Lego Dimensions NFC213 Tag Generator

Open-source web application for generating Lego Dimensions NFC tag codes
Create custom character and vehicle tags for the discontinued Lego Dimensions game using NFC213 tags.

Overview
Features
Prerequisites
Installation and Running
Using the Web Interface
Reading Your NFC Tag UID
Writing to Your NFC Tag
How It Works
Character Mapping & Image Display
Credits
Notes
License

Overview

This project is a Node.js web application that generates the required HEX data to program replacement Toy Tags for the game Lego Dimensions using NFC213 tags.
The application takes the UID from a blank NFC213 tag and a Character or Vehicle ID, and produces the values that need to be written to the NFC tag so it can be used with the Lego Dimensions Toy Pad.

The web interface provides an easy-to-use, visual way to search for characters and vehicles, generate codes, and includes light/dark mode themes for comfortable viewing.

⚠️ This project is for educational purposes and to preserve access to Lego Dimensions, a game and hardware ecosystem no longer manufactured. You must supply your own NFC213 tags.

Features

Complete Character & Vehicle Database - All Lego Dimensions characters and vehicles with accurate IDs
Visual Icon Display - Custom handmade icons with color-coded pack types (25mm coin capsule size)
Smart Search & Filter - Quickly find characters or vehicles by name, or filter by type
Light/Dark Mode - Toggle between themes for comfortable viewing
Responsive Design - Works seamlessly on desktop and mobile devices
Accurate Encryption - Generates proper cryptographic codes for NFC tags
Easy to Use - Simple web interface, no command-line knowledge required
Self-Hosted - Run locally on your own machine, no internet connection needed after setup
📖 Open Source - Full source code available for learning and customization

Full page view of the web interface showing the UID input field, search box, character/vehicle list and selected character generated codes

Prerequisites

Blank NFC213 tags
The Smart NFC app (from the iOS App Store)
Node.js installed on your computer
A modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari)

Installation and Running the Web Application

Clone or download this repository:

git clone https://github.com/sys-MWell/lego-dimensions-nfc-writer.git
cd lego-dimensions-nfc-writer

Install dependencies:
```
npm install
```
Start the web server:
```
npm start
```
or
```
node server.js
```
Open your web browser and navigate to:
```
http://localhost:3000
```
The web interface will load and you can begin generating NFC tag codes!

💡 Tip: The server will run on port 3000 by default. Keep the terminal window open while using the application.

Full page view of the web interface showing the UID input field, search box, and character/vehicle list

Using the Web Interface

The web interface provides a simple, intuitive way to generate NFC tag codes:

Step 1: Enter Your NFC Tag UID

In the UID input field at the top of the page, enter your 14-character hexadecimal UID (e.g., 1D0D830E960000).
- See the section below on how to obtain your UID using the Smart NFC app.

Close-up of the UID input field with an example UID entered

Step 2: Search and Select a Character or Vehicle

Use the search box to find a character or vehicle by name.
- Or use the filter buttons to view only Characters or only Vehicles.

Search box with partial text and filter buttons (Characters/Vehicles) highlighted

Click on a character or vehicle name from the list to select it.
- The selection will be highlighted, but codes are not generated yet.

A character selected from the list, showing the highlighted state

Step 3: Generate the Codes

Click the "Generate" button to generate the NFC tag codes.

Step 4: View and Copy the Generated Codes

The results will appear below the button, showing:
- Character/Vehicle image and name
- ID number
- World (for characters) or Build type (Regular, Build 1, Build 2 for vehicles)
- Five generated HEX codes for lines 35, 36, 37, 38, and 43

Full results display for a character showing image, name, world badge, and the 5 HEX code blocks

Full results display for a vehicle showing image, name, build type, and the 5 HEX code blocks

Copy each HEX code and use them with the Smart NFC app to write to your NFC213 tag.

📝 Note: If you select a different character or vehicle after generating codes, you must click the "Generate" button again to regenerate the codes for the new selection.

Theme Toggle

The interface includes a light/dark mode toggle in the top-right corner of the page. Click the button to switch between themes for comfortable viewing in any lighting condition.

Web interface in dark mode showing the theme toggle button

Step 1 — Reading Your NFC213 Tag UID

To use this tool, you first need to obtain the UID from your blank NFC213 tag:

Install and open Smart NFC on your iPhone.
Tap on Advanced and make sure the protocol is set to ISO 14443.
- If you don't do this, you may get an error that the tag does not contain an NDEF message.
Scan your blank NFC213 tag.
Scroll down to view the lines/blocks.
- Copy the first 6 characters of line 1 (Block 00) and all 8 characters of line 2 (Block 01).
- Combine them into your UID.
- Drop the last 2 characters from line 1.
- Example:
```
Line 1 (0x00): 041761FA
Line 2 (0x01): 52EF4A81
UID = 04176152EF4A81
```

Smart NFC app showing Block 00 and Block 01 with UID highlighted

Step 2 — Writing to Your NFC213 Tag

Once you have generated the codes using the web interface:

For this example, we'll generate a toy tag for the character Gamer Kid using the UID 04176152EF4A81.

Web interface showing Gamer Kid tag generation for UID 04176152EF4A81.

In the Smart NFC app, open the blank tag again.
Update only the following lines with the generated values:
- Line 35 (0x23)
- Line 36 (0x24)
- Line 37 (0x25)
- Line 38 (0x26)
- Line 43 (0x2B)

Smart NFC app showing a line being edited with generated HEX code

Rules:
- Do not edit any other lines.
- Only update one block at a time.
- After entering new data, tap WRITE and scan the tag again.
- Repeat until all changes are written.
Place the tag on the Lego Dimensions Toy Pad.
- Your character/vehicle should appear in-game from the vortex!

How Character and Vehicle Tag Codes Work

The data written to your tag determines whether it's a character or vehicle:

Line 35 (0x23): Always 00000000
Lines 36–37: Based on Character/Vehicle ID
- Characters: Derived from UID + Character ID → unique per tag
- Vehicles:
  - Line 36 = based solely on Vehicle ID
  - Line 37 = always 00000000
Line 38 (0x26): Identifies token type
- Characters = 00000000
- Vehicles = 00010000
Line 43 (0x2B): Based solely on UID

Example — Vehicle (Bad Cop's Police Car, Vehicle ID 1000)

Line 35 (0x23): 00000000
Line 36 (0x24): E8030000
Line 37 (0x25): 00000000
Line 38 (0x26): 00010000
Line 43 (0x2B): [Generated from UID]

Character Mapping & Image Display

This project includes a comprehensive visual database of all Lego Dimensions characters and vehicles with custom icon images.

Character/Vehicle Database

The application uses JSON mapping files located in the data/ folder:

charactermap.json - Maps character IDs to names and metadata
vehiclesmap.json - Maps vehicle IDs to names and build types (Regular, Build 1, Build 2)
iconimgmap.json - Maps character/vehicle IDs to their corresponding icon images

Icon Color Coding

The character and vehicle icons feature colored outer circles that indicate their original pack type:

🔵 Blue - Starter Pack
🟢 Green - Fun Pack
🟡 Yellow - Level Pack
🟠 Orange - Team Pack
🔴 Cyan/Red - Polybag
🟣 Purple - Story Pack

These icons are sized for 25mm coin capsules, making them perfect for creating custom physical tag labels.

Credits

This project is built upon and inspired by community contributions:

Code & Data

AlinaNova21 — node-ld, the Node.js Lego Dimensions Library
iroteta — Provided list_of_characters.json and list_of_vehicles.json.

Graphics & Images

Jeneric (u/cwbunks) — Created the handmade icon sheet with all character and vehicle images (25mm coin capsule size). Source thread.
u/legoanimegirl — Ripped character sprites from the LDWiki that were used in the icon creation.

Community Resources & Tutorials

NFC cloning using iOS
How to make NFC tags for Lego Dimensions
How to write Lego Dimensions NFC tags with MiFARE++ Ultralight
Chteupnin's LD Project Discord — Community-driven support and development.
- Discord invite
- Chteupnin's LD Generation Website

Notes

This project replicates the original functionality of the now-defunct ldcharcrypto website, but with additional features including a modern web interface, light/dark mode themes, and improved character/vehicle search and filtering.
- ⚠️ Warning: The original ldcharcrypto website is now closed and has been reported as dangerous by browsers. Do not attempt to visit or use it.
The web application provides an intuitive interface for generating NFC tag codes without needing to use the command line.
This was a fun project to work on as a big fan of LEGO Dimensions. The goal is to preserve tag generation capabilities for the community and ensure this amazing game remains playable.
To the best of our knowledge, this might be the only public repository with working, open-source code that actually generates functional Lego Dimensions NFC tags. Feel free to explore, learn from, and contribute to this project!

License

This project is for educational and preservation purposes only. Lego Dimensions is a trademark of The LEGO Group and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

sys-MWell/lego-dimensions-nfc-writer