LDraw to LDD conversion

While some earlier (pre 2.0) versions of LDD came with LDraw import and export features the latest version does not ship with a valid conversion file and has also lost the ability to read MPDs. Fortunately this problem is easily remedied by installing a customised conversion file.

The conversion file

The conversion between LDraw and LDD is governed by a set of rules contained in the ldraw.xml file in the found in the LDD2Directory/assets directory (where LDD2Directory is the directory in which LDD 2 is installed). Unfortunately the one that ships with current versions of LDD only contains a single mapping rule.

Getting a copy of LDraw.ml

A description and links to the latest version of the LDraw.xml file can be found here.

Installing a custom conversion file

To install a file just go to the LDD2Directory/assets directory (where LDD2Directory is the directory that LDD2 is installed in), back up the ldraw.xml there and replace it by the new one. Once this is done start or restart LDD and it will now use the updated list.

Reading an LDraw file

Once you've installed the new conversion file you can read LDraw files (but not MPD files). To do this you just select "Open File" and find the ldraw file you want to read. After that it should open although there are likely to be numerous mistakes due to oversensitivity of the LDD collision detection.

Writing an LDraw file

With luck this system should work better than reading. Just select "Save as" and add ".ldr" to the end of the filename. The system should then save an LDraw file rather than the usual LXF file.