I couldn't help but to post about LDraw at a certain forum I frequent. It's more related to computer games or history of warfare, yet it has a small modeling section (scale models, RC), where people occasionally post things like this Kamov Ka-50.

I went to describe the "virtual blocks experience" briefly, as for someone who hadn't tried anything similar before, pointing how to start.

Most people usually react "oh, that's cool" - best case. But at least one of them surprised me by... posting within one day POV-ray renders of a properly assembled set. So I managed to hook at least one person to LDraw!

By the way: could anyone give a fair comparison of LDraw to LDD? e.g: part library size? Last time I checked it was 4 years ago, I'm sure it evolved by now.

Hi all
I'm new to the program and have to say I'm loving every second I use of it.
The only issue I have really is that as a new person I'm having a bit of a mission finding the parts I want. I know there are websites with parts and bigger pictures of them but is there a Catalogue for off line use?

I mainly use the Lego cad on my laptop (big screen and lots of ram!) and normally out of 3G signal so i would find a sort of PDF parts catalogue really usefull if there is one.

The Parts Tracker has a main navigation link to LDraw Specifcations (which is currently a dead link to http://www.ldraw.org/modules.php?op=modl...le&sid=292). On the new site I can only see leaf pages for each specification item (e.g. http://www.ldraw.org/article/218.html) even though the breadcrumb trail (Home > Documentation > File Format Standards > File Format 1.0.2) implies the existance of intermediate nodes.

Is there (or can there be) a direct link to Documentation or Official Library Standards?

I just looked at the new ldraw.org site and put myself into the position of a new visitor.
I missed a compact and small page which describes how and what to download.
This still is too unclear IMHO.
The thing that adds to the confusion here is that the main menu for downloading directly jumps
to the download pages where you already can get things.
IMHO, the first entry in that menu should be a link to a page _explaining_ how and what to download,
in a very simple and compact form.
For example, the main question that I think currently remains unclear is to a new user whether
he has to download _all_ updates and apply them one after another, or just the most recent one.
And if the latter, to what he would apply it to.

The page could be very simple and compact, for example like this:

For downloading, you have these options:

(a)
Using the all-in-one-installer. This will give you all most-frequently-used applications,
plus all officially released parts. Later, you'll be applying parts updates incrementally to this.
The most recent parts update contained in it currently is 2012-XX.

(b)
Download the programs individually, plus the parts library.
For the parts library, you need do download all officially released files here (link).
This will give you all officially released parts up to and including update 2012-XX.
After that, you'll be incrementally applying parts updates to that.

hello,
ive been trying to download this program, but it seems that the link is dead. I found the 32 bit version somewhere on the interwebz, but it wont run on my 64 bit OS.

Does anyone have a backup link for me? thanks alot!

While creating new LDraw parts I've paid particular attention to the orientation of the studs to ensure that the parts look as accurate as possible.

One thing I've noticed in the LDraw library (and also the LGEO library, but that's another matter) is that although an existing part may be near-perfect, sometimes the orientation of the studs is incorrect.

This is most apparent when using something like LDView, where stud logos are oriented based on the stud.dat's orientation in the LDraw part file. And when LDView exports a model to POV-Ray and uses LGEO studs on non-LGEO parts, the issue carries over.

My question is this: Should existing LDraw parts be resubmitted to the Parts Tracker (via email, of course) just to fix something like stud orientation?

[Incidentally, my current solution to ensure stud orientation is correct is a modification to stud.dat which incorporates the (uncertified) logo.dat primitive, so the LEGO logo is always visible, even in programs like MLCad.]

Hi,

transferring content from the old site to the new CMS the LDraw.org Steering Committee has decided to integrate the various LDraw guidelines in the LDraw.org Policies And Procedures. The updated article can be found at:

http://www.ldraw.org/article/281.html

Willy Tschager
On behalf of the LDraw Steering Committee

Hi,

transferring content from the old site we, the content managers, update also the information. In this process I added some alternative parts libraries using the LDraw File Format to the new site:

http://www.ldraw.org/parts/other-parts-libraries.html

I'd like to see also Modulex among those. Since there were some objections in the past submitting them to the PT:

http://news.lugnet.com/cad/?n=17385&t=i&v=a

I would go for a link to the modulex page:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/chris.w.dee/Modulex/

but it seams essential to me that there is also a download link. Any chance to add it?

w.

Hey,

I just released LPC 1.4.1..

Please uninstall older versions of this software before installing a new version.
Your configuration won't be deleted if you have already version greater than 1.3.1 installed on your machine.

Change log:

New features:

• The spline tool vertex calculation is improved.
  
• You can lock the Vertex/Triangle Mode, when "Add Vertex" or "Add Triangle" is activated (Advanced Options..->Misc.).
  

I find the docs somewhat unclear, could someone shine some additional light on when and why the '~' and '_' prefixes are used?

For example I used to think the ~ is 'depreciated' and/or 'moved' but looking at 4179 this seems weird because it's a complete (and valid?) part as far i can see.

I'm struggling with this while tweaking the default part bin content of LDCad, currently I exclude all parts starting with ~ and _ but I'm starting to think I might be cutting away too much.

So in short how should these prefixes be handled in means of putting them in a part bin yes/no.