best article of the week: online lego building/ordering

article by J. D. BIERSDORFER here.

The Lego Group, based in Denmark, recently opened an online Lego Factory (legofactory.com), where Lego enthusiasts can design projects with free 3-D software and then order a kit to build the model.

The company's free Lego Digital Designer software, which lets users construct Lego projects on screen using an endless supply of pixilated parts, is available at the site to download to Windows and Mac systems. Using the software, Lego lovers can upload their masterpieces to the Lego Factory site, and can also inspect other people's projects that have been posted online.

You can buy all the bricks and other parts needed to build your model right on the site. The parts arrive by mail in custom packaging, complete with a picture of the finished model and the creator's name emblazoned on the box.