Opinion on Status of SBrick

[knotian]

What is the general feeling about SmartBrick / S-Brick?

If a model was completely LEGO bricks, would use of the S-Brick make the entire effort 'illegal'?

I'd like to hear from someone who is / has judged MOCS. Is it accepted in MOC judging?

Thanx,

Ed

[dr_spock]

It would be the same as using third party parts like weapons from BrickArms. Your MOC would not be 100% LEGO. If you're entering a contest, then it depends on the rules of the contest. Some permit the use of 3rd party parts, others do not.

[Dafgek81]

I think it's OK, I would even use third party parts if Lego elements won't do the job.

And I think SBrick is much better than the IR system Lego uses.

[9 fingers]

Was Michael Jackson 100% human. Depends of the view. Build from what you have from TLG. Sory but i am a purist. Skils are for eweryone. But build it fake when you are without ideas .

[A Gallifreyan Cat]

I think this one should be considered purist, because LEGO's terrible IR system is not something you can make up for with good building skills. It is one piece, and it fits perfectly. No LEGO is harmed in using it.

[fred-eric]

The big problem with sbrick is the poor android application. After one year it is still a beta version. With the lastest version there are still connection problems and there are a lot of features missing...

Another issue is the lack of communication from vengit like a roadmap!

Edited December 24, 2015 by fred-eric

[nerdsforprez]

Was Michael Jackson 100% human. Depends of the view. Build from what you have from TLG. Sory but i am a purist. Skils are for eweryone. But build it fake when you are without ideas .

Lol.... I loved this post. But I don't think it is saying, hopefully, what you want it to say. Michael wasn't 100% human....or at least due to all his plastic surgeries technically he wasn't (I am sure that is what you were getting at, if not, any "human" example would do. However, even though he wasn't 100% human... we still consider him to be. Or at least I think the majority of people do. And I hope you do.

But what you are saying that if something is not 100% of something, say, like a MOC, then it is not really a MOC. Michael was not 100% biology, but still we consider him a human, MOC's, not 100% Lego, but we still consider them Lego???? I don't think that was what you were getting at.....

Also....(again, I liked your post) I dont think that not being a purist means that you are not filled with imagination. You want to be careful making broad generalizations. Some of the most creative people on this site repeatedly use non-Lego parts. Modifying Lego is one thing, and I think that is less tolerable, but if there is a piece that TLG simply does not make, and someone comes up with it..... how is that lacking imagination??

[allanp]

It's not a question of Lego legality (I think it is legal), it's a question of Lego purism (I think it's not pure).

[D3K]

Legally and "purely" it's the same as any other 3rd party parts, whether it be other brands like MegaBlocks, RC tires, etc etc, however, SBricks seem to be more widely accepted by the community than say, using MegaBlock parts.

Them being allowed to use in several of the recent EB Technic Contests, while other third party stuff is not allowed, is kind of "unfair," but obviously I can see the logic behind it, as Vengit has been providing prizes for said contests.

[zweihander]

Legally and "purely" it's the same as any other 3rd party parts, whether it be other brands like MegaBlocks, RC tires, etc etc, however, SBricks seem to be more widely accepted by the community than say, using MegaBlock parts.

Them being allowed to use in several of the recent EB Technic Contests, while other third party stuff is not allowed, is kind of "unfair," but obviously I can see the logic behind it, as Vengit has been providing prizes for said contests.

I don't really agree with that. SBrick provides a functionality that makes a lot of sense given the current state of widespread technology, very much the opposite of what regular PF remotes offer. I'll actually go ahead and say that it should have been made by LEGO, long time ago.

[aol000xw]

"Purity" serves well for contests to set a level base, beyond that it has little sense, just a matter of taste. Is up to contest rulers, to decide what is acceptable and what not, but Sbrick is probably quite acceptable.

Was Michael Jackson 100% human. Depends of the view. Build from what you have from TLG. Sory but i am a purist. Skils are for eweryone. But build it fake when you are without ideas .

Real Technic purists only build with parts available in 1977 and are proud of it! A motor you say? what are you, a 1978 builder? Bah you are without skill or ideas.

Whatever, skill has absolutely nothing to do with purity, if anything it usually takes some skill beyond Lego to make custom parts or adapt non Lego ones. Furthermore most of the time non pure solutions try to bypass physical limitations of Lego parts, and that has nothing to do with lack of ideas.

I understand purism, but not when it goes accompanied by a sense of superiority, then it becomes hilarious, specially since TLG is continuously changing it's part catalog.

[allanp]

"Purity" serves well for contests to set a level base, beyond that it has little sense, just a matter of taste. Is up to contest rulers, to decide what is acceptable and what not, but Sbrick is probably quite acceptable.

Real Technic purists only build with parts available in 1977 and are proud of it! A motor you say? what are you, a 1978 builder? Bah you are without skill or ideas.

Whatever, skill has absolutely nothing to do with purity, if anything it usually takes some skill beyond Lego to make custom parts or adapt non Lego ones. Furthermore most of the time non pure solutions try to bypass physical limitations of Lego parts, and that has nothing to do with lack of ideas.

I understand purism, but not when it goes accompanied by a sense of superiority, then it becomes hilarious, specially since TLG is continuously changing it's part catalog.

Agreed but I think purity means built only with parts that came in/as an official Lego product (except for batteries). But yeah, to design or make the parts Efferman and others make does take a lot of skill. I have (mostly) chosen not to go that way with my hobby but I do not feel any sense of superiority for doing so. I have used third party tires and I am very temped by the S-brick, it's just a bit pricey. I would love to see one and operate one in person to make a decision.

[andythenorth]

I am very temped by the S-brick, it's just a bit pricey.

+1 here. Off-topic, but I couldn't find enough info about sbrick (how many motors it can drive, per channel, total etc.) to spend £50 on one. Searched the Vengit site and searched threads on Eurobricks. If anyone has a link to that info it would be appreciated.

[Dafgek81]

Look at sbrick.com

[andythenorth]

Look at sbrick.com

I should have said 'sbrick site' not 'Vengit site' There's nothing particularly useful there, for something so expensive. 64 devices is mentioned. But how many devices per channel, what power limits compared to PF brick etc? I wondered if there was some spec page I was missing?

EDIT: I found https://social.sbrick.com/wiki/view/pageId/3/slug/sbrick-official-wiki which I have to register for, not doing that.

Sorry for off-topic.

Edited December 24, 2015 by andythenorth

[Dafgek81]

Maybe You can ask Sariel, Blackbird or Jurgen Krooshoop, they have experience with SBrick.

[Anio]

SBrick, legal or not legal, that is the question.

Well, maybe it would be more relevant just to ask, SBrick, when is it going to work ?

[SevenStuds]

Legal: no

Better: yes

Technically anyone with a pacemaker or hearing aid is not 100% human either :)

[dr_spock]

Legally LEGO does not endorse, authorize or sponsor Sbrick.

If LEGO sponsors the prizes or contest, chances are good that 3rd party and cutting and modifying parts will not be allowed. Genuine LEGO only. Plan your entry creation accordingly to any limitations.

It is ok to toss a Sbrick into your MOC if you need the extra amperage and bluetooth. It's your MOC, do what you want. If you have the skills and tight on funds, you can make your own bluetooth PF motor controler for much less than the price of Sbrick.

[THERIZE]

Was Michael Jackson 100% human. Depends of the view. Build from what you have from TLG. Sory but i am a purist. Skils are for eweryone. But build it fake when you are without ideas .

So, using advanced control of your LEGO the building doesn't have ideas? No. Being without ideas would be cutting parts or painting them (something I don't really see as a big problem)

Using a SBrick means making more advanced models and the use Bluetooth capability to control them. It's not like you modify LEGO. You use different ways of controlling it. SBricks are able to control more complex models. You have the opportunity to do things LEGO can't let you do. Control more motors in a model. Control multiple creations without other remotes interfering with yours.

The lacking ideas you are talking about would be modifying existing LEGO pieces.

A few more examples:

Custom train wheels: you can't make the same LEGO trains when you're using the standard LEGO drivers. They could still be oversized or undersized or they don't look like the model the builder wants (not all steam locomotives have visible counterweights on their wheels)

The 1:33 scale trains by 'Tenderlok'. Nearly all use BBB wheels (the custom ones from example above) in this scale the biggest wheels are the only ones that are actually possible to use.

Custom guns: a custom mold can create more real looking scenarios or guns that are accurate and that minifigs can actually hold.

And obviously:

Sbrick: allows Bluetooth control with an Android or IOS device. More motors possible, more accurate control.

And this is what is called 'without ideas'?

[D3K]

Legal: no

Better: yes

Technically anyone with a pacemaker or hearing aid is not 100% human either :)

Well put!

[Dafgek81]

I think that a hobby can mean that you may find ways to make it better.

I have seen people modify 1:24 scale trucks by modifying and making parts themselves.

I think in that way you can build something that is there in real life, but companies just don't make it because of expenses.

I can understand that TLG does not make all parts we would want.

I saw a program on NGC last see about Lego, I was blown away by the costs of making and maintaining those molds and keeping them in shape.

So I think it sometimes can make the hobby even better by modifying or making parts yourself.

[Sylvian]

"Purity" serves well for contests to set a level base, beyond that it has little sense, just a matter of taste. Is up to contest rulers, to decide what is acceptable and what not, but Sbrick is probably quite acceptable.

Real Technic purists only build with parts available in 1977 and are proud of it! A motor you say? what are you, a 1978 builder? Bah you are without skill or ideas.

Whatever, skill has absolutely nothing to do with purity, if anything it usually takes some skill beyond Lego to make custom parts or adapt non Lego ones. Furthermore most of the time non pure solutions try to bypass physical limitations of Lego parts, and that has nothing to do with lack of ideas.

I understand purism, but not when it goes accompanied by a sense of superiority, then it becomes hilarious, specially since TLG is continuously changing it's part catalog.

I totally agree with this,..

As for the S-brick,. Its the price that holds me back from buying one or two..

Edited December 25, 2015 by Sylvian

[Lipko]

For me, fitting 100% inside the boundaries of the hobby's system is a big, if not the biggest part of that hobby. And as a part of this approach in case when a model wouldn't fit into the system (needs too much power, the parts are not strong enough, parts are not in the proper scale, needs too much tweaking that requires careful positioning/measuring/tools, etc), I just cancel the model as a whole (obviously an SBrick contest is an exception). For me, Lego model is a toy that's meant to be played with and built by children (or has to be easy to build by a child). But that's just my opinion and prefrence about Lego.

Edited December 25, 2015 by Lipko

[Dafgek81]

For me, fitting 100% inside the boundaries of the hobby's system is a big, if not the biggest part of that hobby. And as a part of this approach in case when a model wouldn't fit into the system (needs too much power, the parts are not strong enough, parts are not in the proper scale, needs too much tweaking that requires careful positioning/measuring/tools, etc), I just cancel the model as a whole (obviously an SBrick contest is an exception). For me, Lego model is a toy that's meant to be played with and built by children (or has to be easy to build by a child). But that's just my opinion and prefrence about Lego.

But when I look at a lot of other systems in hobbies, for instance model truck building.

There are also a limited amount of parts.

They are even custom for a specific truck or trailer.

For builders of these trucks it is the challenge to build something new with custom made parts that makes it fun.

And I think that among AFOLs it can be a lot of fun pushing the boundaries off Lego with better or custom made parts.

If TLG should start a service with custom parts on demand.

Then a lot of purist might not have a problem with it, because TLG made it.

But for me it would be exactly the same if someone like Efferman would develop such a part.

As someone said earlier in this thread, Lego adapted a lot of parts during the years and developed a lot of new ones to, so what is the difference?