Answers.Body: <p>Take a look at <a href="http://sr3dbuilder.altervista.org/">SR 3D Builder</a>. I have not used this software myself but it looks like it may do what you need. It's free (for non-commercial use) and you can import your LDraw files.</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=xSergio74&amp;view=videos">Here</a> is a link to some videos on YouTube</p>
  
  <p>See below for the features list (taken from the website)</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>NEW Support for Piston - Rod mechanism</li>
  <li>NEW Support for Linear Actuators and Shock Absorbers</li>
  <li>NEW the Animation Console to easily create and animate your technic
  models</li>
  <li>Towball, HINGES and GEARS SUPPORT! Take a look to the Gallery  to see
  what I mean</li>
  <li>Connection Solver for quick connecting hinges and rotating parts</li>
  <li>Support for RACKS and steering</li>
  <li>Support for ANIMATED FLEXYBLE PARTS</li>
  <li>Belt Generator with real connections</li>
  <li>Now with GROUP management</li>
  <li>New exclusive MirrorBuilding features  for quick build of symmetric
  models. MUST TRY !!</li>
  <li>Enhanced instructions editor to easily modify the order in which bricks are loaded in your model and/or take photos while building</li>
  <li>Complex gear driven hinges support (quadrilaters deformation and
  steering)</li>
  <li>Great fully 3D building envinronment with reflection and
  transparencies</li>
  <li>You will see your model during loading time and can pause for
  instruction steps</li>
  <li>You can modify and save models (lDraw/MLCad .dat compatible format)</li>
  <li>Fast selecting/moving/adding/removing you'll never see in MLCad</li>
  <li>Copy/Rotation/Deletetion/Color change of single or multiple brick. Undo/Redo functionality</li>
  <li>Real connections detection, not always the same near brick positioning</li>
  <li>Brick selection by Block (means that solid connected bricks can be selected at once)</li>
  <li>Grid positioning to speed up positioning of pieces</li>
  <li>Automatic and precise positioning and orientering of most bricks according to connection detection </li>
  <li>Automatic detection of rotation axles</li>
  <li>You can easily load model from other known programs: it supports the
  following formats
  <ul>
  <li>.dat files</li>
  <li>.ldr files</li>
  <li>.mpd files (only a few metacommand are currently supported)</li>
  </ul></li>
  </ul>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-06-10T20:15:43.860Z
Answers.Text: How would I import pieces? I have a version of LDraw with the old technic motors but when I try to set that as the default LDraw folder, it says that there's no image folder
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alex
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-06-10T20:29:07.510Z
Answers.Text: Never mind. I didn't set the types to display from base types to all types. I found the 9V mini-motor. But the problem now is that the model is missing its casing
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alex
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-06-10T20:29:17.713Z
Answers.Text: @AlexYan I have not used the software, but a google search took me to this forum post:http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=30348&st=30. The advice that may help you is "the error is generally risen when you have chosen a destination folder for the Part Library different from the default c:\lDraw and you already have the c:\lDraw folder on your HD.
  To fix the problem, use the <File>.<Setup Directories> option to choose the correct folder you install the part library to.
  If you can't remember it, search your hard disk for the "Conns" folder. Its parent folder is the correct one!"
Answers.UserDisplayName: mcqwerty
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-04-05T23:42:16.337Z
Answers.Text: Is there an alternative for macOS High Sierra?
Answers.UserDisplayName: osman
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-06-10T19:46:01.887Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-06-10T20:30:54.887Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2012-06-10T20:30:54.887Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: mcqwerty
Answers.Body: <p>Edit to update: It looks like the <a href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483027.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">NXT version of RDS</a> only really supports the "Tribot", and has partial support for the "ShooterBot", but does not have a simulation of it.</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>I know the original <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/robotics/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Microsoft Robotics Studio</a> supported building robots using the RCX bricks - although the latest version has been <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd939240.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">upgraded to NXT</a> and it has simulation tools too for testing your robots prior to building and deploying your code.</p>
  
  <p>As the core components should be the same (gears, beams, etc.) you should be able to get a reasonable way through testing even if the final code has to be written elsewhere.</p>
  
  <p>I know some people have had success upgrading the RCX samples to newer versions of RS, but I'm not sure if anyone's tried it with 4.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-06-12T23:14:11.583Z
Answers.Text: Wow. Didn't know that. I'll take a look
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alex
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-06-11T10:37:42.850Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2018-04-03T12:06:02.733Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2018-04-03T12:06:02.733Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Zhaph - Ben Duguid
Body: <p>I'm taking computer engineering in Gr. 11 right now and our final project is to create a robot with the first version of Mindstorms. My partner and I are making a sumo robot for the class competition. We don't have the required parts at home such as gears and technic pieces and we're not allowed to take home the pieces.</p>
  
  <p>We're using LEGO RCX 1.0 with 2.0 firmware and mostly technic pieces. Is there some type of CAD software that lets me test to see if the gears do what I want it to? I know LDD does this to an extent but they don't have the RCX 1.0 pieces, and placement of pieces is frustrating.</p>
  
  <p>Also, I have the .dat files for LDraw, is there a way to import those parts into LDD?</p>
  
Tags: <building><technic><mindstorms><software><rcx>
Title: Good LEGO CAD Design Software with Technic elements and animation
UserDisplayName: Alex
ThreadText: # Good LEGO CAD Design Software with Technic elements and animation
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2012-06-10)
  
  I'm taking computer engineering in Gr. 11 right now and our final project is to create a robot with the first version of Mindstorms. My partner and I are making a sumo robot for the class competition. We don't have the required parts at home such as gears and technic pieces and we're not allowed to take home the pieces.
  
  We're using LEGO RCX 1.0 with 2.0 firmware and mostly technic pieces. Is there some type of CAD software that lets me test to see if the gears do what I want it to? I know LDD does this to an extent but they don't have the RCX 1.0 pieces, and placement of pieces is frustrating.
  
  Also, I have the .dat files for LDraw, is there a way to import those parts into LDD?
  
  **Tags:** building, technic, mindstorms, software, rcx
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2012-06-10. Score: 8
  
  Take a look at [SR 3D Builder](http://sr3dbuilder.altervista.org/). I have not used this software myself but it looks like it may do what you need. It's free (for non-commercial use) and you can import your LDraw files.
  
  [Here](http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=xSergio74&view=videos) is a link to some videos on YouTube
  
  See below for the features list (taken from the website)
  
  * NEW Support for Piston - Rod mechanism
  * NEW Support for Linear Actuators and Shock Absorbers
  * NEW the Animation Console to easily create and animate your technic
    models
  * Towball, HINGES and GEARS SUPPORT! Take a look to the Gallery to see
    what I mean
  * Connection Solver for quick connecting hinges and rotating parts
  * Support for RACKS and steering
  * Support for ANIMATED FLEXYBLE PARTS
  * Belt Generator with real connections
  * Now with GROUP management
  * New exclusive MirrorBuilding features for quick build of symmetric
    models. MUST TRY !!
  * Enhanced instructions editor to easily modify the order in which bricks are loaded in your model and/or take photos while building
  * Complex gear driven hinges support (quadrilaters deformation and
    steering)
  * Great fully 3D building envinronment with reflection and
    transparencies
  * You will see your model during loading time and can pause for
    instruction steps
  * You can modify and save models (lDraw/MLCad .dat compatible format)
  * Fast selecting/moving/adding/removing you'll never see in MLCad
  * Copy/Rotation/Deletetion/Color change of single or multiple brick. Undo/Redo functionality
  * Real connections detection, not always the same near brick positioning
  * Brick selection by Block (means that solid connected bricks can be selected at once)
  * Grid positioning to speed up positioning of pieces
  * Automatic and precise positioning and orientering of most bricks according to connection detection
  * Automatic detection of rotation axles
  * You can easily load model from other known programs: it supports the
    following formats
    + .dat files
    + .ldr files
    + .mpd files (only a few metacommand are currently supported)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: How would I import pieces? I have a version of LDraw with the old technic motors but when I try to set that as the default LDraw folder, it says that there's no image folder  
  > **username_0**: Never mind. I didn't set the types to display from base types to all types. I found the 9V mini-motor. But the problem now is that the model is missing its casing  
  > **username_1**: @AlexYan I have not used the software, but a google search took me to this forum post:http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=30348&st=30. The advice that may help you is "the error is generally risen when you have chosen a destination folder for the Part Library different from the default c:\lDraw and you already have the c:\lDraw folder on your HD. To fix the problem, use the <File>.<Setup Directories> option to choose the correct folder you install the part library to. If you can't remember it, search your hard disk for the "Conns" folder. Its parent folder is the correct one!"  
  > **username_2**: Is there an alternative for macOS High Sierra?  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2012-06-11. Score: 4
  
  Edit to update: It looks like the [NXT version of RDS](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb483027.aspx) only really supports the "Tribot", and has partial support for the "ShooterBot", but does not have a simulation of it.
  
  ---
  
  I know the original [Microsoft Robotics Studio](http://www.microsoft.com/robotics/) supported building robots using the RCX bricks - although the latest version has been [upgraded to NXT](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd939240.aspx) and it has simulation tools too for testing your robots prior to building and deploying your code.
  
  As the core components should be the same (gears, beams, etc.) you should be able to get a reasonable way through testing even if the final code has to be written elsewhere.
  
  I know some people have had success upgrading the RCX samples to newer versions of RS, but I'm not sure if anyone's tried it with 4.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Wow. Didn't know that. I'll take a look  
  
  ---
  
  