A little over a year ago, we talked about LeoCAD, a tool for creating LEGO models, generating instructions, and getting a precise parts list. However, it isn’t alone in the world of plastic bricks. Another very popular resource is LPub3D, a WYSIWYG editor focused on creating digital instructions. No matter how complex the model you want to build, LPub3D can reproduce it.
The Challenge of Large LEGO Sets
Buying a LEGO kit and following its official instructions isn’t that complicated… unless it’s a very large model. For example, the Death Star has more than 4,000 pieces and costs $500, two details that demand effort and patience. Don’t believe me? The PDF has 300 pages, basically a weekend project. But what about homemade constructions? How do you plan to share your fabulous creations if nobody has the exact parts list or a basic assembly guide?
LPub3D: Digital Instructions for Advanced Builders
That’s when tools like LPub3D come in. At first glance it seems like intimidating software, and I’m not going to hide the fact that its learning curve is quite steep, but if you dedicate yourself fully you’ll end up creating some of the best digital instructions for LEGO models. Its 3D viewer is based on the aforementioned LeoCAD, includes all the necessary image renderers, and is compatible with LDraw, the most extensive parts database in the LEGO universe. LPub3D can also export projects to different formats (OBJ, 3DS, STL, DAE, CSV, BrickLink, PDF, PNG, JPG, and BMP), sort the bill of materials (BOM) by category, size, and color of the parts, generate high-quality POV-Ray images, and much more.
LPub3D is an open source project that has been around for several years, but it continues to receive updates on a regular basis. Its compatibility extends to Windows, macOS, and several flavors of Linux (deb, rpm, or tarball). It’s worth admitting: LPub3D is not the most friendly software for dipping your toes into the world of LEGO bricks, and it’s more geared toward advanced enthusiasts, but if your models reach a larger scale and you want to create precise instructions, it will be a great ally.
Official website and download: Click here
https://old.neoteo.com/micro-lego-computer-ordenador-lego-compacto-y-modular/
