Part absent from BOM and PLI in LPub3D

[BrickMonkeyMOCs]

I've just discovered an issue with instructions I have been making. I use LDraw/MLCad to design models, and then LPub4/3D to produce instructions, but have found that one specific part (26603 Tile 2x3) is not showing up in the BOM or PLI in LPub3D. The part shows up normally in LPub4, while in LPub3D (which I need in order to split BOM across pages) it is showing only in assembly images and is absent from PLI and BOM. Can anyone shed light on this issue for me? Is anyone else having the same problem with this part?

[legolijntje]

Yeah, that's a bit of an annoying thing about LPub3D vs LPub4. LPub3D uses a separate library for the PLI. So when you update your main LDraw library, LPub3D still uses old parts.
In LPub3D you can go to the top-toolbar -> Tools -> Refresh LDraw parts

Then refresh both the official and unofficial parts.

If that didn't work, or you're using any custom parts, go to:
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\LPub3D Software\LPub3D\libraries

And add your custom/missing parts in the appropriate zip files.

Hope that helps 

[BrickMonkeyMOCs]

16 hours ago, legolijntje said:

Yeah, that's a bit of an annoying thing about LPub3D vs LPub4. LPub3D uses a separate library for the PLI. So when you update your main LDraw library, LPub3D still uses old parts.
In LPub3D you can go to the top-toolbar -> Tools -> Refresh LDraw parts

Then refresh both the official and unofficial parts.

If that didn't work, or you're using any custom parts, go to:
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\LPub3D Software\LPub3D\libraries

And add your custom/missing parts in the appropriate zip files.

Hope that helps 

Yeah, that explains things. Thanks. The refresh function didn't fix things, but adding the part manually to the additional zipped library worked.

But that does leave me wondering which other parts may not have been drawn. The unofficial parts that I would have thought might not turn up, like half- and quarter-round tiles and 1x2 wing plates, are all there - though I noticed 26604 was not in the zip either (when I added 26603).

Should I just add and replace all parts in the LPub3D zip from my LDraw parts folder to be safe?

[legolijntje]

5 hours ago, BrickMonkeyMOCs said:

Should I just add and replace all parts in the LPub3D zip from my LDraw parts folder to be safe?

That's of course the safest option. Complete.zip is probably the same as your LDraw installation, but lpub3dldrawunf.zip could very well be different than your main LDraw library. You could either zip your version or download a new zip with all unofficial parts from the LDraw website.

[roland]

Personally I never understood the need for lpub (and some other tools) to include their own version of a LDraw library while the whole point of LDraw is the sharable library.

[legolijntje]

3 hours ago, roland said:

Personally I never understood the need for lpub (and some other tools) to include their own version of a LDraw library while the whole point of LDraw is the sharable library.

I don't either (well, only for ease of installation I guess). Especially since the previous incarnation of LPub (LPub4) did not use a seperate library if I remember correctly. I vaguely remember that Travis once explained on the LDraw forums why he uses a separate library for the PLI, but I couldn't find it.

[djm]

5 hours ago, GREG998 said:

I encounter exaclty the same issue. I found it with the same part, Tile 2X3 26603. Same thing for 18575 (technic gear 20 tooth bevel reinforced).

I've replaced the "complete" zip archive with a fresh one, i've refreshed Ldraw official and unofficial parts with Lpub3D toolbar but nothing works: these parts don't show in the PLI.

 

It's disappointing: while there are patent improvment over previous version Lpub,  a lot of stuff are working a wacky way (at least on lmy system) with Lpub3D.

 

I used to have issues with parts not being generated but with a couple of configuration changes, resolved my issues. I have just created a file with both the 2x3 Tile and the Technic gear 20 tooth bevel reinforced and LPub3D correctly generated instructions including both parts in the PLI and the BOM.

If you are interested, would you try the following;

1. What version of LPub3D are you running? To find out, within LPub3D, click the menu option Help/About.
   I believe the most recent is version i2.0.20 revision 17 build 644
2. Check the definition of the environment variable LDRAWDIR.
   Cleanest way is to open a command window and then type set ldrawdir
   Mine output shows as LDRAWDIR=C:\Users\Public\Documents\LDraw
3. Within LPub3D, click the menu option Configuration/Preferences
   On the General tabbed sheet within the LDraw Root Directory group box there is a field labelled Path.
   What value is showing in that field?
   Mine shows C:/Users/Public/Documents/LDraw

If you want to post your answers, we could try to diagnose your issues.

Regards,

David

[djm]

28 minutes ago, GREG998 said:

Thank you David.

 

1) My Lpub3D version is:  2.0.20 - revision 0 - build 645 - Hash cd95db5

2) Just checked with MS-dos command the Ldraw path: it shows  LDRAWDIR=C:\Users\Public\Documents\LDraw

3) In the Preference--->Path field, the value shown is: C:/Users/Public/Documents/LDraw

 

Hmmm, apart from my typo in stating my version (I should have typed 2.0.20 revision 17 build 644), it looks like we have different revisions and build numbers; I have revision 17 and you have revision 0 and I have build 644 and you have build 645. Let me do some digging to see where I got my version from and I'll get back to you.

The environment variables and preferences look to be appropriate.

David

[djm]

5 minutes ago, djm said:

Hmmm, apart from my typo in stating my version (I should have typed 2.0.20 revision 17 build 644), it looks like we have different revisions and build numbers; I have revision 17 and you have revision 0 and I have build 644 and you have build 645. Let me do some digging to see where I got my version from and I'll get back to you.

The environment variables and preferences look to be appropriate.

David

So according to my post on the LDraw forum, it looks like I received that revision via the update within LPub3D. Can you try the menu option Help/Check for Updates... within LPub3D to see if it updates the version.

David 

[djm]

GREG998 and I have taken the issue diagnosis off-line. We shall post back with the resolution when we find one.

David

[djm]

Based on trial-and-error between myself and GREG998, if you are having issues with LPub3D not rendering all parts in the Parts List and/or the Bill of Materials, you may wish to try the following steps. This seems applicable to LPub3D version 2.0.20.

1. Uninstall LPub3D.
2. Reinstall LPub3D. During installation you will be prompted about whether to install a library now or later. Choose later. (Note my description is presently a little hazy as I am going from my recollection. If you want to help, please capture each screenshot during installation and PM me the images or a link to the images and then I can incorporate the screenshot into this description).
3. Run LPub3D directly (i.e. invoke the executable rather than say double clicking on an ldr or mpd file) when logged in as the user id which will normally be used to generate build instructions.
4. Exit LPub3D
5. Follow the workaround instructions as specified in this post from the LDraw forums.
6. Open LPub3D. Confirm (via the menu option Configuration/Preference in the Rendering tabbed sheet that the Preferred renderer is set to LDView, the LDView is installed checkbox is ticked and the Name field is populated with the path to the LDView executable.
7. Try generating your building instructions!

If someone who is currently having the issue wants to try the above and either let me know via a personal message or by posting as a reply to this thread whether or not this resolves the issue, I would appreciate it. I would especially appreciate getting screenshots of the installation dialog windows (see point 2 above) so that I can improve the description above.

Regards,

David