Virtual LEGO: Intro to Free 3D LEGO Modeling Software By: Tim Courtney BrickFest™ PDX 2004 February 14, 10:00 AM Portland, Oregon

Why Virtual LEGO? Document custom designs Create your own instructions Create stunning images Virtual bricks are free, and come in any color (including the old grays).

Document custom designs

Create your own instructions

Create stunning images

Virtual bricks are free, and come in any color (including the old grays).

LDraw: The library and format that makes it happen Open-source project(s) born out of the early online LEGO community Available now for download QUACK

Open-source project(s) born out of the early online LEGO community

Available now for download

Brief History 1995 2000 2005 1996: James Jessiman creates original LDraw/LEdit package 1997: James Jessiman dies Community of users assume maintenance and development roles LDraw tools gain popularity among LEGO fans… 1999: LDraw.org Launched 2001: CAD Summit at LEGO Direct 2002-3: First books on LDraw tools written 2003: LDraw.org Standards Committee launched 2004: Organization Bylaws

Current Happenings… Stunning photo-realistic ray tracings using POV-Ray’s new radiosity settings LDraw.org Standards Committee (LSC) Bylaws Ratification vote – move towards a formal organization Super Car rendering by Jeroen de Haan POV-Ray 3.5 and Radiosity

Stunning photo-realistic ray tracings using POV-Ray’s new radiosity settings

LDraw.org Standards Committee (LSC)

Bylaws Ratification vote – move towards a formal organization

Introductions – who are you?

What are the components of LDraw? Parts Library LDraw Description Language Tools Editors Viewers Converters Renderers Batch Automation

Parts Library

LDraw Description Language

Tools

Editors

Viewers

Converters

Renderers

Batch Automation

The LDraw Parts Library Fundamental to the LDraw modeling system Over 2600 parts created to date Parts are community created, maintained, and certified Parts Tracker: Mechanism for certifying and releasing new parts to the library for public consumption

Fundamental to the LDraw modeling system

Over 2600 parts created to date

Parts are community created, maintained, and certified

Parts Tracker: Mechanism for certifying and releasing new parts to the library for public consumption

The LDraw Description Language Text-based Files are light-weight and portable The files are human readable! Simple to parse Hierarchy based on shapes & parts Well defined line syntax Common LDraw file format Each level in the hierarchy identifiable by extension (.dat, .ldr, .mpd) Polygon-based Lacks support for cylinders and round objects No mesh support Historical consistency guarantees compatibility The system is strong because of its simplicity and straightforward nature.

Text-based

Files are light-weight and portable

The files are human readable!

Simple to parse

Hierarchy based on shapes & parts

Well defined line syntax

Common LDraw file format

Each level in the hierarchy identifiable by extension (.dat, .ldr, .mpd)

Polygon-based

Lacks support for cylinders and round objects

No mesh support

Historical consistency guarantees compatibility

The System of Tools

Tools - Editors There are several programs to create your virtual LEGO models: MLCAD (Lachmann) – Most popular current editor, for Windows LEdit (Jessiman) – original DOS editor LeoCAD (Zide) – Windows and Linux editor BrickDraw3D (Olson) – New Mac software Mac Brick CAD (???) – in development

There are several programs to create your virtual LEGO models:

MLCAD (Lachmann) – Most popular current editor, for Windows

LEdit (Jessiman) – original DOS editor

LeoCAD (Zide) – Windows and Linux editor

BrickDraw3D (Olson) – New Mac software

Mac Brick CAD (???) – in development

Tools - Viewers Quickly view files LDLite (Gyugyi) LDGLite (Heyse) – OpenGL LDLite LDView (Cobbs) – nice shading L3Lab (Hassing) – diagnostic tools for parts authors Interactivity with LUGNET’s DAT newsgroups Windows file associations

Quickly view files

LDLite (Gyugyi)

LDGLite (Heyse) – OpenGL LDLite

LDView (Cobbs) – nice shading

L3Lab (Hassing) – diagnostic tools for parts authors

Interactivity with LUGNET’s DAT newsgroups

Windows file associations

Tools - Converters Convert LDraw models to other 3D file formats. Convert to POV-Ray L2P ↔ LGEO (solid-based POV-Ray lib) L3P/L3PAO – No extra library needed, however optionally uses LGEO Convert to other 3DWin (shareware) 3DS Maya AutoCAD VRML More!

Convert LDraw models to other 3D file formats.

Convert to POV-Ray

L2P ↔ LGEO (solid-based POV-Ray lib)

L3P/L3PAO – No extra library needed, however optionally uses LGEO

Convert to other

3DWin (shareware)

3DS

Maya

AutoCAD

VRML

More!

Tools - Renderers Raytracers: The POV-Ray family POV-Ray – the most widely used renderer. POV is strictly code-based, it is not a modeler. MegaPOV – unofficial build of POV-Ray that offers post processing and other features Others… The sky’s the limit!

Raytracers: The POV-Ray family

POV-Ray – the most widely used renderer. POV is strictly code-based, it is not a modeler.

MegaPOV – unofficial build

of POV-Ray that offers post

processing and other features

Others…

The sky’s the limit!

Tools - Batch Automation New area in the LDraw world – automatically create all images needed to create building instructions. LPub – create building instructions based on steps in an LDraw file, supports advanced MLCad extensions

New area in the LDraw world – automatically create all images needed to create building instructions.

LPub – create building instructions based on steps in an LDraw file, supports advanced MLCad extensions

System of Tools: Usage Model Build Model in MLCad Saved LDraw Model Convert to 3D File Format Batch Process Building Instructions (LPub) Archive or Share Your Model Raw Building Instruction Images Building Instructions (laid-out pages) POV-Ray L3P 3DWin Rendered Image POV-Ray L3P Animation Image Maya, 3DS, AutoCAD, etc… Editor MLCad File Format Converter L3P 3DWin Viewer/Renderer LDView LDLite Output? Images or Animations Renderer POV-Ray/MegaPOV 3DStudio Batch Processor LPub Output Images or Animations

LDraw Description Language: Anatomy of LDraw Files 0 Three Brick Stack 0 Name: 3 bricks.ldr 1 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3001.dat 1 1 40 0 40 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3001.dat 1 14 20 -24 20 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3001.dat

0 Three Brick Stack

0 Name: 3 bricks.ldr

1 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3001.dat

1 1 40 0 40 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3001.dat

1 14 20 -24 20 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3001.dat

Hierarchy Illustrated 0 Three Brick Stack 0 Name: 3 bricks.ldr 1 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3001.dat 1 1 40 0 40 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3001.dat 1 14 20 -24 20 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3001.dat 0 Brick 2 x 4 0 Name: 3001.dat 0 BFC INVERTNEXT 1 16 0 24 0 36 0 0 0 -20 0 0 0 16 box5.dat 1 16 0 24 0 40 0 0 0 -24 0 0 0 20 box5.dat 0 STUDS 1 16 30 0 10 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 stud.dat 1 16 10 0 10 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 stud.dat 1 16 -10 0 10 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 stud.dat 1 16 -30 0 10 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 stud.dat 1 16 30 0 -10 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 stud.dat 1 16 10 0 -10 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 stud.dat 1 16 -10 0 -10 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 stud.dat 1 16 -30 0 -10 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 stud.dat 0 TUBES 1 16 20 4 0 1 0 0 0 -5 0 0 0 1 stud4.dat 1 16 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 -5 0 0 0 1 stud4.dat 1 16 -20 4 0 1 0 0 0 -5 0 0 0 1 stud4.dat 4 16 40 24 20 36 24 16 -36… 4 16 -40 24 20 -36 24… 4 16 -40 24 -20 -3 … 4 16 40 24 -20 … 0 Stud 0 Name: stud.dat 1 16 0 -4 0 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 4-4disc.dat 1 16 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 4-4edge.dat 1 16 0 -4 0 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 4-4edge.dat 1 16 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 -4 0 0 0 6 4-4cyli.dat 0 Disc 1.0 0 Name: 4-4disc.dat 3 16 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.9239 0 0.3827 3 16 0 0 0 0.9239 0 0.3827 0.7071 0 0.7071 3 16 0 0 0 0.7071 0 0.7071 0.3827 0 0.9239 3 16 0 0 0 0.3827 0 0.9239 0 0 1 3 16 0 0 0 0 0 1 -0.3827 0 0.9239 3 16 0 0 0 -0.3827 0 0.9239 -0.7071 0 0.7071 3 16 0 0 0 -0.7071 0 0.7071 -0.9239 0 0.3827 3 16 0 0 0 -0.9239 0 0.3827 -1 0 -0 3 16 0 0 0 -1 0 -0 -0.9239 0 -0.3827 3 16 0 0 0 -0.9239 0 -0.3827 -0.7071 0 -0.7071 3 16 0 0 0 -0.7071 0 -0.7071 -0.3827 0 -0.9239 3 16 0 0 0 -0.3827 0 -0.9239 0 0 -1 3 16 0 0 0 0 0 -1 0.3827 0 -0.9239 3 16 0 0 0 0.3827 0 -0.9239 0.7071 0 -0.7071 3 16 0 0 0 0.7071 0 -0.7071 0.9239 0 -0.3827 3 16 0 0 0 0.9239 0 -0.3827 1 0 0

Conversion: Primitive Replacement Other 3D software can recognize rounded objects where LDraw can’t On conversion, polygonal LDraw primitives (a stud, for example) can be replaced with round objects for greater detail in 3D programs. Example: POV-Ray – the L3P converter replaces studs with cylinders

Other 3D software can

recognize rounded

objects where LDraw can’t

On conversion, polygonal LDraw primitives (a stud, for example) can be replaced with round objects for greater detail in 3D programs.

Example: POV-Ray – the L3P converter replaces studs with cylinders

Grid System and Connection Database Concept Remember, the LDraw system doesn’t have connection capabilities or collision detection A grid system (based on the internal LDraw measurement system) exists to help you align parts Some ideas have been passed around about a connection database, to be implemented in future versions of the LDraw language

Remember, the LDraw system doesn’t have connection capabilities or collision detection

A grid system (based on the internal LDraw measurement system) exists to help you align parts

Some ideas have been passed around about a connection database, to be implemented in future versions of the LDraw language

What Now? Start creating! POV-Ray Scenes Create building instructions Write parts for LDraw  Export to another 3D format – the sky’s the limit!

Start creating!

POV-Ray Scenes

Create building instructions

Write parts for LDraw 

Export to another 3D format – the sky’s the limit!

MegaPOV 1.0

MegaPOV 1.0

LPub (and Photoshop for the layouts)

Resources Download the LDraw tools from the web! www.LDraw.org Online tutorials Buy a book! Virtual LEGO on sale here at BrickFest PDX!

Download the LDraw tools from the web! www.LDraw.org

Online tutorials

Buy a book! Virtual LEGO on sale here at BrickFest PDX!

Questions?