Answers.Body: <p>It looks like those steps are typically the initial ones in a build or a sub-assembly.</p>
  <p>As such, you <em>are</em> adding something in these steps - the initial part, which others will be attached to later on.</p>
  <p>The step shows the change from zero parts to one part, so to speak.</p>
  <p>Personally, as much as I think the current degree of &quot;simplicity&quot; of Lego instructions is unnecessary - in my elementary school days, I never perceived it as difficult to build models with instructions that add more than one part or part type per step, and that came without a full list of parts to add -, that initial step seems reasonable to establish &quot;here we're starting with one or more new, unassembled parts&quot;. Without it, i.e. starting a new sub-assembly with some parts already assembled, I might be wondering whether I had missed a step or a sub-assembly to prepare this partial build.</p>
  
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Answers.UserDisplayName: O. R. Mapper
Answers.Body: <p>I think it all boils down to simplicity of building instructions, which has increased tremendously through LEGO history. Just compare instructions from older sets (See <a href="http://www.peeron.com/scans/398-1/1" rel="noreferrer">USS Constellation</a> for example) and recent ones and you'll see how far LEGO has gone in that regards.</p>
  
  <p>Adding less parts per step, or having a full bill of materials per step are the most noticeable improvements; but there are other more subtle ones, such as recoloring of parts (Technic pins for example, but also hidden bircks - see <a href="https://brickset.com/sets/21317-1/Steamboat-Willie" rel="noreferrer">Steamboat Willie</a> for a recent example.</p>
  
  <p>As such, I wouldn't be surprised there are internal rules on what can be done in building instructions, or recommended guidelines; and maybe "step 1 is just one part" is one; or maybe a variation such as "step 1 can't have more than one layer" - thing is, this is an internal LEGO process for which we'll presumably never know the details. Such rules could even depend on the set age range; something allowed in 11= sets might be discouraged in 7+ sets, for example.</p>
  
  <p>Now why does LEGO do this? Keeping in mind their target audience, children, it's a fair guess that they want to make sure kids can build their models smoothly and without frustration, unless they risk giving up which could alienate them from LEGO altogether. I remember being stuck at step 5 when building my first LEGO Technic set, <a href="http://www.peeron.com/scans/851-1/2" rel="noreferrer">a tractor</a> and that was indeed frustrating. Also, what we adults think children can do can be very different from what they actually will do; I've seen my nephew build a set recently and he was following instructions very very loosely. Which makes it extra hard to create good instructions for them. It's very likely LEGO does test builds with real children for that exact reason: see firsthand what works and what doesn't.</p>
  
  <p>One more note: think one step where only one part is added is weird? What about steps where nothing at all is added?</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/oOLG1.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/oOLG1.png" alt="42055, step 151"></a></p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2019-10-15T06:37:48.963Z
Answers.Text: That last picture might not be the best example since the step shows important action - Technic beam/liftarm rotation to required position.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alex
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Answers.Text: Well exactly, ALL steps show important actions, whether it be adding parts or moving stuff around, that's sort of my point (I may have been stating it poorly). Although to be fair, I was looking for a step where the only thing done is just rotating the model 180° so that you face its other side, that would have been better.I couldn't find one readily; if you do, feel free to edit
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
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Answers.Text: I think that the steps when you do not add anything at all are to show that you have finished the part or the Lego set
Answers.UserDisplayName: brydie dyer
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Answers.CreationDate: 2024-11-28T09:39:04.780Z
Answers.Text: @brydiedyer It's a nice theory, but even the question shows that sometimes the single piece step is the first step, when nothing is finished yet.
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Body: <p>While building Ninjago City we noticed a lot of steps that included only one part.  The part is just sitting there.  It doesn't get attached to anything.  Whatever gets attached in the next step is not complicated or confusing.  What is the point of these steps?</p>
  
  <p>In going back through the instructions I do find examples where the one piece step makes sense because the initial piece is completely obscured in the next step:</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Z5zmW.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Z5zmW.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
  <p>But I also find some that are harder to explain:</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/roM2d.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/roM2d.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
  <p>And others:</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/e5VXz.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/e5VXz.png" alt="enter image description here"></a>
  <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/aWofl.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/aWofl.png" alt="enter image description here"></a>
  <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/O1Hi7.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/O1Hi7.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
  <p>Is there another explanation for this showing up so often in LEGO instructions?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-10-15T19:35:35.170Z
Comments.Text: I'm surprised to see that in your first image, the 2x4 Technic plate is angled differently for step 119, especially in the bill of materials part - that seems very unusual to me; I thought part images for that would come form a standard library. Guess there's still a lot we don't know about the creation of Building Instructions
Comments.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-10-15T19:39:45.550Z
Comments.Text: That's an interesting aspect of these images that I hadn't noticed before.  Could it be that the Technic plate is indistinguishable from a normal plate at the default angle/perspective?
Comments.UserDisplayName: chicks
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-10-15T20:16:12.083Z
Comments.Text: Maybe not totally indistinguishable, but the holes would probably be way harder to spot indeed if the plate was at the usual angle; so yes, presenting it differently would help avoiding mistakes. Nice thinking!
Comments.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-10-15T20:24:28.380Z
Comments.Text: Incidentally, the [part image on brickset](https://brickset.com/parts/4227398/plate-2x4-3x%C3%B84-9) is also tilted, and ditto on the replacement parts order page on the LEGO shop (which is where brickset takes its images). So that seems to be standard for that part at least.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2019-10-30T16:09:00.527Z
Comments.Text: I think the most likely explanation is that there are steps with single parts so you can see exactly how to place the next piece, especially if the next piece obscures the view of the first piece. My explanation could be wrong though.
Comments.UserDisplayName: technicguy1
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2024-11-25T20:38:03.640Z
Comments.Text: In your second image, the other bricks added in Step 2 obscure that the original part from Step 1 is a 1x1 modified, rather than a 2x1 (not, I think, that a 2x1 with a bar handle on the narrow edge exists?).  Clearly, they could have places the two bottom-row pieces together in the Step 1, and added the top-row piece in Step 2… however, the two pieces added in Step 2 are *standard*, while the part in Step 1 is *modified*, and thus less common.  It may be that this gives it a higher 'priority' in the instructions, and so less likely to be grouped with other parts.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Chronocidal
Tags: <instructions>
Title: What is the point in having an instruction step with only one part?
UserDisplayName: chicks
ThreadText: # What is the point in having an instruction step with only one part?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2019-10-14)
  
  While building Ninjago City we noticed a lot of steps that included only one part. The part is just sitting there. It doesn't get attached to anything. Whatever gets attached in the next step is not complicated or confusing. What is the point of these steps?
  
  In going back through the instructions I do find examples where the one piece step makes sense because the initial piece is completely obscured in the next step:
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Z5zmW.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/Z5zmW.png)
  
  But I also find some that are harder to explain:
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/roM2d.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/roM2d.png)
  
  And others:
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/e5VXz.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/e5VXz.png)
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/aWofl.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/aWofl.png)
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/O1Hi7.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/O1Hi7.png)
  
  Is there another explanation for this showing up so often in LEGO instructions?
  
  **Tags:** instructions
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: I'm surprised to see that in your first image, the 2x4 Technic plate is angled differently for step 119, especially in the bill of materials part - that seems very unusual to me; I thought part images for that would come form a standard library. Guess there's still a lot we don't know about the creation of Building Instructions  
  > **username_0**: That's an interesting aspect of these images that I hadn't noticed before.  Could it be that the Technic plate is indistinguishable from a normal plate at the default angle/perspective?  
  > **username_1**: Maybe not totally indistinguishable, but the holes would probably be way harder to spot indeed if the plate was at the usual angle; so yes, presenting it differently would help avoiding mistakes. Nice thinking!  
  > **username_1**: Incidentally, the [part image on brickset](https://brickset.com/parts/4227398/plate-2x4-3x%C3%B84-9) is also tilted, and ditto on the replacement parts order page on the LEGO shop (which is where brickset takes its images). So that seems to be standard for that part at least.  
  > **username_2**: I think the most likely explanation is that there are steps with single parts so you can see exactly how to place the next piece, especially if the next piece obscures the view of the first piece. My explanation could be wrong though.  
  > **username_3**: In your second image, the other bricks added in Step 2 obscure that the original part from Step 1 is a 1x1 modified, rather than a 2x1 (not, I think, that a 2x1 with a bar handle on the narrow edge exists?).  Clearly, they could have places the two bottom-row pieces together in the Step 1, and added the top-row piece in Step 2… however, the two pieces added in Step 2 are *standard*, while the part in Step 1 is *modified*, and thus less common.  It may be that this gives it a higher 'priority' in the instructions, and so less likely to be grouped with other parts.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2019-10-14. Score: 8 | Accepted answer
  
  I think it all boils down to simplicity of building instructions, which has increased tremendously through LEGO history. Just compare instructions from older sets (See [USS Constellation](http://www.peeron.com/scans/398-1/1) for example) and recent ones and you'll see how far LEGO has gone in that regards.
  
  Adding less parts per step, or having a full bill of materials per step are the most noticeable improvements; but there are other more subtle ones, such as recoloring of parts (Technic pins for example, but also hidden bircks - see [Steamboat Willie](https://brickset.com/sets/21317-1/Steamboat-Willie) for a recent example.
  
  As such, I wouldn't be surprised there are internal rules on what can be done in building instructions, or recommended guidelines; and maybe "step 1 is just one part" is one; or maybe a variation such as "step 1 can't have more than one layer" - thing is, this is an internal LEGO process for which we'll presumably never know the details. Such rules could even depend on the set age range; something allowed in 11= sets might be discouraged in 7+ sets, for example.
  
  Now why does LEGO do this? Keeping in mind their target audience, children, it's a fair guess that they want to make sure kids can build their models smoothly and without frustration, unless they risk giving up which could alienate them from LEGO altogether. I remember being stuck at step 5 when building my first LEGO Technic set, [a tractor](http://www.peeron.com/scans/851-1/2) and that was indeed frustrating. Also, what we adults think children can do can be very different from what they actually will do; I've seen my nephew build a set recently and he was following instructions very very loosely. Which makes it extra hard to create good instructions for them. It's very likely LEGO does test builds with real children for that exact reason: see firsthand what works and what doesn't.
  
  One more note: think one step where only one part is added is weird? What about steps where nothing at all is added?
  
  [![42055, step 151](https://i.sstatic.net/oOLG1.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/oOLG1.png)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_5**: That last picture might not be the best example since the step shows important action - Technic beam/liftarm rotation to required position.  
  > **username_1**: Well exactly, ALL steps show important actions, whether it be adding parts or moving stuff around, that's sort of my point (I may have been stating it poorly). Although to be fair, I was looking for a step where the only thing done is just rotating the model 180° so that you face its other side, that would have been better.I couldn't find one readily; if you do, feel free to edit  
  > **username_6**: I think that the steps when you do not add anything at all are to show that you have finished the part or the Lego set  
  > **username_7**: @brydiedyer It's a nice theory, but even the question shows that sometimes the single piece step is the first step, when nothing is finished yet.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2024-12-01. Score: 1
  
  It looks like those steps are typically the initial ones in a build or a sub-assembly.
  
  As such, you *are* adding something in these steps - the initial part, which others will be attached to later on.
  
  The step shows the change from zero parts to one part, so to speak.
  
  Personally, as much as I think the current degree of "simplicity" of Lego instructions is unnecessary - in my elementary school days, I never perceived it as difficult to build models with instructions that add more than one part or part type per step, and that came without a full list of parts to add -, that initial step seems reasonable to establish "here we're starting with one or more new, unassembled parts". Without it, i.e. starting a new sub-assembly with some parts already assembled, I might be wondering whether I had missed a step or a sub-assembly to prepare this partial build.
  
  
  ---
  
  