An instruction should start with the model
A 3D model lets me rotate the view and inspect every part. It still does not explain how something goes together. That gap is what interests me in Assembly Studio.
The starting point is a small workbench clamp. It is not a spectacular model, but it makes a useful example: a base plate, guide, clamping jaw and a decision about which part should be visible at each moment. Turning it into individual steps quickly shows what an instruction needs beyond the model itself.
Movement needs context
I do not just want to move a part. I want to set a useful view, draw attention away from other parts and explain what is happening. A step therefore stores the camera, part states and labels together. Chapters hold a longer sequence together. Templates let me reuse a useful presentation instead of building it again.
The small editing tasks matter too: duplicating a step, changing its order, undoing a decision and finding an earlier version. I want that work to stay in the editor rather than disappear into a folder of unrelated screenshots.
Keep the source
A finished PDF is useful, but it no longer contains everything I needed while writing it. I therefore treat the editable project and its output as separate things. The project keeps models, source files, text and history together. A release preserves a fixed version from which the different outputs are created.
When I update the model later, I do not want the existing sequence to fall apart. Parts with a clear match can retain their relationships. When a match is uncertain, I make the decision; the tool should not silently replace the wrong part.
Read it without owning the editor
An instruction should reach people who do not use my editor. That is why I am building a standalone web viewer alongside PDF, image and video output. In the viewer, readers can change steps and rotate the model themselves. A parts list and checklists help where a single image is not enough.
This post looks back at the first local authoring version, 0.1.0. I am now working on 0.2.0. Assembly Studio remains in development; these are examples of the work it can actually produce.
