[PROPOSAL] Readme style documentation - multiple contributors

[nathaneltitane]

LeoCAD has advanced well past the early stages of its development - documentation is scarce and outdated. Even some advanced users (such as myself) fail to identify actual features and mistake them for bugs or do not know of some implementations until a ticket is opened.

Describe the solution you'd like
Contribute to LeoCAD's documentation through a readme style setup, to which curated and seasoned user's can contribute, peer review and fact check against builds to provide the community with a document to rely on.

This would also help with the massive amount of tickets being opened that more often than not are not actual problems (ex.: tehcnic part alignment 'issues' and grid usage)

Describe alternatives you've considered
Leo taking 2 months off everything and actually writing the doc! lol

Additional context
I'd happily contribute my knowledge along with some of the user'S that have helped with LeoCAD's evlpution throuhgout the years - if this not a good idea, we can discuss on how to provide documentation!

[nathaneltitane]

@app4soft thoughts on this? See Dextop's readme for example.

[rsbx]

This idea has merit. But it will require discipline to keep the documentation from going stale do to the lack of automated compile time and run time consistency testing.

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On 10/4/24 09:47, N Λ T H Λ N E L wrote: LeoCAD has advanced well past the early stages of its development - documentation is scarce and outdated. Even some advanced users (such as myself) fail to identify actual features and mistake them for bugs or do not know of some implementations until a ticket is opened. *Describe the solution you'd like* Contribute to LeoCAD's documentation through a readme style setup, to which curated and seasoned user's can contribute, peer review and fact check against builds to provide the community with a document to rely on. This would also help with the massive amount of tickets being opened that more often than not are not actual problems (ex.: tehcnic part alignment 'issues' and grid usage) *Describe alternatives you've considered* Leo taking 2 months off everything and actually writing the doc! lol *Additional context* I'd happily contribute my knowledge along with some of the user'S that have helped with LeoCAD's evlpution throuhgout the years - if this not a good idea, we can discuss on how to provide documentation! — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#936>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAECJNHSVLWG7WOJ6NCMLKTZZ2L73AVCNFSM6AAAAABPL5VKV2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43ASLTON2WKOZSGU3DMNBSGIYTGNY>. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[nathaneltitane]

This idea has merit. But it will require discipline to keep the documentation from going stale do to the lack of automated compile time and run time consistency testing.
…
On 10/4/24 09:47, N Λ T H Λ N E L wrote: LeoCAD has advanced well past the early stages of its development - documentation is scarce and outdated. Even some advanced users (such as myself) fail to identify actual features and mistake them for bugs or do not know of some implementations until a ticket is opened. Describe the solution you'd like Contribute to LeoCAD's documentation through a readme style setup, to which curated and seasoned user's can contribute, peer review and fact check against builds to provide the community with a document to rely on. This would also help with the massive amount of tickets being opened that more often than not are not actual problems (ex.: tehcnic part alignment 'issues' and grid usage) Describe alternatives you've considered Leo taking 2 months off everything and actually writing the doc! lol Additional context I'd happily contribute my knowledge along with some of the user'S that have helped with LeoCAD's evlpution throuhgout the years - if this not a good idea, we can discuss on how to provide documentation! — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#936>, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAECJNHSVLWG7WOJ6NCMLKTZZ2L73AVCNFSM6AAAAABPL5VKV2VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43ASLTON2WKOZSGU3DMNBSGIYTGNY. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: @.***>

Agreed, but for a first effort, we should at least attempt to get all the basics in to cover what model editing features and options LeoCAD does (selection methods, visual queues, tips, tricks, and general available user options and their effects on the workflow) - the advanced parts could then be left to their respective contributors (i.e. @trevorsandy and the LPub integration + POV / Blender rendering) etc etc etc.

Again, just food for thought.

[app4soft]

@app4soft thoughts on this?

This is duplicate of #354

• LDraw wiki #354

There are two variants to solve this feature request:

1. LeoCAD GitHub Wiki — requires @leozide to turn it on firstly.

• https://docs.github.com/en/communities/documenting-your-project-with-wikis/about-wikis
• https://docs.github.com/en/communities/documenting-your-project-with-wikis/adding-or-editing-wiki-pages

2. LeoCAD Wikibooks — could be started by any user & would allow keep translated versions side-by-side. Expected names of Wikibooks:

• https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LeoCAD
• Example: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Primitive_Solids

I see Wikibooks as a better choice: it allows create many manuals & tutorials, it has multilanguage wiki support by default, much lighter website for browser (than GitHub now), is integrated with Wikipedia & Wikimedia Commons (media storage):

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LDraw
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeoCAD
• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:LDraw
  • https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:LeoCAD

[app4soft]

"LeoCAD" book template created on Wikibooks:

• in English - https://en.wikibooks.com/wiki/LeoCAD
• in Ukrainian - https://uk.wikibooks.com/wiki/LeoCAD

@nathaneltitane, feel free to add books content and extended it as you wish.

Also, there is already the "LEGO Design" book on Wikibooks, which also could be extended with LeoCAD-related chapters or could be used as a reference for new LeoCAD books on Wikibooks:

• https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/LEGO_Design/Software#LeoCAD