A Big Treat coming for Readers of MEW

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

Posted by Cornish Jack on 20/09/2018 19:12:44:

Well, well, well, Blowlamp! … who'd have thought it?

I seem to remember being taken to task for suggesting that Apple users were a little too enthusiastic in support of somewhat 'flaky' merchandise. Maybe so, maybe not . Maybe I just dislike the principle of unrestrained disdain for bamboozled customers! At 83 I possibly have insufficient experience of marketing practice to form an opinion but 'puter repair fellow doing the above video seems to know a thing or two … but probably biased?

rgds

Bill

Possibly, but I think the repairs are a significant source of income for him, so possibly not?

Martin.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

He did explain his attitude to the income/morals aspect in the last minute or the video. Of course many iphone users worldwide can't watch this video because the last software update screwed with the connection to wifi on some routers. Not sure if they have admitted the fault and issued the fix yet.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Oh dear … I didn't mean to start another round of the tedious Microsoft vs Apple war.

My point was simply that if MEW's new series is 'Windows exclusive' then Apple users are losing out.

[ All non-confrontational, as indicated by the ]

MichaelG.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 20/09/2018 21:01:43:

My point was simply that if MEW's new series is 'Windows exclusive' then Apple users are losing out.

Same could be said for non Myford users or non train players loosing out for the last 100years of ME and MEW

Content will never be what every reader wants and if the assumed advertiser who has put up the long test availability only does a package for one system then so be it.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Exactly, Jason

… You get full marks in the comprehension test.

MichaelG.

.

those that missed the point should start reading at the top of this page

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 21/09/2018 07:31:17

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

This may spell the end of my sketches and calculations on the back of old envelopes! Something new to learn!

Hope that it won't be too frustrating for us Luddites.

Bring it on!

Howard

[Brian GParticipant @briang]

This should be interesting as I have a strange blind spot with 3D CAD. I've been using AutoCAD for 20+ years, and I'm quite at home with 3D modelling software like 3dsMax or Blender, but everything goes blank when I try to use SketchUp or even 3D drawings in AutoCAD.

CAD doesn't stop me from missing a drawing board though, even if it is just to overlay transparencies and see what fits (I know I can do that with blocks or layers, but it isn't the same). Sketches first still make things easier though, part of me wishes I had bought the pack of isometric paper I saw in Axminster yesterday.

Brian

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I've been having a go with the package.

I produced this today, as a tryout, it's a hull for a British Power Boats Whaleback ASRL, using a paper 1940s plan as a guide. Took me about 2 1/2 hours, but I'm learning as I go along. This is an STL exported from the program, I'm going to try 3D printing it.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

OK, digital readers will have found out its Alibre by now!

I'm trying out @Alibre Atom3D ahead of a great offer for readers of Model Engineer's Workshop. A friend needed to replace a knob for a #telescope mount, it took less time to design it than to #3Dprint it in PETG! #YoE pic.twitter.com/v1RKQSupW0

— Model Engineer (@ModelEngineers) September 29, 2018

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Just to a prove a point, I tried using the parametric editing to convert that into a different knob. I changed diameter and centre distance of the circle that generates the scallop, and increased the number of them. Took about two minutes, an expert would do it faster!

It did take a bit of effort to get the hang of it, but some advice from the chap who's writing the tutorials and I'm getting the hang of it now!

[jimmy bParticipant @jimmyb]

Neil,

Do you know what the cost of the package is?

Jim

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

If you go for the Atom which is what is being offered on the long term trial then the prices for UK users are here.

Aton is very similar to their old entry level PE (personal Edition) which I have had for a mumber of years tough I now use Pro which is almost the same just has a few more features.

 

Neil, couple more evenings practice and you will be able to draw whole engines, this is where the parametrics come into their own as if you alter a 3D part it will automatically make the same alteration to any 2D drawings, assemblies or sub assemblies.

Edited By JasonB on 29/09/2018 20:02:37

Edited By JasonB on 29/09/2018 20:14:34

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Wow, that's impressive Jason!

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by jimmy b on 29/09/2018 19:02:46:

Neil,

Do you know what the cost of the package is?

Jim

You can follow the Mintronics link for prices, but don't sign up for the trial as readers will be getting a much longer free trial period.

Neil

[jimmy bParticipant @jimmyb]

Thank you Jason and Neil. I’m looking forward to trying this.

Jim

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

I have no doubt some will remember Alibre Design when it was provided as a free package, following multiple updates various functions were disabled as time past, in the end after an updates download my package failed to work as I did not have a registration number to enter, nor could one be provided by Alibre or their agent in the UK.
Signing in and connecting to the Alibre site proved fruitless, but then you can't complain so much with free offers !!

Emgee

Edited By Emgee on 29/09/2018 20:25:07

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Kind of the opposite to my experience with them when I wanted to move my unsupported PE from an old 32bit machine to a new 64bit where they were very helpful. Also the couple of times I have spoken with John Minto (UK Agent) he has been fine to deal with though he did prize a few quid more out of me the last time we spoke which has turned out to be money well spent.

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Jason, from memory the PE package followed the free hobby system, think it was priced at £99+VAT in the UK when $99 in the US.

Agree John is a very helpful person but he couldn't sort my earlier registration number problem.

Emgee

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Emgee is, in broad terms, right, about the history, but this is aprt of a new chapter.

This article explains what happened and why the launch of Alibre Atom3D is intended to deliver:

http://www.engineering.com/DesignSoftware/DesignSoftwareArticles/ArticleID/16649/The-Emancipation-of-Alibre.aspx

Neil

[JC54Participant @jc54]

Just checked out link to Alibre, needs 64 bit system just like fusion 360. Have I got to upgrade/replace computer to use a 3D system?

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

I think any laptop or desk machine running a windows O/S built in last 12 years would contain a 64bit processor – whether you have sufficient memory (XP was limited to 3GB) or processing power or graphics capability are other major considerations – my own guess is that low end consumer Win 7 machines are probably on wrong side of boundary

Edited By Frances IoM on 30/09/2018 23:06:48

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Just checked out link to Alibre, needs 64 bit system just like fusion 360. Have I got to upgrade/replace computer to use a 3D system?

Curious that I registered a win 7 pro sector on my pooter today

You can download old Win 64 stuff and buy a valid key for less than a fiver from ebay

My own one had an error message and I used the +44 Microsoft toll number to activate it

The easiest route is to use another hard drive with the same pooter but there are cpu power issues with 3d CAD stuff, you need a machine with decent grunt, like a quad core, to make it work well

EDIT The key was 2.75 and the toll number about 2 quid

Edited By Ady1 on 30/09/2018 23:26:04

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

Ady – multi-core processors really don't help that much with most 3D CAD systems – not all modelling kernels can take advantage of multiple cores, and even if they can, a lot of operations are by definition serial in nature (one builds on top of another).

Additional cores can help by off-loading background Windows tasks, and any other applications that might be running, but Atom3D won't benefit directly. Higher clock speed will give more benefit than additional cores.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Alibre Atom3D Software Requirements

Supported Operating Systems
Windows 7 – 64 bit
Windows 8 – 64 bit
Windows 10 – 64 bit

RAM
4 GB RAM minimum
Note: if your designs are very complex or you use lots of applications at the same time, you may need more RAM.

Video Card
Video card must be compatible with DirectX 9

Internet Access
Internet access is required for activation and de-activation of the software. It is also required every few weeks to refresh your license.

Suggestions

– Faster cores are more beneficial to Alibre Atom3D than multiple, slower cores
– Larger assemblies (e.g. 100s of parts) will require more RAM
– An SSD will significantly speed up load and save times

[Matt HarringtonParticipant @mattharrington87221]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 23/09/2018 15:27:05:

I've been having a go with the package.

I produced this today, as a tryout, it's a hull for a British Power Boats Whaleback ASRL, using a paper 1940s plan as a guide. Took me about 2 1/2 hours, but I'm learning as I go along. This is an STL exported from the program, I'm going to try 3D printing it.

Neil, I shall class you as a 3D printer expert (well, you have written a book about the things!) and as such, you are more than familiar with 3D modelling. I would be interested to see how a user with a minimal 2D CAD experience will cope with such systems and also a user with no experience of CAD.

I have sold CAD/CAM systems (on and off) for the last 40 years and I'm always interested in user expectation. Ability is something else and have see 80 year old youngsters perform magic on a CAD system and yet a young draughtsman have no ability.

I suppose what I'm saying is that a lot of prospective users get put off early on thinking that a design system is too complicated – something that new systems seems to be addressing these days.

Matt

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