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Special: 
[DAT] (requires LDraw-compatible viewer)
Subject: 
Re: LDraw's Autostep does not work in Lpub?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.cad.ray
Date: 
Mon, 21 Mar 2005 12:58:37 GMT
Viewed: 
9815 times
  
In lugnet.cad.ray, Mitchell Lichtenberg wrote:
> If I understand correctly, LDraw's Autostep is set as the default and requires
> no other changes (if you will accept a new step after adding each new part).

Autostep is not part of the LDraw file format, but specific to MLCad.

Here is a specification of the official LDraw file format:

http://www.ldraw.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=218

Autostep is not the default in MLCad.  At least not on my generic installation
of MLCad.

> 
> However, I cannot get LPub to render anything but the complete assembly from a
> model designed with autostep.  To test this I built a six item structure.  I
> used autostep for the first three pieces, then used Add>step between adding each
> of the last three pieces.  Lpub rendered the last three steps as instruction
> images, but treated the first three as a total assembly.

Autostep is not a meta-command.  Autostep is an MLCad function, that modifies
your file by putting a STEP meta-command between parts based on either height
change, or exceeding the number of bricks specified.  It applies itself to the
file once, every time you apply Autostep.  It is not a mode where it adds a new
step every time you add a nre part.

I tried a similar experiment:

Add three parts.
Apply autostep (every 1 parts)
add three more parts

I got this file result:

0 Untitled
0 Name: autostep.ldr
0 Author: Kevin L. Clague
0 Unofficial Model
0 ROTATION CENTER 0 0 0 1 "Custom"
0 ROTATION CONFIG 0 0
1 0 -50 -48 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4588.DAT
0 STEP
1 0 -50 8 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4588.DAT
0 STEP
1 0 10 -48 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4588.DAT
0 STEP
1 0 -50 56 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4588.DAT
1 0 10 56 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4588.DAT
1 0 70 56 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4588.DAT
0

which shows that MLCad put steps between the first three parts, then I manually
added a step, and added the final three parts.

I've never used Autostep before, and since it does not show up in the file as a
special meta-command, but rather just puts STEP commands into the file, I would
never be aware of Autostep (since I've never used it).

> 
> Is this the way LDraw works (i.e. Autostep doesn't function with outside
> programs?)  Or is LPub supposed to work with only a manual step?  Or have I
> missed a checkbox somewhere, or what?  The LPub version is 2.1.0.6

Please feel free to email me the file that you think shows an LPub bug.

I suspect that the result you see in LPub is exactly the same result you see in
MLCad.

LDraw is a specific file format, that is extensible by people who write LDraw
compatible software.  Michael has added a number of MLCad specific meta-command
extensions that really help with creating building instructions.  They are not
required to be implemented by any LDraw compatible program.

LPub supports these MLCad defined meta-commands:
  Rotation step
  Buffer Exchange Commands
  Ghost Command
  Hide Command

I've added a large number of LPuba and LSynth specific meta-commands too.  MLCad
is not required to support them, although I'm very happy to say Michael has
added support for LSynth meta-commands.

I hope this clears things up for you.

Kevin



Message is in Reply To:
  LDraw's Autostep does not work in Lpub?
 
If I understand correctly, LDraw's Autostep is set as the default and requires no other changes (if you will accept a new step after adding each new part). However, I cannot get LPub to render anything but the complete assembly from a model designed (...) (22 years ago, 20-Mar-05, to lugnet.cad.ray)

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