I'd like to see an official, web based, part validator in the vein of Mike Heidemann's DAT Header program. A simple web interface where a part author can submit a part and be served back an error list and possibly a fixed, error free part. I would gladly host such an app on the LDraw.org servers.

Quote:About CCW/CW/Invertnext/double sided poly: for all i can see, this is completely superfluous. No other file format i know (and i know some), has things like this. This is not a big issue, but again is an arbitrary and useless thing we have on top, it's a mix of legacy and solutions from a time where saving a single triangle was a big gain. Now video card can pump out gazillion triangles with ease. Just stick with a direction, and convert the library.

(this is nost strictly about specifications, so feel free to move this thread)

So, there are some parts in the library that contains errors of various nature. Some of them must be solved by hand, others should be easy to solve "en mass" with minimal work. The problem about crossed quads is an example. Many viewer have built-in correction code, which made the problem more hidden and probably made it easier for mistakes to slip in the library. I think there's no reason not to address the issue directly on the library, so i suggest this:

- find a routine that correct quads. I'm sure there are many, for example it can be inferred from this post that some detection & correction tool already exists. In LDView the code looks like in here.
- put it into a programs that scans all .dat file in the library searching for quad lines. Pass the vertex to che correction function and eventually update the line. If the file has corrections, overwrite the original one with the correct one, maybe reporting which files have been modified for later review. The program appears to be simple as it operates on single lines, it doesn't need any context whatsoever on the 3d model beside the single quad. Actually it's mostly opening and rewriting files.
- review the modified files. I guess there are not that many, so we can probably manually verify one by one
- commit all changed files to the official library. I don't know how it is stored and who has access to it, but i don't think there are problems in a "mass commit", or are there?
- either forget about the script or somehow schedule it to run on new parts/periodically to detect new error.

Of course this doesn't break any compatibility, updating the library will have no visible difference in already existing software.

I'm no good in C, so i'm not able to help with the code (unless you want it written in other languages), i can offer my help to review corrected parts, if it's needed.

A couple of ground rules before you post:

• If you have a gripe, suggest a way to fix it. Be specific.
  
• We will only consider breaking backwards compatibility for really good reasons. All suggestions need to keep that in mind.
  
• We are not going to covert the spec to XML, binary format, etc. (See above.)
  
• More detailed suggestions will most likely get more responses. Please avoid overly general suggestions
  
• Posts on this thread may get spun off into their own threads. If you're using the flat view (i.e. not threaded or hybrid), try not break threading.
  

May I request to have part 98371 created?

Thanks,
Marc

Hi all.
I'm working on a simple builder in Java, derived from JLDraw Java viewer, but now I wonder if we really need yet another building software

My program will have a building mode with "autoconnect", i.e. new part will "snap" to nearest connection on line of sight (it is already done for studs, tubes, some technic pin and pegholes, but needs lots more work for other connections).

It is in Java, so we have "one version is good for all". Some drawbacks are the "rough" rendering (You must optimize a lot if you want some accettable speed in Java...), and probably the maximum size of a model, that will be in the order of 5k-10k parts (i'll not tested yet).

The coming of "MOC Builder" from Bricklink will make my program useless, I think.

So, I'm here to ask for your opinion: we need another building software? Please talk frankly and be direct: I'll survive to your criticism :-p ;-)

Thank you in advance.

After two beta's I think 1.4 is stable enough to justify a definitive version, so here you go.

I've fixed all the issues reported in the beta 2 thread and some direct mails. I've also implemented a few small changes suggested in those same sources.

No big changes (besides the 17 bug fixes ) otherwise, just:

• Missing files dialog (disabled by default)
  
• Edge anti alias (disabled by default as I'm not a big fan of aa myself)
  
• Reorganized the selection menu hoping to make it more intuitive.
  

I saw that Philo has started to author some of the Simpsons Parts (Homer only at the moment).

I was wondering : as I own almost the entire collection : are you planning to do them all, or would you mind if I try to contribute, especially with the patterned accesssories that come with the sets? Also, I'd like to investigate 3D scanning with Agisoft Photoscan but I don't want to "steal" what you might plan to do.

Let me know.

Dear fellow digital builders,

I’m Henry Park, a member of BrickLink's tool development team.
I’d like to introduce MOC Builder, our new Digital LEGO builder, that was developed based on LDraw's library of virtual LEGO bricks. It allows you to build a virtual LEGO creation on your Windows, Mac, or Linux computer. It also helps you order real LEGO bricks to turn your virtual creation into a physical model. To make that possible, we added part connectivity on top of the LDraw library and integrated BrickLink's marketplace within the tool.





Here are key features of MOC Builder:

• Drag-and-drop building
  
• Building with Connectivity
  
• Undo, Redo, Cut, Copy and Paste
  
• Loads both LDraw and LDD (Lego Digital Designer) models
  
• Search parts by name and description either from LDraw library or BrickLink Catalog
  
• Part Browser with customizable category
  
• Supports all LDraw colors (as of 10/30/2014)
  
• Find and replace (with color) parts within a working Set
  
• Step browsing for building instructions
  
• Automatic grouping
  
• Overlap Check
  
• Import a set as a model from local file system
  
• Import a set from the Set Inventory of BrickLink
  
• Export parts to BrickLink Wanted List
  
• Calculate price of model based on BrickLink market price of the parts
  
• +Connectivity Editor
  

Brickset has started to collect links to official sets made in LDraw.

How can we contribute?