Subject:
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Re: Which CAD program recommended for Mac??
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.cad, lugnet.cad.dev.mac
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Date:
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Mon, 4 Feb 2008 23:07:23 GMT
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Viewed:
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9838 times
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In lugnet.cad, Jim DeVona wrote:
> In lugnet.cad, Orion Pobursky wrote:
> > In lugnet.cad, Jim DeVona wrote:
> > > In lugnet.cad, John Neal wrote:
> > > > In lugnet.cad, Tommy Armstrong wrote:
> > > > > On another list--one about that best of all 20th Century novellist, Patrick
> > > > > O'Brian--I am kind of known as the LEGO guy. Had a question about which
> > > > > would be best CAD program for an Apple. Told her I would post to the
> > > > > experts. Any recocommendations would be apprecitate. As I have never used
> > > > > any of them--being an engraver on bricks instead of being a builder with
> > > > > bricks--I defer to the AKL on all subjects LEGO.
> > > >
> > > > That would depend-- if he has a new Mac with the Intel chip, I'd say to go
> > > > with MLCAD running Bootcamp. Otherwise, the choice would have to be
> > > > Bricksmith.
> > >
> > > I would recommend <http://bricksmith.sourceforge.net/ Bricksmith> in either
> > > case.
> >
> > I'm going to have to disagree. As a long time MLCad user and a recent Mac
> > convert (Nov 2007), I feel that while Bricksmith is a very good program, it has
> > some very definite drawbacks that makes it difficult to use.
>
> Bricksmith is certainly unlike MLCad, which is indeed a fine program. However,
> I'd like to humbly correct a few inaccuracies I perceive in your list of
> drawbacks.
>
> > Here's a list from off the top of my head (keep in mind that it's not all
> > inclusive):
> >
> > - No click and drag support in the view windows. Clicking and dragging simply
> > changes the view settings to "3D" and rotate the model.
>
> True. That is a definite difference.
Yes, this is very annoying as using the arrow keys to move a part/assembly all
the way across the model can be slow and painful, especially since Bricksmith
doesn't seem to display cursor coordinates.
> > - No keyboard shortcuts for changing colors, adding parts, changing grid
> > granularity, rotating parts, etc... It's almost as if the program wants to
> > force you to use the mouse.
>
> False.
>
> Keyboard controls for changing colors: Command-option-c to display color panel,
> tab and arrows to select color.
Ok, I see. I'd like functionality to type in the color number
> Keyboard controls for part insertion: Command-i to show part panel, tab and
> arrows to select part, Command-i again to insert part.
>
> (Tab navigation may require "All Controls" of System Preferences/Keyboard &
> Mouse/Keyboard Shortcuts/Full keyboard access to be set, but if you favor
> keyboard controls you owe it to yourself to enable this feature anyway.)
>
> Keyboard shortcuts to change grid granularity: Command-1, Command-2 and
> Command-3 for fine, medium, and coarse.
>
> Keyboard shortcuts to rotate parts: x, y, and z for rotation about the
> respective axis. Hold down shift as well to rotate in the opposite direction.
>
> Also, note that holding down option while moving parts with the arrow keys
> permits movement along the third axis. (Normally the arrows move parts in two
> dimensions relatively perpendicular to the view.)
These last 2 seem to be undocumented. Thanks for the tip
> > - No way to select and move/rotate more than one part at a time.
>
> False.
>
> Shift-click to select multiple parts in any view or in the file contents list.
> You can also command-click in the file contents list to select multiple parts
> without selecting the intervening parts as well. (Shift- and command-clicking to
> select multiple items is just a Mac convention, I guess; try it anywhere you see
> a list of selectable items.)
>
> You can move and rotate a multi-part selection as a group using the keyboard
> (arrows + x/y/z) or the toolbar icons, just as with individual parts. The Move
> and Rotate panels available under the Edit menu provide greater control of these
> manipulations. In particular, the Rotate panel allows you to choose the type and
> origin of rotation.
As above this is also appears to be undocumented and the Move/Rotate panels
don't have keyboard shortcuts (unless they too are undocumented). Multiple
selection and movement/rotation is a must given the high symmetry of most Lego
models. Also it helps things go quicker if I can duplicate and reuse parts
without re-adding them via the Parts Browser.
Thanks again for the tips. As you can tell, I like to use the keyboard as much
as possible so forcing me to use buttons and menu items just frustrates me.
-Orion
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Which CAD program recommended for Mac??
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| (...) Moving things manually a long distance is cumbersome, even with the coarse grid. The inspector does show the coordinates of the selected part or submodel, although I'm not sure if that's what you mean by cursor coordinates. Note that if you do (...) (17 years ago, 5-Feb-08, to lugnet.cad, lugnet.cad.dev.mac)
| | | Re: Which CAD program recommended for Mac??
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| (...) Sigh...Nobody ever reads the Read Me. Though those tidbits are indeed documented, I admit documentation is not my strong suit. I generally hope that users will explore menu items and find them to be fairly self-explanatory. (...) I'm curious (...) (17 years ago, 5-Feb-08, to lugnet.cad, lugnet.cad.dev.mac, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Which CAD program recommended for Mac??
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| (...) Bricksmith is certainly unlike MLCad, which is indeed a fine program. However, I'd like to humbly correct a few inaccuracies I perceive in your list of drawbacks. (...) True. That is a definite difference. (...) False. Keyboard controls for (...) (17 years ago, 4-Feb-08, to lugnet.cad, lugnet.cad.dev.mac)
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