Open LXFML File
LXFML files are 3D LEGO design files created by LEGO Digital Designer (LDD), an application for designing digital models of LEGO products. These files contain building instructions for the associated LEGO models using XML formatting. As specialized digital model design files, they are utilized mostly by LEGO hobbyists and professional designers to create and share complex LEGO designs.
Opening and Using LXFML Files
To access the information within an LXFML file it can typically be opened with LEGO Digital Designer (https://www.lego.com/en-us/ldd), which is available for both Windows and MacOS. Apart from LEGO Digital Designer, Bricklink's Studio 2.0 software (https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/download.page) also supports this file format.
LXFML files are not meant to be opened manually, because they are typically opened automatically by LEGO Digital Designer or the corresponding program when a user loads a LEGO model. These files contain XML text which describes all details of a 3D LEGO model, including which LEGO parts are used and where they are positioned relative to each other.
Converting LXFML Files
Converting LXFML files to other formats can be useful when collaborating with others who don't have access to the same software. It can also be necessary to bring your designs into other software for further manipulation or presentation purposes.
LEGO Digital Designer can export LXFML files to the .ldr and .mpd LDraw formats, which can be opened with any LDraw-compatible software for further modification. For conversion to .PDF or .html formats, digital conversion services like AnyConv (https://anyconv.com/lxfml-to-pdf-converter/) can be used.
LXFML File Important Information
LXFML files, being XML-based, can also be opened with any text editor, such as Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on MacOS, though this will not display the LEGO models, but rather the underlying XML code. Editing this XML code manually is not recommended, as it may result in corrupted or unopenable files.
When storing and sharing LXFML files it's important to remember that they contain 3D model information only, and not any associated images, audio, or animation. If a file includes these elements, each element will need to be saved and shared separately.
In conclusion, the LEGO Digital Designer along with the LXFML file format offers a great deal of flexibility for creating, editing, sharing, and even printing your own LEGO designs. Whether for hobby or for professional use, these tools have a lot to offer for LEGO designers.