Astroboy in Lego

[DrFrag]

Yeah I don't know what happened with that post, I couldn't edit it either.

[Ray_the_canadian]

The color and everything look just like him, its going awesome. Nice going dude, hope to see it finished soon.

[Dragonrider1227]

That's awesome! I love Lego models. I hope to see this finished soon.

[DrFrag]

I've rebuilt his pants so the construction is smoother, stronger, and uses less bricks. I ended up using only 493 black bricks, which surprised me because his legs used 736 tan bricks.

I've reached his neck.


What I'll do is construct some vertical stacks to guide the curves up his torso, like the two struts you can see going up his back. Then build it more solid and interlocking following those guide towers, but still rough. After that I smooth things out with 1x1 bricks in the rough steps. Then I record the structure with Paint Shop Pro (using layers and a 1x1 grid), dismantle it, then reassemble an optimised version.

His chest cavity is a bit of a headache at the moment, because I don't have enough dark bluish-grey bricks for the backing. I've used yellow and black for the moment. But once you have a large Lego structure built, it's hard to change individual pieces that are deeply embedded. I'll probably focus on his chest cavity for a little while and get that done, then I can finish the work on his torso without any unnecessary dismantling.

[tic_tac_astro]

Awesome!
Keep up the good work!

[jeffbert]

Originally posted by DrFrag@Sep 8 2005, 12:57 AM
I've rebuilt his pants so the construction is smoother, stronger, and uses less bricks. I ended up using only 493 black bricks, which surprised me because his legs used 736 tan bricks.

I've reached his neck.


What I'll do is construct some vertical stacks to guide the curves up his torso, like the two struts you can see going up his back. Then build it more solid and interlocking following those guide towers, but still rough. After that I smooth things out with 1x1 bricks in the rough steps. Then I record the structure with Paint Shop Pro (using layers and a 1x1 grid), dismantle it, then reassemble an optimised version.

His chest cavity is a bit of a headache at the moment, because I don't have enough dark bluish-grey bricks for the backing. I've used yellow and black for the moment. But once you have a large Lego structure built, it's hard to change individual pieces that are deeply embedded. I'll probably focus on his chest cavity for a little while and get that done, then I can finish the work on his torso without any unnecessary dismantling.

Its time for me to be annoying: "I've rebuilt his pants so the construction is smoother, stronger, and uses less bricks."

You should use fewer rather than less in this instance. less is appropriate for single things, such as "Less LEGO," "less Money," etc. Do not ask me why, I only know this is so.

Anyway, in re to your painstaking rebuilding of this model. I had been doing such things myself, building first using unsound techniques in order to design what I would build later using proper techniques. I suggest using a modular technique. Make the model in sections. This has several benefits:

• 1. Changing one section can be done without rebuilding the whole thing. The key is that you must make the interfaces between sections remain the same.
• 2. It makes rebuilding it also easier (in the event it has an accident).
• 3. It makes storage & transport easier.

It does have a few drawbacks:

• 1. Models are usually heavier & hence use more bricks.
• 2. As you already have built the lower portions, you might want to make that one module while making smaller modules for the rest.

Technic parts are needed to assemble most modular systems that I build. I use axels & bricks with axel holes to make slot & tab assemblies. You could hollow the model from the waist down, & build the chest to sit inside the belt, etc.

[Astro Forever]

DrFrag, would it be possible to build the head by itself, starting from the dimentions of the neck?

I can't wait to see how you manage to build the points! I don't know what I'd do.

Originally posted by jeffbert@Sep 8 2005, 11:13 AM
Its time for me to be annoying: "I've rebuilt his pants so the construction is smoother, stronger, and uses less bricks."

You should use fewer rather than less in this instance. less is appropriate for single things, such as "Less LEGO," "less Money," etc. Do not ask me why, I only know this is so.

It wasn't annoying to me, at least: I've learned something new today!

I spend so much time writing in English that I even had a dream in English! It was a first for me!

[fafner]

Originally posted by Astro forever@Sep 8 2005, 06:52 PM
DrFrag, would it be possible to build the head by itself, starting from the dimentions of the neck?

I can't wait to see how you manage to build the points! I don't know what I'd do.

I think now is the time for DrFrag to say "Damned! I didn't think about the points "

I spend so much time writing in English that I even had a dream in English! It was a first for me!

I had my first dream in English at a time when I didn't know how to speak English I can't say whether the sentences actually meant something though

[Astro Forever]

Originally posted by fafner+Sep 8 2005, 01:53 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (fafner @ Sep 8 2005, 01:53 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>I think now is the time for DrFrag to say "Damned! I didn't think about the points "[/b]

LOL! Well if he can't manage to do a decent head, he could claim that it was stolen by the queen of Peligro Island!

Not that I think it will happen, of course!

If I was doing it, Astro's eyes would probably look like Christopher's:


<!--QuoteBegin--fafner@Sep 8 2005, 01:53 PM
I had my first dream in English at a time when I didn't know how to speak English I can't say whether the sentences actually meant something though [/quote]
To me it wouldn't have been a dream, it would have been a nightmare!

[DrFrag]

Anyway, in re to your painstaking rebuilding of this model. I had been doing such things myself, building first using unsound techniques in order to design what I would build later using proper techniques. I suggest using a modular technique. Make the model in sections. This has several benefits:

It's pseudo-modular at the moment, simply because I haven't pressed the main sections together. I'll think about making it modular, as I would be able to pack it away if I ever need to move/store it.

DrFrag, would it be possible to build the head by itself, starting from the dimentions of the neck?

Not very easily. I'm going to go by the general dimensions of the body. Since it's such a difficult part (especially the points) I think I'll model it with 3D software. I have a programme that will import 3D models into voxels then export the structure to Lego CAD.

I'm going to order some more bricks today.