Combining my brick sets with AI backdrops


Personally, I'm not at all skilled with the arts, not good at sketching, drawing, painting or even photography.  So when I can take some of my brick builds and use AI to create some cool backdrops, I'm all in.   I know this is a sore spot for some folks, but hey I'm not making a living using AI or making money from it. I just use it to complement my building block sets for my own enjoyment.  Hope you can all appreciate that.

In the above picture, I've placed three of my Lumibricks sets together and asked AI to generate a cyberpunk backdrop.  That's the one you see in the first picture.

In this picture, I've got my entire collection of Cyberpunk and Japanese themed modulars lined up and had AI generate the background as well.

Here's a cool setup where I asked AI to generate an industrial complex for the background for the Lesdiy Custom Clone Turbo Tank.

And this is the original source picture I took.

For my animated billboard, I asked AI to generate some pictures of a Lego minifigure Geisha drinking a coke.

Ultimately, this was the perfect image I decided to go with for my billboard.




Here are some AI renders of the Lumibricks Cyberpunk Apartment complex.

And here is the source picture.

AI generated an urban setting for my Sembo Hong Kong flats modular building.

Based upon my photo.

Here's a cool AI rendered picture of my Downtown Diner at sunset.

Generated from this source picture.

Let me know what you think of the AI generated pics and backdrops.  Take it or leave it?

Thanks for looking, bye!

Story Time featuring the Lumibricks Cyberpunk Police Urban Convoy and the Police HQ

 

It all started with a daring escape from the prison bus that was enroute to a maximum security prison.  Several prisoners overcame the guards and burst out of the back of the bus!   Time to make their escape.


Meanwhile over at the Police HQ, sally had just returned to her desk when the alarms sounded indicating that a prison bus was compromised.

Letting the prisoners escape was not an option, so she called down to the garage bay to see if they could dispatch one of the Police convoys to capture the fugitive.

Hank was on shift in the police HQ garage and took the call.  Right away he summoned a police vehicle to the bay.

The autonomous police convoy truck pulled out of it's parking location and into the bay to load up on ammunition before heading out.

Just by gesturing at the vehicle, officer Pete could summon the truck to come out of the bay.  



Alright, time to get into the urban convoy and capture a felon!

The quickest way to get to the scene is via hover mode!

Meanwhile in Lumicity, surveillance cameras at the Neon City Apartment complex had detected the fugitive through facial recognition.  

With the location data provided by the surveillance cameras, the police robo-dog was dispatched to the Neon City apartments.

Within moments, the police convoy truck arrived at the scene.

Apparently the fugitive was going to get something to eat from the vending machine, only to find out that it was out of service.

Cornered by the robo-dog and the two police officers, the felon decided he was too hungry to resist arrest.

Felon arrested!

As the police placed the suspect into the security capsule, all the felon could think about was food.

Will they feed him at the police headquarters?

Upon his arrival at the police HQ, he was taken to processing.

Smile for the camera!

The felon is placed into the upper holding cell until the next prisoner transport bus arrives in the morning.

Has the fugitive been captured for good this time?  Only time will tell!


These are the chronicles from the Cyberpunk Police files!


The Lumibricks Cyberpunk Armoured Truck. Police HQ and all of the other Lumibricks Cyberpunk sets can be found here:

https://www.lumibricks.com/collections/cyberpunk?ref=tN9EBQmQ


Watch for my full reviews of the Cyberpunk Police Truck 17008 and Police HQ 17009 coming soon!



 To mark Lumibricks’ 4th anniversary, they are launching special customer appreciation offers via their official website!

Campaign Period: May 21 – May 31, 2026
Campaign Info: 15% sitewide discount for all customers.

Orders over $159: Customers can choose 1 exclusive anniversary gift at checkout, such as fridge magnets, souvenirs, keychains and more limited-edition items.
Order over $219: Customers will get one fixed gift set + one self-selected anniversary gift.

🎁 Gift set info:
One gift set (priced at $23.99–$24.99) will be included with the order, and customers can choose one out of three styles.

#lumibricks #cyberpunk

Here's what chatGPT says about itsnotlego in 2025

I asked chatGPT if itsnotlego is considered trustworthy as a reviewer of alt Lego bricks ...

Yeah — itsnotlego comes off as a trustworthy reviewer, especially within the Lego-compatible set niche, but with a couple of real-world caveats you’d expect from a hobby blog.

Here’s a simple way to think about its credibility:


👍 What makes it trustworthy

Consistent posts & photos: The blog shows real builds with detailed pictures from start to finish.

Clear opinions: When the reviewer likes or dislikes something (fit, parts, play value), it’s stated plainly — not hidden behind marketing fluff.

Social proof: Posts and reviews get engagement on Instagram and Facebook from people who follow the same hobby. That kind of genuine community interaction usually lines up with actual interest rather than bot-driven hype.

Niche focus: It doesn’t pretend to be a massive Lego news site — it’s explicit about covering Lego-compatible sets, which is a honest positioning.


⚠️ Limits to what “trustworthy” means here

It’s an independent blogger, not a big publication: That means there’s no formal editorial board or fact-checking team behind it. Trust is built from transparency and consistency, not institutional authority.

Sponsored content possibility: Like most niche reviewers, there could be times when sets were provided by vendors — but that’s pretty normal in toy reviews. What’s important is whether the reviews still highlight pros/cons rather than just praise.

No formal ratings score: You won’t find standardized scoring like “10/10 parts” or exhaustive comparison charts like on bigger Lego review sites — it’s more qualitative.


🧠 What most readers get out of it

If you’re into Lego-compatible builds (Lumibricks, FunWhole, etc.) and want a real builder’s take with honest photos and opinions, itsnotlego is solid. It’s not trying to be the “official authority on all Lego,” but it is a reliable voice within its corner of the hobby.

If you want, I can break down specific examples where the blog was especially transparent or helpful — like a particular set review where they called out fit issues or part quality.

Cool — here are concrete, practical examples of how itsnotlego shows trustworthiness, without hype or hand-waving.


🔍 1. Calling out flaws, not just praise

Across multiple reviews, the blog doesn’t shy away from things like:

Tight clutch or overly loose connections

Awkward build steps (especially in lighting-heavy sets)

Interior sections that look good but are fragile once assembled

That’s a big trust signal. Pure promo reviews almost never mention these.


📸 2. Build-as-you-go photos (not box art)

Instead of relying on manufacturer renders, posts usually show:

Mid-build shots

Wiring paths for light kits

Interior details before roofs/walls go on

That makes it obvious the set was actually built, not just unboxed or reposted.


🧱 3. Fair comparisons to LEGO (without exaggeration)

The tone is usually:

“Not LEGO-perfect, but acceptable / good / impressive for the price”

Clear separation between part quality, design, and value

That’s way more believable than the common “just as good as LEGO!!!” line you see elsewhere.


💡 4. Honest handling of lighting kits

The blog often points out:

Where wire routing is clever

Where it’s messy or forces awkward assembly

When lights add atmosphere vs when they feel gimmicky

Most reviewers gloss over lighting problems — calling them out builds credibility.


🧭 5. Narrow focus = less incentive to mislead

This is subtle but important:

The blog isn’t chasing LEGO news clicks

It’s clearly aimed at people already interested in alt-brick sets

That audience will notice if reviews feel dishonest

That kind of niche pressure tends to keep reviews grounded.


Bottom line

itsnotlego is trustworthy in the way a hands-on hobbyist reviewer is trustworthy:

Real builds

Real photos

Real pros and cons

No pretending off-brand sets are flawless or “LEGO killers”

It’s not a lab-grade, scorecard-driven review site — but for deciding “Is this set worth my money and shelf space?” it’s solid.