[LDPartEditor] 0.8.37 Beta Released (Critical Bug Fix)

[Nils Schmidt]

Hi,

here is a release which wipes out some critical bugs.


As always, you can download LDPE from this page:
http://nilsschmidt1337.github.io/ldparteditor/

Changelog:
(7 bug fixes)

The following critical issues were fixed:

1. Edger2 created duplicated TYPE 2 lines which were hard to spot.
   
2. The primitive text search field was sometimes failing / sometimes primitives were not shown at all.
   
3. Edger2 only created condlines if the adjacent surfaces vertices matched perfectly.
   
4. Undo/Redo did not work with the CSG_EXTRUDE meta command.
   
5. CSG inlining did not use all CPU cores.
   
6. The new numeric input fields were blocking the common thread pool (no crash, only performance degradation).
   
7. There was an endless loop regarding the new numeric input fields (no crash, only performance degradation).
   

What will the next release 0.8.38 deliver? A new CSG engine with great triangulation features...

---

The program was tested intensively with "real world" files.
However, it is still a beta version and something can go wrong in about 100.000 lines of code.

Make sure that you choose the right architecture for your OS and Java Virtual Machine (JVM) (64bit or 32bit).
A short guide how to check if a 64bit JVM is installed on your system is located at the bottom of this message.

1. Download the zip-Archive
   
2. Extract the archive content to the location of your choice
   
3. On windows, double-click "run.bat" to start LDPE.
   
4. On linux/mac, you have to excecute the shell script "run.sh" to start LDPE.
   

Please note that this software is in the beta stage. Although, this version was tested, there are already known issues  for this release. There is a potential risk of data loss.

You can search for updates if you do the following steps:

1. On windows, double-click "update.bat" to search for updates.
   
2. On linux, you have to excecute the shell script "update.sh".
   

I listen carefully to your requests and possible complaints. Please leave me a message, with your thoughts and wishes to further improve the software.

LDPE is a 3D CAD application: The overall system requirements are higher. While I recommend to use a powerful 64-bit multicore system, it could be possible, to run LDPE on older machines as well.

System Requirements:


Minimum System Requirements:

• 64-bit Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.8
  
• OpenGL 2.1 compatible Graphics Card
  
• Operating System (64-bit): Windows [7 or newer], Linux [e.g. Ubuntu Linux >=14.4], Mac OS X [>=10.6]
  
• CPU: Multicore-Processor e.g. Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon II (>2.0Ghz)
  
• RAM: 4GB
  
• Video-Memory: 1 GB
  
• Free Disk Space: 100 MB
  

Recommended Requirements:

• Operating System (64bit): Windows 7,8,10, Linux [e.g. Ubuntu Linux >=14.4], Mac OS X [>=10.6]
  
• OpenGL 3.3 compatible Graphics Card
  
• CPU: Multicore-Processor with 4 cores (or more)
  
• RAM: >4 GB
  
• Video-Memory: >1 GB
  
• Free Disk Space: 512 MB
  
• For a faster start, LDPartEditor and the LDraw™ library should be installed on an SSD.
  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to check your JVM version (32- or 64-bit):
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can try on the command line:

Code:

java -d64 version

If it's not a 64-bit version, you'll get a message that looks like:
This Java instance does not support a 64-bit JVM. Please install the desired version.

[Nils Schmidt]

I am working on a new CSG engine which will generate less triangles and a better overall triangulation.
There are already some promising results, but I need to define more testcases to deliver a rock-solid implementation in the end.

[Philippe Hurbain]

I am working on a new CSG engine which will generate less triangles and a better overall triangulation.
There are already some promising results, but I need to define more testcases to deliver a rock-solid implementation in the end.

An incentive to finally learn CSG in LDPE
...and thanks for the headup, I somehow missed that release announcement (and did sometimes noticed a slowdown - nice to know it's fixed now!)

[Willy Tschager]

Bug of the day:

* No notification pop-up when update is completed
* Prog does not store my full screen window status but reopens the window a bit smaller
* Prog does not store the status of the "Move adjacent data" button. Launches always with unpressed status
* Adding a blank while in "Triple manipulation" in the text editor causes havoc. I would expect that the rectangle around the triples are a safe harbour as long as I don't select something else independently what I'm inserting.

w.

[Gerald Lasser]

I am working on a new CSG engine which will generate less triangles and a better overall triangulation.
There are already some promising results, but I need to define more testcases to deliver a rock-solid implementation in the end.

You could use the code for the Jurassic World Sphere to test:
https://forums.ldraw.org/thread-16357.ht...hlight=CSG

I managed to do it with different steps and with Intersector to reduce the number of triangles. I promis I finish the part soon, right now comparing it to the LDD version

[Magnus Forsberg]

Bug report

• An edge, or cond-line is selectable through a surface, even if it is hidden behind that surface, if a vertex of that line is visible and that line is part of a primitive.
  
• Sometimes long edges are hard to select until both vertices are visible
  

  edges.png (Size: 10.99 KB / Downloads: 202)

This picture show an example of two selectable edges, included in prims, but the edge at the red arrow is not selectable.

[Philippe Hurbain]

Probably the thing I miss the most in LDPE (already asked for that ): a slanting tool...

[Nils Schmidt]

I am working on a new CSG engine which will generate less triangles and a better overall triangulation.
There are already some promising results, but I need to define more testcases to deliver a rock-solid implementation in the end.

You could use the code for the Jurassic World Sphere to test:
https://forums.ldraw.org/thread-16357.ht...hlight=CSG

I managed to do it with different steps and with Intersector to reduce the number of triangles. I promis I finish the part soon, right now comparing it to the LDD version

Thanks Gerald! I will use the sphere to test it. I already knew something about your work (J.C. Tchang mentioned it in his LDPE manual).

My plan is to release the new CSG engine in December. I started to optimise the CSG triangulation in September, but then I had improve the overall stability of the algorithm and discard the  triangulation optimisations. Now, I am working on triangle optimisations again.

[Nils Schmidt]

Today, I fixed an issue (#608) which is related to the MeshReducer tool.  At the moment there is a chance that MeshReducer could generate holes (There was a wrong check for common adjacent vertices).

The bugfix will be included in the next 0.8.38 release.

[Nils Schmidt]

Today, I fixed another issue (#608) which is related to the TJunctionFinder tool.  At the moment the tool will not fix t-junctions anymore ("Find Only" still works).

The bugfix will be included in the next 0.8.38 release.

[Nils Schmidt]

I created issues for this problem (#610, #611).

A temporary workaround might be to enable View Actions -> HiddenVertices (context menu from the 3D view) this will allow you to select all lines. The drawback is that it also selects hidden lines.

[Nils Schmidt]

Probably the thing I miss the most in LDPE (already asked for that ): a slanting tool...

What is a slanting tool?

[Philippe Hurbain]

Probably the thing I miss the most in LDPE (already asked for that ): a slanting tool...

What is a slanting tool?

A way to deform primitives (slant them). There is an exhaustive tutorial here http://jc-tchang.philohome.com/manuel/prim_def.htm - unfortunately in French, but I guess that Google translate will be good enough!

Another example (from https://forums.ldraw.org/thread-12247.html):
- We need to project again the surface. We do that with a slant transformation. In the initial file, we see that for a 144 ldu height we need to tilt in y direction by 40 ldu. This gives the slant ratio: 40/144=0.2777778. The transformation matrix is thus:
Code:

Code:

1 0.2777778 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

[Gerald Lasser]

Probably the thing I miss the most in LDPE (already asked for that ): a slanting tool...

What is a slanting tool?

I called it skewing in this thread https://forums.ldraw.org/thread-18771-po...e#pid18771

[Nils Schmidt]

* Prog does not store the status of the "Move adjacent data" button. Launches always with unpressed status

I implemented this feature today (#613).

[Magnus Forsberg]

Here is another example/question:
How do I rotate an edge around an sloping cylinder ?

[Nils Schmidt]

I am working on a new CSG engine which will generate less triangles and a better overall triangulation.
There are already some promising results, but I need to define more testcases to deliver a rock-solid implementation in the end.

You could use the code for the Jurassic World Sphere to test:
https://forums.ldraw.org/thread-16357.ht...hlight=CSG

I managed to do it with different steps and with Intersector to reduce the number of triangles. I promis I finish the part soon, right now comparing it to the LDD version

Gerald, I finished the new engine today and I got tears in my eyes. The result is outstanding. Nearly super-human!
I attached the raw CSG result to this post (rectifier was only used to save some space).

With this new engine, all I have to do is:

1. (optional) wait until the CSG shape is fully optimised -> there is no popup dialog. The iterative optimization is runs on a background task. You can even modify other files with LDPE during the CSG optimization.
2. Inline the CSG_COMPILE meta command.
3. (optional) round / use Rectifier / minor cleanup etc.

There will be an option to turn this optimisation on/off (its on by default) and to customise some thresholds! There is a collinearity threshold for the edge collapsing process and a minimum point-to-line distance for t-junction vertices.

I will release LDPE 0.8.38 in December. Have to finish the backlog first and do some more testing.

[Philippe Hurbain]

A very minor one that bothers me from time to time... if I double click on the last element of last line of file (when there is no blank line below) then the last character is not selected. eg. if last line is 1 16 0 3 0 -10 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 -10 1-8edge.dat and it double click on 1-8edge.dat then only 1-8edge.da is selected.

[Nils Schmidt]

A very minor one that bothers me from time to time... if I double click on the last element of last line of file (when there is no blank line below) then the last character is not selected. eg. if last line is 1 16 0 3 0 -10 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 -10 1-8edge.dat and it double click on 1-8edge.dat then only 1-8edge.da is selected.

I fixed this issue today (#618). It will be included in the 0.8.38 release.

[Gerald Lasser]

Gerald, I finished the new engine today and I got tears in my eyes. The result is outstanding. Nearly super-human!
I attached the raw CSG result to this post (rectifier was only used to save some space).

...

I will release LDPE 0.8.38 in December. Have to finish the backlog first and do some more testing.

Wow! This is a really great result. You did a really wonderful job!

Looking forward to the release!

[Rudolph Bosman]

Hi Nils,
Is there by any chance a 32 bit version??
(i am still on old school 

Regards

[Nils Schmidt]

Hi Nils,
Is there by any chance a 32 bit version??
(i am still on old school 

Regards

Hi Rudolph,

unfortunately, I am not able to provide support for 32-bit OS versions anymore.
LDPartEditor depends on third party libraries which have already dropped support for 32-bit.

Best,
Nils

[Philippe Hurbain]

Maybe someone still has an ooooold 32bits version?

[Philippe Hurbain]

Minor annoyance: when I create a new file, it receives a header that contains an invalid "0 !LDRAW_ORG" statement. Problems Hints section tells me that part type information is missing, then if I make a quick fix it adds a proper "0 !LDRAW_ORG Unofficial_Part" statement but doesn't remove the truncated "0 !LDRAW_ORG" one.

[Nils Schmidt]

Minor annoyance: when I create a new file, it receives a header that contains an invalid "0 !LDRAW_ORG" statement. Problems Hints section  tells me that part type information is missing, then if I make a quick fix it adds a proper "0 !LDRAW_ORG Unofficial_Part" statement but doesn't remove the truncated "0 !LDRAW_ORG" one.

I fixed this issue today (#628).
It will be included in the 0.8.38 release (on ~1st December 2017).

[Nils Schmidt]

Maybe someone still has an ooooold 32bits version?

Version 0.8.24 has 32-bit support. This release is about a year old.

You can download it here:
https://github.com/nilsschmidt1337/ldpar....8.24-beta

[Magnus Forsberg]

I fixed this issue today (#628).
It will be included in the 0.8.38 release (on ~1st December 2017).

Will the same fix also correctly change a file from "Part" to "Unofficial_Part"?
I've been reworking a lot of parts lately and had to manually delete the old line, "0 !LDRAW_ORG Part"

[Rudolph Bosman]

Hi Nils,
Is there by any chance a 32 bit version??
(i am still on old school 

Regards

Hi Rudolph,

unfortunately, I am not able to provide support for 32-bit OS versions anymore.
LDPartEditor depends on third party libraries which have already dropped support for 32-bit.

Best,
Nils

Hi Nils,

ok, fully understandable. it has beem anyway a long time i wanted to upgrade to 64 bit, so i am going to do it and get over and done with it.
Thanks for motivating me to do it finally.     (ps. i am very exited to upgrade)

Best,
Rudolph

[Philippe Hurbain]

This wouldn't hurt indeed... Nonetheless, Datheader proposes to do that change automagically.

[Willy Tschager]

Just to let you know that I have given up on my wish to see the Front, Left, Top, icons mirrored to the toolbar ;-)

Thx, w.

[Philippe Hurbain]

Very, very minor improvement: Isecalc is almost never on whole file, and should default to act on current selection.

[Gerald Lasser]

Very, very minor improvement: Isecalc is almost never on whole file, and should default to act on current selection.

Adding to this, the same should apply for "add line intersection points" This works also only for the whole file and sometime generates a wild selection of vertices...

[Philippe Hurbain]

Adding to this, the same should apply for "add line intersection points" This works also only for the whole file and sometime generates a wild selection of vertices...

Looks like I am not aware of this tool... Where do I find this?

[Nils Schmidt]

I created issue #614 for the slanting tool.

[Nils Schmidt]

Adding to this, the same should apply for "add line intersection points" This works also only for the whole file and sometime generates a wild selection of vertices...

Looks like I am not aware of this tool... Where do I find this?

It's not a tool. It's a button next to the "C2L" button on the 3D editor toolbar.

[Nils Schmidt]

Adding to this, the same should apply for "add line intersection points" This works also only for the whole file and sometime generates a wild selection of vertices...

If you do a selection, it works for the selection. Otherwise it would process the whole file.

There might be some other disadvantages when the "no selection -> whole file" behaviour is disabled:

- If you try to learn LDPE and you click on this button nothing will happen, because it requires a selection.
- I could implement a popup dialog, which will ask if you really want to apply it to the whole file, but I have some UX concerns.

What is your opinion?

[Nils Schmidt]

Very, very minor improvement: Isecalc is almost never on whole file, and should default to act on current selection.

I created an issue (#629).
The feature will be included in the next release.

[Nils Schmidt]

Just to let you know that I have given up on my wish to see the Front, Left, Top, icons mirrored to the toolbar ;-)

Thx, w.

Okay.

[Nils Schmidt]

Hi Rudolph,

unfortunately, I am not able to provide support for 32-bit OS versions anymore.
LDPartEditor depends on third party libraries which have already dropped support for 32-bit.

Best,
Nils

Hi Nils,

ok, fully understandable. it has beem anyway a long time i wanted to upgrade to 64 bit, so i am going to do it and get over and done with it.
Thanks for motivating me to do it finally.    :D (ps. i am very exited to upgrade)

Best,
Rudolph

off-topic: Good luck and enjoy your new PC build! :) There is a low chance that I will upgrade in the next year... I have no logic reason to do so... the CPU evolution is not so fast, compared to graphic cards and harddrives. 2018 will be the year of Ryzen 2, Threadripper 2, and Intel Ice Lake. I will probably buy new hardware in 2020.

[Gerald Lasser]

Adding to this, the same should apply for "add line intersection points" This works also only for the whole file and sometime generates a wild selection of vertices...

If you do a selection, it works for the selection. Otherwise it would process the whole file.

There might be some other disadvantages when the "no selection -> whole file" behaviour is disabled:

- If you try to learn LDPE and you click on this button nothing will happen, because it requires a selection.
- I could implement a popup dialog, which will ask if you really want to apply it to the whole file, but I have some UX concerns.

What is your opinion?

I observe that on larger files this may start a long(er) running job that makes you wonder what it is doing. I tried doing it with selecting only the lines I would like to intersect, but I got the impression that it did not always do what I wanted, however when applying it to the whole file it worked. It generates additional vertices that I don't find on any line. When I get it the next time, I will post it.

The pop-up, if nothing is selected, would be an improvement in my opinion as you still have the chance to cancel the operation.
Thansk

[Philippe Hurbain]

Ah - yes of course I know this function (I asked for it!) but I never had the idea to use it without a selection. Popup seems the best solution ("a selection of edge lines is needed" + close button, or something like that).

[Nils Schmidt]

Ah - yes of course I know this function (I asked for it!) but I never had the idea to use it without a selection. Popup seems the best solution ("a selection of edge lines is needed" + close button, or something like that).

I implemented a popup and a dialog with a progressbar and a cancel button yesterday (#630).

[Nils Schmidt]

Will the same fix also correctly change a file from "Part" to "Unofficial_Part"?
I've been reworking a lot of parts lately and had to manually delete the old line, "0 !LDRAW_ORG Part"

I fixed this issue today (#631).

Someday, I will implemented a feature which removes the UPDATE YYYY-MM suffix, too.

[Magnus Forsberg]

I fixed this issue today.

 Nice.

[Gerald Lasser]

I implemented a popup and a dialog with a progressbar and a cancel button yesterday (#630).

Great! Thank you!

[Nils Schmidt]

Someday, I will implement a feature which removes the UPDATE YYYY-MM suffix, too.

Today, I implemented a quick fix to remove the UPDATE from the type (#633).