2D drawings - Hiding lines

[RwSkinner]

When creating a 2D drawing from a 3D model, the drawing shows the objects on the opposite side (background) thru any holes or cutouts and although it's realistic, it makes the drawing cluttered and confusing.
Is there a way to only show the items on the side I'm working with and not showing other items on the background?


Richard

 

[denisgb2]

Try layer manager. Maybe create a new layer for lines you wish to hide, and then turn off visibility.

 

[RwSkinner]

Thanks, I have figured that out however it is very labor intensive. Is there not an option anywhere to turn that off?

Richard

 

[Max]

What you want to do is disable Hidden Lines from your view. Use any of these techniques:

 

[RwSkinner]

Thanks, I already have hidden lines turned off. In 2011, for the drawings, I don't have an option for edges.
It wouldn't be so bad once I put them all on a hidden layer except for the fact I'm unable to copy my sheets and paste them to new sheets which means I have to do this for every sheet.

Richard

 

[Max]

Does this picture properly illustrate your issue?

 

[RwSkinner]

Yes, I do not want the details from the other surfaces showing inside the circle.

Richard

 

[Max]

There are three approaches you can take:

1) Manually hide the edges - use Ctrl + Shift box select to select edges in bulk instead of picking them one by one - set layer to invisible

2) In the 3D model, create a configuration where you have extrude-cut the bottom part you don't want to see. Select this configuration in the View Creation dialog.

3) If you do not have configurations and do have booleans, you can enter a new part workspace and boolean unite your part into the new workspace, then do the extrude cut there. When you project into a 2D drawing, you would project this Part2 (boolean + Cut). In this way you can still keep your original part file Part1 in an easy-to-edit way and the Part2 will automatically update when you change the Part1.

This is a fairly non-standard way to detail drawings so this is why there aren't any explicit tools to do what you're after.

 

[Ralf]

Here is another option:
With Alibre Design V2011 and the "Section View" option.
.

 

[RwSkinner]

Thank you, I will try some of these options first thing in the AM.

Again, Thanks for taking the time to help.
Richard

 

[RwSkinner]

I was out of the office today and was unable to test some of the methods you mentioned however, you made a comment that exporting 3D to 2D drawings this way was non-standard and that is why there are no provisions for it.

When taking a 3D part, and making a 2D drawing from it, then importing it into a CAM program for machining, you surely do not want all those lines and curves that are not part of the sketch that your machining. To me, it seems like that would be a very much used option, not only to make drawings look cleaner and not so busy, but also for ease of machining real features and not the "see thru" features.

My everyday process is to create a 3D part, create a 2D drawing from that part of the sketch/view which I wish to machine, then import that drawing into my CAD software such as Vectric. I then spend time getting rid of all the unwanted lines and unclosed loops, do my tool paths, then machine it. Everything is very simple until I get to the clean up stage.

I have not been able to select a group of segments other than manually selecting one then using the control key and continue manually selecting segments before making them hidden. Doing a mouse drag has not done anything for me and unfortunately I did not see that in the manual although I could have missed it. That alone would be helpful if you could explain the process to this inexperienced dummy.

Richard

 

[RwSkinner]

Sectional View "almost" works, except it show the view from the inside of the part looking out, inside of outside view looking in. The results look great, it's just inside out.

Richard

 

[Ralf]

Richard,

Re. "almost"

Please take a look: Alibre Help
Inserting section views
- ...
- ....Choose the direction of the section view by clicking on one side or the other of the section line.
- ...

 

[indesign]

I use views for machining as well and Ralf is on the best track from my experience. However the option Max said for showing only a section of the part using configurations is a way I have found useful as well. It allows you to (cut) away the unused area. I sometimes have a drawing just for machining export of dxf files. That drawing is on blank sheet with no hidden lines shown and with special views only for machining from dxf.

 

[RwSkinner]

Then it shows the inside view of the other side.

Richard

Richard,

Re. "almost"

Please take a look: Alibre Help
Inserting section views
- ...
- ....Choose the direction of the section view by clicking on one side or the other of the section line.
- ...

 

[Ralf]

Then it shows the inside view of the other side.

Richard

Richard,

Re. "almost"

Please take a look: Alibre Help
Inserting section views
- ...
- ....Choose the direction of the section view by clicking on one side or the other of the section line.
- ...

With the current Version 2013, you have more options:
- Standard Section View
- Aligned (Half) Section View
- Broken Out Section
- Removed Section view
- ...

 

[RwSkinner]

I found the three items that work, with the easiest listed first.

1. It seems that the "Project as Flat Pattern" in drawing creation provides the best results in v2011.
There are still a few strange items that show up in some of the holes but very minor compared to what I previously had.

2. Creating another configuration then Extrude cutting away all the backside works as it should and displays the same view as the above.

3. Manually selecting vectors one at a time and putting them on a hidden layer. It would still be nice to figure out how to select multiple vectors as it would make it much easier bulk moving items to different layers.

Thanks to everyone for helping me out here.
Richard