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3DLego Star Wars

evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
edited January 2012 in Work in Progress #1
IA’ve been playing with the Lego Digital Designer lately. However, yesterday, Madkoifish told me about LeoCad, which is much better, IMO. The Lego Digital Designer is an attempt to get people to make custom Lego kits and buy them at outrageous prices (they basically just put the parts you use in a box and send it to you.) I did a price on one of my creations and it was $70 (USD.) However, LeoCad is more about just making Lego-type stuff. It has a huge library of parts, most of the ones that have been done over the years. Lego Digital Designer uses only newer parts. It also will only save to its own format, LeoCad will export to .obj and .3ds.

So, since LeoCad is so versatile, I decided to try some actual Lego kits with it. I bought many of the Star Wars kits back in the A’90s and early 2000s, but I didnA’t feel like digging up my old instruction manuals, so I found a site that has them scanned. I decided to start with LukeA’s Landspeeder, because itA’s one of the smaller kits, it doesnA’t use as many parts as some of them do. It went fairly well, the biggest problem I had was finding some of the parts in the library (I had to know in which categories to look.) Anywho, it came out really well:

landspeeder_wire01.gif?w=590&h=331

I exported the model to .3ds and loaded it into trueSpace 3.2, setting the importer to automatically fix flipped faces. There were issues with tS7.6, IA’ll get into that momentarily. Anywho, it turned out really well also:

landspeeder_render01.jpg?w=590&h=331

This next bit is amazing to me. I loaded the mesh that I imported into trueSpace 3.2 and saved to a .cob file into trueSpace 7.6. For some reason, it doesnA’t look as good. There are flipped faces that I canA’t fix. And the .3ds importer in tS7.6 doesnA’t have a tool to fix the flipped faces when I import it. So, IA’ll be continuing to render these in tS3.2 because this is how it looks in 7.6:

landspeeder_render02.jpg?w=590&h=331

ItA’s not quite as bad as the direct .3ds import into tS7.6, but itA’s still bad.

Next, I decided to do the A-Wing. It went well. As with the Landspeeder, I had trouble finding a few parts, but it all worked out OK in the end.

a_wing_wire01.gif?w=590&h=331

a_wing_render01.jpg?w=590&h=331
a_wing_render02.jpg?w=590&h=331

I see a couple small issues with it, IA’ll fix those later. Though, all in all, it came out well.

I also have instructions for the X-Wing and I can get more instructions. I might even get crazy enough to do the Falcon. ;)
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Post edited by evil_genius_180 on
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  • IRMLIRML253 Posts: 1,993Member
    I think I know the site with all the instruction manuals, major nostalgia trip when I found that one
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Maybe this is the one: http://www.brickfactory.info/

    Much like the Lego Digital Designer, Lego's website has only newer stuff as far as scanned instruction manuals. I don't know why they're such turds about it, but The Brickfactory has them all (or at least most of them.)

    Also, here's a link to LeoCad, just in case anybody is interested in it: http://www.leocad.org/trac (I love the AT-AT render, that's what got me thinking of doing SW stuff with the program)
  • oldmangregoldmangreg198 Woodland Hills, CAPosts: 1,339Member
    Wow I have both those Lego sets right now.
    Your right to an opinion does not make your opinion valid.
  • stonkystonky350 Posts: 489Member
    Cool!
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Thanks. :)
    oldmangreg wrote: »
    Wow I have both those Lego sets right now.

    I have them in a spare room that I use for storage. I also have the one that's rendering (slowly) right now, the X-wing. :)
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    This is by far one of my favorite Lego kits of all time, the Incom T-65 X-wing (with Red 5 markings, of course.) This one came together pretty well. I didnA’t even know I had the parts for the R2 unit until I searched for them. Fortunately, LeoCad has a nice search feature that makes locating parts faster, if you know what youA’re searching for.

    x_wing_wire01.gif?w=590&h=331

    x_wing_render01.jpg?w=590&h=331

    x_wing_render02.jpg?w=590&h=331

    I tried doing the S-foil separation in LeoCad, but it didnA’t want to rotate where I wanted it to, so I just rigged it in trueSpace. To make this process go faster, I exported the wings separately and then glued them on in trueSpace and edited the axis location so that they pivoted in the right spot. And, of course, I rotated each wing 16.5 degrees, creating a 33 degree separation between the wings, which is correct for this class of fighter. :)

    x_wing_render03.jpg?w=590&h=331

    x_wing_render04.jpg?w=590&h=331
  • japetusjapetus2937 SeattlePosts: 1,397Member
    Nice work! I just downloaded Lego Digital Designer the other day too and haven't messed with it much however. Good to know about LeoCad. I'll give that a try since it seems to be more what I was looking for. That XWing brings me back! I have that set at home. What is the site with all the scanned lego instructions? That would be really neat to see.
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Thanks. :D

    Yeah, LeoCad is much more of what I was looking for too. And it's a lot smaller file that LDD. Plus, the .3ds and .obj exporter is nice, especially since LeoCad renders aren't that great (those are the wireframe looking ones that I've been posting.)

    Brickfactory has the instructions: http://www.brickfactory.info/
  • anystaranystar0 Posts: 0Member
    sweet kits! i love love love 3d lego!
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Thanks. I've been having a blast with this stuff. :D

    Well, I was going to start an actual model build today but I wound up messing with this stuff instead. Since later versions of trueSpace won’t import these things correctly, (I’ve tried) I tried Blender. It imports them fine, but I had issues getting some of the parts to look right when I smooth shaded them. So, I eventually gave up and decided to just render them in trueSpace 3. I should be happy they work in that software, because these things export to a mess of polygons. (all triangles and lots of ugly meshiness)

    So, after that, I decided to build the TIE Fighter. The only parts I couldn’t find for it were the parts for the pilot. LeoCad doesn’t have an Imperial pilot helmet or even a Stormtrooper helmet, so I fudged it a bit (you can’t really see him anyway.)

    tie_fighter_wire01.gif?w=590&h=331

    tie_fighter_render01.jpg?w=590&h=331

    tie_fighter_render02.jpg?w=590&h=331
  • RekkertRekkert4037 Buenos Aires, ArgentinaPosts: 2,302Member
    Nice ones! I remember having the Landspeeder kit as a kid.
    Doing these must be a nice change of pace from the usual stuff, I may give it a try!
    For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
  • FreakFreak1088 Posts: 4,361Member
    Great stuff Chirs.
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Thanks guys. :D
    Rekkert wrote: »
    Doing these must be a nice change of pace from the usual stuff

    Yep. :)
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    japetus wrote: »
    Nice work! I just downloaded Lego Digital Designer the other day too and haven't messed with it much however. Good to know about LeoCad. I'll give that a try since it seems to be more what I was looking for. That XWing brings me back! I have that set at home. What is the site with all the scanned lego instructions? That would be really neat to see.
    Thanks. :D

    Yeah, LeoCad is much more of what I was looking for too. And it's a lot smaller file that LDD. Plus, the .3ds and .obj exporter is nice, especially since LeoCad renders aren't that great (those are the wireframe looking ones that I've been posting.)

    Brickfactory has the instructions: http://www.brickfactory.info/

    Here's another site with instructions: http://www.worldbricks.com/

    Thanks to Madkoifish for that one. :) The thing I like about Worldbricks is that the instructions are in .pdf format, they're just scanned images on Brickfactory. However, I like the theme breakdowns on Brickfactory better. So, earlier, I found the kit I was looking for on Brickfactory and then searched for it on Worldbricks and it worked great. The instructions for the kit are 64 pages, I didn't want to download all of that page by page.

    Also, here's another brick building program, though I haven't tried it yet: http://www.ldraw.org/ The good thing is its library of bricks can be converted to LeoCad. I need to check it out later and see what it has that LeoCad doesn't. :)
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    The Y-wing (the original one, that came packed with the TIE Advanced X1.) It came out OK. The biggest problem I see is that the round parts on the engines could use to be higher poly, but that’s not my fault. It’s how they’re made.

    y_wing_wire01.gif?w=590&h=331

    y_wing_render01.jpg?w=590&h=331

    y_wing_render02.jpg?w=590&h=331

    The newer Y-Wing kit is more detailed, but this one will do nicely. I wanted to do kits I’ve owned, plus this one is from the same series as the others.
  • anystaranystar0 Posts: 0Member
    thats really cool!!!

    last month when i was starting on my AT-AT i considered doing it in a giant lego scale instead. i still might one day... :)
  • RekkertRekkert4037 Buenos Aires, ArgentinaPosts: 2,302Member
    I looks really cool!
    The Bussard collectors... *ahem* dome things on the engines are supposed to have that golf ball geometry, I remember having another Lego set that came with one of those.
    For all my finished Trek fan art, please visit my portfolio
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Thanks guys. :D
    anystar wrote: »
    thats really cool!!!

    last month when i was starting on my AT-AT i considered doing it in a giant lego scale instead. i still might one day... :)

    You should definitely do it. Don't even think about it, just do it. :devil:
    Rekkert wrote: »
    I looks really cool!
    The Bussard collectors... *ahem* dome things on the engines are supposed to have that golf ball geometry, I remember having another Lego set that came with one of those.

    Yeah, those domes are another part I'm not completely happy with. But, as Kyle Reese said, "I didn't build the f*ng thing!" ;) Since I have no idea how to make parts for the program, I'm at the mercy of what they give me.
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    The TIE Advanced X1 (VaderA’s TIE.)

    tie_advanced_wire01.gif?w=590&h=331

    tie_advanced_render01.jpg?w=590&h=331

    tie_advanced_render02.jpg?w=590&h=331

    And the Dark Lord himself.

    vader_render01.jpg?w=590&h=331
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    IA’m getting into uncharted territory here. To my knowledge, thereA’s no Lego kit for this. I built a turret thatA’s similar to the ones on the Death StarA’s surface and in the trench. ItA’s pretty basic but, without being able to really greeble it, thatA’s how itA’s going to stay. IA’m building at least part of the surface and trench, so there will be several of these on there.

    ds_turret_wire01.gif?w=590&h=331

    ds_turret_render01.jpg?w=590&h=331

    Even though itA’s not necessary because this is CGI, the turret is built like it actually would be out of Legos. The parts that should move are built so that they actually would if it was made in the real world. The top is on a 2A—2 turntable brick and the guns are on bricks with hinges on them. The parts rotate as they should. I rigged it in trueSpace so that the top and guns rotate as they should, on their respective moving parts. To illustrate this, I rendered a short animation of it in motion.

    [video=vimeo;34756973]

    ItA’s in 720p, so advise watching it in HD on Vimeo. This rendered very quickly, mostly due to the fact that the Legos arenA’t textured, which means itA’s looking like a good possibility that I might do some Lego SW animations. :)
  • FreakFreak1088 Posts: 4,361Member
    Great little animation.
    With what you have been doing I had to have a look at LeoCad. It a great little program. But finding all the different parts is driving me a little nuts. But I am slowly getting there.
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Thanks Dean. :)
    Freak wrote: »
    It a great little program. But finding all the different parts is driving me a little nuts. But I am slowly getting there.

    Yeah. That about sums it up. ;)
  • anystaranystar0 Posts: 0Member
    when i was modeling legos, i tried out both MLCad and LeoCad too, but ended up just using their parts libraries as guides to model my own parts that i didnt have physical examples of in max.

    i dont remember which was which, but i remember i liked the parts and variety of one program and the modeling ability of the other. hah
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Yeah, there are a bunch of open source Lego programs out there. They all spawned from LDraw.

    Work has started on the bottom of the Death Star Trench. Obviously, this is going to be a much longer build than those Lego sets were.

    ds_trench001.jpg?w=590&h=331

    ds_trench002.jpg?w=590&h=331
  • anystaranystar0 Posts: 0Member
    nice!

    if i can make a suggestion: if you're going to go for a trench... how about that matte of the 'Falcon gettting pulled into a hangar bay. that would look great in Lego, albeit a rather large build.
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Thanks. :)

    Right now I'll be lucky to finish this surface stuff for the Death Star. It's a very big project, as you can see from the images. I have many more details to add do the trench bottom before I can even do the sides.

    The video games LEGO Star Wars II and LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga have that scene you mention in them.
  • captain_millscaptain_mills174 Posts: 0Member
    This thread is amazing! And my kids LOVE it! Just sayin'... :D
  • TralfazTralfaz412 Posts: 846Member
    Very good stuff evil_genius_180.

    I remember as a kid (way back in the 60's) that getting some lego (or clones) was a huge deal for me and my sisters. But back then, you didn't get all the little kits like you can now. We had to use that thing... what's it called... oh yeah! Imagination. Seriously though, Lego is cool and still fun to play with. Just have to wait for some grand kids now. Jeez! Did I just say 'grand kids'? Crap, now I feel really old...

    Al
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    Thanks guys. :D

    @captain_mills: I'm glad your kids love it. :D

    @Tralfaz: I was a '80s kid, but I didn't get any LEGO sets. I got a huge bucket of LEGO knock-offs one year for Christmas and I used to build all kinds of crazy stuff with them. No kits, just imagination. :) The sad part is, the custom sets are just an excuse to charge more than you pay for the bricks in the big LEGO buckets (do they still have those?) and the parts are mostly the same. You'll get a few custom parts, but not enough to make up for the price difference.

    I decided I hated my first turret. Technically, it was pretty accurate to the one in the movie. However, the one in the movie had little greeble bits and painted details, neither of which is an option when one is working with Legos. So, I took some artistic license and made a new turret. After all, it’s not like my Death Star surface details are going to match what was in the movie anyway (neither do the ones in the Lego Star Wars games.)

    ds_turret_wire02.gif?w=590&h=331

    ds_turret_render02.jpg?w=590&h=331

    ds_turret_render03.jpg?w=590&h=331

    Anywho, I’m happy now. Or at least happier, anyway. I’m getting sick, so that’s not a happy thing. :(
  • FreakFreak1088 Posts: 4,361Member
    The New Turrent looks much better.
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