BlockDesigner (2010)

BlockDesigner is a 3D modeling tool designed for creating structures with interlocking blocks (brick-building systems).

Note This repository is a historical archive of the original 2010 codebase. It is preserved here for educational and reference purposes and is no longer actively maintained.

• Original Release: 2010
• Language: Java
• Author: Andreas Schwenk
• License: MIT

Why "Blocks"?

The project uses the generic term "Blocks" to describe the 3D assets to avoid trademark issues with specific toy brands.

Modernized Build System (2025 Update)

For easier integration with modern development environments, a pom.xml file was provided in 2025. This allows the project to be managed as a standard Maven project, automating dependency resolution and the build lifecycle.

Technologies

• Java: Originally developed for JDK 6 (2010); now compatible with modern Maven-based workflows.
• 3D Rendering: The application utilizes JOGL (Java Binding for OpenGL) for high-performance 3D hardware acceleration. JOGL remains the primary library for accessing the OpenGL API within the Java ecosystem.

Run the Project

To build and run the project using the 2025 Maven configuration, ensure you have Maven 3.9+ installed and run:

mvn package
mvn exec:java

Running in VSCode

For an integrated development experience, you can run and debug this project directly within VSCode:

• Install Extensions: Install the Extension Pack for Java (which includes Language Support for Java™ by Red Hat and Maven for Java).
• Open Project: Open the root folder (the one containing pom.xml) in VSCode.
• Project Import: Wait for the "Java Language Server" to finish importing your Maven dependencies (visible in the status bar).
• Run/Debug: Press [F5] to start debugging or [Ctrl+F5] to run without debugging.

Note: The project is configured via launch.json to automatically include the necessary JVM modularity flags (--add-opens) required for JOGL on modern JDKs (17/21+).