Can you recommend a good CAD program?

[ameerjaiswal]

Hi, I am a huge fan of the newer studless design, but I find it quite hard to build with it because it takes many iterations.
That's why I am currently searching for a good Lego CAD program to develop technic mocs. If found the Lego Digital Designer, LDraw and LeoCAD. I installed LDD and I think it works nice, but I'm missing some features. Since there are alternatives, I suspect that they have additional features which LDD has not.
I'm looking for the following features:[color=#333333]https://subwaysurfers.vip/ https://psiphon.vip/ https://hillclimbracing.vip/

[/color]

• replace parts
  
  
• modular building (import of pre-build assemblies)
  
  
• Import part lists from sets you own
  
  
• generating (and modifying) an instruction
  
  
• validation of gears and checking for degrees of freedom
  

I know there is propably no porgram which can handly all of this. That's why I want to ask people who are experienced with Lego CAD, which program they prefer and why.
Thank you in advance!

[Jaco van der Molen]

Hi, I am a huge fan of the newer studless design, but I find it quite hard to build with it because it takes many iterations.
That's why I am currently searching for a good Lego CAD program to develop technic mocs. If found the Lego Digital Designer, LDraw and LeoCAD. I installed LDD and I think it works nice, but I'm missing some features. Since there are alternatives, I suspect that they have additional features which LDD has not.
I'm looking for the following features:

• replace parts
  
  
• modular building (import of pre-build assemblies)
  
  
• Import part lists from sets you own
  
  
• generating (and modifying) an instruction
  
  
• validation of gears and checking for degrees of freedom
  

I know there is propably no porgram which can handly all of this. That's why I want to ask people who are experienced with Lego CAD, which program they prefer and why.
Thank you in advance!

Well, Ameer, you've come to the right place!
I'd say try LDCad for modelling and LPub3D for creating instructions.
LDCad can do most features you wish. LPub3D can create instructions.

[Walt White]

Hi, I am a huge fan of the newer studless design, but I find it quite hard to build with it because it takes many iterations.
That's why I am currently searching for a good Lego CAD program to develop technic mocs. If found the Lego Digital Designer, LDraw and LeoCAD. I installed LDD and I think it works nice, but I'm missing some features. Since there are alternatives, I suspect that they have additional features which LDD has not.
I'm looking for the following features:[color=#333333]https://subwaysurfers.vip/ https://psiphon.vip/ https://hillclimbracing.vip/

[/color]

• replace parts
  
  
• modular building (import of pre-build assemblies)
  
  
• Import part lists from sets you own
  
  
• generating (and modifying) an instruction
  
  
• validation of gears and checking for degrees of freedom
  

I know there is propably no porgram which can handly all of this. That's why I want to ask people who are experienced with Lego CAD, which program they prefer and why.
Thank you in advance!

Ameer,

I agree with Jaco.  LDCad is a fine tool for creating the model with LDraw parts, and LPub3D is a fine tool for generating building instructions.  Another contributor to this forum mentioned using a PDF editing tool to tweak the PDF pages generated by LPub3D and that's what I do.  

Start with a small project and see how well the LPub3D PDF pages meet your needs.  I found ways to bypass having to learn the "buffer exchange" process and how to increase the image resolution (dots per inch) quality of the images.  Everyone has different comfort levels with different workflow techniques, but this forum is quite helpful and positive.

Walt

[Jaco van der Molen]

Hi, I am a huge fan of the newer studless design, but I find it quite hard to build with it because it takes many iterations.
That's why I am currently searching for a good Lego CAD program to develop technic mocs. If found the Lego Digital Designer, LDraw and LeoCAD. I installed LDD and I think it works nice, but I'm missing some features. Since there are alternatives, I suspect that they have additional features which LDD has not.
I'm looking for the following features:

• replace parts
  
  
• modular building (import of pre-build assemblies)
  
  
• Import part lists from sets you own
  
  
• generating (and modifying) an instruction
  
  
• validation of gears and checking for degrees of freedom
  

I know there is propably no porgram which can handly all of this. That's why I want to ask people who are experienced with Lego CAD, which program they prefer and why.
Thank you in advance!

Well, Ameer, you've come to the right place!
I'd say try LDCad for modelling and LPub3D for creating instructions.
LDCad can do most features you wish. LPub3D can create instructions.

But now that I have read Philo's review on Studio 2.0, I'd say go for that!
As a beginner the learning curve for LDCad and LPub3D are very steep.
Studio looks like the right choice for beginners.

[Philippe Hurbain]

As a beginner the learning curve for LDCad and LPub3D are very steep.

I do agree for LPub3D. Less sure for LDCad...

[Jacqueline88]

I am a huge fan of the newer studless design, but I find it quite hard to build with it because it takes many iterations.

That's why I am currently searching for a good Lego CAD program to develop technic mocs. If found the Lego Digital Designer, LDraw and LeoCAD. I installed LDD and I think it works nice, but I'm missing some features. Since there are alternatives, I suspect that they have additional features which LDD has not. krogerfeedback

[Jaco van der Molen]

I am a huge fan of the newer studless design, but I find it quite hard to build with it because it takes many iterations.

That's why I am currently searching for a good Lego CAD program to develop technic mocs. If found the Lego Digital Designer, LDraw and LeoCAD. I installed LDD and I think it works nice, but I'm missing some features. Since there are alternatives, I suspect that they have additional features which LDD has not. krogerfeedback

Again, I'd recommend LDCad. You could start with modelling in LDD (low learning curve) and convert to LDraw (thus LDCad) to fine tune.
LDCad's learning curve is steap, but once you can work with it, it is, IMHO, the best.

[Johann Eisner]

I am a huge fan of the newer studless design, but I find it quite hard to build with it because it takes many iterations.

That's why I am currently searching for a good Lego CAD program to develop technic mocs. If found the Lego Digital Designer, LDraw and LeoCAD. I installed LDD and I think it works nice, but I'm missing some features. Since there are alternatives, I suspect that they have additional features which LDD has not. krogerfeedback

Hi
I fully agree with Jaco.
If you want to create reasonable building instructions, forget LDD. I am / was a diehard MLCad user and I am currently drawing my first bigger model with LDCad. Except for a few small things that I still have to solve with MLCad, I am fully convinced of LDCad. Even though it was completely confusing and complicated for me in the beginning. This was only the case because I was used to MLCad. What I like most is the "Nested" mode. He is just awesome. What is also ingeniously solved is the machining of flexible parts (shock absorbers, pneumatic hoses, ...).
I can only recommend LDCad.

Regards Johann