Lego/Virtual Construction ArTron Art Portfolio Other Things Links Lego Links

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people have visited this site since December 14, 2000

Copyright © 2003
Ryan Farrington

Virtual construction has become a real interest of mine. It all started with the virtual Legos available at LDraw.org. A simple method of file nesting was employed in the LDraw system, and upon examination of K'nex pieces, I discovered that making the parts would be relatively easy and only require about two dozen files. So I set myself to the task.

In August of 2001 I released the Virtual K'nex parts library myself, which allowed one to save his favorite K'nex designs in the LDraw format. While working on that parts library I theorized that any kind of construction toy can be made in the LDraw way. And thus came this page into existence.

Download
the parts libraries for
• K'nex
• Lincoln Logs

K'nex The K'nex library is undergoing extensive updating, making the parts more realistic, and to scale with the LDraw (Lego) library. Many innumerable thanks to Marianne Rasser for volunteering to help with the developement of the K'nex parts library! Fun with Architecture library is close to half done, but I have been much too busy to work on it further. I'm starting a signs & graphic design business, so obviously that takes priority!

Lego

Lego blocks (bricks, elements) have been a hobby of mine since I was nine. Back then I played out storylines with them. As I got older I did less of that and found just building was more fun. However, I couldn't build everything that I wanted, for lack of pieces.

Then I found LDraw.org! LDraw is a free DOS-based program written by the late James Jessiman that allows you to build Lego models and then make instructions from them. When he passed away, Lego fans got together to improve on LDraw and make it easier to find on the Web. Many people wrote their own (free) programs for Windows that made building more convenient. Also, there are many people working on the continuing task of adding to the parts library.

But the thing I like most about LDraw is that you have unlimited pieces to build whatever you want!

All the pictures of my models have been rendered using the freeware Perisistence Of Vision Raytracer (POV-Ray).

See my own Lego creations now!

LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site. Visit the official Lego website at www.lego.com.

Tower Bridge

Upright Piano

Models rendered with POV-Ray.

K'nex

Here is VERSION 1.11 of the parts library available for download. It contains the .dat files for 17 of the original 22 K'nex pieces. The missing pieces are the two sizes of wheels, and the three sizes of tires. I hope to eventually release those as well, with help from Marianne Rasser, who has graciously volunteered to help development of the parts library. After those, we can move on to newer K'nex parts.

Instructions of what to do with the zipped files are in the Read Me file. If you have any questions, please email me at ryanjf@ncgraphicarts.com.

Download the K'nex parts library package (22kb).

Instructions for the Rubber-band Gun.

NEWS:
Marianne Rasser, from the Netherlands, has volunteered to help with the development of the K'nex Ldraw Parts Library. Therefore, in the future there will be a new release of the library with more detailed parts that are to scale with the Ldraw Lego Parts Library. It will be possible to scale down any already existing K'nex models so they will work with the newer version of the library.

K'NEX® is a trademark of the K'nex Company which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or the Virtual-K'nex Parts Library. Visit the official K'nex website at www.knex.com.

Make traditional K'nex models like the Helicopter

Or original models like my rubber-band gun (which really shoots).
DAT file available
View the instructions!

Models rendered with POV-Ray.

Lincoln Logs

I have made nine parts so far, out of eleven. I have only to make the two gables to finish the whole project. This will be all the pieces from Classic Lincoln Logs. I understand now they have made more themes and pieces, but I will not be making them, since I own only classic pieces.

Here is VERSION 1.0 of the parts library available for download. There are 11 parts and 3 primitives. Currently there are no gable pieces.

Instructions of what to do with the zipped files are in the Read Me file. If you have any questions, please email me at ryanjf .

Download the Lincoln Logs parts library package (6.3kb).

Lincoln Logs is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or the Virtual Lincoln Logs Parts Library. Visit the official Lincoln Logs website at lincolnlogs.knex.com.

Color the logs whatever color you want! Here I show you traditional brown.

(Click for enlargement)

And here is tan.

Fun with Architecture

Fun with Architecture is a product published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It features 35 rubber stamps in various shapes conducive to stamping architecture. I always enjoyed looking at the examples in the accompanying book, but never could get such nice-looking pictures. So I decided to make an LDraw version, somewhat of overkill, because FwA is all 2-D and LDraw is great for 3-D work. Oh well....

So far I have made fifteen out of thirty-five stamps.

The Fun With Architecture Parts Library is in no way sponsored, authorized, or endorsed by the author and/or publisher of the original package. Google search.

The original Fun with Architecture product by David Eisen.