Learning CAD with Alibre Atom3D

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

Atom3D will still work as a viewer when the trial period expires. So you'll still be able to access your files but not edit them.

Of course nothing to stop you from producing DXFs or PDFs, just to be doubly safe. You could also export your 3D designs as STEP, which pretty much all 3D CAD systems can import.

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

I have been trying to use Turbocad 2018 but struggling to get started. So i have downloaded AA3D to see if this is any easier to use. The tutorial in the magazine looks pretty good.

Trouble is i'm failing at first hurdle. It all installed ok. So go into 2D sketch and create a circle. exit 2D sketch. Left click on perimeter of circle to do extrude. Enter value 10. Either the OK button does not highlight or if it does I get message

Status – Extrusion <1>

No Solid Body Exists

Sketch: Sketch<1>

Operation: Cut

Any ideas, preferably not to give up the idea of 3D CAD.

Colin

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Why are you expecting the perimeter to extrude?

Select the space enclosed by the line, and try that.

[JourneymanParticipant @journeyman]

From the error message it seems like you have selected Extrude Cut rather than Extrude Boss

John

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

John,

Thank you. I think (know) I need new eyes. Had not spotted that there were two Extrude options.

Colin

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

David (Jupp),

Thanks for the info, I think I'll "belt and braces" and save as dxf AND pdfs. After my disc failure last year and losing all my drawings, I can't have enough backups, anyway.

John

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

John

Best to save your files to an external drive, plenty available at low cost, then if your hard disc fails you still have files on the external drive.
Many have Backup facility included so will keep copies of all folders on your hard drive automatically in real time.

Perhaps someone well versed in these things can offer advice.

Emgee

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Colin, left click on the sketch or face of the circle will both work but you do need the correct extrude

John. I would also make STEP files as you can then import those into other 3D CAd programes as well as 2D DXF files.

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

Emgee,

Thanks for the advice,. I have already purchased a backup drive and make the necessary backups a couple of times a week. (Bolting horses and stable doors, I know.)

David Jupp,

Just one other thing: Is the licence only valid for one year or is it a lifetime one? I appreciate that there will be no upgrade service with the basic licence.

John

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

The licence is not time limited. It should last indefinitely – realistically that means until you move to an operating system that your build of Atom3D isn't supported on.

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

David,

Thanks. Just what I was hoping to hear!

In that case, I'm leaning towards the big spend! Time to start saving.

Regards,

John

[TomkParticipant @tomk39956]

Posted by David Jupp on 21/02/2019 20:00:05:

Tom, you can post Atom3D files to the Alibre User Forum. To set up an account there so you can post you will need an access code – either PM me or mail support@alibre.com to get the code.

David

I have just joined the Alibre forum thanks for the info

Tom

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Does anyone know if there is a parameter to increase the thickness of the assembly and plane lines.

I am Red/Green colour blind and am struggling to see the colours of the lines. Fine Grey, Fine Green and Fine Blue lines are very difficult to differentiate. I am using a 27" 2560×1440 display.

Colin

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I'm sure you can do the same as this in atom, from Utilities – System Options select display – coulor schemes and reference seems to be the one for you

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Well that was a waste of a post. I have found an option in System Options in the Parts/Assemblies (General Appearance) where you can change Reference Geometry and Sketch Thickness. There are three choices. I think the default is Option 1 with very thin lines, Option 2 as you can guess is a little thicker and Option 3 (the one for me) gives nice thick lines.

Maybe as get more used to the package it may be that can go back to a thinner option, most likely Option 2.

There also appear to be Several Colour schemes under the Display (Colour Schemes) heading.

Colin

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

Jason,

Thanks for that. I did in fact find it just before your posting. I will have a play around with the colour schemes to see if any are more suitable for my colour vision. But I think just having a thicker line will make a significant difference to me.

System Options and Properties buttons are displayed on the bottom right hand side of the drop down menu from the Alibre Icon button

Many Thanks,

Colin

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

You can create your own colour scheme if desired, you aren't limited to the provided ones.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by David Jupp on 24/02/2019 08:36:18:

You can create your own colour scheme if desired, you aren't limited to the provided ones.

Almost essential I'm afraid. In a previous life I worked on 'Reasonable Adjustments' as related to software and looked at colour blindness in some detail. I hoped to find a simple 'press this button' solution. Nope! Colour blindness comes in so many different varieties there isn't a one size fits all answer. Even common red/green colour blindness varies enough between individuals to spoil a standard solution. And what works for red/green is completely unsuitable for other forms of colour blindness.

The compromise is to provide software allowing the user to configure colour schemes himself. The ideal person to judge the most suitable settings is the user. Still caused trouble though – a small percentage strongly resent having to faff about fixing stuff themselves. I empathise! It really is a pain sussing out how to adjust colour settings and then spending an age fiddling with settings to find what suits. I arranged for the support team to provide direct help when necessary, but that's impractical with home software. In practice the special support available for setting up for colour blindness was rarely called for. Most people quickly got a result themselves by tweaking a few settings – it was uncommon for anyone to have to run through all the combinations.

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 24/02/2019 10:27:16

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 24/02/2019 10:25:46:

Posted by David Jupp on 24/02/2019 08:36:18:

You can create your own colour scheme if desired, you aren't limited to the provided ones.

Almost essential I'm afraid. In a previous life I worked on 'Reasonable Adjustments' as related to software and looked at colour blindness in some detail. I hoped to find a simple 'press this button' solution.

To apply colour blindness settings, click the green button…

Neil

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

Hi just wasted about three hours trying to make a PDF in Alibre as I have in the past, but when I tried to make picture for an article I am writing I followed the corect method and all I got was a blank page with a heading and it wasn't in proper PDF format. It was in Microsoft PDF format it appears when I recently had an upgrade and the gremlins changed the program to their own. I at last realised changed it back to Adobe and all was well.

David

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

David,

Note that 'Publish to PDF' from 3D workspace produces a 3D PDF – Microsoft Reader doesn't support 3D PDF, so the page will appear blank. It must be viewed in Adobe Acrobat (Reader). The 3D PDF publishing is coded into Alibre Design / Alibre Atom, it doesn't use any functionality from virtual PDF printers you may have installed.

If you just need a 2D image of 3D part in a PDF, you can Print from the 3D workspace (basically a screenshot) and select any PDF virtual printer. This method does use your installed PDF virtual printer.

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

I was wondering whether there was any possibility of the series of tutorials in MEW being available as a standalone set of .PDF's or a small booklet. I think they have been very well written and would make a very handy reference guide. I do not want to ruin the magazines by constant reference to them. I have gotten further in 3 or 4 hours with AA3D than I have in several years of playing with Turbocad 17 & 18.

I have been in IT all my life but I still prefer the written word rather than online tutorials, you can stick Yellow stickies on page for quick reference, not quite so easy on a computer screen.

Colin

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Colin Heseltine on 25/02/2019 19:59:59:

I was wondering whether there was any possibility of the series of tutorials in MEW being available as a standalone set of .PDF's or a small booklet. I think they have been very well written and would make a very handy reference guide. I do not want to ruin the magazines by constant reference to them. I have gotten further in 3 or 4 hours with AA3D than I have in several years of playing with Turbocad 17 & 18.

I have been in IT all my life but I still prefer the written word rather than online tutorials, you can stick Yellow stickies on page for quick reference, not quite so easy on a computer screen.

Colin

We are looking into this.

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Turret for 1:16 British Power Boats 'Whaleback' ASRL. A stalled model I've been working on for well over a decade.

Only stand-off scale I'm still not happy with my pop-bottle and car turret so I'm printing this one in 'transparent' PLA. I will just paint the glazing bars. Will be interesting to see the result.

[Lionel PullumParticipant @lionelpullum53107]

Joining parts. Is there a way to join to previously defined parts together in AA3D? I want to fuse some parts so that I can then shell the resulting solid. I tried assembling the parts together and then saving as a step file, hoping that might work, but it still opens in the assembly workspace with seperate parts. I see in the full blown package there is a Boolean assembly tool, I dont think that this is available in AA3D. Any ideas

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