Subject:
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Re: I found an LDRAW importer for Google SketchUp
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.cad
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Date:
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Thu, 26 Oct 2006 17:32:44 GMT
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Viewed:
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2488 times
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In lugnet.cad, Anders Isaksson wrote:
> Lee Gaiteri wrote:
> >
> > Imagine getting started with a part by just taking a few
> > photos and running them through Pictomod3D, and then tweaking the
> > result.
>
> I don't belive it works (well) until I've seen it :-) I've tested some other
> such programs through the years, and they just don't cut it. Haven't tried
> Pictomod3D though.
I haven't tried it either, though I haven't seen anything else to compare it to.
I did manage to find one user review on a download site that says it's good, but
it works best on light-colored objects.
> Note that it is an *im*porter, not *ex*porter. But it is probably possible
> to write an exporter that produces something .dat-like, you just have to
> find the programmer to do it :-)
Aye, there's the rub.
> > then SketchUp could mock up a part
>
> Is Sketchup good when making things with precise dimensions? I've played a
> bit with it, and it's easy to draw *something*, but I didn't find an easy
> way to get precise dimensions (and it's all too easy to change things with
> the mouse).
Many modeling programs I've looked into over the years (I don't currently use a
3D modeler because of this) don't allow that level of precision, no. However,
with complex parts like hair, manually adding a zillion lines and triangles
isn't all that feasible. As far as conditional edges go, my edger utility can
handle adding those, but the rest is quite hard. Neither LDraw Design Pad nor
MLCad is able to simply move a vertex, split an edge, etc. I'm tempted to write
my own program for this, but I think it'd be easier to design an LDDP plugin
than write a program. I've been compiling a list of functions that no current
editor I've seen has:
- Split a quad into two triangles
- Split an edge
- Easily move a vertex
- Enforce same winding among traingles/quads that touch
- Add primitives according to a scripted math formula (e.g., lines, triangles)
Something like that would be pretty useful, I think. I know some of these
functions are supported by other 3D modelers, and many modelers are good for
simply rapidly working up a general shape. Connecting it to primitives later is
really the easy part.
> Automatic primitive substitution is almost a must, as we're talking
> *complicated* parts here with lots of elements. The easy ones are better
> done directly in a text editor.
Well yeah, but then anybody can do easy parts--and they do. Harder parts have
fallen by the wayside for lack of good tools.
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: I found an LDRAW importer for Google SketchUp
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| (...) You can add dimension objects, which get "linked" to points you specify, so as you change the size of the object it's linked to, the dimension is automatically updated. Not the perfect solution, but does allow for reasonable accuracy. (...) (...) (18 years ago, 27-Oct-06, to lugnet.cad)
| | | Re: I found an LDRAW importer for Google SketchUp
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| (...) Hi Lee, for the last four years I've been working on a program to do things like that - move vertexes easily, handle the winding, add mathematically simple shapes like circles in an easy way, calculate the intersction line between two (...) (18 years ago, 4-Nov-06, to lugnet.cad)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: I found an LDRAW importer for Google SketchUp
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| (...) I don't belive it works (well) until I've seen it :-) I've tested some other such programs through the years, and they just don't cut it. Haven't tried Pictomod3D though. (...) Note that it is an *im*porter, not *ex*porter. But it is probably (...) (18 years ago, 26-Oct-06, to lugnet.cad)
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