Primitive
A primitive is a highly re-usable component of a LEGO part modelled for LDraw.
Primitives serve several purposes:
- To speed up parts authoring by providing a library of components which can be incorporated into several parts.
- To allow rendering software to make substitutions of curved components.
Primitives can be either simple shapes to allow easy part authoring, such as boxes or curves, or more complex items, such as studs and Technic pins.
Primitives are stored in the P subfolder inside the ldraw parts library.
Hi-Res Primitives
There exist high-resolution primitives. These are used when scaled up by high factors, so that they appear more nicely in graphical renderings.
They only should be used by part authors when they explicitly want to get more facets etc. and not by default.
They sit in the P/48 subfolder inside the ldraw parts library.
Low-Res Primitives
There exist low-resolution primitives.
These can be used by rendering software as substitutes for standard primitives to speed up renderings.
The low-resolution primitives usually will provide less graphical detailing, for example
less facets, or leaving out details.
They sit in the P/8 subfolder inside the ldraw parts library.
External Links
- LDraw Primitives Reference on LDraw.org