How to fold multi-part submodel correctly

[Lutz Gehlen]

Hello all,

I have a submodel with several degrees of freedom, e.g. something like this:

   

It can be rotated around the end pins and around the central beam and folded at the two joints. My problem now is to find the correct configuration to fit the final pin into a given hole. For me as a total beginner in digital modelling it is quite intriguing that this task would be trivial in reality, but is a considerable challenge digitally.

However, I cannot be the first one facing such a problem. So I wonder how you guys address it. Trial and error? Some powerful tool? Currently, I am writing a lot of my ldraw files by hand, but for trial and visualization I use LeoCAD. Having said that, I am certainly interested as well if some other editor is helpful here. (If it runs under Linux, this would be a great plus, but not essential.)

Thanks for your help,
Lutz

[Philippe Hurbain]

However, I cannot be the first one facing such a problem. So I wonder how you guys address it. Trial and error? Some powerful tool? Currently, I am writing a lot of my ldraw files by hand, but for trial and visualization I use LeoCAD. Having said that, I am certainly interested as well if some other editor is helpful here. (If it runs under Linux, this would be a great plus, but not essential.)

Hi Lutz,
It's diffucult to give a definite answer to your question, as it depends on the exact geometry used... But LDcad (that runs on Linux) does include great measurement tools (distance, angle, triangle closure) that help a lot.

[Lutz Gehlen]

Hi Lutz,
It's diffucult to give a definite answer to your question, as it depends on the exact geometry used... But LDcad (that runs on Linux) does include great measurement tools (distance, angle, triangle closure) that help a lot.

Hi Philippe,

thanks for your reply. So your general advice - as far as general advice can be given - is to optimize by hand aided by the measurement tools of LDCad. I'll give it a try. I have got the impression that LDCad is generally the most powerful ldraw editor available. Would you agree to that? I am aware that this is a possibly even more general question than my previous one and I'm certainly not trying to start a flame war about what the best editor is. However, as a beginner it is not easy to decide which software to choose to get more deeply into.

Thanks,
Lutz

[Philippe Hurbain]

I have got the impression that LDCad is generally the most powerful ldraw editor available. Would you agree to that?

I definitely agree! Bricklink's Studio is not bad, but it is not strictly a LDraw editor though it uses LDraw library, and there are philosophical issues (commercial background, non public specifications of native file format, connectivity and collision data)