75 Free LEGO Resources, Build Manuals and Tools
Lego is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company’s flagship product, Lego, consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks accompanying an array of gears, figurines called minifigures, and various other parts. Lego pieces can be assembled and connected in many ways to construct objects, including vehicles, buildings, and working robots. Anything constructed can be taken apart again, and the pieces reused to make new things. The Lego Group began manufacturing the interlocking toy bricks in 1949. As of July 2015, 600 billion Lego parts had been produced.
Various resources such as free books, magazines, build manuals, archives, softwares and other resources can be found from the compilation below. If you’re searching for new ideas on how to build your next LEGO world, these resources may just what you need. Do take note that some of the free tools maybe a little outdated, being updated more than a half decade ago, but they’re still something worth exploring. Happy building!
Books / Magazines
- 1000 Laser-Hacks for MAKER about photonic experiments with LEGO. – German book series
- Minifigure.org – Several books about minifigures.
- LEGO Life Magazine – Every issue is packed full of LEGO news and behind-the-bricks interviews, comic adventures, games and puzzles, building challenges and Cool Creations built by LEGO fans. Not to mention, sneak peeks at the latest sets and themes.
Build Manuals
- Chocolate Carving Pantograph – Carve graphics in small chocolate tiles.
- Domino row building machine.
- Lego – Lego classic building instructions.
- Lego – Building Instructions – 11001 LEGO® Bricks and Ideas
- LEGO 3D Printer – Building manual for 3D printer made of LEGO bricks.
- Lego Music – Tangible UI to create music from an arrangement of LEGO bricks.
- MILS System – Modular integrated Landscaping System.
- Motorized Pop-Up Book Stand
- Mykidstime – 50+ Free LEGO Instructions: Learn How to Be a Master Builder!
- myphotonics – Blueprints for optic and photonic equipment built with LEGO.
- Nintendo Switch experiments.
- Star Racer – Star Wars racing game.
- Ultimate LEGO Soccer Robot – Tech United robot built with LEGO Mindstorms.
- Vortex Candy Launcher – Chocolate throwing machine.
Archives
- brickset – Your LEGO set guide.
- Rebrickable – Combine your LEGO sets to create other sets.
- lugnet – International LEGO Users Group Network and global community of LEGO enthusiasts.
- peeron – Partial listing of the parts in official LEGO sets.
- Unofficial Minifigure Catalog – App with information about all minifigures and sets from 1975 to 2015.
- Let’s build it again – Online LEGO building instructions.
CAD
- BlueBrick – Layout editor for LEGO exhibitions (Windows).
- BrickLink Studio – Build, render, and create instructions.
- bricksmith – Virtual LEGO modeling (MacOS).
- Konstruktor – A LDraw-compatible CAD (Linux, Windows, MacOS).
- LDCad – LDCad is a multiplatform LDraw (virtual LEGO) editor that lets you edit LDraw model documents in real-time.
- ldraw – Open standard for LEGO CAD programs that allow the user to create virtual LEGO models and scenes.
- LeoCAD – A CAD program for creating virtual LEGO models.
- lic – Cross platform, Python, OpenGL & Qt powered desktop application for creating and editing LEGO instruction books.
- mlcad – CAD program to create LEGO like building instructions.
- openldraw – CAD program for designing LEGO MOCs.
- Toybrick – OpenSCAD module to create bricks.
Online Editors
- Buildwithchrome – Build a LEGO model on a 32 x 32 baseplate and share it with everybody on a world map.
- Mecabricks – Build your 3D LEGO models online.
- Publishyourdesign – Build virtual creations with dozens types of LEGO pieces.
Software Libraries
- BrickMosaic – Transform a photo to a bricks mosaic (Windows, Linux, MacOS).
- brickowl2rebrickable – Tool to convert BrickOwl orders to ebrickable CSV files (Windows, Linux, MacOS).
- BrickUtils – Tool to build your brick catalog and check if you can build a model created with LDD or LDraw.
- LD Pattern Creator – Vector based texture editor for decorated LDraw parts (Windows). Exports a list of bricks as a BrickLink XML file (Windows, Linux, MacOS).
- LDD to Ai Swatches – Script to convert LEGO Digital Designer Materials to Adobe Illustrator Color Swatches (ASE).
- LDMakeList – Tool to create the list of available LDraw parts (Windows).
- LDR Importer – App to import LDraw and LDraw compatible parts and models into Blender (including proper mesh and materials) (Windows, Linux, MacOS).
- LDView – Real-time 3D viewer for LDraw models (Windows, Linux, MacOS).
- LEGOCAD Loader – Python script that creates parts lists from LEGOLDD/LXF, LDR, MPD files (Windows, Linux, MacOS).
- Legofy – Make images look as if they are made out of 1×1 LEGO bricks.
- LSynth – Tool to add complicated flexible hoses, bands, chains, and treads to the LDraw files you make with LDraw CADs (Windows, MacOS).
- MILSgen Terraforming – Workflow & script to create large scale landscapes from MILSgen terrain modules.
- Minifig SVG Decals – Collection of SVG files for use as decals on minifigs.
- NateJacobs/Brickset-API – Get LEGO set information using the Brickset API.
- Node LDraw – Node.js library to parse an LDraw file.
- Node Move Hub – Node.js library to communicate with the LEGO Boost Move Hub.
- rioforce/LEGO-Textures – Textures scanned from real LEGO bricks.
- seankross/lego – R data package featuring every LEGO set from 1970 to 2014.
Marketplace
- BrickLink – Unofficial LEGO Marketplace.
- BrickOwl – Marketplace to buy and sell LEGO parts, minifigures and sets.
- brickpicker – LEGO price and investing guide.
- Brick Shop – Online shop for bricks and sets.
- LEGO Shop – Official LEGO online store.
Models
- Braiding Machine – Powered by a single motor and makes ropes and wristband.
- BrickDock – A Dock compatible with the iPhone 5 made from LEGO bricks.
Model Conversion
- Brickify – Converts STL files to LEGO and 3D-printed parts.
- Brickr – Implementation of the paper “Automatic Generation of Constructable Brick Sculptures” (Eurographics 2013).
- LSculpt – Triangle mesh to LDraw file converter.
- MILSgen – Converts heightmaps to LDraw .ldr files.
Add-ons
- bitbeam – LEGO technic compatible wooden beams.
- Funky 3D Faces – Create a miniature version of a real head to fit it on minifigures.
YouTube Channels
- akiyuky – Various LEGO technic contraptions.
- LEGO – Official LEGO channel.
- MlCHAELHlCKOXFilms – Stop motion LEGO videos.
Resources
- Holly-Wood.it – Tutorials, utilities and software add-ons for LDraw.
- LEGO Engineering – LEGO based engineering for classrooms.
- Bricks Stackexchange for LEGO and building block enthusiasts. – Question and answer site.
- rebrickable.com/about – Rebrickable will show you which LEGO sets you can build from the sets and parts you already own. You can choose from official LEGO sets or thousands of MOCs (My Own Creations) submitted by hundreds of designers. All MOCs include building instructions and full parts lists.
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