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hey guys, after several days of really very very intensive coding/scripting/programing in Python big thing will happen soon, just a few days later: I finaly made Blender script addon that enables automatically this kind of things by just one click on button: add seams to bricks with dynamic width therefore more ralistic seams look can be achieved automatic replacement for selected slope bricks adding grain to their sloped parts lego-on-studs automatic corrections of some colors like gold repairing face smoothness on some slope "computer" bricks + I also write one really long and extremely detailed tutorial how to LDD/LDraw to Blender with Cycles realistic rendering including all needed files, download links etc. everything in one place ...finally, cos I always want people to have everything concentrated to one post not needed finding bits and peaces here or there and mostly being in a mess...so wait a few days more, people ;)

So did already someone else test it confirming what I am saying/thinking about LDView somewhat faulty .3ds export?

Thanks for your answers, Darats...now - as of yesterday evening as I finally achieved all I wanted using my LDD/Blender rendering tandem - I see we doing basically the same (although in another SW's) without knowing about each others way of work, nice :) Thanks, we stay in contact about this stuff as I wrote you...appreciated your suggestions you gave me, they help big time! ;)

Yes, that is basically the same as I have done in Blender... ;) But in fact in Blender it is much faster actually, as you do not need to building your own bricks, instead you just add modifier and that's it, besides it introduces another quite pleasing effect of sort like real life inaccuracy of bricks and one is able - if he wants to play with it - set values for each brick separately...and you can switch it off/on as you will having back your original unmodified brick(s) BTW: can you tell how do you make your own bricks? in what sw, format..any tutorial? :) you could do one tutorial here about this if you don't mind tho as I think many would be interested including myself ;) BTW2: your renders are one of my favorites as I wrote elsewhere

TRADAAAAA...mission succesufly done: :) 1. "lego-on-studs".....OK (using modified LDraw bricks) 2. partial "grain" look for skew parts of some slope bricks.....OK (using Blender editing just the skew face of only single one brick applying separate material for that part and then linking all such bricks to this one as "Object Data", so any change on the first one appears on any brick linked to this one) 3. find a way to apply "seam" effect presented in LDView.....OK (using Blender modifier called "SimpleDeform" applied on every brick) Ah, nice...tommorow will be THE day ;) So now after the good work was done gotta go to sleep...see you

Ah, everything would be so great and OK if only LDView export to .3ds file work as it should, wrrrrr...if it would I would not need to find some another way around, but you know what? a while before I read your comment I thought about something similiar like find if Blender supports something like make connections of ovject visible with adjustable value to it (thikness or something like that)...gonna search it right now :D

hahahaaa, GOT IT...and again found it myself playing with Blender so as you may guess: yes, it is made in Blender...oooh being sooooo happy now :D So now all that left for me is to find a way how to achieve "seams" effect from LDView without need of LDView... ;) Later will explain how to add that grain effect to the skew parts of the slope bricks in my future LDD to Blender tutorial, so finaly! THINGS TO ACHIEVE: 1. "lego-on-studs".....OK 2. partial "grain" look for skew parts of some slope bricks.....OK 3. find a way to apply "seam" effect presented in LDView...fail

Yea, but as I do not use POVRay but Blender now I am facing another problem: LDView exports bigger sets wrongly to .3ds file needed for import into Blender so I try to fing out a way around this cos without it there will be no seams on the bricks looking not so realistic as it looks when they are there... :( BTW: I am also LDD builder (absolutely much much faster way of building and more intuitive, almost like real LEGO...and you do not need to be a professor of physics compared to work with MLCAD :D ) but then exports to .ldr, opens it in MLCAD (OK I can live with this little time being in this SW for those just small repairments needed after export from LDD :D ) replacing all bricks missing in LDD saving and opening in LDView for export to .3ds - this way around I have lego-on-studs + seams, very nice but the last thing I am missing is implementing that grainy look of the skew part of slope bricks, still not there with this :( But when I succeed I plan to write really detailed tutorial here as how to LDD to Blender rendering...I know juraj made year ago his own but his way doesn't work well for me,,better said not at all (he exports to .lwo files and then imports into Blender which introduces a lot of probs compared to .obj or .3ds import although he says that when he imported .obj there were mesh problems and I noticed it is because of exporting to .obj from LeoCAD cos if I did try to convert to obj the same file using another converter there were not these mesh problems at all, especialy with minifigs body with planet logo...ehm, to clarify things more as what I am talking about: well, before I switched to .3ds import I used to export from LeoCAD directly to .obj and had those artefacts I was talking about while ago)

OK, will do that using zip - no problem at all, anyway its .ldr size was only 11kb and the limit is 100kb therefore I say it is strange... ;) Oh and one thing needs to be mentioned cos it could have some effect to the problem: I am using LDraw bricks with that modified files having lego-on-stud

UPDATE 3 - Final conclusion: 3ds file exported by LDView crushed every single SW I try to import it into, namely: - Blender 3D v2.70a - PoseRay (although this one may still working on it cos it acts strangely: freezes for 15 minutes then suddenly continues its conversion as if nothing happened, thaen freezes again after several minutes...so will wait and will see) [EDIT: it loads it finaly after several hours of loading and cleaning of garbage mess, like many empty groups etc., but stays frozen saying "Out Of Memory" - which is also wrong as I got 8GB and plenty of headroom - although I see loaded image of the set in its window,,so maybe if I let it still in this state it actually unfrozen itself after some time as usually with this sw...and its RAM usage? 1.7GB :D heh, now tell me that this is normal...no way] - Wings3D (crushed completely after its RAM usage gone over 4GB...) - FBX Converter (and this one is directly from Autodesk - authors of 3D MAX software, a freeware): this one clearly states right from the beginning in log file that the .3ds file is NOT GOOD - ivcon 3d (cmd line conversion tool): this one also stating that the file is not good, namely "Error,,unespected file end" So we can definitely say that THE PROBLEM IS ON LDVIEW SIDE when converting more than several easy bricks. To be able test/try yourself I attached my testing .ldr file below (just part of set #493, so it's not even in its complete state where the file would be even bigger when exported as .3ds!): feed it into LDView and let it export as .3ds We should probably urging developers of LDView to properly look into this big problem. P.S.: why I cannot attach my .ldr file? It says "I am not permitted to this kind of file"...what? why? on LDraw forum? heh, strange, isn't it? milos-493.zip

Do not think so: if I import small .3ds it doesn't crush Blender but if I import insanely big one exported from LDView it crushes EVERY SW I FEED IT TOO, so... ;) Read my previous posts about this. To me it actually looks like LDView exports a lot of useless garbage to .3ds file (like many empty groups etc.) therefore the size of the file grows nonsensically high (like 150mb+ for a one rather small classic space set #493) and that causes the problem of crushing/frozing SW's which try to load such file. BTW: PoseRay still converting it, now RAM usage is ilke 1.5GB for the PoseRay process only and stil rising up slowly..!!!

UPDATE: I installed PoseRay trying to convert that big 150mb .3ds file into .obj, it tooks several tens of minutes and at the end PoseRay frozen, BUT at least I saw how many groups there are in that .3ds made by LDView export, hold on: 170205 groups ...of what, omg?!?!?!?!?! :( So maybe I was again too hurry in my opinion about LDView nonproblematic output to .3ds cos now it looks like the problem is strange .3ds export from LDView - nonproblematic if you export one minifig, but when you export some classic space base like I did with set #493 than you are lost like this :( EDIT - UPDATE 2: Strangely enough now as soon as I was going to close that frozen PoseRay it suddenly starts going on from that before like 10 minutes frozen state now DELETING ALL EMPTY GROUPS automatically, so perhaps the frozen period was somewhat the time when PoseRay internaly lining things up for its next conversing move and only the OS (W7 64bit) actually sets it state as "not responding", now I am waiting for PoseRay "building display list..." - again it takes quite a while...yayks! I think now that LDView makes too many empty groups and therefore the size of its exported 3ds is so unbelievably big (150mb here with set #493) which makes things like Blender import crushingn Blender - gonna see how big will be this converted to .obj and if it also crushes Blender upon its import as well... ;) BTW: actual RAM usage of PoseRay conversion is now 960mb and still rising...

I found the answer myself: LDView - go to preferences and find "seams": its value states how much should every brick move away from each other, that is what I was looking for ;)

Does anyone know how to achieve that grainy look of those skew parts on slope bricks? Do I need to find some custom materials/bricks somewhere for LDraw as it was with the "lego-on-stud" problem or should it be handled in rendering program, I am using Blender with Cycles renderer so solutions for POVRay don't apply here for me. :( I was looking for this stuff on Google and also here on the forum but no luck with it... Also if you know of any other process that would add bevel to bricks like LDView's "seam" function please let me know here if you can, please. P.S.: ideal solution would be such that is completly made within LDraw itself without need to export to any other format than its native .ldr as now there is an option in Blender to load .ldr files directly... ;) Thanx in advance

So I made another test: I put together like 4 simple bricks, exported to .3ds and now Blender imports this simple silly creation without any noticable problems altough also this small thing last to load like I was loading several mb of data when it has like 1mb, so it is probably problem of Blender and not problem of exporting from LDView cos else it would crashes Blender too, but it didn't this time...

I am second that...just searching this forum for exactly the same: when exported to .3ds from LDView then 2 unpleasant things happen: 1. 11kb .ldr file becomes 150mb .3ds monstrum!!! 2. upon importing it to Blender (v2.70a) it imports endlessly and then it crashes Blender (was checking ram usage of the proces and it comes to 500mb+ from initial Blender state of cca. 90mb!) As for .obj export from LeoCAD: yea, I did it like that without any problem untill I found out that without LDView export you simply miss that "seam" brick connection option so .obj from LeoCAD is not solution actualy + some minifig body meshes are messedup and almost useless So really: does anyone know what is exactly going on here?

no problem, I just wanted to help, that's all, if I didn't understand the question then I excuse as I did + I did try to bend it of course but with no luck (maybe still does not understand something but I understand bending in LDD as pressing F click one end and bend it to some extent to some stud and the brick he was asking cannot be bedned in that sense at least not here in my LDD where only bricks that have that ribbon icon to tham are able to bend, if it means something else then I really do not understand and you can ignore my unadequate answers :D ) yea, my intention was really meant in a good manner, I usualy do not look what person has what icon or word underneath they nick cos to me it is ridiculous, as many times even such people can ask something that they for some reason don't know, sorry :) and also many times I witnessed people with high ranks asking/doing stuff that "greenhorn" would do, so...you never know :) Simply I saw a question I thought I know answer to, and so I put my answered. Not meant harm to anyone - peace. ;)

ok, no problem, I just simply want to avoid povray and ldd2pov converter...I am looking for Blender solution or something similiar

hm, probably my english is really poor cos I checked and still do not see what I understood wrongly, nevermind...sorry then

I did try ldd2pov before exactly as you suggesting but what I don't like about it is its time curve needed to render basicly simplest things comapred to Cycles renderer in Blender, also povrays GUI is so "almost nonexistent" and not intuitive that I was completely lost not sure if what I did was really what I wanted to cos you simply have no visual feedback of what you are doing :( therefore I switch to Cycles and Blender... also in povray my renders even if they took like 7 hour on my sixcore 3.4ghz/8gb ddr3/sdd machine in final results were some kind wrong, like wheels was blended into one something without parts etc. :(

@Palathadric, @lego2lego (btw I personaly own every single one of your classic space sets and some more so I can check it just by eye and can tell you that your renders are absolutely realistic from what I see here, namely the most #6980 and #6930, I almost fell on the ground when I first saw them here, how did you achieve such accuracy??? they are so real), @juraj & @Darats: guys your renders are probably the most realistic I ever saw, really...great great great work done!!!!! Oh, and guys can you tell, how did you achieve the visual effect of visible parts connections? You know those "lines" you see in the places where bricks are connected...cos when I render my set out I always have one solid block/piece not visible separate bricks as it should in reality be which is pretty unpleasant of course. Any suggestions/solutions to this? Also does anybody know how to have lego-on-studs...I mean the word "LEGO" on them as in real sets? + yea and also that "grainy look" of the sloped ports...gee, really...how can one do such real render, I mean...oh,,I am breathles, splendid work! sorry to tell you but NOT TRUE: as I own this set personaly I have to tell youmthat those rear gray tails are BLACK ;)

LDD (for main build, very easy, intuitive, acts as real LEGO would in most cases) >> export as .ldr MLCAD for importing the .ldr from LDD being able substitute all missing bricks in LDD (save again as now already edited .ldr) LeoCAD for importing my edited .ldr and exporting as .obj for rendering in Blender 3D Blender 3D v2.70a for all the lightning, camera work and final rendering Adobe Fireworks CS6 for final visual enhancement and touch

#71986 is not bendable, only bricks with the ribbon icon to them have flexibility enabled in LDD...as far as I know ;)

Hey guys, how you achieve the visual effect of visible parts connections? You know those "lines" you see in the places where bricks are connected...cos when I render my set out I always have one solid block/piece not visible separate bricks as it should in reality be which is pretty unpleasant of course. Any suggestions/solutions to this? Also does anybody know how to have lego-on-studs...I mean the word "LEGO" on them as in real sets?

OK, this is what I found regarding the "problem": this is the script, or better said XML tags I added to ldraw.xml in LDD directory just for sake of testing (see I left LDraw interpretation of every brick to hose flexible cos for testing it is sufficient and much faster for editing :D ) <!-- TEST START bublible --> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="98567" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="71917" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="57539" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="58856" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="55668" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="63141" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="92338" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="64230" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="14301" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="32580" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="76270" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="60169" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="32199" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="71985" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="72039" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="43675" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <Brick ldraw="73590a.dat" lego="71076" /> <Transformation ldraw="73590a.dat" tx="0" ty="0" tz="0" ax="0" ay="0" az="0" angle="0"/> <!-- TEST END bublible --> So there is like 16 flex bricks with the flex icon in the "flex category' in LDD that I used + I also added - just for testing - one from the same category but without the flex icon. RESULT: - all 16 flex parts (with the flex icon) are NOT OUTPUTED AT ALL nevermind edited ldraw.xml file - but that one flex brick without flex icon (#71076) is outputed with edited ldraw.xml file (cos the original unedited xml file does not output this brick!)