Playing in a virtual environment with antique & vintage construction toys…
How cool would it be, converting old construction toys into a virtual 3D collection? Not only for storing cultural heritage, but also for experiencing these various systems yourself!
As Norman Brosterman said: “Building toys are possibilities, not toys. They are architecture without the problems.” (ref NYT)
I’m focusing on wooden (incl. cardboard & metal) building & construction toys, mainly before 1950. Why? I don’t know yet, but it’s just fun, to rebuild these toys in a virtual world and learn a bit more about the history of each manufacturer.
My dream: “Building with these virtual toys in big towns, all over the world, together with other players, while wearing a VR head set and where gravitiy is simulated. These towns could then be exported for instance to Open Rails, so trains moving along… etc etc“
Jump directly to the 3D collection.
For digital building, the free LeoCAD software is used, which is actually designed for playing with virtual Lego. Here you see an impression, how build in LeoCAD, using the complete Mobaco library:
It’s almost like building in real life!
And combining different construction sets, is also an option, how cool is that!
LeoCAD also provides various export functions, like storing number of parts used (CSV format) or using ‘steps’, so it’s possible to create somekind of building instructions..
If hope this inspires you, to build (again) with your own favorite building toy or investigate other construction methods. It’s also a method to retain very rare sets and make them available again.
I also hope, to include many more historical systems, making a big collection of 3D data available, retrofitted into the digital world!
Like the Mobaco story, I cannot do this alone.
I need help from collectors, builders and enthousiasts.
Send me a mail, if you are willing to help me, building an awesome vintage 3D building construction database or just donate some money, allowing me to buy more games.
Concact details: 
Check the available sets in the 3D Collection.