3D Tente: Using Ldraw files and installing tools (ldview+mlcad)

Introduction

LDraw™ is an open standard for LEGO CAD programs that allow the user to create virtual LEGO models and scenes, but we can also make TENTE ones.

You need a set of virtual pieces, an editor to make the models and a viewer to render and see like real ones. We are going to use MLCad as editor and LDView as 3D viewer. Both programs are free and lego users use them for years.

The files you need

- Tente set of pieces in LDraw format, some example models and some configuration files (update): http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1076721/LDraw/LDrawTente_Ultima.zip

- LDView, the free 3D viewer (If you have problems, press “Direct link”, or “mirror” and seleccionar another server):

-- For Windows: http://downloads.sourceforge.net/ldview/LDView-4100.exe?download

-- For GNU/Linux: http://downloads.sourceforge.net/ldview/ldview-4.0.i386.deb?download

- MLCad, the free editor: http://www.lm-software.com/mlcad/mlcad320.zip

(version with more languages, for more recent versions read more down)

Optional files

- Labels and some models: http://cpcbegin.nixiweb.com/tente/index.en.php

- LDView icons for 3D tente users: http://cpcbegin.nixiweb.com/tente/tente3d/iconoldviewtente.zip

Installing LDraw

Tente's set of pieces

• Make a folder where you want (for example C:\Tente on Windows or /opt/tente on GNU/Linux)

• Uncompress the file LDrawTente_Ultima.zip on this folder but MLCad and LeoCAD sub-folders.

• To star with a good 3D tente's models uncompress todotente3d.zip models sub-folder.

Advice to GNU/Linux users: if your pieces are on /opt/tente for windows software running under wine (i.e.: mlcad) this path is Z:\opt\tente

LDView

• Run LDView-4100.exe.

• Press Next button.

• Check “I accept” and press Next.

• Press Next button.

• Optional:
  • Create a desktop icon.
  • Use LDView to open LDraw models.
  • Use LDView to generate thumbnails in Windows Explorer.

• Press Next button.

• Press Next button.

• Unselect Readme.txt.

• LDView runs but you see a warning because it tries to load a lego model but there isn't a lego's set of pieces.

• Select File -> LDraw Dir and choose the tente's set of pieces folder.

• Deactivate the botton like a lego 1x1 piece if you don't whant to see the Edge Lines of the pieces.

MLCad 3.20

This versión can't undo changes but there is some languages libraries.

To install follow this steps:

• Uncompress the file downloader in a folder (for example: C:\tente\mlcad).
• To change the language, uncompress the language file (MLCadLangXXX.dll) in the same folder.
• Replace the mlcad.grp from the pieces ZIP file (subfolder MLCad).
• Run MLCad. Respond Yes to "... Register it now?" question.
• In menu Settings -> General -> Change language combo to your languages. Click OK. Close program and run again.
• In menú Settings -> General -> Change, press Change button and Search. Select pieces folder. a message confirm that's all ok.

MLCad 3.40

Las anteriores instrucciones son para la versión 3.20, que fue la última con traducción al español. La más reciente es la <a class="external text" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22external%22%2C%22text%22%3A%223.40%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22http%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fmlcad.lm-software.com%5C%2FMLCad_V3.40.zip%22%2C%22linktype%22%3A%22text%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5Bhttp%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fmlcad.lm-software.com%5C%2FMLCad_V3.40.zip%203.40%5D%22%7D" href="http://mlcad.lm-software.com/MLCad_V3.40.zip" rel="nofollow">3.40</a>, que sólo está en inglés, pero permite deshacer los cambios.

Para instalarla seguimos los siguientes pasos:

• Descomprimir el fichero descargado en una carpeta (por ejemplo, C:\tente\mlcad).
• En el fichero ZIP de las piezas había una carpeta MLCad con un fichero mlcad.grp . Éste debe reemplazar al que viene de fábrica.
• Ejecutar MLCad. Pulsar Sí a la pregunta "... Register it now?"

Si por un casual nos hemos olvidado de copiar el archivo mlcad.grp antes de ejecutar MLCad por primera vez no tendremos los grupos correctos para ver las fichas de tente. El asunto es que ahora las opciones las guarda en el Registro de Windows y la primera vez chequea si hay un fichero MLCad.grp y copia esas opciones al registro.

Si no olvidaste copiar mlcad.grp una vez ejecutado por primera vez te da igual mantener o no ese fichero.

También podemos cambiar los grupos de MLCad para tente 3D o lego con los siguientes archivos de registro:

• <a class="external text" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22external%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22mlcad-tente.reg%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22http%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdl.dropbox.com%5C%2Fu%5C%2F1071192%5C%2Futilidades%5C%2Fmlcad%5C%2Fregs%5C%2Fmlcad-tente.reg%22%2C%22linktype%22%3A%22text%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5Bhttp%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdl.dropbox.com%5C%2Fu%5C%2F1071192%5C%2Futilidades%5C%2Fmlcad%5C%2Fregs%5C%2Fmlcad-tente.reg%20mlcad-tente.reg%5D%22%7D" href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1071192/utilidades/mlcad/regs/mlcad-tente.reg" rel="nofollow">mlcad-tente.reg</a>: para usar MLCAD para hacer tentes, la librería de fichas debe estar en C:\TENTE

• <a class="external text" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22external%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22mlcad-lego-original.reg%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22http%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdl.dropbox.com%5C%2Fu%5C%2F1071192%5C%2Futilidades%5C%2Fmlcad%5C%2Fregs%5C%2Fmlcad-lego-original.reg%22%2C%22linktype%22%3A%22text%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5Bhttp%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdl.dropbox.com%5C%2Fu%5C%2F1071192%5C%2Futilidades%5C%2Fmlcad%5C%2Fregs%5C%2Fmlcad-lego-original.reg%20mlcad-lego-original.reg%5D%22%7D" href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1071192/utilidades/mlcad/regs/mlcad-lego-original.reg" rel="nofollow">mlcad-lego-original.reg</a>: para usar MLCAD para hacer legos (o construblocks), la librería de fichas debe estar en C:\LEGO

<a class="external text" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22external%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22mlcad-limpia-configuracion.reg%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22http%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdl.dropbox.com%5C%2Fu%5C%2F1071192%5C%2Futilidades%5C%2Fmlcad%5C%2Fregs%5C%2Fmlcad-limpia-configuracion.reg%22%2C%22linktype%22%3A%22text%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5Bhttp%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fdl.dropbox.com%5C%2Fu%5C%2F1071192%5C%2Futilidades%5C%2Fmlcad%5C%2Fregs%5C%2Fmlcad-limpia-configuracion.reg%20mlcad-limpia-configuracion.reg%5D%22%7D" href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1071192/utilidades/mlcad/regs/mlcad-limpia-configuracion.reg" rel="nofollow">mlcad-limpia-configuracion.reg</a>: Limpiador de configuración, deja MLCAD como si lo estuvieramos ejecutando por primera vez.

La manera de aplicarlo es desde la consola de Windows con el comando:

<span data-rte-attribs=" style=?color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none; ?" data-rte-style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none;" data-rte-washtml="1" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none;">regedit /s register_file.reg</span>

Si lo que usamos es GNU/Linux con wine es el mismo comando pero con la palabra wine delante:

<span data-rte-attribs=" style=?color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none; ?" data-rte-style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none;" data-rte-washtml="1" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 17px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; display: inline !important; float: none;">wine regedit /s register_file.reg</span>

Más detalles sobre el registro <a class="external text" data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22external%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22aqu%5Cu00ed%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22http%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Flatentetk.superforos.com%5C%2Fviewtopic.php%3Fp%3D30957%2330957%22%2C%22linktype%22%3A%22text%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5Bhttp%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Flatentetk.superforos.com%5C%2Fviewtopic.php%3Fp%3D30957%2330957%20aqu%5Cu00ed%5D%22%7D" href="http://latentetk.superforos.com/viewtopic.php?p=30957#30957" rel="nofollow">aquí</a>.

Making models

You can make models with MLCad. You can start learning with this tutorial: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mlcad The main diference: you'll have the left tree menu with tente series. Hispabrick magazine course will be interesting, especially these numbers: - 1: pages 25 to 28 (essencial). - 3: pages 24 to 27 (favorites and pieces tree).

MLCad has a simple 3D view, so you need LDView to get a good render of your model. To learn more about LDView: http://lrobotikas.net/mediawiki/index.php?title=Renderizado_r%C3%A1pido_con_LDView

¡Good! You can make your own tente models with easy software and you have no limits of pieces. You can share your models uploading a small file *.dat or *.ldr. Other people only need LDView and set of pieces to see it. You can upload it on your own website or direct downloading sites or services like dropbox. I think dropbox is the best option because you share a folder of your hard disc and you define a subfolder as public like a simple link.