LeoCAD — The Complete Guide: Virtual LEGO Building for Learning 3D Design
LeoCAD is a CAD environment for building with virtual LEGO bricks. Pick a part from the LDraw library, which holds more than 10,000 parts, snap it onto the model and rotate it — just like on the table, only without hunting for the missing brick. It is open source (GPL), free for any use and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
LeoCAD
LeoCAD project
Free open-source program for building virtual LEGO brick models — an educational tool for spatial thinking and 3D design.
Get it from the vendorWhat you get
- LDraw library — more than 10,000 ready-made parts.
- LDR and MPD files — full support for the LDraw community formats.
- Submodels — splitting a large model into units built separately.
- Building instructions — producing steps in assembly order.
- 3D view — rotating, zooming and checking the model from any angle.
Who it suits
Teachers, robotics clubs and parents who want to teach spatial thinking, 3D design and assembly order. It is an educational and hobby tool, not an engineering one: it has no free dimensions, materials or export to drawings. LEGO is a trademark of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor the software.
Related tools
For a first free-form model to print — Tinkercad. For combining coding and design — BlocksCAD. For the next step into mechanical design — FreeCAD.
Tinkercad
Autodesk
Browser-based 3D modelling by adding and subtracting basic shapes, plus electronic circuit simulation and block coding.
Get it from the vendor
BlocksCAD
Einstein’s Workshop (BlocksCAD)
Browser 3D modelling by snapping together visual code blocks, in the spirit of OpenSCAD — learning code, geometry and design for 3D printing.
Get it from the vendor
FreeCAD
FreeCAD Project
Open-source parametric 3D modeller with workbenches for solid modelling, FEM, drafting and BIM.
Get it from the vendorCaDoodle
Common Wealth Robotics
Drag-and-drop shape modelling in the style of Tinkercad — local, with no account and no internet, exporting STL and OBJ for printing.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
A playful yet serious way to teach 3D design and assembly, completely free. For engineering models, move on to a regular CAD tool.