Modifying your LDD

[Siegfried]

http://www.nolberger.se/lego/wantedbricks

How does that work? Does it read just read the creation datafile?

[Anders Nolberger]

It reads the file that is saved from LDD and that is legal as far as i know (at least in Sweden). I have written permission from BrickLink to use their data.

[brickzone]

It probably depends on your country as regards the law. My guess is that such activity spans everything from perfectly legal, to highly illegal depending on the country. I know the US has a highly restrictive DMCA that even restricts personal use activity.

In some countries this is probably perfectly fine to do and to use only for personal use, but distributing the "hack" is probably not legal.

Sometimes the software agreements are not enforceable in various countries - it is very common for example for US software to have conditions that are completely non-enforceable here in Europe, for example conditions limiting the publisher's liability for damages or the customer's right to money back (especially if the product is being sold - there are basic rights in Europe for consumers that can't be waived by the consumer just by "signing" an EULA).

[Anders Nolberger]

It probably depends on your country as regards the law. My guess is that such activity spans everything from perfectly legal, to highly illegal depending on the country. I know the US has a highly restrictive DMCA that even restricts personal use activity.

Sorry for the off topic here...

I don't know if your statement is regarding my program or the original "hack" in this thread. But my program would be legal even in the US. That is how OpenOffice can read Word files for example.

I also think the original hack is borderline since the factory.lif in practice only is an xml file that could be regarded as a config file. The reverse enginering to understand maybe is illegal in some countries.

[BlueBard]

It seems there's a password for downloading the file now. Is it normal? Does anybody knows what the password is? Thank you!

[Bojan Pavsic]

It seems there's a password for downloading the file now. Is it normal? Does anybody knows what the password is? Thank you!

The file is no more accessible and authentication is required for the whole site, because it's a site for my personal use (much other stuff then only Lego) and too many ppl were snooping around after i had the lego file on there.

[Superkalle]

And speaking of LDD, here is for your reading pleasure a public document from Lego that descibes the structure of the LXF-files. You can use this information to for example analyse LXF-files (like Anders has done with the excellent WantedBricks). Or maybe write a piece of software that create LXF-files programmatically - like maybe a mosaic from a photo (anyone up for that challange?).

LXFML_Tags_5.zip

Edited February 25, 2010 by superkalle

[petero]

Bojan,

Would you please PM or email me? I cannot PM you because I have not made 10 postings yet.

Thank you!

Peter

The file is no more accessible and authentication is required for the whole site, because it's a site for my personal use (much other stuff then only Lego) and too many ppl were snooping around after i had the lego file on there.

[Bojan Pavsic]

Would you please PM or email me? I cannot PM you because I have not made 10 postings yet.

I can't you don't have the 10 posts yet and i don't know your email address. Just get those 3 posts :)

[petero]

Bojan,

I think you should be able to click on my name in the left box, and select Send Message, since you have more than 10 posts.

If not, I've just added one to my count

Peter

[Dr. Brick]

I would also really like this.

Is there really no legal way of doing it? I don't want to get others (or myself) into trouble over a few parts in a programme.

Dr. Brick

[petero]

Sorry for the off topic here...

I don't know if your statement is regarding my program or the original "hack" in this thread. But my program would be legal even in the US. That is how OpenOffice can read Word files for example.

I also think the original hack is borderline since the factory.lif in practice only is an xml file that could be regarded as a config file. The reverse enginering to understand maybe is illegal in some countries.

Yes, your use of the LDD data file is legal. The data file is the property of the user, not Lego, and Lego has no legal control over it. Think of it the same way you'd think of a Word or Excel file.

Even though I've only been an AFOL since Christmas, I'm very happy with your program. It was very frustrating to me to discover I couldn't get a piece count or bill of material from LDD. In a business sense that makes perfect sense though, since Lego wants me to buy the creation from them, not to construct it from my existing pieces or buy the pieces elsewhere.

I particularly like the ability to change a piece's characteristics, so I can use pieces that aren't supported by LDD.

Peter

[SpiderSpaceman]

Really wish I'd downloaded when I first saw this topic.

If anybody remembers back to the version directly before the factory competitions, there was an "any color mode" that boasted "trans-pink tyres". is your mod anything like that?

[3D LEGO]

The reality of it all is that even though LDD is a free program that anyone can download and use to design and submit models to LEGO for purchase, it is still based upon a publicly available engine code QSDK. Also there is that LDraw export/import function that mostly works.

I guess what I am trying to say is, well we do have to be careful regarding laws, it is also interesting to note the approach that LEGO took. Can you say silver platter????

[Bojan Pavsic]

... it is still based upon a publicly available engine code QSDK ...

Sadly i didn't know that... I just opened the *.lif files in a hex editor and started to look for patterns... From there i basicly found out the structures which enabled me to unpack the lif into a directory structure with files... PNG, JPG, XML, GIF files are easily distinguishable by the headers they have, i only had some minor problems with the files with '10GB' signature.

From all the info in other files and parts of the lif file, i realized it's binary representation of the parts (3D points, vertices, normals, indexes of vertices grouped up into polygons - triangles) and after some patterns that i found in there, i loaded the data into openGL and voila... there were the bricks in 3D.

With all that knowledge, i just extracted the parts list, multiplied that with all the colors i found in the factory palette and included that in the factory.lif (ofc updateing the headers of the chunks in there). That's all i've done.

Dunno thou if knowing that it was QSDK engine would help or not.

[Superkalle]

still based upon a publicly available engine code QSDK.

I guess what I am trying to say is, well we do have to be careful regarding laws, it is also interesting to note the approach that LEGO took. Can you say silver platter????

Well, I think we can all agree that Lego hasn't put a lot of effort into protecting the data structures. On the other and it sure took the community a long time to get around hacking it, so in that sence I guess it was secure enough . Also, since LDD is updated on-line, it's easy for Lego to increase the protection only when the files have been hacked (like now).

Regarding "QSDK" - haven't they changed from Qube to Havoc now since 3.0? And even so (I'm not an expert), but what does the graphics engine have to do with reverse engineering the db.lif.

[Bojan Pavsic]

Regarding "QSDK" - haven't they changed from Qube to Havoc now since 3.0? And even so (I'm not an expert), but what does the graphics engine have to do with reverse engineering the db.lif.

Nothing really :) It's just used to display the items. The only think that might be of any help is the file format of the 3D stuff, but that's nothing else then a short header with some count values and lists of coordinates after that. Which is not really a "sophisticated" file format that would be linked to any graphics engine.

[Siegfried]

It reads the file that is saved from LDD and that is legal as far as i know (at least in Sweden). I have written permission from BrickLink to use their data.

Slow me just realised it's your work! But yeah, I see that as legal too.

[BlueBard]

The file is no more accessible and authentication is required for the whole site, because it's a site for my personal use (much other stuff then only Lego) and too many ppl were snooping around after i had the lego file on there.

Actually searching among my last downloads I already had it but thank you very much anyway

[NecroViolator]

Hi there new Lego friends :)...

This really isnt frowned upon from Lego (or Lego Digital Designer)...

Its happened many times before and Lego thinks its good !!!

""The surprising part of the story, though, is that LEGO is fine with the hacks. LEGO executives, while initially surprised, said the company encourages the extensions to its software and is glad to see the adult user community adapting the software to real-world needs. LEGO even says that it hopes that users come up with even more ways to better the software.""

http://news.cnet.com/Hackings-a-snap-in-Le..._3-5865751.html

http://www.geek.com/articles/news/lego-lik...-hack-20050916/

EDIT :

Why do you think Freelancer is still sold today ???? Because they are still making money on the MODs that were created by it...

Although this program is free, after building you want to buy some more Lego... :)...

I tried building a OLD Technics car "853" with TDD but ALL the pieces needed were GONE !...

Then I seen screen shots of what Bojan Pavsic did and ALL the pieces missing were there !...

I would LOVE to test the MOD out please...

If anyone could help, thank you ...

Edited March 14, 2010 by NecroViolator

[Bojan Pavsic]

Then I seen screen shots of what Bojan Pavsic did and ALL the pieces missing were there !...

I would LOVE to test the MOD out please...

If anyone could help, thank you ...

You know, it's pretty hard to contact someone on this forum if he doesn't leave a mail in his profile or doesn't have 10 posts for a personal message :)

Bojan

Edited March 14, 2010 by Bojan Pavsic

[NecroViolator]

Thank GOD you answered :)...

Man all that trying to build was a waste of time because there was so much missing...

Also I think the Update might "delete" all the parts not supposed to be used in LDD like the older versions ??? Not sure though...

Read that they deleted before...

Also, my Email is necroviolator @ hotmail . com (without the spaces between)...Or gmail.com at the end...

Shame the Camera is fixed in one place, I mean I would love to have free Cam so I can move X Z Y freely...

You cant move left or right when building...Shame...

Also I inserted some of my little models in my Serious Sam maps for fun to see how they look...

Man it was a blast to run around on Lego Street...LOL...

Thanks bro :)...

Edited March 14, 2010 by NecroViolator

[Bojan Pavsic]

Camera IS NOT fixed :) Move it with SHIFT+Right button drag.

Bojan

Edited March 14, 2010 by Bojan Pavsic

[petero]

Camera IS NOT fixed :) Move it with SHIFT+Right button drag.

Bojan

Thanks for that tip, Bojan. I didn't know that one!

NecroViolator, you can also right-click on a piece to set the center of the view.

Peter

[Hive]

This sounds very interesting, as LDD has a dissapointingly scarce selection of bricks to choose from. Does this hack make any Castle-themed bricks/colours available? And is there any way someone who has it would be kind enough to share it with me? :)