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I just started playing around with Lego Digital Designer a couple of days ago
and had a few questions.
I am having trouble placing a part in my model. I have found how to use the
PgUp/PgDn keys to move a piece along the z-axis, but is there a way to move a
piece along the x-y axis using keyboard controls?
Also, is the a way a piece can move through another piece to get to where it
needs to be placed?
Also, once a model is built using a certain brick palette, can the brick palette
be changed (i.e., expanded from using a limited palette to using all available
bricks?) I think I saw all bricks in any color option once, but I can't seem to
find that option anymore.
I hope this is the right place to ask. Thanks.
--
Thomas Main
thomasmain@myrealbox.com
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In lugnet.cad, Thomas Main wrote:
I just started playing around with Lego Digital Designer a couple of days ago
and had a few questions.
I am having trouble placing a part in my model. I have found how to use the
PgUp/PgDn keys to move a piece along the z-axis, but is there a way to move a
piece along the x-y axis using keyboard controls?
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Not that I know of. You can rotate the whole model and then use PgUp/PgDn to
jiggle the piece you need to move - then rotate the whole thing back. Obviously,
this is a pain when working with a model of any real size.
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Also, is the a way a piece can move through another piece to get to where it
needs to be placed?
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Im not sure quite what you mean here. It is possible to squeeze in pieces in a
fashion that would be impossible in the real world. For example, if you remove
the middle plate from a 3-plate stack, you can slip in a new plate without
moving the top and bottom plates. Just play around with the viewing angle - it
can have an effect on the auto-connect feature.
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Also, once a model is built using a certain brick palette, can the brick
palette be changed (i.e., expanded from using a limited palette to using all
available bricks?) I think I saw all bricks in any color option once, but I
cant seem to find that option anymore.
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Yes. In the Start Model screen, right-click on a saved model. This will bring
up a window that says Convert your model to another palette.
If you dont see the all bricks, any color option, go into LDD Preferences and
check the box to allow it.
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I hope this is the right place to ask. Thanks.
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I think we need a .cad.ldd group! Hope that helped.
Marc Nelson Jr.
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In lugnet.cad, Marc Nelson Jr. wrote:
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In lugnet.cad, Thomas Main wrote:
I just started playing around with Lego Digital Designer a couple of days
ago and had a few questions.
I am having trouble placing a part in my model. I have found how to use
the PgUp/PgDn keys to move a piece along the z-axis, but is there a way to
move a piece along the x-y axis using keyboard controls?
|
Not that I know of. You can rotate the whole model and then use PgUp/PgDn to
jiggle the piece you need to move - then rotate the whole thing back.
Obviously, this is a pain when working with a model of any real size.
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Yeah, at the Brickfest speech, Mark? from the LDD/Factory team mentioned that it
was possible to build models using the keyboard only -- we just had to find the
secrets that were already in the program. I was hoping someone had found this
partiicular one.
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Also, is the a way a piece can move through another piece to get to where it
needs to be placed?
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snip
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Yes. In the Start Model screen, right-click on a saved model. This will
bring up a window that says Convert your model to another palette.
If you dont see the all bricks, any color option, go into LDD Preferences
and check the box to allow it.
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Thanks - that works!!
--
Thomas Main
thomasmain@myrealbox.com
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In lugnet.cad, Thomas Main wrote:
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In lugnet.cad, Marc Nelson Jr. wrote:
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In lugnet.cad, Thomas Main wrote:
I just started playing around with Lego Digital Designer a couple of days
ago and had a few questions.
I am having trouble placing a part in my model. I have found how to use
the PgUp/PgDn keys to move a piece along the z-axis, but is there a way to
move a piece along the x-y axis using keyboard controls?
|
Not that I know of. You can rotate the whole model and then use PgUp/PgDn to
jiggle the piece you need to move - then rotate the whole thing back.
Obviously, this is a pain when working with a model of any real size.
|
Yeah, at the Brickfest speech, Mark? from the LDD/Factory team mentioned that
it was possible to build models using the keyboard only -- we just had to
find the secrets that were already in the program. I was hoping someone had
found this partiicular one.
|
|
Also, is the a way a piece can move through another piece to get to where
it needs to be placed?
|
|
snip
|
Yes. In the Start Model screen, right-click on a saved model. This will
bring up a window that says Convert your model to another palette.
If you dont see the all bricks, any color option, go into LDD Preferences
and check the box to allow it.
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Thanks - that works!!
--
Thomas Main
thomasmain@myrealbox.com
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This is the second time Ive read about secret keyboard shortcuts in LDD.
What exactly is the point of keeping features secret from the users? Im not
interested in some kind of stupid scavenger hunt - I would just like to use the
program to build stuff.
Marc Nelson Jr.
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Marc Nelson Jr. wrote:
>
> What exactly is the point of keeping features secret from the users?
> I'm not interested in some kind of stupid scavenger hunt - I would
> just like to use the program to build stuff.
From the C:\Program\LEGO Software\LEGO Digital Designer\documentation
folder:
Keyboard shortcuts
Selected brick:
a.. Left/Right/Up/Down Rotate selected brick. If the hinge tool is
active, rotate the brick around the hinge connection. Otherwise, rotate the
brick in the world.
b.. Delete Delete the selected bricks.
c.. PgUp/PgDn Move the placed brick up and down.
Undo:
a.. Escape Abort the current action.
b.. Z Undo the last action.
c.. Y Redo the last action.
Viewpoint control:
a.. +/-/ Zoom in and out.
b.. 4/6 Rotate the view left and right.
c.. 2/8 Rotate the view up and down.
d.. 0 or 5 Reset the viewpoint.
e.. Space Switch on the targeting tool to centre the view on an
object.
Tools:
a.. M Cycle between the brick movement tools.
b.. D Clone tool.
c.. G Cycle between the paint tools (paint and colour picker).
d.. E Delete tool.
e.. H Hinge tool.
f.. L Toggle automatic LEGO connections on or off.
g.. B Toggles the display of the brick tray.
Functions:
a.. N Restart.
b.. S Save.
c.. P Print brick list (build mode) / screen shot (view mode).
d.. I Exchange models on LEGO.com.
e.. F1 Help.
f.. U Deconstruct (view mode only).
g.. K Save screenshot (view mode only).
h.. F2 Toggle building instruction toolbar (view mode).
i.. F3 Toggle alternative background images (view mode).
Building Instructions (view mode only):
a.. Home First building instruction step.
b.. Page Up Step back.
c.. Enter Play / Pause.
d.. Page Down Step forward.
e.. End Last building instruction step.
Navigation:
a.. T Toggle build/view mode.
b.. Q or F4 Exit LDD.
So there's no documented way to move in X and Y, and I haven't found any key
that does it, either.
--
Anders Isaksson, Sweden
BlockCAD: http://web.telia.com/~u16122508/proglego.htm
Gallery: http://web.telia.com/~u16122508/gallery/index.htm
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In lugnet.cad, Anders Isaksson wrote:
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From the C:Program\LEGO SoftwareLEGO Digital Designerdocumentation
folder:
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Hey no fair you guys get a documentation folder?!? Theres no such thing in
the Mac version.
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So theres no documented way to move in X and Y, and I havent found any key
that does it, either.
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Well, the mouse does a decent job of that. What Im more concerned about is:
how do I rotate a brick in anything other than 90-degree increments?
Best,
Joe
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In lugnet.cad, Joe Strout wrote:
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In lugnet.cad, Anders Isaksson wrote:
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From the C:Program\LEGO SoftwareLEGO Digital Designerdocumentation
folder:
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Hey no fair you guys get a documentation folder?!? Theres no such thing
in the Mac version.
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Ive already sent in a request for a Mac readme/helpfile thru a LEGO Ambassador
buddy :)
~Kevoh
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In lugnet.cad, Marc Nelson Jr. wrote:
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In lugnet.cad, Thomas Main wrote:
I just started playing around with Lego Digital Designer a couple of days
ago and had a few questions.
I am having trouble placing a part in my model. I have found how to use
the PgUp/PgDn keys to move a piece along the z-axis, but is there a way to
move a piece along the x-y axis using keyboard controls?
|
Not that I know of. You can rotate the whole model and then use PgUp/PgDn to
jiggle the piece you need to move - then rotate the whole thing back.
Obviously, this is a pain when working with a model of any real size.
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You can select more than one piece at the same time, and move or rotate them all
at once. Click on the carrot on the right of the pointer tool in the toolbar to
expand it. Experiment with Select Multiple, Super Select, Same Colour Select,
Same Design Select, and Same Colour and Design Select.
~Kevoh
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In lugnet.cad, Joe Strout wrote:
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Well, the mouse does a decent job of that. What Im more concerned about is:
how do I rotate a brick in anything other than 90-degree increments?
Best,
Joe
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Turn off automatic brick binding (the lock icon) and you willbe able to rotate
in finer steps.
--
Thomas Main
thomasmain@myrealbox.com
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In lugnet.cad, Thomas Main wrote:
> I just started playing around with Lego Digital Designer a couple of days ago
> and had a few questions.
Me too!
And the first thing I am trying to do is build a micro scale car. Grabbed a
black 1x1 round plate as a wheel. Can't see it on the screen! How do you change
the background color?
JB
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In lugnet.cad, Thomas Main wrote:
> I just started playing around with Lego Digital Designer a couple of days ago
> and had a few questions.
>
> I am having trouble placing a part in my model. I have found how to use the
> PgUp/PgDn keys to move a piece along the z-axis, but is there a way to move a
> piece along the x-y axis using keyboard controls?
I got word from an e-mail I sent to the LDD team at Lego that this feature is
being considered for a future version of the product.
--
Thomas Main
thomasmain@myrealbox.com
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