LDraw.org Discussion Forums

HIS SMILE?

These aren't intended to both be added to the LDraw search path at the same time. To the best of my knowledge, they are intended for two uses:

• Replacement for standard 16-facet equivalents
  
• High/low-resolution geometry specifically referenced in a part
  

Neither usage would have them both added to the search path. For the first usage, a program would look in either p/8 or p/48 before looking in p. So either p/8 or p/48 would be added to the search path before p, but not both.

For the second usage, 48/ or 8/ is included in the part file itself prior to the dat filename. So, if a part has a large-radius circle, it can use 48/4-4cyli.dat instead of 4-4cyli.dat. The p/48/4-4cyli.dat file would then be picked up while processing the standard p part of the LDraw search path, not with a specific scan inside p/48.

Programs are free to completely ignore the 8 and 48 directories. If they do so, they will work fine (as long as they append the full part name/path to each entry in their search path while searching for the part, and don't just take the filename part).