is a hose, but it's really lame and doesn't hook up to the engine well.

On the bigger wheels, it's a possibility but might require some remodeling. I just did it for the front, and I have to hack out a wheel well that ends just below the '55' on the side, which doesn't look right. The wider tires do look good (they're the same size as current, just thicker) but that would probably require quite a bit of work to synch it up and keep any real sense of 'proper' scale with the minifigs.

A quickie example:

The front part doesn't look too bad, though I'd have to rework the interior of the cab. For the rear, I either have to make the bottom of the locker taller or live with the door covering up the top of my wheel (doesn't affect mobility, just looks dumb). Of course that makes the locker out of reach for a minifig, but they're already pretty much like that already so it probably doesn't matter:

Clever choice on making it a big truck, too, the size means it gets away with being wide enough for the minifigs. It's probably horribly out of scale but it looks sorta right and that's what matters in the end.

Yep. Scale with a minifig is a bitch. The absolute minimum width for two side by side is eight blocks across (they take up two by themselves, plus you need a block on either side for the arms). It makes my two-seat police car look a little wide for my tastes (though that's 8 wide as opposed to 12 wide for the fire truck at least) and even then to have the jury-rigged door in there I have to crank the minifig's arm up a bit (I could probably use the default door, but the only color they have is red and that doesn't work so good for a black-and-white ).

I could probably get away with a 10 block wide firetruck (working on an ambulance and that's probably what I'll do) but that, needless to say, would essentially require me to start over! Just expanding my 6-width police car to 8 was annoying enough, but chopping off a block on either side of this puppy, well...yeah. Maybe later. Much later.

PS: I think from now on I might take the effort to crop these a little bit and see how they turn out.

[Phantasee]

Don't crop them too much, they look fine here. I'm using the theme that doesn't make the post box go out to the right to accomodate whatever is in there, it'll just chop off the end of the image and put the avatar on the right side, but yours all fit in just fine on 1024x768.

Good work on that fire truck, it looks fantastic.

[RogueIce]

So it turns out that bigger tires was as simple as the addition of four 3x2 thin plates:

Kinda puts the "scale" out of whack, though. With the original tires, the bottom of the truck came to about a minifig's 'knees' while now it comes up to the waist. But then I suppose basing your scale off a Lego minifig would be an exercise in futility anyway.

[RogueIce]

Well, when I did the tires they stuck out, and I didn't really like that. So I fixed it, which resulted in this:

[Phantasee]

The fixed version with the larger tires is AWESOME. Congratulations, RogueIce.

[FSTargetDrone]

As you probably noticed, I like keeping my models with the smooth tops, thus I used a bunch of those flat pieces all over (except where I had to keep the plates for the ladder).

It's called SNOT: Studs Not On Top.

Excellent work. I still fiddle with my truck but I haven't attempted anything this big, yet. Your latest version here with the bigger tires looks great.

I really like these wide trucks. Lego people should be able to sit side-by-side! I just wish there was a greater color palette for the doors and such. The only doors available are red.

Edit:

Since I couldn't find the previous thread about the Lego Digital Designer (LDD) on the first page, I said "fuck it" and decided to start a new one. Here I shall showcase something I made way back when I first got it, and I've been gradually 'touching up' ever since. As the title implies, it's a fire truck.

Edit the second, I really like how you laid out the 55 on top. It looks great, contrasting with the side numbers. Nice a big, as it should be.

I just updated mine in the other thread, if anyone cares.

So far we have an fine ship and now this fine fire truck. Let's see some more!

[FSTargetDrone]

Current iteration:







I have no idea why the screenshots lack the white background this time around.

[Phantasee]

Dude that's fucking AWESOME.

I'd say the bigger one looks like a Western Star except I don't think Western Star makes COE trucks. Just the higher, off-road feel of it.

Can you maybe give us a link to it? I might want to order it someday. My uncle would get a kick out of it (but my Dad would still disapprove ).

You should maybe think about putting together a Peterbilt or something. A 379 like Optimus would be pretty sweet (my truck fleet is made up of 378s, which are 379s with a slightly shorter hood, and they've got a bit of a curve to the top of the hood so you can see over it).

You could do one with a day cab, and one with the regular cab, and then go for the largest cab (I forget how many inches, but it's the one I drive, w/ red fenders and white body and red chassis).

[RogueIce]

It's called SNOT: Studs Not On Top.

I figured there was a term for it.

Excellent work. I still fiddle with my truck but I haven't attempted anything this big, yet. Your latest version here with the bigger tires looks great.

Your thread is what got me inspired to start with LDD and the fire truck was one of the first models I began.

I really like these wide trucks. Lego people should be able to sit side-by-side! I just wish there was a greater color palette for the doors and such. The only doors available are red.

I agree fully on both counts! Actually my police car model won't look too bad when I expand it to include a back seat I don't think. It's actually more of a "police hatchback" than a car I suppose right now. But what the fuck, I'll post it in the thread.

Having to make up doors for a police car is a pain, since red doesn't really work. Additionally I had to go with the round "dots" for my emergency lights, since there were no transparent blue bricks.

So far we have an fine ship and now this fine fire truck. Let's see some more!

As I said, I have a police car in semi-showable form. I also have a police van that I'd honestly need to redesign because it looks odd (it's freaking TALL, taller than the fire truck!) and some other stuff. As a side note, can you imagine trying to make an actual warship to a sort-of minifig scale?

[Beowulf]

Threads merged by request.

[Anarchist Bunny]

Interesting little program. Can't import any of my real life models do to the large use of absent Star Wars items.

Anyways here is something I built in the past couple of days, didn't really turn out as well as I would of liked(the cockpit is 1/2 block off from the rest of the frame, didn't find the right block to mount the top dome in line with the rest of the model til i was about halfway done with it, this also made the frame an odd number of blocks, which is why the bottom missile done is a little off kilter). Its nice for doing a lot of cosmetic finishing touches(could do more here but feeling like moving on). The limitation on brick colors(especially when one three block peg is all it takes to make it unorderable) is dissappointing for such a program, but it is a lot easier to work with than the Lego CAD one.

Starfighter, inspired by the vertical fighter from KOTOR, though definately more Sith in coloration.


Looking at it from this angle, that missile pod really irks me.


Look in at the cockpit, normally I have much more intricate controls in my cockpit, but seeing as how things can only be turned in 30-45 degree angles, its hard to get stuff to fit in.


Forgot about that blank spot on the back, would of liked to give that a little more detail, but oh well. And gray as the only color for those engine pods annoyed the hell out of me. Would of liked them in black. Seriously, is complete free range of color too much to ask for?

[RogueIce]

Apparently there was a brick update. Added stuff, but then it made everything I built previously as invalid to upload and buy.

Anyway, a police van:





I realize that the ladders would make going over any speedbumps interesting, but it's either that or have the minifigs trying to jump to get in (they don't drag on the ground though, so it'd be usable if you made a model out of it). I figure they'd theoretically fold up or something when the vehicle is in motion. The rear is for prisoner transport, or whatever else they want to use it for.

As usual, somewhat limited by brick choices. Those white doors were the best I could do, so no windows. It was either that or red or green, and those are wider (door is three wide, those are four) which would have messed with the rest of the design anyway.

I also thought up an alternate lightbar style. Demonstrating with the fire truck and police van together, with the second lightbar style:



Thoughts?