U-Joint shortcuts

[Orion Pobursky]

There's a bit of a debate about U-Joint shortcuts going on on the PT.

Here's my take:

There are 2 ends and a center for each U-joint.  

The ends are 3712 - https://www.ldraw.org/parts/official-par...artid=3712 
These parts have only ever come in color 7 or 71

The center has 2 types:
3326a - https://www.ldraw.org/parts/official-par...rtid=3326a 
This came in color 7, 71, and 79
3326b - https://www.ldraw.org/parts/official-par...rtid=3326b 
This came in color 7, 71

The current shortcut, 3712c01.dat, uses 3326a and is color 16 for all 3 parts

There are updated shortcuts on the PT that hard code the center color. There is some debate about these here:
https://www.ldraw.org/cgi-bin/ptdetail.c...712c03.dat

This thread is intended to continue that discussion.

[Orion Pobursky]

Since the center and end colors are always the same (except in one case), I think there should be 3 shortcuts:

One with ends and type 1 center all in color 16
One with ends and type 2 center all in color 16
One with ends in color 16 and type 1 center hard coded color 76

[Philippe Hurbain]

Since the center and end colors are always the same (except in one case), I think there should be 3 shortcuts:

One with ends and type 1 center all in color 16
One with ends and type 2 center all in color 16
One with ends in color 16 and type 1 center hard coded color 76

This is probably the best compromise between library complexity and ease of use. Actually I've been very happy with current single shortcut, as most of the time it needs inlining anyway to get proper angle, and then it's very easy to change color or middle part type. The only marginal benefit of more than one shortcut is to provide replacement shortcuts for boms (and your 3 shortcuts scheme works fine for that).

[Gerald Lasser]

This is probably the best compromise between library complexity and ease of use. Actually I've been very happy with current single shortcut, as most of the time it needs inlining anyway to get proper angle, and then it's very easy to change color or middle part type. The only marginal benefit of more than one shortcut is to provide replacement shortcuts for boms (and your 3 shortcuts scheme works fine for that).

Actually I like this approach as the part needs to be online in many cases to use it for what it was intended to be used.
One could argue that it should be available as a shortcut for a part list in instructions.

[Magnus Forsberg]

Since the center and end colors are always the same (except in one case), I think there should be 3 shortcuts:

Thank you for moving it here.  I agree, three is enough.
This is why I Hold-voted the new shortcut with a grey centre.


I want to also ask for a change in the very first part, 575c01.dat

(image from Rebrickable)
It's only known in one colour combination. Red ends on a milky white centre. Our shortcut has all three parts in colour 16.

Would it be OK to change the c01 file, or do we need a new c02 file with a white centre part?

[Johann Eisner]

Would it be OK to change the c01 file, or do we need a new c02 file with a white centre part?

[color=unset]I think if there is only this color combination, I would change the c01.
If at any time another combination comes, you can still create c02.
Only my thought.[/color]