MPDCenter

[Michael Heidemann]

Now I know what happened!

Code:

1. File > New
2. Import > Import File
3. Navigate to datsville.ldr and select it

By using this way the folder for the xmpd content is not set!
If you just open datsville.ldr (or drop it from the explorer or open it by command line) all will be fine.

So your way to work wasn't in my mind as I code it. Now with the extra window for localizing the project path all is fine also with your way

I will just rewrite the code a little bit and upload the new beta later today.
Until then just open datsville.ldr and do not import it

[Michael Heidemann]

New build is online and can be downloaded here (it's now 2.2.0.6).

Changes i made:
1) color adjustment for selected, not selected, focused, imported etc. items in the treeview.
2) If no project path is known the user is asked if necessary for that folder.

Hopefully you can enjoy now

[Michael Horvath]

I'm at my apartment now so I can't test the new version on the same computer.

[Michael Heidemann]

You do not need the same computer, as the error occured by different use

[Michael Horvath]

OK I tried twice and will try again later.

1. The first time I tried, the program stalled and did nothing for 30mins except for the little yellow propeller spinning.
2. The second time it finished rather quickly (5-10 mins) and was successful. However, the program also spawned a child window asking me to select a file folder in a folder tree. I ignored this because I didn't know what it was for. I don't know if it was important or not.

I will try again now.

[Michael Heidemann]

Code:

2. The second time it finished rather quickly (5-10 mins) and was successful. However, the program also spawned a child window asking me to select a file folder in a folder tree. I ignored this because I didn't know what it was for. I don't know if it was important or not.

If you have the latest build tested, the window tells you why you should select a folder. If you do not select a "project base folder" then you get no answer to the question which files from that folder are _not_ importet.

Depending on the size of your project and the speed of your system it can take quite a while to finish the process. But also it might be that you ignored (or did not see) another window where you are asked to give an answer (if a file could not be find automatically). As long as the propellor rotates the programm works

[Michael Horvath]

You are right. I missed the popup dialog and the program was waiting forever as a result.

OK what do I do now that it is working?

[Michael Heidemann]

I don't know? Go and drink a cup of tea

Mike I really do not know what you expect from me as an answer.

MPDCenter is a tool that might help you at the work you are doing. You already asked for several new functions and behaviour. That all is build in now. So the real question is what you want to do!

The more detailed you can answer this question, the more help you can get.

MPDCenter answers f.e.
1) Which files are not in the correct place to be loaded correctly on any system (unofficial files f.e.)
2) Your question which files are not yet refered by datsville.ldr but in the datsville folder
3) which author have contributed so far for this project.

You can not _build_ in MPDCenter but check your result.

[Michael Horvath]

1) Which files are not in the correct place to be loaded correctly on any system (unofficial files f.e.)

I'm not sure I understand. What is this supposed to mean?

2) Your question which files are not yet refered by datsville.ldr but in the datsville folder

Could you remind me how to do this? I know you generated such a list for me, but I don't recall how to do it myself.

Thanks.


Mike

[Michael Heidemann]

http://forums.ldraw.org/showthread.php?t...3#pid11323

[Michael Horvath]

I wanted to know which command to use. No need now, as I've figured it out on my own.

[Michael Heidemann]

MPDCenter 2.3.0.0 is out now.

Some nice features are added, based on the wish of the users.

1)
You can create an inventory listing like in LDView, but the pictures will be rendered with LDView.
Edit: added a How to for this feature.

2)
You can convert l3b files that contains groups into a mpd file, where the groups are converted to submodels.
Edit: added a How to for this feature.

3) You can add mpd files into one file, that our current tools can read and show like normal mpd files. This is the main feature of MPDCenter and is now full working. With this feature you can add your collection of models (ldr files and/or mpd files) into one xmpd file. If you open this xmpd file in MLCad you can work on this just as on every other mpd model. If you want to be able to split this xmpd file later into its former mpd/ldr files please be sure not to change the names of the files in the xmpd file.
But you can create new scenes where all your models are in one scene. To be able to give your work to any other LDraw user you also only need one click to import all unofficial files into the xmpd file, so there is never a piece missing.

Enjoy.

cu
Mike

[Merlijn Wissink]

Thanks a lot for the SR3D conversion feature. I'm sure that will be used a lot by me in the future. I'll try it out today.
Thanks!

[Merlijn Wissink]

I would like to download the newest mpdcenter, but the download link doesn't work.

[Willy Tschager]

http://ldraw.heidemann.org/index.php?page=mpdcenter

works fine for me

w.

[Merlijn Wissink]

Yes, that page loads fine, but the link to the actual file doesn't work. It links to this:
http://ldraw.heidemann.org/%5BRequired%2...%20name%5D

[Travis Cobbs]

The web page works; the download link on the page is broken.

[Michael Heidemann]

Uhhh..... please excuse that error by me.
Just noted my mistake.
Now I have fixed the download link for the zip file and it should work fine now (at least on my system I could download).

[Michael Heidemann]

I have just released version 2.3.1.0 of MPDCenter.

Philo detected that in the conversion process from l3b files with groups, if the groups are not filled with content, MPDCenter crashes. This behaviour is now corrected.

You can download the current version as usual from MPDCenter homepage.

[Michael Heidemann]

Here I add some more "How to's" for MPDCenter. I hope it is useful for you:

How to setup MPDCenter properly
How to import unofficial files
How to extract a model from an mpd-file into a new mpd-file

More to come in the future.

[Philippe Hurbain]

The links embedded in the text doesn't work. Fortunately the ones provided by forum are OK...

[Michael Heidemann]

Now fixed. Thank's for mentioning.

[Michael Heidemann]

Update with example for:

How to extract a model from an mpd-file into a new mpd-file

[Michael Heidemann]

I just released a new bugfix version of MPDCenter.
The inventory did not count the used parts correctly. This is now fixed.

Please download the new version from the MPDCenter Homepage

[Michael Horvath]

I was able to create an XMPD file using this program. How do I save/export it as just an MPD file? Is there a difference? Thanks.

[edit]

Generating the XMPD file from Datsville took several minutes. Converting the XMPD file to a single inlined LDR file is now taking several hours. It is not done yet. I don't see the propeller animation either. According to Windows the program is "Not Responding".

[edit]

Okay, it completed. But it took over 24 hours.

[Michael Horvath]

Is there any chance you could make this program multi-threaded? Using a single core it is taking over 24 hours to inline Datsville. But I have three other cores that could also be used. Thanks.

(OTOH, maybe I am the only person who needs this?)

[Michael Heidemann]

Is there any chance you could make this program multi-threaded? Using a single core it is taking over 24 hours to inline Datsville. But I have three other cores that could also be used. Thanks.

(OTOH, maybe I am the only person who needs this?)

To your last question - I think yes. Datsville is by far the largest project I know. But I made progress in speed. It was my bad implementation of some functions that made it so slow. Currently I run a last test to see how fast in hours (not days) it will take. Datsville has more than 500000 lines (not inlined), so it is really large.
To your multi-threaded question, I have no idea how to do this.
cu
mikeheide

[Michael Horvath]

Is there any chance you could make this program multi-threaded? Using a single core it is taking over 24 hours to inline Datsville. But I have three other cores that could also be used. Thanks.

(OTOH, maybe I am the only person who needs this?)

To your last question - I think yes. Datsville is by far the largest project I know. But I made progress in speed. It was my bad implementation of some functions that made it so slow. Currently I run a last test to see how fast in hours (not days) it will take. Datsville has more than 500000 lines (not inlined), so it is really large.
To your multi-threaded question, I have no idea how to do this.
cu
mikeheide

Thanks for continuing the program!

Yeah, I don't know how to make multi-threaded software either.

[Roland Melkert]

To your last question - I think yes. Datsville is by far the largest project I know. But I made progress in speed. It was my bad implementation of some functions that made it so slow. Currently I run a last test to see how fast in hours (not days) it will take. Datsville has more than 500000 lines (not inlined), so it is really large.
To your multi-threaded question, I have no idea how to do this.
cu
mikeheide

Thanks for continuing the program!

Yeah, I don't know how to make multi-threaded software either.

I don't think you can multi thread the inline process it might even be slower because all threads still need to manipulate a single destination array/string list.
Loading/parsing the LDraw source files can be threaded though, but I'm guessing that's not the bottle neck here.

[Steffen]

I don't think you can multi thread the inline process it might even be slower because all threads still need to manipulate a single destination array/string list.

Well, that's how multithreading works.
The destination array should be "the set of already inlined files".
Multiple threads then can operate on multiple portions of DatVille, each one accessing and contributing to that array.
Of course, the access to that array (both read+write) must be protected by a semaphore (in C#: lock(...)).
Any thread that finds a part that is not yet inlined, will add it to that array so other threads will find it there.

[Michael Heidemann]

I don't think you can multi thread the inline process it might even be slower because all threads still need to manipulate a single destination array/string list.

Well, that's how multithreading works.
The destination array should be "the set of already inlined files".
Multiple threads then can operate on multiple portions of DatVille, each one accessing and contributing to that array.
Of course, the access to that array (both read+write) must be protected by a semaphore (in C#: lock(...)).
Any thread that finds a part that is not yet inlined, will add it to that array so other threads will find it there.

The current build of MPDCenter is in testing and is by far quicker than the previous (current available) version. It works still without any multi-threading.
It still needs some tests to be stable in any case.

If there is someone who has a wish for a new function etc. please let me know within the next days, so I try to implement that in the next release.

I am open for any ideas/wishes.

cu
mikeheide

[Michael Heidemann]

MPDCenter 2.4.0.0 is out now.

Changes:
1) Inlining is now much, much faster than in previous versions.
2) The menu command 'Selected in LDR inlined' now works for all LDR files in a MPD file separately. If used on a MPD file the first file is inlined.
BUGFIX:
1) Error in detection of unresolved references corrected.

Enjoy.

cu
Mike

[Michael Horvath]

MPDCenter 2.4.0.0 is out now.

Changes:
1) Inlining is now much, much faster than in previous versions.
2) The menu command 'Selected in LDR inlined' now works for all LDR files in a MPD file separately. If used on a MPD file the first file is inlined.
BUGFIX:
1) Error in detection of unresolved references corrected.

Enjoy.

cu
Mike

Thank you!

[Michael Heidemann]

MPDCenter 2.4.1.0 is out now.

Changes:
1) Some minor changes in inventory creation process and in the background.

Enjoy.

cu
Mike

[Michael Heidemann]

MPDCenter 2.4.0.0 is out now.

Changes:
1) Inlining is now much, much faster than in previous versions.
2) The menu command 'Selected in LDR inlined' now works for all LDR files in a MPD file separately. If used on a MPD file the first file is inlined.
BUGFIX:
1) Error in detection of unresolved references corrected.

Enjoy.

cu
Mike

Thank you!

Michael I also have to thank you for your input to getting this tool better and better.
cu
Mike

[Michael Horvath]

Can MPDCenter inline all the way down to the part level? I mean, quads, lines, etc.


Thanks!

[Michael Horvath]

Can MPDCenter inline all the way down to the part level? I mean, quads, lines, etc.


Thanks!

Oh, wow! The latest version of Inliner does exactly what I need! I.e. inline every part and primitive in an MPD file.

(But you might consider adding the feature to MPDCenter too.)

[Michael Heidemann]

Can MPDCenter inline all the way down to the part level? I mean, quads, lines, etc.


Thanks!

Oh, wow! The latest version of Inliner does exactly what I need! I.e. inline every part and primitive in an MPD file.

(But you might consider adding the feature to MPDCenter too.)

This might be also possible for MPDCenter. How need this to be named? Currently MPDCenter inlined down to the library part level.
The extraction from model is found in the menue "Extract" in MPDCenter.
Ok my suggestion is f.e. "Selected in LDR inlined - primitive level".

What do you think (or anybody else) ?

cu
Mikeheide

[Michael Heidemann]

Can MPDCenter inline all the way down to the part level? I mean, quads, lines, etc.


Thanks!

Oh, wow! The latest version of Inliner does exactly what I need! I.e. inline every part and primitive in an MPD file.

(But you might consider adding the feature to MPDCenter too.)

Please see my other announcement for MPDCenter 2.5.0.0
Now also MPDCenter shall exactly do what you like.
I have inlined a 4MB model and got a 970 GB file without any linetype 1.
cu
Mikeheide

[Michael Heidemann]

MPDCenter 2.5.0.0 is out now.

New:
1) The menu command 'Selected in LDR inlined (lowest level)' introduced. This will inline all linetype 1 into one ldr file.
BUGFIX:
1) Error at inlining "system out of memory" fixed.

Enjoy.

cu
Mike

[Johann Eisner]

MPDCenter 2.5.0.0 is out now.

New:
1) The menu command 'Selected in LDR inlined (lowest level)' introduced. This will inline all linetype 1 into one ldr file.
BUGFIX:
1) Error at inlining "system out of memory" fixed.

Enjoy.

cu
Mike

Hi Mike

Have found a bug.
After saving a file, the line 0 FILE ... is deleted in the header.

Johann

[Orion Pobursky]

MPDCenter 2.5.0.0 is out now.

New:
1) The menu command 'Selected in LDR inlined (lowest level)' introduced. This will inline all linetype 1 into one ldr file.
BUGFIX:
1) Error at inlining "system out of memory" fixed.

Enjoy.

cu
Mike

Hi Mike

Have found a bug.
After saving a file, the line 0 FILE ... is deleted in the header.

Johann

There’s not supposed to be a 0 FILE in the header. This is only for subsequent files in the mpd.

[Roland Melkert]

There’s not supposed to be a 0 FILE in the header. This is only for subsequent files in the mpd.

That's not true imho, the only reason for removing a FILE meta is when it's a single model inside a non mpd and even then its more of a beautification.

[Michael Horvath]

I have inlined a 4MB model and got a 970 GB file without any linetype 1.

That is bigger than any of my hard drive partitions, LOL!


Mike

[Roland Melkert]

I have inlined a 4MB model and got a 970 GB file without any linetype 1.

That is bigger than any of my hard drive partitions, LOL!

That would ether crash LDCad or it would cause a 1TB swap file to be made

[Michael Horvath]

Please see my other announcement for MPDCenter 2.5.0.0
Now also MPDCenter shall exactly do what you like.
I have inlined a 4MB model and got a 970 GB file without any linetype 1.
cu
Mikeheide

This feature works like a charm, thank you!

[Michael Horvath]

That is bigger than any of my hard drive partitions, LOL!


Mike

Just realized 970GB was a typo and should be 970MB, LOL!

[Michael Horvath]

On Windows 10 I have the desktop DPI setting set to 125%. This results in certain dialogs being cut off. Please see the missing buttons and menus in the attached screenshot. Thanks!

[Michael Horvath]

When I generate an MPD I get asked the question: "Shall we use the file name: '' as the description?" The problem is that I have 16.5k files, and it asks me for each one AFAIK. Can I disable this dialog? Otherwise I have to use Task Manager to kill the process.

Also, what is the difference between pressing "Yes", "No" and "Cancel" in this dialog?

Lastly, how do I specify a different license such as Creative Commons?

Thanks.

[Orion Pobursky]

When I generate an MPD I get asked the question: "Shall we use the file name: '' as the description?" The problem is that I have 16.5k files, and it asks me for each one AFAIK. Can I disable this dialog? Otherwise I have to use Task Manager to kill the process.

Also, what is the difference between pressing "No" and "Cancel" in this dialog?

Lastly, how do I specify a different license such as Creative Commons?

Thanks.

You do know that the LDraw.org CA is one of the Creative Commons licenses right? I would hope so since it's one of the things you agree to when you join the forums.