MLCad 3.50 is available
2018-02-17, 9:23 (This post was last modified: 2018-02-17, 9:24 by Steffen.)
2018-02-17, 9:23 (This post was last modified: 2018-02-17, 9:24 by Steffen.)
(2018-02-17, 9:23)Steffen Wrote: https://www.lm-software.com/mlcad/MLCad_V3.50.zip
(2018-02-17, 22:23)Michael Horvath Wrote:(2018-02-17, 9:23)Steffen Wrote: https://www.lm-software.com/mlcad/MLCad_V3.50.zip
Oh wow! I wonder if more bugs will be fixed in the future?
(2018-02-18, 8:31)Merlijn Wissink Wrote:(2018-02-18, 8:28)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: Hmm, OK. Any release notes somewhere?
Changelog is in the zip file.
Quote:MLCad V3.50:
=================================================================================
Bug-Fixes:
----------
- BFC statement changed between load and save
- Saving ghost statements
- color dialog crash while using custom colors
- Add link for arrow generator in help module
- Corrections for new operating systems Windows 8 ff
- Undo with primitives
- Unknown part display in part list
- Toolbars not displayed when starting
Changes:
--------
4) Rotation vector is now enabled again, but actual values are not calculated
back when the dialog is opened.
(2018-02-17, 22:23)Michael Horvath Wrote:(2018-02-17, 9:23)Steffen Wrote: https://www.lm-software.com/mlcad/MLCad_V3.50.zip
Oh wow! I wonder if more bugs will be fixed in the future?
(2018-02-18, 16:38)Steffen Wrote: Yes. Because it was released so silently I just now took notice when I found it in the AIOI 2018-01...
Until then I was stuck with 3.40.
(2018-02-18, 22:33)Orion Pobursky Wrote:(2018-02-17, 22:23)Michael Horvath Wrote: Oh wow! I wonder if more bugs will be fixed in the future?
Honestly, I consider MLCad abandonware. LDCad (and to a lesser extent Bricksmith) has surpassed it in so many ways that my workflow will never go back. My only wish would be that both MLCad and LDCad were open source but, a least with MLCad, that probably will never happen.
(2018-02-20, 8:04)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: I use the minifig generator too to create the basics for my minifigures. Especially for accessories (which do not always snap to hands) very handy.+1
And I also like to make use of the "Draw to selected part" option to "step through" a model brick by brick.
(2018-02-20, 8:04)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: I agree Orion, however I mainly create and edit models in LDCad, I ever so often edit in MLCad and use some features.
For example to apply Buffer Exchange and Rotation Steps which I find much easier in MLCad. Maybe because I was (am) so used to it for years.
I use MLCad Groups to work with Remove Group in LPub(3D).
I use the minifig generator too to create the basics for my minifigures. Especially for accessories (which do not always snap to hands) very handy.
Sort by height and add steps after change in height is still handy to add basic steps to a converted LDD model for example.
And I also like to make use of the "Draw to selected part" option to "step through" a model brick by brick.
Though MLCad is not my main editor anymore, but I cannot live without it. Developing it more would not be nesscesary for me, but making mentioned MLCad features available in LDCad for example would be nice.
(2018-02-20, 19:59)Roland Melkert Wrote:(2018-02-20, 8:04)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: I agree Orion, however I mainly create and edit models in LDCad, I ever so often edit in MLCad and use some features.
For example to apply Buffer Exchange and Rotation Steps which I find much easier in MLCad. Maybe because I was (am) so used to it for years.
I use MLCad Groups to work with Remove Group in LPub(3D).
I use the minifig generator too to create the basics for my minifigures. Especially for accessories (which do not always snap to hands) very handy.
Sort by height and add steps after change in height is still handy to add basic steps to a converted LDD model for example.
And I also like to make use of the "Draw to selected part" option to "step through" a model brick by brick.
Though MLCad is not my main editor anymore, but I cannot live without it. Developing it more would not be nesscesary for me, but making mentioned MLCad features available in LDCad for example would be nice.
I'm considering adding MLCad group support to LDCad 2.0, the only reason I 'invented' my own group meta is because I wanted them to be able to contain nested items and other groups. Maybe LPub will one day support the LDCad groups too
Buffer exchange/and step rotation are already in 1.6 you just need to know how to add the metas (bufexchg in the special LDraw meta's part bin, step rotate by editing the current step.)
Minifig generator is something I have been dubbing about for some time because with shortcut inline/templates and part snapping you could argue it isn't really needed.
Sorting of lines can be done by a macro, but I understand this is a very high learning curve. There is a very basic script for this in the default set of macros though.
"Draw to selected" can be simulated by temporary inserting a step meta. But it will be in LDCad 2.
(2018-02-20, 20:54)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: Snapping all parts that a minifig can hold and fit in a minifig hand would be nice, not all parts do that.
Since recently I tried to get a minifig to hold a camera, but that part did snap to the hand. This one:
(2018-02-20, 21:24)Roland Melkert Wrote:(2018-02-20, 20:54)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: Snapping all parts that a minifig can hold and fit in a minifig hand would be nice, not all parts do that.
Since recently I tried to get a minifig to hold a camera, but that part did snap to the hand. This one:
The snapping point on that has a length of 10 while the minifig hand clip has a length of 12 so the engine (correctly) decides it won't fit
I'll change it to 12 although it will then allow for overlap depending on the orientation of the hand.
(2018-02-21, 9:15)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: Thanks for adjusting the snapping information. How to implement this now?
(2018-02-21, 22:09)Roland Melkert Wrote:(2018-02-21, 9:15)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: Thanks for adjusting the snapping information. How to implement this now?
You need to unpack the shadow (%appdata%/ldcad/shadow/offLib/offLibShadow.csl which is a normal zip) library and adjust the LDraw paths to point to the unpacked version.
Next you need to enable shadow editing (prefs/editing/part editing)
Then locate the camera part and edit it by clicking its edit icon like any normal model.
Snap information is visible by wireframes, you can click and move them around.
Click the tube shaped like an 'I' and press enter (or click the coordinate panel).
Change the sections parameter from R 6 10 to R 6 14
Save the file.
NOTE :this will also save the original part .dat if it had (auto) changes, you can prevent that by using complete.zip without unpacking it.
Or wait on 1.6b
(2018-02-22, 9:15)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: OK, without saving anything to the parts of library, here is what I did:
(2018-02-22, 9:19)Milan Vančura Wrote:(2018-02-22, 9:15)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: OK, without saving anything to the parts of library, here is what I did:
Without saving, you lost the change of snap data when you closed LDCad session. Might be OK for you if you needed it just once but this is the reason why Roland suggested you to unpack that .csl archive and let LDCad to save your changes.
(2018-02-22, 9:36)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: I understand, but that part of Rolands suggestion and workflow got me a bit lost.
So I did this now:
1. Rename the csl file to zip
2. unpacked just be the camera part
3. edit its snap info meta
4. Put it back in the zip in parts folder overwriting the old part
5. renamed the file from zip to csl again
6. Worked like a charm too
(2018-02-22, 10:28)Milan Vančura Wrote:(2018-02-22, 9:36)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: I understand, but that part of Rolands suggestion and workflow got me a bit lost.
So I did this now:
1. Rename the csl file to zip
2. unpacked just be the camera part
3. edit its snap info meta
4. Put it back in the zip in parts folder overwriting the old part
5. renamed the file from zip to csl again
6. Worked like a charm too
Sure, this works, too. BTW, Roland's suggested workflow is very similar to your one - the only difference is that you need to replace your steps 4 and 5 with "set the snap data path in LDCad preferences to the directory with unzipped files". With the advantage you can edit more snap data later again.
Just my $0.02 of "Jaco<->Roland translation service"
BTW, this is what I love so much about LDCad: I can fix many problems myself and I do not need to wait weeks for a new version of some SW. I can (and I did) even send my fixes back so everyone can use them.
(2018-02-22, 11:27)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: Now that I have "fixed" both part 30089 (camera) and 95330 (axe) how and where to send back?I guess you could post them here, or... http://www.melkert.net/LDCad/contact
(2018-02-22, 11:27)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: Now that I have "fixed" both part 30089 (camera) and 95330 (axe) how and where to send back?
(2018-02-22, 18:19)Roland Melkert Wrote:(2018-02-22, 11:27)Jaco van der Molen Wrote: Now that I have "fixed" both part 30089 (camera) and 95330 (axe) how and where to send back?
I already processed those, I've added snap/mirror info for most 1701 and 1801 stuff.
Working on the electrical stuff at the moment which will be the last before release 1.6b (unless Chris decides on a 1802 )