MLCad allows to export your project in various ways including the option of post processing the exported files with up to 3 stages.
You can export certain steps (e.g. the final state) or even all steps of all sub-models. MLCad exports either LDraw raw format which files contain LDraw primitive commands only (Lines, Triangles, Quads and Qualiteral commands), and does not contain any references to other part files anymore. The second format MLCad can export is the standard format which is used to write your model, it contains still references to parts you used. Files of this format are usually smaller than raw format files.
Which format to use depends on what is done next with this files. If there is a tool which cannot work with part-references the raw format should be used, otherwice the standard format should be preferred.
Following now is a explanation of the export dialog, the section 'How it works' explains this and the usage of the exporting functionality.
This section contains general export configuration items, and is used to configure what MLCad should export and how to export.
生成フォーマット: Select one of the two possible formats 'LDraw
raw' or 'LDraw normal', 'LDraw raw' contains
primitives only, MLCad will recursivly scan
parts and write there commands into the file
too, thus creation a file which does not
contain any references to other parts of
the library any more. 'LDraw normal' creates
files which reference to the part library
and can therefor used by tools which know
about the libraries only.
MLCad itself can read both formats.
モデル: This list contains all the models contained in the project, if there is only one model than only one line is shown in this list. MLCad selects all available models by default, but the user is free to select a certains models only if requested.
ステップ: Select 'All' to export one file per step,
for all the steps of the model, select 'Range'
to specifiy the steps for which MLCad should
generate files. The text box below the 'Range'
is used to specify the steps. The following
formats can be used to specify the steps:
A-B will generate files for every step from
A to B (both including).
C will generate a file for step C only
These formats can be combined by seperating
them with a semi-collon ';'.
Example: 1-4;6;9-10 will generate files for
the steps 1,2,3,4, 6, 9 and 10.
転回ステップを無視: If this box is checked, MLCad will ignore
all rotation steps in the model and interpret
them as plain steps without rotating the
model, for all steps the default 3D-Rotation
angles are used.
If the box is un-checked all rotation-steps
will be taken care of
生成フォルダ: is the path to which to export the generated files to, use the Browse button to the right of the input field to use the standard file dialog to select the path. This string must end with a back-slash '\'. MLCad will use the projects name for the generated files and appends the step number to it.
プロセスログのファイル化: Check this box to force the generation of a log file for the processing phases. The input field below must contain a valid path and filename of the log-file to be generated, the Browse button right of the input field can be used to select a file using the standard file dialog.
This section is used to tell MLCad which post processing tools are used and the command line options for this tool. As post processing tools MS-Dos applications as well as Windows 95/98/NT applications can be used as long as they can be executed using command line parameters.
有効化: This field enables the post processor section and directs MLCad to use it when exporting data.
DOSプログラム: This field controls how the post processor
is started, if it is checked MLCad opens
a console window and executes the program
in this console. Otherwise the process is
created in a different way and does not get
a console window.
The field requires a little bit experimenting
to use it right. For a real ms-dos application
this flag has to be checked, for e.g. pov-ray
ist must not be checked.
パス: This field must contain the path and file-name of the processing tool, the Browse button can be used to select a tool, using the standard file dialog.
パラメータ: This field is used to specify the command
line options for the post processing tool.
The percent sign '%' is used as a special
format character in this case:
%0 will be replaced by the path and filename
of the exported file MLCad has generated,
%1 is replaced by the path only,
%2 will be replaced by the file-name only
(without extension),
%3 is used a place holder for the path and
the filename without extension.
%4, %5, %6, %7 are the same as %0 to %3 except
they use the short form for paths and file-names
that means the 8.3 notation of MS-DOS.
注意: When mixing short and long filename version,
it sometime happend to me that other files
not actually effected by the export process
have been overwritten. This effect happens
if the short form of a file is matching that
of a long-name version.
If the command line should contain a % than
% followed by any other character then listet
above has to be used.
The export of the file happens in 1 to 4 stages. The first stage is MLCad itself which will generate files according to the general settings, followed by a maximum of three post processing steps. If any of this stages fails, the export of the actual step is aborted and a error message will be displayed.
With the inputs shown in the above pictures the following would happen:
1) The steps of all the sub-models are joined to a series of steps. The range field will display the maximum number of steps if any of the options is changed. In the example MLCad will generate files for the steps 1 and 2 then 4 to 8. The generated files are saved in the directory C:\ExportedFiles and will be called Test_nnn.dat where nnn is the step number of the actual step exported.
2) If the export was successful MLCad will
execute the first post processor by executing
the following command:
C:\L3P\L3P.EXE -o C:\ExportedFiles\Test_n.dat
C:\ExportedFiles\Test_n.pov
If this command returns no error, MLCad executes
the second post processor using the command
line:
C:\TEMP\ MyTool.exe C:\ExportedFiles\Test_n.dat
C:\ExportedFiles\Test_n.pov
The output of all post processors (if any) is written to C:\ExportedFile\Test.log
To generate pictures from your project open the following dialog from the menu "File/Save Pictures...":
Select "Picture of every step"
to generate one picture per building step
or select "Snapshot" to generate
a single picture showing the model when it
is ready (that is the final step).
Check "Pictures for all sub-models"
to create pictures for all sub-models in
the current project.
"Show step number in picture" can be checked to have the actual step number displayed in the top left corner of the picture.
"Central perspective" will generate more realistic pictures when activated.
In the preview window hold down the left mouse button while moving the mouse to adjust the viewing angle of the model.
Use "Picture size" to select the size of your choice.
Use "Picture type" to select the file format between Bitmap (True color windows bitmap), Gif and Jpeg.
Press "Ok" and a standard File-Save Dialog will appear querying for the file name to use.
Than the program generates the picture(s). If the program generates more than one picture it will append a number to the file name you selected (e.g. 01 through 17).
Activate menu "File/Save Partlist..." and in the file dialog select or enter a file name to be used for the generated text file. The program now generates the part list.
An example of a generated file is shown below:
Step Numb. Color Part Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1 Light-Green 94.DAT Baseplate 8 x 16 2 1 Black 3001.DAT Brick 2 x 4 2 1 Red 3001.DAT Brick 2 x 4 3 1 Trans-White 3010.DAT Brick 1 x 4 3 1 Light-Gray 2837A.DAT Technic 9V Motor 4 1 Light-Blue 4743.DAT Arch 2 x 8 x 3 4 1 Black 453.DAT Window 1 x 4 x 2 6 1 Black 28.DAT Brick 1 x 1 Round 6 1 White 3703.DAT Technic Brick 1 x 16 with Holes
The resulting file contains the parts used in the various steps including theire color description.
To print a project (a single model, or a mpd project containing multiple models) aktivate the menu "File/Print...".
If you use the menu "File/Print preview..." you can see what will be printed first on the screen, and if you like it, you can print directly from there.
The printing itself is controlled from the printing configuration. See "Printing Configuration" for more information, as well as from the menu "File/Print setup...".