Thinking about doing a LDCad 1.7 version

[Roland Melkert]

Hi all,

I've got some semi big (need a beta stage) features on my LDCad todo list I don't really want to do in a 1.6d/e version, namely:

- !DATA support
- !ATTACHTO support
- minor snapping and scripting extensions


So I'm thinking to do a 1.7 version instead with a couple of more things I wanted to do in 2.0. But that version is a looooooong way out.

For this I would like to include some bigger new features to really make it worth the effort.

I'm thinking about these features myself:

- Interactive animation (spin a gear to see what happens, given you scripted it to do so   )
- Custom 'single line' bin content (to drag and drop unknown/preconfigured meta's etc). Probably as an extension to templates.

If anyone has some additional ideas this is the time to let me know.

[N. W. Perry]

With !DATA support, would that allow us to work with bitmap textures directly in the program? Maybe load our own PNG files, combine with the existing functionality of your sticker generator, and make sticker parts right there in LDCad? 

A second idea I had recently, and I don't know how trivial or complicated this would be, but is it possible to have step numbering that starts at a number other than 1? So for example, you start a new submodel and specify that its step numbering begins with Step 24 (to match official instructions)?

And I love the interactive animation idea—though in a perfect world, of course, I want to spin the gear and see what happens without knowing how to script it first. 

[Johann Eisner]

A second idea I had recently, and I don't know how trivial or complicated this would be, but is it possible to have step numbering that starts at a number other than 1? So for example, you start a new submodel and specify that its step numbering begins with Step 24 (to match official instructions)?

This is very easy to do in LPub3D.
Configuration ---> Build Instructions Setup... ---> Project Setup: Activate "Continous step numbers"


  LPub3D.PNG (Size: 15.63 KB / Downloads: 886)

Or insert following meta:
0 !LPUB CONTINUOUS_STEP_NUMBERS GLOBAL TRUE

[Willy Tschager]

Include the themes: https://forums.ldraw.org/thread-23675.html

and make the gray one the default theme.

w.

[Philippe Hurbain]

Include the themes: https://forums.ldraw.org/thread-23675.html
and make the gray one the default theme.

+1...

[Philippe Hurbain]

Installable stuff with integrated interface?
- Set inventories
- Custom templates
- Custom connectivity

[Gerald Lasser]

I would very much like to see the support or display of information that comes with the !HELP and !CMDLINE metas.

The data is in the files, but to get to this data (during building) seems difficult i.e. impossible.

[Orion Pobursky]

A couple of things (in order of my perceived difficulty to implement):
- The sync name and filename option in the header dialog should be the default
- Please move the Export submenu from Views->Editing Views to the File menu
- Have all the nodes in the source window automatically collapse when exiting nested mode
- I'd like a "reload data" menu option that forces LDCad to reload templates, donors, the parts bin, and pbg files without having to close and reopen LDCad itself.
- An all-in-one, duplicate and mirror subfile option would be a nice to have

[Willy Tschager]

- !DATA support
- !ATTACHTO support

Since both:

https://forums.ldraw.org/thread-23756.html
https://forums.ldraw.org/thread-23683.html

haven't been ratified by the LSB I wonder what your plans are? I would appreciate if you could bring them to a happy ending.

w.

[N. W. Perry]

This is very easy to do in LPub3D.
Configuration ---> Build Instructions Setup... ---> Project Setup: Activate "Continous step numbers"



Or insert following meta:
0 !LPUB CONTINUOUS_STEP_NUMBERS GLOBAL TRUE

OK. I don't use LPub since I don't need to generate my own instructions, but I know I can import its metas. Will LDCad know what to do with it? And this says "global"—can I apply this meta to individual submodels?

[N. W. Perry]

- I'd like a "reload data" menu option that forces LDCad to reload templates, donors, the parts bin, and pbg files without having to close and reopen LDCad itself.

+1 for that! I'm often tweaking my parts bins in TextEdit and there's no way to see the changes in LDCad without exiting the program.

[Johann Eisner]

If anyone has some additional ideas this is the time to let me know.

A option in the Clean up... menu, for the file type. (! LDRAW_ORG Model, ! LDRAW_ORG Unofficial Model)
to easier OMRize a file.

[Philippe Hurbain]

- Have all the nodes in the source window automatically collapse when exiting nested mode
- I'd like a "reload data" menu option that forces LDCad to reload templates, donors, the parts bin, and pbg files without having to close and reopen LDCad itself.

+1!

[N. W. Perry]

A option in the Clean up... menu, for the file type. (! LDRAW_ORG Model, ! LDRAW_ORG Unofficial Model)
to easier OMRize a file.

+1, and/or an option to include this with the header defaults.

[Philippe Hurbain]

An indicator (* after file name in LDCad window bar as usual?) that current file has been modified and needs to be saved?

[Roland Melkert]

Since both:

https://forums.ldraw.org/thread-23756.html
https://forums.ldraw.org/thread-23683.html

haven't been ratified by the LSB I wonder what your plans are? I would appreciate if you could bring them to a happy ending.

I wanted to do some experimenting to see if the proposals are rectify worthy.

Especially with the !DATA one I would like to get the feel of things, programming wise, before voting on it.

[Roland Melkert]

OK. I don't use LPub since I don't need to generate my own instructions, but I know I can import its metas. Will LDCad know what to do with it? And this says "global"—can I apply this meta to individual submodels?

I've been thinking about fully supporting LPub meta's ?(including the inventory balloons etc) for 2.0, but It might be too big a thing for 1.7

Maybe a light version where only the step numbering gets applied, still need to research al the LPub meta's though.

On that note does anyone have a good reference on the LPub(3d) meta's?

[Roland Melkert]

Include the themes: https://forums.ldraw.org/thread-23675.html

If Miguel is ok with it I'll include it.

and make the gray one the default theme.

The default theme used to be grey.

   

People complaint so I changed it to mimic LEGO booklets.

People still complained 

But I'm happy to add the option.

[Roland Melkert]

Installable stuff with integrated interface?
- Set inventories
- Custom templates
- Custom connectivity

This is at the core of 2.0 where I've setup a 'package' system. It's also the reason for it's slow development as I'm not happy with it's current incarnation.

Might be able to set something simple up using additional .sf (==zip) files though.

[Roland Melkert]

I would very much like to see the support or display of information that comes with the !HELP and !CMDLINE metas.

The data is in the files, but to get to this data (during building) seems difficult i.e. impossible.

Good one.

Maybe trough a small "?" icon in the bin cells which open a hint panel on mouse over?

[Roland Melkert]

- The sync name and filename option in the header dialog should be the default

You can set the name sync to default by checking the "Add name to new models" option in any header dialog.

- Please move the Export submenu from Views->Editing Views to the File menu

I'll move it as more people seem to have a problem finding it.

- Have all the nodes in the source window automatically collapse when exiting nested mode

I'll make it an option.

- I'd like a "reload data" menu option that forces LDCad to reload templates, donors, the parts bin, and pbg files without having to close and reopen LDCad itself.

This is a tough one but I'll look into it.

- An all-in-one, duplicate and mirror subfile option would be a nice to have

Shouldn't be a problem.

[Roland Melkert]

A option in the Clean up... menu, for the file type. (! LDRAW_ORG Model, ! LDRAW_ORG Unofficial Model)
to easier OMRize a file.

I'll add a "Force LDraw model type" combo with "No change", "Offical", "Onoffical" options.

But I believe the OMR site also changes them automatically.

[Roland Melkert]

An indicator (* after file name in LDCad window bar as usual?) that current file has been modified and needs to be saved?

Seems trival but it will not change back to "unchanged" after undo.

[Magnus Forsberg]

And I love the interactive animation idea—though in a perfect world, of course, I want to spin the gear and see what happens without knowing how to script it first. 

Yes, why should I have to know how to script?

[Roland Melkert]

Yes, why should I have to know how to script?

Because it's extremely difficult to create a true mechanical simulator, things will always only work partial.

Also I want it to be able to do things like move a minifig lever to open a door or something, things that aren't really connected.

This way you could make a full blown "Point and click" adventure game or something

[Philippe Hurbain]

Agreed. Always good to experiment before setting things in tablets of stone!!!

[Johann Eisner]

But I believe the OMR site also changes them automatically.

I just tested now, the OMR site change nothing.

[Miguel Reizinho]

If Miguel is ok with it I'll include it.

Absolutely! Let me know if you need extra images to complete it. And if you could also implement the feature of full screen editing with no titlebar I would appreciate. It's always extra space for editing.

From the top of my mind I can remember a few things that I would love to see in 1.7. And please excuse me if some are already available. It always amazes me when someone asks for a feature and Roland just replies: "It already can be achieved by doing this and that... "

1. Keyword search in Hotkey config! PLEASE! 
   
2. Export BOM to csv/HTML (I can help with the HTML formatting and retrieving of the parts images from the web)
   
3. Export MPD to a single/multiple LDR file
   
4. More OpenGL/LDraw rendering tweaks. I hate the problem with tile 1x1 with rounded end. 
   
5. Extra info in source window, with toggle icons for color and show/hide, that when click on them would allow you to change those properties. But specially, one of the things I really like in stud.io, that would give you a warning if that part does not exist in that particular color. 
   

Thank you for this opportunity.

[Roland Melkert]

Absolutely! Let me know if you need extra images to complete it. And if you could also implement the feature of full screen editing with no titlebar I would appreciate. It's always extra space for editing.

Thanks, you don't have to replace all images, recent versions will use images from the default template when they are missing in the second folder.

Keyword search in Hotkey config! PLEASE! 

I'll will add this. Don't know why I haven't already as the menu editing dialog has one too.

Export BOM to csv/HTML (I can help with the HTML formatting and retrieving of the parts images from the web)

There is a basic csv export of the bin content (new in 1.6c) you could process that into anything you want.
That said a simple html export might be fun too, but many people will probably want to tweak it afterwards so I'm not sure.

Export MPD to a single/multiple LDR file

This can be done by copy in nested mode and then paste into a new model.

There are tools for splitting mpd's but most of them work trough the selection.
Maybe I'll add a generic dialog for mass import/export of mpd/mul ldr.

More OpenGL/LDraw rendering tweaks. I hate the problem with tile 1x1 with rounded end. 

That's a tough one, but thanks for reminding of this issue as I totally forgot about it

Extra info in source window, with toggle icons for color and show/hide, that when click on them would allow you to change those properties. But specially, one of the things I really like in stud.io, that would give you a warning if that part does not exist in that particular color. 

Visible/color icons are a nice idea, I'll look into that.

Available colors is something I wanted to integrate in the color wheel for awhile (using a special group).

But it needs some kind of db, and I don't really want to make lots of net requests getting them. My latest idea was to add it to the shadow library.

[Orion Pobursky]

- An all-in-one, duplicate and mirror subfile option would be a nice to have

Shouldn't be a problem.

It would be really cool if you could select a subfile and have have LDCad create a new, mirrored subfile. Even cooler would be if you could have it recurse through the child subfiles and mirror them too.

[Philippe Hurbain]

Speaking of color wheel, something I miss is a search function, similar to to level part bin search ..

[Miguel Reizinho]

Speaking of color wheel, something I miss is a search function, similar to to level part bin search ..

+1 

I know that we can search by LDraw color number, but don't know this by heart. It would help if we could search by the terms "Light Bluish" instead of just 71

[Miguel Reizinho]

There is a basic csv export of the bin content (new in 1.6c) you could process that into anything you want.

I use that. But then I have to rework it through a Google spreadsheet of mine so I can get the correspondent BL ID and BL Color from the LDraw parts and colors AND combine both to get the LEGO element ID so I can retrieve the correspondent image. It's a complicated process that uses Brickset API for parts information and Ryan Howerter color chart.

You can get the parts info from this URL: https://brickset.com/exportscripts/parts
And color Chart from here: http://ryanhowerter.net/colors.html

Right now it's almost 41.000 different parts and that makes the whole process slow and tiresome.

You can check the file HERE if you are curious. Just enter a LEGO ID (on column B) or a combination of BL ID and BL Color (on columns D and E) to see magic happens

This can be done by copy in nested mode and then paste into a new model.

Wow! Like I said: it's always amazing to learn something new about LDCad 

That's a tough one, but thanks for reminding of this issue as I totally forgot about it

Argh! This drives me so mad that I even thought about having my own modified 24246.dat file to prevent this problem (@Philo? hint, hint. nudge, nudge?)

[Philippe Hurbain]

Dunno exactly what are your BOM needs. If you need info like BL numbers, it will need an external database anyway. But if you only want a BOM with images, MPDCenter can do that (information->inventory). It uses LDView BOM engine, but pushes it a bit further to generate part thumbnail. That said, I am not against seeing a html BOM generator built in LDCad

Argh! This drives me so mad that I even thought about having my own modified 24246.dat file to prevent this problem (@Philo? hint, hint. nudge, nudge?)

Actually this part has been "fixed" for some time, but still on PT, see https://www.ldraw.org/cgi-bin/ptdetail.c...246s01.dat
But a LDCad shading improvement of con0 would be great for some other parts, such as Fabuland torso...

[Roland Melkert]

Actually this part has been "fixed" for some time, but still on PT, see https://www.ldraw.org/cgi-bin/ptdetail.c...246s01.dat
But a LDCad shading improvement of con0 would be great for some other parts, such as Fabuland torso...

These problem areas all have a single point (shared among many) touching a type 2 line.

So I think the main problem has do with the code only using two shared type 2 points among polygons to generate additional vertices.

I'll have to dig deeper into the code to fully understand the main problem myself, as it's been awhile since I last visited that part of the source

[Ulrich Röder]

.. what I would like to see:

- small, in shades of gray - which are displayed in a row directly at the top of the editing window

* Bullseye symbol will switch to the central view of the object
* Split window icon - popup as usual
* Cam icon - popup as usual

..then you no longer have to sway through the current "edit views" ... more intuitive, effective and efficient.

apropos - I would find an independent rubric "Export" and "Render" more clearly.

that would be absolutely "trés chic"

[Ulrich Röder]

forgot to mention:

keepin pressed Ctrl button while moving selected part/parts results in a copy - a feature like it is known in MLCad

[Miguel Reizinho]

I think that most can be accomplished with hotkey configs.

* Bullseye symbol will switch to the central view of the object

Group: edit window
Subgroup: view
Command: Center the selection in the current view
Key: C

when I press "C", the part selected is centered on view.

Use it together with command right bellow that one: "Center and zoom content in order to fit it inside current view"

With these two hotkeys I think you will be able to achieve what you want.

* Split window icon - popup as usual

Group: edit window
Subgroup: split
Command: Switch between (temporary) single/multi views
Key: SPACE

* Cam icon - popup as usual

I don't know if I understood correctly your request, but if your talking about changing view to cam, you can also use hotkeys

Group: edit window
Subgroup: option
Command: Switch between perspective and orthographic projection
Key: V

[Miguel Reizinho]

Actually this part has been "fixed" for some time, but still on PT, see https://www.ldraw.org/cgi-bin/ptdetail.c...246s01.dat

Thank you for pointing it out! Updated with unofficial subfiles. I'm very happy.  

[Miguel Reizinho]

Just a quick mockup of some icons in the source window:

- color indicators
- step indicators
- comment indicators
- warning indicator (for instance, for part not available in that color)



You can see the image in full size by clicking on it. You can also check an animated GIF by clicking HERE.

Also added the "*" at the end of the filename for file not saved but added it to the session manager window since I'm using the noTitleBar addon

[N. W. Perry]

If anyone has some additional ideas this is the time to let me know.

Two little things that had come up in other threads (these are just reminders, since you'd mentioned wanting to add them to the next release):
-Adding the !THEME meta to the header dialog
-Lowering the minimum value for bezier control points in flexible paths (to allow tighter knots, for example)

[Owen Dive]

Speaking of color wheel, something I miss is a search function, similar to to level part bin search ..

Me too! If I need something that isn't one of the dozen colours I have in my Favourites, I usually have to go through each wheel hovering over the ones that look vaguely right - and that can take quite a while sometimes!

[Roland Melkert]

Speaking of color wheel, something I miss is a search function, similar to to level part bin search ..

Something like this?

   

It's only a 'paint' doodle for now though.

[Roland Melkert]

forgot to mention:

keepin pressed Ctrl button while moving selected part/parts results in a copy - a feature like it is known in MLCad

I'll check MLCad's behavior, but I think ctrl+d (duplicate) does this already.

[Roland Melkert]

Just a quick mockup of some icons in the source window:

.....

Also added the "*" at the end of the filename for file not saved but added it to the session manager window since I'm using the noTitleBar addon

Looks nice, I think I'm going to at least add the color icons (will be optional).

Speaking of the session manager window, I'm thinking of dropping the menu list of open models, replacing it by a dialog which can also do some mpd management etc. This will also work better with the new !DATA content.

[Ulrich Röder]

I'll check MLCad's behavior, but I think ctrl+d (duplicate) does this already.

....for sure ctrl+d works...I know..what I want to say is..that the other method is more handy....the hand stays on the mouse....press ctrl with the other..and track it...it' s more efficient and easier.

[Ulrich Röder]

I think that most can be accomplished with hotkey configs.

Group: edit window
Subgroup: view
Command: Center the selection in the current view
Key: C

when I press "C", the part selected is centered on view.

Use it together with command right bellow that one: "Center and zoom content in order to fit it inside current view"

With these two hotkeys I think you will be able to achieve what you want.

Group: edit window
Subgroup: split
Command: Switch between (temporary) single/multi views
Key: SPACE


I don't know if I understood correctly your request, but if your talking about changing view to cam, you can also use hotkeys

Group: edit window
Subgroup: option
Command: Switch between perspective and orthographic projection
Key: V

... yes, of course ... but ... exactly how you describe the whole processes, you have to muddle through yourself with several (to much) "clicks" to the goal ..

that's exactly what I want to shorten to a minimum with my proposal..

two "clicks"...and you are ready....with a mouse movement of perhaps two seconds!!

Efficient and effective!

[Philippe Hurbain]

Something like this?

Yes. Also needs an "all colors" bin to allow search on all colors.

[Miguel Reizinho]

Yes. Also needs an "all colors" bin to allow search on all colors.

Why not just use an enhanced version of the input dialog, with option to search by color number or name, that appears when you click on the color name? It's probably easier to program.

[Philippe Hurbain]

But this would not be consistent with part bin implementation, and filter allows for example to show all "blue" colors and let you choose.