Answers.Body: <h2>Take pictures!</h2>
  
  <p>The easiest way is to take photographs of each step as you build. No special software is required, you can just step through each building stage by flicking through photos. </p>
  
  <p>If your tablet has a camera you will have everything you need to create and view the instructions. You might want to include which parts you need for the next step in the previous slide.</p>
  
  <p>I don't know a lot about Linux, but if you have access to word processing or image editing software you can combine multiple steps on to one page and print them. </p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ScpIu.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ScpIu.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a>
  <strong>Flickr:</strong> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/26629915@N03/albums/72157628500361387" rel="noreferrer">LEGO Shaun the Sheep (Version 2). Teabox (henrik_zwomp).</a></p>
  
  <p>Build your model on a background that contrasts the model, in most cases white is perfect (unless you're building clouds or sheep). If you have a camera, it would help to use a tripod to keep the camera in a fixed position and your hands are free to build.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-08-31T12:37:21.747Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-08-31T12:37:21.747Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ambo100
Answers.Body: <p>The <a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/12/do-any-programs-exist-that-allow-you-to-build-your-own-lego-manuals/">best software</a> for this is the <a href="http://ldd.lego.com" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lego Digital Designer</a> (LDD for short) but it is not available for Linux by default. Users have mixed results when trying to run it by <a href="https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&amp;iId=3331" rel="nofollow noreferrer">WINE</a> or <a href="http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=85670" rel="nofollow noreferrer">using virtual machines</a>.</p>
  
  <p>There is <a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/a/2087/3631">another recommendation</a>, which requires more manual work though. It uses <a href="https://code.google.com/p/lic/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lego Instruction Creator</a> (LIC), but it is a stagnant project and was buggy even back then, not sure how would it work in modern environments.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-11-03T20:36:53.210Z
Answers.Text: Damn Lego, they uses Linux in the mindstorm, but are not willing to give back to the community.
Answers.UserDisplayName: kbenoit
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-08-26T11:35:19.763Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-08-26T11:35:19.763Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-04-13T12:47:56.390Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: zovits
Answers.Body: <p>After testing several software (and figuring out quite a few are not compatible with each other), I tested Leocad, and was able to easily create models and generate instructions.</p>
  
  <p>In Leocad 0.82, going through "Print Preview…" and then printing to PDF generates simple and clean instructions.</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://raphink.github.io/lego_models">http://raphink.github.io/lego_models</a> shows the results I got with that method.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-03-30T15:19:17.133Z
Answers.Text: Your instructions are great!  But how did you get the inset "parts to use" window?
Answers.UserDisplayName: MonkeyWidget
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2018-11-03T20:32:40.920Z
Answers.Text: I have my project fully built with Leocad, but am now looking at creating instructions from it. Do you know where I could find such info?
Answers.UserDisplayName: kbenoit
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-09-01T08:19:28.407Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-09-01T08:19:28.407Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: raphink
Body: <p>I'd like to make instructions for my kids, which they could read either on paper or on a tablet.</p>
  
  <p>What is the easiest option to achieve that, ideally using open-source software (and running on Linux)?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-08-31T12:19:41.447Z
Comments.Text: **Related:** [Do any programs exist that allow you to build your own LEGO manuals?](http://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/12/do-any-programs-exist-that-allow-you-to-build-your-own-lego-manuals)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ambo100
Tags: <instructions>
Title: What is the easiest option to start making instructions?
UserDisplayName: raphink
ThreadText: # What is the easiest option to start making instructions?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-26)
  
  I'd like to make instructions for my kids, which they could read either on paper or on a tablet.
  
  What is the easiest option to achieve that, ideally using open-source software (and running on Linux)?
  
  **Tags:** instructions
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: **Related:** [Do any programs exist that allow you to build your own LEGO manuals?](http://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/12/do-any-programs-exist-that-allow-you-to-build-your-own-lego-manuals)  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_0 on 2015-09-01. Score: 7 | Accepted answer
  
  After testing several software (and figuring out quite a few are not compatible with each other), I tested Leocad, and was able to easily create models and generate instructions.
  
  In Leocad 0.82, going through "Print Preview…" and then printing to PDF generates simple and clean instructions.
  
  <http://username_0.github.io/lego_models> shows the results I got with that method.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: Your instructions are great!  But how did you get the inset "parts to use" window?  
  > **username_3**: I have my project fully built with Leocad, but am now looking at creating instructions from it. Do you know where I could find such info?  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2015-08-31. Score: 6
  
  ## Take pictures!
  
  The easiest way is to take photographs of each step as you build. No special software is required, you can just step through each building stage by flicking through photos.
  
  If your tablet has a camera you will have everything you need to create and view the instructions. You might want to include which parts you need for the next step in the previous slide.
  
  I don't know a lot about Linux, but if you have access to word processing or image editing software you can combine multiple steps on to one page and print them.
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ScpIu.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/ScpIu.jpg)
  **Flickr:** [LEGO Shaun the Sheep (Version 2). Teabox (henrik\_zwomp).](https://www.flickr.com/photos/26629915@N03/albums/72157628500361387)
  
  Build your model on a background that contrasts the model, in most cases white is perfect (unless you're building clouds or sheep). If you have a camera, it would help to use a tripod to keep the camera in a fixed position and your hands are free to build.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2015-08-26. Score: 2
  
  The [best software](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/12/do-any-programs-exist-that-allow-you-to-build-your-own-lego-manuals/) for this is the [Lego Digital Designer](http://ldd.lego.com) (LDD for short) but it is not available for Linux by default. Users have mixed results when trying to run it by [WINE](https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=3331) or [using virtual machines](http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=85670).
  
  There is [another recommendation](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/a/2087/3631), which requires more manual work though. It uses [Lego Instruction Creator](https://code.google.com/p/lic/) (LIC), but it is a stagnant project and was buggy even back then, not sure how would it work in modern environments.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: Damn Lego, they uses Linux in the mindstorm, but are not willing to give back to the community.  
  
  ---
  
  