- V1.0: Initial release
- Prepare the input LDraw file. Nothing special to do if you want to apply Unrectifier to the whole file, otherwise color the primitives that you want to inline and the quads that you want to split using key color.
- Launch a command prompt.
- Type the command line: unrectifier[-k <val>] [-r] [-q][-c][-u][-l <Ldraw path>] LdrawFileIn LdrawFileOut. Unrectifier will create LdrawFileOut, containing the original file with selected Rect primitive inlined and quads split into triangles.
- Input file is read and parsed, stored in an array.
- Array is scanned to find quads or Rect primitives. If no key color is specified, all Rects are inlined and quads get split into 2 triangles. The split chosen is the one that gives the smaller angle between the two triangles.
- If key color is specified, only elements that match key color are processed. Note that actually ALL key-colored primitives or subfiles are inlined. This allows you to "unboxify" a box primitive, or more generally deep-inline any primitive/subpart.
- If -c option is not specified, condlines bordering split quads are deleted, and new ones are generated around each triangles. Only simple generation is done (condline created for any angle > 0.1°, no condline created between the triangles and touching primitives/subpart). For more fancy condlines management, use Edger2!.
- If -u option is specified, the whole file is returned to uncolored state (edge lines and condlines to color 24, all other to main color 16).
- Output file is written.
|
Unrectifier
Rectifier is a useful tool to consolidate triangles into quads and to keep file size down, but doing so make further improvements to the file more difficult. Unrectifier does the opposite, it expands Rect primitives into quads + lines, and split quads into triangle pairs. By default Unrectifier operates on the whole file, but it can also limit itself to key-colored elements. With some limitations, it is also able to update condlines around modified areas.
It is a simple console application, source code is provided below to anyone willing to integrate it in a more palatable interface. You may also use Michael Heidemann LETGUI front-end (highly recommended!).
Download
Unrectifier package, including program for Windows, documentation, source files (Visual C++ 6.0), example files.
History
Usage
Here is a screen shot of a sample run:
How Unrectifier works
Examples
|
The input file contains a Rect primitive (top left) and a warped quad. Using default options, the Rect is inlined, then the quads are split into triangles. Command line: Unrectifier -l l:\ldraw ur1.dat ur2.dat |
|
-r option prevents inlining of Rect primitives. Note that if you don't specify the path of your LDraw folder, Unrectifier is unable to inline primitives, and the result is the same! Command line: Unrectifier -r -l l:\ldraw ur1.dat ur3.dat Command line: Unrectifier ur1.dat ur3.dat |
|
-q option prevents splitting of quads into triangles. Notice the very uninspired thumbnail nearby ;) Command line: Unrectifier -q -l l:\ldraw ur1.dat ur4.dat |
|
If no key color is specified, Unrectifier does its job on all quads and Rect primitives. Note that Box primitives are unaffected. Command line: Unrectifier -l l:\ldraw ur5.dat ur6.dat |
|
With -k <color> option, only elements that have the proper color are processed. This time, ALL key-colored primitives are inlined. This allows you to "unboxify" a box primitive, or more generally deep-inline any primitive/subpart. Command line: Unrectifier -k 5 -l l:\ldraw ur5.dat ur7.dat |
|
-u option returns the whole file to uncolored state. Command line: Unrectifier -k 5 -u -l l:\ldraw ur5.dat ur8.dat |
|
-c option prevents conditional lines management: the condlines existing in original file are left as-is. But as you can see on nearby thumnail, they probably won't match properly the triangles, and no conditional line is added when a warped quad is split. If you use this option you should at some time regenerate condlines with Edger2. Command line: Unrectifier -c -l l:\ldraw ur9.dat ur10.dat |
|
Default operation (without -c option) deletes existing condlines around split quads, and regenerates them. Note that this process, applied one triangle at a time, is very inefficient and may take some time on big files. Command line: Unrectifier -l l:\ldraw ur9.dat ur11.dat |
|
Regeneration of condlines is basic, a condline is created for any angle > 0.1°, and no condline created between the triangles and touching primitives/subpart. Here for example no condline was created along remaining quad (-r option). For more fancy condlines management, use Edger2!. Command line: Unrectifier -r -l l:\ldraw ur9.dat ur12.dat |
|