Answers.Body: <p>I tried LDD at first, but frankly, the order in which it adds the parts is often quite nonsensical:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/6fv2w.png" alt="Nonsensical LDD instructions"></p>
  
  <p>I also tried a bunch of other tools, some of which are mentioned elsewhere on this page, with mixed results.</p>
  
  <p>So what I ended up using, with great success, is <a href="https://code.google.com/archive/p/lic" rel="noreferrer">LIC (LEGO Instruction Creator)</a>. It's beta, somewhat buggy, and for all I can see it was written by just one AFOL in his spare time, and the development has stopped. But it's very easy to use, quite versatile, and I am more than happy with the results. Here's what it looks like:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/8vzZf.png" alt="LIC"></p>
  
  <p>(Scroll down for sample images of the final instructions for two models.)</p>
  
  <p>Basically, it's a WYSIWYG editor that takes an <a href="http://www.ldraw.org/help/getting-started.html" rel="noreferrer">LDraw</a> model as input. And a surprisingly powerful one at that. Some of the things you can do with it are:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>switch between vertical and horizontal layout;</li>
  <li>add, delete, or merge steps;</li>
  <li>move individual parts between the steps;</li>
  <li>move everything around the page freely;</li>
  <li>rotate individual parts or the entire model, automatically adding rotation icons if you wish;</li>
  <li>"displace parts with arrows" (just like in TLG's instructions, where the part has not been connected to the model yet, but an arrow shows where it's supposed to go and which way around)&nbsp;— this can be done in any direction, up or down, left and right, top and bottom, and for several parts, too;</li>
  <li>make a template for your instructions (things like fonts, font sizes, background color, and so on and so forth), so instructions for different models have the same, your very personal, look and feel;</li>
  <li>add text labels such as part counts, your name, really anything.</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>LIC will also automatically create a parts list as the last page of the instructions. Allegedly it can also export to PDF, and integrates with POV-Ray for higher-quality images, but sadly neither of these options works for me (as I said, there are some bugs). Might work on a different machine, though, or a more recent OS. I don't know.</p>
  
  <p>So anyway, my complete toolchain looks as follows:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li><a href="http://www.ldraw.org/help/getting-started.html" rel="noreferrer">MLCAD/LDraw</a> for modelling. It has a steep learning curve, but once you have figured it out, it's a breeze. </li>
  <li>Then I feed the LDraw model into LIC, which generates a draft of the instructions and allows me to fine-tune them interactively.</li>
  <li>Then I save the instructions as images and do some final retouching in <a href="https://www.gimp.org/" rel="noreferrer">GIMP</a> - moving stuff around a couple pixels, adding photos, stitching pages together, etc.</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>The final result can be seen on <a href="http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=516449" rel="noreferrer">my Brickshelf</a>. Here are just two sample pages:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/FSedm.png" alt="LEGO crocodile"></p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/IQTNh.png" alt="LEGO donkey"></p>
  
  <p>All tools I mentioned are free and available for download. Follow the links.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-10-29T10:39:19.683Z
Answers.Text: Many thanks for this RegDwight - hopefully more people will see this answer and learn about a great tool.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Zhaph - Ben Duguid
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-09-01T09:15:30.143Z
Answers.Text: This looks great. Is there a Linux port somewhere?
Answers.UserDisplayName: raphink
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-11-13T22:42:51.437Z
Answers.Text: google closed code.google.com but it seems the original author moved the project to github and is working on it again https://github.com/remig/lic
Answers.UserDisplayName: josch
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-11-13T22:49:44.020Z
Answers.Text: @ℝaphink did you try running it on Linux? On my Debian machine it worked fine after installing the packages python-qt4, python-qt4-gl and python-opengl
Answers.UserDisplayName: josch
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-02-08T16:42:15.490Z
Answers.Text: LIC is now deprecated. It's GitHub page (that @josch mentioned) now suggest a new in-browser version from the same developer: [Web Lic](http://bugeyedmonkeys.com/lic/about/), which is still actively maintained.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Neinstein
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-05-11T00:01:01.817Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-12-28T18:13:20.153Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-12-28T18:13:20.153Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: RegDwight
Answers.Body: <p>See <a href="http://alternativeto.net/software/lego-digital-designer/">AlternativeTo's list</a>.</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>LEGO Digital Designer (official; most popular)</li>
  <li>LDraw (2nd most popular)</li>
  <li>Konstruktor</li>
  <li>MLCAD</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>You can do all this in Google Sketchup with SketchyPhysics simulation, of course! And the pieces are easier to fit in, and GS is generally more flexible and easier to use, unlike LDD. The disadvantage is, you don't get LDD's Building Instruction Generation capabilities.</p>
  
  <p>(You can download bricks for Sketchup from the online gallery. For example, <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/cldetails?clid=26d528c1c35774f056ed665b21152bcd">LEGO Mindstorms NXT parts</a>.)</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-12-22T20:54:52.757Z
Answers.Text: "You can do all this" in Google Sketchup, yes, *except create instructions,* which was the actual question. :-)
Answers.UserDisplayName: EJ Mak
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-26T02:56:52.693Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-10-26T02:56:52.693Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Mateen Ulhaq
Answers.Body: <h2>LPub</h2>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/qlTZU.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p><a href="http://lpub.sourceforge.net/" rel="noreferrer">LPub</a> is a program that allows you to produces step by step instructions for models. It's an alternative to the built-in Building Guide Mode featured in Lego Digital Designer which produces a set of instructions automatically (although not necessarily in the most logical way).</p>
  
  <p>LDD model instructions can be created in LPub provided that the parts in the LDD model are also available in the LDraw library (cf. <a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/q/1645/132">this related question</a>). An <code>.lxf</code> file can be opened in LDD and exported as an LDraw file (<code>.ldr</code>). The LDraw file you exported using LDD can be opened in LPub.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-11-24T20:29:30.317Z
Answers.Text: Unfortunately LPub seems to be quite dead with the last commit being made in 2006 http://lpub.cvs.sourceforge.net/viewvc/lpub/LPub/Source/ and the author taking 2 years to respond https://sourceforge.net/p/lpub4/discussion/702453/thread/d284c304/
Answers.UserDisplayName: josch
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-02-23T19:59:14.293Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-12-24T15:27:36.477Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-04-13T12:47:56.213Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ambo100
Answers.Body: <p>You should look at <a href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/lpub4/" rel="nofollow">LPub4</a>.  This is an OpenSource (GPL) tool that can create high quality instructions from LDRAW compatible files.  It runs on Windows and OS X and <a href="https://retracile.net/blog/category/lpub4" rel="nofollow">with my patches</a> on Linux as well.</p>
  
  <p>Note that the LDD license states <a href="http://ldd.lego.com/download/default.aspx" rel="nofollow">"Any commercial use of the software is strictly prohibited"</a> so keep that in mind if you are intending to do anything commercial with your instructions (such as selling them).  GPL software such as LPub can be used commercially, though you do need to make sure to understand the license obligations it carries</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-12-12T19:47:07.127Z
Answers.Text: "though you do need to make sure to understand the license obligations it carries" - unless the OP plans on redistributing the GPL'ed software, there is not much they have to understand about the license obligations.
Answers.UserDisplayName: O. R. Mapper
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-11-02T02:44:19.513Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-08-26T14:41:44.803Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2016-08-26T14:41:44.803Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: retracile
Answers.Body: <p><a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/download.page" rel="noreferrer">BrickLink Studio</a> is a design tool to build models (like LEGO Digital Designer) and includes the ability to create instructions as PDF or images. Therefore the models are divided into steps via the modeller or in the step builder (part of the instruction maker). </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Steps can be reordered</li>
  <li>Parts can be moved between steps</li>
  <li>Parts can be grouped into submodels with their own steps (these can be converted to so-called "callouts" so that they don't appear in the normal steps ordering but in a separate box within another step)</li>
  <li>Instruction pages are generated automatically from steps</li>
  <li>View/angle/zoom of model can be changed on a per page basis (kept until the next view change)</li>
  <li>Elements on pages can be moved</li>
  <li>Brick insertions can be visualized by displacing the brick with an arrow indicator in all directions</li>
  <li>Manual insertion of elements like images, rotaion symbol, free-text fields ...</li>
  <li>For some layout elements presets can be defined and saved into a configuration</li>
  <li>Parts list</li>
  </ul>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2020-01-31T12:41:11.923Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2020-01-31T16:44:53.583Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2020-01-31T16:44:53.583Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: dosenfant
Answers.Body: <p>If you want to pay some money for professional software, I'm pretty sure that SolidWorks has a complete set of LEGO parts that you can use.</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.solidworks.com/" rel="noreferrer">http://www.solidworks.com/</a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-02-23T20:00:56.837Z
Answers.Text: Are there any LEGO part libraries compatible with Solidworks?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ambo100
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-02-24T05:14:08.780Z
Answers.Text: I found this site with at least some info on LEGO in SolidWorks. I heard about using SolidWorks with LEGO from someone else, and I don't actually have any experience with SolidWorks. Neverthereless, here's the site: http://www.solidworks.com/sw/education/10039_ENU_HTML.htm
Answers.UserDisplayName: Eric Pauley
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-27T14:39:05.927Z
Answers.Text: +1 nice idea, but looks a bit overpowered - the LDD seems to be axactly what i was looking for.
Answers.UserDisplayName: oezi
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-26T03:33:34.230Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-10-26T03:33:34.230Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Eric Pauley
Answers.Body: <p>The LDRAW package contains a tool called LPUB.</p>
  
  <p>If you design your LDR files with various "step" instructions, you can have it generate a PDF with one page per step.</p>
  
  <p>Some tools, such as BrickSmith (<a href="http://bricksmith.sourceforge.net" rel="noreferrer">http://bricksmith.sourceforge.net</a>) present steps in a hierarchical fashion so that you can step through them. Others, such as MLCAD, show them as breaks between the various steps.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2013-02-26T19:33:37.380Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2013-02-26T19:33:37.380Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Wouter Lievens
Answers.Body: <p><a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/download.page" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bricklink Studio</a>.
  It generates good instructions like these:<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ZxBGD.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ZxBGD.png" alt="Useless build" /></a>
  It's also very straightforward to use:<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/C2lfJ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/C2lfJ.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-03-02T03:23:34.230Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-03-02T03:23:34.230Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Technic Axlerod
Answers.Body: <p>The <a href="https://www.lego.com/en-us/ldd" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lego Digital Designer</a> is ideal for this job. Avalible for Mac and PC it allows you to build models from scatch, order them, and get them delivered. Or, if you've got the bits already it can make instructions for you. It has a range of technic items (see image below).</p>
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/1TQcf.png" alt="Technic Items" /></p>
  <p>Importing a model will also enable you to view the part number and details which could be very useful for finding out exact pieces/parts.</p>
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/0lOQJ.png" alt="Model in LDD" /></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-11-24T20:24:14.633Z
Answers.Text: I'd *hardly* call LDD "ideal for this job"... As soon as models are more complex than bricks linearly stacked on top of each other (and none of the fun models work that way) it easly screws up and spews out nonsensical garbage...
Answers.UserDisplayName: josch
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-12-22T20:50:32.800Z
Answers.Text: I suspect this answer is no longer applicable.
Answers.UserDisplayName: EJ Mak
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-10-25T20:19:50.487Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-10-12T15:15:13.597Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2021-10-12T15:15:13.597Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: tombull89
Body: <p>What I'm looking for is a program or website/webapp that allows "virtual" building of a LEGO model, step-by-step, and allows you to save these single steps to get a complete building plan in the end. Like the original manuals, this should include:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>An image of each step</li>
  <li>A list of pieces needed for each step</li>
  <li>Optionally "detailed" views for very tricky parts</li>
  <li>Possibility to download/save or link to a plan (as PDF, for example)</li>
  </ul>
  
Tags: <software><instructions>
Title: Do any programs exist that allow you to build your own LEGO manuals?
UserDisplayName: oezi
ThreadText: # Do any programs exist that allow you to build your own LEGO manuals?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2011-10-25)
  
  What I'm looking for is a program or website/webapp that allows "virtual" building of a LEGO model, step-by-step, and allows you to save these single steps to get a complete building plan in the end. Like the original manuals, this should include:
  
  * An image of each step
  * A list of pieces needed for each step
  * Optionally "detailed" views for very tricky parts
  * Possibility to download/save or link to a plan (as PDF, for example)
  
  **Tags:** software, instructions
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 9 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_15 on 2011-10-25. Score: 58 | Accepted answer
  
  The [Lego Digital Designer](https://www.lego.com/en-us/ldd) is ideal for this job. Avalible for Mac and PC it allows you to build models from scatch, order them, and get them delivered. Or, if you've got the bits already it can make instructions for you. It has a range of username_14 items (see image below).
  
  ![username_14 Items](https://i.sstatic.net/1TQcf.png)
  
  Importing a model will also enable you to view the part number and details which could be very useful for finding out exact pieces/parts.
  
  ![Model in LDD](https://i.sstatic.net/0lOQJ.png)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: I'd *hardly* call LDD "ideal for this job"... As soon as models are more complex than bricks linearly stacked on top of each other (and none of the fun models work that way) it easly screws up and spews out nonsensical garbage...  
  > **username_7**: I suspect this answer is no longer applicable.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2013-05-11. Score: 56
  
  I tried LDD at first, but frankly, the order in which it adds the parts is often quite nonsensical:
  
  ![Nonsensical LDD instructions](https://i.sstatic.net/6fv2w.png)
  
  I also tried a bunch of other tools, some of which are mentioned elsewhere on this page, with mixed results.
  
  So what I ended up using, with great success, is [LIC (LEGO Instruction Creator)](https://code.google.com/archive/p/lic). It's beta, somewhat buggy, and for all I can see it was written by just one AFOL in his spare time, and the development has stopped. But it's very easy to use, quite versatile, and I am more than happy with the results. Here's what it looks like:
  
  ![LIC](https://i.sstatic.net/8vzZf.png)
  
  (Scroll down for sample images of the final instructions for two models.)
  
  Basically, it's a WYSIWYG editor that takes an [LDraw](http://www.ldraw.org/help/getting-started.html) model as input. And a surprisingly powerful one at that. Some of the things you can do with it are:
  
  * switch between vertical and horizontal layout;
  * add, delete, or merge steps;
  * move individual parts between the steps;
  * move everything around the page freely;
  * rotate individual parts or the entire model, automatically adding rotation icons if you wish;
  * "displace parts with arrows" (just like in TLG's instructions, where the part has not been connected to the model yet, but an arrow shows where it's supposed to go and which way around) — this can be done in any direction, up or down, left and right, top and bottom, and for several parts, too;
  * make a template for your instructions (things like fonts, font sizes, background color, and so on and so forth), so instructions for different models have the same, your very personal, look and feel;
  * add text labels such as part counts, your name, really anything.
  
  LIC will also automatically create a parts list as the last page of the instructions. Allegedly it can also export to PDF, and integrates with POV-Ray for higher-quality images, but sadly neither of these options works for me (as I said, there are some bugs). Might work on a different machine, though, or a more recent OS. I don't know.
  
  So anyway, my complete toolchain looks as follows:
  
  1. [MLCAD/LDraw](http://www.ldraw.org/help/getting-started.html) for modelling. It has a steep learning curve, but once you have figured it out, it's a breeze.
  2. Then I feed the LDraw model into LIC, which generates a draft of the instructions and allows me to fine-tune them interactively.
  3. Then I save the instructions as images and do some final retouching in [GIMP](https://www.gimp.org/) - moving stuff around a couple pixels, adding photos, stitching pages together, etc.
  
  The final result can be seen on [my Brickshelf](http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=516449). Here are just two sample pages:
  
  ![LEGO crocodile](https://i.sstatic.net/FSedm.png)
  
  ---
  
  ![LEGO donkey](https://i.sstatic.net/IQTNh.png)
  
  All tools I mentioned are free and available for download. Follow the links.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: Many thanks for this username_1 - hopefully more people will see this answer and learn about a great tool.  
  > **username_3**: This looks great. Is there a Linux port somewhere?  
  > **username_4**: google closed code.google.com but it seems the original author moved the project to github and is working on it again https://github.com/remig/lic  
  > **username_4**: @ℝaphink did you try running it on Linux? On my Debian machine it worked fine after installing the packages python-qt4, python-qt4-gl and python-opengl  
  > **username_5**: LIC is now deprecated. It's GitHub page (that @username_4 mentioned) now suggest a new in-browser version from the same developer: [Web Lic](http://bugeyedmonkeys.com/lic/about/), which is still actively maintained.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2011-10-26. Score: 17
  
  See [AlternativeTo's list](http://alternativeto.net/software/lego-digital-designer/).
  
  * LEGO Digital Designer (official; most popular)
  * LDraw (2nd most popular)
  * Konstruktor
  * MLCAD
  
  You can do all this in Google Sketchup with SketchyPhysics simulation, of course! And the pieces are easier to fit in, and GS is generally more flexible and easier to use, unlike LDD. The disadvantage is, you don't get LDD's Building Instruction Generation capabilities.
  
  (You can download bricks for Sketchup from the online gallery. For example, [LEGO Mindstorms NXT parts](http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/cldetails?clid=26d528c1c35774f056ed665b21152bcd).)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_7**: "You can do all this" in Google Sketchup, yes, *except create instructions,* which was the actual question. :-)  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_8 on 2013-02-23. Score: 12
  
  ## LPub
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/qlTZU.png)
  
  [LPub](http://lpub.sourceforge.net/) is a program that allows you to produces step by step instructions for models. It's an alternative to the built-in Building Guide Mode featured in Lego Digital Designer which produces a set of instructions automatically (although not necessarily in the most logical way).
  
  LDD model instructions can be created in LPub provided that the parts in the LDD model are also available in the LDraw library (cf. [this related question](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/q/1645/132)). An `.lxf` file can be opened in LDD and exported as an LDraw file (`.ldr`). The LDraw file you exported using LDD can be opened in LPub.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: Unfortunately LPub seems to be quite dead with the last commit being made in 2006 http://lpub.cvs.sourceforge.net/viewvc/lpub/LPub/Source/ and the author taking 2 years to respond https://sourceforge.net/p/lpub4/discussion/702453/thread/d284c304/  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_9 on 2011-11-02. Score: 10
  
  You should look at [LPub4](http://sourceforge.net/projects/lpub4/). This is an OpenSource (GPL) tool that can create high quality instructions from LDRAW compatible files. It runs on Windows and OS X and [with my patches](https://username_9.net/blog/category/lpub4) on Linux as well.
  
  Note that the LDD license states ["Any commercial use of the software is strictly prohibited"](http://ldd.lego.com/download/default.aspx) so keep that in mind if you are intending to do anything commercial with your instructions (such as selling them). GPL software such as LPub can be used commercially, though you do need to make sure to understand the license obligations it carries
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_10**: "though you do need to make sure to understand the license obligations it carries" - unless the OP plans on redistributing the GPL'ed software, there is not much they have to understand about the license obligations.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_11 on 2020-01-31. Score: 8
  
  [BrickLink Studio](https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/download.page) is a design tool to build models (like LEGO Digital Designer) and includes the ability to create instructions as PDF or images. Therefore the models are divided into steps via the modeller or in the step builder (part of the instruction maker).
  
  * Steps can be reordered
  * Parts can be moved between steps
  * Parts can be grouped into submodels with their own steps (these can be converted to so-called "callouts" so that they don't appear in the normal steps ordering but in a separate box within another step)
  * Instruction pages are generated automatically from steps
  * View/angle/zoom of model can be changed on a per page basis (kept until the next view change)
  * Elements on pages can be moved
  * Brick insertions can be visualized by displacing the brick with an arrow indicator in all directions
  * Manual insertion of elements like images, rotaion symbol, free-text fields ...
  * For some layout elements presets can be defined and saved into a configuration
  * Parts list
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_12 on 2011-10-26. Score: 6
  
  If you want to pay some money for professional software, I'm pretty sure that SolidWorks has a complete set of LEGO parts that you can use.
  
  <http://www.solidworks.com/>
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: +1 nice idea, but looks a bit overpowered - the LDD seems to be axactly what i was looking for.  
  > **username_8**: Are there any LEGO part libraries compatible with Solidworks?  
  > **username_12**: I found this site with at least some info on LEGO in SolidWorks. I heard about using SolidWorks with LEGO from someone else, and I don't actually have any experience with SolidWorks. Neverthereless, here's the site: http://www.solidworks.com/sw/education/10039_ENU_HTML.htm  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_13 on 2013-02-26. Score: 5
  
  The LDRAW package contains a tool called LPUB.
  
  If you design your LDR files with various "step" instructions, you can have it generate a PDF with one page per step.
  
  Some tools, such as BrickSmith (<http://bricksmith.sourceforge.net>) present steps in a hierarchical fashion so that you can step through them. Others, such as MLCAD, show them as breaks between the various steps.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_14 on 2024-03-02. Score: 0
  
  [Bricklink Studio](https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/download.page).
  It generates good instructions like these:[![Useless build](https://i.sstatic.net/ZxBGD.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ZxBGD.png)
  It's also very straightforward to use:[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/C2lfJ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/C2lfJ.png)
  
  
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