Atom3D Help

[PuppyPower]

Is there any where to go to get help specifically for Atom3D? I go to the help files and read the forum posts, but when I attempt to follow the instructions they simply do not work. Am I doing something wrong, or is the feature simply not available? I am a new user of Atom3D, and while I am very impressed with the software I get very frustrated searching through documentation that does not apply.

 

[HaroldL]

The Help covers both Design and Atom so it can be confusing on what Atom has available. There really should be some indicator in the help as to what is for Atom and what is for Design although the basics should cover both, as I understand the "limited" functions of Atom.

What is it that you are attempting to do? If you post your questions here on the forum note in the header that it is for Atom 3D

 

[PuppyPower]

1) It appears as if there is no way to export or import the parameters used in a drawing. When creating a multi component part, it is very time consuming and very error prone to type out the same list of parameters in each separate component. Is there an "add on" that would allow a CSV import/export function?

2 ) I am designing a part to be 3D printed. The part has 2 components that will form an assembly. The solid joint occurs at the face of a rectangle on each part. Each of the 2 rectangles are a different size. How do I assemble them such that the face of the smaller rectangle aligns to the center of the face of the larger one?

 

[HaroldL]

1) Not sure about this.
2) The best approach would be to start your part design with the rectangles centered on the Origin. IF Atom has the Rectangle by Center sketch tool then that should not be a problem. However, if Atom does not have a Rectangle by Center tool then you need to create a diagonal line, using Reference geometry, and apply a Midpoint constraint between that Reference line and the Origin. Once both parts are created in this manner then in the assembly just constrain the parts using the Default planes.

Here's an image showing the "centering" of a rectangle. If you don't have the menu shown you should find the constraints in the Ribbon.

 

[PuppyPower]

To clarify, both of my inquiries refer to creating separate parts that will be joined together in an assembly.

For point 1, since both parts will be joined together, many of the measurements used in the one part will be needed in the creation of the second part. That is why I would like to be able to export the parameters from the first part, when it is completed, and import them into the second part, thus eliminating the need to manually create the same parameter list in the second part.


For point 2, the bodies of the 2 parts are being assembled together joined on the rectangular faces. Is there a way to constrain them such that the distance from the parallel edges can be exactly specified. See attached pdf.

 

[simonb65]

To clarify, both of my inquiries refer to creating separate parts that will be joined together in an assembly.

Why don't you create one part, add it to an assembly. Then create the second part from the assembly by projecting the faces from the first part (using the first part as your reference geometry). Use a top down approach rather than bottom up!

Doing it from the point of two separate parts first, using advanced features like parameter driven design, you need to use Global Parameters, which is a feature found in Alibre Design Pro/Expert, sadly not in Atom3D!

On the lower end tool, you need to do some manual work to achieve your goal or adapt your approach to the problem.

 

[PuppyPower]

Why don't you create one part, add it to an assembly. Then create the second part from the assembly by projecting the faces from the first part (using the first part as your reference geometry). Use a top down approach rather than bottom up!

Doing it from the point of two separate parts first, using advanced features like parameter driven design, you need to use Global Parameters, which is a feature found in Alibre Design Pro/Expert, sadly not in Atom3D!

On the lower end tool, you need to do some manual work to achieve your goal or adapt your approach to the problem.

Thanks Simon for your input. I'm still trying to figure out which features listed in the help files apply to Atom3D, and which ones only apply to Design Pro/Expert. And I agree with you, once I know the limitations of Atom3D, I will then have to adapt my approach to various problems.

 

[HaroldL]

I'm still trying to figure out which features listed in the help files apply to Atom3D

Someone at Alibre that is writing the Help manual needs to take a hard look at it and indicate those items/features apply to Atom. Especially the images of the Ribbon. I doubt that the ribbon in Atom looks like the one in Design. I've seen some screen shots and there seems to be a major difference so there are some conflicts in the manual.
How hard would it be to add a note stating "Does not apply to Atom" or some such statement? Or, in the case of limited functionality, which functions are removed from Atom.

 

[simonb65]

I'm still trying to figure out which features listed in the help files apply to Atom3D, and which ones only apply to Design Pro/Expert.

I did suggest a fix for that to the forum AND Alibre back in September ... https://www.alibreforum.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-zoom-fit.22011/#post-144522 hopefully they will take it on board as the confusion over features and help is a constant re-occurrence of debate in this forum. You would have thought they would welcome a little less time handling repeat, and trivial, support queries and more time to focus on the application and its functionality!

 

[DJA]

I did suggest a fix for that to the forum AND Alibre back in September ... https://www.alibreforum.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-zoom-fit.22011/#post-144522 hopefully they will take it on board as the confusion over features and help is a constant re-occurrence of debate in this forum. You would have thought they would welcome a little less time handling repeat, and trivial, support queries and more time to focus on the application and its functionality!

I had the same issue back in Nov 2020 when I joined Alibre. I sent email to 'support' and here is the reply from Alibre...
..........

 

[Max]

Someone at Alibre that is writing the Help manual needs to take a hard look at it

We are square in the middle of help rewrite right now. It will be -

• Online or local
• PDF will be available
• Support versions (v23/v24/v25)
• Have video (online)
• Support comments from users
• Be re-structured
• Be consistently laid out
• And probably will have some indication of Atom/Pro/Expert

It should be available with v23.

 

[HaroldL]

Max, Good that the work is in progress. But I think the last item in the list is a "must have" otherwise questions will likely continue to come in about what's available in Atom.

 

[Max]

Max, Good that the work is in progress. But I think the last item in the list is a "must have" otherwise questions will likely continue to come in about what's available in Atom.

Given the other workload associated with "redoing the help", this is a trivial exercise. It is almost certainly going to be there.

 

[a123qwertz567]

@PuppyPower Still looking for help on joining these parts? From what I see on the pictures it is definetly doable. You could u pload them here and I/we could do it as an example to check out for you.

Second I would like to suggest so basics to have in min on assemblies.
1. Always fix or even better fully constrain the first part in the assembly. For example I do it by alining all the origin planes of the first part to the planes of the asssembly. To do so right click on the first part and selcet "show reference geomtry" in the context menu. Exact name can vary I am on a German language system.
2. Always prefer constraints between references geometries or origins about constraint between faces, holes etc. For example when I want to join two parts by their "head faces" I design the part to have the join face on an origin plane. So when you can constrain it by the origin plane, change the model in any way and the probablity oof the assembly going crazy on changes gets reduced.

On your part for example to get the 2mm on the parallel faces from both sides (page 3 in the PDF) I would suggest to constrain it from the center. I see two possibilities for this.
1. design the parts in way they are symmrtrical to an origin plane. Makes sens for me because the parts look symmetrical for me.
2. If it is to late for this. Just create a new refference plane which is the symmetry plane in the parts. As a reference for the new plane the two outer parallel faces can be used. This new reference plane can than be shwon in the assembly with the context menu "show refference geometry".

I hope the explanation is somewhat understandable....

EDIT: Changed adressed user to OP.

 

[HaroldL]

@HaroldL Still looking for help on joining these parts?

I wasn't the OP on this issue. That would be @PuppyPower .

 

[a123qwertz567]

I wasn't the OP on this issue. That would be @PuppyPower .

Oops, thank you. I edited the post.

 

[PuppyPower]

@PuppyPower Still looking for help on joining these parts? From what I see on the pictures it is definetly doable. You could u pload them here and I/we could do it as an example to check out for you.

Second I would like to suggest so basics to have in min on assemblies.
1. Always fix or even better fully constrain the first part in the assembly. For example I do it by alining all the origin planes of the first part to the planes of the asssembly. To do so right click on the first part and selcet "show reference geomtry" in the context menu. Exact name can vary I am on a German language system.
2. Always prefer constraints between references geometries or origins about constraint between faces, holes etc. For example when I want to join two parts by their "head faces" I design the part to have the join face on an origin plane. So when you can constrain it by the origin plane, change the model in any way and the probablity oof the assembly going crazy on changes gets reduced.

On your part for example to get the 2mm on the parallel faces from both sides (page 3 in the PDF) I would suggest to constrain it from the center. I see two possibilities for this.
1. design the parts in way they are symmrtrical to an origin plane. Makes sens for me because the parts look symmetrical for me.
2. If it is to late for this. Just create a new refference plane which is the symmetry plane in the parts. As a reference for the new plane the two outer parallel faces can be used. This new reference plane can than be shwon in the assembly with the context menu "show refference geometry".

I hope the explanation is somewhat understandable....

EDIT: Changed adressed user to OP.

I really appreciate your help both for the ideas you have presented and the time that you invested on my behalf. I am new to Alibre, and I am also new to CAD in general. I'm not quite sure that I fully understand everything that you said, but I will try practicing them on some simple assemblies until I become a little more familiar with design concepts. If I am still struggling with it in a month or 2, I hope that you won't mind if I reach out to you again.

 

[HaroldL]

I am also new to CAD in general. I'm not quite sure that I fully understand everything

If you have a Technical College near by you might check to see if they offer an introductory class on CAD. Some may have a Community Education program that might offer it too. That would be a good thing to look in to. Most of those classes would likely use SolidWorks but there are similarities between AD and SW that it shouldn't be hard to switch from one to the other. The main thing to get from some formal training are the concepts used in CAD modeling no matter what the software program is.

 

[a123qwertz567]

@PuppyPower : Your welcome.

You could watch some generic CAD videos I think. The basics of how to structure a model is often the same in a lot of software. Most parameticral CAD Software like Solidworks for example for with "Features" and with "Sketches" as a base so videos could help, too.

 

[KeithH]

The Help covers both Design and Atom so it can be confusing on what Atom has available. There really should be some indicator in the help as to what is for Atom and what is for Design although the basics should cover both, as I understand the "limited" functions of Atom.

What is it that you are attempting to do? If you post your questions here on the forum note in the header that it is for Atom 3D

There actually should be two rooms. One for “using Alibre design” and one “using atom 3D” this would clear it up real quick. Everyone bounces around so everyone’s questions would be answered but it would save a lot of time. And how many atom people have probably not listed in the Alibre design forum and just dropped their trial? Great program bad marketing. (Hate being the smartest buy in the room that will get the guantlet for telling the truth)

their is no reason that the version history should nit be at least in the footer as a link. Or put a site map link . Hell I can’t find half of the tutorials I want unless I google it because u have it as a no follow (yep businessman and web developer here. .(google results take me to Alibre site but I can’t get to the page without google)

I get so frustrated because you have a great program but suck at marketing. Go hire some kids. I’m sure they are looking for jobs. We in a pandemic now and they got screwed from their future and hungry to work. Geez
Why do I scroll through and find easily answerable questions with zero replies? At least respond to them and say you will get back to them and do it and give them the answer