[Software] LDCad - LDraw cad

[roland]

Looks like there is some misunderstanding.

I provided high quality parts for LGEO library, which is supposed to be used with Ldview and PovRay. I have never changed the Ldraw parts, that's why I don't understand why my parts could interfer with LDcad.

I need clarification.

You are right somehow I though you also installed the alternative stud.dat files to improve LDView's povray output. It's those HQ stud files which make parts like base plates go over half a million polygons.

[Darats]

I'm not blaming. Don't worry. If Roland can pass by to give some more details. It would be appreciated.

Edited May 20, 2015 by Darats

[___]

You are right somehow I though you also installed the alternative stud.dat files to improve LDView's povray output. It's those HQ stud files which make parts like base plates go over half a million polygons.

I(m not blaming. Don't worry. If Roland can pass by to give some more details. It would be appreciated.

OK guys, but the question is: if Darats superquality bricks DID NOT INCLUDED those "wrong" stud element(s) and I definitely did not install anything except official AIOI from LDRAW then wherefrom it's got there?

BTW if it is only in stud.dat, PLEASE could anyone from you send me the "normal" one so I just replace it (and problem solved)?

[roland]

BTW if it is only in stud.dat, PLEASE could anyone from you send me the "normal" one so I just replace it (and problem solved)?

See post #69

I(m not blaming. Don't worry. If Roland can pass by to give some more details. It would be appreciated.

I've seem to have answered your question while you where typing the question :)

[___]

See post #69

Thanx, I know, I saw that post but I just need that tiny one file

[Darats]

Thank, I know, I saw that post but I just need that tiny one file

You can download it on the Ldraw part tracker : http://www.ldraw.org/library/official/p/stud.dat

Then you should be able to open everything in Ldcad and use the high quality LGEO library to render.

Besides, with a proper Ldraw/Ldview/LGEO environment, you don't need the high quality Ldraw Studs, but you will get them for Pov renders.

[___]

You can download it on the Ldraw part tracker : http://www.ldraw.org...cial/p/stud.dat

Then you should be able to open everything in Ldcad and use the high quality LGEO library to render.

Besides, with a proper Ldraw/Ldview/LGEO environment, you don't need the high quality Ldraw Studs, but you will get them for Pov renders.

Thank you for the stud.dat link

BTW I am not using LDRAW tho I installed it a few months ago so basically I do not care about LDRAW much at this time, I only "resurected" it for my LDD POVRay render crater baseplane "hack"/trick and as I understand it now I basically do not need its inventory for my renders, just LGEO so that said the stud.dat is needed here really just for the LDcad testing purposes

Edited May 20, 2015 by bublible

[roland]

I've put up the Alpha 2 version any feedback is welcome.

http://www.melkert.net/LDCad/nextVer

[___]

I've put up the Alpha 2 version any feedback is welcome.

http://www.melkert.net/LDCad/nextVer

Great news - gonna try it out right away!

[D3K]

Hi roland, thanks for a great piece of software!

I have a small problem; I accidentally edited the template for the flexible 9V cable, and proceded to (again accidentally) delete it within the template somehow. It still shows up in the list, but it's "empty."

Is there a way to reset this to default?

Here is a picture that shows what it looks like

I tried uninstalling and reinstalling LDcad, that didn't work.. Will I maybe need to reinstall all things LDraw?

[roland]

Is there a way to reset this to default?

If you delete the templates folder (in %appdata%\LDCad if you used the setup, or in the same location as the exe if you used the archive) it will be replaced with the default contents the next time you start the program.

[___]

SUGGESTION:

Lately there was quite a lot of talk about the superquick and still quality rendering SW for LDD called BleuRender HERE. It is using open source renderer called SunFlow, so what about implementing this little gem into your SW too, hm? This way your SW would become the first known "self efficient" LEGO rendering tool...

Edited May 31, 2015 by bublible

[roland]

Lately there was quite a lot of talk about the superquick and still quality rendering SW for LDD called BleuRender HERE. It is using open source renderer called SunFlow, so what about implementing this little gem into your SW too, hm? This way your SW would become the first known "self efficient" LEGO rendering tool...

I don't think I will do a LDD import very soon, but that renderer might be interesting to export to as export is pending for use combined with animations. I was targeting this towards POVRay though, but this seems to have a similar approach. I'll have to research it thanks for pointing it out..

[___]

I don't think I will do a LDD import very soon, but that renderer might be interesting to export to as export is pending for use combined with animations. I was targeting this towards POVRay though, but this seems to have a similar approach. I'll have to research it thanks for pointing it out..

No no, I did not mean the LDD part cos I know you are doing LDRAW instead, I actually meant implementation of the SunFlow renderer, of course, as it's superquick and compared to Povray lower settings it is better by many who really tried it (including me).

For example it has all the fine details which POVRAY achieves only on the highest Final radiosity which took like many ours even days to render (like the MOC I am rendering now which is in the rendering proces for whole third day gee! ), SunFlow makes it like in 3 minutes, unbelievable!

Edited May 31, 2015 by bublible

[___]

So, only yesterday I finaly play with the LDcad more and can say that now there is no hose problem (it behaves as it should, thanx) and also the crater base problem is solved...perfect!

I can really say that it is almost like LDD when I think about the way it behaves, super + having all the bricks from LDRAW even better. But the one thing I noticed comapred to LDD is that decorations are not .png but instead are hard wired vectors right into the brick itself, right? Cos that would mean my way of work with decorations I am used to from LDD/ldd2povray/POVRAY combo would be lost (you see ai am using my own custom .png decors)...

Or is there any option to actually apply .png decor to a brick and use that instead of the hardwired vector one? And if not, could you implement something like that into LDcad, please?

Edited June 5, 2015 by bublible

[freakwave]

There is a TEXMAP extension in LDRAW. I think there is something related in LDCad as he posted this in the LDraw forums, but let's see what Roland replies how far it is in V1.5

[roland]

LDCad supports the TEXMAP extension but only at the part level (a render efficiency thing).

But the extension is currently not used in official parts (or even unofficial ones far as i know) . It seems most part authors prefer the vector approach which is understandable as it (at least on flat surfaces) provides better quality.

If you want to use custom decorations you could consider making your own (unofficial) sticker parts using the TEXMAP extension.

[___]

If you want to use custom decorations you could consider making your own (unofficial) sticker parts using the TEXMAP extension.

But how to?

[roland]

Depending on what you want to create there's all kind of part authoring tools out there (sticker generators etc). You might also want to ask in the part authoring section of the LDraw forum as I'm not a part author myself.

[___]

Depending on what you want to create there's all kind of part authoring tools out there (sticker generators etc). You might also want to ask in the part authoring section of the LDraw forum as I'm not a part author myself.

Aha, OK - thanx

[JoergH]

Hello everybody,

i am a new LDCad-User and i have some short question about stickers:

1. What is the right way to apply a sticker to a lego part?

What i have done is to select the sticker and move it direct over the part.

But when i move the part, the sticker doesn't move with the part, so the sticker is not realy "sticky" to the part...

What is the right way to apply a sticker to a part?

2. I have made a custom sticker (with sticker generator = .dat-File).

But i can't find it in my part-libary in ldcad... how can i make it visible there?

Thanks a lot!

Joerg

[roland]

1: To make custom parts visible in the bin you need to register the location as a library location in the prefs/ldraw/search... dialog. Just be sure the parts are in a parts subfolder of the location given. An easier way might be to just place them in the official ldraw parts folder.

2: In LDraw stickers are basically just loose parts them selves. If you want them to behave as a single piece you need to put them in a submodel or create a custom part (basically the same but with the file at a different location). LDCad can help you with the submodel part by selecting both parts -> right click top open the selection menu -> reorganize -> move to submodel. After that you can add additional 'instances' of the sticker-ed part by duplicating the used submodel part.

Hope this is somewhat clear as the recursive nature of LDraw is often very confusing to new LDraw users :)

Edit: i forgot you can also use your custom stickers by placing them in the same folder as the model and then just drag and drop them into LDCad using the file explorer. It will ask to ether open or use them in the current model.

[JoergH]

Hi Roland,

thanks for your help. I will try that thing later, hopefully i get it to work...:-)

One more question pls:

1. In LDD, die Software allows to create Building-Manuals just by clicking one button.

In LDCad, as i see, i have to add every Building-Step manuelly by pressing a button...

Is it possible to get LDCad to work like LDD, so every new brick creates a new building-step or something like this?

At the moment, my lPup shows one page with the finished modell...:-)

But i dont want to press the button manually for every new building-step... and i know i will forget to press the button a lot...:-)

Thanks again for helping!

Joerg

[roland]

Creating usable instruction manuals using LDraw is an art on it self, but it all starts with carefully placed steps. Having a step for each brick seems a bit much though (imho).

You can prevent having to use the button by using the ctrl+ins keyboard shortcut. You can also move bricks to other steps afterwards (also in the reorganize menu).

In the 1.5 version (still in alpha stage) it is easier to add/reorganize steps once the model is complete by using the source window.

[Dilvish]

Roland, do you have a full list of keyboard bindings somewhere?