Lego Software Power Tools With LDraw MLCad and LPub

Create Virtual 3D LEGO Models Using LEGO Software Power Tools
LEGO Master Builders have created a powerful set of tools that are distributed as freeware to the LEGO community to assist LEGO fans in their building adventures. Until now, these tools have been difficult to find, and even more difficult to configure to work with one another. Here, in one book, readers will find steps for installing and using all of the most popular LEGO freeware applications. Also, all of the applications are consolidated into one simple-to-install program that allows readers to be up and running in minutes

Ø Wide market appeal. This book will appeal to the huge established consumer base of the LEGO community, as well as to children, parents, and teachers who may have been intimidated by the difficulties of bringing all of these applications under one roof.
Ø The only book of its kind to cover the wide variety of applications available. Some books in the past have touched on one or two of these LEGO applications, but none has covered them all in such detail.
Ø CD provides all of these freeware applications in one easy to install program. Included CD packs more than 8 applications into one easy-to-use format, making it easy for readers to have access to all of these applications in minutes and avoid the headaches of trying to download, install, configure, set up folder structures, and troubleshoot such a wide variety of loosely related freeware applications.
Ø Will coincide with the release of Lpub. This will be the first in-depth look at LPub, the new creation of Kevin Clague, which ties LDraw, MLCad, L3P, and POV-Ray together to allow users to easily create professional quality LEGO instructions for both the printed page and the web.

Kevin Clague is a Senior Staff Engineer at Sun Microsystems, where he does verification work on their Ulta-SPARC V RISC processor. He also worked for Amdahl Corporation for 18 years as a Diagnostic Engineer. Kevin played with LEGO as a child, and got back into LEGO as an adult when his wife, Jan, got him the LEGO MINDSTORMS Dark Side Developer Kit for Christmas three years ago. Kevin soon got himself a LEGO MINDSTORMS Robotics Invention System 1.5 set, and has been having fun inventing LEGO creations ever since.

In 2001 Kevin got involved with authoring LEGO instruction books for Syngress Publishing, including 10 Cool LEGO Mindstorms Dark Side Robots, Transports, and Creatures: Amazing Projects You Can Build in Under an Hour (ISBN: 1-931836-59-0) and 10 Cool LEGO Mindstorms Ultimate Builders Projects: Amazing Projects You Can Build in Under an Hour (ISBN: 1-931836-60-4). In the process, Kevin developed the LPub program for creating professional quality building instructions using MLCad, L3P, and POV-Ray. More recently, Kevin has developed the LSynth program so that bendable LEGO parts can more easily be documented when creating building instructions.

Miguel Agullo was born in Spain and has lived abroad for long periods of time, from the Far East to South America, from central Europe to the U.S. models, new LDraw pieces, and anything he thinks is worth sharing with other LEGO aficionados. His building interests revolve around robotics, and specifically biomechanics: creating mechanisms that mimic the behavior of natural devices such as legs or arms. Miguel's creations include biped walkers, robots that jump, and a fully functional (including a brake!) LEGO motorcycle.

Lars C. Hassing lives in Århus, Denmark, only 90 km from Billund, where (naturally) he has a season pass to LEGOLAND. Lars works as a programmer at CCI Europe, where he builds large scale, multi-user desktop publishing programs for newspaper publishers in Europe and in the U.S.