LEGO Digital Designer
LEGO Digital Designer (LDD) is a 3-D CAD like
program. It is available
free through
LEGO.com. LDD can be useful in creating building
instructions for models, as well as a way to build models even if
LEGOs aren't available at the time. The newer versions of LDD
have parts from the NXT kit in them, so you can build robots as well
as normal LEGO creations.
Uses for FLL
LDD can be used in many ways in a FLL team. A
FLL
team could create a digital replica of it's robot as a safeguard
against dropping the robot and never being able to build it again.
LDD can also be used as a tool during the time when a team is
building its robot, and does not have enough pieces to have each kid
build a prototype of a robot or arm.
Uses for Fun
LDD can also be used by a kid who wants to create a model of something he or she has built or to create an entirely new model and buy it off of LEGO.com. As long as the user filters the bricks by those available from LEGO Factory, they can purchase their model or upload it onto the web.