Custom LDD bricks and fixes

[Jason C. Hand]

On 7/30/2020 at 5:47 AM, Stephan said:

No problem :) Happy to add them!

Here is the URL:

https://www.bricksafe.com/files/Pockyman30/misc./Simpson Minifig Heads.lxf

[zweifuss]

57 minutes ago, Jason C. Hand said:

Here is the URL:

https://www.bricksafe.com/files/Pockyman30/misc./Simpson Minifig Heads.lxf

You need to provide the .G and .XML files for these to work...

[Stephan]

2 hours ago, zweifuss said:

You need to provide the .G and .XML files for these to work...

Yes indeed. You can add those to Bricksafe as well though.

[Jason C. Hand]

13 hours ago, zweifuss said:

You need to provide the .G and .XML files for these to work...

 

10 hours ago, Stephan said:

Yes indeed. You can add those to Bricksafe as well though.

Ok guys, my bad. I'll throw them in right now.

Updated URL with .XML and .G Files---> https://www.bricksafe.com/files/Pockyman30/misc./Simpsons Minifig Heads.zip

Edited August 1, 2020 by Jason C. Hand

[zweifuss]

OK so after many months of playing around, and hopefully trying to do things right, I've finally been able to make a contribution. Here are 10 files I've either added from LDRAW or modified.

1. Modified - 44350 / 44351 - RIGHT/LEFT 3D PANEL 12M - The problem with these panels is you couldn't butt them together as in the case of the Williams F1 Racer 8461, so I tweaked the collisions to be tighter and now they can be pressed up against each other with the pin holes
2. Modified - 23799 - TYRE LOW WIDE DIA 81.6x44 - LDD's model was a bit rough, lines were showing, I replaced it with the LDRAW model
3. New 65617 - BRICK, ROUND CORNER, 3 x 3 x 1 WITHOUT STUDS - Tried to add collision in there too, but it's not perfect. Also, I'm not familiar with how to do textures/decorations yet, so someone else will have to add that later (No sprinkly donuts :-(
4. New 46334 - Motorcycle Rim 75 x 15.8 - Taken from LDRAW unofficial library, author credited
5. New 46335 - Motorcycle Tyre 94.3 x 38 - Taken from LDRAW unofficial library, author credited. This one has the treads not completed yet, but the outer dimensions seem to check out. You can put two of the above part inside it (snapping), so you can make the Fat Boy
6. New 67140 - Motorcycle Tyre 94.2 x 22 - Taken from LDRAW unofficial library, author credited
7. New 22969 - RIM 62 x 46 - Taken from LDRAW unofficial library, author credited
8. New 32296 - Tyre low wide 81.8 x 59 - Taken from LDRAW unofficial library, author credited. I had to modify this mesh a bit so the flat side of the tire didn't have the lines on it, but in the end it's still the author's model.
9. New 32298 - Tyre 61/41 x 54 Off Road - Taken from LDRAW unofficial library, author credited

Here are the links: New parts in a LXF file: https://bricksafe.com/files/zweifuss/ldd-new-and-modified-parts/New-Modified-Parts-Tires-Rims.lxf

New parts (.G/.XML files): https://bricksafe.com/files/zweifuss/ldd-new-and-modified-parts/zweifuss_20200801.rar

Any issues let me know! Rims should snap into the appropriate tires. Collision boxes are there for all the parts but they could use some tweaking, so please if you can improve the parts I'm up for it. And as I said before I still need to learn how to make decoration surfaces, which will definitely enhance these parts.

Thanks

[Stephan]

4 minutes ago, zweifuss said:

OK so after many months of playing around, and hopefully trying to do things right, I've finally been able to make a contribution. Here are 10 files I've either added from LDRAW or modified.

Awesome! Thanks!

[monkeyjay2003]

To make everyone's lives a little easier, I'm forming a spreadsheet of every brick in LDD and determining if it needs UV Mapping(Decorations, areas that should be multi-colored), better or erased collision mapping(E.G capes), is missing connections(Some technic bricks and every tile in existence) or all three. I'll post my findings sometime before the end of the week, separated into each brick category and update requirement. Connections will be tested in real bricks to determine if they are legal or not. 

[PicnicBasketSam]

2 hours ago, zweifuss said:

New 65617 - BRICK, ROUND CORNER, 3 x 3 x 1 WITHOUT STUDS - Tried to add collision in there too, but it's not perfect. Also, I'm not familiar with how to do textures/decorations yet, so someone else will have to add that later (No sprinkly donuts :-(

Just tried to implement this one on the 2020 sets that use it and the collision behavior is very strange. In 80009 it works perfectly as the white wheelarches but won't fit at all in pink on the pig atop the roof, it appears to be colliding with one of the round pieces in the middle; in 75293 there are no issues fitting it around a very similar set of round pieces; and in 75273 it collides with the black 2x2 macaroni tiles as well as a light grey 1x4 plate on either side of the fuselage. 

[zweifuss]

4 hours ago, PicnicBasketSam said:

Just tried to implement this one on the 2020 sets that use it and the collision behavior is very strange. In 80009 it works perfectly as the white wheelarches but won't fit at all in pink on the pig atop the roof, it appears to be colliding with one of the round pieces in the middle; in 75293 there are no issues fitting it around a very similar set of round pieces; and in 75273 it collides with the black 2x2 macaroni tiles as well as a light grey 1x4 plate on either side of the fuselage. 

Ah shoot, ok, back to the drawing board. Need to do more testing on these parts. The collisions blocks I made were very verbose. I'll try to have a fix by tomorrow. I also have to learn UV mappings, can anybody steer me in a direction for that? I suppose I could look through all 24 pages of this thread...

EDIT: So after some investigation, it turns out my Custom2DField is the issue... but also with the parts that go 'inside' the arch. Basically the grid area that is defined by the part that should go inside is defined as an edge, when in fact it isn't. So I would have to modify the following parts too, to take away that value from the grid area:

• 87081
• 3943
• 99833
• 6222
• 60474
• Could be others? But basically any 4x4 rounded piece that has that area of their Custom2DField defined as an edge, will automatically conflict with the 65617 piece.

I'd hate to modify legacy LDD parts like this just to allow a new piece to fit into everything, but it might be the way to go, unless someone knows a value I can put into the part that will allow all those above-mentioned parts to fit. @polymaker may be able to help, I've looked at his https://github.com/Polymaker/ldd-modder/blob/develop/Documentation/Custom2DField info.md and there might be a value I'm not understanding.

Edited August 2, 2020 by zweifuss
Discovered the issue

[ProfessorBrickkeeper]

I've spent the past few evenings adding support for the mini-doll figure to LEGO Digital Designer. In the process, I've been tinkering around with the LDD connection system, and there seem to be a number of unused connections that are still recognized by the program.

In case anyone finds them useful, where mini-dolls are concerned:

• Hinge 220 (F) /221 (M) are used for articulated connection between legs/hips.
• Hinge 222 (M) /223 (F) are is used for the articulated connection between arms/torso.
• Fixed 116 (F) /117 (M) are used for the fixed connection between hips/torso.

[polymaker]

@zweifuss Can you send me your files for 65617? I'll try to look into it but I'm not an expert yet on how each Custom2DField values works.

As you can see in the file on my github, I have documented only a small fragment of all the possible values so there is a lot left to understand.

But as you have discovered, the connections also have some collisions attached to them but they are handled internally in LDD.
Some Technic connectors also conflicts (e.g. you cannot place a technic bushing on the handle of part 32828 because of the thin hole connector for feathers or mini-figures accessories)

[monkeyjay2003]

While I'm working on my part, would anyone mind fixing the capes so they can attach with longer hair and won't leave that unsightly gap? I'd do it myself, but I'm afraid CAD isn't my strong suit. Also, if anyone would like Decals designed, I've been doing them for a couple of years now. The resolution won't be as sharp, though, as I do mine to mimic the ones currently in LDD(128 x 128px), not the sharper ones by LDraw(256 x 256px) or Mecabricks(256 x 256px). I'll only work by request, as I have other things to do much like the rest of you. Please PM me a link to a reasonably sized picture of the part, and I'll get to work on it. The decoration will be stored on my Brickshelf, accessible by the link I'll post.

[zweifuss]

3 hours ago, polymaker said:

@zweifuss Can you send me your files for 65617? I'll try to look into it but I'm not an expert yet on how each Custom2DField values works.

As you can see in the file on my github, I have documented only a small fragment of all the possible values so there is a lot left to understand.

But as you have discovered, the connections also have some collisions attached to them but they are handled internally in LDD.
Some Technic connectors also conflicts (e.g. you cannot place a technic bushing on the handle of part 32828 because of the thin hole connector for feathers or mini-figures accessories)

Thanks, I think I figured it out though... I had the wrong mapping for the fields @ 2:4, 4:2, and 4:4... they were designated as Type 7 (bottom tube), instead they should have been Type 22 (edges, perimeter). So I've fixed the part, it should work a lot nicer now. Here is the file, updated from yesterday: https://bricksafe.com/files/zweifuss/ldd-new-and-modified-parts/zweifuss_20200801.rar

I've also changed the name to 1/4 ARCH BRICK 3X3, W/ CUTOUT, NO. 1, from Brickset, I like the sound of the name better... also, I don't know why I worried about decorations for this part, it seems like there are no decorated versions (yet).

@PicnicBasketSam can you try the part out now and let me know if you still run into those issues?

Edited August 2, 2020 by zweifuss

[PicnicBasketSam]

2 hours ago, zweifuss said:

@PicnicBasketSam can you try the part out now and let me know if you still run into those issues?

No problems with parts fitting into the inner curve now, at least in the sets it appears in. However, the issue of 1x4 plates still not fitting into the fuselage of 75273 persists - in the screenshot, the 1x1 tile fits in the space, but a 1x1 plate will not. I am not sure why this is. A stud on that plate doesn't come close to touching the curved brick.

 

Edited August 2, 2020 by PicnicBasketSam
added image to clarify

[zweifuss]

I've added a very tight collision array to the mesh, it should be good now.

Here is Poe Dameron's X-Wing:  and the LXF file too for you to try out: https://bricksafe.com/files/zweifuss/ldd/75273---poe-damerons-x-wing-fighter/75273.lxf

And of course the new 65617 file is here: https://bricksafe.com/files/zweifuss/ldd-new-and-modified-parts/65617.rar

[Stephan]

On 8/1/2020 at 5:03 AM, Jason C. Hand said:

Updated URL with .XML and .G Files---> https://www.bricksafe.com/files/Pockyman30/misc./Simpsons Minifig Heads.zip

Marge's head is too large in the preview window:

[Stephan]

A new New Parts version is available for download: 20200803.

This update includes 15 new parts, 3 updated parts, 4 parts are now multi-colorable, and 16 decorations have been added for existing parts.

To get all the new parts, the easiest thing is to download to .rar file. This included all new parts, all updated parts, all assemblies, all new decorations, and the new decoration mapping file.

Edited August 3, 2020 by Stephan

[polymaker]

4 hours ago, Stephan said:

Marge's head is too large in the preview window:

If I am not mistaken this can happen when the bounding box information is not set properly in the xml.

[Scrubs]

Some decoration files are clearly taken from Mecabricks and rescaled. As I mentioned before it is in breach of the Mecabricks license.

[Stephan]

1 hour ago, polymaker said:

If I am not mistaken this can happen when the bounding box information is not set properly in the xml.

I will look into that: the parts have indeed a non-matching boundary box.

1 hour ago, Scrubs said:

Some decoration files are clearly taken from Mecabricks and rescaled.

I removed the files from the download links!

[Jason C. Hand]

1 hour ago, polymaker said:

If I am not mistaken this can happen when the bounding box information is not set properly in the xml.

Yeah, I was worried about that. i am not too good yet with correcting/fixing bounding boxes, collisions, etc.

[polymaker]

1 hour ago, Jason C. Hand said:

Yeah, I was worried about that. i am not too good yet with correcting/fixing bounding boxes, collisions, etc.

In Brick Studio (my software) there is a button to automatically calculate the bounding boxes in the part properties tab.

[polymaker]

Talking about decorations... Does anyone knows if it is possible to convert LDraw decorations to images (PNG)?

From what I remember when looking into it, LDraw decorations are actually a bunch of manually drawn shapes in 3D.

Could it be possible to import those shapes into blender and by some manipulations flatten them and then render them into a flat image?

[SylvainLS]

You could also use LDView (or other) to take a snapshot of the piece, then crop it.

[polymaker]

Just now, SylvainLS said:

You could also use LDView (or other) to take a snapshot of the piece, then crop it.

Yeah for flat parts it works OK but for more complex shapes it is not as simple . 

For example I'm trying to make the cockpit for 75192-1: Millennium Falcon