My Lego Creations - Sample Models available from Website

I would just like to share with you, some of my Custom Lego creations. These models, will become instruction sheets, and will be available from my website, once it is complete.

The Steam Cart - Sample Lego Instructions

Here is a sample series of images, which I have created. These will go towards making a PDF document, which in turn will become the custom Lego instructions, which will be sold on my website.

These images were created using MLCad, Ldraw and LDview.

Note: Not all images were included. Hence why steps appear to be missing. These images are for demo purposes only.

How the Digital Lego Instructions are made

This is a quick post, about how the Lego instructions are made.

The programs used are: 

• MLCad:  http://mlcad.lm-software.com/
• LDraw: http://www.ldraw.org/
• LDview: http://ldview.sourceforge.net/
• Photoshop: http://www.adobe.com/au/products/photoshop.html

Source: http://www.scottwardlaw.com/ColorManager/images/image016.jpg

Links:

Make Your Own LEGO Instructions

http://bskog.com/make-your-own-lego-instructions/

How To Use LEGO CAD Software To Make Amazing Custom Builds

http://www.tested.com/art/lego/452338-how-use-lego-cad-software-make-amazing-custom-builds/

Creating custom instructions on a mac? - Brickset - Brickset forum
http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/9911/creating-custom-instructions-on-a-mac

Digital Lego Instructions - My competitors

Creating custom Lego instructions is not a new thing. From when I returned to the Lego hobby, as a young adult, back in the mid 90s, there were people back then creating and sharing (not always for free) their unique Lego Instructions. It has now reached the level, that there are some (not as many as there should be) individuals who have set up small businesses selling their Lego instructions online. They are either selling them via their own websites, or via online auction sites like eBay.

I strongly believe there is a market for more of this kind of thing. There are great custom Lego creations being built and displayed online, every day. I want to tap into the market of providing instructions for some these creations, starting with my own creations, and hopefully in the future working in collaboration with other great Lego creators.

The main players are:

Brick City Depot: http://www.brickcitydepot.com/

Mechanized Brick: http://www.mechanizedbrick.com/

Brickmania: http://www.brickmania.com/

Brick Builders Pro: http://www.brickbuilderspro.com/

Image Source: http://www.brickbuilderspro.com/the-blue-barbershop/

Links:

Caveat Emptor: http://www.brothers-brick.com/2010/05/03/caveat-emptor/
Combat Bricks: http://www.combatbrick.com/

Digital Lego Instructions Website - My Light Bulb Moment

I have changed the direction my website is going. I was working on an online portfolio website, and even though I still want an online portfolio website, I have a stronger desire to own (and build) a website which sells custom Lego instructions.

What??!!

I have been playing and building with Lego since I was a young boy in the late 70s and early 80s. I did stop playing with Lego in my teenage years and as a young adult, but I DID return to the hobby in the mid 90s. I am now considered an AFOL (Adult Fan of Lego), and

The layout of my website will remain the same. This will include my page layout, my navigation and the current colour scheme, but I will need to change my entire content, as it is now all about Lego.

Source: My own digital Lego Creations

Here is link to my Lego creations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21313870@N05/sets/72157603322271958/with/2891916186/

I have a lot more of these, which I want to build a dedicated website for.

Links:

AFOL: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/AFOL

LUGNET: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LUGNET

Flickr AFOL group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/afol16/

Digital Content - What should I display on my website

I think I am going to struggle to add content to my website. I don't have enough work, that I am proud enough to display publicly. I think I am going to have to start creating some amazing designs and artwork, and placing them on my portfolio site.

The sort of content that I can currently include in my website, are:

• Sketches - done with traditional media, like pencils and fine-liners
• Sketches - done digitally using the iPad or computer
• 3D models - built using SketchUp
• Animations - using Photoshop
• Drawings - Freehand and digitally using Adobe Illustrator

Source: My Digital Artwork

Here is link to some of my Digital Artwork  http://www.flickr.com/photos/92300967@N08/with/8398222658/

Links:

Website Portfolios - What to Include in a Website Portfolio
http://graphicdesign.about.com/od/buildingaportfolio/tp/what_to_include_in_a_website_portfolio.htm

Freelance Advice: What to Include in Your Online Design Portfolio
http://www.wahm.com/articles/freelance-advice-what-to-include-in-your-online-design-portfolio.html

Create the perfect design portfolio: 30 pro tips

http://www.creativebloq.com/create-perfect-design-portfolio-111153

Dreamweaver or Muse

Now that I am ready to build my website which computer program do I use? Dreamweaver or Muse?

I always thought that I would use Dreamweaver, as this is the program which I used many years ago, so I am familiar with it. But I have also heard good things about Muse, so I don't want to automatically discount this program altogether.

 

After a a lengthy research into the battle between Dreamweaver and Muse, I will indeed be sticking to Dreamweaver. Basically the argument comes down to, do you like/need/want/have to learn the HTML code or not. For those of us who are not too scared of the HTML code, then Dreamweaver is the preferred option. If I didn't like the code, and I just wanted to "Design" a page using a familiar Adobe interface, then I would have used Muse.

At the end of it all, I am still going to design and build a website.

Links:

Adventures in Site Building: Dreamweaver versus Muse
http://graphicdetailnj.wordpress.com/2013/02/07/adventures-in-site-building-dreamweaver-versus-muse/

Adobe Dreamweaver CS5.5 by Adobe vs Muse by Adobe
http://web-design-software.findthebest.com/compare/32-36/Adobe-Dreamweaver-CS5-5-vs-Muse

Why I love muse an interview with muse power user Chris Kellett.
http://www.musegrid.com/_blog/Blog/post/Why_I_love_muse_an_interview_with_muse_power_user_Chris_Kellett/

What is the Difference Between Muse and Dreamweaver?
http://www.vpclasses.com/2012/10/muse-vs-dreamweaver/

Designing my Website - I am almost ready to build it

I have reached a point where I can now just start to build my website. But before I start building, I want to just  explain the design I have come up with.

After researching a variety of topics, and looking and analysing many creative people's websites, I have narrowed down my design to these areas.

1. It will have 3 web pages.
 - Home
 - Portfolio
 - Contact

2. It will be a clean site. Probably white. Yes, I have been converted, and the more I look at these "new" and "modern" sites, the more I can see how my grungy sites look dated.

3. It will have some sort of image slider / Carousel, probably as a simple JQuery script.

4. The contact page will probably just be my email address with maybe some Social media buttons.

5. The navigation will be a horizontal bar/ribbon along the top.

Contact Me - Form or email ?

A very important feature of a website is to have a way of your end-user being able to contact you.

So how is the best way to create a "contact me" form? Is it using HTML form fields or it as simple as creating a clickable email address on the website.

So there are two options.

Option One: A standard HTML contact form

Option Two: A simple email address

My initial reaction is to create an online form. As it allows for fields (which can be set as mandatory) to allow you to capture the information you need. BUT I can see how this could be a problem on hand-held devices which have smaller screens. I know I have tried to fill out form fields on my iPhone, and it is very problamatic. So maybe an email address is indeed a lot easier and more user friendly.

Sample Online Form:

Source: http://www.tampagov.net/appl_MyTampaGov/features_forms.asp

After some reading, and research, I am definately going for the email address option. It is simple, it is friendlier to the smaller screens of the hand-held devices, and I also think it is a little bit more personal. As if you are giving a friend an email address, rather than the "corporate-esque" style of an onlin form.

My email address is: george@georgegeorgiou.com - now isn't this nicer. :)

Links:

Designing the Dreaded Form

http://tympanus.net/codrops/2012/07/05/designing-the-dreaded-form/

Contact form or mailto: link?
http://ux.stackexchange.com/questions/6959/contact-form-or-mailto-link

Should I Display an Email Address on My Site or Use a Contact Form?
http://www.thesitewizard.com/webdesign/email-address-or-contact-form.shtml

Using Forms on your website
http://www.flyte.biz/resources/articles/9901.php

Step-by-step: implementing online forms
http://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/kmc_onlineforms/index.html

DIVs vs Tables - Page Layout

I am an old school web designer, who has used tables to desgin website layout. Unfortunately (or fortunately) this is method of page layout is no longer being supported, and Div tags are the way to go.

I am aware of DIV tags, but I have never used exclusively to design a whole page layout, I have used them in conjuction with tables.

Here is my oportunity to ditch the tables and learn how to use the DIV tag.

QUOTE:

<div> is the professional way of designing the webpage. It provides flexibility in web designing as you can make any kind of design using CSS. But the problem with CSS is that, its debugging is not easy and people find it hard to learn. That’s why they stick to <table>.<table> is easier to learn and implement as you have to only figure out the layout of rows and cells.

source: http://theprofessionalspoint.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/div-vs-table-tag-which-one-to-use.html

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source: http://creativedev.in/2013/01/table-layout-using-div-tags/

The two most useful sites for learning and understanding DIV tags are:

W3Schools - http://www.w3schools.com/

and

Youtube - http://www.youtube.com

Both these sites were a fantastic resoruce for learning how to use DIV tags, and the associated CSS styles.

Youtube Video Links:

Learning to use CSS and DIV Tags for Columns in Dreamweaver
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSJT7Wf6A04

HTML div tag Example and Tutorial using CSS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68kiDajh1lg

HTML 101 - The Div Tag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JvUqqKNh8M

Floating Div Tags :: Dreamweaver Tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_JLXPDH-jY

Relative and Absolute Positioning of Div Tags, Nesting Tags
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLWLfzx4nq0

Links:

The Professionals Point: DIV vs TABLE tag: Which one to use?
http://theprofessionalspoint.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/div-vs-table-tag-which-one-to-use.html

Adobe Community: Choosing <div> vs <table> layout
http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1183246

HTML Layouts - W3Schools
http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_layout.asp