Following some discussion elsewhere I figured it would be worth writing a bit about this issue. I'll add to this if I think of things and welcome questions.

Introduction

LDView has offered the option of POVray export for quite a while now. This allows some quite powerful manipulations via POVray. Here I'll focus on two important options: Top include file and Bottom include file.

As the name suggests this inserts a line including a file either up top (straight after all parameters have been declared) or down bottom (right at the end of the file). Combined with the list of parameters this allows quite a lot of automation via these include files, beyond that which could be expected from the export alone.

Top include file

This file is particularly useful for overriding colours but might also be used for other things. It has access to all parameters output by LDView including details of the camera, floor, model bounds and other details but typically would probably just include personal declarations for colours.

Note that the colours LDview declares are only ever called if the colour isn't already declared. So whatever colours you declare will carry through to all other parts.

I've attached my default file legocols.inc here (note it calls lugnetcolors.inc but you can comment this out).

Bottom include file

This file is very important. It can be used to declare the floor, override the camera, declare lights (if you don't like the defaults switch them off and set them here). And it too has access not only to the same declared parameters as the top include file, but also indirectly to the filename details [1].

For example I like to surround all my POVray files by a large sphere with a skymap to improve (IMO) render quality. This depends both on the distance of the lights and camera (they must be inside the sphere) but also on the floor position (so I can center the sphere appropriately). The details are unimportant but I can get all this useful information straight from the main file.

Similarly I like to set my own lights to improve rendering. Again these are set in the include file.

Perhaps most useful for many people (and the reason this file is called last) is the ability to use the include file to override the camera. POVray only ever uses the last declared camera so whatever is declared in the include file is what will be used in the rendering. This is especially useful for animation. Note that the camera you set here means the camera set by LDView will be ignored. If you wish to use the camera set by LDView you must use the parameters LDXCameraLoc, LDXCameraSky and LDXCameraLookAt

I've attached my default file ldview.inc here (it may not run due to other files but it can be read).

Attached Files

  floorsphere.inc (Size: 1.27 KB / Downloads: 0)
  LDView.inc (Size: 1.74 KB / Downloads: 1)
  legocols.inc (Size: 17.58 KB / Downloads: 0)

anybody interested in making the dolphin?
http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=6228u

There is a LDD shape available....

I think I'd like to add an off topic forum. I sometimes have technical question that aren't necessarily LDraw related that I know a lot of the regulars here can answer. It would at worst save me a frustration Google search. Of course any off topic forum will be heavily moderated and flame wars, etc... would be ruthlessly terminated.

Feature request:
- MPD model support. Too late into my authoring of the Super Star Destroyer did I find out that SR 3D Builder doesn't apper to support MPD models. If it does, it's not readily apparent.

Quesiton:
- Is there a good usage tutorial for using this program? The user manual was decent at explaining how to edit and move parts around but less helpful in how to move the camera around.

Hi,
Here is the most huge official technic model ever

You can download my model at http://pds22.egloos.com/pds/201111/29/09/8110.zip
LDR file contain the code line for stickers but L3B file don't, because SR3D couldn't read the file with the stickers to the end.
I recommend that if you want to use SR3D, then choose L3B file, and if LDview or MLCAD, then LDR file.

Here is the sticker files that I used as reference. (You should download at parts folder and do 'Scan part' in MLCAD)
http://www.ldraw.org/cgi-bin/ptscan.cgi?q=4622303
http://www.ldraw.org/cgi-bin/ptscan.cgi?q=4631649

Enjoy

KWON

Attached Files

  8110.L3B (Size: 551.03 KB / Downloads: 3)
  8110.ldr (Size: 562.58 KB / Downloads: 5)

Personally I've always got a bit annoyed seeing embedded images larger than about 500x500px. They take up too much screen real estate and, more importantly, make browsing on small screen devices like phones very difficult. Not to mention the excessive bandwidth.

So I'd like to see a maximum size limit imposed on them. Whether by request or software.

Tim

I think that it might be a good idea to open Annoucements to responses. We've already got a place to make announcements that can't be responded to (on the website) and, many of the topics we've opened have to be duplicated elsewhere for further discussion (most recently by Travis).

I'm not saying anyone would be able to start a topic there, but I do think allowing responses would be a good thing.

Tim

This is so cool! It's still Nov 28 here, and I wrote this post tomorrow.

Hi Travis,

Just to point you to a thread and solutions about a bug in your POVray export.

http://forums.ldraw.org/showthread.php?t...79#pid1579

Tim

Hi,

the LDraw Steering Committee (SteerCo) has been questioned what their opinion is about the possibility of charging for a third party program. The following should be taken as guideline:

Should any person wish to charge money for a third party program using the LDraw Parts Library, the LDraw SteerCo strongly recommends that it is made clear that the charge is for the program itself and not for any derivative of the LDraw Parts Library. The intent of the CC license for the library should be made clear and it should include due credit to reward the efforts of all those who have contributed to the library. We would appreciate that the LDraw logo, as well as a link to the website are included and possibly featured prominently. It should also be made clear that the author is not representing himself as LDraw.org.

Furthermore, where possible, the SteerCo would also appreciate a donation be made to Peeron.com as hosts of LDraw.org (a Paypal Donation Button can be found in the top left-hand corner of LDraw's homepage). This is, however, not by any means a requirement.

Willy Tschager
On behalf of the LDraw Steering Committee