Subject:
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Re: LEGO Company Welcomes Adult LEGO Enthusiasts
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.lego.direct
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Date:
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Wed, 6 Dec 2000 11:20:55 GMT
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Viewed:
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9989 times
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"Franklin W. Cain" <fwcain@yahoo.com> writes:
> This "free software" which is to be used for building models, will it
> be compatible with LDraw/LEdit? That is, will it be able to read in
> and interpret the LDraw/LEdit DAT file format?
I'm guessing that TLC uses the word "free" in the meaning "gratis", not
"free" as in "Free Software Foundation".
I would be very surprised if TLC are going to use the LDraw format. It
has far too many difficult issues for them to use it. If we are lucky,
we can reverse engineer whatever format TLC comes up with to describe
the models to be submitted, and make a converter from LDraw to this
format. But I honestly doubt even that.
Difficult issues with LDraw include:
o Incomplete parts library. Obviously, many of the recent parts (and a
few old ones, too) are missing from the LDraw parts library. It is a
substantial job to fill in these.
o Some of the LDraw parts do not look like the real LEGO counterparts.
For example, the Technic axles are a bit too short, the Technic pins
do not have the "lips" on the ends, the 6558 Technic Axle Joiner has
the old style looks, meaning that the exterior is rotated 45° with
respect the part being used right now. Then there's a lot of details
which are left out on LDraw parts, for example the tubes under the
plates and bricks, ribs on Technic friction pins and much, much more.
o Some parts are difficult to model with LDraw. Take the flexible
element tubes, axles and other elements. These are difficult to model
with LDraw, and hence it is difficult to communicate exactly what
length is required.
o LDraw can be used to compose "impossible" part combinations. A lot of
LDraw parts come as multiple subparts. Some of these subparts reflect
the way the real parts are composed, and some don't. For example, you
can use LDraw to include odd elements in your models like the end part
of a Technic Pneumatic Airtank, a single 2x2/1x4 plate hinge element,
a minifig jack handle without the rest of the jack and so on.
o Parts in non-existing colour combinations. Let me just say chromed
minifigs and yellow rubber tires. I'm sure you can picture the
problems related to this.
I bet TLC prefer to make their own modeling software and parts library
to avoid problems like this.
It may be relevant to note that while LUGNET, Brickshelf, NQC and lots
of other fan created tools have received attention from TLC lately, I
haven't seen much of this for LDraw. LDraw may be something TLC do not
want to support.
The news we have heard lately is really exciting! 2002 is not that far
off. Let's just hope that this service is offered to the whole world
simultaneously, so that us from far away Europe don't have to wait
another year...
Fredrik (still waiting for LEGO Direct to appear i Norway)
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: LEGO Company Welcomes Adult LEGO Enthusiasts
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| "Fredrik Glöckner" <fredrik.glockner@bio.uio.no> wrote in message news:m3y9xt7q3s.fsf@...ldomain... (...) Hmm. As I just finished posting, before readin this, :-) ...it would be great if this software could import DAT files and convert them itself (...) (23 years ago, 6-Dec-00, to lugnet.lego.direct)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: LEGO Company Welcomes Adult LEGO Enthusiasts
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| Quoting from the article: "...builders will be able to build any three dimensional creation using free software to create building instructions for their model - and then order the appropriate number and type of bricks" -- Torben Ballegaard Sørensen (...) (23 years ago, 6-Dec-00, to lugnet.lego.direct)
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