As opposite to strictly technical topics I start this one as kind of "an evening talk in a pub" or "brainstorming" if you wish: I'm really interested in your ideas and opinions.

I start with a question: do you know the difference between old geographic maps (==pictures) and modern ones, like the openstreetmap project? Modern map is considered being a list of discrete objects and each such object is defined in the text: a path joining points etc. See? Very similar idea to our ldraw format! But there is an important addition, comparing to ldraw: they have very well defined system of metainformation: object types, their capabilities... And the result is: such a map can not only be rendered to a picture form (with any graphical style) but it can be used for completely different tasks. One such task is well known for everybody, nowadays: a car navigation. But even a simple search in the map is a task - de facto it is a database query.

What about thinking more about ldraw format in this way? Isn't there another space then part pictures where ldraw could help, if having proper metadata? Ideally the metadata we already have or could get easily from already existing information in ldraw files.

For example: every time I work on shadow/snapping information for LDCAD ideas of this kind come into my mind: part snapping is one example of non-pictural ldraw usage. What more can we use it for? What about queries? "Hey, my editor, show me gears matching this one", "show me a list of parts with a clip" etc. I slightly remember old SR3D editor did some magic in this way to animate models automatically (bending a hinge moved the attached parts of the model, technic drivetrain worked automatically etc.) but it's so long I do not remember details.

What do YOU think? Do you have any ideas?

I am pretty sure the answer is "no, no, not ever, no thanks, that is a terrible idea" BUT I wanted to ask if there is support for variables in the LDraw file format? 

It would probably take support of all the editors and renders which is probably causing someone's eyebrows to make odd shapes as even type this out  

I am someone who enjoys the "make it once and for all use cases", so the pragmatic nature of making a lot of similar parts that have one or two changes for each iteration feels quite bothersome.

Hi,

here are just 3 more bugfixes
I had to fix one new issue from the 1.8.58 release.



As always, you can download LDPE from this page:

http://nilsschmidt1337.github.io/ldparteditor/

Changelog:

(3 bug fixes)

With this release the following critical issues were fixed:

1. The middle mouse button rotation was locked (in combination with the Alt key).
   
2. Different lines were marked as hidden in the text editor.
   
3. When the source lines came from an offset subpart, Ytruder's "symmetry across plane" didn't create the correct result.
   

1. Download and extract LDPartEditor_win32_x64.zip
   
2. Run LDPartEditor-1.8.59.msi
   
3. Start LDPartEditor from the start menu
   

1. Download and extract LDPartEditor_linux_x64.zip
   
2. Install ldparteditor_1.8.59-1_amd64.deb
   
3. Start LDPartEditor from the menu or via launcher
   

1. Download and extract LDPartEditor_mac_x64.zip
   
2. Mount LDPartEditor-1.8.59.dmg
   
3. Drag LDPartEditor.app to the Applications folder
   
4. Copy ldparteditor.sh to your home folder
       4a. Open a Terminal.app and run ./ldparteditor.sh
       4b. Or open a Terminal.app and run /Applications/LDPartEditor.app/Contents/MacOS/LDPartEditor
   

• OpenGL 2.1 compatible Graphics Card
  
• Operating System (64-bit): Windows [7 or newer], Linux [e.g. Ubuntu Linux >=14.4], Mac OS X [>=10.6]
  
• CPU: Multicore-Processor e.g. Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon II (>2.0Ghz)
  
• RAM: 4GB
  
• Video-Memory: 1 GB
  
• Free Disk Space: 100 MB
  

• Operating System (64bit): Windows 7,8,10, Linux [e.g. Ubuntu Linux >=14.4], Mac OS X [>=10.6]
  
• OpenGL 3.3 compatible Graphics Card
  
• CPU: Multicore-Processor with 4 cores (or more)
  
• RAM: >4 GB
  
• Video-Memory: >1 GB
  
• Free Disk Space: 512 MB
  
• For a faster start, LDPartEditor and the LDraw™ library should be installed on an SSD.
  

Hello everyone. I have seen on part tracker parts, that were converted from LEGO instructions app.
Just out of curiosity, how do you do it? As I understand it is Unity app, so do you somehow rip it from Unity cache files?

How is Studio's connectivity data stored? Is it documented in any way or in format that is/can be made readable?

Hello,
I have a model using LSynth parts like hoses, chains, and motors with cables. When I try to load it in LPub, the software just crashes and if I open the same model but with just these parts removed, it works perfectly fine.
I already tried to change the paths for the parts library to \LDraw\parts and then move the elements from \unofficial to to this \parts file, but it still doesn't work.
I seen many people with a similar problem but the parts simply don't show, and LPub doesn't crash, which is not my case. So I have no clue what to do to make it work. I hope it was clear enough and you can help me. Thanks !

Hi.  New to the forums but have been playing with LDraw for almost 20 years now.  For pretty much all of that time, I prefer to use MLCAD.  Note:  I have several PCs, the one I'm on now is the newest.  I didn't originally plan on putting LDraw on this PC but I am not currently able to access my other desktop physically.

I downloaded the LDraw AIOI about 3 hours ago.  Hate LeoCAD.  Just doesn't work for me.  So I downloaded MLCAD, and using it to make just a pickup truck is frustrating me to no end.

 What happened to the keyboard controls?  PgUp and PgDn select previous and next parts rather than moving parts up/down the Z axis (unless that WAS Home/End but those do nothing too).  And the arrow keys do nothing at all.  Kind of difficult to select about a dozen parts to move them rearwards say 4 studs without moving them in another axis or out of line somehow.

I merely want to build a pickup with a camper, possibly a 5th wheel.  Truck so far is going to be 24 studs long by 8 wide, and the trailer is going to be 10 wide, don't know the length.  I have some of the truck chassis figured out but need to make it longer and the lack of keyboard controls is frustrating me like crazy.

Hey,

this is mostly a small bugfix release, but it includes also a shortkey binding to rotate the view around a fixed axis with the mouse.



As always, you can download LDPE from this page:

http://nilsschmidt1337.github.io/ldparteditor/

Changelog:

(1 new feature and 3 bug fixes)

With this release you will be able to...

• ...press and hold shortkeys to rotate the view around a fixed axis with the mouse (snapping to angles, with Shift, Ctrl and Alt).
  

1. The check for BFC-Meta command was not strict enough (it allowed prefix lines like "0 BFC CERTIFY CCWxyz").
   
2. !HISTORY meta command: Removed the [4.0] tag in favor of a fixed implementation date.
   
3. Added missing buttons on the UI for area expansion / missing buttons on "Find+Replace" dialog.
   

1. Download and extract LDPartEditor_win32_x64.zip
   
2. Run LDPartEditor-1.8.58.msi
   
3. Start LDPartEditor from the start menu
   

1. Download and extract LDPartEditor_linux_x64.zip
   
2. Install ldparteditor_1.8.58-1_amd64.deb
   
3. Start LDPartEditor from the menu or via launcher
   

1. Download and extract LDPartEditor_mac_x64.zip
   
2. Mount LDPartEditor-1.8.58.dmg
   
3. Drag LDPartEditor.app to the Applications folder
   
4. Copy ldparteditor.sh to your home folder
       4a. Open a Terminal.app and run ./ldparteditor.sh
       4b. Or open a Terminal.app and run /Applications/LDPartEditor.app/Contents/MacOS/LDPartEditor
   

• OpenGL 2.1 compatible Graphics Card
  
• Operating System (64-bit): Windows [7 or newer], Linux [e.g. Ubuntu Linux >=14.4], Mac OS X [>=10.6]
  
• CPU: Multicore-Processor e.g. Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon II (>2.0Ghz)
  
• RAM: 4GB
  
• Video-Memory: 1 GB
  
• Free Disk Space: 100 MB
  

• Operating System (64bit): Windows 7,8,10, Linux [e.g. Ubuntu Linux >=14.4], Mac OS X [>=10.6]
  
• OpenGL 3.3 compatible Graphics Card
  
• CPU: Multicore-Processor with 4 cores (or more)
  
• RAM: >4 GB
  
• Video-Memory: >1 GB
  
• Free Disk Space: 512 MB
  
• For a faster start, LDPartEditor and the LDraw™ library should be installed on an SSD.
  

Can someone help me with Sticker 192685i for 1581-1 (Silja Lines Ferry)
   
Unfortunately I dont have Set or Sticker (both quite rare), but the Logo exists as SVG:
https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiedosto:S...n_logo.svg
For the general size, there is a Bricklink-Seller who sells the nearly empty sheet, shall we ask there how big this sticker is?
https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/cat...only%22:0}
For the digital version, maxbe we should check if the other Ferries (1580-2, 1554-1) with a very similar sticker actually have the same sticker...
The newest ferry 1998-1 has a similar sticker, but blue and separated.

Correcting part headers in official parts (description, category, and keywords) is easy but labor intensive. I hope to ease this problem in the future. In the meantime, it would help me immensely if when you identify these problems if you could send me an archive of the files with corrections (and a history line) in addition to the usual text summary.

Thanks for your understanding.