lego digital designer models

these are lego models i designed using lego digital designer (ldd).

downloadable project files are contained within compressed archives (zip) to be more "security software/hardware friendly" as these archives are often less scrutinized (which is hilarious) while executable binaries are most scrutinized, often blocked outright by software/application firewalls for example.

thumbnails are scaled-down versions of the original image.  to see the full-size original image, which will open in a new window, click its respective thumbnail.

parts listed in a bill of materials (bom) can be purchased directly from lego using their pick a brick catalog of bricks.  the availability of specific bricks varies from time-to-time and the boms reflect this (when generated), often having substitutions listed.  however, the building instructions will not reflect these changes.  instructions are generated by lego digital designer and sometimes, for lack of better phrasing, make absolutely no damn sense.  estimated parts costs from pick a brick are the costs at the time of posting and may not reflect current pricing.

this file of md5 checksums or the table below of the same can be used to verify the integrity of downloadable project files, such as the archives themselves and/or the file(s) contained within them.  for making this verification i recommend using a hash calculator such as hashcalc or file checksum integrity verifier (in windows) or md5sum (in unix-/linux-/bsd-based operating systems).

colorado rockies logo

i saw no point in recreating the colorado rockies logo in lego if it couldn't realistically be built.  so, i made sure that all the pieces i used in the design were parts that could be bought individually direct from lego.  knowing this to be a potential obstacle, i made a design (in paint shop pro) before the design (in lego digital designer), just to layout colors first so that i could then find which types of bricks would be necessary.

given limited availability of bricks in medium lavender, which was the best match in color with the bricks which would work with the design, i had to employ an unorthodox building method.  unorthodox when compared to the typical method employed to recreate sports logos in lego that i use.

the negative space (black) is at a height of one plate brick.  the silver (which is medium stone gray) of the logo is at a height of two plate bricks.  the purple (which is medium lavender) of the logo is at a height of three plate bricks (or one brick... brick?).  but since this is the same height as a normal brick, this is used instead and is necessary since the required medium lavender plate bricks for the design aren't available in pick a brick.  while this gives the overall construction an interesting relief look, it will no doubt make it a bitch to try and mount in something like a picture frame but perhaps not so much in a shadow box.

alternative downloads available.

detroit red wings d logo

this design is of the detroit red wings alternate script "d" logo.  while not nearly as iconic as the "winged wheel" logo and unlike it, it's able to be represented as lego on the same scale as the other sports related logos i've designed (i.e. colorado rockies; detroit tigers; michigan state university spartans; university of michigan wolverines).

detroit red wings d logo

alternative downloads available.

detroit tigers logo (small)

plainly, this design is (very) similar to detroit tigers logo 2, just smaller (44% the size), and orange on black rather than white on black.

*381128 (base plate 32x32) which is dark green and costs $4.99 usd has been discontinued (along with all other "32x32 base plates" which had cost $4.99 usd) and presumably replaced with 10700 (green baseplate) which is bright green and costs $7.99 usd, a 160% price difference.

alternative downloads available.

detroit tigers logo 2

this detroit tigers logo was created in an effort to be cost effective, this design is in black-and-white.  given the limited availability of bricks in earth blue, i opted for black to color the negative space.  doing this saves a considerable amount on cost.  just how much, i don't yet know... but now that i mention it i want to (talk about painfully tedious, potentially).

this new design, i think, more closely resembles the design upon which it is based than its predecessor.  it also requires two fewer unique bricks, 61 more total bricks, and costs $0.50 usd more to build.

alternative downloads available.

domo-kun 2

this is domo-kun .  well, domo-kun's face... the face of domo-kun.  domo-kun is the official mascot of nhk in japan, think both pbs and npr in the united states.

this new design uses two fewer unique bricks, 58 more total bricks, and costs $2.65 usd less to build.

domo-kun 2

domo-kun 2

alternative downloads available.

michigan state university spartans logo

this michigan state university spartans logo design uses bricks not available for purchase from pick a brick at the time of posting.  as such, no boms or instructions have been made available.

university of michigan wolverines logo

this university of michigan wolverines logo design uses bricks not available for purchase from pick a brick at the time of posting.  as such, no boms or instructions have been made available.

smb brick block (flat)

this is a two dimensional representation of the brick block from super mario bros. (smb).

*381128 (base plate 32x32) which is dark green and costs $4.99 usd has been discontinued (along with all other "32x32 base plates" which had cost $4.99 usd) and presumably replaced with 10700 (green baseplate) which is bright green and costs $7.99 usd, a 160% price difference.

alternative downloads available.

smb brick block (small) 2

this is a three dimensional representation of the brick block from super mario bros. (smb).

this new design uses six fewer unique bricks, 37 fewer total bricks, and costs $8.10 usd less to build.

alternative downloads available.

smb metal block (flat) 2

this is a two dimensional representation of the metal block from super mario bros. (smb).

this new design uses one less unique brick, 14 more total bricks, and costs $3.70 usd less to build.

*381128 (base plate 32x32) which is dark green and costs $4.99 usd has been discontinued (along with all other "32x32 base plates" which had cost $4.99 usd) and presumably replaced with 10700 (green baseplate) which is bright green and costs $7.99 usd, a 160% price difference.

alternative downloads available.

smb metal block (small) 2

this is a three dimensional representation of the metal block from super mario bros. (smb).

this new design uses five fewer unique bricks, 100 fewer total bricks, and costs $12.30 usd less to build.

alternative downloads available.

smb question block (flat)

this is a two dimensional representation of the question block from super mario bros. (smb).

*381128 (base plate 32x32) which is dark green and costs $4.99 usd has been discontinued (along with all other "32x32 base plates" which had cost $4.99 usd) and presumably replaced with 10700 (green baseplate) which is bright green and costs $7.99 usd, a 160% price difference.

alternative downloads available.

smb question block (small)

this is a three dimensional representation of the question block from super mario bros. (smb).  its design is loosely based on chris mcveigh's (pdf).  while his is 87 pieces, costs $17.50 usd, can be configured to be a tree ornament, and opens up to reveal a removable magic mushroom, mine is 84 pieces, costs $12.10, and is solid.  no frills here.

alternative downloads available.

smb question block (small; hanging) 2

this design is the same as the smb question block (small), a three dimensional representation of the question block from super mario bros. (smb), only it's not.  it's as hollow as it can be while also having a technic beam anchored in two places which allows for use as a tree ornament.  this construction method makes for both a toddler and a cat proof ornament in that the hanging mount won't easily come loose from the block... which has repercussions of its own (e.g. dangling felines approximating their own lives as holiday tree ornaments).

this new design connects the technic beam anchoring apparatus to two opposites sides of the "cube" in addition to both the top and bottom of it.  it also requires eight fewer bricks and costs $1.10 usd less to build.

smb question block (small; hanging) as an ornament

smb question block (small; hanging) as an ornament (thanks, naughtumns!)

smb question block (small; hanging) close-up (blurry)

smb question block (small; hanging) close-up (less blurry)

alternative downloads available.

smb question block (small) 3

this is a three dimensional representation of the question block from super mario bros. (smb).

this new design costs $0.40 usd less to build.

alternative downloads available.

smb question block 3

this is a three dimensional representation of the question block from super mario bros. (smb).  this question block design is actually a box with a removable lid.  its volume, in the world of lego units, is the product of 14 bricks * 14 bricks * 11.33 bricks.  (that's brick as in "brick 1x1" .)  or in the world of imperial units, its volume is about 81.35^3".  this is 83% the volume of its original predecessor.  to give an idea of the overall volume of this smb question block, eight of the small smb question blocks can fit, with room to spare, inside it.  eight!

this new design uses two fewer unique bricks, 33 fewer total bricks, and costs $1.70 usd less to build.  this new design, unlike its original predecessor, is a cube, not cube-ish.

smb question block 3 opened (dark)

smb question block 3 closed (dark)

smb question block 3 opened (less dark)

smb question block 3 closed (less dark)

alternative downloads available.