What IS LDD

[Lalror]

When I first started using ldd, I thought of it as more of an advanced pick-a-brick (pab) tool. It seemed like a good way to make a concept of your model, and then buy it. As time has passed, and things such as LU mode, and now the Extended mode have been released to us, its easy to see that it really wasn't just another way for Lego to make money. The past few months I have made more moc's on my computer, than I have with my physical Lego collection. Except for a few limitations especially in the areas of non piece usage (npu) and the lack of some bricks, you can still build almost anything you can think of. So what is LDD, what do you use it for, concepts of soon to be real models, do you actually buy the things you create, or is it a way to build in Lego without limitation?

[prateek]

My collection is quite small, so I use it to MOC. The only con to that, for me, would be that I'd have to use more basic building techniques, since I don't have the bricks in hand to test things out.

[SpiderSpaceman]

Well LDD is a powerful hallucinogen. everybody knows tha... oh, LDD? neeeeeeevermind.

I really started using the program right before 1.3, so I was originally using "all bricks, any color", as well as the designer set palettes. As I had a terrific little selection of the designer sets, I'd use that to save things I'd built so I could start anew, or start digitally to see if I could build something worth taking my other models apart for.

then for a looong time it was generally a bummer due to the no selection of parts wide enough within a color.

but now the glory's back with Extended, so yeah. same stuff. saving real models so I can free up real bricks, making things I'd have no hope of making physically, planning for sure.

Also, most of my good ideas tend to come hands-on, but swapping back and forth from program to plastic lets me make revisions where I'd otherwise hit a dead end, so I can build a much more satisfying model

[Brickdoctor]

I know I began using LDD when it first came out, when it was for making LEGO Factory sets and you had pieces in a predefined color and you could only use up to a certain amount of each predetermined element. I really didn't play with it that much, so that's all I remember. (black background being the most significant feature I remember from that version) It wasn't until LDD 3 came out that I started to seriously trying to build things that I couldn't build in real life (and failing because at that time, I really couldn't build without the physical bricks in front of me).

Nowadays, LDD is a much more useful tool. I've even used it to prototype MOCs, which if you know my MOC style isn't exactly easy. Obviously my biggest use for it is to cooperate in builds with others online. I can't claim credit for the idea, but that's easily by biggest and favorite use for it.

Bit of history - I joined EB initially in order to download the attachment that detailed how to unlock LU mode in LDD 3.