After building my space-mail truck, it seemed only fitting that some sort of lifting mechanism would be needed to maneuver the detachable mail box. I love the cargo theme, but I didn't want to build something as simple as a forklift. So, with Ripley's power loader in mind, i built the following in LDD.

Edited May 23, 201014 yr by M'Kyuun

After building my space-mail truck, it seemed only fitting that some sort of lifting mechanism would be needed to maneuver the detachable mail box. I love the cargo theme, but I didn't want to build something as simple as a forklift. So, with Ripley's power loader in mind, i built the following in LDD. Click the links in order for the full transformation sequence:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4487527

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4487551

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4487528

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4487531

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4487532

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4487533

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4487535

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4487536

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4487537

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4487542

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4487544

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4487566

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=4487545

You could have deeplinked it...

You could have deeplinked it...

Actually, I thought I did deeplink. Sorry. I'm a bit busy now, so I'll give it a try later.

Deeplinked.

Edited May 22, 201014 yr by M'Kyuun

haha! cool

I want to use LDD to make that Optimus Prime I saw somebody make that was transformable. =)

Nice!

It really looks like her Loader!

Forgive me for being a bit of a noob, but does the forklift actually fold out to the Mecha? And does all the joints work in LDD?

Forgive me for being a bit of a noob, but does the forklift actually fold out to the Mecha? And does all the joints work in LDD?

Yes and yes. It features perfect transformation, i.e., no parts need to be removed from the model. Everything is hinged.

It is a pain, but I built this in forklift mode, while keeping a copy of it in its mech form for reference and to try different things. For the pics, I started out in forklift, and took pics of the various stages going from forklift to mech. heree are a couple transition shots.

Yes and yes. It features perfect transformation, i.e., no parts need to be removed from the model. Everything is hinged.

It is a pain, but I built this in forklift mode, while keeping a copy of it in its mech form for reference and to try different things. For the pics, I started out in forklift, and took pics of the various stages going from forklift to mech. heree are a couple transition shots.

Impressive

Thanks for the compliments.

I built this with Design by Me bricks, so it's buyable; but, at nearly $100 USD, the cost is a bit prohibitive at PAB prices, otherwise I'd build it for real and take some pics. I'm sure a tweak here or there would be required in the transition from digital to real. For one, gravity and the fit of bricks can make a big difference. If anyone looks hard, you'll see the crossmember on the arms leading to the forks is different between the forklift pics and the mech. I discovered that the original design didn't work so well while transforming it to take screenshots for the post. The grey and black bits on the forearms are my hastily concocted solution to the problem. :)

I built this with Design by Me bricks, so it's buyable; but, at nearly $100 USD, the cost is a bit prohibitive at PAB prices, otherwise I'd build it for real and take some pics. I'm sure a tweak here or there would be required in the transition from digital to real. For one, gravity and the fit of bricks can make a big difference. If anyone looks hard, you'll see the crossmember on the arms leading to the forks is different between the forklift pics and the mech. I discovered that the original design didn't work so well while transforming it to take screenshots for the post. The grey and black bits on the forearms are my hastily concocted solution to the problem. :)

I agree, very impressive indeed! Did you do it in LDD 100%, or did you also use physical bricks to try out the hinges etc? If you did it only in LDD, it could be a great piece to write about (how you did it). I would certainly like to know I guess you know there is an LDD subforum here at EB, and such a story would be an excellent post there.

Anyway, I'll make a reference to this thread in the LDD Index Thread.

I agree, very impressive indeed! Did you do it in LDD 100%, or did you also use physical bricks to try out the hinges etc? If you did it only in LDD, it could be a great piece to write about (how you did it). I would certainly like to know I guess you know there is an LDD subforum here at EB, and such a story would be an excellent post there.

Anyway, I'll make a reference to this thread in the LDD Index Thread.

Thanks for the interest! I built this completely in LDD, using only the provided digital tools, which can be challenging, given the quirks inherent in the program. If built in the "real", I'm pretty confident it would work like the digital model (I designed it with thoughts of buying it, so I wanted it to work as well as possible). I've built four other models, none as complex as this, and they all worked out pretty well when built with real bricks, with minor flaws or nuances, of course. As good as the program is, it just can't replace the real thing.

If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them. Again, thanks for taking such interest.

I'm impressed, It looks decent as a Mecha and looks decent as a forklift but the fact that in can transform is Jaw dropping. The only thing that I don't like is the cockpit as a forklift the windscreen looks wrong somehow . Overall 9/10

I'm impressed, It looks decent as a Mecha and looks decent as a forklift but the fact that in can transform is Jaw dropping. The only thing that I don't like is the cockpit as a forklift the windscreen looks wrong somehow . Overall 9/10

Thanks..very kind. Yeah, the cockpit piece isn't exactly fitting for the forklift, but it fits the mech, and I'm generally biased more towards the mech mode. Plus, I just really like that cockpit piece. This is, in fact, intended to be a "spacy" type of vehicle, used on other planets to move cargo. I originally intended to have a closed cockpit, but once into the build it just didn't work out that way. But it does offer more protection to the driver. As for transforming, there's some practicality to its assuming a more compact ground-effective form to squeeze into ships and low structures, and then assume a more anthropomorphic form to traverse terrain and handle the cargo with more versatility in wide open or industrial areas.

Truth be told, scrape away all my rationalisation and all you'll see is a big kid who still loves Transformers.

Plus, I just really like that cockpit piece.

Never a bad excuse .

Truth be told, scrape away all my rationalisation and all you'll see is a big kid who still loves Transformers.

. I completely understand.

Building instructions plz

Wow. I am impressed. To be honest, I just thought the arms of the forklift were going to swing out and become the legs, but this is pretty cool! I love how you hid the hinges in the model, and both forms look great

How the heck did I miss this earlier? This is bloody amazing, man. Transforming MOCs are hard enough to build with real bricks where you can easily test if the transformation works... doing it while dealing with LDD's slightly clunky interface? You have my congratulations.

As for the design itself, I'm rather impressed, like I always am when someone manages to make a trickier transformation work - and this one is definitely not a cookie-cutter transformation scheme. Also, the tough, industrial look is nicely done.

Thank for the nice remarks. I'm not a fan of transforming mecha that looks like a transforming mecha, if that makes any sense. So I do my best to hide the various hinges, and apply as much of a realistic aesthetic to the vehicle mode as possible without compomising the bot too much. I'm a stickler for articulation, and I managed to preserve quite a bit of it in this model, while still capturing a believable forklift form. Fortunately, the arm joints can be utilized in both modes for movement. I may have to someday gather/order the necessary parts and actually build the thing to see how it translates to the real world. It may end up being a flimsy piece of rubbish, once gravity and friction, and possibly poor design on my part, have their way. It'd be neat to play with,though, methinks.

Lately, I've been designing mini-fig scaled airplanes, inspired by the "Eggplane" models by Hasegawa. I've been thinking about applying some of my ideas to building a transforming shuttle, similar to the Macross VB-6, or possibly a transforming cargo plane, keeping the C-17 and the V-22 Osprey in mind for design ideas. I'm fascinated by VTOL aircraft, so that's probably a direction I'll end up taking.