Building with Virtual LEGO: Getting Started with LEGO Digital Designer, LDraw, and Mecabricks
by: John Baichtal
Abstract: Virtually build any LEGO creation you can imagine—with any LEGO part ever made! This fun guide shows how to create just about anything from virtual LEGO blocks using free software. Learn how to install and customize LEGO Digital Designer (LDD), navigate the user interface, and get started on your own projects. LDraw and Mecabricks are also clearly explained. Building with Virtual LEGO®: Getting Started with LEGO Digital Designer, LDrawTM, and Mecabricks features DIY projects that illustrate each technique and software tool. You will see how to upload and share your creations online—even modify projects that others have built! Find out how to: • Download, set up, and configure LDD • Navigate the LDD user interface, menus, and tools • Identify the different LEGO parts and explore brick palettes • Quickly and easily start creating your own LEGO models • Access the huge library of out-of-print LEGO bricks in LDraw, including those designed by hobbyists • Get up and running on Mecabricks and launch creative projects online • Write clear instructions and share them with other virtual LEGO enthusiasts • Create custom bricks and participate in the LDraw parts design process
Full details
Table of Contents
- A. About the Author
- B. Acknowledgments
- 1. Building with Virtual LEGO
- 2. Gallery of Cool LDD Models
- 3. Choosing Between Software Options
- 4. Installation and Overview of LDD and LDraw
- 5. Brick Palettes
- 6. Building with LEGO Digital Designer
- 7. Building with LDraw
- 8. Building with Mecabricks
- 9. Building Instructions
- 10. Community
Tools & Media
Expanded Table of Contents
- A. About the Author
- B. Acknowledgments
- 1. Building with Virtual LEGO
- 2. Gallery of Cool LDD Models
- 3. Choosing Between Software Options
- 4. Installation and Overview of LDD and LDraw
- 5. Brick Palettes
- 6. Building with LEGO Digital Designer
- 7. Building with LDraw
- 8. Building with Mecabricks
- 9. Building Instructions
- 10. Community
Book Details
Title: Building with Virtual LEGO: Getting Started with LEGO Digital Designer, LDraw, and Mecabricks
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Athens, London, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, New Delhi, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto
Copyright / Pub. Date: 2017 McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN: 9781259861833
Authors:
John Baichtal
has written or edited over a dozen books, including the award-winning The Cult of LEGO (No Starch Press, 2011), Make: LEGO and Arduino Projects (Maker Media, 2012) with Adam Wolf and Matthew Beckler, Maker Pro (Maker Media, 2014), and Hacking Your LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Kit (Que, 2015). He's hard at work on his latest project, a compilation of LED projects for No Starch Press. John lives in Minneapolis with his wife and three children.
Description: Virtually build any LEGO creation you can imagine—with any LEGO part ever made! This fun guide shows how to create just about anything from virtual LEGO blocks using free software. Learn how to install and customize LEGO Digital Designer (LDD), navigate the user interface, and get started on your own projects. LDraw and Mecabricks are also clearly explained. Building with Virtual LEGO®: Getting Started with LEGO Digital Designer, LDrawTM, and Mecabricks features DIY projects that illustrate each technique and software tool. You will see how to upload and share your creations online—even modify projects that others have built! Find out how to: • Download, set up, and configure LDD • Navigate the LDD user interface, menus, and tools • Identify the different LEGO parts and explore brick palettes • Quickly and easily start creating your own LEGO models • Access the huge library of out-of-print LEGO bricks in LDraw, including those designed by hobbyists • Get up and running on Mecabricks and launch creative projects online • Write clear instructions and share them with other virtual LEGO enthusiasts • Create custom bricks and participate in the LDraw parts design process
