What's new
By:

Atom Drawing - problem with scale

I

IdeasVacuum

Senior Member
I'm very new to Atom (and very impressed). Though I will mostly define 3D models, I wanted to create a 2D drawing (no 3D required) - The Sketcher Tools are available in the drawing sheet for that, which is brilliant. However, I'm failing at first base. I want to use meters and a Scale of 1:100 on A3. When you open a new drawing, you can input a view scale and Sheet size/orientation. Once in the drawing you can set File Properties, length unit meters (and other stuff like layer colours). That seems right - but if I draw a horizontal line the width of the Sheet, it dimensions as 0.42m. That should be 42m shouldn't it? Or maybe I'm getting too old......

Edit: Same result if the scale is set to 1:1000 Ahhhh - although creating a Drawing Sheet "Stand Alone" the scale applies to views, and views are derived from a 3D model. That's a pity.
 
Last edited:
Sort by date Sort by votes
Can I make an Enhancement Request here? Optionally a Drawing Sheet to be selected as "Stand Alone" i.e. no views created from a model, and scale value should apply to the Drawing.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
My view:
I may be wrong but . . . . . Alibre is a 3D modelling package not a 2D digital drawing sheet.
Hope I don't get in trouble for posting other software but I use this if I need to go 2D:

www.4msa.com

4M - 4MCAD

www.4msa.com www.4msa.com

Dirt cheap and almost identical to AutoCad.

Admin: please remove this if I've broken any rules.
Jim
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
JimCad said:
My view:
I may be wrong but . . . . . Alibre is a 3D modelling package not a 2D digital drawing sheet.
Hope I don't get in trouble for posting other software but I use this if I need to go 2D:

www.4msa.com

4M - 4MCAD

www.4msa.com www.4msa.com

Dirt cheap and almost identical to AutoCad.

Admin: please remove this if I've broken any rules.
Jim
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing. I use QCAD but was recently considering DraftSight for the API. QCAD is JavaScript and I've been looking for a C#/VB supported 2D CAD app.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I use ACTCad. Very similar to Autocad and Draftsight. I used Autocad for years then switched jobs and used Draftsight for many years. I bought ACT cad for my personal use, it was cost effective and very easy to learn and use quickly. I do almost everything in Alibre but those times when I need quick 2D stuff ACTcad does the job.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
JimCad said:
My view:
I may be wrong but . . . . . Alibre is a 3D modelling package not a 2D digital drawing sheet.
Click to expand...
Indeed I have another package (2) that could do the 2D drawing job but I prefer to work with one CAD system and for me it has to be Alibre because it's better. Yes it is a 3D modeller, but it is so close to being able to offer a truly stand-alone drawing sheet (only needs drawing scale) it seems to me to be a no-brainer. I'm not talking about producing a fully-fledged drawing for production, it's to replace the hand drawn sketch on a serviette or the back of a cigarette packet :) Most design engineers at sometime or other just need to sort a problem out in their head and a 2D drawing is the go-to helping hand rather than a 3D model then 2D Layout.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
JimCad said:
I have a tiny fraction of your knowledge Stephen and hardly ever use 4MCAD but when I have I've been very impressed with it.
Glad to be of help. ;)

Jim
Click to expand...
The IFC and BIM support is needed and working great so far. I've been waiting for wider adoption of IFC support. I'm working on a addon for Alibre IFC import/export via FreeCAD as a library. But I need access with native .NET support. I'm consolidating my software and frameworks as much as I can.
MilesH said:
Lot's of 2D Cad software based on the Intellicad technology which Megalodesk were divested of.
IntelliCAD® Technology Consortium: The intelligent alternative for CAD developers
Click to expand...
This is likely why IFC is getting a boost. Trimble Tekla is also increasing adoption. Thanks now I have a few more apps to try out. They all seem to be priced in the 250 the 350 range.
gwbruce said:
I use ACTCad. Very similar to Autocad and Draftsight. I used Autocad for years then switched jobs and used Draftsight for many years. I bought ACT cad for my personal use, it was cost effective and very easy to learn and use quickly. I do almost everything in Alibre but those times when I need quick 2D stuff ACTcad does the job.
Click to expand...
Which version ACTCAD 2025 Standard or the 3D premium? I only need the 2D CAD with .NET API but 4MCAD with basic 3D and BIM/IFC is huge deal at the price. DraftSight and BricsCAD are more premium but they all charge extra for IFC. I only need to import IFC run my code on the IFC data and models save/export in my format and export back to IFC.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
IdeasVacuum said:
no-brainer.
Click to expand...
I've thought the same thing back in school. AutoCAD class with great 2D drawing tools, then I go to ProE class with good 2D sketching and drawing tools but not close to ACAD. I still think a complete suite of 2D CAD drawing and layout tools included in a 3D CAD package would be a game changer and the disconnected environments has hurt the industry. We are forced to use separate tools if you want or need the best of both worlds. Some 3D CAD apps are much better, Inventor has DWG support. Autodesk could integrate AutoCAD for Inventor and Revit drawings but of course they won't. The support is better with improvements every release. If Fusion is an indication they will use AI for drawings.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
This has come up in the past and the workaround was to create a part (like maybe a cube) and create the views of that at whatever scale you want. Then create a layer turned off and assign the part to that layer to hide it.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
When developing my sketch library for 2D, I give them 0.000001 extrude depths. I scale them on sheets for checking the output. Then export PDFs. Alibre’s DWG/DXF dimensions do not transfer correctly.

1747798733116.png
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
HaroldL said:
Has anyone tried or or used LibreCAD?
Click to expand...
I had used LibreCAD when the company I worked for had these weird remote screen share Autodesk licenses via Citrix servers because I liked running my software locally. This was back in 2016 or so. At some point, I remember that I had become very competent with it. It was not the best when I needed to exchange files with other parties, but on its own, it was very capable. I believe it is currently under active development, though I haven't used it recently. I must check it out to see where it is now.

My wife uses nanoCAD for her freelance contracts, and she says it is on par with AutoCAD. She exchanges files many times with customers and surveyors, and I haven't heard of her having any issues so far.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
stepalibre said:
When developing my sketch library for 2D, I give them 0.000001 extrude depths.
Click to expand...
That is a very clever idea but it doesn't fit my scenario where the drawing isn't for production or export and Sketcher rules are freely broken as the drawing won't be producing a model, it's just helping to solve a problem or think-out an early days idea.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
If just developing an idea, without need to actually print - note that
* You can sketch beyond the sheet boundary
* You can define a custom sheet size

Note also the 'dodge' mention in post #13 - you can use a 'dummy part' to set scale of a view, then do additional sketching in the view (as opposed to sketching on sheet). Dummy part could be arbitrary, or could be a 'plate' a bit bigger than the total size of your scheme.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top