In the first post of this series, we covered what Stud.io is and why it has become the standard digital building tool for the LEGO community. The short version: it is free, it is powerful, and it connects directly to BrickLink's parts catalog so every element in your digital model can be sourced and purchased in the real world. No other tool offers that combination.
But knowing what Stud.io can do and actually using it are two different things. The gap between "I should try that" and "I built something" is where most people stall. This guide eliminates that gap entirely. In the next 30 minutes, you are going to download Stud.io, install it, learn the core controls, and build a complete — if simple — house. Not a theoretical walkthrough. An actual build, from an empty canvas to a finished model with walls, a roof, a door, and windows.
If you are brand new to digital building and wondering whether Stud.io is worth your time, the answer is yes. If you have been thinking about building your first MOC but keep getting stuck at the planning stage, digital prototyping in Stud.io will change how you approach every future build. And if you are an experienced AFOL who has been avoiding software because "real builders use real bricks," I respect that — but give this 30 minutes. You will not regret it.
Stud.io is developed and maintained by BrickLink, which is owned by the LEGO Group. The software is completely free and always has been. There are no trial periods, no feature gates, and no premium tiers. You get the full application at no cost. If you are unfamiliar with BrickLink itself, it is the world's largest online marketplace for LEGO parts and sets — and Stud.io is its companion design tool.
To download Stud.io, open your browser and navigate to www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/download.page. The page will automatically detect your operating system and present the correct download button. As of early 2026, Stud.io supports Windows 10 and later (64-bit only) and macOS 10.15 Catalina and later. Linux is not officially supported, though some users run it through compatibility layers. The download is approximately 600 MB, so give it a few minutes on a standard connection.
You do not need a BrickLink account to download or use Stud.io. However, I strongly recommend creating a free account before you install. Having an account lets you upload your models to the BrickLink gallery, generate parts lists that link directly to the marketplace, and access community-shared models. The account creation takes 60 seconds and requires only an email address. Once the installer has finished downloading, you are ready for the next step.
Locate the downloaded file in your Downloads folder. It will be named something like Studio+2.0+Setup.exe. Double-click it to launch the installer. If Windows Defender SmartScreen pops up with a warning about an unrecognized app, click "More info" and then "Run anyway." This is a standard warning for applications that have not been downloaded millions of times — it does not indicate a problem with the file.
The installer will ask you to accept the license agreement, choose an installation directory (the default is fine for most users), and select whether to create a desktop shortcut. I recommend keeping the desktop shortcut — you will be opening Stud.io frequently once you get comfortable with it. The installation process takes two to five minutes depending on your hardware. It installs not only the main application but also a parts library, a rendering engine called Eyesight, and the connection module that links to BrickLink's catalog.
Once installation completes, the installer may offer to launch Stud.io immediately. Go ahead and let it. If it does not, find the Stud.io icon on your desktop or in your Start menu and open it. The first launch takes longer than subsequent launches because the application needs to index its parts library. This indexing happens once and typically takes 30 to 90 seconds. Let it finish. You will see a loading bar with a brick-themed animation. When it completes, you will be looking at the Stud.io start screen.
The macOS installation process is slightly different but equally straightforward. Your downloaded file will be a .dmg disk image. Double-click it to mount the image. A window will open showing the Stud.io application icon and an arrow pointing to your Applications folder. Drag the Stud.io icon into Applications. That is the entire installation process on Mac.
The first time you open Stud.io from Applications, macOS will warn you that the app was downloaded from the internet and ask if you are sure you want to open it. Click "Open." If macOS blocks it entirely with a message saying the developer cannot be verified, go to System Settings, then Privacy and Security, and click "Open Anyway" next to the Stud.io entry. Apple has tightened its Gatekeeper security in recent macOS versions, so this extra step is occasionally necessary for third-party applications.
On Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4), Stud.io runs through Rosetta 2 translation. macOS will prompt you to install Rosetta the first time if it is not already present — agree and let it install. Performance through Rosetta is excellent. You will not notice any meaningful slowdown during normal building operations. The rendering engine is slightly slower than on native x86 hardware, but for the builds we are doing in this tutorial series, it makes no practical difference. Once the application opens and the parts library finishes indexing, you are in exactly the same place as the Windows users.
Stud.io opens to a start screen that shows recent files, templates, and community highlights. For now, click "New" to create a blank project. You are now looking at the main workspace, and it can feel overwhelming at first glance. Do not worry. You only need to understand four areas to start building, and we will cover the entire interface in depth in Post 3 of this series.
The Build Area occupies the center of the screen. This is your 3D canvas — an infinite gray grid where your model will take shape. You can rotate this view by holding the right mouse button and dragging. Zoom with the scroll wheel. Pan by holding the middle mouse button (or scroll wheel) and dragging. Spend 30 seconds right now just rotating and zooming around the empty grid. Get comfortable with moving the camera. This is the single most important skill in Stud.io, and it needs to feel natural before you start placing bricks.
The Parts Palette is on the right side of the screen. This is a searchable, categorized list of every LEGO element ever produced. You can browse by category (bricks, plates, slopes, etc.) or type a search term in the search bar at the top. The Color Palette sits below or beside the parts palette and lets you select the color for the next element you place. The Toolbar runs along the top and contains buttons for select, move, rotate, hide, clone, and other manipulation tools. For your first build, you will use exactly three things: the parts search, the color picker, and the rotate tool. Everything else can wait.
In the Parts Palette search bar, type "2x4 brick." The results will show several variants, but the one you want is the standard Brick 2 x 4 (part #3001). Click on it. Your cursor will change to show the brick attached to it, ready to be placed. Move your cursor over the grid in the Build Area and click to place the brick. Congratulations — you have placed your first digital LEGO element.
Notice how the brick snaps to the grid automatically. Stud.io enforces LEGO geometry by default, meaning bricks connect only in positions that are physically valid. You cannot overlap bricks or place them in impossible orientations. This is one of the biggest advantages of Stud.io over general-purpose 3D modeling tools — it understands LEGO construction rules, so everything you build digitally can be built physically.
Now place a second 2x4 brick next to the first one. Click the part in the palette again (or just click on the grid — the same part stays selected) and place it adjacent to your first brick. The studs should align perfectly. Place a third brick on top of the first two, overlapping the seam between them. You have just made a basic brick bond — the fundamental principle of LEGO construction that gives walls their strength. This is the same structural logic that applies to every build from a child's first tower to a 10,000-piece MOC. Offset your seams, overlap your connections, and your structure will hold.
Connecting bricks in Stud.io works exactly like connecting real LEGO. Place a brick so its anti-studs (the tubes on the bottom) align with the studs on the brick below it. Stud.io will snap the connection automatically and highlight valid positions in green as you hover. If you see a red highlight, the position is invalid — something is overlapping or misaligned. Move your cursor until the highlight turns green and click to confirm.
Rotating bricks is essential for building anything more complex than a straight wall. Select a brick by clicking on it with the Select tool (press S or click the arrow icon in the toolbar). With a brick selected, press the arrow keys on your keyboard to rotate it. The up and down arrows rotate the brick around its horizontal axis. The left and right arrows rotate it around its vertical axis. Each press rotates 90 degrees. For finer control, hold Shift while pressing the arrow keys to rotate in smaller increments. You can also use the rotation handles that appear around a selected brick — click and drag them for freeform rotation.
Moving bricks after placement is just as simple. Select a brick, then click and drag it to a new position. It will snap to the nearest valid grid position as you drag. To move a brick vertically (up or down), hold Shift while dragging. To move a group of bricks, hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and click multiple bricks to select them all, then drag the group. You can also use Ctrl+A to select everything in your scene. The undo shortcut Ctrl+Z works as expected and is your best friend during early experiments. Do not be afraid to try things and undo them. That is the entire point of digital building.
Now we build. This step-by-step guide produces a simple but complete house: four walls, two windows, a door, and a pitched roof. It uses common parts and basic techniques. Follow along at your own pace. If you finish in 20 minutes, great. If it takes 40, that is fine too. The goal is a completed model, not a speed record. Before you start, set your color to Bright Red in the Color Palette. We are building a classic red house.
Step 1: The Foundation. Search for "Plate 8 x 16" (part #92438) in the Parts Palette. Set the color to Dark Bluish Gray. Place it on the grid. This is your foundation plate. Every wall, door, and window will sit on this plate. If you cannot find the exact 8x16 plate, use two 8x8 plates side by side — the result is identical.
Step 2: The Back Wall. Switch your color to Bright Red. Search for "Brick 1 x 8" (part #3008). Place one along the back edge of the foundation, running the full 8-stud width. Place another directly on top of it. Repeat until you have a back wall five bricks high. That is five 1x8 bricks stacked. To speed this up, select the brick you just placed, press Ctrl+D to duplicate it, and drag the duplicate on top.
Step 3: The Side Walls. Search for "Brick 1 x 6" (part #3009) in Bright Red. Place one along the left edge of the foundation, running front to back, connecting to the back wall at the corner. Stack it five bricks high, matching the back wall height. Repeat on the right side. You now have three walls forming a U shape.
Step 4: The Front Wall with Door and Windows. This wall has openings, so we build it in sections. Start with the left section: place a 1x2 Brick (part #3004) at the front-left corner, five bricks high, connecting to the left side wall. Skip a 2-stud-wide gap for the window. Place a 1x2 Brick column in the center section, two bricks high. Skip a 2-stud-wide gap for the door (which is 4 bricks tall, so we leave it open from the foundation up). Build up the right side of the door opening with another 1x2 column. Skip another 2-stud gap for the right window, then close the wall at the front-right corner with another 1x2 column, five bricks high.
Step 5: Windows and Door. Search for "Window 1 x 2 x 2" (part #60592) and place one in each of the two window openings on the front wall. The windows should sit on the second brick layer, leaving one brick below as a sill. Search for "Door 1 x 2 x 4" and its matching frame. Place the door frame in the door opening, then click the door panel into the frame. Your house now has a front wall with two windows flanking a central door. If specific window or door parts feel confusing, use any similarly sized window and door elements — the exact part numbers are less important than getting the openings filled.
Step 6: Connecting Beam. Before we build the roof, we need to span the top of the walls. Search for "Plate 2 x 8" and place plates across the top of all four walls to create a continuous ring. This locks the walls together and provides a surface for the roof to sit on. Use the same Dark Bluish Gray color as the foundation to create a visual band at the roofline.
Step 7: The Roof. Switch your color to Dark Blue or Dark Bluish Gray. Search for "Slope 2 x 3" (part #3298). We are building a simple pitched roof — two angled surfaces meeting at a ridge. Place slopes along the left side of the house, angled upward toward the center. Use the rotate tool to orient them correctly. Mirror the arrangement on the right side. Fill the ridge at the top with 1x-wide plates or tiles. The roof does not need to be architecturally perfect for your first build. Getting the slopes pointed in the right direction and meeting roughly at the center is a win.
Step 8: Details. Add a 1x1 round brick in Light Bluish Gray for a chimney at one end of the roof ridge. Place a 1x4 tile in Dark Tan in front of the door as a welcome mat. If you are feeling ambitious, search for "Flower" and place a few 1x1 flower elements along the front of the foundation in green and yellow. These tiny details are what make a simple model feel finished.
Your first digital build does not need to be perfect. It needs to be finished. Perfection comes with practice. Finishing teaches you the workflow.
You have a house. Now save it before anything goes wrong. Press Ctrl+S (or Cmd+S on Mac). Stud.io will ask you to choose a location and filename. I recommend creating a dedicated folder for your Stud.io projects — something like "Documents/Studio Files" — and saving everything there. Name this file something descriptive like "first-house-tutorial.io" so you can find it later.
Stud.io saves files in its own .io format. This is a compact file that contains your entire model, including all part placements, colors, and any building steps you have defined. The file is typically tiny — a simple house like ours will be under 100 KB. You can share .io files with anyone who has Stud.io installed, and they will open the model exactly as you built it. Stud.io also supports exporting to other formats including LDraw (.ldr), which is the universal standard for digital LEGO files and is compatible with other building tools.
Get into the habit of saving frequently. Stud.io does not have an auto-save feature in all versions, and there is nothing more frustrating than losing 30 minutes of work to an unexpected crash. The keyboard shortcut Ctrl+S should become muscle memory. Save after every significant change. Save before you try something experimental. Save when you stand up to get coffee. Just save.
Bricks will not connect. The most common beginner issue. Usually this means you are trying to place a brick in a position that would overlap with an existing element. Rotate your view to check from multiple angles. If two bricks look like they should connect but refuse to, check that they are on the same grid alignment. Occasionally the snap system gets confused — zoom in closer to the connection point and try again.
Camera goes crazy. If your view suddenly spins to an extreme angle or zooms way out, do not panic. Press the Home key on your keyboard to reset the camera to its default position. You can also use the View menu to select preset angles (top, front, side). Camera control is the steepest part of the learning curve, and it smooths out quickly with practice.
Cannot find a part. The parts library contains over 20,000 elements. If your search returns too many results, be more specific: instead of "slope," try "slope 2x3" or "slope 45 2x2." You can also browse by category using the tabs in the Parts Palette. If a part exists in the real LEGO system, it almost certainly exists in Stud.io. If you are building digitally to plan a real-world MOC and want to understand how to source parts, the BrickLink beginner's guide covers the marketplace side of that equation.
Performance is slow. Stud.io runs well on most modern hardware, but very large models (5,000+ parts) can tax older machines. For the builds in this tutorial series, performance should not be an issue. If you do experience lag, try reducing the rendering quality in Settings or closing other applications. The sorting guide covers organizing physical parts, but the same principle of keeping things organized applies digitally — smaller, well-structured files perform better than massive, chaotic ones.
You now have Stud.io installed, you understand the basic controls, and you have a completed model to prove it. That puts you ahead of every builder who downloaded the software and never opened it, which is more people than you might think. The gap between installing a tool and actually using it is enormous, and you just crossed it.
In the next post of this series, we will do a comprehensive deep-dive into the Stud.io interface — every panel, every tool, every shortcut. This tutorial gave you the minimum viable knowledge to build something. The next one gives you the full vocabulary to build anything. We will cover the step editor, the submodel system, the hinge tool, and the connection inspector. These are the features that separate casual users from people who design 5,000-piece MOCs entirely in software before touching a single physical brick.
In the meantime, experiment. Open your saved house file and try adding a second story. Change the colors. Add a garden. Break things and undo them. The Builds hub has inspiration for structures you might want to try recreating digitally. The Reviews section covers official sets that you could attempt to reverse-engineer in Stud.io as practice. And if you want to understand the principles behind designing original models rather than copying existing ones, the first MOC guide lays out the creative process from concept to completion.
The whole point of Stud.io is that every experiment is free. No wasted parts. No disassembly frustration. No wondering if you have the right elements in the right colors. Just ideas, translated into bricks, as fast as you can think of them. That is an absurdly powerful tool for any builder, and you now know how to use it. The Parts Lab can help you identify specific elements for your next project, and the LEGO Shop is there when you are ready to turn your digital designs into physical reality.
Every master builder started by placing a single brick. You have now placed yours. The only question is what you build next.