Lego QR-Code
I created a Lego QR Code linking to 0xfab1.net with Bricklink Studio.
I used qrious by neocotic to create the QR-Code.
QR Code creation
Since a QR-Code is a square I need a board with the same length and width. I checked which based plates are available and considered using multiple of the smaller based plates if necessary.
Here are the options I found:
14x14 → 14,28,42,56,70
16x16 → 16,32,48,64,72
24x24 → 24,48,72
32x32 → 32,64
48x48 → 48
50x50 → 50
Now that I know my options for base plates, I need to know how many pixels I need for the QR Code.
The initial idea was to use this URL as the QR Code value https://0xfab1.net/make/lego/qr-code. (and old link to this page) Because, despite trying different paddings, the result is too big for even the largest base plate, i luckily didn't proceed with this approach:
7% padding: 29x29 or *2 for double width = 58x58
15% padding: 29+29 or *2 for double width = 58x58
25% padding: 33x33 or *2 for double width = 66x66
30% padding: 37x37 or *2 for double width = 74x74
The next attempt would to go for something simple and longer valid: https://0xfab1.net.
The results are:
7% padding: 25x25 or *2 for double width = 50x50
15% padding: 25x25 or *2 for double width = 50x50
25% padding: 25x25 or *2 for double width = 50x50 → best option
30% padding: 29x29 or *2 for double width = 58x58
We have a match! 50x50 is a valid lego base plate and a possible result for the QR-Code. I will go with the 25% padding option as this will lead to better scanning results without any downsides.
The value "https://0xfab1.net" as QR-Code.
Bricklink Studio
I didn't find a cool way to automatically build the QR-Code in Bricklink Studio so I just opened the image of the QR-Codes shared above and rebuilt it using different flat tiles. Classic QR-Codes have black and white pixels so I went with that look.
The result is:
- this qrcode.io Bricklink file
- this QR code.xml part-list file
as well as this cool video:
Bricklink Order
Bricklink has a cool feature where you can import *.io files directly. It will then search for sellers based on your preference (e.g. currency, location). The outcome initially was this list since i used as little amount of plates as possible:
| BLItemNo | ElementId | LdrawId | PartName | BLColorId | LDrawColorId | ColorName | ColorCategory | Qty | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3068b | 306826 | 3068b | Tile 2 x 2 with Groove | 11 | 0 | Black | Solid Colors | 38 | 48 |
| 69729 | 69729 | Tile 2 x 6 | 11 | 0 | Black | Solid Colors | 76 | 135 | |
| 87079 | 4560182 | 87079 | Tile 2 x 4 | 11 | 0 | Black | Solid Colors | 38 | 9 |
| 3068b | 306801 | 3068b | Tile 2 x 2 with Groove | 1 | 15 | White | Solid Colors | 48 | 48 |
| 69729 | 69729 | Tile 2 x 6 | 1 | 15 | White | Solid Colors | 49 | 135 | |
| 4186a | 4186a | Baseplate 50 x 50 | 1 | 15 | White | Solid Colors | 1 | 235 | |
| 87079 | 4560178 | 87079 | Tile 2 x 4 | 1 | 15 | White | Solid Colors | 44 | 9 |
It turns out that the 50x50 plate is hard to get and that the non 2x2 tiles are way more expensive. Luckily I found a place to order the 50x50 plate anyway and changed the order to 2x2 tiles only, which reduced the price significantly (40% cheaper).
I went with 350 back and white tiles (50x50/4 = 625) since I need roughly half black, half white tiles and didn't want to re-do the build in Bricklink Studio. Therefore I added a few safety tiles ((350*2)-625=75 extra pieces) per color which was still cheaper than to original order.
| BLItemNo | ElementId | LdrawId | PartName | BLColorId | LDrawColorId | ColorName | ColorCategory | Qty | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3068b | 306801 | 3068b | Tile 2 x 2 with Groove | 1 | 15 | White | Solid Colors | 350 | 48 |
| 3068b | 306826 | 3068b | Tile 2 x 2 with Groove | 11 | 0 | Black | Solid Colors | 350 | 48 |
Delivery and building lego qr-code
All pieces finally arrived and putting it all together was easier and faster than expected. I hope i didn't mess up any pixel - at least scanning the lego works ¯_(ツ)_/¯
This is the final result :)
