A project I am working on

[Lutraphobiac]

I learned how to use AutoCAD in my engineering course, and I always wanted to use those skills with modeling. I could never get inspired until I came up with an idea. I modeled Legos in Autodesk Inventor. I quickly made many Legos that were to scale and highly detailed.

http://www.pitt.edu/~crm27/files/legoparts.jpg

I then moved on to creating an assembly of my old Lego sets. Here is the cop car I created:

http://www.pitt.edu/~crm27/files/cariso.jpg
http://www.pitt.edu/~crm27/files/carisobottom.jpg

Just wanted to show you guys what I have done. I also am trying to model a lego person, but since I am at college I don't have one for reference. If anyone could help with that then that would be appreciated.

[Pablo]

Very cool. What are you planning to model after the person?

BTW: would reference photos help, or would you need an actual figure in front of you?

[Rijuhn]

I learned how to use AutoCAD in my engineering course, and I always wanted to use those skills with modeling. I could never get inspired until I came up with an idea. I modeled Legos in Autodesk Inventor.


Awesome man! I just finished my second semester of learning AutoCADD 2004 in the fall and now I'm able to take either 3d Studios Max or Autodesk Inventor as technical electives sometime in the future. I'm considering learning both programs for the sake of completion since it'll be 4 semesters or more before I finish up my Associates in Applied Science Degree: Computer Aided Drafting and Design.

[Lutraphobiac]

Reference photos would work. I know a lot of the dimensions off the top of my head so I can estimate.

[moocow]

I hated autocad. For some reason, I really just could NOT get myself to like it. Maybe it was because that particular class was a six hour class on a saturday morning...

Regardless, you're way better with it than I was. Looks cool :)

[Pablo]

http://brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=110796

Google bears strange fruit sometimes...

[Lutraphobiac]

Awesome Pablo. I search for a long time for something like that thanks.

Moocow I am using Autodesk Inventor, and it is alot easier to use than AutoCAD. I didn't like it either, but when I used Inventor I got into it. If you want to go for Art then there is probably other programs you can use. Including Rhino 3D and 3D studio max.

[vegeta1215]

Doesn't Lego make a computer program that lets you build stuff virtually with any piece you want? I'm sure I something like that in a store once.

Either way, cool mockups. Legos are awesome.

[Lone Wolf]

Nice work, Looks very good. I plan to get into computer design myself, or film.

[Flash Man]

MLCAD (http://www.lm-software.com/mlcad/)

I've messed with MLCAD before, but not AutoCAD itself when making Legos.

[Lutraphobiac]

Heh, I knew there were programs out there. I ENJOY modeling these things from the ground up, so I have never thought of trying to find them. I am working on a pretty big project right now. I am modeling Darth Vader's TIE fighter. It is going to take modeling about 60 new parts. It is not as bad as it sounds though. I can model these thing pretty quickly now. For example, here it is what I did last night:
http://www.pitt.edu/~crm27/files/new.jpg

This will be a very colorfull TIE fighter.

[Flash Man]

I could not handle making every little lego piece for that. If I were to make something I would make the actual thing rather than out of legos. I can use AutoCAD, but personally I like Rhinoceros 3d better. I am sure that AutoCAD is much more powerful especially with its LISP scripting. It is what I use at school for Drafting, but mainly I just sit around zooming in and out and panning around the same drawing the whole period.

[me2]

cool idea, but didn't JJ do a mock up like this before? some premium member search please.

[Lutraphobiac]

I took the liberty of searching. (I ordered by topic starter, and found JJ's posts.)

http://www.armageddongames.net/showthread.php?t=81594

That is a cool idea. I would be willing to program that when I learn programming.

[ZTC]

wow, I'm impressed, that's an excellent job :D