Do You MOC?

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Mantisking
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Do You MOC?

Post by Mantisking » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:08 am

As the title reads.

So when do you sit down to build?
How do you work on things?
I know up 'til recently I primarily built while sorting, putting random pieces together until something "clicked".

Do you build from scratch or use something as inspiration?
Recently -- thanks mainly to posts on Zeekhotep's blog -- I've been using pictures of mecha from Armored Core as inspiration for things I'm trying to build. Once or twice, I've actually sat down with graph paper and done a few preliminary sketches for some of my creations.

How often do you build?
I go through periods where I don't touch the bricks, but I still acquire sets and parts for later building sessions. I'd say in the last month or so I've been on a tear of sorting or building.

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Re: Do You MOC?

Post by NIGELTTF » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:57 am

So when do you sit down to build?
How do you work on things?


I have an idea of the type of building I am going for. I first get out the Baseplate or baseplates I'll need and then maybe build the foundation. I figure out what is going to be the hardest part to put together and try to work it out be scanning over my sorted suff. Keep working on that hard bit(or bits) till Ive got them more or less licked. Figure out the primary colors and get tubs of those color basic brick out of storage. Also get what I call my "usual suspects" storagedrawers. I have these drawers sorted by color, and in them in compartments are the small basic parts in that color, like 1X2 plates, or 1 X 2 negative slopes 45 degree.

Do you build from scratch or use something as inspiration?

I look at pictures of that kind of building, era...function, and while not copying exactly, attempt to get the feel of a mix of them

How often do you build?

Not as often as I like, so much time is taken up by household chores....and sorting. I'm going mad from sorting.

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Re: Do You MOC?

Post by legitimatealex » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:03 am

So when do you sit down to build?
How do you work on things?


I sit down to build whenever inspiration strikes. Just try out whatever is in my head and if that doesn't work I find another way to do it. I try to be a minimalist when building.

Do you build from scratch or use something as inspiration?

Largely from inspiration. I see a new technique I wasn't aware of, so I try utilizing it somehow. I acquire a new piece from a set I recently bought and I want to work it in somewhere. I also challenge my gf sometimes and we pull out a drawer of random LEGO bricks and see who can build the best creation from whatever is in the drawer. That's always a blast because it's a limited amount of pieces and there's no preset notion of what to build.

How often do you build?

I build a whole slew of little creations but if I want anything that requires a full size base plate I work about an hour at a time over a longer period.
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Playing with LEGO when I can. Where does the time go?

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Re: Do You MOC?

Post by vynsane » Fri Sep 17, 2010 1:18 pm

So when do you sit down to build?
I get infrequent times where I can actually just sit down with a bunch of bricks. Usually I will make the time if I have a solid idea of what I want to build and know I have the pieces necessary.

How do you work on things?
I actually do a lot of designing in LDD first, due to the lack of time to sit down with bricks in the real world. As a webdesigner/programmer I have a computer in front of me at all times, so it's easier for me to fire up LDD than drag out my parts bins. I also feel like I have a dearth of pieces (although that could be an effect of them being put in bins under my desk, more than an actual lack of parts) so LDD helps me play with an infinite palette - truly my imagination (and LEGO's parts selection) are my only limits. I then use a java jar file that pulls an inventory of pieces used and upload it to Bricklink as an XML want list.

Do you build from scratch or use something as inspiration?
I need some sort of inspiration. I don't think I've ever built something just out of nothing - but it's a misleading question, as inspiration can come from the oddest places, and sometimes completely unbeknownst to the builder.

I think, however, the question is more of direction - do you have a direction, a goal in mind, or do you start building and let it just become something? I need a specific goal in mind. So far, when I've built, I have a goal and I set out to accomplish it. I wanted to build a speeder bike, so I built one. I wanted to build a flying car, so I built one. The next build I'm currently working on in the digital phase is a pirate starfighter, loosely based on the Turanic Raiders from Homeworld (see Homeworld Shipyards for more info - it's going to be akin to the "Bandit" class Interceptor) with a little bit of Reaver influence (from Firefly).

How often do you build?
Not nearly as often as I'd like, though through LDD I can design all the time.
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Re: Do You MOC?

Post by Mantisking » Thu Sep 23, 2010 2:41 pm

vynsane wrote:I then use a java jar file that pulls an inventory of pieces used and upload it to Bricklink as an XML want list.
Interesting.
vynsane wrote:I need some sort of inspiration. I don't think I've ever built something just out of nothing - but it's a misleading question, as inspiration can come from the oddest places, and sometimes completely unbeknownst to the builder.
That's a fair point.
vynsane wrote:I think, however, the question is more of direction - do you have a direction, a goal in mind, or do you start building and let it just become something? I need a specific goal in mind. So far, when I've built, I have a goal and I set out to accomplish it.
I think I swap between vague goals and specific ones. Except when I'm throwing random pieces together after I've opened a set.
vynsane wrote:Not nearly as often as I'd like, though through LDD I can design all the time.
I feel the same way.

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Re: Do You MOC?

Post by dr_spock » Thu Sep 23, 2010 8:20 pm

So when do you sit down to build?

When I feel creativity.

How do you work on things?

I plan it in my head and then snap bricks together and see where it takes me.

Do you build from scratch or use something as inspiration?

Mostly scratch build.

How often do you build?

Not very frequently. I go through cycles of creativity and dry spells.

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