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Centering and object within a sketch

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Arborist Chip

Member
There should be an easy way to create a rectangular box, extrude it, and then place a smaller box inside of that and center it in the larger box.
But I can't find it. I've tried using some of the constraints, but can't figure it out. Maybe I need a tutorial just on constraints.
Here is what I'm trying to so. Wish there was a "CENTER THIS OBJECT YOU CLOD", but can't find it. :)
Thanks in advance.

1775846642902.png
 
I have been manually dimensioning the parts I put in or take away from Boss Extrusion and Cut Extrusions.
 
HaroldL said:
Sounds like you are using Adam 3D, I think both Pro and Expert have a Rectangle by Center.
check out this video:

Click to expand...
Thank you for the quick reply. But the video doesn't help me. I just want to center a rectangle inside of a previously created rectangle. I tried this in LightBurn, and it's a piece of cake to center either horizontally or vertically a smaller rectangle inside of a larger rectangle.
This is the piece I'm trying to recreate.
What I have done is create a rectangle that is about 4" X 1.3". Then to make the first inset I will create a smaller rectangle, extrude it, and then chamfer the sides. But to do that I need to create this smaller rectangle in the exact middle. I would think that as robust as Alibre is, there would be a simple way to find the center of an object and then either put a point there for reference or center something within that object. Maybe I try and create a 2 dimension file in Light Burn and then import it into Alibre.
Chip
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20260413_150358001.jpg
    PXL_20260413_150358001.jpg
    1.7 MB · Views: 4
I'm not really clear what you are attempting, so forgive me if this is off beam.

One thing that makes centring shapes simpler is to make use of the default reference geometry (origin, axes, and principal planes).

Try to make sketched shapes symmetric about the origin or an axis - so you can set future sketches similarly.

You can use symmetry constraints in sketches to centre a rectangle on an axis.

Another option is to use Offset from one rectangle to create the other, a special case that may not always be appropriate.

You can also change the orientation and use mid-plane extrude cut to remove material symmetrically about a plane.

Another 'trick' - looking at your part photograph, it is symmetrical. You only need to model one half of the part, then Mirror it to add the rest.

There are many ways that part could be modelled - it's a bit easier with the tools in Pro or Expert, but perfectly doable in Atom3D.

Don't be too wedded to any specific idea of how to model it.

Here is just one approach of many that are possible (all done in Atom3D).
 

Attachments

Start with your existing rectangle, and add 2 reference lines attached to the mid line of the rectangle sides ...

1776094959983.png

Add references ...

1776095006989.png

Now add your smaller rectangle anywhere inside the existing rectangle, easier to dimension things first, but it doesn't matter you can do that later ...

1776095095130.png

Add a 'symetric' constraint between the inner rectangle sides with the vertical reference and the top/bottom with the horizontal reference ...

1776095209040.png

Inner rectangle is centred and constrained to the existing outer rectangle!
 
simonb65 said:
Start with your existing rectangle, and add 2 reference lines attached to the mid line of the rectangle sides ...

View attachment 46987

Add references ...

View attachment 46988

Now add your smaller rectangle anywhere inside the existing rectangle, easier to dimension things first, but it doesn't matter you can do that later ...

View attachment 46989

Add a 'symetric' constraint between the inner rectangle sides with the vertical reference and the top/bottom with the horizontal reference ...

View attachment 46991

Inner rectangle is centred and constrained to the existing outer rectangle!
Click to expand...
How did you get the center point of the first rectangle?
 
Using two reference lines centered is the best way I know for finding the center. Auto center creation for any rectangles would be a great improvement. Using projection in any sketch you can apply the same two reference lines centered to find new centers... The node, end, of the "half" reference lines is a better reference point.

Center by two reference lines center to center.JPGCenter by two reference lines center to center.JPG
 
simonb65 said:
Start with your existing rectangle, and add 2 reference lines attached to the mid line of the rectangle sides ...

View attachment 46987

Add references ...

View attachment 46988

Now add your smaller rectangle anywhere inside the existing rectangle, easier to dimension things first, but it doesn't matter you can do that later ...

View attachment 46989

Add a 'symetric' constraint between the inner rectangle sides with the vertical reference and the top/bottom with the horizontal reference ...

View attachment 46991

Inner rectangle is centred and constrained to the existing outer rectangle!
Click to expand...
DavidJ said:
I'm not really clear what you are attempting, so forgive me if this is off beam.

One thing that makes centring shapes simpler is to make use of the default reference geometry (origin, axes, and principal planes).

Try to make sketched shapes symmetric about the origin or an axis - so you can set future sketches similarly.

You can use symmetry constraints in sketches to centre a rectangle on an axis.

Another option is to use Offset from one rectangle to create the other, a special case that may not always be appropriate.

You can also change the orientation and use mid-plane extrude cut to remove material symmetrically about a plane.

Another 'trick' - looking at your part photograph, it is symmetrical. You only need to model one half of the part, then Mirror it to add the rest.

There are many ways that part could be modelled - it's a bit easier with the tools in Pro or Expert, but perfectly doable in Atom3D.

Don't be too wedded to any specific idea of how to model it.

Here is just one approach of many that are possible (all done in Atom3D).
Click to expand...
Well you sure drew that sketch fast. That's what I'm trying to do. I assume this is all done with constraints, but I haven't found a tutorial that will show me how to drop a point or reference point in the middle.
 
But I didn't need to use any centre points. I avoided the need for any, by making use of symmetry.
 
Arborist Chip said:
Well you sure drew that sketch fast. That's what I'm trying to do. I assume this is all done with constraints, but I haven't found a tutorial that will show me how to drop a point or reference point in the middle.
Click to expand...
Just move the pointer near the center of the line and it is highlighted with the center point symbol.
 
Try mid point of line - there seems to be some intermingling of terminology here.

You can also apply a mid-line constraint manually.

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