MrGibbage

I don't disagree that they should release the code so others could continue with the updates. I am sorry that you have trouble with Stud.io. I've been using it for many years now, and I know a lot of people that use it. And the kids on my FLL team use it. But I know what you mean--it's happened to me before. I have tried using software that everyone else seemed to love, but for whatever reason, I could not get it working properly. I sure don't have any vested interest in Stud.io. I'm just a regular user. I wish you the best of luck! Skip

May I suggest that you try Stud.io? Studio Download [BrickLink] It has many excellent features and is still very much under active development. I've been using it for years now.

I am the coach for a FIRST Lego League team. This coming season will be my fifth. My daughter and I design the base robot (all technic) in LDD, (she does most of the work, but I do help her). LDD isn't very good for building complicated robots with interacting pieces. You need step-by-step instructions. Often we will need to build three or four "base robots" for the team to practice with, and we want them all to be pretty much exactly the same. So that's why we put the instruction in Blueprint. I don't think we could do it with Blueprint, so we really appreciate the effort!

One more feature request: I wish the step number was visible in the step design. I realize that this is going to change depending on the step options (single step per page; steps that have been inserted/deleted; etc.), so it may not be easy, but maybe put some thought into it. Many times I'll be working in the page design and see a step that needs some work and it means going back to the step design and scrolling around until I find it. Perhaps an easier solution might be that there could be a hyperlink on the page design which would link to the step design for that page?? By the way, you asked some time ago about page layout desires. I pretty much always use single step per page now. Since I'm not actually printing these, it is easier to just have one step per page.

Yes, I have done that too! :) But sometimes I forget (I'm kinda prone to senior moments it seems!)

Speaking of the "Update Design" feature. I happen to use this a lot. Every single time (100% repeatable) when I update the design, all of the parts currently in step 1 of blueprint will move to the very last step. This is even if the parts in step 1 have nothing to do with what was added or removed. All of the new parts always show up in the first steps as expected, but I see no reason to move the parts in step 1 to the very end. Fortunately it isn't very hard to go to the last step, copy the parts there to the clipboard, and move them back to step 1. But it is strange nonetheless.

One more feature request: Part description in the steps (in addition to the picture and count). All of my models are technic. It's a pain to have to count the number of holes in the longer beams to figure out what piece it is. Now, I wouldn't want the description on every part in every step. Really, just a few of the longer beams (9, 11, 13, 15) and axles that are impossible to tell what size they are. For axles, it would be really cool if we could print an actual size picture of the axle. Maybe somehow it would need to be editable on a per-step basis?? Also, having the ability to annotate with some text boxes would be really helpful.

To move pieces from one step to another, select the pieces to be moved. Use ctrl+click to select multiple pieces, or ctrl+a to select all of the pieces (these are the windows hotkeys; no idea what they are on Mac). Note that all of the pieces must be in the same step. You can't select pieces in multiple steps. Once you have selected the pieces that you want to move, then you hit ctrl+x to "cut" the pieces (you won't see anything happen on the screen). Then scroll using the horizontal scroll bar to the step where you want to put the pieces and click on it. Then press ctrl+v to paste them. Takes just a few seconds. Once you get the hang of it, you will be moving pieces around like a pro!

One small problem with this update (v0023): When you hit ctrl-s to save, it will rotate the currently selected step.

Well done! Thanks. Not trying to sound un-appreciative, but inserting blank pages into the page layout would still be a great bonus. Not kidding--this is some awesome work. :) Thanks.

I hadn't tried installing v0022 since I was in the middle of a project. I'll definitely take a look at it. By the way, I don't think you mentioned the new features/bug fixes in the changelog in the first post for v0022. @kokkie20 I like your #2 suggestion as well. Almost every time when I "Add step after", I want the same rotation as before. Retaining that rotation would be great for new steps would be great :) @msx80, even if you change nothing, this program rocks! Seriously great work here! :) Thanks!

I'm using v0021 on Windows and it is working fine. Thanks for the great program. I have two feature requests: 1) Please oh please add keyboard shortcuts for the image rotation for individual steps. Also, I recommend that you remove the change model rotation from the context menu. If you accidentally change the model rotation, you mess with all of the rotations and it can take a while if you have a really big model. Generally, one would only need to do this once for any given model. But, back to the keyboard shortcuts: may I suggest WSAD? You may also have to more clearly indicate which step is currently selected. In fact, if we could select more than one step and rotate them all at one, that would be uber-cool! 2) When managing page layouts, it is possible to move a step to the next page. But there may not be room on that page. Can we have an option to add new, blank pages onto which we can move steps as required? Again, thanks for this amazing software! Skip

Success!!! I have created the build steps for my model quite nicely. Well done, and thanks!! :)

Sorry, I'm getting an error just running it: Operating system detected: Windows Starting Blueprint v0021.. Good luck! Current folder: C:\Users\skip\Local Apps\Blueprint0021 com.sleepycat.je.VersionMismatchException: (JE 4.0.92) C:\Users\skip\AppData\Roaming\BluerenderCache Expected log version 7 or earlier but found 11 VERSION_MISMATCH: The existing log was written with a version of JE that is later than the running version of JE, the log cannot be read. Environment is invalid and must be closed. Couldn't open file C:\Users\skip\AppData\Roaming\BluerenderCache\00000000.jdb at com.sleepycat.je.log.FileHeader.validate(Unknown Source) at com.sleepycat.je.log.FileManager.readAndValidateFileHeader(Unknown Source) at com.sleepycat.je.log.FileManager.openFileHandle(Unknown Source) at com.sleepycat.je.log.FileManager.getFileHandle(Unknown Source) at com.sleepycat.je.log.LastFileReader.startAtLastGoodFile(Unknown Source) at com.sleepycat.je.log.LastFileReader.<init>(Unknown Source) at com.sleepycat.je.recovery.RecoveryManager.findEndOfLog(Unknown Source) at com.sleepycat.je.recovery.RecoveryManager.recover(Unknown Source) at com.sleepycat.je.dbi.EnvironmentImpl.finishInit(Unknown Source) at com.sleepycat.je.dbi.DbEnvPool.getEnvironment(Unknown Source) at com.sleepycat.je.Environment.makeEnvironmentImpl(Unknown Source) at com.sleepycat.je.Environment.<init>(Unknown Source) at com.sleepycat.je.Environment.<init>(Unknown Source) at blueprint.b.b.a.b.a(Unknown Source) at blueprint.b.b.a.b.<init>(Unknown Source) at blueprint.b.b.a.<init>(Unknown Source) at blueprint.Blueprint.b(Unknown Source) at blueprint.Blueprint.initApp(Unknown Source) at a.a.start(Unknown Source) at com.sun.javafx.application.LauncherImpl.lambda$launchApplication1$162(LauncherImpl.java:863) at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runAndWait$175(PlatformImpl.java:326) at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$null$173(PlatformImpl.java:295) at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method) at com.sun.javafx.application.PlatformImpl.lambda$runLater$174(PlatformImpl.java:294) at com.sun.glass.ui.InvokeLaterDispatcher$Future.run(InvokeLaterDispatcher.java:95) at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication._runLoop(Native Method) at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication.lambda$null$148(WinApplication.java:191) at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)

Take your time. :) I really appreciate you looking into it though! I tried it with a few other files I have and it worked perfectly. I am confident it will be exactly what I need to make some nice build instructions.

I am using LDD 4.3. I did try resaving the file in LDD but no joy. I feel like Blueprint is finding the same LDD that I am using because if I forget to close LDD, I do get the error that I need to close it (just in case Blueprint is finding an older version of LDD that I still had installed--doesn't seem to be the case here). Here's the lxf file: http://pelorus.org/files/MechanicalSquirrelsRegionalRobot2016.lxf

First post here. I hope you guys allow folks from 'Merica here! I built a cool robot for FIRST Lego League in LDD and went to generate build instructions for it with LDD and wow, was I disappointed. I started thinking, some smart guy must have built a better instruction generator by now, so go check the interwebs. And I found this! Looked at the screenshots and yes, it looks PERFECT. Installed it and tried opening the lxf model. Crash! :( Here's the console text: Operating system detected: Windows Starting Blueprint v0.0.1.9beta.. Good luck! Current folder: C:\Users\skip\Local Apps\Blueprint0019 Initializing database.. Cache is up to date. OpenGL version: 3.2.0 NVIDIA 368.20 OpenGL vendor: NVIDIA Corporation OpenGL renderer: GeForce GTX 650/PCIe/SSE2 OpenGL shading lang: 1.50 NVIDIA via Cg compiler Loading brick 74043 MS SMALL TACHO MOTOR HOUSING,V Loading brick 92911 POWER JOINT Loading brick 6558 CONNECTOR PEG W. FRICTION 3M Loading brick 32009 DOUBLE ANGULAR BEAM 3X7 45° Loading brick 32523 TECHNIC 3M BEAM Loading brick 2780 CONNECTOR PEG W. FRICTION Loading brick 32278 TECHNIC 15M BEAM Loading brick 99948 STEEL BALL Loading brick 3737 CROSS AXLE 10M Loading brick 3707 CROSS AXLE 8M Loading brick 41239 TECHNIC 13M BEAM Loading brick 59158 FUNC. MOTOR ?40, OUTPUT DRIVE Loading brick 43093 CONN.BUSH W.FRIC./CROSSALE Loading brick 40490 TECHNIC 9M BEAM Loading brick 32316 TECHNIC 5M BEAM Loading brick 32073 CROSS AXLE 5M Loading brick 32270 DOUBLE CONICAL WHEEL Z12 1M Loading brick 64179 BEAM FRAME 5X7 ? 4.85 Loading brick 44294 CROSS AXLE 7M Loading brick 32054 2M FRIC. SNAP W/CROSS HOLE Loading brick 32525 TECHNIC 11M BEAM Loading brick 32556 3M CONNECTOR PEG Loading brick 50951 TYRE LOW NARROW ?14.58 X 6.24 Loading brick 42610 HUB ?11,2 X 7,84 Loading brick 41678 TECHNIC CROSS BLOCK/FORK 2X2 Loading brick 64178 BEAM H. FRAME 5X11 ?4.85 Loading brick 32524 TECHNIC 7M BEAM Loading brick 32062 2M CROSS AXLE W. GROOVE Loading brick 95650 MS, EV3, SENSOR, COLOUR Loading brick 4519 CROSS AXLE 3M Loading brick 32184 DOUBLE CROSS BLOCK Loading brick 6590 BUSH FOR CROSS AXLE Loading brick 54725 Output drive Loading brick 60410 RJ12 STIK - VIRTUEL Loading brick 74042 MS TACHO MOTOR HOUSING,VIRTUEL Loading brick 55615 Angular beam 90degr. w.4 snaps Loading brick 60485 CROSS AXLE 9M Loading brick 56908 RIM WIDE 43,2X26 W 6 HOL.? 4.8 Loading brick 95646 MS-EV3, P-BRICK Loading brick 41897 TYRE LOW WIDE ?56 X 28 Exception in thread "JavaFX Application Thread" java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader$MethodHandler.invoke(FXMLLoader.java:1774) at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader$ControllerMethodEventHandler.handle(FXMLLoader.java:1657) at com.sun.javafx.event.CompositeEventHandler.dispatchBubblingEvent(CompositeEventHandler.java:86) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventHandlerManager.dispatchBubblingEvent(EventHandlerManager.java:238) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventHandlerManager.dispatchBubblingEvent(EventHandlerManager.java:191) at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:58) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventUtil.fireEventImpl(EventUtil.java:74) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventUtil.fireEvent(EventUtil.java:49) at javafx.event.Event.fireEvent(Event.java:198) at javafx.scene.control.MenuItem.fire(MenuItem.java:462) at com.sun.javafx.scene.control.skin.ContextMenuContent$MenuItemContainer.doSelect(ContextMenuContent.java:1405) at com.sun.javafx.scene.control.skin.ContextMenuContent$MenuItemContainer.lambda$createChildren$343(ContextMenuContent.java:1358) at com.sun.javafx.event.CompositeEventHandler$NormalEventHandlerRecord.handleBubblingEvent(CompositeEventHandler.java:218) at com.sun.javafx.event.CompositeEventHandler.dispatchBubblingEvent(CompositeEventHandler.java:80) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventHandlerManager.dispatchBubblingEvent(EventHandlerManager.java:238) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventHandlerManager.dispatchBubblingEvent(EventHandlerManager.java:191) at com.sun.javafx.event.CompositeEventDispatcher.dispatchBubblingEvent(CompositeEventDispatcher.java:59) at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:58) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114) at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:56) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114) at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:56) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114) at com.sun.javafx.event.BasicEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(BasicEventDispatcher.java:56) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventDispatchChainImpl.dispatchEvent(EventDispatchChainImpl.java:114) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventUtil.fireEventImpl(EventUtil.java:74) at com.sun.javafx.event.EventUtil.fireEvent(EventUtil.java:54) at javafx.event.Event.fireEvent(Event.java:198) at javafx.scene.Scene$MouseHandler.process(Scene.java:3757) at javafx.scene.Scene$MouseHandler.access$1500(Scene.java:3485) at javafx.scene.Scene.impl_processMouseEvent(Scene.java:1762) at javafx.scene.Scene$ScenePeerListener.mouseEvent(Scene.java:2494) at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.GlassViewEventHandler$MouseEventNotification.run(GlassViewEventHandler.java:380) at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.GlassViewEventHandler$MouseEventNotification.run(GlassViewEventHandler.java:294) at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method) at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.GlassViewEventHandler.lambda$handleMouseEvent$354(GlassViewEventHandler.java:416) at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.QuantumToolkit.runWithoutRenderLock(QuantumToolkit.java:389) at com.sun.javafx.tk.quantum.GlassViewEventHandler.handleMouseEvent(GlassViewEventHandler.java:415) at com.sun.glass.ui.View.handleMouseEvent(View.java:555) at com.sun.glass.ui.View.notifyMouse(View.java:937) at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication._runLoop(Native Method) at com.sun.glass.ui.win.WinApplication.lambda$null$148(WinApplication.java:191) at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source) Caused by: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source) at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source) at sun.reflect.misc.Trampoline.invoke(Unknown Source) at sun.reflect.GeneratedMethodAccessor1.invoke(Unknown Source) at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(Unknown Source) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Unknown Source) at sun.reflect.misc.MethodUtil.invoke(Unknown Source) at javafx.fxml.FXMLLoader$MethodHandler.invoke(FXMLLoader.java:1769) ... 43 more Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 2 at blueprint.Blueprint.c(Unknown Source) at blueprint.Blueprint.onImportLXF(Unknown Source) ... 53 more Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 2 at blueprint.b.b.a.b.b(Unknown Source) at blueprint.b.b.a.a(Unknown Source) at java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline$3$1.accept(Unknown Source) at java.util.ArrayList$ArrayListSpliterator.forEachRemaining(Unknown Source) at java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.copyInto(Unknown Source) at java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.wrapAndCopyInto(Unknown Source) at java.util.stream.ReduceOps$ReduceTask.doLeaf(Unknown Source) at java.util.stream.ReduceOps$ReduceTask.doLeaf(Unknown Source) at java.util.stream.AbstractTask.compute(Unknown Source) at java.util.concurrent.CountedCompleter.exec(Unknown Source) at java.util.concurrent.ForkJoinTask.doExec(Unknown Source) at java.util.concurrent.ForkJoinPool.helpComplete(Unknown Source) at java.util.concurrent.ForkJoinPool.externalHelpComplete(Unknown Source) at java.util.concurrent.ForkJoinTask.externalAwaitDone(Unknown Source) at java.util.concurrent.ForkJoinTask.doInvoke(Unknown Source) at java.util.concurrent.ForkJoinTask.invoke(Unknown Source) at java.util.stream.ReduceOps$ReduceOp.evaluateParallel(Unknown Source) at java.util.stream.AbstractPipeline.evaluate(Unknown Source) at java.util.stream.ReferencePipeline.collect(Unknown Source) at blueprint.b.b.a.d(Unknown Source) at blueprint.b.b.a.b(Unknown Source) at blueprint.b.b.a.a(Unknown Source) ... 55 more Caused by: java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 2 at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.report(Unknown Source) at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.get(Unknown Source) ... 77 more Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 2 at blueprint.b.b.a.a.a(Unknown Source) at blueprint.b.b.a.b.c(Unknown Source) at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(Unknown Source) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(Unknown Source) at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(Unknown Source) ... 1 more Caused by: java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: 2 at blueprint.opengl.b.b.a(Unknown Source) at blueprint.opengl.b.e.a(Unknown Source) at blueprint.opengl.b.e.b(Unknown Source) at blueprint.opengl.b.d.a(Unknown Source) ... 6 more Any suggestions? Skip