LDCad OR LDD- How to adjust length of linear actuators

[Ed Bardet]

Is there a way to change the length of a linear actuator in a drawing? If not are there a variety of lengths that can be added to the library?

OR - as I suspect is the answer - do you just position it in line and leave it hanging?

Thanx,
Ed

[Travis Cobbs]

In LDCad, you would presumably use the individual parts instead of the complete shortcut.

[Roland Melkert]

In LDCad the easiest way is to put a shortcut (e.g. 61927) into your model, and then..

while selected, right mouse button -> 'reorganize' -> 'move to submodel.'
double click the new submodel instance of the actuator, to edit that submodel.
Select it again
Right mouse button -> 'reorganize' -> 'inline'
Select the outer (metal rod) piece and move it to the needed position (using the editing pin in move mode 'm').
Go back to the main model continue editing use nested mode to (re)adjust the rod if needed etc.

This approach ensures the actuators acts like as a normal part when used from the main model.

[Ed Bardet]

Thank you Roland - this package and your work continue to amaze me.
Ed

[Travis Cobbs]

It would be a really cool feature if you added info from shortcuts into your shadow parts library so all of this could be done automatically by LDCad itself. Click on a shortcut part, select some kind of new "manipulate shortcut" action (only available for shortcuts), and have it do all the heavy lifting for you automatically.

[Roland Melkert]

It would be a really cool feature if you added info from shortcuts into your shadow parts library so all of this could be done automatically by LDCad itself. Click on a shortcut part, select some kind of new "manipulate shortcut" action (only available for shortcuts), and have it do all the heavy lifting for you automatically.

Interesting idea, I could add something like 'Embed adjustable' to the reorganize menu which basically does the submodel move and inline in one go. It would indeed be limited to type 1 line only documents.

But what kind of info would you like to add to the shadow parts for this?

[Travis Cobbs]

Well, you wouldn't want it to be an option for a 3001.dat, for example. So if you can't tell purely from the official header of the part that it should be "adjustable", you'd need shadow data. However, if you can tell purely from the official header, then I guess you wouldn't need any shadow data.

[Philippe Hurbain]

I think this could be usable for each and every shortcut. Even with no moving part it would allow custom coloring of various parts in shortcut.

[Travis Cobbs]

If that's the case, then shadow data isn't necessary, just a check for the !LDRAW_ORG shortcut meta-statement.

[Philippe Hurbain]

That's more or less what I meant...

[Roland Melkert]

I think this could be usable for each and every shortcut. Even with no moving part it would allow custom coloring of various parts in shortcut.

Yes this is more or less what I'm currently a bit stuck on also in regards of the mpd tools. As this too is basically an mpd embedding operation.

So the menu item name is not set in stone