[Software] LDD2PovRay

[hrontos]

there is no error message pane. that's what made me very confused, because i don't know what's wrong.

POV-Ray has in the user interface one tab named "Messages", we need to know the content of that tab.

Or you can try to check this topic (first 3 or 4 pages), since there were discussed most common problems.

[jmfbtb]

I wanted to post here to thank Martin Hronský for releasing such a great rendering package for LDD!

I finished my first MOC: Lego Docking Bay 327 for the UCS Falcon based on photos from Dave's awesome scratch built version as inspiration for my design. His set has ~10.5k parts with a working elevator. I wanted to keep the cost down, so my version has a static elevator and unfinished back wall from behind came in with a total of 7,780 parts for the arch and 7805 for the sloped gate versions. Pictures of Dave's set can be found at his MOC Page.

I posted progress of my build at FBTB Forum

The LDD files are at Rebrickable, with the sloped gate version loaded into their system and a PDF build guide.

UCS Falcon LDD model used for test renderings is by Dan Jansen and available for download at Eurobricks

Render time was between 5-6 hours on my 64 bit i7 Machine at 2560x1600. I suggest removing the transparent bricks around Luke's gunnery chair on the Falcon to save about an hour. I lost track how many renders I made testing various builds!

Jeff

Pictures:

Final LDD render. I made a few minor substitutions for parts that were not in LDD (i.e. antenna on roof of the support building)

Higher Resolution

Built Docking Bay 327 with the room background edited out:

Higher Resolution

Edited April 14, 2013 by jmfbtb

[theDeanoRama]

I was playing with LDD to POV-Ray today trying to eke out a bit more of a dramatic lighting for minifigs. In playing with the lighting settings from within the conversion front end I found myself more than once wanting a rim light option from within the lighting tab. Despite the lack of the rim light, I'm rather happy with my results being that this is the 1st time I've played with the light settings. The final 800x600 output took roughly 30 mins to render on my meagre i5 x64 lappy.

Edited April 15, 2013 by theDeanoRama

[BrickArtist4U]

Hi, for three days now, I have been struggling to get this software installed and working: no success!

I used all the guidelines, changed the paths, added that little sentence at the bottom, reslut: nada.

I haven't got a single clue as to where this is going wrong.

I want to give up, because this is very annoying and frustrating.

I took the time to look up wich version to use: it is the 64bit exe.

Does anyone else have this misery???

[legolijntje]

Could you give some more information please? Which pc OS do you have (which Windows version?) which version of POV-Ray etc.

And also what exactly doesn't work? Is the program not starting or does it start but doesn't do anything, is pov-ray not starting or what else?

[vynsane]

Hi, BrickArtist4U - did you follow the instructions that I sent to you on Flickr?

First, if you've not already done so, you need to download and install the Beta (testing phase) version of POVRay. The most recent version of the LDD converter tool works with POVRay 3.7 RC7, which you can get on this page:

povray.org/beta/

There is a link called "traditional setup.exe installer" under the heading "Windows Download".

On the LDD-to-POVRay site, you will only download one of those four files. Depending on your operating system, you will need either the 32bit or 64bit version of the converter. The EXE or ZIP file is just a personal preference. The EXE is a self-installer, so that's probably the easier option. 32bit applications will work in 64bit systems, but the opposite is not true.

If so, where, exactly are you encountering a roadblock or error - and if it's an error, what is the exact error message?

Just to make sure everything's as it should be - the system in question should have LEGO Digital Designer 4.3.6, POVRay 3.7 rc7, AND LDD-to-POVRay 1.2.10 installed.

LDD-to-POVRay should remain open while the POVRay render is initialized, otherwise the include files the converter generates that POVRay needs will not be available.

[___]

With this base plane file content:

plane { y, min_extent(ldd_model).y
texture {
average
texture_map {
#declare Ind = 0;
#declare S = seed(0);
#while(Ind < 40) // higher number of iterations=less artifacts
[1
pigment { ldd_colors[1] }
finish {
ambient 0
#if (version>=3.7)
emission 0
#end
diffuse 0.2
brilliance 1
phong 0.0 phong_size 20
specular 0.0
roughness 1
reflection { 1 }
conserve_energy
}
normal {
bumps 0.05 // smaller value = less blured reflection
translate *100
scale 0.001 // scale it small(0.001) or big(1000)
}
]
#declare Ind = Ind+1;
#end
}
}
no_reflection
}

You can get floor that shows blurred reflections like this:

Amount of blur is adjustable.

Rendering of this base plane is much more slow than the rendering of the model itself.

OK, but what line to add - and where exactly - to let all as it is but change the color, like now it is white, but I want red, green, blue or whatever?

Edited May 26, 2013 by bublible

[hrontos]

OK, but what line to add - and where exactly - to let all as it is but change the color, like now it is white, but I want red, green, blue or whatever?

To make it some other color, modify this line:

pigment { ldd_colors[1] }

Change it to something like:

pigment { color rgb <255/255, 0/255, 0/255> }

that will make pure red.

pigment { color rgb <0/255, 0/255, 255/255> }

pure blue.

pigment { color rgb <0/255, 255/255, 0/255> }

pure green.

Or try any RGB value.

Or change it to some of LDD colors based on material ID from LDD. Just change the material ID 1 to any other LDD material ID from LDD color palette.

Edited May 26, 2013 by hrontos

[___]

To make it some other color, modify this line:

pigment { ldd_colors[1] }

Change it to something like:

pigment { color rgb <255/255, 0/255, 0/255> }

that will make pure red.

pigment { color rgb <0/255, 0/255, 255/255> }

pure blue.

pigment { color rgb <0/255, 255/255, 0/255> }

pure green.

Or try any RGB value.

Or change it to some of LDD colors based on material ID from LDD. Just change the material ID 1 to any other LDD material ID from LDD color palette.

thanx a lot, will try it out later...and just being curious: what exactly the first number mean in your rgb, for example: "0/255", is it alpha value for selected R/G/B?

[hrontos]

thanx a lot, will try it out later...and just being curious: what exactly the first number mean in your rgb, for example: "0/255", is it alpha value for selected R/G/B?

In POV-Ray, color RGB values are not in range 0-255 but they are in range 0-1.

Since most of the people are used to 0-255, to make it easier to work with that, I use standard RGB values from range 0-255 and divide it by 255 to get decimal value in range 0-1. For example in POV-Ray, pure red has RGB values 1, 0, 0. For many people, using other software, pure red is 255, 0, 0 and to get it into POV-Ray, every component has to be divided by 255. So you get RGB 255/255, 0/255, 0/255 as RGB values for pure red in POV-Ray.

[C3POwen]

You can also define RGB colours in POV-Ray using a slighter shorter version of the above, for example:

pigment { color rgb <128,128,128>/255 }

[___]

In POV-Ray, color RGB values are not in range 0-255 but they are in range 0-1.

Since most of the people are used to 0-255, to make it easier to work with that, I use standard RGB values from range 0-255 and divide it by 255 to get decimal value in range 0-1. For example in POV-Ray, pure red has RGB values 1, 0, 0. For many people, using other software, pure red is 255, 0, 0 and to get it into POV-Ray, every component has to be divided by 255. So you get RGB 255/255, 0/255, 0/255 as RGB values for pure red in POV-Ray.

aha! got it now - thank you

You can also define RGB colours in POV-Ray using a slighter shorter version of the above, for example:

pigment { color rgb <128,128,128>/255 }

nice, thanx

[___]

is there a way in LDD2POV-Ray/POV-Ray make background looks like in LEGO catalogues from 80's Space Classic theme, like these two (#6970 & #6971) below? If so, how to/what settings to apply?

[hrontos]

is there a way in LDD2POV-Ray/POV-Ray make background looks like in LEGO catalogues from 80's Space Classic theme, like these two (#6970 & #6971) below? If so, how to/what settings to apply?

Basically you have two options:

First is to use transparent background and to add gradient background in some picture editor. This is easy way.

Second is to make base plane gradient filled, but this way color of base plane will have an influence on colors of the model itself.

[___]

Basically you have two options:

First is to use transparent background and to add gradient background in some picture editor. This is easy way.

Second is to make base plane gradient filled, but this way color of base plane will have an influence on colors of the model itself.

But when I add bg in editor it will not look OK (no pseudo-3D), it would look too flat...your second option looks exactly as it should be (if you good look at those orig. LEGO pics background DOES HAVE EFFECT on the model itself actualy...but I do not know how to do it from your description

Edited June 5, 2013 by bublible

[___]

QUESTION:

Is there some option, that when POV-Ray renders it will not "eat" all oif my CPU COres power? I have 6-core CPU and when it renders I cannot do anything else cos there is no "headroom" for other applications...hm?

I don't care if it'll renders whole day, just to let some room in CPUs for other apps

Edited June 7, 2013 by bublible

[Gnac]

QUESTION:

Is there some option, that when POV-Ray renders it will not "eat" all oif my CPU COres power? I have 6-core CPU and when it renders I cannot do anything else cos there is no "headroom" for other applications...hm?

I don't care if it'll renders whole day, just to let some room in CPUs for other apps

Check POV-Ray's "Render" menu for the "Render Priority" and "Duty Cycle" Options. By default, POV-Ray sets "Render Priority" to normal, and "Duty Cycle" to 80%. Some lower settings for these might be what you want.

EDIT: There is also an option directly below these, to limit the amount of threads used for processing, but this cannot be changed once POV-Ray is performing a render. I recommend starting up POV-Ray first.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Gnac

[___]

Check POV-Ray's "Render" menu for the "Render Priority" and "Duty Cycle" Options. By default, POV-Ray sets "Render Priority" to normal, and "Duty Cycle" to 80%. Some lower settings for these might be what you want.

EDIT: There is also an option directly below these, to limit the amount of threads used for processing, but this cannot be changed once POV-Ray is performing a render. I recommend starting up POV-Ray first.

OK, thanx - will try that later today...

[___]

...so NO, it has absolutely no effect on CPU usage + I noticed after PC restart POVRAY.INI resets to its initial state, it is without added line Library_Path="\\.\LDDIncludes" - what is going on here, anyone can tell, please?

[hrontos]

QUESTION:

Is there some option, that when POV-Ray renders it will not "eat" all oif my CPU COres power? I have 6-core CPU and when it renders I cannot do anything else cos there is no "headroom" for other applications...hm?

I don't care if it'll renders whole day, just to let some room in CPUs for other apps

Use task manager. Find POV-Ray's process, decrease priority by right clicking the process. Or set the process afinity (you can select as many cores as you want to assign to the process). This work any time, so you can adjust it during render depending on what you need to do with the computer.

Check POV-Ray's "Render" menu for the "Render Priority" and "Duty Cycle" Options. By default, POV-Ray sets "Render Priority" to normal, and "Duty Cycle" to 80%. Some lower settings for these might be what you want.

These duty cycles do not work for me.

[___]

Use task manager. Find POV-Ray's process, decrease priority by right clicking the process. Or set the process afinity (you can select as many cores as you want to assign to the process). This work any time, so you can adjust it during render depending on what you need to do with the computer.

Exactly - that makes it, thank you very much!

These duty cycles do not work for me.

Exactly - for me neither...strange, and what about POV-Ray resetting its POVRAY.INI after PC restart - do you have the same issue?

Edited June 7, 2013 by bublible

[Phoxtane]

I keep getting this error when I try to render a LDD file:

-

Parser Options

Input file: C:\Users\Benjamin\Desktop\Lego Stuff\Models\40049MiniSopwith.pov

Remove bounds........On

Split unions.........Off

Library paths:

\\.\LDDIncludes

C:\Users\Benjamin\Documents\POV-Ray\v3.7\include

C:\Windows\Fonts

Clock value: 0.000 (Animation off)

Image Output Options

Image resolution.....1920 by 1080 (rows 1 to 1080, columns 1 to 1920).

Output file..........C:\Users\Benjamin\Desktop\Lego Stuff\Models\40049MiniSopwith.png, 32 bpp with

alpha PNG

Dithering............Off

Graphic display......On (gamma: sRGB)

Mosaic preview.......Off

Continued trace......Off

Information Output Options

All Streams to console..........On

Debug Stream to console.........On

Fatal Stream to console.........On

Render Stream to console........On

Statistics Stream to console....On

Warning Stream to console.......On

-

"ldd_default_colors.inc" line 20: Parse Error: Illegal character in input file, value is ffffff80.

Render failed

-

CPU time used: kernel 0.11 seconds, user 0.09 seconds, total 0.20 seconds.

Elapsed time 0.45 seconds.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edited June 7, 2013 by Phoxtane

[___]

Please, anyone know how to "make base plane gradient filled" in POV-Ray? Something like this old Space Classic set (#6971) from mid 80's here:

Edited June 7, 2013 by bublible

[___]

Thank you for trying. It looks like forum removed some special combinations of characters so the code did not make sense.

Once again:

plane { y, min_extent(ldd_model).y
texture {
average
texture_map {
 #declare Ind = 0;
 #declare S = seed(0);
 #while(Ind < 40) // higher number of iterations=less artifacts
	[1
	 pigment { ldd_colors[1] }
	 finish {
	 ambient 0
	 #if (version>=3.7)
		emission 0
	 #end
	 diffuse 0.2
	 brilliance 1
	 phong 0.0 phong_size 20
	 specular 0.0
	 roughness 1
	 reflection { 1 }
	 conserve_energy
	 }
	 normal {
	 bumps 0.05 // smaller value = less blured reflection
	 translate < rand(S), rand(S), rand(S) >*100
	 scale 0.001 // scale it small(0.001) or big(1000)
	 }
	]
	#declare Ind = Ind+1;
 #end
}
}	
no_reflection
}

"bratku", I used your code modified by me wanting to have gradient instead of one color like this, I try this:

plane { y, min_extent(ldd_model).y
 texture {
  average
  texture_map {
	   #declare Ind = 0;
	   #declare S = seed(0);
	   #while(Ind < 40) // higher number of iterations=less artifacts
			[1
			 pigment {
			   gradient y
			   color_map {			
					[0.0 color rgb <20/255,60/255,99/255>]
					[0.33 color rgb <200/255,15/255,137/255>]
					[1.0 color rgb <255/255,255/255,255/255>]
			   }
			 }
			 finish {
			   ambient 0
			   #if (version>=3.7)
					emission 0
			   #end
			   diffuse 0.2
			   brilliance 1
			   phong 0.0 phong_size 20
			   specular 0.0
			   roughness 1
			   reflection { 1 }
			   conserve_energy
			 }
			 normal {
			   bumps 0.05 // smaller value = less blured reflection
			   translate < rand(S), rand(S), rand(S) >*100
			   scale 0.001 // scale it small(0.001) or big(1000)
			 }
			]
			#declare Ind = Ind+1;
	   #end
  }
 }	  
 no_reflection
}

...but it ends up with this error:

"\\.\LDDIncludes\ldd_metalic_blur_space2_base_plane.inc" line 32: Parse Error: No matching } in 'normal',

undeclared identifier 'scal' found instead

..and it looks like this in POV-Ray window:

plane { y, min_extent(ldd_model).y
 texture {
  average
  texture_map {
	   #declare Ind = 0;
	   #declare S = seed(0);
	   #while(Ind < 40) // higher number of iterations=less artifacts
			[1
			 pigment {
			   gradient y
			   color_map {			
					[0.0 color rgb <20/255,60/255,99/255>]
					[0.33 color rgb <200/255,15/255,137/255>]
					[1.0 color rgb <255/255,255/255,255/255>]
			   }
			 }
			 finish {
			   ambient 0
			   #if (version>=3.7)
					emission 0
			   #end
			   diffuse 0.2
			   brilliance 1
			   phong 0.0 phong_size 20
			   specular 0.0
			   roughness 1
			   reflection { 1 }
			   conserve_energy
			 }
			 normal {
			   bumps 0.05 // smaller value = less blured reflection
			   translate < rand(S), rand(S), rand(S) >*100
			   scal

Anyone know what is wrong?

Edited June 8, 2013 by bublible

[___]

"bratku", I used your code modified by me wanting to have gradient instead of one color like this, I try this:

plane { y, min_extent(ldd_model).y
texture {
average
texture_map {
	 #declare Ind = 0;
	 #declare S = seed(0);
	 #while(Ind < 40) // higher number of iterations=less artifacts
			[1
			 pigment {
			 gradient y
			 color_map {			
					[0.0 color rgb <20/255,60/255,99/255>]
					[0.33 color rgb <200/255,15/255,137/255>]
					[1.0 color rgb <255/255,255/255,255/255>]
			 }
			 }
			 finish {
			 ambient 0
			 #if (version>=3.7)
					emission 0
			 #end
			 diffuse 0.2
			 brilliance 1
			 phong 0.0 phong_size 20
			 specular 0.0
			 roughness 1
			 reflection { 1 }
			 conserve_energy
			 }
			 normal {
			 bumps 0.05 // smaller value = less blured reflection
			 translate < rand(S), rand(S), rand(S) >*100
			 scale 0.001 // scale it small(0.001) or big(1000)
			 }
			]
			#declare Ind = Ind+1;
	 #end
}
}	
no_reflection
}

...but it ends up with this error:

"\\.\LDDIncludes\ldd_metalic_blur_space2_base_plane.inc" line 32: Parse Error: No matching } in 'normal',

undeclared identifier 'scal' found instead

..and it looks like this in POV-Ray window:

plane { y, min_extent(ldd_model).y
texture {
average
texture_map {
	 #declare Ind = 0;
	 #declare S = seed(0);
	 #while(Ind < 40) // higher number of iterations=less artifacts
			[1
			 pigment {
			 gradient y
			 color_map {			
					[0.0 color rgb <20/255,60/255,99/255>]
					[0.33 color rgb <200/255,15/255,137/255>]
					[1.0 color rgb <255/255,255/255,255/255>]
			 }
			 }
			 finish {
			 ambient 0
			 #if (version>=3.7)
					emission 0
			 #end
			 diffuse 0.2
			 brilliance 1
			 phong 0.0 phong_size 20
			 specular 0.0
			 roughness 1
			 reflection { 1 }
			 conserve_energy
			 }
			 normal {
			 bumps 0.05 // smaller value = less blured reflection
			 translate < rand(S), rand(S), rand(S) >*100
			 scal

Anyone know what is wrong?

Well, now I really do not know, completly messed myself up in confusion - maybe it is a bug in LDD2POV-Ray or in POV-Ray itself, but when I change any value in that file, and error occures and then change it back to the one that did work, it still give me error ending in crash. If I close LDD2POV-Ray and also POV-Ray, then change values to those that previously didn't work, now it suddenly works OK until I change any value again, go thru converting process once more and again errors and crashing in POV-Ray - is this behavior normal?

Edited June 8, 2013 by bublible