ghyde

I'm not sure if this has been reported already, but if it hasn't: In LDD Hinge Align tool won't correctly align hinge plates so that they could connect stacked onto each other! This would require the Hinge Align tool to recognize multiple simultaneous connections, at least 2 pairs. If hinges are stacked and connected so that they would connect in a circle or trapezoid shape, Hinge tool cannot rotate any of them. This would appear to be a case of the Hinge tool not being able to figure out the effect of other hinges being rotated while connected to other hinges. An oversight, perhaps? LDD can figure out technic beams connected together and rotate them properly, so I think the designers didn't program the hinge plates right. Part of the problem is the Hinge Align tool can't connect the hinges properly so that their studs line up to the underside of the other hinge plate being connected to, the Hinge Align tool instead wrecks the connection by bending one stud out of the way on the hinge and it fits wrongly. When making connections with hinges manually, LDD needs to allow a little bit of automatic adjustment for the hinges. If LDD was able to automatically cause connected hinges to rotate as needed while making a rotation attempt or movement that would result in a successful connection hinge plates would be a lot easier If LDD had a "cause and effect mode" IE the selected part is dragged and connected parts automatically follow it around in a logical movement behind it, if they can, then making things connect to each other would be lots easier! This mode of course should allow manual rotation in directions allowed by the connected parts while dragging to be used on the selected part or parts being dragged. This could mean some new keyboard shortcut functionality might be needed to allow this, or perhaps extending the current keyboard shortcuts to interact with this new mode would be sufficient.

They might know something of this issue. I had reported it to them a while back. But I don't know if they keep records of everything. And I'm not sure they understood what the issue actually is. I found something interesting about this sidebar recently, there are tabs under the rotating model images and not all of those tabs under the models are accessible directly. I could switch into a much higher resolution to get to the tabs, but for models such as these it's not really worth the extra effort to go and investigate them all in a higher resolution. I did also find that changing my graphics card settings could make some more of the sidebar appear, but still not all of it - the only thing that made all of it appear was to change up into a very high resolution. At least 1280 x 768 pixels. I'm not sure if I want my video card driving at resolutions this high, as the LCD monitor itself I'm on here displayed a message that read "nonpreset mode". I'm not willing to force my monitor into a mode it's not designed for or used to for extended periods of time. I'm therefore hoping they would take the relatively easy route of simply making the models available on the website directly as a download. That wouldn't take them much time at all, and it's something they're familiar with, as they've done that before. If you could pass this onto them as a request perhaps they would do it. After all, it's not going to further delay the LDD 4.0 release if done this way. As for TLG themselves, have they not heard of a "public relations" department or position in their company?

Okay, thanks! It would be even better if one of their designers could respond here directly! I don't know if they would have the time to though!

OK correction to my post: I finally got it downloaded when I came back sometime later. That now works really well, I much prefer the LDD rotation style to the original. I'll try it out some more later! I think I'm missing some rubber wheel parts, as the wheels on a model I loaded had no hub or tyre parts loaded into the places the original model had for them! I'll look at that later, too. I also see only one rubber tyre component. Maybe I should just remove my LDRAW installation and reinstall the whole library. I don't know for sure yet.

If he fixes the interface problems with it, I might try it again. But if not, sorry, I don't like to use SR 3D Builder. However, I will say this: If he wants a larger potential userbase he must fix the problems with the user interface. Did you see my thread on the LDD "AtlantisByMe" problem yet? I wonder if LDD's designers are aware of that problem yet?

I still don't like the way the camera control operates in the version I have here. If you compare it to a cameraman in a TV studio operating a camera, would you see any camera platform in the studio which moved the camera about like that? I certainly don't think so. It just does not make any sense for the scene to wobble around the whole time like that. Fix it, please. I don't care if your program has capabilities that no other program has, I want to see that it has easy to use camera operations, and preferably even lockable direction control so that I could scroll horizontally or vertically. I also have a general question about the LDRAW parts library itself: Is there an application that can check my LDRAW parts directory and tell me if there are parts installations that I need to get from the LDRAW site to update my parts library? I don't update the LDRAW library regularly so if the program could detect parts libraries that I need to download and install, that would be great, even if I have to do them manually. If SR 3D Builder could at least let me know if I need to get LDRAW parts update(s) when it detects a part that my LDRAW library on my computer doesn't have, that would also be great! But I don't know if you can do that with SR 3D Builder?

I think they should have made those models in that pane available as models in the "starter models" section on the left when in the "DesignByMe" startup mode. Instead of a sidebar, they had several much better options they could use: 1. Make models available in "AtlantisByMe" section available as default models. 2. Make the model selections appear using overlay techniques above the LDD screen instead of popping out of an already crowded sidebar, thus avoiding entirely the problem of obscuring the view of the model pane. If you can see one of these models you can click on it, and the pane automatically moves back so you can see the model, but my problem is that I want to read the text associated with each model so I can understand what the designer is trying to communicate about the model itself, not get a model to work with. I would think that most people using LDD would want to understand what the designer is communicating here, too. An overlay above the LDD screen would work way better than the current implementation. 3. Make horizontal and vertical scrollbars appear on the menu that is partially hidden at least that way people could read the text but still not as easily. 4. Make the models available directly via the DesignByMe website so that people can see the models, read the exact same description they are seeing part of in LDD itself, and download their .lxf file, too, if they want.

For some time now, LDD has had the problem on my system with the "DesignByMe" sidebar displayed on startup being positioned on the right side of screen. However, the subsections that are shown with a + next to them do not appear fully on-screen, they are partially hidden. I work with LDD on a 1024 x 768 desktop, why can't the designers of LDD get this sidebar system sorted out properly so that it displays correctly? Please see the below image hosted on majhost for a screenshot of the problem!

Just so you know: Having to wait for LDD 4.0 just to get a change in the database LDD Manager uses really annoys me. While I really appreciate LDD Manager's functionality, I don't appreciate updates being contingent on a new version of LDD. I hope you get what I am saying here. If you have a really good explanation though for doing it this way, please explain. And in any case we are rapidly running out of the September release date for LDD 4.0! Cheers ... ghyde

OK, do I redownload, or what? Hmm, a quick redownload still had two 3703 parts excluded from model BOM. WTH? This might require more drastic action maybe I should toss the LDD Manager directory and try again? Cheers ... ghyde

LDD Manager says some of the parts don't match it's parts list v114.3 which it has in it's files and therefore aren't imported. Maybe an updating of the version list would fix this? 16L Technic beams were added pretty recently. While they were in LDD's Factory palette for a brief period, they were then rotated out at a later update but of course the element was retained by LDD and therefore appeared in LU mode too. What I suspect is that your program was built before these 16L beams were included in the palette and therefore missed. Cheers ... ghyde

I think you need to reconsider if Access is what you need. Nowadays, developers using the Microsoft type of IDE use Microsoft's SQL language if they're heavily using databases. Or they roll a custom implementation in code that does what they need it to do. Another question springs to mind: Would you be willing to either consider handing it to someone else to develop or to make the project open source? Also a lot of professional programmers program nowadays in C# or C++ languages, because these languages are well suited to database management and manipulation. As to what I did, I unpacked the LDD Manager install package to a directory on my hard drive, and then unpacked and ran the MS Access package in the same directory. As to the time requirements to manage all of this, well, I guess that's up to what you can fit into your schedule. But there are serious benefits to upgrading to something that can be built right into your program distribution itself and which does not require extra program runtimes. Edit: I got it to run with some warnings about unsafe scripts. I ran the .mdb file. Previously, I was running the .vbs file which apparently does nothing to start the .mdb file? Another thing to add, that I just found. I don't care about the parts like that which are fairly common and are parts LDD no longer uses. EG 3703 Technic beam 16L. But what would I do if I would like LDD Manager to order these from BrickLink if they exist, regardless of whether they're supported parts in LDD or not? Currently, LDD Manager excludes them from the BOM, can I get it to include unsupported parts that BrickLink has but LDD doesn't have orderable colors of in the DesignByMe palette? This is a bit weird, I don't care if LDD's DesignByMe palette has something or not, I just care if I can order that part from BrickLink if that color exists in both LDD's LU mode and was manufactured for use in a set that TLG released, and was therefore parted out by a BrickLink seller so that I could buy it off them. Cheers ... ghyde

Superkalle: I got a problem with LDD manager, I sent you mail on my gmail address. I cannot wait for LDD 4.0 to come out because your program will not run on my PC!!!! Eek! I don't know what I'm doing wrong, if anything, but if you have a new version that might fix your program to run on my PC, please do let me have a copy before LDD 4.0 comes out! Do I wish I could PM this to you, it'd be to prevent forum clutter of course! Cheers ... ghyde

Regarding the bugle, that will not go on the clip because LDD (and maybe it's right this time) thinks it's going to intersect with the wall. Yet another example of designers slipping real builds into things that don't quite go where they're supposed to in LDD. This is primarily due to the fact that when building the real model, one finds that something will fit somewhere and therefore the designer has the final say on whether that piece gets put into the model because of that. Well, at least that's the way it seems to work, from what I can see - as an outsider I'm not sure if that's the whole story, though. With the 4 gold coins you can slip the chest up underneath them to make 2 pairs of coins floating above each other but inside the chest. I recommend to use 1/2 offset jumper plates, bricks/plates under the chest to raise it a little, and a baseplate, temporarily underneath them. You may have to jack the baseplate down with bricks or plates first because LDD's geometry system has a "floor" plane, that is to say you can't by default place an object lower than the existing "floor" plane which is equal to the lowest brick in your model, tilted or otherwise. To make your "floor" at a lower plane in LDD simply place a brick/plate in any open space on the existing "floor" plane then maneuver a brick/plate underneath that brick forcing the "floor" plane, and by association the plane which objects will by default be placed on if not attached to a structure or object, down. Once you have got the chest and a gold piece floating inside the chest space in this manner, Ctrl-Click the chest and the coin you just got in, and then repeat for the other coins. As long as the floating objects inside the chest don't bump into it's walls in LDD they shouldn't get removed if you save and reload the model. If this doesn't work, let me know, I have more tricks up my sleeve that may get the coins in the chest. Cheers ... ghyde

I built the 7998 Heavy Hauler main unit in LDD using LU mode, and have found a problem with rotation tool whereby it will not properly rotate parts which are attached to parts which extend/retract. Please see the attached .lxf file (in zip archive) for more details. NOTE: This only contains the first truck, neither the driver of the truck nor the second dump truck trailer unit are included. I would like to request a feature enhancement for placing parts, especially large parts like the dump truck container itself: Please allow LDD some method of pointing to an attachment point on one part, and an attachment point on the main model, and allow this method to be used by LDD to figure out what angle the part has to be at in order for that part to seat properly onto the model. It does do this for some parts automatically, but only if they have studs on them, studless it seems do not get this treatment. Cheers ... ghyde greendumptruck LU.zip

That's not as uncommon as you might think! In the below set linked to on BrickLink (Highway Transport) I found one greenish part (pic below) which was also different from the rest of the same type of part by the fact that the greenish part had solid tubes on the underside where you'd connect hollow studs for half-stud offsets and the rest of the same type of part all had hollow tubes and were all a different newer yellow color: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?S=6753-1 Talk about strange! It stood out immediately. I think TLG occasionally clears out old stocks of parts especially where minor molding differences will not matter. Either that, or this older part somehow managed to find it's way into a rather recent brand new set! Cheers ... ghyde

Well, I wanted my design to be uniquely mine! And nobody said being the first to think of something meant it couldn't be done! As for the structural integrity, it really falls apart at the front of my model. If I try to press too hard on that 1x2 stud area where the 2x6 stud plate is underneath, that plate pops off very easily and without much pressure, making building on it very hard. For set 7998 it's available from TLG themselves: http://cache.lego.com/bigdownloads/buildinginstructions/4511984.pdf You can actually find the instructions for set 7900 in a roundabout way from Peeron if you follow the link manually and take the link extension out, and instead go to the www.brickset.com homepage that Peeron refers to and manually search for the number. It would appear that Peeron's links are broken in some way. It turns out they're on lego.com too, in fact! Link here: http://cache.lego.com/bigdownloads/buildinginstructions/4498593.pdf "Not always working, the link is, hmmm? Outdated, mmm? Fix yourself, you must, or succeed in finding you will not!" - Yoda. Cheers ... ghyde

I know that. But what I really want to know is how does one get it all to go together so it's structurally sound? I might have to revisit that underside with plates and see if I can't get it to go together better somehow. LDD doesn't check models for structural integrity, and neither does LDD Manager AFAIK. I do want some structural integrity in the resulting vehicle, so I can move it around a bit. Cheers ... ghyde

I've started building the truck but I need some opinions on how it's going so far: Some comments are in the photos, mostly so you get a general idea of where I'm going with the build. If you want to add me as a friend please do! I haven't added anyone to my friends list yet, this is because you all do such wonderful building compared to my amateur efforts. You can either reply to this thread here or add comments to the photos if I've set that right. If not, please let me know here, I'll try to fix it. Cheers ... ghyde

Good to hear! Although I should point out that the gear rack part I linked to on BrickLink is useful for more than just gears, it can also be useful for large radiator fins too! LDD already can understand parts that move directly as a result of turning a pin element if you anchor one of them. It really shouldn't be that much more difficult to get it to figure out what a gear will make a model do. I tried once to make a model of a sliding lock. But this was a little too complicated for LDD - I don't think it's been programmed to find parts that slide and rotate at the same time. That shouldn't be too hard. There was a neat animation I saw on the internet once that showed how cranks and gears could make various kinds of linear motions very easily. Just by putting them in the right places and lengths they could easily make a lot of different motions. If they can get this into LDD I could do quite a few motions. They also need a gravity system for LDD where a direction is "down", can be seen, turned on/off, and has a reasonably real-world effect on objects as tiny as 1x1 pin with stud on end. One of my favourite LEGO projects is to try and build a hopper that feeds a conveyor. But I've run into the problem at the moment that the real model can be tipped up so far with a few parts coming out, them WHOOSH! the entire remainder of the contents will suddenly and immediately exit together! Which means I suddenly have to design a conveyor that can handle the entire hopper input at once! Not easy! This project is simple enough, it tries to count large quantities of a single element or grade by size random LEGO elements. Some time ago, there was a post on a site that implied LDD was going to be incorporating some really good physics engine from another company - do you know if this was canceled or if it will go ahead eventually? Cheers ... ghyde

Does TLG know about the the problem with minifig legs not fitting correctly in the situation where you stack one 2x2 plate or brick on top of another and then try to place a minifig legs facing toes towards the stacked 2x2 plate? This problem also occurs with any possible combination of plates or bricks. I think they do, but if they want it submitted let me know. Also, does TLG plan on fixing gears in LDD 4.0 so that they can be properly and usefully used to make models that can slide or turn to open? I would also like to see available in the DesignByMe palette the following Technic gear: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3743 The reason why is simple: For a while now I have wanted to make a model that can slide one part off the base however without the addition of a gear rack element to interact with a gear (any gear will do) it's a very tedious process to build a workaround that works on a totally different principle! This would also make stackable container yard scenes in LDD very easy to make, because with the addition of the above gear rack to the palette, one could very easily make a crane gantry! I do thank TLG higher-ups for allowing the DesignByMe team to add two gears to the palette, this enables gear reductions! However, to make better and larger reductions, could they please consider one or more extra gear sizes? One thing I would like for TLG to consider is an expander option in LDD: How this would work is fairly simple, if the person using LDD owns a set or element, this can be added to a "personal collection" file, and LDD does not consider elements in colors that are in that personal file to be elements which need to be "buyable" from DesignByMe, but does consider them normally in all other respects when building a model. It would be similar to how a database works, but it only tracks the element type ,color, quantity for elements available for use in LDD under certain circumstances, the person using LDD is responsible to update properly their elements lists. For young kids, a message could be added to ask for parental help and guidance counting the number of elements a kid owns. Make that a toggle option in the user preferences, and it should be a great addition to LDD!. Regarding the certain circumstances the elements should be able to meet at least one of the following conditions and maybe more: Element has been used in LDD previously or is currently used in LDD. Element is in use in current production runs in at least one set. Element is not expected to be discontinued or removed by TLG due to design inconsistencies which would make it incompatible with LDD. Element has not been tied to a branded product agreement where such agreement would prohibit the part appearing in LDD. This is in case the owners of any branded lines TLG would bring out would like parts specific to the branded line excluded. That's all I have to add for now, many thanks for reading, apologies if this post is a bit long! Cheers ... Geoffrey Hyde

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=4488 Is there anyone else here who would like to see the 1x2 plate extension removed from this element? If they did this, it would come in most handy for making transformers out of cars and other vehicles! Just make it exactly as is in all other respects but without the plate extension! Also useful would be to see this cut into a 1x2 plate with single wheel holder: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=2926 Get a modeling program and chop it dead-center between the center two studs on the 4L axis! It would be very handy for wide low vehicles that don't normally run on roads! I do also have one color request, but I don't know if medium blue is in current production - if it is, I'd like to see it come back for this part, and preferably in amounts of more than 2x per set: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=6091 While I'm on the subject, I would also very much like to see inverted versions of all curved parts that are not currently made with an inverted counterpart to the curved part! Last, but not least, I have a really radical idea! Inverted tiles! Or flat-bottomed plates if you prefer! Like the "slide shoe" only totally flat on the bottom, and with studs on top! Cheers ... ghyde

Does he have them in a set? I looked his username up and followed over to what might have been his photostream, but I couldn't see anything except the oversized 10-wide Ferrari truck and the 8-wide riot van! Cheers ... ghyde

Thanks, I've got some inspiration now! I need an oversized trailer and/or truck for this "load" - unless anyone can tell me how to fit a vending machine into a 6 or 7 wide format and still have it hold together this good: The smoke panels in the back were to be for some "internals" but the best photo I could get of them looked closer to a photo of a black cat on a black background in a dark windowless room with no flash! If anyone wonders, I'm BrickVoid, it's a nickname I decided on a while back. Cheers ... ghyde

I'm wondering if anyone has publicly available minifig-scale 8-wide truck designs that I could download and use. I'm particularly after a design that has either a forklift on a trailer or a crane arm lifter mounted anywhere on the truckbed itself. I would prefer models that have repositionable crane arms if there are any available. If I decide to use your model (whether part or full) full credit will be given. I'm also wondering if anyone has gathered a repository of information that covers most S.N.O.T. techniques that would be useful for designs of trucks and other vehicles. Cheers ... ghyde