While you can still download LDD for free, LEGO promises no updates, which means that the program will become more and more outdated as new pieces are introduced. The big downside is that the software has been officially defunded and discontinued in 2016. This is the only official LEGO CAD software on this list and, predictably, it’s also one of the best. In this article I want to highlight some of the software packages that ambitious and dedicated builders can use to make their lives a lot easier. They aid you in the design of LEGO builds. In general they’re referred to as LEGO CAD programs, and they do exactly what you may think, based on that name.
But in this 21st-century world of computer, well, everything, it should come as no surprise that you can use software tools to make the process much easier. While each builder has their own ways of turning a vision into plastic reality, the use of graph paper and (not-inconsiderable) artistic abilities are traditional. I have a lot of respect for those masterful and ambitious builders who over the decades have perfected the method of designing, planning, and executing a build. The best, but also hardest, form of LEGO building is free-building.