Hi all.

One next step in develop JBrickBuilder is to integrate LSynth-like functionalities.
Looking to other models, created with various editors/CAD, I found two strategies:
1- direct use LSynth primitives in model
2- use a special META command, "parseable" by original CAD program, and include a "fall-back" for other editors.

I prefer the second method (used by LDCad, BTW), first requires that editors and viewers have LSynth installed.

But, there is a problem: LSynth is a compiled binary, and JBrickBuilder is Java, that is (or should be) cross-platform. I don't want to maintain three or more version, one for every OS.

So, LSynth is licensed GPLv2, and I'm thinking to port to Java, under a GPLv3 license, as a JAR package.

So I'm asking to developers here if there are objections. Of course, I will clearly include references to original project and developers.

Mario

The 18 deg version exists but this one does not:

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=3298pb050

hi there,
as I did not find any .dat-file for this part, I just created my own.
Perhaps somebody needs it. Better than nothing, I guess.
The 91177-02 file should be placed in the .../parts/ directory, and the 97122s* files in .../parts/s/ directory.

This is the first part I ever created and I don't know how to submit it.
If somebody knows how to do this, please give me a hint.

thank you very much,
regards,
frank

Attached Files

  97122-02.dat (Size: 2.31 KB / Downloads: 0)
  97122s01.dat (Size: 897 bytes / Downloads: 0)
  97122s02.dat (Size: 4.62 KB / Downloads: 0)
  97122s03.dat (Size: 1.26 KB / Downloads: 0)

I'm proud to present ColourSum - a tool for calculate the sum of two hex RGB colours with integrated comparison to LDraw standard colours.
Just remove the .ldr extension ;-)

/Max

Attached Files

  ColourSum.exe.ldr (Size: 703 KB / Downloads: 1)

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