As far as the parts tracker policy, I guess it is technically necessary to include the mold variation in all cases.
Thinking more broadly, it almost feels as it mold variations and patterns should both be thought of as optional sub-variants of any brick. For example, if I search for a 1x8 brick, I should be able to see or not see patterned variants (as is already the case in many tools), or I should be able to see or not see mold variations, regardless of patterns.
Thinking even more broadly, it would be nice if the two were mutually exclusive: once I've found the basic brick, I should be able to apply any compatible mold variation, and also any compatible pattern, independently of one another.
This all goes beyond the scope of the question, but I write it anyway in case anyone ever scours the forums for ideas on LDraw 2.0. :-)
Thinking more broadly, it almost feels as it mold variations and patterns should both be thought of as optional sub-variants of any brick. For example, if I search for a 1x8 brick, I should be able to see or not see patterned variants (as is already the case in many tools), or I should be able to see or not see mold variations, regardless of patterns.
Thinking even more broadly, it would be nice if the two were mutually exclusive: once I've found the basic brick, I should be able to apply any compatible mold variation, and also any compatible pattern, independently of one another.
This all goes beyond the scope of the question, but I write it anyway in case anyone ever scours the forums for ideas on LDraw 2.0. :-)