Hello Mod Creators,

Here is an update for the LFS Editor.


Changes in Editor 0.7D40:

Vehicle editor:

Hub object custom colours now appear in the list of wheel colours

Modeller:

Reflect object function is now available for individual subobjects
Combined clean object buttons into a single button with a dialog
Spoke mode "export SRE" saves combined spokes as a modeller object
Spoke mode "import SRE" function to load modeller object as a spoke


Changes in Editor 0.7D39:

Modeller:

Set subobject as "hub object" that moves and rotates with a wheel
- note that LFS must be updated to D32 or the object does not move

Misc:

FIX: Small camera movement on releasing LMB after 2-button rotation


Changes in Editor 0.7D38:

Modeller:

Export plain / shaded / wireframe for any texture (not only skins)
FIX: Merge subobjects, mappings wrong if subobject had pitch / roll
FIX: Map mode showed texture file for skin cutouts as [no texture]

Misc:

FIX: Alpha number plate texture went wrong if more than one on page
FIX: Modeller - reload textures - vehicle editor: 2 plates on page


Changes in Editor 0.7D37:

Dashboards:

Ability to set colours instead of using the system colours
Set background colour without supplying a backing texture
Adjustable black rectangle option if background is not black

Road clocks:

Digital and analog speedo may be used at the same time

Formula clocks:

Option to switch off numbers on the tacho display
Option to use a larger step on the tacho display

Modeller

Crash on undo/redo of subobjects in mapping/cutout/page modes
Message: The backing texture will appear in subobjects but must be set in the main object


Changes in Editor 0.7D36:

Vehicle editor:

Backing texture can now be used with all types of clock texture
Text colour and opacity can be set on the s_clock_formula clocks
FIX: Vehicle lost 'saved' status exiting modeller with no changes

Modeller:

Message if user attempts to set backing texture on subobject
Texture page marked as dash is shown green (if not used by model)
FIX: Model lost 'saved' status if cutout or mapping drag cancelled


Changes in Editor 0.7D35:

A new dashboard backing texture system
- only for s_clock and s_clock_white dashboards [restriction removed in D36]
- backing texture appears *behind* needle, numbers, markings
- appears illuminated (self lit) like the default dashboards
- recommended texture size is 512 or 1024 for future-proofing
- load the texture in page mode in the modeller
- click the "fixed" button to mark it as "dash"
- there is a reload button in the dashboard editor
- alpha channel has no effect


Changes in Editor 0.7D34:

Vehicle editor:

Engine damage light can be enabled (in Transmission tab)
Maximum value for main body drag increased from 1.0 to 6.0
Some tooltips added and descriptions adjusted in Aerodynamics tab
Estimated max speed (in Aerodynamics) shows speed in mph or km/h
FIX: Dashboard for electric vehicles was switched off in editor

Dashboard editor:

Speedo:
- set maximum value in km/h (steps of 5)
- option to show units (km/h or mph)

Tacho:
- set maximum value
- x100 or x1000
- gap 1/2 (x1000) or 5/10 (x100)
- options to show units (x100 or x1000)

Options on all gauges:
- needle colour = text colour
- needle is long
- needle above pivot
- hide pivot
- hide numbers
- hide symbol (if applicable)
- hide marks
- smaller text


Changes in Editor 0.7D33:

Vehicle editor:

A sky reflection (environment map) is included in mod screenshot
Undo "edit model" is removed if no changes were made in modeller
More tooltips in Allow, Light Colours and Object Positions tabs
Unsaved changes warning on clicking the X button to exit LFS

Modeller:

Unsaved changes warning on clicking the X button to exit LFS


Changes in Editor 0.7D32:

FIX: Crash when selecting overlay with no texture


Changes in Editor 0.7D31:

Vehicle editor:

A redo function to go with the new undo function

Modeller:

There is now a redo function to go with the undo function
Map / cutout / page selections are preserved when possible
Undo and redo deal correctly with map / cutout / page modes
Cutout mode works more like map mode and avoids button overlap
Overlay function from page mode is now available in cutout mode
Square buttons in map mode match mapping aspect ratio to cutout


Changes in Editor 0.7D30:

Vehicle editor:

Undo function for all editor operations
Exit warning only if changes have been made
C key to clear selected point and selected tube
Delete key deletes a point or tube (if only one is selected)
CTRL+RMB (copy) SHIFT+RMB (paste) now work with frame point values
Hide the bottom right buttons now hides the whole settings block
Rim modifiers moved to top right in rim editor avoiding overlap
Special view no longer includes wheel mass cuboids by default
Error message displayed if a vehicle file cannot be loaded

Modeller:

FIX: Bottom right screen layout was wrong in 2D views

Animation editor:

FIX: Driver in wireframe mode could be obscured by the vehicle


Changes in Editor 0.7D29:

Vehicle editor:

Included whole words "load" and "save" for setups and colours
New message on clicking "Animate" if the vehicle has no driver
Tooltips added to Steering tab and some in Object Positions tab
Question button and tip are shown for unusual FR configurations
Caster angle reduced to 2 decimal places (3 seemed excessive)

New vehicle:

Better initial values for engine and fuel tank positions
Light colours are now initialised (all were black except rear fog)
FIX: Editor buttons appeared during dialog in new vehicle screen

Animation editor:

Eye view button (beside origin and object buttons)
Keys O (view object) and SHIFT+O (options) now work


Changes in Editor 0.7D28:

Vehicle editor:

Various improvements in layout and organisation
Tooltips are now available (allows reduced button text)
A new button to show the view from driver's eye position
Editor sliders now have both arrows on the right
FIX: Spare wheel pitch now expressed in degrees
FIX: Nudging of RPM sliders in engine editor


Changes in Editor 0.7D27:

FIX: Position of screen buttons during 2D rotate or scale (D26 bug)


Changes in Editor 0.7D26:

Mod Export:

A new limit of 8192 triangles / 12288 vertices for LOD2
Groups are compressed when exporting for test or upload

Modeller:

A new function "reduce detail" is visible with triangles selected
A point is selected if unambiguous after merge to green or average


Changes in Editor 0.7D25:

Modeller:

A new style dialog is now used for merge points (ALT+M) options
FIX: Points more likely to remain selected after scale or lathe

Vehicle editor:

For flashing pit speed limiter light - choose brake or rear fog
Width / ratio / rim width move in bigger steps with right click
Frame position adjustments use expected steps for mouse clicks

Limited sidecar support:

Lone wheel (e.g. front) can be offset left (in Suspension tab)
- offset wheel to right is currently disabled for compatibility
Pair of wheels (e.g. rear) can be longitudinally staggered
- only the rearmost wheel of a staggered pair is driven
- anti-roll is disabled when the pair is staggered


Changes in Editor 0.7D24:

Switches for various options previously controlled by Race Class
- Indicators / Headlights / Pit limiter light (in 'Light Colours')
- Handbrake / Horn / Starter Motor (in 'Allow')
- Oval suspension arms (in 'Suspension')
- Grooved slicks (in 'Wheel Object')

Modeller move in list UP/DN: move more with SHIFT or right click


Changes from 0.7C to 0.7D23:

General:

H button at top left to hide/show message history like H key in game
Left click increments should now always be smaller than right click
- previously this was not consistent between all types of button
- as before, CTRL may do smaller steps, SHIFT may do larger steps
- this change should apply to distance, colour, angle and scale

Vehicle editor:

Spare wheel can now be offset laterally (set RIGHT value)
Maximum speed for each gear is now visible in the vehicle editor
- you will need to click the '-' button beside reload textures
Max subobjects to be drawn in editor increased to 40 (was 32)
Mod with too many materials cannot be exported to test in LFS
Keys: CTRL+O: load vehicle / CTRL+N: new vehicle
FIX: A fix for the cover image screenshot when exporting a large mod
FIX: Corrects an audio bug if a bad value is set in LFS sound editor
FIX: Save as SIT / STR name now limited to 7 characters
FIX: Dashboard texture can now be updated in a 2D view
FIX: Crash if vehicle mod had more than 64 materials

Modeller:

Ability to name subobjects (right click name or description)
New dialogs for extrude / lathe / create a circle of points
You can now undo "load main object" (reverts to old object)
New button to select a point by entering the point index
- index of a single selected point or triangle is displayed
Rearranged buttons in tri mode to align well with point mode
Helpful messages about bad normals are now shown at top right
- triangles that are too small or too thin are separately listed
- triangles as small as 1/3 of a millimetre can contribute normals
- click button to find error triangles or points with bad normals
New function "invert" to invert selection (selected - unselected)
Disabled point selection by middle button in build and point modes
Number plate texture s_plate is now visible in modeller 'page' mode
Rotated subobjects can now be correctly merged into the main object
You can now break off triangles from a subobject into a new subobject
Select or deselect multiple triangles by holding down CTRL and LMB
- move the mouse to nearby triangles to keep selecting or deselecting
Aligned "select selection's points" and "select connected triangles"
- these were misaligned in 2D modes if a selection box was visible
- it can be useful to click them repeatedly (much easier if aligned)
You can hide subobjects other than the selected one: show subobs NO
New feature to merge points by distance (distance can be specified)
Mouse control now works below 1cm from the plane (down to 1mm)
FIX: Crash on reload textures with no cutout or page selected
FIX: Wireframe view went wrong or crashed on "reload textures"
FIX: Rim disappeared on clicking "reload textures" in spoke edit

Modeller hotkeys / shortcuts:

CTRL+O: load main object

Keys for subob, point, tri, map, cutout, page modes:
CTRL+D: duplicate
CTRL+N: new
DELETE: delete

H: hide selected (points or triangles)
SHIFT+H: hide unselected
ALT+H: unhide all

E: extrude selected points (with trace enabled in point mode)
S: select selection's points / select connected triangles
CTRL+F: flip selected triangles (in tri mode)
CTRL+F: flip connected triangles (in point mode)
CTRL+I: invert selection (points or triangles)
ALT+M: Merge points (previously known as Fuse points)

Modeller mode selection:
SHIFT+S: subob
SHIFT+T: tri
SHIFT+P: point
SHIFT+B: build
SHIFT+M: map
SHIFT+C: cutout
SHIFT+G: page
SHIFT+V: view


DOWNLOAD:

LFS Editor PATCH 7A to 7D40 [If you already have LFS Editor 0.7A]
Editor 0.7A or later must already be installed!
https://www.lfs.net/file_lfs.php?name=LFS_EDITOR_PATCH_7A_TO_7D40.zip [1.5 MB]

is there any way to add some shortcuts for functions like extrude, duplicate points or fuse to green? It could be really helpful for us who are modeling on the editor

Quote from kenblock30 :

is there any way to add some shortcuts for functions like extrude, duplicate points or fuse to green? It could be really helpful for us who are modeling on the editor

I've now replied about hotkeys / shortcuts in LFS Modeller Suggestions

More hotkeys / shortcuts added in D12.

D13

Modeller:

E: extrude selected points (with trace enabled in point mode)
CTRL+F: flip selected triangles (in tri mode)
CTRL+F: flip connected triangles (in point mode)
Single click (no confirm) in "Select type of extrusion" dialog
Mouse control now works below 1cm from the plane (down to 1mm)
FIX: Crash on reload textures with no cutout or page selected

Vehicle editor:

CTRL+L: load
CTRL+N: new

Quote from Scawen :

CTRL+L: load

I'd expect this to be CTRL+O (open) which is a standard shortcut across many programs including Blender.

Ah yeah, seems like my terminology from the early 80s

I do wish there's a limiter on all settings like suspension, drivetrain, etc, so we could have one car with limited or even fixed setup,

also, waiting hotkey for "fuse to green" and "fuse to average"

Quote from ivancsx :

I do wish there's a limiter on all settings like suspension, drivetrain, etc, so we could have one car with limited or even fixed setup,

This thread is only about the modeller, not the vehicle editor or mods system in general.

Quote from ivancsx :

also, waiting hotkey for "fuse to green" and "fuse to average"

Do you have any key suggestions? It's easier for me if you can do as much research as possible. For example if you know a key for a similar feature in another program, or simply have your own suggestion.

It would be convenient to see the keys shortcuts in some kind of list or in a pop-up tab at the bottom of the center. Watching them on the forum is not very handy.

And that would be cool to unify shortcuts even more to the blender as much as possible, and it's not because I've working in blender for 15 years, but because most of the modmakers who model mash themselves do it in the blender.

Quote from Scawen :

This thread is only about the modeller, not the vehicle editor or mods system in general.


Do you have any key suggestions? It's easier for me if you can do as much research as possible. For example if you know a key for a similar feature in another program, or simply have your own suggestion.

Oh, if it specific for modeller, then maybe my suggestion were M for "Fuse to Average", and alt+M for "Fuse to Green" since Shift+M already assigned with "Map" tab, because in Blender if I remembered correct (havent open Blender for a long time because LFSE more addicting and challenging to make something), M were also assigned for fuse (or Merge in Blender menu says)

Or maybe.... can we have a dialog version just like when we tried to extrude points? Would be feel handy with only hotkey M, just like how E for Extrude were defined

Quote from Aleksandr_124rus :

It would be convenient to see the keys shortcuts in some kind of list or in a pop-up tab at the bottom of the center. Watching them on the forum is not very handy.

They should all be visible in the tooltip text if you hover over the button. Please tell me if you find one is missing. This is the easiest way for me to do it for now.

Quote from Aleksandr_124rus :

And that would be cool to unify shortcuts even more to the blender as much as possible, and it's not because I've working in blender for 15 years, but because most of the modmakers who model mash themselves do it in the blender.

I agree but I rely on forum members to tell me the key used in Blender (or other software). I don't have the time to learn my way around Blender, even if I'd like to have that knowledge.

Quote from ivancsx :

Oh, if it specific for modeller, then maybe my suggestion were M for "Fuse to Average", and alt+M for "Fuse to Green" since Shift+M already assigned with "Map" tab, because in Blender if I remembered correct (havent open Blender for a long time because LFSE more addicting and challenging to make something), M were also assigned for fuse (or Merge in Blender menu says)

Or maybe.... can we have a dialog version just like when we tried to extrude points? Would be feel handy with only hotkey M, just like how E for Extrude were defined

Thanks for the key and dialog suggestion.

Quote from Scawen :

This thread is only about the modeller, not the vehicle editor or mods system in general.

Hmm, I got confused between this editor test patch thread and the modeller suggestions thread. Anyway, as a test patch thread it is not for off topic suggestions, please. Hotkey discussions are relevant but may be better on the LFS Modeller Suggestions thread.

Quote from ivancsx :

havent open Blender for a long time because LFSE more addicting and challenging to make something

Nice reason to use LFS editor!

Quote from Scawen :

Nice reason to use LFS editor!

well, for me personally, it's addicting because I could directly see the result without opening the main LFS program, so if I ever spot irregularities on the model that I'm making, I could fix it directly, also I could adjust the mechanical aspect based on the 3D model I'm making there, it's addicting to me personally, makes me kinda autistic when working with it hahaha

also, it's challenging because control input relatively simple yet completely different treat than any other 3d modeller, let's say in 3dsmax, there's cut tools to split 1 quad to 2 or many quads just in that area we're select, while in LFSE, in build mode, when we click on 2 points, there's a blue (?) or grey points, that if we click it makes another split to it, and redo the process to the another tris that we want to split.

so yeah, that's why

Quote from Scawen :

They should all be visible in the tooltip text if you hover over the button. Please tell me if you find one is missing. This is the easiest way for me to do it for now.

I think what he meant was a list of all available keyboard shortcuts, something like on the right side of the Options - Controls screen in LFS.

By the way, there already is a list of all editor shortcuts in the LFS manual: https://en.lfsmanual.net/wiki/LFS_Editor_Keys

Editor Test Patch D14

CTRL+O: load main object in modeller
CTRL+O: load vehicle (was CTRL+L in D13)
ALT+M: Merge points (previously known as Fuse points)
New feature to merge points by distance (in ALT+M dialog)
FIX: Crash on reload textures in map mode / wireframe view

Can you explain how the new feature to merge points by distance works?

Quote from Flame CZE :

Can you explain how the new feature to merge points by distance works?

Yes, you press ALT+M and select the option, it then gives you the option to enter a distance (default 1mm).

The idea is to merge any points less than that distance.

The algorithm works by running through the selected points and merges the closest pair of points, if their separation is below that distance. This is repeated until there are no more pairs with less separation less than that minimum distance.

It was requested in Modeller suggestions:
https://www.lfs.net/forum/post/2038983#post2038983

I don't know if it works exactly the same way in Blender but I think the idea is the same.

Editor Test Patch D15:

Modeller:

Ability to name subobjects (right click name or description)
You can now undo "load main object" (reverts to old object)

Vehicle editor:

FIX: Crash if vehicle mod had more than 64 materials
Mod with too many materials cannot be exported to test in LFS

Editor Test Patch D16:

Vehicle editor:

Spare wheel can now be offset laterally (set RIGHT value)
FIX: Save as SIT / STR name now limited to 7 characters
FIX: Dashboard texture can now be updated in a 2D view

Modeller:

Removed message spam about bad normals - instead a report is displayed at the top right in the modeller. This feature is not yet finished as I would like to add a button to help by selecting one of the offending points or triangles.

Editor Test Patch D17:

I'm short of time today but added a couple of features that make yesterday's model error reporting more useful.

New 'find' buttons to select error triangles or bad normals
New button to select a point by entering the point index
Index of a single selected point or triangle is displayed
Rearranged buttons in tri mode to line up with point mode

Quote :

+Ability to name subobjects (right click name or description)
+Spare wheel can now be offset laterally (set RIGHT value)
+Removed message spam about bad normals - instead a report is displayed at the top right.
+CTRL+F: flip selected triangles (in tri mode)
+CTRL+N (new) CTRL+D (duplicate) and DELETE added to more editor modes
+S: select selection's points / select connected triangles
+Number plate texture s_plate is now visible in modeller 'page' mode
+Rotated subobjects can now be correctly merged into the main object
+You can now break off triangles from a subobject into a new subobject
+Maximum speed for each gear is now visible in the vehicle editor
+Aligned "select selection's points" and "select connected triangles"

I think NOW it's time to update from 0.7C

Here's another update. Hopefully you should find it is more tolerant with bad normals (finds less normals to be bad) and more informative about small or thin triangles that can cause bad normals.

Merge by distance can now be used over a whole mesh and instead of aborting after 12 seconds, it shows progress every second so you can stop it if you want.


Editor Test Patch D18:

New function "invert" to invert selection (selected - unselected)
Point merge options now on one line and includes distance merge

Improved merge by distance to update every second if merge is long
- you can watch the progress and stop at any time by pressing ESC

Improved handling of bad normals and some of the reasons for them
- triangles that are too small or too thin are separately listed
- triangles as small as 1/3 of a millimetre can contribute normals

I've received another South City update from Eric so did a few track editor updates that were relevant at this point. In the process I updated a few features from the public editor, so here they are.


Editor Test Patch D19:

Hotkey for "hide/unhide (un)selected" changed from X to H (like blender)
- small H button at top left to hide/show message history (old H function)

Left click increments should now always be smaller than right click
- previously this was not consistent for all types of buttons
- as before, CTRL may do smaller steps, SHIFT may do larger steps
- this change should apply to distance, colour, angle and scale

Find button for error triangles or points now selects all as expected
- previously only selected the first point or triangle in the list

So i was using an older version of editor something like 7C before, wasn't doing anything recently so was no need to update, but now downloaded D19

I don't know how people make their mods, i open vehicle editor, select my mod and it loads. Click E to go into modeler and do mapping, coloring, building, etc. Back in 7C, after doing some mapping i would press ESC and it would instantly go back to vehicle editor so i could check the lights, subobjects placement, etc.

Now it asks me if you want to quit the editor because there are some unsaved changes. As far as i know it automatically saves the changes done in modeler when you quit into vehicle editor, even in this D19. So why this extra Yes/No window? Now it only confuses me and i might quit the actual vehicle editor.