Greeble

For the objects used in studies of object and facial recognition, see Greeble (psychology).

Greebles, also greeblies (singular: greebly),^[1] or "nurnies", are parts harvested from plastic modeling kits to be applied to an original model as a detail element. The practice of using parts in this manner is called "kitbashing".^[2]

A cube and its greebled version

Greeble effects on a Lego spaceship model

Etymology

The term "greeblies" was first used by effects artists at Industrial Light & Magic in the 1970s to refer to small details added to models. According to model designer and fabricator Adam Savage, George Lucas, Industrial Light & Magic's founder, coined the term "greeblies".^[3]

Ron Thornton is widely believed to have coined the term "nurnies" referring to CGI technical detail that his company Foundation Imaging produced for the Babylon 5 series,^[2] while the model-making team of 2001: A Space Odyssey referred to them as "wiggets".^[4]

See also

• Bump mapping
• Diapering
• Fractal art
• Horror vacui
• Kitbashing

References

1. Visible V8 Opersting Engine Model; Quote: "If we can't give a name to something we call it a 'greebly'. Greebly is a word George Lucas coined on Star Wars for something you can't otherwise define." - Frank Burton, Property Department Head The Empire Strikes Back
2. Fronczek, Steve (January 20, 2008). "Interview: Charles Adams". Future-past.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2009. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
3. Fameli, Joey (6 September 2018). "Adam Savage's One Day Builds: Kit-Bashing and Scratch-Building!" (video). YouTube. Adam Savage's Tested. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
4. "What Are Nurnies". LEde Designs. One FX group in the UK who built the space ship for '2001: A Space Odyssey' called them wiggets.

External links

• Staffan Norling's comments about greebling