[Software] LDCad - LDraw cad

[roland]

Okay, so equivalent to using X and Y of the projection plane (aka the screen).

Yes

Thanks. Your moves in trackball mode look way more controlled than mine. I don’t know if it’s because I mostly use a touchpad but trackball is always a pain to me

It might be that the touch pad is too sensitive, I'll add a sensitivity option to 1.6 to 'slow down sampling' that might make things better for you.

OK, now I know the theoretical difference, and I even finally managed to SEE some usage difference. But I really don't FEEL it, both modes work just the same for me (except for the angle limitation in spin mode that I don't like - probably because I mostly create Technic models where you often must work from below). Must be some neural cabling of hand/eye coordination, trained by countless hours of LDView usage

I'm always fighting LDView's camera as I'm hard wired to use trackball mode (and not just in LDCad).

[SylvainLS]

@Philo: Do you, by happenstance, use a fat mouse lying belly up (or, rather, ball up), er, a trackball?

@Roland: Thanks but I’m happy with spin mode

Edited August 10, 2016 by SylvainLS

[Philo]

No, I tried this thing years ago and don't like it at all (don't like laptop pads either!)

[MReizinho]

Hello!

I was wondering if there is any way to scale parts in LDCad. I've read in the FAQ that "Models using 'mirroring' or 'scaling' will not render correctly" but I can't find the option to scale part anywhere. I would like to scale down the Classic Space sticker in the following model:

Thanks for the help.

[Jaco]

Hi MReizinho,

Mirroring does render odd indeed, but scaling can be done.

I don't know how to do this _in_ LDCad, but I know you can adjust the matrix in the LDraw file. It is just text, so you can edit it.

For example with the 3001 brick 2x4 edit the 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 part in the matrix:

1 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3001.dat

to for example half size (1 > 0.5)

1 1 80 0 60 0.5 0 0 0 0.5 0 0 0 0.5 3001.dat

Edited September 7, 2016 by Jaco

[legolijntje]

[...]

I don't know how to do this _in_ LDCad, but I know you can adjust the matrix in the LDraw file. It is just text, so you can edit it.

[...]

You can edit those numbers in LDcad by clicking the little info-box with XYZ info that appears when you select a part.

[Jaco]

Ah, so true.

There is no direct method, interface wise, to scale say 50% so that LDCad makes the change to the code.

You will have to do it manually, but in LDcad like legolijntje described.

[MReizinho]

Thank you both, that did the trick! And Roland is right: parts using scaling will not render correctly. But only if you enable "Lighting" in LDraw Preferences menu.

[roland]

Thank you both, that did the trick! And Roland is right: parts using scaling will not render correctly. But only if you enable "Lighting" in LDraw Preferences menu.

Technical reason:

Each part in LDCad has been flattened geometry wise in order to allow for fast rendering, scaling/mirroring will (also) affect the containing normals and thus mess with the lighting.

Workaround:

Put the slope part with its scaled sticker in a new .dat containing a "0 UNOFFICIAL PART" line. This will make it a new part which will be flattened separately and thus render correctly.

Edited September 7, 2016 by roland

[MReizinho]

This will make it a new part which will be flattened separately and thus render correctly.

I did and it worked. But that means that I would have to include my "homemade" unofficial part when sharing the file.

I tried some variants but with no avail:

- I added just the sticker with a new dat name and the ""0 UNOFFICIAL PART" line to the unofficial folder

- I tried to create two parts with the same name (one official and other unofficial)

But I gave up. I would rather have it not rendering correctly on LDCad than have to share a non existent unofficial part. No harm done.

[MReizinho]

Silly me. I just realized that I may be able to include my unofficial part inside a mpd file. And since my unofficial part is made from two official parts there would be no trouble with sharing. Hum... wonder if I might pull this out.

[legolijntje]

You can easily include (unofficial) parts into an mpd file. Just open the part and the mpd file in a text editor and paste the part at the end of the mpd file.

Or use 'MPDCenter' to automatically scan for unofficial parts and put them into the mpd file.

The import feature might be available in LDCad 1.6 (alpha/beta) too, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

[roland]

The import feature might be available in LDCad 1.6 (alpha/beta) too, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

1.6 will offer to create an unoffical part subfile instead of a submodel if scaling and or line geometry is detected in the selection.while using the 'reorganize/move to subfile..' option.

You can also use the new header fields available in 1.6 to change a model into a part but it will require a file reload afterwards.

Edited September 8, 2016 by roland

[MReizinho]

I've edited the file in a text editor and was able to do it. I ended up with a mpd file instead of a ldr for such a small model but I'm ok with that. And it now renders correctly in LDCad. Thank you all for your input.

Cheers!

Edited September 8, 2016 by MReizinho

[syclone]

Maybe those will be stupid questions, but:

- I wanted to try LDCad and from screenshots I noticed that the image quality is lower than LDD ; Is that correct?

- Are all Technic parts available ( specially the old 9v components, 90's and 00's wheels and old panels) ?

- Is it as easy as LDD ( Only legal connections, easy to pick and place a part , quick tool changes - Bucket, Copy, Flex ,..)?

- Is it as fast as LDD? I'm one of those who can change a single model trillion times in one day , and the perfomance is really important for me.

NOTE: I will never leave LDD , I just want to make a model with a lot of parts unavailable right now and having 20+ brick build solutions will slow me down.

Sorry for so many questions , Best regards , LXF

[roland]

- I wanted to try LDCad and from screenshots I noticed that the image quality is lower than LDD ; Is that correct?

I think It's fairly comparable when using OpenGL >=3.0 and msaa enabled

-- Are all Technic parts available ( specially the old 9v components, 90's and 00's wheels and old panels) ?

LDCad uses LDraw which has over 8000 parts, you can specific ones on LDraw.org 's part tracker.

-- Is it as easy as LDD ( Only legal connections, easy to pick and place a part , quick tool changes - Bucket, Copy, Flex ,..)?

Placement wise anything goes, but there is a basic optional part snapping tool. Snapping is not at the level of LDD though.

-- Is it as fast as LDD? I'm one of those who can change a single model trillion times in one day , and the perfomance is really important for me.

I'm not 100% sure but I think LDCad is faster then LDD (imho) model size is basically only limited by vga speed. Biggest I've loaded and edited was ~130 thousand parts (at ~5fps on a Radeon 7950),

[syclone]

...

Thanks for the detailed answer! I am somewhat confused, what is LDraw and what is LDCad? Is LDCad an add-on or a program for LDraw?

[KamalMYafi]

[...] I am somewhat confused, what is LDraw and what is LDCad? Is LDCad an add-on or a program for LDraw?

LDraw is a collection of parts made by the Lego community. It is not useable with LDD (which is made by LEGO itself), but you have to use it with other software e.g. the well known MLcad or the better (more ldd like) SR3D Builder.

It is also often used as a term to adres the whole set of software such as MLcad, LDview, Lpub etc.

The advantages of LDraw are that it has waaaaay more parts than LDD has. Especially older parts. In combinatoin with e.g. SR3D Builder, it is also more `proffesional` than LDD.

Edited September 11, 2016 by KamalMYafi

[legolijntje]

@KamalMYafi: Wow, I even forgot about that piece of text. Maybe I should update it a bit

Thanks for the detailed answer! I am somewhat confused, what is LDraw and what is LDCad? Is LDCad an add-on or a program for LDraw?

But to answer your question: LDraw is technically only a collection of parts and a bunch of specifications on how to create and use the parts and models.

Super long ago (in the 90s), it started out as a building program, but the LDraw Organisation doesn't have its own software anymore for a long, long time.

There are a lot of LDraw 'compatible' programs. LDCad is one of them, used for building models with the LDraw parts. Other well-known programs are LDview for viewing LDraw models, LPub3D for creating instructions using LDraw models and many, many more.

You install the LDraw library once and all other programs can use that same library on your PC.

[Calabar]

Hint: in the Section Index (one of the two pinned topic in this section) you can find a list of the main software that you can use to build with "virtual" LEGO.

[syclone]

@KamalMYafi: Wow, I even forgot about that piece of text. Maybe I should update it a bit

But to answer your question: LDraw is technically only a collection of parts and a bunch of specifications on how to create and use the parts and models.

Super long ago (in the 90s), it started out as a building program, but the LDraw Organisation doesn't have its own software anymore for a long, long time.

There are a lot of LDraw 'compatible' programs. LDCad is one of them, used for building models with the LDraw parts. Other well-known programs are LDview for viewing LDraw models, LPub3D for creating instructions using LDraw models and many, many more.

You install the LDraw library once and all other programs can use that same library on your PC.

Hint: in the Section Index (one of the two pinned topic in this section) you can find a list of the main software that you can use to build with "virtual" LEGO.

Thanks for the clarifications!

I installed the AIOI and chose the LDcad 1.5 as an extra. Here's my first experience of the program, I don't want to offend anybody.

Cons:

You have to constantly press the left mouse button to drag pieces ;

Many useless (for me ) functions and a lot of missing or difficult to access useful ones ;

No "baseplate" ;

Illegal and even impossible conections allowed ;

Everything by shortcuts or right click

No bucket tool, you have to choose the color before placing the part

Bad graphics - even on my laptop the LDD has better rendering

Styled as an old program -sorry , but it looks terrible

Terrible part sorting - why the 2l pin is after the 3l one?!

Can't rotate a part in the part bin

Pros:

Extensive part library.

In general, I don't like it. I haven't found what I was searching for , I will rather work with brick build solutions in LDD. The program is too complex to work fast with models , it took me 2 minutes to place a pin inside a pin hole of a technic brick because the part snapping is off by default.

Maybe I just don't understand something , but it is not for me.

Again, this just my opinion , not an offense

Edited September 11, 2016 by LXF

[roland]

Here's my first experience of the program, I don't want to offend anybody.

Don't worry about that too much, all feedback is welcome.

Some corrections / 'excuses' on your cons:

You can also use the ins key to add new parts, it will add the last used / clicked part in the current color.

A base plate can be placed like any other part.

I myself consider placement freedom a pro, part snapping is off by default because I'm in the process of adding the needed snapping info to parts as they are not standard LDraw information. While not everything has that info, placement might be very confusing to new users. This is why in the documentation I explain grid placement first

Color can be assigned to the selection by pressing the first rectangle below the color wheel which indicates the current 'working' color.

I still don't think the graphics are 'bad', but I'm interested in what aspect you consider bad?

The gui is the way it is because I like it myself and it's drawn fully using OpenGL so I kept it simple for now.

Sorting is done based on the LDraw part descriptions, if you want custom sorting / bins you can design your own bin content if needed.

You can rotate a part in the bin by holding ctrl

[syclone]

Thanks for clarifications!

By baseplate I mean a transparent "ground", like in LDD. I noticed it appears when moving a part, is it possible to make it permanent?

For some weird reason the "colored 3 axis" thingy dissappeared behind the parts bin. What do I have to do to place it back?

Also, is there a tutorial for LDcad?

[roland]

By baseplate I mean a transparent "ground", like in LDD. I noticed it appears when moving a part, is it possible to make it permanent?

A static ground base was planned for 1.6 but I dropped it in favor of other features. I might add it in a future version though.

For some weird reason the "colored 3 axis" thingy dissappeared behind the parts bin. What do I have to do to place it back?

You detached the part bin window, holddown ctrl while draging the window to dock it again.

Also, is there a tutorial for LDcad?

yes: http://www.melkert.net/LDCad/docs

[J_C]

Hello,

Is it possible to export LDraw model into some format that I can import in some "normal" CAD/3D platform (Maya, SolidWorks, Alias, Catia, 3DS, anything). Any experience with such a task? Thank you.