Learning CAD with Alibre Atom3D

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Nige you either need to create a new plane at right angles to your sloping face which you can then draw the sketch onto and then extrude cut.

Or select the sloping face and draw a long rectangle on it to represent the width of the slot and then cut extrude to depth, the rectangle will need to project beyond the obtuse angled end

[NigeParticipant @nige81730]

Thanks Jason your second idea appears to be simpler, less technical

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

Nige – yet another way to tackle.

By default the extrude direction is normal to the starting plane, but it does not have to be. Here I have unchecked the 'Along Normal' box, this makes the field below available for specifying direction of extrusion. In this case I chose an edge of the existing geometry.

Here is the result

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

David would that give the true depth of the groove? I would have thought the greater the angle of the face from the plane that the groove was sketched on the shallower it will actually "cut"

For example this was sketched as 0.200" deep but when measured the groove is only 0.176" deep. You woul dalso need to set it to cut "through all " as the cut will need to be longer than the block as the length of teh sloping face is greater 

You can see it here where the top groove is done by creating a plane at 90deg to face, middle is extruded to follow rdge and bottom is just a long cut drawn on the face and then cut to depth and the middle one is shallower.

Edited By JasonB on 22/01/2019 08:29:46

Edited By JasonB on 22/01/2019 08:30:41

Edited By JasonB on 22/01/2019 08:35:12

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

Jason – that is all down to design intent and what the user is trying to achieve. The differing approaches do give different results, as you have shown.

There are usually several ways that a particular task can be approached. Ability to change the extrude direction might be useful in some circumstances, but not in others.

[Kenneth Jones 1Participant @kennethjones1]

Hi,

I am tackling Alibre Atom 3D as a brain train excersize to hopefully prevent the onset of alzheimers. I am 83 so progress is very slow, but I am making progress!

However I have started on the introduction of a thread on the clamp bolt (issue 277) but I have hit a snag.

Referring to Fig 16, page 28 it says "right click on the horizontal line then on Convert to Reference Figure"

But the drop down table on my version does not include the line 'Convert to Reference Figure' . The last line is 'Direct Coordinate Entry'

What am I missing, sorry to such a doddery old fool.

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

Make sure to right click whilst cursor is touching the line, not the nodes at either end of the line, nor slightly away form the line (either will give a different right mouse context menu).

It might help to zoom in closer using your mouse wheel.

Edited By David Jupp on 22/01/2019 16:59:04

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Kenneth Jones 1 on 22/01/2019 16:52:53:

No daft questions if you don't know the answer Kenneth!

Neil

[mickParticipant @mick65121]

Now I fully appreciate I've not carried out an instruction that won't allow me to get past this stage, but I can't see what it might be. I sometimes get a spring coil appear to the right of the sketch that disappears when I click OK, other times the OK tab is not illuminated.

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

Typically if OK isn't available, there is either a piece of data missing, or something incompatible has been entered. Not really obvious from the image what the issue might be – is Face 2 the cylindrical surface of the solid? Maybe try using Z-axis instead to define the axis for the helical.

If helix preview is appearing to the right, that is the wrong way – try checking the 'reverse' box.

[Kenneth Jones 1Participant @kennethjones1]

Thanks David & Neil, I was clicking on the horizontal surface, not the horizontal line. As I said, its the doddery old fool syndrome!, onward now to the next challenge.

[mickParticipant @mick65121]

Still no joy. One screen shot shows the screen with a helicial line to the right of the sketch, but when I click OK there's a spring coil appears for a split second to the right of the sketch before the screen reverts to the other view. On this occasion the pitch is highlighted in blue, this is the first time this condition has occurred.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Mick, that vertical blue line looks a bit suspect, is that what has been clicked as the axis?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Click with left and right simultaneously so you can rotate the part, like in the article.

This may help make sure you click the right thing (I've found it make clicking an axis much easier).

Neil

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

Mick – looks like you have placed a reference line in your sketch an used that as the axis for the helix. Click in the axis field in the helical cut dialogue, then click on the cylindrical face of the part (or the Z axis), so it is selected.

The helix path preview is in empty space, you can't perform a CUT in empty space, it has to cut from an existing solid – this where both orientation (axis), and direction (reverse or not) play a part.

If you are still struggling, e-mail me and we can have an on-line screen sharing session. Make sure to save your file – don't delete it, it will be fixable.

[john hill 1Participant @johnhill1]

Having problem trying to add constraints to base parts. Unable to bring up constrain tool fig 24. After that nothing works to show a green plane to be able to tick the green arrow fig 25 C. Have made several new bases but no change.What am I missing. Have only had Issue 275 for a week. The mail is slow to down under. Thanks John Hill

Edited By JasonB on 24/01/2019 07:30:39

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

John – if constraint tool is not showing at all, try re-setting your user profile. There is a link to do this on the Utilities tab of the Atom3D 'Home Window'.

After resetting profile, re-launch Atom.

If you still can't make the green plane show up with the 'show reference geometry' command, can you see the grey planes of the assembly workspace? If not – try 'toggle references' button (viewing and analysis tab of ribbon).

[mickParticipant @mick65121]

No gain without pain, as the saying goes! Thanks to David and Jason.

[Martin LenParticipant @martinlen44626]

High

When I have finished drawing in 2D sketch mode then deactivate it so that I can then modify it, it does not save the sketch. Nothing to modify.

Alibre atom 3D has been working ok for about two months until now.

Has anyone got any suggestions,is it a bug ?

Martin

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

Martin, are you saying that no sketch appears in the Design Explorer (left side of screen), when you exit sketch mode ? Does re-starting computer make any difference?

Maybe try re-setting user profile as mentioned a few posts previously…

[Martin LenParticipant @martinlen44626]

High David

Yes sketch 1 appears in the design explorer but there is nothing to see in the work space just the green grid where it usually sits.

I right clicked on sketch 1 and selected the edit option, it was then visible.

As for the user profile reset option could you explain where I might find this ,I have searched every I possible could but no luck. It is possible I might have to do it in the future knowing my history with computers.

Cheers

[Anonymous]

Err, sketches are not visible unless you're editing them. Remember it's a 3D CAD program, not 2D. So the sketch is only used to create a 3D item. Once you extrude or revolve the sketch to create a 3D part you will see that in the workspace. Unlike a 2D drawing package the sketch is simply a means to an end, not the end itself and hence does not need to be visible unless it is being changed.

Andrew

[Tim Taylor 2Participant @timtaylor2]

Andrew,

That's not the way mine works. Sketches that are not selected show up as a thin red line – when selected they turn blue.

In the viewing & analysis menu tab there are buttons to control the visibility of both sketches and references – I think David suggested earlier that might be where the problem is……..

Tim

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

As Tim says it sounds like you have turned off "toggle sketches" the button in the viewing and analysis screen has a pair of glasses and a red "sketch" outline.

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

Posted by Martin Len on 25/01/2019 17:16:20:

High David

Yes sketch 1 appears in the design explorer but there is nothing to see in the work space just the green grid where it usually sits.

I right clicked on sketch 1 and selected the edit option, it was then visible.

As for the user profile reset option could you explain where I might find this ,I have searched every I possible could but no luck. It is possible I might have to do it in the future knowing my history with computers.

Cheers

Sounds like it is working as it should – full detail of sketches are visible when in edit mode – a basic outline will show up outside edit mode if you have sketch visibility toggled on.

User Profile – The 'Home Window' (which displays after the initial 'splash screen' when you launch Atom3D) has Home, Explore and Utilities tabs. Click to select the Utilities tab, in the middle column (miscellaneous) there is a link 'reset user profile'.

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