Roland, MANY thanks for LDCad 1.5! (even I know it is still alpha)
This is not just a new version of one editor. This is the first ldraw editor on the world(*) which knows to open a model already edited in another SW like LPub and do not mess it. All comments stay OK and at the correct place, no lines are reordered, no meta information is lost. This is great result, great move forward in the world of ldraw editors. Congratulations, Roland, and many thanks again.
I also thought about improvements (listed below) but I must say the above is the main feature. So my wish #1 is "do not break this functionality, please"
More ideas/wishes:
Source window:
* I'd prefer if a double-click on line "0 STEP" does "Go to that STEP"
* also, it would be nice to have a number of step shown, for example an icon at the beginning of the line (i.e. white ellipsis with a step number)
* an indicator/icon showing the piece on this line is hidden
* a hot key with a function scrolling the source window at the position of the current step (of current (sub)model)
* highlight the current step in the source window (lighter background etc.)
* double click on a submodel reference line should open that submodel
* double click breaks the selection which is annoying - can you distinguish between click and double click so double click does not do "click" action?
* ROTSTEP support: double click opening a subwindow where one can rotate the model and a radio-button "absolute/relative turn".
More advanced - for next versions:
* "color arrows hot keys": using 'p' in move mode one can see a cross of arrows and the "toolbox arrow" in the third direction. I wish those arrows were colored (red, green blue) and there were hotkeys for move in red, green and blue directions. This speeds up the final positioning of the brick. These keys should work regardless of the mode (move/rotation), CTRL+those keys for rotations around those color arrows.
* local grid ('o' key) improvement: local grid is a big help in many cases but it works only for a center of brick and default direction. The great improvement would be to be able to set local grid to place+direction of defined special points, like points of snap. For example a side stud of 'headlight brick', rotation/snap point of hinges etc.
* next question would be how to specify the same for the other ("placed") piece. But I do not have any idea how the UI should look like for that.
---
*) other than dead, Windows-only and 1980-like MLCAD, of course
This is not just a new version of one editor. This is the first ldraw editor on the world(*) which knows to open a model already edited in another SW like LPub and do not mess it. All comments stay OK and at the correct place, no lines are reordered, no meta information is lost. This is great result, great move forward in the world of ldraw editors. Congratulations, Roland, and many thanks again.
I also thought about improvements (listed below) but I must say the above is the main feature. So my wish #1 is "do not break this functionality, please"
More ideas/wishes:
Source window:
* I'd prefer if a double-click on line "0 STEP" does "Go to that STEP"
* also, it would be nice to have a number of step shown, for example an icon at the beginning of the line (i.e. white ellipsis with a step number)
* an indicator/icon showing the piece on this line is hidden
* a hot key with a function scrolling the source window at the position of the current step (of current (sub)model)
* highlight the current step in the source window (lighter background etc.)
* double click on a submodel reference line should open that submodel
* double click breaks the selection which is annoying - can you distinguish between click and double click so double click does not do "click" action?
* ROTSTEP support: double click opening a subwindow where one can rotate the model and a radio-button "absolute/relative turn".
More advanced - for next versions:
* "color arrows hot keys": using 'p' in move mode one can see a cross of arrows and the "toolbox arrow" in the third direction. I wish those arrows were colored (red, green blue) and there were hotkeys for move in red, green and blue directions. This speeds up the final positioning of the brick. These keys should work regardless of the mode (move/rotation), CTRL+those keys for rotations around those color arrows.
* local grid ('o' key) improvement: local grid is a big help in many cases but it works only for a center of brick and default direction. The great improvement would be to be able to set local grid to place+direction of defined special points, like points of snap. For example a side stud of 'headlight brick', rotation/snap point of hinges etc.
* next question would be how to specify the same for the other ("placed") piece. But I do not have any idea how the UI should look like for that.
---
*) other than dead, Windows-only and 1980-like MLCAD, of course