[PolarBear53]

So in science we are making rovers out of legos and they have little computers and motors and we mount a camera on them and we put them up in the attic and run them from real computers, and my job is to make a video of our lego, so i'd thought i'd do some lightwave in it.

So originaly i was thinking to just model the pieces in modeler then go to layout and load each peace and build with it, but then i found a few programs. I use ldraw and mlcad(user interface) and basicaly i just build legos with this cad program and then export it to lightwave, which is much easier. (i would have liked to model it because then it's all me making it, but no need to make it harder than it has to be).

[PolarBear53]

So this is our light sensor unit(the blue thing) it has to move up and down and out and in so thats the reason for all the gears. But the thing is, this is just a little bit of the whole thing, so i'm going to be having a few problems.


Problems
(1) These pictures are 100,000 polygons in that object, and the exporter i use is pretty efficient with the use of polygons, and i really REALLY like the look of radiosity, i'm gonna be setting up a render farm of 5 computers if i can but i don't think that will be enoguh, so does anyone have any tips for this?

(2) Each peice is it's own object so is there a way to change the reflection on each one, because when i want to use hdri for reflections the default for the peices is 40%, and there are to many pieces to change and tweak to what i need, so how do i change a lot at once


Maybe Problems
(1) I need to learn expressions, i am planning on animating it, but i don't think i will animate the gears, just the wheels when i move it (remember, not full rover in this picture) so i was thinking i could just parent everything together (when i export it actually creates a scene with everything parented for the part of the rover i save(since i will make it in pieces)) and then use expressions to rotate the wheel

(2) This is just a thought, but since every lego is it's own object, i think at the end i will have it fall apart or blow up and have all the pieces go everywhere

[PolarBear53]

Here is a wireframe of it in layout, i suppose the nubs are a little high poly, but i think the mesh is pretty much as optomized as it can be.

[PolarBear53]

quickshade

[PolarBear53]

realistic with 2 point lights, i think i might just end up using area lights and the spinning light trick to fake radiosity. But i still like the radiosity.

[colto]

Wow ploarbear, looks great!

[simple]

Hi polarbear, heres an idea for you will make things alot easier,
have two scenes, one with the lego coming together and after separating, and another scen with all objects put into the same layer except the wheels.

With the wheels make three wheels a follower to one wheel. the back two to follow the pitch angle and the front to follow the pitch and heading.

This allows you to animate one wheel that dictaes the rest of them.

Then when thats done, render out the scene where everything come together and breaks apart, cut it into two parts and just stick the animated buggy scene in the middle of them lmao.

Think that sounds confusing but, it is the easier way to do this.


As for reflections looking at your renders you only have about 5 materials so just make several object the same object and that will sort the reflection problem.

Hope this helps and not confuses things .

[PolarBear53]

Our drive system is really, really different, i'll post a picture of it when i make it tomarrow.

And i'll make everything one object.


*** EDIT


Actually, how do you save like 20 objects as one?

[simple]

Just export the objects back into modeller. Or select all the objects and export, think that might work too.

[PolarBear53]

1 million polys in this picture, i still have to put the tools on it.



But on the bright side, i might just be able to use the computer lab to render this, so maybe 20 pentium 4's for me. :p

[BlackClaw]

brilliant - i always love lego renders, brings back so much nostalgia!

one point though, i had a look at my lego (still stashed away) and the bricks look fairly shiny, so you might want to factor in that, apart from that minor point, looks amazing!!