Locating bricks within model?

[ZebraFinch001]

Hi All,

After completing a design in LDD and exporting as an LDraw file, I found some 'invalid parts' with importing into Brick Store.

OK, so I decided to look through my original LDD model for the offenders and figure out which bricks to replace them with.

Is there a way to search a model in LDD for a particular part please?

[SylvainLS]

First, are you sure the parts dubbed “invalid” are actually invalid? There may just be problems in the conversions (LDD to LDraw to BrickLink).

Next, about looking for a brick in a model, here’s how I do it:

1. place a new instance of that brick near the model
2. use select by shape, by color, or by shape and color to select all the similiar bricks

If I don’t see them immediately, or some are hidden in the model:

1. hide these bricks (clicking the hide tool button will hide the currently selected bricks)
2. go back to select mode
3. select all (or, for big model, a part of) the visible bricks (that is, with an area select, not Ctrl-A) so all the bricks but the ones I’m looking for are selected
4. unhide
5. click the hide tool button (so all the bricks but the ones I’m looking for (selected in 3) are hidden)

That allows me to know where they are in the model, so that I can focus on these areas. It’s a “hide and se(l)ek(t)” game 

[ZebraFinch001]

26 minutes ago, SylvainLS said:

First, are you sure the parts dubbed “invalid” are actually invalid? There may just be problems in the conversions (LDD to LDraw to BrickLink).

Next, about looking for a brick in a model, here’s how I do it:

1. place a new instance of that brick near the model
2. use select by shape, by color, or by shape and color to select all the similiar bricks

If I don’t see them immediately, or some are hidden in the model:

1. hide these bricks (clicking the hide tool button will hide the currently selected bricks)
2. go back to select mode
3. select all (or, for big model, a part of) the visible bricks (that is, with an area select, not Ctrl-A) so all the bricks but the ones I’m looking for are selected
4. unhide
5. click the hide tool button (so all the bricks but the ones I’m looking for (selected in 3) are hidden)

That allows me to know where they are in the model, so that I can focus on these areas. It’s a “hide and se(l)ek(t)” game 

Many thanks for posting that technique. I shall use it to locate the bricks and see if these 'invalid' parts are as they seem. Your help is much appreciated.

[Calabar]

I can add that you can use groups to hide sets of bricks selectively.
So you can select the bricks you desire and create one or more groups from them.

The only problem is that, if you build already uses groups, these transversal groups disrupt your initial grouping.