Subject:
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LDA2001 Quickstart (Was: Automated minifig walking...)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.cad, lugnet.animation
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Date:
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Wed, 18 Feb 2004 23:32:32 GMT
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Viewed:
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9418 times
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In lugnet.cad, Miguel Agullo wrote:
>
> PS: Can you please write a minifig tutorial for your program? Pretty please?
My program was written a couple of years ago. The primary idea was not the
program itself, but to create a syntax that could cover all needs for animation.
There are many programmers at Lugnet much more skilled than me, so I thought
that if this syntax could be accetpted, other developers could make much better
user interfaces much faster than me.
But because animation is so complicated, I wanted it to be automized, so I
created to shell program to take care of the coding, and the user just had to
add parameters.
Before I make a brief tutorial, I also want to say that this program uses the
old minifig parts and if my memory serves me well, there is some minor bug with
one hand or arm.
1. Don't start LDA2001 yet! The model in step 2 can be created with Notepad, or
ML-Cad, or any other LDraw modeller. Or you can use any model file already
created. But you can not use LDA2001 to create the scene file itself.
2. Create a static SCENE MODEL. Nothing in this model will be moving. All thing
that will move must be lifted out and saved as separate models. The scene can be
named anything, but LDA2001 defaults scene.dat. Save the file in
<LDrawBaseDir>\Models (Remember, this is a prototype program, and I don't think
saving in any other folder is a good idea). A scene can be anything from just a
10.dat baseplate, a 700.dat brickplate, to Datsville's town.ldr.
3. (The LDA2001 program requires that C:\Windows\LDraw.ini exists. If you are
not certain, check that)
4. Launch the LDA2001.exe program. Click on "New" button to create a NEW
PROJECT. Just click on the defaults or change your name if you wish. You should
now have five lines in the upper window. (This window is editable at any time.)
5. Create a MINIFIG. Click on "Create..." button, click "No" to create a
minifig. Minifig stands by default. Do NOT click on the "Stand" button - there
is a harmless but funny little bug that makes the hands misplaced in that
function.
6. If you wish to change minifigs object name, click on "Hip" radio-button
inside Member panel. Edit inside "Name" box in Change panel and the OK button to
the right of that box.
7. If you want to change minifig's position or rotation, do it in the first line
at the larger edit box. (The hip part "is" the minifig and the other members are
just child objects to it.)
8. If you want another torso patten, just change the file name reference
accordingly. Operations like this can be done anytime before compiling. I
strongly suggest you use Anders Isaksson's LDList to find the file name.
http://user.tninet.se/~hbh828t/ldlist.htm
9. Click on the larger "OK" button to the right. If you haven't picked "Sit"
mode, you will be prompted if you want the minifig to walk. just click "Yes" if
you want it to, or else it will be standing still.
10. SHOOT FRAME(s) by clicking on the "Shoot Frame" button. If you want more
than one frame, you can either click many times at that button or you can edit
the line. "Camera.Shoot 8" makes 8 frames and so on.
11. Now, all you have to do is click on the "Compile" button, and the program
will create as many frame files as you ordered it to Shoot Frame. (Plus one
Master file with STEPs and CLEARs that can be use by any LDraw renderer
supporting these meta-commands.)
12. Before quitting program, save script file if you wish.
Please ask me if there is something you want to know.
/Tore
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