Methods of MOCing

[Jabba the Taff]

Having just started MOCing again after years in the wilderness, I was just wondering how people prefer to build. I've noticed that a lot of people seem to build with LDD or whatever, but I need to physically build something. Of course, I don't necessarily have all the right pieces in all the right colours. Do any of you build physically with whatever colours you have and then order the correctly coloured pieces afterwards? Am I going to be driven to distraction by having to take apart creations to rebuild them to satisfaction?

Obviously with smaller builds this isn't such a problem for me, and I've been 'training' myself, both for general MOCing and in creativity, by trying to make as many varied models as possible from individual Creator sets. But some of my bigger attempts look like they're been attacked by Jackson Pollock.

Are there other ways of MOCing of which I haven't thought?

[Bored Robot]

I've just staretd building MOCs but I like to sketch the basic idea on paper and then go from there with whatever colors and shapes I have to get the design worked out. I just keep notes about what I might need or what could work better as I go. Bricklink has become a good friend to me recently

As far as CAD type programs go, I've been experimenting with Bricksmith but manipulating physical bricks is still my preferred method of building something from the ground up. For some reason I find it too tedious to make changes in the cad programs because you don't instantly see how your change effects successive layers of bricks. It requires a lot of rotating and fiddling around with making layers visible or invisible or whatever. I know these programs are pretty valuable when it comes to full on design without all the bricks. I'm sure I just need more practice to get the most out of them....

Good luck.

[Flynn]

I usually dabble with movie-based creations, so when I first build it, it's usually (Not always, though) from memory. Then, I typically rework it a couple times, and sometimes, I'll sketch out an idea I think is good (Take my 8-stud Ecto-1, that was sketched). I usually tend to like my sketched ones better than other ones.

I used to never care about coloration, even with the final project. That's why my first Delorean was red and dark grey with green doors. Now though, I almost always build with the correct color from the start, though not always. My Sweeney Todd MOC, for example, had tan walls and a yellow door, only because I couldn't produce the correct colors- Sand green walls and a brown door.

The only times I've built a creation on LDD is if there's no chance I could reproduce it in real life. So far, I've built Stay-Puft, a Tron Recognizer, Jurassic Park gates, and a pet project of mine (Which shall rename nameless for now on LDD. All of those were very large MOCs which I couldn't produce in real life with my creation.

[Jabba the Taff]

Not really thought about sketching as my drawing skills are so bad. Sounds like I should give it a go now, though. Thanks for your suggestions. I also think I'm going to have to practice with CAD programs as well.

Having just picked up this I'm now wondering how to build with technic stuff. With technic I never made anything other than the box models. A lot of experimentation methinks!

[Bored Robot]

My drawing skills aren't so hot either but I got one of those 'how to draw' type books to help figure out the basics. Sometimes you can just sketch the basic shape of something, like what you want the outline of ship to look like when you see it from above. You don't have to draw it in any great detail.

Good luck.