<p><a href="http://ldd.lego.com/">Lego Digital Designer</a> (~140mb, Mac and PC) is quite useful for creating 3D designs. I haven't personally used it that much but it is quite a powerful tool. It will tell you the number of bricks used in a model as well.</p>

<p>At a pinch, MS Paint (pixel-based), Google Sketchup (find some templates for bricks) and Minecraft could even be used for planing builds.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-26T22:24:42.643Z
This doesn't seem to answer the question as asked. Or  explain what advantage LDD has?
Erik Olson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-25T20:08:59.550Z
2011-10-25T20:15:29.993Z
2011-10-25T20:15:29.993Z
tombull89
<p>It can be a big challenge to create a design for a large object. Are there techniques or tools to simplify this, and to help estimate numbers of blocks required? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-07T18:37:17.493Z
If you have a 3D model of the real world object, you could check out this question: http://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/3074/is-there-a-way-to-convert-a-3d-model-into-a-lego-sculpture/3075#3075
hmatt1
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-25T20:35:08.700Z
You can convert your LEGO design to a virtual object! http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=56336
fredley
<tools>
Do tools exist to help me translate a real world object to a LEGO design?
Rory Alsop
# Do tools exist to help me translate a real world object to a LEGO design?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-10-25)

It can be a big challenge to create a design for a large object. Are there techniques or tools to simplify this, and to help estimate numbers of blocks required?

**Tags:** tools

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: You can convert your LEGO design to a virtual object! http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=56336  
> **username_1**: If you have a 3D model of the real world object, you could check out this question: http://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/3074/is-there-a-way-to-convert-a-3d-model-into-a-lego-sculpture/3075#3075  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2011-10-25. Score: 17 | Accepted answer

[Lego Digital Designer](http://ldd.lego.com/) (~140mb, Mac and PC) is quite useful for creating 3D designs. I haven't personally used it that much but it is quite a powerful tool. It will tell you the number of bricks used in a model as well.

At a pinch, MS Paint (pixel-based), Google Sketchup (find some templates for bricks) and Minecraft could even be used for planing builds.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: This doesn't seem to answer the question as asked. Or  explain what advantage LDD has?  

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