1 Topic by markm

  • markm
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Topic: LDraw or similar

Has anyone ever used LDraw, Lego Digital Designer, or one of the other 'brick-building' packages to do any rough design work?  The idea hit me the other day after watching the son play around with Lego Designer.  It wouldn't be good for detailed pieces or anything, but for rough-in work, I think they could work.  You design a model, brick by brick, then export it to STL, then either clean up or modify in a real CAD program.  I think getting the models manifold will be the trickiest part.
It wouldn't be the best for adults, but I'm thinking about trying it to see if he can design up something I can then print and he can use it with his GI Joes or whatever.
Just curious if anyone has ever tried this or had any experience/reasons it wouldn't work before I let him design up something with promises of printing, only to have it fail.

2 Reply by adrian

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Re: LDraw or similar

TBH... I'd be more inclined to get him to use SketchUp - its really a very basic program as long as you aren't trying to push the limits of what it does. It is point and click for blocks and circles, and from my long ago playing with LDraw, I don't think the learning curve to achieve the desired results is really all that big. There is certainly far less "from here to there" steps involved in turning it into something printable give you can export in STL straight from SketchUp.

Plus - Kids are really surprising when it comes to tech stuff - they can drive photoshop surprisingly easy etc etc..

But keen to hear others suggestions

3 Reply by markm

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Re: LDraw or similar

Ah, thanks.  I muddle through SketchUp, so wasn't sure about giving it to an 11-year old, but you're right, I'm limiting him with my deficiencies there.  I was just thinking more along the lines of brick-building software having custom shapes, so if he wanted a beveled edge, he'd get there a bit easier.
Maybe I'll give him a copy of SketchUp to play with.

4 Reply by Gordym

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Re: LDraw or similar

I have a gradnson that is a lego nut. He isn't interested in standard design programs like Sketchup so I am going to sit him down with Lego Designer so he can get started. I will export and print once he has a good design and let you know how it works.

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5 Reply by Kvirre

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Re: LDraw or similar

I have seen minecraft models exported to stl and later printed.
This could be a fun way modeling, but I concur about the learning-part.

I would suggest sketchup.

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6 Reply by markm

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Re: LDraw or similar

Gordym wrote:

I have a gradnson that is a lego nut. He isn't interested in standard design programs like Sketchup so I am going to sit him down with Lego Designer so he can get started. I will export and print once he has a good design and let you know how it works.

Thanks, I'm interested to hear how it goes.  I get what the other posts are saying, but the more I think about it, I think to get a kid truly interested, you need to start them with something they're familiar with, then move them to the real CAD programs.