SketchyPhysics Lego space vehicle - remix

I've made a Lego Mobile Rocket Transport (#6950) in Google SketchUp and SketchyPhysics2.

SketchUp is 3d modeling program and SketchyPhysics is a plug-in for it which does physics simulation.

Version 2 of SketchyPhysics allows you to control certain types of joints by moving sliders on the screen. (You'll see that interface several times throughout the video in the small window on the lower-right.)

The first part demonstrates which joints of the vehicle and minifigs can be controlled, then we have some fun driving it around and crashing into things. Sometimes it would get stuck and I'd have to wiggle the rear wheels a bit to get it unstuck. Or you can pull it with the mouse but that can be tricky because it can easily go tumbling out of control.

An interesting part was trying to unload the rocket using just the servo controls -- no cheating! (around 1:58)

Each part of the video is sped up, sometimes by up to 600%, because the realtime simulation's framerate can be very slow.

I had to make some small changes so I've re-uploaded this video.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Lego
• SketchUp
• SketchyPhysics
• physics
• Classic
• Space

[Jamavamo]

Great job. Did you design the lego parts in Sketchup, or did you import them from an other program?

I've build many cars in Ldraw and I use LDview to export these as 3DS-files, wich I can import to Sketchup. Is there an easier way, because now I have many extra lines in every part I don't need.

[TubaFrog]

@Jamavamo Most of the parts are remodeled in Sketchup so that I could keep the polygon count very low.

There was some kind of Sketchup plugin to import LDraw files. I used that to bring the parts in but they were too complex for use in animation, so I would just use those as a guide, modeling a new version right over it (to get the dimensions right).

Most parts didn't have to be very detailed so it was easy enough to make simplistic, blocky versions. A few parts are the imported LDraw models.

[Jamavamo]

@TubaFrog: Thank you for answering my question. So if you import seperate parts and remodel them, you could build a library of Lego-components and then you can build Lego-models in Sketchup. I'll try, thank you.

[Genuesso]

very good!..

[Maclman1]

NICE!!

[Brassorrery]

I have that set. Awesome job sir.

[jodelahithit]

How do you make it go that smooth?

plz answer!

[TheGreatSteve]

Heads look wrong and no studs but otherwise brilliant.

[JimboVids]

Dude, this is so awsome. Nobody realizes how much work you have involved unless they have the software

[ThatLegoBuilder]

THE LITTLE TINY SPACEMEN ARE COMING IN THEIR LASER CAR TO KILL US ALL!!!!