Officials models in the LDRaw Library

[Alban Nanty]

Hi,

I think many contributor would love to see all the official models inside the official LDraw library.
Currently the library contains a folder named "MODELS" which contains a car and a pyramid (nothing official here).
I think these two models are a legacy from the original author of LDraw, but now I would like to see this folder being used and being populated by official models.

I think the official models could follow the same process has the new parts, meaning, models contributors should agree and sign the part author agreement, and the models could be uploaded to the part tracker in the "MODELS" folder (sub folder could be created according to the will of the steering comitee) for pair review.

Then the reviewers could review the models by checking that:
1) The number of steps are respected according to the official Building Instruction
2) The same exact parts are added at each steps according to the official BI
3) The correct sub-models are created according to the BI
4) The correct rotation steps are inserted
5) The set number could follow the bricklink/peeron naming convention

I think a lot of models contributor are ready to sign the part author agreement, and could already upload their models right now! IMHO, nothing need to be changed in the LDraw website to welcome the models.

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

[Max Martin Richter]

Great Idea...(tu)

I've a lot of digital models here

[Travis Cobbs]

I disagree. The parts library is just that, a library of parts. As far as I know, the only reason that it includes the car and pyramid files is because these were part of the original LDraw package, sample models to show the program in use. I could see a separate package that contains official models that could be downloaded, and even see having it install the files into the LDRAW\MODELS directory by default, but they really don't belong in the parts library itself.

[Michael Heidemann]

Thanks for your contribution an your already detailed information.
But I have to say that I don't think this should go into the "Parts Library".

Instead we may create a Model Library.
I have already started such a project and nearly 1000 official sets rebuild.

[Steffen]

I agree with Travis and Mike
that we should not add models to the parts library.

The required tedious reviewing process you suggest will even further holdup
our struggles to work on the parts backlog on the parts tracker.

For the models, a separate website or database etc. can be thought of,
as already suggested.

Steffen

[Alban Nanty]

Travis Cobbs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I disagree. The parts library is just that, a
> library of parts. As far as I know, the only
> reason that it includes the car and pyramid files
> is because these were part of the original LDraw
> package, sample models to show the program in use.

So maybe we should remove these two models and the MODELS folder because they look pretty odd for a new user of LDRaw.

> I could see a separate package that contains
> official models that could be downloaded, and even
> see having it install the files into the
> LDRAW\MODELS directory by default, but they really
> don't belong in the parts library itself.

I can understand that opinion, apparently shared by others.
It's not that I want absolutly the models to be inside the library. I just feel that official models would have their place on the LDraw website, without the need to implement any new line of PHP code.
Now pushing this to another website is like push it sine die... because nobody seems to have enough energy, time or enough legitimity to start a new web site from scratch.
Instead once can find models here or there spread all over the net without really knowing if these files are free for use or not.

If you don't want to bind the models files with the release of new part package, I can understand that, but maybe we could reuse the PHP code of the part tracker and duplicate it to do a "model tracker" and also reuse all the process that is working perfectly for the parts (model submission, and pair review). Actually I agree that having a separate database is a good idea, but could this database be hosted on ldraw.org?

[Willy Tschager]

That's a brilliant idea and would love including them in the AIOI. Nonetheless I agree with the above said and would not see them at the PT. IMHO this should be kept at a lower level of certification and the first things that come to my mind would be the process adopted to the parts updates prior the PT structure, where people just hat their say via mail or mailing list.

w.

[Jim DeVona]

I agree with the general consensus that the part library should not also include models.

However, I also agree with Banban's essential point, which is that an organized/official repository of LDraw models would be great. (After all, there is a relevant standard, even if it does need some work.)

Michael, I know I have seen your personal model repository at some point, although I am missing the link the right now. How is that implemented? Is it something that could be generalized for a public repository?

[Alban Nanty]

I'm glad to see that a first version of the naming convention is already existing for the sets.
However, do you know any MPD downloadable from the net, that follow this naming convention?
I guess the more efficient solution to make this naming convention popular is to start to host models on ldraw.org... -D