Re: [kidsgames] SMLUC on Kidsgames

[Steve Baker <sjbaker1@airmail.net>]

Jeff Waddell wrote:

> The screen shot sure looked GREAT!!!!  What a nice airplane...  Anyway the
> download page didn't have great instructions on what EXACTLY to get...  It
> has a 4.1 M pieces.tgz and a 2.8 M pieces.zip (I assume you only need one)
> and a 200+k tgz of the source code as well as what looks like a windows
> version of the source code. Looks like a very promising piece of
> software.  Did anybody get a chance to mess with it yet?

Yep - I have it.

LeoCAD is an amazing piece of work - it's a CAD package for
Lego.  The *huge* database you have to download contains just
about every single Lego brick there has ever been - with the
exception of LegoTechnics.  It's amazing just to be able to
see the insane variety of 'specialised' bricks there are out
there.

There are (adult) Lego fanatics shipping out LeoCAD files
with many of the original Lego models - and some original
ones too.

The Linux version of LeoCAD is a little behind the Windoze
version - some features are missing - one major one being
the 'minifig' editor that let's you play with the little
Lego people.  However, that doesn't stop you messing with
them as individual bricks - so it's no big deal really.

The user interface takes some getting used to - it's certainly
not a program for kids who are not extremely computer-literate.
The menu's and icons are not especially kid-friendly.  You can
tell that it's designed for adult Lego enthusiasts.

It has one HUGE problem.  Whilst it's altogether wonderful
as a software package, it's nothing like as much fun as
actual Lego bricks.  My 9yr old loves Lego - and he's a
big computer user - but he just couldn't understand what
the fuss was about.  I agree with him.

I could see a use for this package as a way for adult Lego
fanatics to 'save' their finest creations whilst still
recycling the physical bricks - and also perhaps to
create build-instructions that look as nice as the ones
you get when you buy a Lego set.

This is one of those packages you should certainly
download - it'll give you a couple of evening's entertainment.

--
Steve Baker                (817)619-2657 (Vox/Vox-Mail)
Raytheon Systems Inc.      (817)619-2466 (Fax)
Work: sjbaker@hti.com      http://www.hti.com
Home: sjbaker1@airmail.net http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1
-
kidgames@smluc.org  -- To get off this list send "unsubscribe" in the
body of a message to majordomo@smluc.org