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 CAD / MLCad / 1947
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Subject: 
Re: Part Authoring with MLCAD
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.cad.mlcad
Date: 
Wed, 25 Aug 2004 00:38:03 GMT
Viewed: 
6776 times
  
In lugnet.cad.mlcad, Edwin Pilobello wrote:
In lugnet.cad.mlcad, Orion Pobursky wrote:
In lugnet.cad.mlcad, Edwin Pilobello wrote:
How do I setup MLCAD to create new parts using the primitives and pre-scaled
primitives?

I don't understand your question.  Are you asking how to include primitive in
your parts or are you asking in general how to author parts in MLCad?

-Orion

Both!

Here's what I've done so far.

1. Studied several parts dat files by stepping through the code using LDAO.  I
particularly concentrated on parts that had features similar to the ones I'd
like to make.  (My wife wants to model all the large knights from Knights
Kingdom.
2. I cut and paste code from these parts to make pseudo-primitives and stored
them in my own folder.

Ok, you're good until here.  The best way, in my opinion, to learn parts
authoring is to look at other similar parts.

3. Copied all the primitives from the P folder to the PARTS folder.
4. Edited P.LST and inserted the word PRIMITIVE infromt of every description.
5. Cut & Paste P.LST into PARTS,LST  (I am told this is not proper, Hence the
question)
6. Used PRIMITIVES out of the Others>P folder and layed then out in MLCAD.

Don't do this, it's bad since the work is unnecessary and the primitve library
is updated almost every time a new library update is release.  I know there is
some more substantial reason why doing this is bad but I can't think of it right
now.

Instead, use the primitive guide for a visual reference:
http://www.ldraw.org/library/tracker/ref/primref/
Insert the primitives using MLCad's the custom part interface.

7. Checked the preliminary results and tried to figured out how to make
adjustments

That's how far I've gotten.

How versed are you in matrix math?  Understanding 3D matrix manipulation is key
to the proper use of primitives

Postcripts : I could bring the pseudo-primitives into Excel and make all the
scaling adjustments.

Are you defining the term "pseudo-primitives" as "portions of whole parts but
not necessarily reusable"?  If so then you're defining what we term "subparts".
Instead of importing them into Excel, simple scale and rotate them where you
want and then inline them.  Both LDDP and LDAO have inlining capability.

I need to enter the edge lines manually,.. or do I?

Yes, unless there a program I don't know about.

Of course, if there's anything written up on the use of MLCAD for parts
authoring, then please point me to it.

Have you read through my basic part authoring presentation?  If not, it's under
the Tutorial section of ldraw.org.  Also, I believe Tim's book "Virtual LEGO"
also addresses parts authoring.

-Orion



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Part Authoring with MLCAD
 
(...) I've read Virtual Lego, LDraw.org tutorials and even used your BrickFestPDX Powerpoint Presentation in class. I've found them very helpful for creating parts line-upon-line. However, I am inherently a very lazy programmer. That's why I want to (...) (20 years ago, 25-Aug-04, to lugnet.cad.mlcad)
  Re: Part Authoring with MLCAD
 
(...) A good reason could be that the resulting references to primitives would be to the wrong libary, but there must be another way to display the content of folders like /p, /p/48, and /s in MLCad's availible parts tree/parts preview, so you can (...) (20 years ago, 25-Aug-04, to lugnet.cad.mlcad, FTX)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Part Authoring with MLCAD
 
(...) Both! Here's what I've done so far. 1. Studied several parts dat files by stepping through the code using LDAO. I particularly concentrated on parts that had features similar to the ones I'd like to make. (My wife wants to model all the large (...) (20 years ago, 24-Aug-04, to lugnet.cad.mlcad)

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