[KEY TOPIC] LDD feature requests

[swahiliboy]

OK - gotcha. Personally I'm hoping they at least revert back to the old 2.x grid. I know they introduced the current grid (with the stud pattern) so that children would more naturally feel like they are putting the bricks on a giant baseplate.

That's a great idea! Thanks for the tip! Let me think about it some more.

I agree with what's been listed so far - I find LDD to be great for sketching out ideas but it needs to be a bit more powerful!

[Calabar]

- A chance to move a brick with keyboard (for example with "wasd" keys, moving an half stud at time) after I placed it with mouse. Very useful for hard placeable bricks.

A little modification: as rotation works only if a brick is "suspended on the air", it would be possible to use arrows keys instead than wasd keys as I told before. Using arrows keys would be much more intuitive I think (in fact, when I was learning to use LDD, I tried to move bricks in this way!).

I add:

- use diagonal arrows keys (in keypad, or combining 2 arrows keys together) to obtain immediately 45° rotations.

- chance to "drop" a brick without the need to fix it.

For example, think to the stool in the lady room of the Medieval Market Village: to put a similar object in a creation I made, I really had to do acrobatics!!

Edited April 13, 2010 by Calabar

[DLuders]

Here are two wishes:

1. MORE LOGICAL PLACEMENT ORDER of bricks when using the "Building Guide Mode" -- I've built 2 ea. cars using, and the "Building Guide" does not finish a fender, windshield, etc without jumping to another part of the car for no reason. For example, when placing 1x plates on top of each other to make a door, the Building Guide only goes HALF WAY. It doesn't finish the part, or go to the other door; instead it goes to the rear of the car. The original designer clicked on the virtual bricks in a certain (logical) order, but the Building Guide Mode doesn't replicate it.

2. ABILITY TO WRAP TECHNIC TREADS AROUND SPROCKET WHEELS -- When making a treaded vehicle (like a bulldozer), the #57518 Technic Tread Links (Wide) cannot be wrapped around the #57520 Technic Tread Sprocket Wheel. Currently, one has to lay the row of tread links beside the bulldozer. If one tries to have the sprockets contact the treads, they just "float" by each other like a ghost.

Edited April 15, 2010 by dluders

[Zerobricks]

You can see the number of pieces by making a buidling guide and than generating html.

Edited April 15, 2010 by Zblj

[Superkalle]

Here are two wishes:

1. MORE LOGICAL PLACEMENT ORDER of bricks when using the "Building Guide Mode" -- I've built 2 ea. cars using, and the "Building Guide" does not finish a fender, windshield, etc without jumping to another part of the car for no reason. For example, when placing 1x plates on top of each other to make a door, the Building Guide only goes HALF WAY. It doesn't finish the part, or go to the other door; instead it goes to the rear of the car. The original designer clicked on the virtual bricks in a certain (logical) order, but the Building Guide Mode doesn't replicate it.

2. ABILITY TO WRAP TECHNIC TREADS AROUND SPROCKET WHEELS -- When making a treaded vehicle (like a bulldozer), the #57518 Technic Tread Links (Wide) cannot be wrapped around the #57520 Technic Tread Sprocket Wheel. Currently, one has to lay the row of tread links beside the bulldozer. If one tries to have the sprockets contact the treads, they just "float" by each other like a ghost.

Great proposals. I agree completely on the building guide problems. It's crazy sometimes, with parts being placed in the air, and THEN the supporting brick under it appears. Wacko. But I'm not sure I understand what you mean with "The original designer clicked on the virtual bricks in a certain (logical) order, but the Building Guide Mode doesn't replicate it." - can you explain.

And here is a quick tip (that you might have discovered). You know how difficiult it is to find all the bricks in the brick palette? The list is so long! One thing to know is that within each cateogry, the bricks are sorted in size of their bounding box. So if you are scrolling down the list of parts, knowing how big the part is helps to find it more quickly.

[Calabar]

I think that a "fast serch" using brick code or keywords (plate, tile, brick, stud, 2x3, ecc...) would be very useful.

Obviously it will not support peeron codes, so il would not be so useful, at the end!

[Mr. Lego-builder]

The search feature should be somewhat easy to implement. However, there needs to be a standardized naming system. At times, LDD brick names differ quite dramatically from those listed on Peeron or Bricklink especially when concerning specialty pieces.

As for searching according to Design or Element ID, this actually may be the most viable option, since the online PAB store is searchable by these ID numbers. This preexisting technology can be somehow integrated into LDD in future versions.

[DLuders]

...But I'm not sure I understand what you mean with "The original designer clicked on the virtual bricks in a certain (logical) order, but the Building Guide Mode doesn't replicate it." - can you explain.

@Superkalle: Here's what I mean. When a LDD user creates a car door digitally, he/she builds the door upwards using a 9-high stack of 1x8 plates (for example). However, when one goes to the "Building Guide Mode", the same 9-high stack of 1x8 plates only gets PARTIALLY built before the instructions jump to some unrelated part of the car (like the front hood/bonnet). Then, many steps later in the "Building Guide Mode", the instructions come back to the SAME door and finishes it off. Why doesn't the Building Instructions finish off a part to replicate the user's original building sequence?

This isn't really a big deal, but sometimes the instructions jumps around so much that the resulting (physical) model is unstable and literally falls apart in your hands. I've had this happen when building a LDD "Custom Truck" with real bricks....

[Superkalle]

@dluders

You're touching an important part. Personally I'm very much in favor of LDD as a tool to actually inspire people to build more physcial Lego. And if that should be any fun, the building guide needs to be good. I'll make sure to pass this on to the LDD dev team, even though I'm sure they've done everything possible with automatically generating building guides. I can also mention that the building guides done at Lego have quite some manuall work done to them. One idea that could be a similar "manual touchup" feature in LDD, but I don't know the value. I mena, how much work do you want to spend on a guide that you might only use once?

[SpiderSpaceman]

ok I think I got mine - unrealistic, but it's a wish list right? and we still have eight 3.X's to go

1. flexible elements

treads and bands like someone had said before, but also hoses and ropes, and the ability to define basic paths for one. set a start and stop connection, and any pieces/locations it has to feed through. then cycle through appropriate lengths and place into the model.

2. decal browser/creator

allow loading of custom picture files in the program interface. there are plenty of skilled customizers who could set up unofficial databases. more excitingly, there could be a basic vector art mode that opens full screen when you select a surface to decorate. uses same colors as the bricks, sanctioned thicknesses, has basic shapes, curves, mirror, trim, a few appropriate greebles and textures.

3. animation

say somebody builds a transformer or something, and wants to be able to display the function. you could have a pop-up timeline, like in a video editor/sound mixer, but instead of channels and clips you get a new bar for each rotation you select. Using the regular rotation tool, then setting a start and end location of rotation, move and stretch the representative strips on the timeline to control duration and order of movements. loopable, or set different actions for different keys for a more interactive view mode. that's actually probably a blatant rip-off of the adobe flash workflow (never used it or other animation software, I only brickfilm ) but it seems like the way to do it.

4. 3D mouse support / motion control support

the perfect positioning solution. making the onscreen element match the orientation of a physical controller. look up "playstation move" or "logitech 3dconnexion" if you need an explanation.

5. drag and drop sorting

do you want to separate animals from accessories? hair from helmets? tiles from plates? or put parts you always use for robots in a "robot parts" category? this solution lets you save several arrangements, which can be picked like one picks a palette in the filters. you can pick a model or a part to visually represent each new category in the collapse mode, or even the existing categories (what does the technic projectile have to do with any of those parts ), and drag whatever you want into each.

6. fix all connections

I like putting studs in technic holes. I just do. also, some of the tool wheel parts need to fit around studs, and the wrench/screwdriver (this little guy) should be able to act as an open antistud to hard-to-access stud-width geometry like on this, this, or this. minifig parts need to connect to bricks (legs and torso don't allow for any studs or tubes but each other and the heads). things need to slide through cones. heads should be able to hit any height on the neck, bodywear should stack. I don't want nasty clip-stressing battle droid arm stacking, inside out tires, rubber band connections or anything unholy like that. just let me work the geometry as is.

7. pop assemblies

there can be a keyboard shortcut to break down a selected assembly. say you just want a minifig hand. you can break it loose and toss the rest back into the parts bin.

8. portable ports

I want my LEGO kicks on my smartphone. virtual model viewing at least. maybe this mini ldd could link to the sorting system, and you could have "x-pod mode": sync a small selection of pieces to play around with on the run. swap out back at home.

also, LEGO Digital Designer is a program that would make me buy devices I otherwise see as worthless. put LDD in the iPad and I would launch myself via lego catapult to the apple store upon release.

any of these could probably only happen with a "LDD4 Pro". say LEGO set up a team to flesh out all these ideas, and sold the result for, say the price of lego studios. $150. I would buy 12

hope I haven't irritated anyone who's trying to suggest more practical features. outlandish ideas float around in my head.

Edited March 29, 2011 by SpiderSpaceman

[NeuroMimetis]

- That would be nice if LDD could remember that the right pane and the camera controls are hidden for me (Ctrl+1 and Ctrl +4)

- Grouping items is also painful currently. A real grouping feature would be welcome (group / ungroup / add to group)

- Building guide is poor (to me, previous versions were giving better results). Rendering should give bigger images with a part list.

Thanks Lego to listen to us !

Neuro

[Darkhoodness]

Firsty I wanna say that LDD is awesome for what it is - I mean it's not perfect but considering it's free and already does quite a lot of things that you'd expect from a free Lego simulator (especially with Lego Universe mode enabled), you can't really complain. :P I will make a couple of suggestions though:

No Collide Mode

People probably won't agree with me on this but it should be a pretty easy feature to implement. LDD really, really should have an optional no-collide mode for advanced users or just for users of the "Lego Universe" mod/theme: You should have the ability to select 2 bricks and tell them not to collide with each other.

It'd probably be more suited to people like me who use LDD for the sake of playing with virtual lego rather than people who intend to build real models with it - The buy and check price options should be turned off when no-collide mode is activated.

Something I have noticed is that when following real Lego guides and attempting to build the models in LDD is that some bricks (especially the hidden bricks made available through the Lego Universe mod) can't fit next to or around each other, even though the Lego guides imply that they should be able to if I was building the model using real, physical Lego bricks. It's a bit annoying - Users ought to be given the option to turn collision detection off between certain bricks to avoid problems like this.

Alternatively they could just improve the collision detection between all the bricks, but that may be too much to ask. :P Especially since some of the bricks available through Lego Universe aren't officially supposed to be used.

More and different backgrounds in "View" mode

Including an option to turn off the backgrounds to view models without them.

----

I can't suggest anything else that hasn't been suggested already in some way, but I agree with:

• Adding more bricks from Lego System and older sets
  
• Search ability (enter brick code/name, find a brick)
  
• Making translucent bricks more colourful and less pale
  
• Model Navigation mode (explore models using a floating first-person mode camera, move around with mouse to steer and arrow keys to move)
  
• Bring back Animation mode for trains and moving models
  
• Ability to use more bricks without LDD slowing down
  
• More logical placement order of bricks when using the "Building Guide Mode", or the ability to choose what order the building guide assembles bricks, perhaps by using the group function and selecting which group to assemble first.
  
• Decal browser
  
• Flexible parts
  

Think these features would improve LDD a hell of a lot - But perhaps most of them would be a lot to ask for. :P Some should be easy to implement though.

Edited April 24, 2010 by Darkhoodness

[Superkalle]

Something I have noticed is that when following real Lego guides and attempting to build the models in LDD is that some bricks (especially the hidden bricks made available through the Lego Universe mod) can't fit next to or around each other, even though the Lego guides imply that they should be able to if I was building the model using real, physical Lego bricks.

Hi Darkhoodness

Firstly - Great to see another LDD fan joining in the discussion! Welcome. And I think your analysis of LDD and the intended usage, and hence the limitations and restrictions are spot on. Regarding the above quote - can you please give some examples of the problems you are experiencing with collision errors. There are a few bricks I know have collisions errors, but personally I have discovered that many of these "collision errors" are simply that LDD is quite strict in enforcing Lego Legal buildint principles (Check out the LDD Index thread - there is a link to a very nice document there). Also, as a side note, could you please make the images your posts a bit smaller - just to conserve realty space. Thanks!

PS: Adding LXF-files for others to download gives you a golden star in my book!

[Calabar]

Other improvement:

Placing improvements

- When you place move a brick, and then move it, it seems LDD remembers the relative position relatively to other bricks.

So if I want to place a brick in a specific position, I often have to use some special brick (for example plate 2x1 with central stud, peeron 3794) to put it in the correct relative position before place it.

This situation is even more troublesome in case of "fine positioning" with rotations and little movements, when the brick needs to fit in a spece without studs that locks it: there is no way to place it and I have every time to delete the brick and take it again from the palette, or find a way to hook it to something other in order to adjust its position.

(this problem could be related to this already discussed about positioning bricks on the base grid. In LDD2 base grid was much more flexible)

- An useful tool could be one that permits to "push with the shoulder"other bricks whan you try to place one brick. Sometimes place a brick results impossible because of millimetric wrong positioning of bricks around the space where we want to place our brick. It would be useful a function that adjusts bricks around in order to place our brick.

Rotation tool improvements:

- Ability to fine rotating a brick without another brick as pivot.

- When a brick prevent a rotation, possibility to rotate in order to overtake the obstacle and place the brick beyond it (obviously should be impossible - to place the brick in an occupied space, so that in these cases rotated brick will be "transparent", meaning it is not a correct position).

- When you rotate using keys, the rotation locks if the nex step is impossible instead than go on until the maximum rotation.

For example I need a 50° rotation of a panel, stopped by an obstacle. Using Keys steps are 15°/30°/45°/60°. So rotation would be stopped at 45°, and I have to manually (and much more slowly) rotate it for other 5 degrees. It would be useful instead if the next step of 45° rotation would be the 50° rotation. Obviously this point is alternative to the second one ;)

Selection Improvements

- Selection as a step of the History. So if I use "back/forward" buttons I can retrieve selection too (now I have to select bricks again if I wrong placing that! And when it happens with complex selections...)

- add "Colour and Connected" selection tool! Try for example to select only the upper roof of house 4956: it is impossible without selecting lower roof and many other red objects with colour selection or without selecting part of the wall and internal supports with multiple selection. So, with a tool that would select red connected bricks only, it would be possible to select the upper roof with a single click!

Or, simply, the chance to select more than one selection tool together, in order to combine their functions.

- add "Same Category" selection tool, that would select all the bricks inside a single group of the palette.

- multiple selections with sum and subtraction using selection rectangle

- "Strong Connection Selection Tool": select a group of pieces full or almost full connected, for example section of Creator Houses, divided by a layer of tiles with few studs connecting the structure.

Other

- Chance to use composed pieces as single parts! For example minifig legs (peeron 970c00), Turntable plate 2x2 (peeron 3680c01), etc...

Edited May 3, 2010 by Calabar

[Superkalle]

I had a really interesting mail conversation with EB member Shroud who presented some really good ideas. I thought this could be interesting for others too, since we touched in on a lot of interesting subject, so with his permission, here is slightly edited version of our chat: (Shroud in black, Superkalle in blue)

1. The rail parts 32028 and 4510 cannot have anything attached to them when connected with parts 2653 and 4217.

Yes, good spotted. I know this problem has been reported to Lego, but I have no clue when it can be fixed.

2. Minifig legs cannot be placed on a plate or brick and sit flush up against another brick that’s placed in front (i.e. the feet are too long).

A great bug find. Well spotted. It's the first time I've heard about it.

3. Animation Tool. The greatest Improvement that can be made to the program is the technic parts having interactivity with each other. Meaning the cogs for example could connect together and with the help of a new animation tool could move accordingly. It would be awesome to see the cogs turning, the gear rack “3743” sliding with the gear worm screw “4716” in either manual or automatic mode when connected to a motor. The tool would also have a speed adjustment box so you can set the value of how fast it moves or rotates.

The little I know about Technics movement in LDD is that it’s hard to make with the physics engine that LDD has at the moment. It will probably be a while before we see this in (until they change physicks engine).

4. Export Function to common file types that could be imported into 3D programs for rendering and animation.

This is a good idea that has been brought up by other LDD users. I'm not sure Lego will do it, because that would mean exporting the brick geomtries also. But, I know a LDD fan (the famous Bojan) is working on something to export to OpenGL, which could then be transformed to 3DS or similar, but I don’t know when and if that will be ready, and if Lego will approve of it.

4. Animation Tab. Contains buttons that link an animation to a button to make it easier to display. Includes grouping where separate animations can move together. This is a great way to make sure the MoC works properly.

I’m not sure exactly what you mean?

A lot of the parts in LDD hinge and slide with each other. When it comes to moving them it’s a lot of work to display by using just the hinge and rotate tool. It would be nice to be able to almost record the motion once and assign it a button in another tab. That way you can click a button to show the motion. For example a simple door could actually open with the click of a button rather than have to rotate it with the tool manually.

I like the idea about animation button. I wonder how would be the best way to make this work in LDD concidering that kids have to understand it. Do I understand correctly that one should be able to enter “animation” mode, and what ever thing you click at that has a joint will then rotate to it’s end positions and then go back to the start point? Because that’s probably the easiest. If you want to go into recording movement macros and such, it may be too complicated, but I don't know.

5. Ghost Brick. When bricks are removed automatically when opening a file because they were placed incorrectly there is no indication of what ones they were. This is hard in a big project because there is no way in telling what was removed. An improvement to this would be a transparent red “Ghost brick” to let the person know what has been removed.

The reason it cannot be “ghost shown” is because the geometry data has been removed from the underlying database, so hence, it can’t be shown. However, there is a file created when bricks are being removed called UnplaceableBricksDump.lxfml placed here C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\LEGO Company. If you open that in notepad, you can see what bricks have been removed.

I didn’t actually know this but is there any way of telling where the brick was removed from?

No, not really. You have the x, y, z positions in the lxfml file, but that’s not really human readable

6. Have LDD remember your settings from the last time you opened it. E.g what colours you choose the bricks to be, what tool bars are open.

This is a good idea. I’ll make sure to pass it along. However, I think the current functionality is because it’s an easy way for younger users to just restart the program and then get everything back to the default settings.

Yes I can see how that would make things easier for beginners. Maybe a tick box in the settings menu to remember settings?

7. Free Placement Mode. The ability to change a bricks properties to free placement mode so you can place any brick freely onto a tile or other smooth surface.

Once again, a very good idea. I know has been requested before in the EB forum. But I’ll put a notch that one more person wants’ it

8. Physics Mode to check for balance and weight. This would be useful to check structures and also models that require balance. For instance a mech to see if it stands on its own or if it needs joint adjustments.

An excellent idea. However, to get a precise center of gravity measurement you need some input data. First there is the mass for each brick. Then there is Center of Gravity. For regular/symmetrical shapes (such as a 2x4 brick) you could easily calculate COG. However, some pieces have irregular shapes (like Bionicle pieces etc), and for those the COG is more tricky. So in effect, you would need to have mass and COG point for each brick, and that information is unfortunately not included in the LDD parts database today. It could off course be added, but it would probably require a lot of extra work at Lego to update the database with all that information. But if they can do that, then this is a killer function. I’ll be sure to pass your idea along.

This combined with the animation tool for technic parts would be a nice start for “LDD CREATOR ADVANCED” /me dreams

9. Wireframe Mode for use with large projects for smoother viewing.

Once again a good idea. The reason it has not been implemented is because LDD is targeted as kids who mainly do smaller models, and then a wireframe is not desired or needed. I know the LDD dev team is aware that large models make the frame rate lag, but I don’t know how high it is on their prio list. Maybe with an updated 3D engine, these problems can be solved in the future.

10. Be able to select an object, hold shift and drag a selection over more bricks without the first selection disappearing.

You mean like to copy the brick if you hold shift and drag? A good idea that should be very easy to implement. Personally I just use copy-paste. The good thing about that is you can ctrl-v as many times as you need the piece. But one function doesn’t eliminate another….

I do the same with copy and paste. When you have multiple things selected and then hold ctrl or shift you cant actually drag the selection only click

Hm, maybe I missunderstod you. Because you can click and drag when selecting multiple things. You just have to mouse-over until you see the purple line outline and then click that (and drag….).

What you just said was what I was talking about except I want to be able to do it twice. The problem is that you lose the first selection. For example:

Click and drag = make a selection

Hold shift and drag again = lose the first selection

Basically I want to be able to drag the selection box multiple times to add to what's currently selected. It doesn't sound like much but it's a massive time saver.

11. Be able to use placement with keyboard arrows

This idea is good to be able to fine-position parts, or position them where there are no studs (like Minifig utensils in a barrel, or a car on tiled driveway) The problem is that keyboard arrow keys are today used to rotate the piece. Do you have any proposals for a other/complimentary input method?

After a brick is placed and u select the brick those arrow keys don’t actually do anything to it. Maybe that would be a good option to move it around? Forward, back, left and right to move it on the horizontal plane, home and end key to move on the vertical plane.

You are right, but wouldn’t it be confusing with the different behavior. Perhaps you need to change the mouse pointer so that the user would know the difference?

12. View buttons for perfect top, side and front view

This is a good idea. Several people have wanted a 4 pane ISO-view (top, right, side, 3d) like in common 3D software, but I'm guessing that in LDD that would take up to much screen real-estate and would be difficult for kids to understand. However, it’s kind of funny, because according to the LDD help file this is supposed to be done by "Pan view – (Shift + right click)". However the shift + right click only pans the view, it does not show you top, left et

Edited May 5, 2010 by Superkalle

[DLuders]

Superkalle, my wish is for a PART NUMBER IDENTIFICATION TOOL. When one selects a piece from the Parts Pallette, there is a word description but no PART NUMBER. If one imports a LDD model from another Lego fan, the parts used are not indicated when one clicks on the part. In Building Guide Mode, the parts used in each step are resized to fit a tiny box; black pieces are hard to see and one can't easily tell if the needed part is (for example) a 1x8 black plate, a 1x10 black plate, etc. Nowhere is the PART NUMBER indicated anywhere in LDD. SURELY the LDD program uses the Part Number (and not the English word description); can it be revealed via a point-and-click tool?

I know that there is some variation between the Part Number actually EMBOSSED into the underside of the REAL physical Lego brick, Bricklink's number, and Peeron's number. However, if LDD could indicate the EMBOSSED number, it would save a lot of guesswork.

[Shroud]

That would be a great idea! I think maybe another great addition would be to have a favorites mini palette so you could put aside all the common pieces you use regularly rather than have to go back into the main palette.

Superkalle, any word on the next release of LDD?

[Superkalle]

@dluders - part identification is high on my wanted list too. There a couple of different things here, which you have identified:

1) Part identification by mouse-over in the Brick Palette

2) Part identifcation of parts in the model

3) Part identification in the building instruction.

I think that the most likely Lego would concider doing is 1), since there is allready a mouse-over pop-up window to piggy back on. 2) I don't know. How would part IDs be shown. Maybe a status bar would be better then an annoying pop-up everytime you hover over a part?

@Shroud - about next version of LDD unfortunately I don't know that much, but looking back historically when previous releases has been, I think one can extrapolate from that ;-)

Edited May 5, 2010 by Superkalle

[DLuders]

....Maybe a status bar would be better then an annoying pop-up everytime you hover over a part?

Superkalle, yes, I suppose a "Status Bar" showing the Lego Part Number would be better than a pop-up window.

I thought of another wish for LDD 4.0. You have said that it's a GOOD thing that LDD forces the builder to not make illegal connections with virtual Lego pieces, and that everything must snap into place. However, for TECHNIC builders, it would be nice to activate some sort of forgiving "snapping" feature to connect parts together. With non-TECHNIC bricks, one just has to get CLOSE to connecting studs together and the LDD program makes a TIGHT FIT. With TECHNIC pieces, any tiny mistake in FULLY SEATING a part has bad repurcussions later in the model. Reference JunkStyleGio's recent EB post http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?...st&p=725958 , where the green TECHNIC bushings were not slid tightly together:

Is there a way of clicking on a TECHNIC element, drawing a line between it and a TARGET, and FORCING things to line up? Can't the model contort JUST A SMIDGEON and snap together? In real life, if a TECHNIC model has a part not quite fully seated, adding additional parts FORCES the whole model to SNAP together in your hands. In LDD 3.1, if a TECHNIC bushing (for example) is 0.1 mm off from being fully seated, the whole model comes to a standstill.

Edited May 6, 2010 by dluders

[Superkalle]

@dluders. I agree completely. Some sort of function so that technic liftarms, bushings etc are "sucked" together with a tight fit when they are close to each other. I guess Lego decided not to implement this function because sometimes you want pieces to be slightly off from each other, and what do you do then? One solution could be to allow pieces to get contact when you drag them past the point of contact. Todays functionaliy is that bricks become semi-transparent and eventually "jump" to the next side. Personally I have learned just to be careful to "push tings together" when I work with technical pieces or sliding pieces.

Off course there is the "Hinge Align Tool" but that only works for angular connecting.

[SpiderSpaceman]

Mmm, big little wish.

Transparency slider in the preferences. I could stand for all the transparent parts to show up twice as dark. some people may prefer the way it is, hence a slider to find your individual perfect level.

extra: minifig ski's don't fit on minifig feet! that's gotta be fixed. also the minifig double lightning bolt is a woefully inaccurate model. I'd like to see that individual part remodeled.

note plates on skis, horrid transparency render. however hold the paint tool over an already transparent part and it's a much improved representation of the real part colors.

so i'd settle for a doubled up opacity

Edited May 9, 2010 by SpiderSpaceman

[Superkalle]

extra: minifig ski's don't fit on minifig feet! that's gotta be fixed. also the minifig double lightning bolt is a woefully inaccurate model. I'd like to see that individual part remodeled.

Great finds, SpiderSpaceman!

That the lightning bolt was so badly modeled was new too me. Lego defintly got to fix this, specially since parts in LDD are supposed to be based on the actual mold designs (an example of this is that the big suitcase is modeled wide open in LDD, just like in the mold). Something must have gone wrong when they did the bolt, or it was based on an early mold version.

Regarding that minifig skiis don't fit, it's actually because the feet are too looooong. The problem has been reported to TLG. Note that the problem is only on the tall legs, the short legs fit fine.

And on opacity, I agree completely. They should be much fuller in color. This has been reported to Lego, and hopefully they can fix this for LDD 4.0.

[SpiderSpaceman]

Great finds, SpiderSpaceman!

That the lightning bolt was so badly modeled was new too me. Lego defintly got to fix this, specially since parts in LDD are supposed to be based on the actual mold designs (an example of this is that the big suitcase is modeled wide open in LDD, just like in the mold). Something must have gone wrong when they did the bolt, or it was based on an early mold version.

Regarding that minifig skiis don't fit, it's actually because the feet are too looooong. The problem has been reported to TLG. Note that the problem is only on the tall legs, the short legs fit fine.

Oh that's great to know, the short legs thing. I think the connections on the minifigs, in general, are a bit faulty. Can't fit other parts into the torso (like the slope used for gowns) or onto the legs (into the underside of a brick - is that a legal connection? Oh actually I suppose it is, they have a little 'tv robot' in the alpha team sets: a 1x2 brick and some levers atop minifig legs. oh and the mermaid figurehead! yeah, so we should be able to do that); the neck is short, the head sits too high with some bodywear.

more on the part models:

I actually wish they would treat the suitcase, laptop computer, and clam as hinged pieces in LDD.

And the first piece I ever tried to use since the hidden pieces were accessed: the forestman hat - doesn't fit with the plumes! that's been irking me.

The giant ball joint (the eyes of the giant squid in the Aquaraiders II base set) can't be assembled as far as I can tell. there are other parts that are meant to specifically mate that won't in the program and are thusly without use. can't think of other examples right now, except for some that i have gotten to connect but not without a lot of difficulty: the dinosaur tail, etc.

Edited May 9, 2010 by SpiderSpaceman

[Superkalle]

SpiderSpaceman....even more finds. This is great. I don't know if you know it, but I report all found errors to Lego, so keep 'em coming.

About the last batch of finds, would it be possible for you to make a LXF with the faulty parts - just line them up and put the male/female part next to each other. You can either attach the LXF (zipped) directly here in the forum, PM me or (naturally) upload it to whereever

[SpiderSpaceman]

SpiderSpaceman....even more finds. This is great. I don't know if you know it, but I report all found errors to Lego, so keep 'em coming.

About the last batch of finds, would it be possible for you to make a LXF with the faulty parts - just line them up and put the male/female part next to each other. You can either attach the LXF (zipped) directly here in the forum, PM me or (naturally) upload it to whereever

yeah I'll work on that. might not have anything for a week or so, have some final exams that take precedence, after that I've probably got the free time