MecaBricks Workshop - A Primer for First Time Users
djm a commencé cette discussion dans Help and Tips

I'm a first-time user of MecaBricks. I've been using both LDD and MLCad up to this point. As a consequence, I started using MecaBricks with a LDD/MLCad mindset. That mindset needed re-tuning. It is possible that other new users will have a similar mindset when they first use MecaBricks. I have put together a short primer (see below) for new users to get them going with using MecaBricks. It's purpose is to get people interested in using MecaBricks so is consciously not an extensive "how-to" guide. The primer begins after this paragraph.

This primer provides a brief introduction on how to use the MecaBricks Workshop. It is a simple "how to get started" guide. As such, it describes only a small amount of the MecaBrick workshop's capabilities - enough to whet your appetite and want to come back for more. The primer is presented as a sequence of 10 steps, with each step assuming the previous step has been undertaken. Each step is formed by some descriptive text and one or more screenshots.If you are used to using either Lego Digital Designer (LDD) or Mike's LEGO CAD (MLCAD) to design your model, note that a slight mindset shift will be required when using MecaBricks. It's not a big difference but it may be enough to have you scratching your head to begin with. Attention will be drawn to the difference at an appropriate point in the primer.

The MecaBricks workshop can be trialed without the need to create an account. This primer assumes that you have you browser opened and are already in the MecaBricks workshop. If you aren't, please navigate to [url]http://www.mecabricks.com/en/workshop[/url]. So without further ado, here are the 10 steps that make up the primer for first time users.

1) Pick a colour
http://bricksafe.com/files/djm/MecaBricks%20New%20User%20Primer/01_choose_colour.jpg
Figure 1 - Pick a Colour
The lower part of your browser window is where you select the part that you want to add. There is a pop-up list which categorizes the parts. When you pick a category, the list of available parts will change to reflect the chosen category.

Begin by picking the colour that you want the part to be, Click on a colour in the bottom right hand side of the window (see Figure 1). Note that if a part is selected when you choose a colour, the colour of the selected part will change. When you are looking to add a part which is different to the colour shown on the colour palette, ensure that no part is selected prior to selecting the colour.

2) Add a Part
http://bricksafe.com/files/djm/MecaBricks%20New%20User%20Primer/02_loading_brick.jpg
Figure 2 - Part Loading
Use the forward and backward icons on each end of the list of part images to view the parts available within the selected category. When you see the part you want, click on it. You may see a "progress" indicator displayed while the part loads (see Figure 2).

3) Part Placed at the Origin
http://bricksafe.com/files/djm/MecaBricks%20New%20User%20Primer/03_placed_brick.jpg
Figure 3 - Part placed
The first part will be placed at the origin (X, Y and Z co-ordinate of 0, 0, 0). Notice the three differently coloured arrows near the brick. Each part will have one of these and it will be displayed when the part is selected. The red arrow points along the part's X axis, the green arrow points along the part's Y axis and the blue arrow points along the part's Z axis. You will see the impact rotating a piece has on these arrows in step 9. It is also worth noting that in the bottom left hand corner is a similar (but smaller) red, green and blue axis indicator. These are used to indicate the current orientation of the view of the model being built. When you rotate the view, this indicator will rotate correspondingly.

4) Moving a Part
http://bricksafe.com/files/djm/MecaBricks%20New%20User%20Primer/04_move_brick.jpg
Figure 4 - Moving a Part
LDD/MLCAD mindset shift. The way a part is moved in the MecaBricks workshop is different to that for LDD and MLCAD. You move a brick by moving the mouse onto the axis for the direction which you want to move the brick (see figure 4). The arrow will change colour to yellow. Click and hold the left mouse button down and drag the part in the direction which you want it to move.

5) Select the Next "Target" Point
http://bricksafe.com/files/djm/MecaBricks%20New%20User%20Primer/05_select_target_point.jpg
Figure 5 - Select First Target Point
The currently selected brick is drawn in red. When you move the mouse over the selected brick, it will turn blue and display some orange points. One use for these points is to determine where the next part will be added. When you position the mouse over one of the points, the point will turn green. Clicking the left mouse button will "lock in" the point as the target point.

6) Add the Second Part
http://bricksafe.com/files/djm/MecaBricks%20New%20User%20Primer/06_add_secind_brick.jpg
Figure 6 - Add Second Part

Pick the next part to be added by selecting an appropriate part category, scrolling to the desired part and clicking on the desired part. The part will be added to the model using the target point of the currently selected part. If a part on the model is not selected when the new part is picked, the new part will be added at the model's origin (0, 0, 0).

7) Select the Next "Target" Point
http://bricksafe.com/files/djm/MecaBricks%20New%20User%20Primer/07_select_second_target_point.jpg
Figure 7 - Select Second Target Point
Just as with step 5), a target point is selected on the newly added part. Notice that a target point has an X, Y, Z orientation, just like a part has. The axis orientation for a target point may differ from that for the part (see Figure 7).

😎 Add the Third Part
http://bricksafe.com/files/djm/MecaBricks%20New%20User%20Primer/08_add_third_part.jpg
Figure 8 - Add Third Part
Pick the next part to be added by selecting an appropriate part category, scrolling to the desired part and clicking on the desired part. The part will be added to the model using the target point of the currently selected part (see Figure 8 ).

9) Rotate the Part
http://bricksafe.com/files/djm/MecaBricks%20New%20User%20Primer/09_rotate_part_45.jpg
Figure 9a - Part Rotation #1
Having placed a part, the arrow keys can be used to quickly rotate the part by 45 degrees along different axes. Pressing the right arrow key once will rotate the part clockwise around the Y axis (see figure 9a) (assuming the viewpoint for the rotation is looking towards the part's axes origin).

http://bricksafe.com/files/djm/MecaBricks%20New%20User%20Primer/09_rotate_part_90.jpg
Figure 9b - Part Rotation #2
Pressing the right arrow key a second time will rotate the part clockwise another 45 degrees around the Y axis (see figure 9b).

The key combinations to rotate a part around an axis are;
Left arrow - Anti-clockwise rotation around the Y axis
Right arrow - Clockwise rotation around the Y axis
Up arrow - Anti-clockwise rotation around the X axis
Right arrow - Clockwise rotation around the X axis

10) "Show Me The Edges"
http://bricksafe.com/files/djm/MecaBricks%20New%20User%20Primer/10_edges_and_view_rotate.jpg
Figure 10 - "Show Me The Edges"
It is possible to change the way in which parts are displayed. For example, edges can be added to the model (see Figure 10), which you may find will make it easier to see individual parts.

Conclusion
The MecaBricks workshop is a powerful CAD tool for LEGO. This primer has touched on a few of its capabilities. You are encouraged to explore and experiment further to discover more about it.

Plus…
373 réponses · Page 12 sur 19

Hello Luis,

I would like to answer your question:

una pregunta como publico mi proyectos de mecabricks
A Question - How do you publish a project on Mecabricks?

Scrubs, al propietario de Mecabricks le gustaría que el foro estuviera en inglés. No hablo español, pero usé Google Translate para convertir su mensaje y escribir este. Debe escribir sus mensajes en inglés y puede usar Google Translate para ayudar.

Scrubs, the owner of Mecabricks would like the forum to be in English. I do not speak Spanish, but I used Google Translate to convert your message and write this one. You should write your messages in English and you can use Google Translate to help.

To publish a model that you have saved, first click on your username and enter your personal library. Then double click on your model to bring up the information window below. Tick the button next to "Open to Public" to make a checkmark. Then hit Save. There are more options on this page, but that is the minimum needed to publish a set.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50879467817_5593a4d559_o.png

can i attach some bricks and move them ?
if yes tell me how

how do you rotate a block sideways

Hello, how can I apply custom decal to a piece?

una pregunta como hago cosas personalizada

I accidentally put something into the bin in my account, how do I get it out of the bin?

@brickboy-

If you delete a model, here are the steps to recover it from the recycle bin.

  1. Open your personal library and then open the recycle bin.
  2. Click on the model you want to un-delete, hit cut and then navigate back to the library using the grey button on the top right.
  3. Navigate to where you want to save your model and click paste.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50879467817_29a976a1dc_o.png

@LegoBuilder-

Sorry for the delayed response... to make things stick together you can group them. Select all of your parts and then group them with the keyboard shortcut J or the first folder button on the left sidebar (6th one down from the top). Once they are grouped, you can lock the group using the padlock symbol in the Graph Tab or the checkbox next to Locked in the Object Tab under the Group name. If you do this then any time you click one part, the entire group will be selected.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50879906682_a6c1c33af7_o.png

alguien sabe como doblar o mover las piezas flexibles?

@B1Trash,
Thank you.

Question,
I know that if you want the blue set number in the top right corner you post what you have built in Official Sets by Mecabricks users but i was wondering if anyone knows how you do that for minifigures.

hola si no encuentro fichas como podria hacerlo

I can't pick a color on chromebook

Is it possible to highlight all of a certain color, or do I have to manually highlight it?

Open the Selection Tools by clicking on the mouse pointer arrow icon in the top left of the Workshop (keyboard shortcut [W]). Then choose Colour in the selection tools panel. Finally, click on a piece in your model that has the color you want to select. Note that this will unselect anything you previously had selected. In the example below, we'll select all of the black bricks.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50888702767_d4fa726c00_o.png

Thanks a lot. This is a huge help!

So I have a little problem, I just started using MECABRICKS since yesturday and for some reason when I started I didn't have a color pad or any of those functions that appear on the right hand side of the screen, how do I get the color pad? I've tried to reload it a couple of times but nothing happens. PLEASE HELP I REALLY WANT TO ADD COLOR TO MY MOCS!!!!!

@ZekeBrix, try to change your browser zoom level, it usually fixes this issue.

all my colours are gone; its a black space in my screen: what can i do to bring my colours back?

Publicité
172 participants
Avatar de djm
Avatar de Scrubs
Avatar de B1Trash
Avatar de Sealund
Avatar de JoeCheesy765
Avatar de Sim
Avatar de KingofAce
Avatar de ArmoredBricks
Avatar de Alpha.Stronghold
Avatar de MoparGuy00
Avatar de SpecterVamp
Avatar de brickboy123
Avatar de greenpanda
Avatar de Swqrd
Avatar de Hoodedspider
Avatar de GavGeist650
Avatar de axolotl_boi
Avatar de PyrokineticNinjaMaster
et d'autres

LEGO, le logo LEGO, la minifigurine et les configurations des briques et tenons sont des marques déposées de LEGO Group of Companies. ©2024 The LEGO Group.

Mecabricks, le logo Mecabricks et tout le contenu non couvert par les droits d'auteur du groupe LEGO sont, sauf indication contraire, ©2011-2024 Mecabricks.