[TC8] Technic Crane Contest - Information Topic

[Lipko]

It would be awesome to enter, but with my building tempo and no part limit in the contest, I can't join...

[dr_spock]

Would making a crane out of a bird crane be considered a fantasy crane under the contest rules?

[Jim]

Ca I use my android Sony smartphone as a bluetooth controller to NXT? 'cause just don't have more remote control things:(I

Sorry, I have found a solution to that problem.

Don't know what Milan thinks, but controling the crane via a Smart Phone, using Mindstorms or SBrick, is fine by me.

Would making a crane out of a bird crane be considered a fantasy crane under the contest rules?

I guess that would indeed be considered fantasy.

[Milan]

Would making a crane out of a bird crane be considered a fantasy crane under the contest rules?

While this idea is clearly unique, it is also clearly fantasy. Except maybe in Flintstones universe :)

[Victor Imaginator]

Would making a crane out of a bird crane be considered a fantasy crane under the contest rules?

I can imagine real crane-looking crane that was maked for advertisement puprose by some heavy machinery manufacturer... But the main puprose of this construction will be advertisement, not hoisting/lifting)

Nice to see new contest) I'm going on vacation, so far from lego, but i will return and join. Never builded a crane before. it will be fun)

[Milan]

Nice to see new contest) I'm going on vacation, so far from lego, but i will return and join. Never builded a crane before. it will be fun)

And challenging, but that is the point.

[JamesJT]

In order to stop people building huge and amazing trucks with suspension, trailers, RC gearboxes, multiple axel steering but with a tiny crane on the back, I wondered if there should be a "the crane must be more than a 50% of the total parts used" rule.

My idea has a hoist as the centre piece but it will be about 30% of the total parts (I can adapt if needed). I would guess that only about 30% of the parts in 42009 are the crane so that would not be allowed in TC8(?)

[Jim]

In order to stop people building huge and amazing trucks with suspension, trailers, RC gearboxes, multiple axel steering but with a tiny crane on the back, I wondered if there should be a "the crane must be more than a 50% of the total parts used" rule.

My idea has a hoist as the centre piece but it will be about 30% of the total parts (I can adapt if needed). I would guess that only about 30% of the parts in 42009 are the crane so that would not be allowed in TC8(?)

There's no percentage limit. Simply follow the stated rules and you'll do fine. The main purpose of the 42009 is hoisting, so it's considered a crane, and would be allowed.

[Milan]

If you are building mobile crane, there is nothing wrong if you try to capture cool functions of the carrier, but focus should be on the superstructure section.

[aminnich]

In order to stop people building huge and amazing trucks with suspension, trailers, RC gearboxes, multiple axel steering but with a tiny crane on the back, I wondered if there should be a "the crane must be more than a 50% of the total parts used" rule.

My idea has a hoist as the centre piece but it will be about 30% of the total parts (I can adapt if needed). I would guess that only about 30% of the parts in 42009 are the crane so that would not be allowed in TC8(?)

I like this as an add-on to the rules. Because it gives people a general idea that their crane should be a main part and they should worry about and the functions of the crane before the fancy functions of the carrier. Sure drive and steering are important but the crane does the hoisting

[Kiwi_Builder]

Yes but a crane is the whole package, the carrier and the superstructure built well so they are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The crane isn't going to win if it doesn't have detail in the entire thing instead of just the superstructure. This rule isn't really necessary because voters' common sense will solve that issue, they're not going to vote for an entry where the actual lifting part of the crane is a small part of it and it will probably be disqualified. There's nothing wrong with building a huge and amazing truck with suspension and gearboxes as long as the actual crane part provides.

[Cypr-21]

I just finished a crawler crane 2 weeks ago, not presented yet in other place than my personnal facebook profile picture, can I use it for the contest ?

[Milan]

I like this as an add-on to the rules. Because it gives people a general idea that their crane should be a main part

We have alredy stated few times, beside the info in General rules and informations, that the crane section should be main part.

If the entry is mobile crane, there will be a carrier unit included, which also has major role in "Crane", because it contains outrigger boxes and outriggers, strong chassis which will support turntable ring, maybe even with rollers.

[JamesJT]

voters' common sense will solve that issue, they're not going to vote for an entry where the actual lifting part of the crane is a small part

Not all voters read the rules. A good looking truck with high quality pictures and a small crane could easily win.

[Milan]

I just finished a crawler crane 2 weeks ago, not presented yet in other place than my personnal facebook profile picture, can I use it for the contest ?

No. It would be unfair to the others. You have enough time, why dont you try to make something similar, even with crawler chassis, and present it here as a new, unseen entry?

[doug72]

Can the moderator add the TC8 tag into the title line for my posting of "Static Tower Crane" or do I have to start a new post ?

Thanks if you can.

Doug72

[Jim]

Can the moderator add the TC8 tag into the title line for my posting of "Static Tower Crane" or do I have to start a new post ?

Done

[nerdsforprez]

My apologies if this has already been asked. But I did not see it. I see that third party string, hoses, etc. is allowed, but what about weights? Can we use other things housed in Lego perhaps (like fishing weights, pennies, etc.) for weights? I think people will really be able to build cranes with much greater lifting capacities (thus enhancing the overall focus on the competition, which is to lift things) if people can make counter balances with different items other than Lego for the weight. I know that in the large mobile crane I built a couple years ago battery boxes and boat weights were not enough. I needed more......using other stuff allowed my crane to lift up the 8070 supercar. No way that would have happened with Lego-only in my counterweights.....

[Cypr-21]

No. It would be unfair to the others. You have enough time, why dont you try to make something similar, even with crawler chassis, and present it here as a new, unseen entry?

I'll try but I have no guarantees, because "enough time" is different of "free time". Anyway, rules are rules and timing is the same for everybody.

Thanks for your answer.

[Erik Leppen]

Cool contest theme! :D I will be sure to enter, cranes being a favorite topic of interest of mine :)

But I have a question. I happen to have been working on a pretty nice crane-in-progress over the last time, and I have once showed a WIP version on a meeting. It hasn't seen the forums yet. Could I continue building it and enter that when it's done? Or should I start on another model? Or could I use the work, and start on a new version of the same model in the same scale?

Thing is, I will rework it to improve it, but as there's no part or size limit, and it won't get any more crane than this, there's no real need to change the sections that are already there. Point is, I often try out ideas and then not finish them. Is there any difference between an idea previously tested and taken apart, or an idea previously tested that's still assembled? (I have one of each, haven't decided yet which one would be best for the compo.) In fact, both of them are just a type of knowledge, and knowledge can be used, right? :)

[Jim]

That's a though one. WIP can mean 10% or 99% finished.

Since you haven't presented the actual model, I tend to go with "allowed". But I'd like to hear what others (especially Milan) have to say.

[Erik Leppen]

You know what? I'll disassemble what I have and just start over. I think I should also tuck away the photos and digital files I had and just not look at those. That sounds fairest to me. However these are all things you can't check...

[Lipko]

You know what? I'll disassemble what I have and just start over. I think I should also tuck away the photos and digital files I had and just not look at those. That sounds fairest to me. However these are all things you can't check...

I think you could continue with your WIP.

Remember the TC6 contest? Some entries were admittedly very well developed when the theme was announced and I bet many of them only needed to be adapted to the few specific rules. Remember all the higgling about the simple 4 RC function rule? I bet the reason behind most of the higgling was having nearly finished or finished but not announced yet models which did't fit the rules out of the box.

So yes, non announced WIPs or even finished models should be allowed.

(and yes, I was a bit upset with the very generic theme of TC6)

Edited September 8, 2015 by Lipko

[Milan]

You know what? I'll disassemble what I have and just start over. I think I should also tuck away the photos and digital files I had and just not look at those. That sounds fairest to me. However these are all things you can't check...

You have unique case here. I would also say allowed, since it was not -posted- before. But since you want to start over, it really sound fairest to me, too, regarding to other entries. Btw, respect to that decision.

After all, you are the crane master :)

[Jim]

You know what? I'll disassemble what I have and just start over. I think I should also tuck away the photos and digital files I had and just not look at those. That sounds fairest to me. However these are all things you can't check...

Respect