Hello,

I would love to get a part preview on tracker's activity list, and on tracker's searches results.

What does people think about it?
Maybe it could be an option that users could choose to active or not.

I just released LDCad 1.4a it fixes a couple of problems and includes new snap info and part bin tweaks.

Like always you'll find the newest version at:

http://www.melkert.net/LDCad/download

Biggest change is the new 'figures' branch inside the sorted part bin group. It allows for easy access to the new friends figures, it also includes the old minifig groups (which I tweaked a bit in order to incorporate the new arms) and new Fabland and Technic figure groups.

I've also added part snapping to all parts in those groups except for the minifig hair/hat and accessories.

And I tried to apply some of the smaller requests from the 1.4 thread, like: ESC to deselect and allowing lower FOV etc.

Finally as LDCad now is included in the AIOI I also updated my own installer to look for the AIOI location of LDCad in order to apply updates as the AIOI installs in "Program Files (x86)\LDraw\LDCad" instead of "Program Files (x86)\LDCad" by default.


With this version released I'm back to working on 1.5, which will probably take another couple of months to complete. But like always don't hesitate to report problems / feature requests.

I've made some more experiments with instruction building programs. I wanted to investigate into JavaFX, it's a promising platform with many useful features: css support, a powerful scenegraph, effects, a great look, etc.

I've come up with a small prototype, where a pre rendered model is layed out on a page. Items are organized into a tree of "boxes": the assembly box is inside the step box (along with the part list and number), the step box is inside the page box etc.
The program lets you move boxes around and support some basic snapping.

I've tested this mechanism becouse i'm not a fan of LPub relative positioning of things (if i'm not wrong, in a step in LPUB, things are placed around the "assembly image", with the ability to choose which corner or side).
My approach gives more freedom, but is also more time consuming becouse things must be manually corrected (for example if you reduce the height of a step, you have to manually bring up all the following steps).
I'm not really sure my approach is better, expecially after you put in callouts or column subdivision etc. to complicate things. Maybe a solution could be to add buttons to programmatically organize a page into a particular layout (single column, double column for example), that do the big work, letting the user redefine small details. Or buttons like "compact steps" etc. It doesn't seems like the best solution anyway.
What do you guys think?

You can download the program here. It needs Java 8, can be launched with java -jar testbi.jar

Here's a screenshot, of course it's just a prototype, i've just placed buttons around to test some functionalities. Zooming and rendering already work, as the togglable design borders.



Here's a sample output:

Many old parts use a blended colour code. A mix of two ldraw base colours.
New parts can have a RGB-based colour code
Both are ways to create a colour not present in ldconfig.ldr

Is there a way to 'translate' the old code to a new code?

The LDraw All-In-One-Installer 2014-02, in short AIOI, has been released.

The AIOI supports Windows XP (Home and Pro), Windows Vista (all versions) and Windows 7 (all versions). On 64-Bit Operating Systems it will install in the "Program files (x86)" folder. The Installer will NOT run on Windows 95, 98, ME, NT Ver 4, 2000, or XP below SP2.

Changes:

• Moved LSynth parts from Unofficial\LSynth to Unofficial\Parts folder to ease usage in LPub
  
• Updated MPDCenter
  
• Updated SR3D
  
• Added LDCad
  

Hi all.

After a (really good) ideas exchange with Ben Supnik (thanks Ben!), I partially redesign my program connection model and strategy.

I think it can be useful to other programmers/coders that works with LDraw library, so I wrote a brief manual that explain how model works.

Now, adding a connection type and an autodetect strategy using LDraw primitives don't requires to change program code, but only a configuration file.

Manual is here (PDF, english).
Here you can download the latest connection database (as a zip file).

To edit connection I built a sketchy editor, really basic:
- connection editor as a "portable" package
- connection editor source code

Feel free to comment/use this work.
I released free to LDraw community.

Mario

NB: from october 2015 this software become unmaintained. No updates, no bugfixes, no support.
I'm sorry for that, but my time is really limited, so I prefer return back to a simple user and LEGO builder.
This software costs over a year of work, but due to lack of interest it is better to use my time for other activities.
Sorry again.

(original message follows)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi all.

I'm pleased to announce:
JBrickBuilder
a LEGO builder in Java for LDraw part library.



Program is in beta and it is completed at 60%, so most functions are planned but absent in this release.

I use a connection database I built to allow "snapping" of parts when you move a brick near another. For some connection type program also align part with receiving part, so building winged or "snotted" model is not so difficult.

Connection database is in zip form and downloaded at first start. It is far from complete, but constantly grows: in last release it contains over 480 parts (decorated parts uses same connection of plain parts, so minifig torso is one part in connection database, but it is used for all 300 torso in library, so probably working parts are a lot more) and program is able to auto-detect connections for lots of parts.

When connection does not work, you always fall back on "placing grid", a plane that use snap and orientation to place parts.

Program is on Sourceforge:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/jbrickbuilder/
with manual (english, PDF).

To get program working you need only the .JAR file. All needed files are downloaded automatically at first run.

Last release: 0.4.1 (2015-06-12)
Parts with verified connections: 1260 (520 in database, 740 autodetected and verified)

A short video on jBrickBuilder flexible parts editor: https://youtu.be/xvohL50gI9Q

Informations about connection model and algorithm is here:
http://forums.ldraw.org/showthread.php?tid=15255

Flexible parts model is here:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/jbrickb...flexparts/



Mario

Per the LDraw.org Bylaws at http://www.ldraw.org/article/268.html, Subsection
6.03(a), the 2014/2015 Steering Committee hereby calls for the community to
nominate individuals as candidates for the 2015/2016 Steering Committee[1].

Please post nominations in response to this message. Nominations will only be
recognized if they are in response to this message.

Per ss.6.03(a), you must specify the name of the person you are nominating,
along with your name. Another member of the community must second the nomination
in a reply, and the nominee must publicly accept the nomination in the same
channel (direct reply to the nomination or second) in order to be valid. If the
nominee does not accept, it will be assumed that he or she has declined, and
they will not be placed on the ballot.

Nominations will close at 11:59 PM GMT on 28 February 2015. This means that to
be listed on the ballot, a candidate must have been nominated, seconded and must
have formally stated acceptance by that time.

The Steering Committee will give sufficient notice of the election and election
procedures per ss.6.03(b).

NOTE: subsection 6.03(b) states that elections should take place before March 1.
We interpret this to mean that we will commence the election on March 1, but
since it is electronic, it will run for 2 weeks, just as last time. The exact
time and date of start and end will be announced sometime very close to (but
after) 0000 GMT March 1.

Again, thanks to all of you for your commitment to the goals of the
organization, and in working with us this year. Please, stay involved with
LDraw.org and keep it moving forward!

Willy Tschager
On behalf of the LDraw.org Steering Committee

--
[1] Try not to confuse the LDraw.org Steering Committee (SteerCo) with the LDraw
Standards Committee (LSC). The Steering Committee sets the course for the LDraw
Organization while the Standards Committee deals with the LDraw File Format.

Hi there.

I need some parts from the SpongeBob SquarePants series.

4150px34 Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Red and White Life Preserver, Curved Bands Pattern

4864px16 Panel 1 x 2 x 2 with Porthole Blue on Orange Background Pattern

Christian Maglekær

Hej,
did we ever recognized that there exist 3 different torso verions? They differ in the inside.
I wonder, If we should model them or not.

/Max