Patterned part numbering

[Philippe Hurbain]

LDraw has a (in my opinion kinda weird) standard for patterned part numbering. However, sites like Rebrickable and Brickset nowadays scrape a lot of information from Lego itself. This information also includes the design id for patterned parts. Like every brick, every pattern has its own unique design-id.

For example, this part has the design-id 25660 and this part has the design-id 32734.

Would it be a good idea to change the patterned-part numbering of LDraw parts (for future parts obviously, not for current parts) to use the design-id when available?

Well, often (or should I say sometimes... or maybe rarely?) part author submits both the part with LDraw style part number AND an alias with LEGO design number. LDraw numbering has one big benefit: all patterns on the same shape share the same root number, making easy to locate all patterned versions, while with LEGO design this relationship is lost.

See for example http://www.ldraw.org/cgi-bin/ptdetail.cg.../26530.dat / http://www.ldraw.org/cgi-bin/ptdetail.cg...118p02.dat

There is also the problem of torsos and legs, since LEGO design number is for torso+arms+hands or hips+legs combos...