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Am I not using this program correctly?

papajoe41

papajoe41

Senior Member
Hi,

I really want to learn the Atom3D; but, I am getting more frustrated by the minute with it not complying with what it should be doing. It seems that the manual shows choices that the program does not have. Is there not a manual exclusively for the Atom 3D? I understand the helpful hints that you people are giving me. Some of them work and some do not. I have some more questions- once I have added dimensions to a sketch, and switch off sketching and extrude a feature and then choose to return to the sketch, are the dimensions not still shown? Or am I just not following the step by step procedure that the program is designed to take? I draw a rectangle and then draw another rectangle in the center of it. When I extrude the form, the center one is left as a square hole in the part. But, when I draw a rectangle and then draw another rectangle inside it; but this time have the inner one touching the outer one. It will not extrude. I get a message about ‘open edges’ or something like that. Yet the manual does not explain what these messages mean. I am going to stop here because I could go on and on.

Frustrated, Papajoe41
 
idslk

idslk

Alibre Super User
Hello papajoe41,
papajoe41 said:
are the dimensions not still shown
Click to expand...
normaly they are shown. Can you please make a screenshot from this situation and paste it into a post?
Maybe we can see what's "wrong" there.
papajoe41 said:
but this time have the inner one touching the outer one
Click to expand...
If you do this in one sketch , you will have two rectangles where one line of rectangle #1 lies on one line from rectangle #2. In this situation the sketch module does not know which line is valid. If you want to have a body like a u-shape you can draw the u with the line tool for example.
upload_2020-3-6_23-1-25.png

upload_2020-3-6_23-2-14.png

This is only one way.
The basic skectch functions are the same for the different versions. So if you start with some basic geometrie the manual should fit also for Atom3D.
If you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask. If it is possible for you to add a screenshot with the questions it will help...

Regards
Stefan
 
DavidJ

DavidJ

Administrator
Staff member
Sketch issues - specifically this video may help

If dimensions are not shown in sketch, simplest option to try to fix that is to reset user profile again.

3D CAD does take a while to get familiar with. One on One tuition is probably the best way to learn, but at the low price of Atom3D that just isn't practical.
 
Nick952

Nick952

Senior Member
Maybe Ctrl+Shift+E , to Toggle the Dimensions On/Off.

I don't know if the Default Shortcut Keys are the same in Atom, as they are in the higher versions though.
 
DavidJ

DavidJ

Administrator
Staff member
Keyboard shortcuts for Alibre Design generally don't apply to Atom3D. Also the Atom3D Ribbon is very significantly stripped back to keep the interface simple.

Let's not confuse the poor fellow further, by giving tips that can't be applied.
 
simonb65

simonb65

Alibre Super User
papajoe41 said:
But, when I draw a rectangle and then draw another rectangle inside it; but this time have the inner one touching the outer one. It will not extrude. I get a message about ‘open edges’ or something like that. Yet the manual does not explain what these messages mean. I am going to stop here because I could go on and on.
Click to expand...
You need to clip (i.e remove) the portions of the 2 rectangles that are now overlapping so that the sketch is a single outline figure as shown by IDSLK in his earlier response. To extrude a sketch, the sketch must be either a single 'continuous' outline or a single 'continuous' outline with a single or multiple non-overlapping 'continuous' outline sketches within it (i.e like your original post with rectange in rectangle). Any 'open' sketches or incomplete sketches can't be converted into a solid object as the program doesn't know what to do with the 'ambiguous' or 'incomplete' information (sketch) you provide!
 
Nick952

Nick952

Senior Member
I had a quick look at the tutorial videos for Atom and in one, Max uses Shortcut Keys to toggle the Grid visibility, this is why I used the "Maybe".

Would be a nice Idea, if the higher versions of Alibre could be launched in Atom mode, then the people attempting to help, could test before posting!
 
DavidJ

DavidJ

Administrator
Staff member
Even launching AD in Atom3D mode isn't as good an option as it sounds - your AD user profile would still be active which carries over some functions that a 'native Atom3D' user wouldn't have access to. That's mainly around keyboard shortcuts etc.

I use an Atom licence to switch my installation to 'Atom behaviour' - BUT I have to remember to switch to a user profile that was re-set in Atom if the fine detail of behaviour is important.

The devil is always in the detail....
 
papajoe41

papajoe41

Senior Member
DavidJ said:
Even launching AD in Atom3D mode isn't as good an option as it sounds - your AD user profile would still be active which carries over some functions that a 'native Atom3D' user wouldn't have access to. That's mainly around keyboard shortcuts etc.

I use an Atom licence to switch my installation to 'Atom behaviour' - BUT I have to remember to switch to a user profile that was re-set in Atom if the fine detail of behaviour is important.

The devil is always in the detail....
Click to expand...
 
papajoe41

papajoe41

Senior Member
I want to thank all of the memberss who have been answering all my dilemmas. The answers to some of them is right in front of my face or a few clicks away. I am still going on with my quest to master this program.
Papajoe41
 
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