What the hell is that? The BOM makes a big empty area. Anybody seen like this?

Greetings

Alex

Maybe you have a buggy part that has some element far outside main volume, making its envelope really big?

What the hell is that? The BOM makes a big empty area. Anybody seen like this?

Please take is easy with the powerwords - feels quite misplaced in a topic like this.

Also, the image is oversized. There is a policy at EB to have max 800 wide images in order to make the site friendlier to smaller screensizes, for downloading on mobile devices etc.

It could be the L motor, since it's the only one it that (big) column.

It could be the L motor, since it's the only one it that (big) column.

I've found it! There was a type mismatch from a part name in the PLI command, so a missing part (in this case it was the polarity switch not shown in the part list) seems to create an empty space, whatever. Ok, it's allright now, sorry for my nervous reaction.

Greetings

Alex

I have a problem with some isntructions in LPUB.

When I export the instructions to a pdf, I get a big white border at the bottom and right. It looks like this:

Anyone knows what's the problem?

Btw, I use these global settings:

0 !LPUB MULTI_STEP STEP_NUMBER FONT GLOBAL "Segoe UI Black,72,-1,5,87,0,0,0,0,0"
0 !LPUB CALLOUT INSTANCE_COUNT FONT GLOBAL "Segoe UI,36,-1,5,75,0,0,0,0,0"
0 !LPUB CALLOUT STEP_NUMBER FONT GLOBAL "Segoe UI,36,-1,5,75,0,0,0,0,0"
0 !LPUB CALLOUT ASSEM MARGINS GLOBAL 1.0000 1.0000
0 !LPUB CALLOUT BACKGROUND GLOBAL COLOR "#fff0bd"
0 !LPUB MULTI_STEP ASSEM MARGINS GLOBAL 1.0000 1.0000
0 !LPUB MULTI_STEP MARGINS GLOBAL 1.0000 1.0000
0 !LPUB ASSEM MARGINS GLOBAL 1.0000 1.0000
0 !LPUB MULTI_STEP SEPARATOR GLOBAL 0.04 #fff0bd 1 1
0 !LPUB CALLOUT BORDER GLOBAL ROUND #fff0bd 0 20 MARGINS 0.05 0.05
0 !LPUB CALLOUT BORDER GLOBAL ROUND #fff0bd 0 15 MARGINS 0.05 0.05
0 !LPUB PLI ANNOTATE FONT_COLOR GLOBAL "#000000"
0 !LPUB PLI ANNOTATE FONT GLOBAL "Segoe UI,22,-1,5,75,0,0,0,0,0"
0 !LPUB PLI INSTANCE_COUNT FONT GLOBAL "Segoe UI,26,-1,5,75,0,0,0,0,0"
0 !LPUB PLI PART MARGINS GLOBAL 0.5000 0.3000
0 !LPUB PLI MARGINS GLOBAL 0.0500 0.0500
0 !LPUB PLI BORDER GLOBAL ROUND #adedff 0 15 MARGINS 0.05 0.05
0 !LPUB PLI BACKGROUND GLOBAL COLOR "#adedff"
0 !LPUB PAGE BACKGROUND GLOBAL COLOR "#6be0ff"
0 !LPUB STEP_NUMBER FONT GLOBAL "Segoe UI Black,100,-1,5,87,0,0,0,0,0"
0 !LPUB PAGE DISPLAY_PAGE_NUMBER GLOBAL FALSE
0 !LPUB PLI MODEL_SCALE GLOBAL  2.0000
0 !LPUB ASSEM MODEL_SCALE GLOBAL  2.5000
0 !LPUB PAGE SIZE GLOBAL 29.7000 21.0000
0 !LPUB RESOLUTION GLOBAL 100 DPI

That's because LPub integrated pdf generator uses next standard paper size greater than needed dimensions. You either have to choose your page dimensions to fit standard paper size (and because of some rounding issues it can be tricky to avoid a thin white line around colored background), or use png export and rebuild pdf from there using another tool. This later option is not made easier because lpub names the images xxx_page_1...xxx_page_9...xxx_page_10...xxx_page_99...xxx_page_100... so files doesn't sort easily in correct order!

Edit: This can be another solution (not tested!)

Edited March 5, 201410 yr by Philo

Thanks Philo. The PNG export isn't an option for me, because I want to edit the pdf file a bit after it's generated and when LPub generates a pdf, all images, borders text etc. are seperate objects and can be edited.

I thought I used standard page sizes... Well, I'll try a bit

And, you were talking about cropping the pdf. Stupid I never thought about that. That's an easy solution too (I just tried it, but not with the software you lniked)

Another Problem:

In the Wing Truck Container instructions I noticed some difference with the parts in the BOM and in he instructions. Before starting to build, I count all parts from from the BOM. After finishing the build, I have two 4L-stop axles and two 3L-axles left.

So the BOM is not accurate. I've used some ghosts and Buffer Exchanges with these parts, but I couldn't find any errors in the Cad file.

Any hints?

The CAD File link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0caxfpjstshmij8/Wing%20Truck%20Container.mpd

Greetings

Alex

Well, of course the problem is difficult to find. There could be a problem with the buffer exhange in combination with rotation-steps. What I discovered (that I didn't know before), is that you always have to place the rotation-step before the buffer-exhange retrieve command. Otherwise the parts get shown double. I don't know if this the problem in your case though...

I am not getting along with all those instructions... because it kind of misses an important step - How do I get my LDD models I build to LPub?

I am working on a Mac, I downloaded this LDraw package but there is no APP in it to create anything, just libraries. And the 3d viewers I got for Mac are not opening LDD files. I can't find anything to tell me how to get my LDD models / instructions to LPub for doing a great and professional building instruction.

Is there any way to do this?

I am not getting along with all those instructions... because it kind of misses an important step - How do I get my LDD models I build to LPub?

I am working on a Mac, I downloaded this LDraw package but there is no APP in it to create anything, just libraries. And the 3d viewers I got for Mac are not opening LDD files. I can't find anything to tell me how to get my LDD models / instructions to LPub for doing a great and professional building instruction.

Is there any way to do this?

Well, the problem is that LDraw files are compatible with, well, all LDraw based software (and that's A LOT!). However, LDD files are only compatible with LDD (and LDD2POVray). LDD files can't be opened in LDraw software. You can export the LDD files to LDraw files, by going to export in LDraw (and make sure you have the newest ldraw.xml for the best result). However, the result of that export can be pretty bad (not always), for example missing parts, wrong placed parts, wrong colors etc.

Even if you would like to use LDraw software, you're still on a mac... And, the most LDraw software is only available for Windows. There is a LDraw modeling app that is specific for MAC (and also has a quite complete set of features) that also recently got a big update. It's called Bricksmith.

So, LDD and LDraw are not really compatible with each other and the fact that you're on a mac makes using LDraw also a bit more difficult. But, if you have any more questions, feel free to ask

Thx for your update :)

So I should work with Bricksmith and then use those files for LPub?

Thx for your update :)

So I should work with Bricksmith and then use those files for LPub?

I'm also on a Mac and have found Bricksmith to be really good. Easy to use and no issues with opening those files in LPub to make instructions.

Has LPub lost the ability to render with l3p/POV + LGEO? I can't find the settings anywhere in version 4, and the renderings made by LDView and LDGLite are comparatively very low quality (as would be expected of anything being compared to a raytracer). I still have my version 2.4 installed, but am having trouble getting it to work with the modern version of l3p.

Yeah, I believe that the POV option was removed a while back, although I don't know the exact version number.

Huh, I don't understand why support for the highest quality renderer would be dropped. It makes the program a lot less useful....

I guess I'll have to dig through the version history a bit and try to find when it happened.

Hi all, sorry for the double post, but I come bearing good news.

I've implemented about 95% of the support necessary for rendering with L3P + POV-RAY. It all works fine on my machine, and I just need to add some preferences support to the UI. Only took about 6 hours, which is less bad than I feared, since apparently L3P takes very similar commandline arguments to LDView/LDGLite. In anycase, I'm wondering if anyone knows if the developers of the SourceForge project are still active/accepting patches, or if I'm better off setting up a GitHub page with a fork.

Notice the rather attractive reflective surfaces in my mirror piece:

Compared with the LDView version:

Edited August 12, 201410 yr by elfprince13

Great discover, elfprince13.

Try to contact the author of this topic and ask her to include it in the guide at the beginning of the topic.

PS: the images you linked are too big. Maximum size allowed in the forum is 1024x768. You could use thumbnails.

Interesting. But my Windows LPub version doesn't show L3P option... Sorry, See now that it's your work!

Huh, I don't understand why support for the highest quality renderer would be dropped. It makes the program a lot less useful....

Depends on what you intend to do... For building instructions, readability is of paramount importance, and LDView images are (imho!) MUCH more understandable than POV ones.

About POV/LDView comparison, see http://news.lugnet.c....../ray/?n=2822 ... This question is not new!!!

I guess I'll have to dig through the version history a bit and try to find when it happened.

I think it was dropped with WYSIWIG version 4 (version 3 never really existed)

Edited August 12, 201410 yr by Philo

I did my first instruction ever now on Mac using Brickmsith and LPub and am quite happy... the only thing I do not like is Bricksmith not "interlocking" parts. Sometimes there are small gaps when trying to combine technic and you just can't fit it perfectly, no matter the grid size... that is frustrating, looks strange.

http://brickmasta.sinful.at/the-batwing-pdf-instruction/

Great discover, elfprince13.Try to contact the author of this topic and ask her to include it in the guide at the beginning of the topic.PS: the images you linked are too big. Maximum size allowed in the forum is 1024x768. You could use thumbnails.

Thanks for the heads-up, I resized them appropriately. Retina display screenshots are a bit of a pain to work with....

Interesting. But my Windows LPub version doesn't show L3P option... Sorry, See now that it's your work!

I'll try to get my changes released sometime this week, and I'll be sure to include a Windows version. Qt makes it pretty easy, thankfully.

Depends on what you intend to do... For building instructions, readability is of paramount importance, and LDView images are (imho!) MUCH more understandable than POV ones.About POV/LDView comparison, see http://news.lugnet.c....../ray/?n=2822 ... This question is not new!!!I think it was dropped with WYSIWIG version 4 (version 3 never really existed)

I think it's a matter of personal preference - you can definitely fix up the POV versions with a bit more uniform lighting than I used in my screenshot (and by drawing the seams between pieces a little bit thicker). In any case, user choice is a good thing.

[edit]

I'm trying to contact the developers to have my changes incorporated into the main version, but in the meantime, any adventurous souls can build it for themselves from here. On either Windows or Mac, this should consist of installing Qt version 4, running qmake on the project file, and building the resulting platform-specific projectfile in Xcode or Visual Studio.

[edit 2]

I've made contact with the maintainers of the sourceforge project and submitted my patches.

Edited August 13, 201410 yr by elfprince13

First of all, thanks for posting this tutorial on how to create instruction for models in LPub. I found it very useful, and I'm only starting to learn how to use it.

I made instruction for a small MOC, to try things out, and I'm stuck with the ROTSTEP command. It doesn't work for me. I copied the code as in the tutorial above, and I get a notification saying

 Parse failed .ldr:20
0 LPUB ROTSTEP 0 90 0 REL 

.

Does anyone know what the problem seems to be here? I would appreciate your help, as I just can't figure it out.

I believe it should just be

0 ROTSTEP 0 90 0 REL

It doesn't need the LPUB. Well, at least I never used the LPUB.

Thanks, it works now. I tried without the LPUB in front of the line. I never thought of trying without it, but this seems to work fine.

I believe it should just be

0 ROTSTEP 0 90 0 REL

It doesn't need the LPUB. Well, at least I never used the LPUB.