Alibre Design Overview
What is Alibre Design?
Alibre Design is a 3D modeling, analysis, manufacturing documentation, rendering, and publishing platform. It is used in every industry to take products from idea to revision to production. It can help your business to design everything from consumer products to wind turbines.
Alibre Design Features
Some of the highlights
User Interface
An efficient and customizable user interface that lets you work like you want with helpful hints.
Sketching
A fast and precise sketching environment that captures design intent and makes changes easy.
Modeling
Robust and fully parametric 3D modeling tools and easy workflows speed up part creation.
Sheet Metal
A dedicated sheet metal environment with tools just for sheet good design and easy flat pattern creation.
Assembly
Combine components into a full product, analyze overlaps, and test motion. Determine mass and other properties.
2D Drawings
Automatic drawing view creation based on the 3D model. Tons of detailing tools and specialized views.
Bill of Materials
An automatically generated bill of materials that supports design data, physical properties, and dimensions.
Part Generator
Add dynamic parts to a library with data and business logic. Pull parts from the library and configure them on-the-fly.
Render
Real-time GPU or CPU-driven rendering with tons of built-in materials, environments, and lighting options.
Scripting
The ability to control just about everything in the software with Python code. From repetitive tasks to part creation.
Import / Export
An industry-leading import and export pipeline. Read files from just about any CAD system on the market.
Publishing
Publish 2D drawings or interactive 3D PDF files that stakeholders can interact with, including exploded views.
Data-driven Design
A set of technologies across the product that leverage your data to create dynamic, smart parts and variants.
Robust API
Create rich applications on the Alibre platform. Automate specific workflows or make fully integrated applications.
End-To-End Design
To stay competitive, your design tools must be up to the task of taking your idea from concept through manufacturing - and changes must be propagated everywhere.
Alibre Design has the power and tools to see a design through, whether it's a simple plate or a 2800 part assembly. That's why its used in every industry from aerospace to toy making.
Examples of some major functional areas of the software - part, assembly, and drawing workspaces.
What's "Parametric"?
It means you don't have to remake everything when you need to change something.
Parametric is another way of saying "controlled with variables". Examples of variables include the dimensions you type for the length and width of a plate, or the pattern count for a series of holes.
You can also use math on parameters, for example "Length = 2 * Width", to build smart parts that adhere to design rules.
Editing is as simple as changing the variables you set up earlier from one value to another; the part changes size to accommodate.
Parametric is another way of saying "controlled with variables". Examples of variables include the dimensions you type for the length and width of a plate, or the pattern count for a series of holes.
You can also use math on parameters, for example "Length = 2 * Width", to build smart parts that adhere to design rules.
Editing is as simple as changing the variables you set up earlier from one value to another; the part changes size to accommodate.
An example of how a small change can affect many other files - and how automating changes is important
Manage Data Changes
You have put a lot of time and energy into a design - 3D models, exploded views, 2D drawings, a bill of materials - the works. And something changes. Now what?
Whether the change is minor, like changing the material of a component, or a major geometry redesign of several components - they all flow automatically downstream.
Your drawings, BoMs, subassemblies - everything - will update automatically to reflect changes. Elimination of human error is key to keeping a tight and efficient workflow.
Whether the change is minor, like changing the material of a component, or a major geometry redesign of several components - they all flow automatically downstream.
Your drawings, BoMs, subassemblies - everything - will update automatically to reflect changes. Elimination of human error is key to keeping a tight and efficient workflow.
