Instructions
Paul Gyugyi
Build-a-Rabbit LEGO models using the VIVID ray tracer.
It's a small model, with 23 more-or-less standard pieces.
There's a picture of the main model, with four smaller images
along the side for the steps in building the model.
Total ray-tracing computation time was less than 15 minutes,
with rough drafts taking only 45 seconds (on a 486DX2-66).
A 256 color gif is in
earthsea.stanford.edu:~ftp/pub/lego/images/vivid/legorabt.gif
If you are interested in using these programs to create your own
professional-looking instructions, send me email and I'd
be more than happy to pass along the description files.
A MS-DOS machine is required to generate the images, although I'd
be willing to generate them if you send the definition file.
--
Paul J. Gyugyi
Grad student, control systems, Stanford University
Die Kybernetten: Niemand weiss was die zukunft bringt. -Kraftwerk
gyu...@isl.Stanford.EDU
Paul Gyugyi
|> I've drawn up instructions for building one of the alternate
|> Build-a-Rabbit LEGO models using the VIVID ray tracer.
I thought I'd post the source file for the image, using a language
I've designed for entering lego set descriptions. The language
assumes two "control points" are defined for each lego brick, points
A and B. For all the standard bricks, point A is at the socket below
the corner stud, like so for a 2x4 brick (seen from above):
2x4 brick 1x4 brick 4x4 brick 2x2 ramp
# # # # # # #
# # ^ y # # # # #
# # | # # # # # | | <-sloped surface
A B ---> x A (B) A B # # A B
For the skinny bricks (1xN), point B is where it would be if the brick
were 2 wide. For 2xN ramped bricks, A and B are under the two studs.
I usually start with a baseplate, with A at 1,1,0 and B at 2,1,0.
In the image rabbit.gif, A would be the corner closest to the viewer,
and B would be 1 stud back and a little to the right. Height is specified
as X:Y, with X the number of bricks and Y the number of flats. 0:3 == 1:0.
The description file for rabbit.gif was:
/* rabbit description file */
/* step 1 */
green f6x8 a:1,1,0 b:2,1,0
yellow f2x4 a:3,3,0:1 b:4,3,0:1
yellow b2x2 a:3,4,0:2 b:4,4,0:2
yellow f2x4 a:3,3,1:2 b:4,3,1:2
red r2x2 a:3,5,2 b:4,5,2
red r2x2 a:4,4,2 b:3,4,2
blue f2x2 a:3,4,3 b:4,4,3
/* step 2 */
red f1x2 a:3,4,3:1 b:4,4,3:1
yellow f1x3 a:4,2,3:2 b:5,2,3:2
yellow f1x3 a:4,5,3:2 b:5,5,3:2
yellow f1x1 a:4,2,3:1 b:5,2,3:1
yellow f1x1 a:4,7,3:1 b:5,7,3:1
/* step 3 */
yellow f2x2 a:3,4,4 b:4,4,4
/* step 4 */
r_face r2x3 a:4,5,4:1 b:4,4,4:1
/* final step */
yellow f1x4 a:4,1,4:2 b:5,1,4:2
yellow f1x4 a:4,5,4:2 b:5,5,4:2
white d1x1 a:4,3,5 b:5,3,5
white d1x1 a:4,6,5 b:5,6,5
white d1x1 a:2,4,4 b:3,4,4
white d1x1 a:2,5,4 b:3,5,4
yellow u1x3 a:4,1,4:1 b:5,1,4:1
yellow u1x3 a:4,8,4:1 b:3,8,4:1
I hope you can follow this and get a flavor of how not-too-hard
is it to describe models. The bricks are named as @MxN, with
@ = b for standard bricks, f for flats, s for smooth flats (no studs),
d for dots (round 1x1 flats), c for cylinders (round 1x1 bricks),
r for ramps, and u for undercut or inverted ramp bricks.
Send me your instructions in this format, and I'll render them
for you.
Side note: this concept of control points applies to Technic,
but it will be a while before I have the ability to handle
the complicated geometry.
--
Paul J. Gyugyi
Grad student, control systems, Stanford University
LEGGO Waffles, a breakfast you can build!
gyu...@isl.Stanford.EDU