Custom LDD bricks and fixes

[Equilibrium]

@zweifuss Looks very nice, I'll dig out my UFO pieces and check how it compares :) But I have to say this - there's still room for improvement modeling-wise since your bricks requre some more work :P There are some gaps in geometry, overlaping faces, unsmoothed surfaces. I'll try to write short tutorial on how to get nice outlines in certain situations. Also, I have figured a trick on how to generate outlines on low angle surfaces (UFO dishes for example).

[SteelRiftGaming]

hi im in extended mode and this is my menu it wasnt like this on my old laptop and the minifig parts and accessories werent all in one folder in the app

[Stephan]

It look like you have downloaded version .12. That's a "bugged" version. A few posts back, the link to the .11 version is written.

LINK

Edited September 3, 2020 by Stephan

[zweifuss]

4 hours ago, Equilibrium said:

@zweifuss Looks very nice, I'll dig out my UFO pieces and check how it compares :) But I have to say this - there's still room for improvement modeling-wise since your bricks requre some more work :P There are some gaps in geometry, overlaping faces, unsmoothed surfaces. I'll try to write short tutorial on how to get nice outlines in certain situations. Also, I have figured a trick on how to generate outlines on low angle surfaces (UFO dishes for example).

Any help is appreciated, I'm still a student when it comes to 3D modeling, but I am an eager learner, look forward to seeing a tutorial! The rim on the left, I know I forgot to apply 'smooth surfaces' for that one, I should repost a newer model, but as for the gaps and the lines not generating on low-angle surfaces, that I would appreciate insight on. I think for that saucer piece, I must have moved the UV-surface up just a titch by accident, so that is why the gap is in that one. But I'm not sure why that second rim piece has the gaps, I must have not imported it correctly from .DAT file...

Edited September 3, 2020 by zweifuss

[SteelRiftGaming]

On 9/3/2020 at 12:49 PM, Stephan said:

It look like you have downloaded version .12. That's a "bugged" version. A few posts back, the link to the .11 version is written.

LINK

hi ive tried downloading that and when opening it nothing changes 
i was wondering if anyone could put their version of ldd and the ldd program files into a zip folder for download

[SylvainLS]

13 minutes ago, SteelRiftGaming said:

hi ive tried downloading that and when opening it nothing changes 
i was wondering if anyone could put their version of ldd and the ldd program files into a zip folder for download

You need to deinstall the rotten version first and clean your user directory.

[Equilibrium]

Ok, so I have finished another update. It was problematic and took a lot longer than expected due to inaccurate LDraw models. I was trying to fix dimensions based on official measures, photos and offsets for connection points I was getting. So if anyone owns any of the new parts (apart from 22253 and its tyres since I own this one) chceck if connection points/dimensions match with real bricks (by stacking bushes/connectors and seeing how much they stick out of the rim for example).

Download Links:

• All my updates combined
• Update 5 ONLY

[Stephan]

Added version 20200906: LINK.

This version includes 21 new parts, 22 updated parts, 9 new decorations, a new version of the 2020NewPreColoredParts palette and a minor change in the Rails category image.

[SylvainLS]

37383: pins can’t connect to full technic holes, they can connect to half beams, collision issue?

[Stephan]

8 minutes ago, SylvainLS said:

37383: pins can’t connect to full technic holes, they can connect to half beams, collision issue?

It does work on the brake dish piece (but that one might not have collisions, so you could be right!), but has 3 attachment positions that are slightly off.

[SylvainLS]

I didn’t know what part it was supposed to connect to.  I’m not a big car builder 

I just test the connections the simplest way to find the transformations for ldraw.xml: I see a stud, I put a 1x1 plate, I see an axle hole, I put an axle, I see a pin, I try to put a 1x1 beam, etc., because I’m 100% sure of the transformations for those simple parts.

[Stephan]

I will check to see if something is going wrong with the collisions.

[Equilibrium]

2 hours ago, SylvainLS said:

37383: pins can’t connect to full technic holes, they can connect to half beams, collision issue?

You are right. I forgot to update collisions after changing the model. It's fixed now - redownload from old links.

[Lo var Lachland]

On 8/30/2020 at 9:45 PM, M2m said:

1) Go to Folder "/Users/myusername/Library/Application\ Support/LEGO\ Company/LEGO\ Digital\ Designer/" and extract the db.lif file in that folder using JrMasterModelBuilders LIFExtractor.py python script

Using what? I'm not planning on going on a coding crusade to just get some new LEGO elements into LDD. If it requires Python script and commands then honestly I'm not up for that task.

[SemajNagirrac]

This is some incredible work! I've been wanting to know how to do this since 2013 and now that I finally have some time I've been going through the thread to figure this out. First off, thanks so much for all the hard work guys. Truly amazing stuff!

I've successfully added a new part to LDD and I can see it in the parts menu, but when I click on it LDD closes. Has anyone else come across this bug?

[Stephan]

29 minutes ago, SemajNagirrac said:

I've successfully added a new part to LDD and I can see it in the parts menu, but when I click on it LDD closes. Has anyone else come across this bug?

That probably means that there is a fault in the xml file. LDD not that tolerant with the layout.

If you can't find the error, you can send me a link to the xml and g files. I'll check it for you.

[SemajNagirrac]

48 minutes ago, Stephan said:

That probably means that there is a fault in the xml file. LDD not that tolerant with the layout.

If you can't find the error, you can send me a link to the xml and g files. I'll check it for you.

Well, that fixed it. The connections in the XML were way off. I just added a piece to LDD. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to joyfully weep for a bit. 

[garrath]

On 5/15/2020 at 1:13 PM, Stephan said:

To keep this topic clean of comments, please request and discuss HERE
All the undesired posts will be moved in the aforementioned related thread

...

can anyone explain how i get this please?

Edited September 10, 2020 by Calabar
Large quote reduced. Posts moved to the proper topic: please pay attention to the large red banner you quoted.

[Stephan]

Hi,

This section of that first post explains it:

Reaching the LDD part database

First things first. How to access the current parts of LDD? We need to know that before we can add new parts.

1. Download LDD LIF Extractor for 32- or 64-bit systems. The LIF file contains the LDD parts. It can be found here: LINK;
2. Unzip the LIF Extractor zip file;
3. Navigate to: Users/[UserName]/AppData/Roaming/LEGO Company/LEGO Digital Designer. The "AppData" folder could be hidden; if so: activate "Show hidden files";
4. Here you'll find a file named "db.lif". Drag that file onto LIFExtractor.exe;
5. You'll now find a folder named "db". Rename "db.lif" into something else (i.e. "xxdb.lif"), this is your parts back-up file!
6. Enter the folder, go to "Primitives". This folder contains the technical data for the parts. Navigate further to "LOD0", this folder contains the 3D models for the parts.

Accessing the new parts

Now for the real exciting part: adding parts to LDD. Lego Digital Designer should be closed for this.

1. Download the update parts pack (rar file) to the location of the "db" folder from the latest post below;
2. Unpack the folder;
3. If asked if you want to replace files, click "Yes to all". Now you will have the latest parts and the newest part geometries.

Edited September 10, 2020 by Stephan

[garrath]

can anyone explain how i get this please?

I got a notification but it dissapeared so if you replied how do I see it?

I can't file the files of parts goes to broken link!

Edited September 10, 2020 by Calabar

[garrath]

How do I get the files please

[Stephan]

1 hour ago, garrath said:

broken link

Try scrolling down the page and use the link for that latest parts pack.

[SylvainLS]

Here I added a replacement for the file LDD.paxml, the parts palette for LDD “standard” mode.

How do I use it?  Next to db.lif, there’s a Palettes directory.  Inside is a LDD.lif file.  Extract that lif.  Rename the lif.  Replace the file LDD.paxml in the new “LDD” directory with the new version.  (Re)start LDD.  Enjoy!

 

I added around 1100 entries following the list of ElementIDs/PCCs BrickLink knows about (downloadable as codes.xml).  Some may be faulty: identification error between LDD and BL ids or missing decors/sub-colouring.

I also included the pre-coloured new parts Stephan included in his “2020NewPreColoredParts” palette.

I didn’t change any of the existing combinations.  We all know there are faulty ones but I don’t have an exact, machine-readable list.  (Hint, hint.)

There’s still around 620 parts available in Extended that I have no colouring information for LDD and that are therefore still not directly available in “normal” mode.  (Hint, hint.)

[Philo]

On 9/6/2020 at 8:25 PM, Equilibrium said:

It was problematic and took a lot longer than expected due to inaccurate LDraw models.

Could you report what you found wrong? Might be intetesting to fix LDraw models

Edited September 10, 2020 by Philo

[jamesster]

Potentially of interest to this project... LEGO released a Unity toolkit that includes a bunch of official part models we didn't have before: