Post link to your custom POV parts here.
The main library is, of course, LGEO. It's great but it doesn't have everything.
The main library is, of course, LGEO. It's great but it doesn't have everything.
POV parts
As I was not happy with the mesh enhancer tool for PovRay, I've started to rebuilt the parts I needed by myself when it was not available in LGEO.
I have a bunch of them, quite high quality, but files are very heavy (several Mo, even more than 10 for the most complicated parts). I'm basically modeling the parts not available in LGEO in a CAD software with all details including round corners and everything, and then export to PovRay using stl2pov. I then get a .inc file for PovRay which can automaticaly replace the Ldraw one using L3P IFNOTPOV statements in the Ldraw file. Result is really nice but the assembly can get quite heavy and take much more time to render.
But, before filling the forum's harddrive with tons of files, I would better like to ask if this would be possible to share such kinds of files.
BTW: is LGEO library dead or could we expect some update sometime?
I have a bunch of them, quite high quality, but files are very heavy (several Mo, even more than 10 for the most complicated parts). I'm basically modeling the parts not available in LGEO in a CAD software with all details including round corners and everything, and then export to PovRay using stl2pov. I then get a .inc file for PovRay which can automaticaly replace the Ldraw one using L3P IFNOTPOV statements in the Ldraw file. Result is really nice but the assembly can get quite heavy and take much more time to render.
But, before filling the forum's harddrive with tons of files, I would better like to ask if this would be possible to share such kinds of files.
BTW: is LGEO library dead or could we expect some update sometime?
My dat parts with inline POV code (mainly minifig heads) can be found as replies to this post:
http://news.lugnet.com/cad/ray/?n=2929
The major advantage with these files and this approach is that if you simply overwrite the official files in the LDraw\Parts folder with these, you don't have to do anything at all, more than just run L3P (v 1.4) as usual, and you'll have round minifig heads. No tweaking, no libraries to include, no paths to declare.
/Tore
http://news.lugnet.com/cad/ray/?n=2929
The major advantage with these files and this approach is that if you simply overwrite the official files in the LDraw\Parts folder with these, you don't have to do anything at all, more than just run L3P (v 1.4) as usual, and you'll have round minifig heads. No tweaking, no libraries to include, no paths to declare.
/Tore
I started a project on Sourceforge a long time ago called the LDraw POV Code Library (Note: all the files are in the CVS repository) which was intended to become an official library of sorts. Made some macros to generate plates and bricks. POV'd up some other stuff. Lar's even built support into L3P for me (not sure if it made it into 1.4 final). I'm still open to people jumping on to the project and contributing.
Damien Roux Wrote:
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> BTW: is LGEO library dead or could we expect some update sometime?
This is a question I've been wondering about as well. Recently, I've begun to feel as though I've come to the point where my rendering skills won't improve much further unless I start looking into these "LGEO parts" I keep hearing about. Everytime I eye Koyan's epic renderings with envy (which happens several times a day), I always wonder, why can't MY renderings look this good? And the answer I keep coming back to time and time again is LGEO parts.
However, when I go to investigate them, all I can find are really old libraries and I often wonder, "shouldn't the LDraw parts have surpassed these in quality by now?" This leads me to my next question: why were these parts never incorporated into the LDraw library? Surely people as obsessed with quality as you guys would want the best in your library. And if this wasn't possible due to copyright issues, then why weren't they re-developed (or the original parts improved) to match the quality? I continually ask the question, "Why do I need two sets of parts to render a model?"
Now, to make matters worse, it seems as though the LGEO project itself is dead (or extremely dormant), and the only life seems to be from a few developers with their own private libraries strewn across half the internet. How much time would it take me to find and download all LGEO parts right now? More time than I care to put in (even though my renderings' quality would likely improve drastically).
I guess when you boil it all down, it seems like this is something that this LDraw community should take control of. I'm constantly reading around here things like "this site isn't about LEGO colors, it's about PARTS!" and "the PT is no place for models, this site is all about PARTS!" Well then, what about LGEO parts (or high-quality parts, as they are)? THEY'RE PARTS!!! So why aren't they here?
-------------------------------------------------------
> BTW: is LGEO library dead or could we expect some update sometime?
This is a question I've been wondering about as well. Recently, I've begun to feel as though I've come to the point where my rendering skills won't improve much further unless I start looking into these "LGEO parts" I keep hearing about. Everytime I eye Koyan's epic renderings with envy (which happens several times a day), I always wonder, why can't MY renderings look this good? And the answer I keep coming back to time and time again is LGEO parts.
However, when I go to investigate them, all I can find are really old libraries and I often wonder, "shouldn't the LDraw parts have surpassed these in quality by now?" This leads me to my next question: why were these parts never incorporated into the LDraw library? Surely people as obsessed with quality as you guys would want the best in your library. And if this wasn't possible due to copyright issues, then why weren't they re-developed (or the original parts improved) to match the quality? I continually ask the question, "Why do I need two sets of parts to render a model?"
Now, to make matters worse, it seems as though the LGEO project itself is dead (or extremely dormant), and the only life seems to be from a few developers with their own private libraries strewn across half the internet. How much time would it take me to find and download all LGEO parts right now? More time than I care to put in (even though my renderings' quality would likely improve drastically).
I guess when you boil it all down, it seems like this is something that this LDraw community should take control of. I'm constantly reading around here things like "this site isn't about LEGO colors, it's about PARTS!" and "the PT is no place for models, this site is all about PARTS!" Well then, what about LGEO parts (or high-quality parts, as they are)? THEY'RE PARTS!!! So why aren't they here?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
I'm theJude! So that's what you call me. You know, that or, uh, his Judeness, or uh, Juder, or el Juderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.
I'm theJude! So that's what you call me. You know, that or, uh, his Judeness, or uh, Juder, or el Juderino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.
Please see my previous post about the LDraw POV Library.
Also, you might want to check out Anton Raves. His library is probably the most develop but it's not direct LDraw compatible. He does have a generator on the website that takes an LDraw file and spits out a POV file that is compatible with his library.
Also, you might want to check out Anton Raves. His library is probably the most develop but it's not direct LDraw compatible. He does have a generator on the website that takes an LDraw file and spits out a POV file that is compatible with his library.
Jude Wrote:
>This leads me to my next
> question: why were these parts never incorporated
> into the LDraw library? Surely people as obsessed
> with quality as you guys would want the best in
> your library. And if this wasn't possible due to
> copyright issues, then why weren't they
> re-developed (or the original parts improved) to
> match the quality?
Please read: http://www.ldraw.org/Article479.html
> I guess when you boil it all down, it seems like
> this is something that this LDraw community should
> take control of. I'm constantly reading around
> here things like "this site isn't about LEGO
> colors, it's about PARTS!" and "the PT is no place
> for models, this site is all about PARTS!" Well
> then, what about LGEO parts (or high-quality
> parts, as they are)? THEY'RE PARTS!!! So why
> aren't they here?
We hardly catch up with the yearly output of new parts by LEGO; do you really think we have resources left for a second library? Joining our workforce would ease the load. There are still tons of L(EGO)Draw parts waiting to be cleansed:
http://wiki.ldraw.org/index.php?title=L%...arts_Chart
Not much author skills required:
Preparing a L(EGO)Draw part for the Parts Tracker – A review
Dealing with bad lines of L(EGO)Draw parts (tutorial)
LEGO Universe parts cleanup etiquette
w.
>This leads me to my next
> question: why were these parts never incorporated
> into the LDraw library? Surely people as obsessed
> with quality as you guys would want the best in
> your library. And if this wasn't possible due to
> copyright issues, then why weren't they
> re-developed (or the original parts improved) to
> match the quality?
Please read: http://www.ldraw.org/Article479.html
> I guess when you boil it all down, it seems like
> this is something that this LDraw community should
> take control of. I'm constantly reading around
> here things like "this site isn't about LEGO
> colors, it's about PARTS!" and "the PT is no place
> for models, this site is all about PARTS!" Well
> then, what about LGEO parts (or high-quality
> parts, as they are)? THEY'RE PARTS!!! So why
> aren't they here?
We hardly catch up with the yearly output of new parts by LEGO; do you really think we have resources left for a second library? Joining our workforce would ease the load. There are still tons of L(EGO)Draw parts waiting to be cleansed:
http://wiki.ldraw.org/index.php?title=L%...arts_Chart
Not much author skills required:
Preparing a L(EGO)Draw part for the Parts Tracker – A review
Dealing with bad lines of L(EGO)Draw parts (tutorial)
LEGO Universe parts cleanup etiquette
w.
LEGO ergo sum
Anton's Rave library is not using rounded corners and edges, which is (I think) what gives the realistic touch to a part. It's also not including any patterns.
I was also greatly influenced by Koyan's work for my renders. The only way I've found to improve my render was to remodel the parts myself to have them look as they were LGEO looking.
Check out my Brickshelf account.
Pay only attention on the widescreen renders. The 4/3 ones only use standard LGEO library. I'm currently updating them...
I was also greatly influenced by Koyan's work for my renders. The only way I've found to improve my render was to remodel the parts myself to have them look as they were LGEO looking.
Check out my Brickshelf account.
Pay only attention on the widescreen renders. The 4/3 ones only use standard LGEO library. I'm currently updating them...
Orion Pobursky Wrote:
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> Lars even built
> support into L3P for me (not sure if it made it
> into 1.4 final).
Is there a final version of L3P 1.4? I still use 1.4 BETA 20080930 (Win32), and at http://www.ldraw.org/Downloads-req-viewd...id-11.html it still shows 1.3 as the latest official version.
/Tore
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> Lars even built
> support into L3P for me (not sure if it made it
> into 1.4 final).
Is there a final version of L3P 1.4? I still use 1.4 BETA 20080930 (Win32), and at http://www.ldraw.org/Downloads-req-viewd...id-11.html it still shows 1.3 as the latest official version.
/Tore
> I was also greatly influenced by Koyan's work for
> my renders. The only way I've found to improve my
> render was to remodel the parts myself to have
> them look as they where LGEO looking.
This is how new libraries get built. By people modelling a few parts here and there. Do you have a folder (eg. like mine) where all the parts you modelled are easily accessible? I don't see a 'parts' folder there.
Good POV parts and good LDraw parts are very different beasts. In POV you want the rounded corners, the nice textures and all that. In LDraw you want good clean edges to make instructions clear. Luckily the LDraw file format and LDView or L3p make using two separate libraries easy.
Tim
> my renders. The only way I've found to improve my
> render was to remodel the parts myself to have
> them look as they where LGEO looking.
This is how new libraries get built. By people modelling a few parts here and there. Do you have a folder (eg. like mine) where all the parts you modelled are easily accessible? I don't see a 'parts' folder there.
Good POV parts and good LDraw parts are very different beasts. In POV you want the rounded corners, the nice textures and all that. In LDraw you want good clean edges to make instructions clear. Luckily the LDraw file format and LDView or L3p make using two separate libraries easy.
Tim
No I don't have a part folder, just because I'm not sure Brickshelf will be OK if I upload 200 Mo of .inc file on its server.
That's why I've asked if this would be possible to post them here to share to the community. They are that big because I don't care if the file has 20000 code lines or if it takes 1 day to render as long at it looks nice.
That's why I've asked if this would be possible to post them here to share to the community. They are that big because I don't care if the file has 20000 code lines or if it takes 1 day to render as long at it looks nice.
How about zipping them into one file and sharing them on, say Dropbox? It's free up 'til 2Gb, easy to use, and best of all: ad free.
http://www.dropbox.com/tour#3
/Tore
http://www.dropbox.com/tour#3
/Tore
. Thanks and good job!
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