Lic - a tool for creating LEGO building instructions

[Steffen]

I just found this tool and wanted to share it with you, quoting from its Google Code page:

---

Lic is a cross-platform, Python, OpenGL & Qt powered desktop application for creating and editing LEGO instruction books. Lic imports 3D models, organizes them into submodels, pages & steps, and exports the end result as images or PDF.

Highlights:

• A rich, WYSIWYG UI editor, which provides a fully interactive preview window along side a drag & drop-enabled navigation tree, to help organize and layout your book.
  
• Automatically divide your model into steps. Add a list of parts needed for each step, and auto-layout multiple steps per page for a best fit. Auto-generate a title page and part list pages.
  

So far, Lic can import any LDraw model, but its dynamic importer makes it easy to add an importer for any 3D file type, and create instructions for that model. A Lego Digital Designer (LDD) importer is coming soon.

When you're done, Lic can export a final instruction book as a series of images or as a high resolution PDF.

http://bugeyedmonkeys.com/lic_info/

https://code.google.com/p/lic/

[Michael Heidemann]

Thanks for sharing this, but I can remember that we already discussed this in the past. Sadfully I have not seen any progress on this tool since then.

[Willy Tschager]

I had an email exchange with Remi, the author of LIC in Juni. Basically Remi has currently no time for LIC but:

Well, Lic is fully open source, licensed under the GPL. If you know any Python programmers who might be interested in taking it over, I'd be happy to give them everything - a walkthrough of the source, control of the google code project, full ownership, whatever they want. Trouble is, finding such people is very hard.

Remi

Anybody out there?

w.

[Santeri Piippo]

I know Python, Qt and OpenGL (though not PyQt but it doesn't appear to be too difficult), might fork this on my bitbucket if I catch the interest and have the time, atm I'm a little busy.

[Steffen]

I found this tool very, very intuitive to use.

I can drag+drop elements on the screen where I like them.
I can move steps from one page to another in the left tree control.
I can merge and reorder steps.
I can reorder the part list on every step manually.

There are just a few handful of functions missing which would make this tool perfect IMHO.

BTW, are we including it in our AIOI? It think we definitely should.
I've never created LEGO instructions with such speed.

The functions I missed were:
- layouting helper functions like "align all the selected items horizontally" or "vertically"
- the option to make the parts list for a single step right-aligned instead of left-aligned
- options to fine-tune the part renderings

[Steffen]

Ugh, I just spotted that I've started this thread in the wrong forum -
could one of the Forum admins please relocate it to http://forums.ldraw.org/list.php?22 ?

Willy, I would like to suggest that we include the "Lic" tool in our All-in-one-installer.
Even when it is not actively developed right now, it is _so_ very useful that I think we should
offer it in there. It worked as a breeze for me right from the start.
Regarding its update rate it can be compared to MLCad which we also provide because of its usefulness.

[Willy Tschager]

Feel free to contact Remi yourself. His email address can be found on the google page.

w.

[Willy Tschager]

Willy, I would like to suggest that we include the "Lic" tool in our All-in-one-installer.
Even when it is not actively developed right now, it is _so_ very useful that I think we should
offer it in there. It worked as a breeze for me right from the start.
Regarding its update rate it can be compared to MLCad which we also provide because of its usefulness.

I've been in contact with Remi, the author of LIC, to discuss the inclusion into the AIOI in June. It was his wish to NOT include it for various reasons; wishes I respected.

w.

[Steffen]

oh, that's a pity :/

[Jason Smith]

Does anyone know of a Linux version for this? I found osx and win as well as the source but nothing complied for Linux.

[Jarema]

This is my first post. So I say HE:LLO to any one.
It is write in Python. Linux is his native environment. You don't have compile this script. Just use bash to run it.
Ok. I have introduce to any one my first release can be downloaded from http://www.jaremaczajkowski.pl/pub/forum..._win32.zip.

Only M$ Windows support at current time.
So please, please bear with this... and be patient to report any comments.

[Max Martin Richter]

Seems to work on my Win 7 and Win8.1 (both 64-bit) systems. Maybe you find a way to use the graphic engine of LDView?
Anyway I'm unable to edit anything except of moving the different boxes/parts.

/Max

[Jarema]

This is correct deduction. Only if you add label you can edit text. That how this work.
thinking about ilustrated manual when correct time come to Me.

[Travis Cobbs]

Using LDView, do the following:

1. Make sure "Automatically check ldraw.org for missing parts" is checked on the Updates tab of LDView's preferences.
   
2. Download the dat file by clicking the "Download" link on its page.
   
3. Open the dat file in LDView.
   
4. LDView will automatically download all the related files, and place them in <LDraw Dir>/Unofficial
   
5. Move the original dat file to the <LDraw Dir>/Unofficial/parts directory. (Note: if this directory already exists on your computer at step 2, downloading directly there is easier.)
   

If you want to use the part from MLCad, follow Willy Tschager's instructions in the "Editing the MLCad.ini file" section here:

http://www.holly-wood.it/mlcad/unofficia...l#mlcadini

I believe that both LDCad and Bricksmith automatically support the <LDraw Dir>/Unofficial directory, so they should both see the part (although since it's a ~ file, it might be hard to find).

[Gerald Lasser]

Welcome!

Good to see LIC on the map again and continued effort going in it :-) Did you take over the source of the original LIC? It looks very similar.

I like the layout of the tool and how it is presenting it. Also the template pre-view is a good thing.

What I dislike is that all rendering and pagination is done at the start, so if you have a big model, it takes a very long time to have it shown.

But I am looking forward to see it growing!

[Jarema]

Precursor of LIC do it really good job. So I don't see reason to built this tool from scratch.
Actually I am on the way to finish many unfinished task taken from 0.6.0 version.

So performance is not currently issue to resolve.

[Jarema]

Next version come on stage at https://code.google.com/p/licreator/.

If you have Google account, that is higly anticipated, appreciate put any issues, comments pressing "New Issue".

May the Force be with us

[Willy Tschager]

Please forgive me but I'm not in the mood to create yet another account. I wish we could keep this thing here.

* Draws arrows in the PLI, but not in the steps
* Strangely the sandbox comes with an empty step 1
* Minifigs have been moved to the end of the BI though they come first in the MPD
* It would be nice if Buffex-Exchange and Arrows would be supported
* Miss JPG or PNG export

Thanks, w.

[Philippe Hurbain]

Wow. Impressive - and damn fast! The template system seems pretty good too, once you figure out things (documentation anybody? ;D ).
Is there a way to apply CSI rotation to all following steps in a submodel?
(edit): found it... "copy rotation to next X CSI")
When I tried to generate images or PDF, they were located in a subfolder of the program, while I would have expected a subfolder of model location.
Export mpd seems broken? (mostly empty file)

[Philippe Hurbain]

* Miss JPG or PNG export

Export -> generate images does just that at screen resolution (see template definition). But they are located in (lic path)\cache. If you create a pdf, the same folder contains paper resolution images.

[Willy Tschager]

When I tried to generate images or PDF, they were located in a subfolder of the program, while I would have expected a subfolder of model location.

Yep ... you should have added in the VirtualStore.

w.

[Philippe Hurbain]

VirtualStore

??? in Win XP ???

[Willy Tschager]

VirtualStore

??? in Win XP ???

7

[Willy Tschager]

Found also the setting for the resolution (hidden away in the templete). Looks like you have to import a model first, before you get access to the templates, which means there is no global setting, but all settings are tight to the models (or the templates files). You've got to remember that.

w.

[Steffen]

Hello Jarema,
I just played a little with lic 0.8.501, which was very, very nice! Thank you!
I tried the attached locomotive model.
When I create instructions for it, the tool sometimes messes up the colors.
The locomotive is built in color 16.
In your generated instructions, it appears as color 0 (black) sometimes,
and sometimes in transparent yellow (looks funny).
I suspect that the tool somehow mixes up the colors of the bricks being added
(my model uses 1x1 round plates for the front lights)
and uses that color for the model.
See this screenshot:    

When I use this model, I additionally get this error message in lic.log:
"UnknownDeliverer => Could not find LDraw Color: 24 - Using Black"
Colors 16 and 24 should be supported by the tool.
Optionally, the user should be enabled to decide which colors should be used for them,
but by default a simple grey would do it.

Personal remark:
I personally would have better liked it if you had put the code to github.com instead of code.google.com.

[Jason Smith]

This is my first post. So I say HE:LLO to any one.
It is write in Python. Linux is his native environment. You don't have compile this script. Just use bash to run it.

Thank you for the info.

(lic_0.8.501_src)

When I try and run it [Python Lic.py] from terminal I get the following error:



This is the version of qtopengl that I have installed:



I must be doing something wrong, I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to command lines. I'd love to see this work.

[Philippe Hurbain]

Colors 16 and 24 should be supported by the tool.

I don't really agree. A model (at least one that needs BIs) should have existing colors at top level, neither main or edge colors. LIC does support these colors, since inheritance works properly.

[Jarema]

Code:

sudo apt-get install python-opengl

But this must have handle many other dependencies before run - like PIL and PyQt4.

[Jason Smith]

Code:

sudo apt-get install python-opengl

But this must have handle many other dependencies before run - like PIL and PyQt4.

I'll try that but I did check, I'm pretty sure I have everything I need.

[Jason Smith]

Sadly it's already installed.

[Jarema]

Probably :

1. The windows editor added something non-printing, perhaps a carriage-return (end-of-line in Windows is CR/LF; in unix it is LF only), or perhaps a CTRL-Z (windows end-of-file)
   
2. You don't have __init__.py in the appropriate directory because when us PyDev for Eclipse I don't need this stuff.
   To make import walk through your directories every directory must have a __init__.py file.
   

In Windows eXPerience on virtual machine every thing work propely. So You need to ask someone more experienced than I.

[Jarema]

Parameters
c:/ldraw/l3p.exe "c:/ldraw/PARTS/33078.dat" -c16 -sw0.5
"d:/workspace/eclipse/lic/src/dist/cache/30210 - Frodo with cooking corner.lic/POVs/33078_16.pov"
-bu -b1.0,1.0,1.0 -cg20,-45,0 -q3 -o

Result
   
What is wrong in this !?

[Jarema]

Google Company start to close Project Hosting at Google Code site.
According to this step, this tool of public utility moved to https://github.com/Jeremy1980/licreator.

Then next version will be released in second | third quarter of this year.
Report Issues here or GitHub. And do not forget attach a file lic.log

If you interested with speed-up process and professional User Manual. Collect your friends. And We together start Crowdsourcing or Crowfunding as alternative.