Getting Started - Linux: Difference between revisions

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    '''Before You Start...'''
<!--


    These instructions assume you have some tools installed on your
TODO:
    system. Here is a list:


    <dl>
the information on this page needs to be split up into the several pieces,
      <dt>[http://wget.sunsite.dk/ <code>wget</code>]</dt>
for example all documentation about LDView should go onto LDView's wiki page, not here!


      <dd>
remove everything here which duplicates http://www.ldraw.org/help/getting-started.html
        You can check if you have <code>wget</code> installed with the
        command:
<pre>
wget --version
</pre>
        If you don't have it, you may download it from <a href="http://wget.sunsite.dk/">http://wget.sunsite.dk/</a>.
      </dd>


      <dt><a href="http://www.perl.org/">Perl</a></dt>
-->


      <dd>
==Download and Install the LDraw parts Library==
        You can check if you have Perl installed with the command:
<pre>
perl --version
</pre>
        If you don't have it, you may download it from <a href="http://www.perl.org/">http://www.perl.org/</a>.
      </dd>


      <dt><a href="http://sources.redhat.com/bzip2/"><code>bzip2</code></a></dt>
===Basic setup (applies to any Linux distribution or operating system - Recommended approach)===


      <dd>
*Download the latest <code>complete.zip</code> from [http://www.ldraw.org/parts/latest-parts.html LDraw.org download page].
        You can check if you have <code>bzip2</code> installed with the
*Extract the <code>complete.zip</code> archive in the directory of your choice - your home directory is recommended for simplicity (<code>~/ldraw/</code>).
        command:
<pre>
bzip2 --version
</pre>
        If you don't have it, you may download it from <a href="http://sources.redhat.com/bzip2/">http://sources.redhat.com/bzip2/</a>.
      </dd>


      <dt><a href="http://gcc.gnu.org/">GNU Compiler Collection</a></dt>
====Updating your parts list====


      <dd>LDraw tools for Linux come in source code form, so you need the GNU
If, for any reason you have decided to alter the original parts directory (<code>~/ldraw/parts.lst</code>), Nathanel Titane has made a Linux native 'mklist.exe' equivalent: 'make-list'.
      Compiler collection (at least <code>gcc</code> and <code>make</code>)
The make-list utility operates exactly like its Windows counterpart, and generates a 'parts.lst' file that can be either sorted by part number or part description.
      to translate the programs to executable form. These tools usually come
*Download the utility [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nathaneltitane/ldraw/master/make-list here] (right click: 'Save link as...')
      in the &quot;development&quot; section of your Linux distribution.</dd>
*Save the utility as 'make-list' to your LDraw parts library directory (<code>~/ldraw/</code>).
    </dl>
*Run the utility in the terminal: <code>chmod +x make-list && ./make-list</code> and follow the prompts.


    '''Step 1 (latest update 2006-01-06):'''
'''Note:''' If present, the previous version of the 'parts.lst' file will be backed up.


    Download and install the LDraw Parts Library.
==Install an editor==
<pre>
user$ <strong>cd /tmp</strong>
user$ <strong>wget <a href="/files/unix-complete.tgz">http://www.ldraw.org/files/unix-complete.tgz</a></strong>
...
user$ <strong>su -</strong>
Password:
root# <strong>cd /usr/local/share/</strong>
root# <strong>tar xzf /tmp/unix-complete.tgz &amp;&amp; echo OK</strong>
...
OK
root# <strong>mkdir -p ldraw/bitmap</strong>
root# <strong>chmod a+w ldraw/bitmap</strong>
root# <strong>chown -R root.root ldraw</strong>
root# <strong>exit</strong>
exit
user$
</pre>


    '''Step 2 (latest update 2006-01-06):'''
===LeoCAD (recommended)===


To view ldraw model use <a href=http://ldview.sf.net target=_top>LDView</a>.
Leonardo Zide's LeoCAD is readily available for install for both Debian and Red Hat based distributions. You can download a no-install AppImage from https://www.leocad.org/download.html (recommended), alternatively, you can install the editor by looking for and installing the <code>leocad</code> package using your preferred package manager or command package management tool.
You can install RPM or tar.gz version (available on
<a href=http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=120592&package_id=131411 target=_top>sf.net</a>),
or build from source.
To install LDView3.tgz (root permission is not required):
<pre>
user$ <strong>tar zxvf LDView3.tgz</strong>
user$ <strong>cd LDView3</strong>
user$ <strong>./LDView</strong>
</pre>
To install from RPM (root privilege is required):
<pre>
root# <strong>rpm -i ldview-3.0-1.i386.rpm</strong>
</pre>
To build from source:
<pre>
user$ <strong>su -</strong>
root# <strong>cvs -z3 -d:pserver:[email protected]/cvsroot/ldview co LDView</strong>
root# <strong>cd LDView/QT</strong>
root# <strong>./makeall</strong>
root# <strong>make install</strong>
root# <strong>exit</strong>
user$ <strong>LDView</strong>
</pre>


    '''Step 3 (latest update 2002-05-23):'''
*Install LeoCAD:
**All systems (AppImage method, recommended): Go to https://www.leocad.org/download.html, select "Download LeoCAD for Linux", make the AppImage executable (<code>chmod +x</code>), and double-click to run.
**APT-based systems (e.g. Ubuntu, Mint): <code>sudo apt-get install leocad</code>
**YUM-based systems (e.g. Fedora): <code>sudo yum install leocad</code>


    Install LDGLite. LDGLite is a rather
*Run LeoCAD and point it to the LDraw parts library:
    efficient tool for showing building instructions &quot;on the fly&quot;, when you
**Go to View > Preferences... and set your library directory by either typing it in the field or browsing to it via '...'. Make sure to select the topmost directory (normally 'ldraw') that contains the 'parts' directory.
    download them as &quot;<code>.dat</code>&quot;, &quot;<code>.ldr</code>&quot; or
    &quot;<code>.mpd</code>&quot; files from the web.
<pre>
user$ <strong>cd /tmp</strong>
user$ <strong>wget <a href="http://ldglite.sourceforge.net/ldglitesrc0_9_5.zip">http://ldglite.sourceforge.net/ldglitesrc0_9_5.zip</a></strong>
...
user$ <strong>unzip -uoa ldglitesrc0_9_5.zip</strong>
...
user$ <strong>cd ldglite</strong>
user$ <strong>make -f makefile.linux &amp;&amp; echo OK</strong>
...
OK
</pre>


    There is a small risk that you may run into errors at this point, if
'''Notes:'''
    your system lacks some libraries. These errors will probably be of the
*LeoCAD can use either a zip file or a regular folder as its parts library directory.
    form <code>.../bin/ld: cannot find -lX11</code>. If you don't know how to
*You can start Leocad with a different library setup using: <code>$ leocad -l <library directory path></code>
    handle this, please contact an experienced Linux system
*LeoCAD also supports setting the library path as a system environment variable like so: <code>$ set LEOCAD_LIB=<library directory path></code>
    administrator.
*LeoCAD supports redirection to the official LDraw parts library. If you have downloaded and/or set up the LDraw parts directory on your system, you can modify LeoCAD's preferences to use your library directory as its parts database. To do so, navigate to View > Preferences and browse to the corresponding directory under the 'Custom parts library' field.
<pre>
user$ <strong>su</strong>
Password:
root# <strong>chown root.root l3glite l3gledit ldglite readme.txt</strong>
root# <strong>mv l3glite l3gledit ldglite /usr/local/bin</strong>
root# <strong>mv readme.txt /usr/local/share/ldraw/ldglite.readme</strong>
root# <strong>exit</strong>
exit
user$ <strong>cd ..</strong>
user$ <strong>rm -rf ldglite</strong>
</pre>


    Now you should be ready to run LDGLite - as the command ldglite - but
===LDCad===
    since the LDraw library has been placed differently from what LDGLite
    expects, you have to set the environment variable LDRAWDIR to that
    directory (/usr/local/share/ldraw). You can do that in your runtime
    configuration scripts, just before you run ldglite, or you can create a
    script that sets LDRAWDIR and then calls ldglite. I have chosen the last
    of these three solutions (where I also make sure that there is no limits
    on the stack size):
<pre>
user$ <strong>su</strong>
Password:
root# <strong>cat &gt; /usr/local/bin/ldglite-run &lt;&lt; THE-END</strong>
? <strong>#!/bin/tcsh</strong>
? <strong>setenv LDRAWDIR /usr/local/share/ldraw</strong>
? <strong>limit stacksize unlimited</strong>
? <strong>/usr/local/bin/ldglite \$*</strong>
? <strong>THE-END</strong>
root# <strong>chmod a+x /usr/local/bin/ldglite-run</strong>
root# <strong>cat &gt;&gt; /etc/mailcap &lt;&lt; THE-END</strong>
? <strong>application/x-ldraw;/usr/local/bin/ldglite-run -mc %s</strong>
? <strong>application/x-multi-part-ldraw;/usr/local/bin/ldglite-run -mc %s</strong>
? <strong>THE-END</strong>
root# <strong>exit</strong>
exit
user$
</pre>


    '''Step 4 (latest update 2002-05-23):'''
*Go to [http://www.melkert.net/LDCad/download LDCad's download page]
*Select and download the latest generic archive of the LDCad editor.
*Extract the archive in the directory of your choice - your home directory (or a subfolder of it) is recommended for simplicity.
*Run LDCad, follow the prompts and point it to the LDraw parts library.  Make sure to select the topmost directory (normally 'ldraw') that contains the 'parts' directory.


    Now your browser should be ready to open LEGO building instructions
'''Note:''' LDCad assumes you have GTK2 installed (just about any distro should have it). Make sure you have installed the required packages and libraries to avoid any issues.
    directly in LDGLite, when you click on links to them on the internet. You
    can test it by clicking on <a href="http://jacob.sparre.dk/LEGO/Byggevejledninger/Tux/tux.dat">tux.dat</a>,
    which should open a window with building instructions for a penguin (Tux,
    the mascot of Linux). You may have to restart your browser to make it
    recognise the existence of LDGLite.


    '''Step 5:'''
===LDGLite===


    There are currently two ways to create LEGO building instructions on
LDglite is only available as a standalone 64bit binary for Linux. Compared to the other editors, it does pale in comparison to the amount of features present on the more modern ones.
    your computer. You can either write/edit the raw text LDraw files or you
If for curiosity's sake you still want to install it, proceed as follows:
    can use an interactive drawing program, where you can move pieces around
*Download the [http://ldglite.sourceforge.net/ldglite1_2_3beta64bit.gz LDGLite binary archive]
    on the screen. If you chose the former method, you should just use your
*Extract the archive in the directory of your choice - your home directory is recommended to avoid any file permission conflict or having to tamper with your system as 'root'.
    usual text editor and skip this step. If you would like to try the latter
*Run LDGlite, right click on its background to get started.
    method, you should install the program LeoCAD.


    '''
'''Notes:'''
<a href="http://www.leocad.org/" target="_top">
*Make sure that the binary is set as executable before attempting to run it: <code>$ sudo chmod +x ldglite</code>
<img src="/gallery/album47/leocad.png" width="150" height="128" alt="" border="0" align="right">LeoCAD
*This specific standalone requires libraries such as the DRI-accelerated OpenGL libraries, glut, glu, libpng and zlib to be installed.
</a>'''
*If, for whatever reason LDGlite fails to start by clicking on the binary, you may run it via a terminal and verify its output, like so: <code>./ldglite</code>


    LeoCAD is a great 3D editor for Linux (and Windows) which has offered
===MLCAD (Hybrid setup)===
    several improvements to the straight LDraw .dat format. It supports some
    basic animation (via keyframing) and can also export to 3DStudioMax,
    POV-Ray, and Alias Wavefront.


    To compile: (last update 2006-01-06)
*Install [http://www.winehq.org/ Wine] via your distribution's package manager or application repository.
<pre>
**APT-based systems (e.g. Ubuntu, Mint): <code>sudo apt-get install wine</code>
user$ <strong>svn co http://svn.gerf.org/svn/leocad/tags/leocad-0-74 leocad</strong>
**YUM-based systems (e.g. Fedora): <code>sudo yum-install wine</code>
user$ <strong>cd leocad</strong>
*Download the [http://mlcad.lm-software.com/MLCad_V3.40.zip MLCad archive].
user$ <strong>make</strong>
*Extract the <code>MLCad_V3.40.zip</code> archive in the directory of your choice - your home directory is recommended to avoid any file permission conflict or having to tamper with your system as 'root'.
user# <strong>strip bin/leocad</strong>
**Run MLCad by selecting <code>MLCAD.exe</code> and follow the usual prompts (LDraw parts library directory location and file type registration setup)
user$ <strong>su -</strong>
**Select Wine as the default method to open an executable on your system and proceed with the previously mentioned steps.
Password:
root# <strong>cp bin/leocad /usr/local/bin/</strong>
</pre>


LeoCAD has different part database, what is available at <a href=http://www.leocad.org/files target="_top">http://www.leocad.org/files</a>
'''Note:''' MLCad runs exceptionally well ([http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=1354 Platinum status on Wine's AppDB scale]). Any encountered problem, whatever it may be, should be troubleshooted or reported to the Wine developers as they are responsible for maintaining Wine's underlying code base that makes running Windows executables on Linux distributions possible.
<pre>
root# <strong>cd /tmp</strong>
root# <strong>wget <a href=http://www.leocad.org/files/pieces.zip>http://www.leocad.org/files/pieces.zip</a></strong>
root# <strong>wget <a href=http://www.leocad.org/files/update18.zip>http://www.leocad.org/files/update18.zip</a></strong>
root# <strong>mkdir /usr/local/share/leocad</strong>
root# <strong>cd /usr/local/share/leocad</strong>
root# <strong>unzip /tmp/pieces.zip</strong>
root# <strong>unzip /tmp/update18.zip</strong>
root# <strong></strong>
root# <strong>leocad -l /usr/local/share/leocad</strong>


</pre>
==Additional applications==


===LPub3D===


    '''Step 6:'''
LPub3D is Trevor Sandy's continuation and modernization of Kevin Clague's LDraw building instruction editor. This tool is extremely powerful as it enables the creation of highly detailed, professional looking instructions. It uses external rendering applications to generate the model's step thumbnails to be included in the document. Both LDView and LDGlite are supported.


    '''Dive In!'''<br>
The latest version can be found as a no-installation-required AppImage at https://github.com/trevorsandy/lpub3d/releases; download <code>LPub3D-<version>-x86_64.AppImage</code>, set it as executable (<code>chmod +x</code>), and double click to open.
    Learning how to use your new editor or understanding the LDraw file
    format may be a challenge, but with a little practice you will get the
    hang of it. The <a href="http://www.leocad.org/manual/index.htm">LeoCAD
    Manual</a> by Leonardo Zide will help you getting started.


    '''Step 7:'''
===LDView===


    '''<a href="/article/140">Introduction to LDraw
LDView, by Travis Cobbs, is a real-time 3D viewer for displaying LDraw models using hardware-accelerated 3D graphics. It is an essential tool in the creation of a model as it can be used to view and debug, in real-time and with full 3D graphics capacity, the model currently being edited (using the auto-update polling preference). It can also generate snapshots of the displayed content or of specific selected views of the given model. LDView is native to the Linux platform and is readily available for install for both Debian and Red Hat based distributions.
    Utilities</a>'''


    There is a lot you can do with LDraw files beyond just creating LEGO
*Download the latest installer package from LDView's [http://ldview.sourceforge.net/Downloads.html#Linux4200B1 downloads page].
    models! Many contributors have developed utilities to make the most of
*Install LDView by using your preferred package manager or command package management tool.
    the LDraw file format. Check out a brief introduction to a few utilities,
    and then move on to download them.


    '''Step 8:'''
'''Notes:'''


    '''<a href="/modules.php?op=modload&amp;name=Downloads&amp;file=index">Download Software</a>'''
'''APT-based systems (e.g. Ubuntu, Mint):''' Your system may complain about either missing packages or unresolved dependencies. You may resolve these by running a "fix install" fix like so: <code>$ sudo apt-get -f install</code>


    Check out LDraw.org's (incomplete) list of software packages to
'''YUM-based systems (e.g. Fedora):''' LDView's Linux maintainer, Peter Bartfai, has an [http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/pbartfai/ LDView repository] set up using the OpenSuse build server system, from which you can get the latest LDView version, provided you add the yum repository information as follows:
    download which supplement the standard editors. Download programs like
    L3P, POV-Ray, various file format converters and rendering tools.


    '''Help!'''
<code> $ sudo cat > /etc/yum.repos.d/ldview.repo << FILE<br>
[ldview]<br>
name=LDView Repository<br>
baseurl=http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/pbartfai/Fedora_$(rpm -E %fedora)/<br>
gpgkey=http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/pbartfai/Fedora_$(rpm -E %fedora)/repodata/repomd.xml.key<br>
enabled=1<br>
gpgcheck=0<br>
FILE</code>


    Need help with any of this? Check out <a href="/article/7">LDraw.org's Help Section</a>,
'''Tip:''' The variable <code>"$(rpm -E %fedora)"</code> refers to RPM's way (on the Fedora distribution) of finding the current version and attributing the proper number to the URL.
or check out the <a href="http://news.lugnet.com/cad/" target="_top">Lugnet CAD</a>
 
    discussion groups and ask a large group of users for help.
'''Note:''' The OpenSUSE build server team automatically generates the configurations for upcoming or newer versions of any supported Red Hat distribution, ONLY when those distribution versions are finalized, stable and made available to the public.
 
===LDraw Linux Command Line Utilities (L2CU)===
 
L2CU is a set of command line utilities developed By Nathanel Titane to enable bulk LDraw model file parsing, editing, exporting, conversion and upload (to Sketchfab.com) without the direct need to use an LDraw CAD editor (though it needs to be installed to enable certain application features). Amongst certain modification options, the user can have parts, colors and/or part's colors, for any ldr and/or mpd file modified to his/her choice, within a selected directory.
 
These tools are especially suited for bulk model file updates, upgrades or modifications: you can attend to deprecated or modified parts in an especially effective manner by:
 
* replacing an old part entry by a newer one
* replacing a specified color by a different one
* replacing a specific part's color with a new color
 
'''Notes:'''
*The use of these utilities assumes that the user has previously tested the part/color replacement option manually before parsing all files in bulk.'''
*This application assumes that the model files to be edited abide by the LDraw ldr/mpd file specification.'''
 
To get the utilities, please visit the dedicated Github page: [http://github.com/nathaneltitane/ldraw LDraw Utilities Github repository]
 
<!--
 
Not really directly applicable to this page
 
===Buf3D/Buf3D+ (Android)===
 
Buf3D is an application aimed at bringing the most actual developments of OpenGL technology for model viewing purposes to the Android mobile platform. Among many of its supported file formats and model viewing features it includes the ability to view LDraw models. It will prompt you to make use (online) or download of the official LDraw parts library.
 
The newly released Buf3D+ is a bugfix and ad-free version of the initial Buf3D application. Purchasing this version of the application would be of great help in enticing the developer to optimize the current state of the application, updating the framework to the latest Android standards and possibly adding requested features to make it even more formidable.
 
* Buf3D on the [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cimplus.buf3d Google Play Store]
* Buf3D+ on the [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cimplus.buf3dp Google Play Store]
 
'''Note:'''
'''The author of this wiki, Nathanel Titane, has contacted the application developer to help enhance the application and bring it to the latest Android and LDraw compatibility standards. The current version is highly efficient in displaying models, though it can still benefit much improvement in the likes of parts database updating and OpenGL shader display functions. Stay tuned!'''
 
-->
==Dive in==
 
Learning how to use your new editor or understanding the LDraw file format may be a challenge, but with a little practice you will get the hang of it. Take a look at the tutorials [[:Category:Tutorials|on the wiki]] or [http://www.ldraw.org/article/58.html on the main website] for further help.
 
==Help==
 
Forums are also a great way to discuss techniques, issues or features of editors or applications used to create or edit your LDraw model files. If you require any further help with any of this content, please visit the [http://forums.ldraw.org LDraw.org Forums], sign up, and ask a large group of users for help.
 
==Disclaimer==
 
The author(s) of this Wiki hereby releases himself/themselfs of any responsibility consequent of the actions taken by any user inside or outside of the specified information and steps listed within this Wiki.
 
[[Category:Linux]]
[[Category:Tutorials]]

Latest revision as of 22:05, 28 April 2018


Download and Install the LDraw parts Library

Basic setup (applies to any Linux distribution or operating system - Recommended approach)

  • Download the latest complete.zip from LDraw.org download page.
  • Extract the complete.zip archive in the directory of your choice - your home directory is recommended for simplicity (~/ldraw/).

Updating your parts list

If, for any reason you have decided to alter the original parts directory (~/ldraw/parts.lst), Nathanel Titane has made a Linux native 'mklist.exe' equivalent: 'make-list'. The make-list utility operates exactly like its Windows counterpart, and generates a 'parts.lst' file that can be either sorted by part number or part description.

  • Download the utility here (right click: 'Save link as...')
  • Save the utility as 'make-list' to your LDraw parts library directory (~/ldraw/).
  • Run the utility in the terminal: chmod +x make-list && ./make-list and follow the prompts.

Note: If present, the previous version of the 'parts.lst' file will be backed up.

Install an editor

LeoCAD (recommended)

Leonardo Zide's LeoCAD is readily available for install for both Debian and Red Hat based distributions. You can download a no-install AppImage from https://www.leocad.org/download.html (recommended), alternatively, you can install the editor by looking for and installing the leocad package using your preferred package manager or command package management tool.

  • Install LeoCAD:
    • All systems (AppImage method, recommended): Go to https://www.leocad.org/download.html, select "Download LeoCAD for Linux", make the AppImage executable (chmod +x), and double-click to run.
    • APT-based systems (e.g. Ubuntu, Mint): sudo apt-get install leocad
    • YUM-based systems (e.g. Fedora): sudo yum install leocad
  • Run LeoCAD and point it to the LDraw parts library:
    • Go to View > Preferences... and set your library directory by either typing it in the field or browsing to it via '...'. Make sure to select the topmost directory (normally 'ldraw') that contains the 'parts' directory.

Notes:

  • LeoCAD can use either a zip file or a regular folder as its parts library directory.
  • You can start Leocad with a different library setup using: $ leocad -l <library directory path>
  • LeoCAD also supports setting the library path as a system environment variable like so: $ set LEOCAD_LIB=<library directory path>
  • LeoCAD supports redirection to the official LDraw parts library. If you have downloaded and/or set up the LDraw parts directory on your system, you can modify LeoCAD's preferences to use your library directory as its parts database. To do so, navigate to View > Preferences and browse to the corresponding directory under the 'Custom parts library' field.

LDCad

  • Go to LDCad's download page
  • Select and download the latest generic archive of the LDCad editor.
  • Extract the archive in the directory of your choice - your home directory (or a subfolder of it) is recommended for simplicity.
  • Run LDCad, follow the prompts and point it to the LDraw parts library. Make sure to select the topmost directory (normally 'ldraw') that contains the 'parts' directory.

Note: LDCad assumes you have GTK2 installed (just about any distro should have it). Make sure you have installed the required packages and libraries to avoid any issues.

LDGLite

LDglite is only available as a standalone 64bit binary for Linux. Compared to the other editors, it does pale in comparison to the amount of features present on the more modern ones. If for curiosity's sake you still want to install it, proceed as follows:

  • Download the LDGLite binary archive
  • Extract the archive in the directory of your choice - your home directory is recommended to avoid any file permission conflict or having to tamper with your system as 'root'.
  • Run LDGlite, right click on its background to get started.

Notes:

  • Make sure that the binary is set as executable before attempting to run it: $ sudo chmod +x ldglite
  • This specific standalone requires libraries such as the DRI-accelerated OpenGL libraries, glut, glu, libpng and zlib to be installed.
  • If, for whatever reason LDGlite fails to start by clicking on the binary, you may run it via a terminal and verify its output, like so: ./ldglite

MLCAD (Hybrid setup)

  • Install Wine via your distribution's package manager or application repository.
    • APT-based systems (e.g. Ubuntu, Mint): sudo apt-get install wine
    • YUM-based systems (e.g. Fedora): sudo yum-install wine
  • Download the MLCad archive.
  • Extract the MLCad_V3.40.zip archive in the directory of your choice - your home directory is recommended to avoid any file permission conflict or having to tamper with your system as 'root'.
    • Run MLCad by selecting MLCAD.exe and follow the usual prompts (LDraw parts library directory location and file type registration setup)
    • Select Wine as the default method to open an executable on your system and proceed with the previously mentioned steps.

Note: MLCad runs exceptionally well (Platinum status on Wine's AppDB scale). Any encountered problem, whatever it may be, should be troubleshooted or reported to the Wine developers as they are responsible for maintaining Wine's underlying code base that makes running Windows executables on Linux distributions possible.

Additional applications

LPub3D

LPub3D is Trevor Sandy's continuation and modernization of Kevin Clague's LDraw building instruction editor. This tool is extremely powerful as it enables the creation of highly detailed, professional looking instructions. It uses external rendering applications to generate the model's step thumbnails to be included in the document. Both LDView and LDGlite are supported.

The latest version can be found as a no-installation-required AppImage at https://github.com/trevorsandy/lpub3d/releases; download LPub3D-<version>-x86_64.AppImage, set it as executable (chmod +x), and double click to open.

LDView

LDView, by Travis Cobbs, is a real-time 3D viewer for displaying LDraw models using hardware-accelerated 3D graphics. It is an essential tool in the creation of a model as it can be used to view and debug, in real-time and with full 3D graphics capacity, the model currently being edited (using the auto-update polling preference). It can also generate snapshots of the displayed content or of specific selected views of the given model. LDView is native to the Linux platform and is readily available for install for both Debian and Red Hat based distributions.

  • Download the latest installer package from LDView's downloads page.
  • Install LDView by using your preferred package manager or command package management tool.

Notes:

APT-based systems (e.g. Ubuntu, Mint): Your system may complain about either missing packages or unresolved dependencies. You may resolve these by running a "fix install" fix like so: $ sudo apt-get -f install

YUM-based systems (e.g. Fedora): LDView's Linux maintainer, Peter Bartfai, has an LDView repository set up using the OpenSuse build server system, from which you can get the latest LDView version, provided you add the yum repository information as follows:

$ sudo cat > /etc/yum.repos.d/ldview.repo << FILE
[ldview]
name=LDView Repository
baseurl=http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/pbartfai/Fedora_$(rpm -E %fedora)/
gpgkey=http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/pbartfai/Fedora_$(rpm -E %fedora)/repodata/repomd.xml.key
enabled=1
gpgcheck=0
FILE

Tip: The variable "$(rpm -E %fedora)" refers to RPM's way (on the Fedora distribution) of finding the current version and attributing the proper number to the URL.

Note: The OpenSUSE build server team automatically generates the configurations for upcoming or newer versions of any supported Red Hat distribution, ONLY when those distribution versions are finalized, stable and made available to the public.

LDraw Linux Command Line Utilities (L2CU)

L2CU is a set of command line utilities developed By Nathanel Titane to enable bulk LDraw model file parsing, editing, exporting, conversion and upload (to Sketchfab.com) without the direct need to use an LDraw CAD editor (though it needs to be installed to enable certain application features). Amongst certain modification options, the user can have parts, colors and/or part's colors, for any ldr and/or mpd file modified to his/her choice, within a selected directory.

These tools are especially suited for bulk model file updates, upgrades or modifications: you can attend to deprecated or modified parts in an especially effective manner by:

  • replacing an old part entry by a newer one
  • replacing a specified color by a different one
  • replacing a specific part's color with a new color

Notes:

  • The use of these utilities assumes that the user has previously tested the part/color replacement option manually before parsing all files in bulk.
  • This application assumes that the model files to be edited abide by the LDraw ldr/mpd file specification.

To get the utilities, please visit the dedicated Github page: LDraw Utilities Github repository

Dive in

Learning how to use your new editor or understanding the LDraw file format may be a challenge, but with a little practice you will get the hang of it. Take a look at the tutorials on the wiki or on the main website for further help.

Help

Forums are also a great way to discuss techniques, issues or features of editors or applications used to create or edit your LDraw model files. If you require any further help with any of this content, please visit the LDraw.org Forums, sign up, and ask a large group of users for help.

Disclaimer

The author(s) of this Wiki hereby releases himself/themselfs of any responsibility consequent of the actions taken by any user inside or outside of the specified information and steps listed within this Wiki.

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