Hi fellow brick enthusiasts!
Today we wanted to show off some of the recent work that has been done on the game's development, while also taking a look at how sets are made in-game.
Brick Printer
First let's take a look at the Brick Printer, it's the core of how we make the sets in-game, but it's also the main tool that players use in Creative mode to make their own sets, we've recently really expanded what it can do.
The Brick Printer has a number of different base shapes (Cube, Cylinder, Triangle, Pyramid, Trapezoids, Quarter Cylinder, etc.), each base shape exposes some parameters (Height, Width, Diameter, Thickness, Radius, etc.) which allow players and set designers to customize the bricks they're making.
Custom Pieces
Our set designers aim to use the Brick Printer as much as possible, but in some cases they need a very specific custom piece, so it's also possible to import 3D models made in external software.
For example in this set, all the pieces laid out around the car are made with the Brick Printer, leaving only a handful to be implemented manually (Wheels, Grilles, etc.).
In-game, it will also be possible for players to import their own 3D models to make custom-shaped bricks.
Instructions Maker
After completing the build, if we want to give it to other players to enjoy building too, it's necessary to design an instructions manual for them.
The game offers an easy-to-use "WYSIWYG" editor ("What You See Is What You Get") to decide which steps come when, and how they are presented as an animated page to the set builder.
Here's a GIF showing the end animated result of some instructions steps defined by the set designer.
Conclusion
We hope this brief look into set design was entertaining, development on the game is going well and we hope to share more soon.
Thanks!