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Other Novakid Tier 1 Ship in Lego 2.0

Discussion in 'Art' started by mccoyed, Jan 23, 2016.

  1. mccoyed

    mccoyed Void-Bound Voyager

    Hi. My name is Evan and I was asked by Chucklefish to build a new version of my Lego Novakid Tier 1 ship for their offices. I will document the process here in this thread and answer questions, take feedback, etc while I go.

    This is the "prototype" version of the ship which I built for myself and showed on Reddit, which caught Tiyuri's attention a little over a month ago. Some of you may have seen it there.

    [​IMG]novakidtier1 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    I have also done some Lego-ified Starbound minifigs:

    [​IMG]starbound races by mccoyed, on Flickr

    I will try to update frequently, but I have a busy schedule so this project is part-time but I really wanted to share my process with you and with Chucklefish as I produce the model.

    A little about me:

    I am 29 years old and I live in Saskatchewan, Canada where I attend University. I have a couple of BAs but am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Education degree with the goal of becoming a high school English teacher. I'm married and I have a daughter, but no pets unless you count our roommate. And we do.

    Anyway, this post will be updated with progress on the build showing the pieces used and the overall design as I go through it. Hopefully it'll be fun for you to check in with it once in a while, even if Lego isn't your thing. I'm a Lego fanatic and I think Starbound's clean, beautiful sprites and imaginative art direction lend themselves well to Lego adaptations.

    Thanks for looking at this. Please refer to the text below this line for marked updates as I continue with the project.

    JAN 22 PROGRESS UPDATE:

    The main reason I'm rebuilding the ship rather than being satisfied with the earlier version is because what I did before was not structurally sound (it would tip over if you breathed too hard at it) and was built to be photographed for fun and then quickly taken apart again. The original is parts intensive, with a count of around 1800 pieces. My plan is to use better, more appropriate pieces and to make sure this iteration is structurally sound and more efficiently designed.

    The main interior area may look very similar to the prototype build, but it's actually very different. Originally I left gaps for the windows by creating a rickety frame of smaller plates. It was an elaborate solution to a problem that is much more easily solved. I wanted the windows, with depth, and a dark background to represent space, which is mostly what you see through the windows in Starbound.

    The first thing to do is figure out how many "studs" across the main interior area of the ship needs to be and to begin putting together a frame. I selected these black pieces to form dimensions of 38x10 studs.

    [​IMG]20160122_151829 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    Then I added a layer of light grey to strengthen the frame and add depth for the windows.

    [​IMG]20160122_152610 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    You can see the result here:

    [​IMG]20160122_153029 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    The way I did the detail and "wall paneling" was good the first time around, so I followed it closely this time:

    [​IMG]20160122_153331 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    This is the mostly finished first step of the ship design. Lots of work to do yet, and looking at this you wouldn't believe it took an hour of tinkering to get the right approach. It's not very many pieces yet and not a complicated design, but sometimes you overthink it (as I did in the first build) and end up with inferior results. This is much better, I think.

    I've also included sketches of the Novakid minifigs I plan to include with the finished ship. I like the male Novakid 'fig a lot (you can tell because I haven't deviated from the design), but I've got two working versions of the female 'fig and some additional ideas. Let me know what you think of these.

    [​IMG]20160122_154549 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    [​IMG]20160122_154736 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    JAN 23 PROGRESS UPDATE:

    Just did a bit today and made my first parts order to be able to complete the border around the interior with a more appropriate shade of green. I've also run out of a few types of pieces I'd like to use as I change the window design from the old version to be cleaner and more structural.

    As seen before, we start with a base and then some layering to make sure there is depth for the windows:

    [​IMG]20160123_145013 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    [​IMG]20160123_150522 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    With another layer details, the wall paneling is mostly complete. Notice the transparent blue tiles I used. Those will be replaced, as will the clear ones, with "dark tinted" versions of the same piece. In the old version, I suspended some 1x2 bricks in a stack behind the visible layer of the model. This was so breakable it was crazy.

    Setting the window tiles against a black plate works the best to get the effect I want and keep the model sturdy. You can see the "regular green" I want to use this time near the 'fig's head. I was unable to add as much detail to that part of the cockpit last time around. You'll also notice the window is much larger and angled more closely to the game art than the old version of the model.

    [​IMG]20160123_152158 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    JAN 30 PROGRESS UPDATE:

    My order arrived! Most of the green bricks I need as well as some gold stuff for later were included in the order. I was able to get back to work and create the first layer of the "bulkhead" section that surrounds the interior of the ship.

    This build requires a lot of plates. These are used to beef up the framing around the interior and to make the plates I've already used more structurally sound:

    [​IMG]20160130_145722 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    Once we have those in place around the ship, we can start building the structures that hold the SNOTed (studs not on top) bulkhead together in a way that creates a smooth effect on the green part.

    [​IMG]20160130_161427 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    After that, we can start attaching the actual bulkhead pieces. A lot of the plates are not going to be visible when the build is more fleshed out. For now, you can see where I've left room to attach more stuff.

    [​IMG]20160130_154602 by mccoyed, on Flickr


    A little more work and the bulkhead is complete except for in places where It's going to be more complex due to other parts of the ship, such as the doors between the cockpit and hold, and parts of the cockpit:

    [​IMG]20160130_163106 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    It's thicker than in the game, but that is a side effect of SNOT techniques and the way Lego pieces are precisely sized. If you think of a plate as having a thickness of "1", then bricks have a thickness of "3 plates" and anything less than that did not fit properly against the smooth plates that comprise the paneling of the interior of the ship.

    Due to the size limitations, minifigs cannot stand or sit on the ship very easily at full profile. They need to be angled, which isn't perfect. I experimented with the original model with making the bulkhead "deeper" so 'figs could more easily be placed, but the effect was poor in terms of shadow on the interior, weight, and piece limitations. In this part of the build, I followed what I did previously pretty closely on the surface, though the way I built up plates on the back end is very different and, I think, better. I also dig this shade of green for the Novakid ship a lot more.

    FEB 5 PROGRESS UPDATE

    I actually did a bit of this earlier in the week before placing another Bricklink order for pieces. Going to need another one before long, but mostly to replace pieces from my own collection that I am using here.

    The first order of business was to begin detailing the cockpit and finishing the main visible structural bits around it:

    [​IMG]20160131_172149 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    I'm much happier with the look of this console than the crappy one I made for the original model. I also like the bulkhead at the front of the cockpit more. However, I wasn't happy with the cowcatcher of the original at all and wanted to improve on it. The version you see above is too shallow, so I had to improve the depth so it would be more even with the visible green bulkhead:

    [​IMG]20160205_161103 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    I also put together the engine greebling stuff from beneath the cockpit. Cannot for the life of me think of a technical term for this stuff. Drive train? Anyway, here's today's work... which took longer than it looks of course! It includes another piece I redesigned from the original. I used light grey previously either because of old concept art or not having the right pieces in "sand green", the color I used before. Now I'm much happier that it's closer to the game:

    [​IMG]20160205_163848 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    Anyway, there's plenty of detailing to be done down there, but I want to finish adding the main elements of the "undercarriage" of the ship first. I will also be including technic bricks so that the ship can be mounted and displayed properly later. Look more another update this weekend!


    FEB 13 PROGRESS UPDATE

    Phew. I really thought I was gonna get more more done last weekend. Fortunately there's a break for a week at my University and I'll have tons of time to work on Lego over the next 8 days or so. I am hoping to have the model more or less finished by the end. I should only have getting Chucklefish's approval before gluing left to do after that.

    Another order came in with more (but probably not all) of the green bricks I'll need for the upper hull of the ship later on.

    [​IMG]20160213_121331 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    Today I continued work on the undercarriage. I may work on it some more later, but I'll probably include it with the next update. The undercarriage has to be massively redesigned from the original model since I used tiny technic pins to hold it together. It was not at all structurally sound.

    I had to redesign the big green plates I made last time because they ended up being too wide to keep any semblance of the proportions of the ship. I'm happier with this design, but it still isn't perfect since the angles should be shallower. Unfortunately, you have to work with the angles Lego provides!

    [​IMG]20160213_131954 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    Then I started to work on redesigning the crank shaft and coupling rods, insofar as the parts on the Novakid ship can be called that... they are a little different from a real train engine after all!

    [​IMG]20160213_132447 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    I also spent way too much time trying to figure out the propulsion thrusters. I'm not sure which of the two propulsion pieces (the plates with the translucent blue pieces attached) to use. Maybe you guys can help me decide?

    [​IMG]20160213_140128 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    My daughter held the ship for me again so that I could photograph the whole shebang. You can see how the major elements of the undercarriage are now coming together. I also kept the technic bricks with the holes in them all along the bottom of the ship so that I can make some pillar-type things to hold it up nice later.

    [​IMG]20160213_141116 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    FEB 15 PROGRESS UPDATE

    Today I finished the structure and detailing of the bottom of the ship. It's a big milestone, because it means a whole section is "finished" and that leaves only two more to go: the rear engine and the top train stuff. I'm really pleased with the cleaner, more stable design too. Hopefully you guys agree that it's better than the old model:

    [​IMG]20160215_170315 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    Detail shots:

    [​IMG]20160215_170320 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    [​IMG]20160215_170327 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    FEB 19 PROGRESS UPDATE

    I actually had an update lined up before but some technology stuff kept me from posting it. Oh well, I'll roll it into today's!

    First off, I finished the main engine:

    [​IMG]20160219_180919 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    You can see that the design is a pretty significant departure from both the original model and the current design of the Tier 1 ship in-game. The reason for this, which basically boils down to the gold rim near the end of the engine being smaller than it should be, is because Lego doesn't currently make any Pearl Gold circular plates, wheels, or anything that is the right width. In Lego studs, the engine is 6x6 and the maximum circular plate or wheel seems to be 4x4. So I ended up compromising.

    Next I worked on the rear of the top portion of the ship. This was a very unstable part in my first model so I've made sure to design for stability this time. Also, I think that this is more accurate than the original model though I've left out the black elements.

    [​IMG]20160219_184554 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    Here's the whole rear portion:

    [​IMG]20160219_185352 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    And here's the whole ship thus far, with a huge mess of Lego around because I'm a messy worker.

    [​IMG]20160219_185400 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    Thanks for looking, as always. I'm maybe 2-3 updates away from being done. I do have to make another parts order because I am running out of green elements. Basic green has lost popularity as a core Lego colour and it's tougher to find pieces in that colour than it used to be. Hopefully I can still finish this model by the end of the month as planned!

    FEB 20 PROGRESS UPDATE

    Worked on what will probably be one of the hardest parts of the model. Last time around, the "railing" on the back top half was a huge pain and I finally settled on something way too flimsy for what I need here. This time, it's far more stable but still doesn't look right. This one element of the build, which is really too connected pieces added in, took hours of tinkering!

    [​IMG]20160220_202702 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    And here it is incorporated to the model itself.

    [​IMG]20160220_203604 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    At this point, I'm running out of green bricks and this is the portion of the build which requires the most! I will need to wait on my most recent Bricklink order before continuing. Probably have another update in a week!

    FEB 28 PROGRESS UPDATE:

    Just a tiny update as I continue to wait for my parts orders to come in. I have two en route which should hopefully provide me with the stuff needed to finish this thing off. This update is all about the little work I can do I while I wait, which is to begin structural plating on the back of the ship.

    Plating, by the way, is using those flat Lego "plate" pieces in layers to give a structure more strength and support. Usually works best with vertical builds as weight keeps the plates nicely together. With this, I'll have to lay the model on its back for a day or two once the plating is done. Well, that's what I'd do normally but I may not have to until after gluing has been done.

    This is the back of the model plated just with what I've needed so far:

    [​IMG]20160228_172632 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    This is it after about 30 minutes of plating, with more to come as I finish off the other sections of the build:

    [​IMG]20160228_175635 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    Once the next parts of the top are done, and the front, I can continue plating in those directions to make sure everything stays nice and connected. This pic should hopefully indicate to the Lego-savvy where and how the next layer of plating will go.

    Hopefully I'll be able to work more on this next week once the orders are in. At the latest, I'll have another big update for next weekend. Fingers crossed, it may be "front complete" by then!

    MAR 5 PROGRESS UPDATE

    So the orders came in and I've finally found some time away from Uni to work on the ship. I plan to blast through the last of the major construction (with only fine-tuning and structural stuff after that) by the end of tomorrow.

    Here's how she's looking now:

    [​IMG]20160305_201333 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    MAR 6 PROGRESS UPDATE (COMPLETION)

    Looks like I'm finally done with the main part of the build. All that's left now is to glue the model wherever it needs it and figure out how to ship it without breaking it! I may also spend some time thinking about ways to improve it as I wait for the last parts of this process to kick in. So I say it's "done" but as long as the model is on my Lego table, I will probably tinker if anything comes to mind. I'll make sure I post pictures of any changes, but for now:

    [​IMG]20160306_154852 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    I also wanted to point out that I managed to deal with the main engine by finding a rare gigantic pearl gold wagon wheel on Bricklink:

    [​IMG]20160306_154904 by mccoyed, on Flickr

    I'm much happier with the way that looks.

    Given infinite Lego of the right colors, I'd still have done a few things differently, but all in all, I'm 1000% more happy with this model than I was with the previous version. This one is much sturdier, much closer to the art asset, and was fun to build.
     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2016
  2. Amnesium

    Amnesium Void-Bound Voyager

    It's actually really well done mate...! :heylisten:
     
    mccoyed likes this.
  3. mccoyed

    mccoyed Void-Bound Voyager

    Thank you. This new version is going to be even better.
     
    Amnesium likes this.
  4. Amnesium

    Amnesium Void-Bound Voyager

    The copper pipes like details are incredible, I wonder how you will top that one up!
    I'm willing to bet on your abilities, though :heylisten:
     
    mccoyed likes this.
  5. mccoyed

    mccoyed Void-Bound Voyager

    There's some parts Lego makes that I didn't have which would work better for some of the piping. I had to cobble it together with lots of small, delicate pieces. I may end up having to duplicate a lot of it for proportion's sake, but I'm hoping to use larger, more solid pieces with better connections. If anything's going to break on this it'll be those parts so I have to make sure it's as I can make it.
     
    Amnesium likes this.
  6. mccoyed

    mccoyed Void-Bound Voyager

    Updated!
     
  7. Vurrunna

    Vurrunna Giant Laser Beams

    Dang, that looks awesome! I've always been a big Lego fan, and it's cool to see it used for Starbound. The coolest part is that you don't seem to have used many custom parts/modifications.

    I'm gonna stick along and see how this finishes up; keep up the good work!
     
    mccoyed likes this.
  8. mccoyed

    mccoyed Void-Bound Voyager

    Thanks. There'll be more progress this weekend. The only custom parts I use are for the minifigs. Everything else is 100% Lego.
     
  9. MrVauxs

    MrVauxs Giant Laser Beams

    that's the best LEGO building in the history of world!!!
     
    mccoyed likes this.
  10. mccoyed

    mccoyed Void-Bound Voyager

    Updated!
     
  11. Slippery Slime

    Slippery Slime Big Damn Hero

    I clicked on this thinking, "It's probably just gonna be some weird green train thing", and then I saw it and was like, "Oh my goodness, that's amazing".

    The detail is incredible, I could have thought that came from a Lego set. Lego pls hire this guy
     
    mccoyed likes this.
  12. bk3k

    bk3k Oxygen Tank

    Pretty neat. Have you ever considered getting a 3d printer to make your own custom parts?

    Maybe that would be cheating as they wouldn't truly be "LEGO." But it does expand the possibilities considerably for this or any project.
     
    mccoyed likes this.
  13. mccoyed

    mccoyed Void-Bound Voyager

    Haha. It is kind of a weird green train thing. Thanks, though. That's a really flattering comment!

    Some out there do that. The custom guns I have the 'figs equipped with come from Brick Warriors, a small company who do that. However, it's difficult to get the precise sizing and dimensions of Lego stuff with 3rd party parts, which is why I never use Megablocks or Kre-O. It just doesn't work as well. Lego's bricks are super well engineered and there's actually a pile of neat tricks you can do with them because of that. This pdf contains a few of the "illegal" and "trick" options available to builders: http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/KimT/Mixed/Instructions/advbuilding.pdf
     
  14. Supernorn

    Supernorn Starbound Artist and Parallax Pixel Pusher Chucklefish

    It's all looking good! I'm enjoying the progress so far! :D
     
    mccoyed likes this.
  15. mccoyed

    mccoyed Void-Bound Voyager

    Lots more coming as I have a week off from school coming up!
     
  16. mccoyed

    mccoyed Void-Bound Voyager

    Updated! I need some help with something too, so check it out and let me know which thruster design I should go with!
     
  17. mccoyed

    mccoyed Void-Bound Voyager

    Updated again!
     
    mollygos likes this.
  18. I'm a sucker for Lego, and having a lot of fun seeing you update your build with your progress. Excited to see how it ends up!
     
    mccoyed likes this.
  19. MitKit

    MitKit Phantasmal Quasar

    I think I like the bigger one more. Also nice lego skills!
     
    mccoyed likes this.
  20. mccoyed

    mccoyed Void-Bound Voyager

    NEW UPDATE

    Thanks a lot. It's very fun to build this, especially trying to improve on the first version. There's a special satisfaction in doing something again and knowing you did a better job.

    Thanks. I think I agree about the thruster!
     
    MitKit likes this.

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