Mac software for creating instruction manuals?

[NathanR]

I'm looking to create an instruction manual for a large (~8000 piece) model, but I only have access to MacOS... which seems terribly neglected when it comes to Lego software.  So far I am aware of the following:

LDD:  Well it produces something that passes for a manual...

LPub4: Works fine for small models. I just loaded a 3500 piece model with only one step, the app froze and spawned an LDView process running on 360% cpu as it tried to parse and render one image of the full thing (and I really hope I managed to kill this completely.  MacOS runs so many processes I'm never sure what's system or really being run by me).

LPub3D: Renderer won't work properly.  LDView won't create any images, LDGLite creates images but "crashes" after each render (log says an unset pointer was freed).  Trying to update RotStep commands using the built-in 3d viewer has no effect at all. 

Blueprint: I haven't used this in a long time, I found the interface a little clunky/fiddly.  Should I give it a second chance, does it work on large models?

Is there any other software for creating instructions that would run natively on a Mac? 

[mocbuild101]

The only other instruction making software I know of is LIC, but that only works on windows...

According to this list, LPub is the only instruction making software for Mac.

There is also this page which lists almost all the LDraw software.

[supertruper1988]

I work on a Mac exclusively. Unfortunately there are some challenges but not impossible. 

I have used BluePrint extensively and its a grat program but it does not handle physically large models very well. (larger than 32x32 baseplate)

I have since moved over to Stud.io and LPub3D. 

My first recommendation is that you break up your model, a lot. My general rule is to do no more than 10 parts per step and sub models are never more than 2 levels deep. 

Edited June 24, 2018 by supertruper1988

[NathanR]

Thanks for the info, I was afraid my options would be limited. My model is 56x46 studs and about 1.5m tall (I don't have a brick height), but I'm not sure it would be possible to split the file into smaller chunks due to some very large support struts.

Oh well. I guess my next project will be writing a native Mac LDraw editor/instruction manual program.  Always wanted to learn Swift...

[supertruper1988]

12 hours ago, NathanR said:

Thanks for the info, I was afraid my options would be limited. My model is 56x46 studs and about 1.5m tall (I don't have a brick height), but I'm not sure it would be possible to split the file into smaller chunks due to some very large support struts.

Oh well. I guess my next project will be writing a native Mac LDraw editor/instruction manual program.  Always wanted to learn Swift...

I mean it sounds like you have a building so I would do manual one as the support columns then break up the floors into chunks. 

[NathanR]

3 hours ago, supertruper1988 said:

I mean it sounds like you have a building so I would do manual one as the support columns then break up the floors into chunks. 

If only it were that simple... It's a launch pad for 21309 Apollo Saturn V.  The main platform is one "sub-model", but the first three tower levels are integrated into this platform.  So the first problem is having a program that lets you focus the instruction manual viewport on that part of the build.  The rest of the tower should be a separate model, but there are many fuel pipes that run from the platform right to the top of the model. To highlight these connections I think I need the model as a complete file. 

Maybe I can get clever with LPub's ability to show and hide groups of bricks, but I don't think LPub will even be able to parse the file... at least, not with the computer I've got.

[supertruper1988]

The thing about Lpub is that you have to have the steps already made. Unlike BluePrint, it does not build steps for you. It is a looooooooooooooong and tedious process to make steps in stud.io or any of the Ldraw programs but once you have it, LPub or LPub3D do pretty good. 

[legolijntje]

On 6/25/2018 at 9:35 AM, NathanR said:

So the first problem is having a program that lets you focus the instruction manual viewport on that part of the build.

You can kinda do that with LPub3D, but it's more of a hacky workaround (which takes a lot of time and makes the LDraw file rather chaotic and messy) rather than a feature in LPub3D.
I successfully used it in recent instructions though, including a Star Wars ship which over 1m long, so it does work.

The trick is to add a random brick far away from the model, thus moving the relative center of the model. Since LPub focuses the viewport on the relative center of the model and not the absolute center, it also moves the viewport. The thing is that you don't want the random brick to stay there forever and you don't want it in the PLI. So, you have to wrap it in a buffer exchange and a pli ignore. Furthermore, there is some kind of bug or something that makes LPub misplace the assembly image, so you have to move the assembly to the edge of the paper too. And then, repeat that for every damn step you want a moved viewport, partly due to buffer exchange which can't be used over multiple steps (a feature I have asked for for years).

Like I said: it's a ton of work. But, it does work and the end result looks pretty  nice if I say so myself.

[Hinckley]

On 6/23/2018 at 5:02 PM, NathanR said:

LPub3D: Renderer won't work properly.  LDView won't create any images, LDGLite creates images but "crashes" after each render (log says an unset pointer was freed).  Trying to update RotStep commands using the built-in 3d viewer has no effect at all. 

I have this problem too. It doesn't seem like anybody out there knows how to fix this. I realie I'm asking for help in a topic where you're looking for help, but is LPUB4 easier to use in MAC OS? I'm tired of fighting with the LPUB3D interface. I don't see any reason why the LDView won't add the parts but the renderer is rendering them...

[roland]

The main issue with LPub(4/3d) and LDView is they use different LDraw library path settings, so the first step in fixing any issue is usually syncing those.

Second LDView is known to consume huge amounts of memory when working with larger models at certain quality settings. Make sure you are using the 64 bit version and or try lower quality settings.

my 2cts

[Hinckley]

It was a 100 piece set, LPub4 worked just fine with it. I won't bother with LPub3D again. I don't use it often enough to try and figure out what might be wrong with it. I think the original problem @NathanR had still stands. Can't find a good program on Mac for larger models.

[NathanR]

10 hours ago, roland said:

The main issue with LPub(4/3d) and LDView is they use different LDraw library path settings, so the first step in fixing any issue is usually syncing those.

Not quite.  They both point to the same LDraw library. The problem is that the LDView that comes bundled inside the LPub3D application doesn't work.

@Hinckley I think there was a fix for LPub3D on MacOS, it involves updating a png library (as described here), but I'm not familiar with all the software that has to be installed to do this.  I'm very nervous of something breaking on my Mac, so I'd prefer not to mess with it.  LPub3D does work with the LDGLite renderer out of the box, but every time an image is generated you get a warning dialogue.  Also, it seems impossible to rotate the 3D view of the model and have the new view angle update the RotStep command.

The older LPub does work fine, and even on my 4k piece model it loaded it (eventually).  I think the problem I had was just trying to generate so many images for the part callout *at the same time*.  That said, it will be difficult to mask the view, and reposition the model to focus the view on what I want to see... 

9 hours ago, Hinckley said:

Can't find a good program on Mac for larger models.

True.  Ok, my mind is made up.  After I finish with my launch tower, I am taking a break from Lego design to teach myself how to program on the Mac.  I've been toying with Swift for a while and I already use C++ for my day job, so it shouldn't be too difficult. [Famous Last Words!].  The only major hurdle will be getting an LDraw brick to load, I've never understood why the bricks are still maintained as text files instead of 3D object files, and I've never managed to figure out how to compute the polygon normals from the vertex data.  It will certainly be an interesting experience. [Also, famous last words]

 

[roland]

8 hours ago, NathanR said:

@Hinckley

True.  Ok, my mind is made up.  After I finish with my launch tower, I am taking a break from Lego design to teach myself how to program on the Mac.  I've been toying with Swift for a while and I already use C++ for my day job, so it shouldn't be too difficult. [Famous Last Words!].  The only major hurdle will be getting an LDraw brick to load, I've never understood why the bricks are still maintained as text files instead of 3D object files, and I've never managed to figure out how to compute the polygon normals from the vertex data.  It will certainly be an interesting experience. [Also, famous last words]

Getting the brick on screen is only step one of about a hundred :)

[NathanR]

@roland Hehehe.  Indeed it is! But about ten years ago I dabbled with computer game programming language "Dark Basic", even going to some low-level DirectX 9 programming.  Manipulating objects in a 3D environment is pretty straightforward for me... Setting up a user interface is going to be the tough part.

[SylvainLS]

@NathanR Or you can just wait till the end of July to see if Stud.io’s instruction mode is as good as it looks 

(Original post / teaser video)

[supertruper1988]

12 minutes ago, SylvainLS said:

@NathanR Or you can just wait till the end of July to see if Stud.io’s instruction mode is as good as it looks 

(Original post / teaser video)

This is amazing!

[NathanR]

Wow, that is impressive! The instruction generator seems just about perfect.

I've never actually tried Stud.io, can it be run without an internet connection? And does it save LDraw files, or use it's own format?

Edit: After some googling I have one more question which is really important to have answered before I risk downloading Stud.io.  The brickset review (admittedly from over a year ago) said a MacBook Pro would have a heavy CPU load, cooling fans running loudly and battery draining fast...  Is this still the case?

 

Edited June 28, 2018 by NathanR

[SylvainLS]

It uses LDraw parts models but BrickLink names (for parts and colours).  Same step structure.  The .io files are (password-protected) zipped LDraw files.  And you can easily import and export to LDraw.

I don’t use it extensively, I just check where it’s going from time to time, but, yes, it’s heavy on the CPU, at least, I didn’t notice any real improvement on that part, though I’m testing it with Wine on Linux, which might not be the best environment graphics-wise.

As to know if your laptop is up to the task, I’d say it’s worth a try (it’s pretty well self-contained and easy to remove otherwise).

 

[NathanR]

13 hours ago, SylvainLS said:

I don’t use it extensively, I just check where it’s going from time to time, but, yes, it’s heavy on the CPU

Oh dear, that is definitely a no for me then.  My previous laptop was a 2012 MacBook Air and at one point when I was looking for some entertainment, I got some old computer games from the App Store that I figured would run ok, but they all had very high CPU usage and left the fan screaming.  Indeed, one demo game I played for ~30 minutes left me with a permanent "service battery" warning, and the laptop battery life was reduced from ~5hrs to ~90 minutes per charge.  So I am very very cautious about putting too much strain on my current laptop.