LDD Reference

[Aanchir]

Hi, everyone. Superkalle's invited me to make a topic that compiles some of the "reference files" I've put together with LDD. For now I only have a few, but I'll try to put together more, as well as make the ones I have more "user-friendly".

Color/Decoration Charts

• Complete LDD Color Chart (last updated February 16, 2022) by @Stephan
• LDD Decorations (last updated September 26, 2012)
• BIONICLE Color Chart (last updated Jan. 22, 2012)

Templates

• Clip-and-Bar Hinge Template (last updated Oct. 18, 2010)
• Sprocket Wheel Template (last updated Nov. 6, 2010)
• Zamor Sphere Launcher/Thornax Launcher Template (courtesy of Toa_Of_Justice)
• Power Functions and Mindstorms elements, pre-colored (courtesy of PerryMakes)

[*]Hero Factory Plasma Gun Template (courtesy of Toa_Of_Justice)

Guides

• LXFML Reference Guide (courtesy of Superkalle)

Tools

• LDRAW.xml file update for exporting LDD files to LDraw (MLcad) (courtesy of Superkalle and Mike Gallagher)

Feel free to comment with suggestions for improving these reference materials! I will work to improve these, and note in the topic when they were last updated.

Edited February 17, 2022 by Calabar

[prateek]

Is there something specific in rewriting the LXFML file?

[Aanchir]

On 11/4/2010 at 10:44 PM, prateek said:

Is there something specific in rewriting the LXFML file?

Just unzip the LXF, open the LXFML in Notepad, and it's pretty straightforward to edit. You just need to know what variables to change. Here's a post with a link to a PDF on the subject-- however, you shouldn't necessarily need it.

Most of the time, it's best to use an LXF with the pieces you need and only the ones you need to edit. This may consist of a few 1x1 bricks, a minifigure torso, etc. Once you have unzipped it, there will be an LXFML and an image. LXFML files can open with LDD or with a text editor, so I personally only need two LXFML files, and open one in LDD to replace the pieces I want to edit if I need to.

EDIT: On Superkalle's suggestion, I'm moving my first set of templates here and making the first post more of an "index" topic.

Complete LDD Color Chart

 

Download LXF File (New chart, custom LDD, February 16, 2022) by @Stephan
Download LXF File (New chart, standard LDD 4.3.11, February 16, 2022)  by @Stephan

Key:

• Bricks: Colours for which the names are not listed
• Plates: Standard colours?
• Round Plates: Metallic colours
• Spheres: Bionicle Colours

Download LXF File (Old chart,September 26, 2012)

Here's what I've been using for the most part since the big upgrade to LDD 4.0. Previously, I had used my own slightly-expanded version of Superkalle's color chart. In LDD 4.0, most of the colors I had added were on the default Universe color palette anyway, though, I decided a more straightforward numerically-based chart would be more effective. Now with the introduction of LDD 4.1 with its limited color palette even in LDD Extended mode, this color chart has regained some of its usefulness.

Since LDD 4.0 and 4.1 can display the names and numbers of most colors, an Excel spreadsheet for cross-referencing purposes is no longer essential to the identification of colors. However, I may make one in the future for people who are more accustomed to Bricklink or Peeron color names (or those who don't use any pre-established naming system). In the meantime, great color databases on the internet include Peeron's color chart and Isodomos. For BIONICLE fans, a special reference can be found further down this post.

Colors represented by bricks are colors for which the names are not listed. This includes very few bricks as of LDD 4.1, and most of those that remain cannot easily be identified, but chances are you won't need them.

Although I call this chart "complete", there are colors missing. Omitted colors include:

• Colors that do not render correctly on LDD. These colors, if added to LDD, will merely display as a white, unshaded silhouette of a brick in that color, which will become invisible any time you pick it up. Needless to say, there is no reason an LDD user should need these unless the colors are updated in a future version. Interestingly, there are four colors in this category that have had their naming information provided on LDD: 132 Black Glitter (Bricklink's Speckle Black-Silver), 299 Warm Gold/Lacquered Gold (Bricklink's Metallic Gold), 301 Silver (not completely clear-- possibly a version of Chrome Silver), and 306 Defused Copper (Bricklink's Speckle Black-Copper). However, since they do not render correctly they have still been omitted.
• Colors I know nothing about. Since colors not on any palette are obtained by rewriting the code in an LXFML document to include a different material ID, I can only create colors I know about. I rarely check on the existence of a material ID that is not on any online database, unless a person connected with The LEGO Group has confirmed its existence. Thus certain colors (including all Chrome colors) cannot be generated unless the material ID for them becomes known. It should be noted, though, that I have thoroughly tested most Material IDs to see if they render correctly, and that only material IDs 51-99 have not been tested recently.

Still, I imagine this could become very useful to LDD users here on Eurobricks!

LDD Decorations

Download LXF File

No fanfare needed for this one. It contains every decoration which is available on LDD, with some limitations:

• The brick which the decoration is designed for must have its surfaces mapped for decorations.
• The decoration can be identified, along with the part that it belongs on

Some of these decorations may not be available with the decoration tool, and are only available in this document (or by rewriting the code of an LXFML file). Others, like the road plates, may render incorrectly, a problem that I do not believe is reparable without an upgrade for LDD itself.

I have done my best to color each piece in a color in which it appears in actual sets. However, like all decorated parts on LDD, they can be recolored to any color desired.

BIONICLE Color Chart

Download LXF File

Download Excel Spreadsheet (Excel 2007 document/.xlsx)

Here's where your time spent on a theme rather despised by many AFOLs stands to pay off! This color chart is a lot smaller than the complete color chart, but it contains every color used within the BIONICLE theme. The colors are arranged in a much more user-friendly way than the complete color chart, and cross-referenced in an Excel document with a list of notable sets the parts were used for.

If you enjoy fanart as well as MOCing, the Excel spreadsheet also includes the RGB values of each color in hexadecimal. Not all colors have RGB values listed or depicted, because I do not know the official RGB values for all colors, but rest assured I will work to expand this chart and will edit this post any time I update it to let users know that a new version is available.

Ideally, I would have a complete timeline of what years each color was used, but that is not currently possible. However, a savvy BIONICLE fan should be able to recognize a color by the set or sets listed for it.

Clip-And-Bar Hinge Template

Download LXF File

The clip-and-bar hinge is a hassle in LEGO Digital Designer, because in many cases the clip and bar will be hard to align with one another without an undesired "offset" from the ideal center point. This template is intended to demonstrate an easy way to align your clip-and-bar hinges.

The trick to aligning clip-and-bar hinges is to create a "scaffold" which places the two hinge elements the right distance apart, and allows you to use the hinge tool to make the final connection. Here, four example scaffolds are shown, as well as the final result once the parts are connected and the scaffolds are deleted.

There is no advanced coding required in the construction of scaffolds, and scaffolds will vary depending on the pieces you intend to connect. Thus, once you learn the principles involved in this template you can easily do without it.

Sprocket Wheel Template

Download LXF File

Sprocket wheels are another hassle on LEGO Digital Designer (obviously, because they are based on clip-and-bar-axles). This file intends to help you make this technique more manageable. There are three parts to this: a tool in Spring Yellowish Green for building a chain of treads, a pre-made chain of treads, and two "loops" of treads around the two styles of sprocket wheel.

To use the tool, simply place a tread piece or a pre-made length of treads on the part of the tool angled horizontally. Add an additional tread piece to the vertical part, then use the "hinge" tool to connect these two sections. You can then copy the length of tread, move the tool to its original position, and continue expanding the chain as long as you need.

The loops and pre-existing length of chain are meant to help you incorporate these treads into a MOC or set. Although LEGO Digital Designer does not recognize connections between the treads and the sprocket wheels themselves, you can use these loops as a "starting point" for aligning your treads. Just delete portions of the loops and place a chain of treads in their place to create a larger loop between multiple sprocket wheels. Note that this template is not able to compensate for sets or MOCs where the loop will not be "taut"-- this is a problem I may not be able to deal with at this time.

Edited February 17, 2022 by Calabar

[Superkalle]

Here is the LEGO LXFML reference information for your reading pleaseure. It's been poster earlier in the forum, but here it is in this topic

LXFML5.zip

[Aanchir]

Here is the LEGO LXFML reference information for your reading pleaseure. It's been poster earlier in the forum, but here it is in this topic

Thanks! I'll index your post!

Meanwhile, I have updated my decorations file with two more decorated parts. One is a very basic 2x2 slope with some type of control panel, the other is the new-style Clone Pilot helmet (which now has a decoration for front printing, although as with R2-D2's head-dome it lacks all other decorations).

[marco9999]

Very nice topic.

The Clip-and-Bar Hinge Template allowed me to fix some errors and to update a set which I'm going to re-post in the official sets' topic.

To give my little personal contribution, I'm going to illustrate something I experienced when I opened Aanchir's file "6093 Flying Ninja Fortress" and read his report about the placement of the 63141 String with coupling points. The string is impossible (or very difficult, I couldn't) to place at the assembled structure, because the final edge must be placed on the destination stud by keeping the flex tool pressed for some seconds over the destination point after starting pressing it at the string edge. Then it will "gently" connect to the desired point, but only if there is free space around (step 2).

LXF

After that, you can again manipulate the string with the flex tool, but you can't point it on a string's coupling point; when I tried to do so, I lost the connection. So the string was acceptably placed and flexed (step 3), but the right coupling didn't left space to place a plate on the right-side free stud. So I constrained it with some other bricks (4) and after that I was able to flex the string the way I liked without losing the connection.

Maybe there is a quicker way, but this one seems to work pretty well. I hope I could add something new.

Sorry for the poor graphics.

[obey]

I hope I'm in the right place here.

I am having trouble matching the grey tones in LDD with those available at bricklink since the color names aren't the same. Has anyone figured that out yet?

Yes, I am working in Universe Mode.

Thanks in advance.

[Calabar]

You can use Peeron™ Color Chart as reference.

[obey]

You can use Peeron™ Color Chart as reference.

Thanks a lot.

[Superkalle]

The peeron chart is good, and cover the most important LEGO colors. Note however, that it is lacking a few of the newer colors that can be found in LDD. A more complete Color reference and linking to the corresponding BL color can be found in LDD Manager.

EDIT: Eventually I'll try to make a separte file for this color chart, but for the time being it's in LDD Manager.

[Superkalle]

Another reference document

Update LDRAW.XML file needed to export LDD files to LDR (MLCad):

http://gallaghersart.com/index.php?/site/new_ldd_parts_and_the_ldraw.xml/

[Toa_Of_Justice]

Here's something you'll probably find useful--a Zamor Launcher, fully assembled for the first time in LDD!

LXF File

-Toa Of Justice

[Superkalle]

Here's something you'll probably find useful--a Zamor Launcher, fully assembled for the first time in LDD!

What's that post doing in the Reference topic?

Can you re-post in a more suitable topic, and I can remove this when it's done

Thanks

[Aanchir]

What's that post doing in the Reference topic?

Can you re-post in a more suitable topic, and I can remove this when it's done

Thanks

Actually, that could potentially be a useful template, but what would be ideal (and would probably make it worth posting in this topic) is if you could get the Zamors inside the launcher. Think you can manage that? It'd be tricky, but it's something that I feel a template would really be useful for.

[Superkalle]

Actually, that could potentially be a useful template, but what would be ideal (and would probably make it worth posting in this topic) is if you could get the Zamors inside the launcher. Think you can manage that? It'd be tricky, but it's something that I feel a template would really be useful for.

OK, now I see. Let's see what Toa comes up with

[Toa_Of_Justice]

I just figured out a way to get the spheres into the launcher. It involved modifying the coordinates of the launcher rather than the spheres, using some simple scaffolding (hidden in this picture).

LXF File

Unfortunately, LDD crashed every time I tried to load this file. I'll try again in a little bit.

-Toa Of Justice

EDIT: Yay, now I have a stable file! Stable LXF File

Edited April 5, 2011 by Toa_Of_Justice

[legolijntje]

How have you managed to get them in the launcher?

[Brickdoctor]

How have you managed to get them in the launcher?

My best guess is he placed the spheres on the 'floor' and used scaffolding to place the launcher beneath the 'floor' in a position where the sphere is inside the launcher,

[Aanchir]

I just figured out a way to get the spheres into the launcher. It involved modifying the coordinates of the launcher rather than the spheres, using some simple scaffolding (hidden in this picture).

LXF File

Unfortunately, LDD crashed every time I tried to load this file. I'll try again in a little bit.

-Toa Of Justice

EDIT: Yay, now I have a stable file! Stable LXF File

Very nice! If you delete the scaffolding (it's not really needed once you have the template), recolor the launcher to 131 Silver or 296 Cool Silver, and recolor the zamors to one of the colors they show up as in instruction booklets (we're just going to assume for the time being that those are the "official" colors), then I'll be happy to link to your post from the first post.

[Toa_Of_Justice]

Here you go!

LXF File

I couldn't figure out a suitable color for the Zamor spheres other than what I presume came with the Zamor packs, which I believe is also 296 Cool Silver. I hope that's OK.

-Toa Of Justice

EDIT: Here's a Thornax Launcher and a Modern Sphere Launcher (so called because it has been seen in multiple modern themes, including Hero Factory, Power Miners, and World Racers).

LXF File

LXF File

Edited April 6, 2011 by Toa_Of_Justice

[Superkalle]

Here you go!

Excellent, just plain excellent

[Aanchir]

Just updated the LDD Decorations file with all the new decorated parts accessible from LDD version 4.1.16. As a supplement to this, here's a file with only the newly-accessible decorations.

LXF File

Interesting new parts include all the astromech droid and minifigure parts from set 7915 Imperial V-Wing Starfighter, all the new robber and police officer minifigure parts from this year's Police theme, the police dog, the basic white horse, and most of the Hero Factory printed parts (including a few that are not on DesignByMe mode). Feel free to download just this file if you have sets that you need to update decorations in, and then download the updated LDD Decorations file for general decorations reference.

[Superkalle]

Absolutely great work Aanchir. Thanks so much for this

[legolijntje]

@ Aanchir, did you also checked all the sides of the minifig legs and feets, because I thougt I saw also there some new ones, but I'm not sure.

[Brickdoctor]

Just updated the LDD Decorations file with all the new decorated parts accessible from LDD version 4.1.16. As a supplement to this, here's a file with only the newly-accessible decorations.

Nice. Thanks, Aanchir.