A little preview :D

[swertel]

I'm not sure you want it transparent. Imagine looking thorough a fillet into the interior of a part.

I think colorization is probably better. We will look into it.

@Max, the reason I suggest translucent is because I don't want the preview to block the view of the current state of the model. I would like to see the preview "over laid" against the original design. I don't mind looking through the preview of the part. Then again, I learned 3D modeling in wireframe and am used to seeing through the parts. Also, translucent (not transparent) allows for additional shading as more faces overlap each other to provide that sense of depth without turning the part inside out.

But, I think you understand my intent and anything you devise is going to be amazing.

 

[simonb65]

the reason I suggest translucent is because I don't want the preview to block the view of the current state of the model.

Only useful for features that build onto the geometry ... not so good for features that cut into the geometry!

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

[ For removing material ] The existing geometry could be outlined or translucent where the change is occurring.

 

[BlackBird28]

Look at other software... inventor have normal transparent preview for extrude and red transparent for subtract. And fillets are solid.. until they get to complex. Then they change the Color. Also on possible errors. I think it would be nice enough to have a preview in a different colour/transparent.

 

[jasonmburns]

Hey folks, we've been working on this little diddy for a bit. Hoping to have it in v23.

Have you ever:

• Made a shell with a bad value resulting in a failed feature?
• Made a fillet with too large a value resulting in a failed feature?
• Wished you could clearly see what a distance-distance chamfer was going to do?
• Made a loft that failed and had try edit it 3-4 times to get it to work?
  • Or made a loft unsure of what the various options do and find it difficult to compare them?
• Wished you could see what's happening before pressing OK?

We're implementing realtime previews of features. It looks like this:

I absolutely love it!

 

[VoltsAndBolts]

I would use that!

 

[sbeamers]

Promising new feature. Would it make sense to have a "preview" checkbox so we can toggle the effect?

 

[Max]

Promising new feature. Would it make sense to have a "preview" checkbox so we can toggle the effect?

Yes. We've implemented the following ways to manage this feature:

• In each supported feature dialog, you can toggle it with an icon. The state is remembered between open/close of that particular feature's dialog. This is useful to toggle if needed during design, but let's say you have a fillet that takes 30 seconds to compute - you would perhaps never want that fillet to 3D preview and so you can disable it permanently for that fillet by toggling it off in that fillet's dialog.
• There is a System Option which controls system wide behavior - on or off.
  • Each part also has a File Property that allows you to:
    • Always use 3D preview (overrides the System value)
    • Never use 3D preview (overrides the System value)
    • Inherit from System Options (default)

The 2nd bullet may seem like overkill, but it effectively allows you to manage the behavior of legacy files too. Legacy files will all be set to Inherit. So if you don't want any previews , set the system option to Off and new and old files will not show it. You can override it at the part level if desired.

This is the first time we're using the Inherit approach, but it will likely become more standard to give people more control over how "legacy" file defaults for new features are handled.

 

[JST]

...........

This is the first time we're using the Inherit approach, but it will likely become more standard to give people more control over how "legacy" file defaults for new features are handled.

I think that s a VERY good idea. I LIKE it.

 

[HaroldL]

Could something like that be implemented to create a full radius on the end of part or a slot for a fully rounded end?
It would be even better if you could just select the three faces (sides and end) of the part/slot and the full radius fillet would be created. Sometimes it is easier to select faces than edges without having to zoom way in.

Is this something that can be put in a script, at least until Alibre implements something in the program?

I could see three prompts:

1. Select edge/face across width of fillet (user selects edge of face).
   
2. Select edges at corner of filleted faces (user selects the edges that get filleted).
3. Select Okay or Cancel (full round fillet is created or canceled).

Each selection of edge or face would progress to the next step without having to select an "Okay" or "Next" in a dialog, if that is possible. The last Okay of Cancel would be mandatory.

 

[aptivaboy]

Maybe its there and I'm not understanding, but... I'd love it if the fillet/chamfer feature had a "MAX Fillet" and "MAX Chamfer" function, where when you click on an angle, the function would max out, telling you what the largest fillet or chamfer possible for that feature was. That would save time trying to continually redo the fillet, for example, until the user finds the largest possible fillet. Just let the fillet and chamfer features tell us what the largest value is, and we can go down from there.

Thanks for listening.

 

[simonb65]

I'd love it if the fillet/chamfer feature had a "MAX Fillet" and "MAX Chamfer" function, where when you click on an angle, the function would max out, telling you what the largest fillet or chamfer possible for that feature was.

This was discussed in posts #4 to #16.

 

[Max]

Maybe its there and I'm not understanding, but... I'd love it if the fillet/chamfer feature had a "MAX Fillet" and "MAX Chamfer" function, where when you click on an angle, the function would max out, telling you what the largest fillet or chamfer possible for that feature was. That would save time trying to continually redo the fillet, for example, until the user finds the largest possible fillet. Just let the fillet and chamfer features tell us what the largest value is, and we can go down from there.

Thanks for listening.

As simonb65 said this was talked about on page one here: https://www.alibreforum.com/forum/index.php?threads/a-little-preview-d.22276/#post-147183

I do agree with the premise, and I can think of a few UX improvements that would be widely applicable to many things, this among them. The software wouldn't detect anything, but rather you would be able to easily give the software some information such that it would derive what you want easily. We might consider that for 24/25.

 

[idslk]

Is this something that can be put in a script

i tried it...the result is appended.
I didn't want to wait until 24 or 25 of April... hm, or am i some kind wrong?

Start the script without any selected faces and you will be asked:

It will wait until 3 faces are chosen and yes was clicked...

Start the script without any selected faces and you will be asked:



result after clicking Yes (Ja):


it creates the feature "AutoFillet" which is also editable:



you can use it for inner or outer radii...

But as always "on your own risk!!!"

It works (is tested) only geometries with parallel faces. It has a "lot of deficiencies"...it's just quick and a little bit dirty ;-)

At least play a little bit with it and comment it.

Regards
Stefan

 

[HaroldL]

@idslk , that's pretty slick. Thank you.

There is a slight pause while Alibre figures out the fillets but it was seconds compared to minutes for this example.


Now all we need is a quick way to add individual script icons to the menu or ribbon.

 

[albie0803]

Now all we need is a quick way to add individual script icons to the menu or ribbon.

I have also asked for this. We need to be able to pin a few favourite scripts to the ribbon.

 

[bigseb]

I have also asked for this. We need to be able to pin a few favourite scripts to the ribbon.

Not a script user myself but I do wonder why this wasn't implemented from the beginning. So much space on the script ribbon...

 

[HaroldL]

i tried it...the result is appended.
I didn't want to wait until 24 or 25 of April... hm, or am i some kind wrong?

Start the script without any selected faces and you will be asked:
View attachment 33366
It will wait until 3 faces are chosen and yes was clicked...

Start the script without any selected faces and you will be asked:
View attachment 33365
View attachment 33361

result after clicking Yes (Ja):
View attachment 33362

it creates the feature "AutoFillet" which is also editable:

View attachment 33363

you can use it for inner or outer radii...

But as always "on your own risk!!!"

It works (is tested) only geometries with parallel faces. It has a "lot of deficiencies"...it's just quick and a little bit dirty ;-)

At least play a little bit with it and comment it.

Regards
Stefan

Stefan, It looks like the script needs an update to work with v23. I didn't get this error in v22.

 

[albie0803]

Copy the win statement from line 55 and paste it in line 9 and run it

I don't know why it doesn't run with this version when it used to with V22 but this will get you going until Stefan does a proper fix.

 

[HaroldL]

Copy the win statement from line 55 and paste it in line 9 and run it

I don't know why it doesn't run with this version when it used to with V22 but this will get you going until Stefan does a proper fix.

After getting two "wrong version" messages it finally created the fillet.

Here's the first one:


The second one complained about the version of Alibre:


This will do till an update is available.