[TC5] Technic C-Model Contest - Information Topic

[Erik Leppen]

The thing about this though, is that it makes the model look better, without making the model better. So it skewes the perception. In the end, the people at a disadvantage are those who don't do this. If you want the better pictures, without putting people at an advantage (or a disadvantage), I think this could only happen if someone would offer editing the pictures of other people's entries. Then one has the best of both worlds.

Then again, as long as it's merely this I can't make too much of a point out of it really ;)

[Omikron]

I'm looking at my technic collection and there is no set below 800 parts. So basically 5000$+ of lego is worthless since I cannot participate. Why this restriction is necessary? It's very unfriendly. You either must buy a new set or cannot participate.

[Milan]

I'm looking at my technic collection and there is no set below 800 parts. So basically 5000$+ of lego is worthless since I cannot participate. Why this restriction is necessary? It's very unfriendly. You either must buy a new set or cannot participate.

Can you complete some smaller set yourself manually using some of it 5000$+ of LEGO?

[Omikron]

Can you complete some smaller set yourself manually using some of it 5000$+ of LEGO?

Currently that's against the rules. I have nothing against buying small sets, they just never interested me. The problem that I see here is that people in my condition must pay to get in while others don't. Which is wrong.

Edited October 18, 2014 by Omikron

[Milan]

Currently that's against the rules.

No it is not, at least according to post #41

[_Cookie_]

Currently that's against the rules. I have nothing against buying small sets, they just never interested me. The problem that I see here is that people in my condition must pay to get in while others don't. Which is wrong.

If you can manage to find all pieces of an existing set in the same color, then you basically own/have the set and are allowed to use it.

The only difference would be that lego didn't sell it in the same box to you... but such a rule would be absurd.

Edit: Damn Set 42021 and 42022... point landing on the part limit (looked up on brickset)

Edited October 18, 2014 by _Cookie_

[Alasdair Ryan]

Currently that's against the rules. I have nothing against buying small sets, they just never interested me. The problem that I see here is that people in my condition must pay to get in while others don't. Which is wrong.

Like the others have said if you have all the parts in the same color (I would not worry about the stickers) and the over all part count of that model is 600 or under you can use it to make a model to enter the contest.

[PhyBuilder]

Omikron: use Rebrickable.com. Create an account, enter your sets and then use the "Build" button. Filter for Technic between 2005 and 2014, official sets only, part count between 0 and 600. You'll be surprised of the number of sets with 90% match in parts or more...

[hrontos]

Thank you Jim for organizing another great contest.

I especially like how you managed to define the rule about set to be used as a base. Nobody has to buy anything particular and can use any set from last 9 years. This makes it really open to anybody while still being C-model contest.

Concerning the presentation pictures I suggest LDD or LDRAW screenshots in entry topic with a link to digital model file. Of course, model topic should included standard photos. Just to follow the "no digital entries" rule. Digital model pictures have at least 2 benefits: 1. all participants will have equal quality of the model presentation regardless of their camera and photoshoping skils. 2. digital file will allow checking building technique and also prove that it is really a C model. 600 parts is not that many to build the model also in a digital tool.

[Milan]

Concerning the presentation pictures I suggest LDD or LDRAW screenshots in entry topic with a link to digital model file.

Same as photoshop skills, your suggestion forces people to use ldd or ldraw skills, something that not all guys are prepared to, nor they even know how. I am great in mlcad, but dont know to work in ldd, for example.

[Jeroen Ottens]

Thank you Jim for organizing another great contest.

I especially like how you managed to define the rule about set to be used as a base. Nobody has to buy anything particular and can use any set from last 9 years. This makes it really open to anybody while still being C-model contest.

Concerning the presentation pictures I suggest LDD or LDRAW screenshots in entry topic with a link to digital model file. Of course, model topic should included standard photos. Just to follow the "no digital entries" rule. Digital model pictures have at least 2 benefits: 1. all participants will have equal quality of the model presentation regardless of their camera and photoshoping skils. 2. digital file will allow checking building technique and also prove that it is really a C model. 600 parts is not that many to build the model also in a digital tool.

Same as photoshop skills, your suggestion forces people to use ldd or ldraw skills, something that not all guys are prepared to, nor they even know how. I am great in mlcad, but dont know to work in ldd, for example.

And don't forget that you can make beautiful renders of digital models as well, so there the photoshop-effect-debate can be started as well.

For me the rules of the model-team contest are fine (allow for more than one photo). Even with my un-edited photos I received enough points to be happy .

[hrontos]

Same as photoshop skills, your suggestion forces people to use ldd or ldraw skills, something that not all guys are prepared to, nor they even know how. I am great in mlcad, but dont know to work in ldd, for example.

Yes, I agree, that it asks for additional skills. But to learn for example LDD, which is a tool designed for kids, is much easier than to learn how to make nice photos and how to retouch them in Photoshop or similar advanced tools. And moreover, it allows to check if it is really a C-model.

And don't forget that you can make beautiful renders of digital models as well, so there the photoshop-effect-debate can be started as well.

For me the rules of the model-team contest are fine (allow for more than one photo). Even with my un-edited photos I received enough points to be happy .

Renders are something I did not mentioned. I suggested LDD or LDRAW screenshots, since good renders are again dificult to make and require advanced skils.

[Omikron]

Omikron: use Rebrickable.com. Create an account, enter your sets and then use the "Build" button. Filter for Technic between 2005 and 2014, official sets only, part count between 0 and 600. You'll be surprised of the number of sets with 90% match in parts or more...

Thank you, that would save a lot of time!

[Jim]

If you can manage to find all pieces of an existing set in the same color, then you basically own/have the set and are allowed to use it.

Exactly

Okay guys, I have removed the rule about the promotional image. From now on I will let you make one or more images and an optional (single) video.

I understand that we need to emphasize on building skills instead of presentation skills.

HOWEVER....we can't avoid that person A will make better pictures than person B. At the end of the day a mediocre model with great pictures won't beat a great model with mediocre pictures.

I totally agree with Appie:

"I don't see why a result in LEGO BUILDING contest should be influenced by my photoshop skills. That's a Lego+photoshop contest, not just a Lego contest."

A suggestion: all photos in the entry topic should be real life photos with no manipulating. This would make the contest more fair. You can search for good backround, or make it, use your photo skills. You can combine with lighting, etc, but edited pictures isn't fair imho. Captions/subtiltles are ok.

Basically you are saying that you need to make a real life photo with no manipulating.....but creating a background is okay, and doing some lighting is okay, and captions and subtitles are okay. That everything what has been done in the Mini Contest. I don't see the difference.

All of the photos in the Mini Contest were actual pictures.

Take this picture for example:

Real photos. Only combined to a single image, showing the functions.

But like I said; I do get your sentiment. When you are not able to make an image like this in Photoshop, you feel that you have less chance of winning.

So I won't limit the entry topic to a single promotional image.

My question to you guys is; should we allow an image like this?

[_Cookie_]

I guess the above "Supercar" presentation image is very doable. Even with zero knowledge, a small youtube video showing how to add a picture in a picture should be fine.

In terms of software... "gimp" is free (hmm, for something like that even paint should work).

[Jim]

I can also recommend Paint.net. It's free and easy to use.

[Jim]

Whatever your decision Jim: thanks for putting so much of your personal time. Those contests really make the forum live, thank you.

Thanks for the kind words! I know you all like it, myself included. That's why I keep up with all of your funny questions about the rules

[Tamas Juhasz]

Basically you are saying that you need to make a real life photo with no manipulating.....but creating a background is okay, and doing some lighting is okay, and captions and subtitles are okay. That everything what has been done in the Mini Contest. I don't see the difference.

All of the photos in the Mini Contest were actual pictures.

Real photos. Only combined to a single image, showing the functions.

Maybe you misunderstood me. Creating backround and lighting is ok in reality, but not with softwares. I understand under background creating for example a big paper sheet, to get homogene background. Lighting: with lamps, with settings in your camera, etc. What I mean, is a non after-edited picture, and captions are exceptions. In the mini contest were some example of more or less manipulated photos:

http://s8.postimg.or...ni_Contest2.jpg

http://abload.de/img...hkopiekoe2b.jpg

https://farm6.static...7bc2e51b5_b.jpg

https://farm3.static...2c7f36878_b.jpg

BUT:

I also like the idea "Enhancing yes, morphing no". I just made a suggestion, to concentrate more on non-edited pictures, and I'm happy that you appreciate it.

To answer the question: yes, we should allowe an image like the mini supercar has.

Last but not least, thanks for organizing this great contest.

Edited October 18, 2014 by Mbmc

[Captainowie]

Creating backround and lighting is ok in reality, but not with softwares.

But then you're giving the advantage to people with access to good quality cameras and studio lighting setups etc. All of which costs serious money. At least the digital manipulation can be done on hardware you already have (you're reading this, right? [and don't tell me you have a smart phone but no access at all to a desktop]) and at no cost (The Gimp, paint.net, etc).

[deehtha]

What about alternate pieces in the correct color.

For instance: and

or the less obvious

and

[JaseTJ]

Dangit. Apparently I have no Technic sets from 2005-present, and the set I was thinking of that I picked up at a Goodwill was a Creator set... *sniff* Honestly, if I thought I had a chance, I'd probably go pick up a set from Walmart :P But considering I have 0 sets and 0 experience building Technic stuff, really... Yeaaaah. Good luck to all, though.

[Alasdair Ryan]

What about alternate pieces in the correct color.

I do think this may sound unfair to some people but I think you should use the same part mold/design that came in the set.

Dangit. Apparently I have no Technic sets from 2005-present, and the set I was thinking of that I picked up at a Goodwill was a Creator set... *sniff* Honestly, if I thought I had a chance, I'd probably go pick up a set from Walmart :P But considering I have 0 sets and 0 experience building Technic stuff, really... Yeaaaah. Good luck to all, though.

There are no rules against us helping you make your entry,in fact it would be good if we can say that we got another person into lego technic.

Edited October 19, 2014 by Alasdair Ryan

[zux]

What about alternate pieces in the correct color.

For instance: and

or the less obvious

and

You can always check BL if set had alternate parts.

[Captainowie]

You can always check BL if set had alternate parts.

A good point. I bought two Unimogs in the same weekend (one from a vendor at a LEGO show and another from ebay) a few years ago, and I've just discovered that one of them has the old triangles and one has the new.

I would also suggest that the two different types of 16t gears should be interchangable.

Owen.

[Jim]

To make things a bit less complicated, I will go easy on the "different molds issue", okay?

And I have been thinking about the presentation matter; should we allow editing pictures? If not, there will still be a difference in pictures, since some of you have a professional camera and others don't. Some of you have professional lighting, and others don't. There will always be a difference in presentation, unless a single person rebuilds all the MOCs and shoots pictures.

We can avoid the "box type presentation", so no artificial backgrounds. I don't mind clearing the background and/or doing some minor enhancements (not changing part color or something like that).

Which pretty much boils down to PhyBuilder's Enhancing yes, Morphing (which I will call manipulating) no.

Examples of enhancing (allowed):

Remove (part of) the background to have it equally coloured

Adjust brightness and contrast

Examples of manipulating (disallowed)

Background replacements

Additional logo's

Where shall I put the next two things?

- Annotations?

- Composite images (two or more images combined)?