Change to size or position of 2D object after feature creation .. possible?

[alan-bc]

New Alibre user here who's spent a lot of time watching training videos.

I drew a rectangle, 2" x 2". I extruded it to make an object 2" x 2" x .5"

I selected the 2" x 2" face and drew a 1" diameter circle in the middle of the face. I did a cut, resulting in a cylindrical hole through the .5" face, 1 " in diameter.

Basically, I did the CAD equivalent of drilling a hole in a plate; so far so good.

OK, let's move the circle .. I don't want it quite centered. I can't. There's no way (I can find) to select the original circle once it's become a 3D feature.

Let's change the circle size. I can't; same issue as above.

Huh? Either I'm missing something simple or this software requires a VERY specific order in which pieces are drawn; get the 2D aspect perfect before turning it into a 3D object or delete it all and start again. This is NOT my idea of "parametric CAD".

(I was a FreeCAD user, but I seemed to just fight with it every time I used it, before giving up and buying Alibre. But at least it was free. Alibre I paid money for and I'm still fighting.)

I've watched all the tutorial videos repeatedly, but cannot seem to figure it out.

Any advice gratefully accepted. Even abuse for my lack of intelligence would be fine, if it included instructions for these seemingly simple tasks. There just seems to be a "Zen" here I'm missing.

Thanks in advance, either way.

 

[DavidJ]

Being used to Alibre, I find some other CAD systems difficult, so I sympathise.

Trying to explain in words, it can be tricky to get your meaning across - screenshots will help us know what you are struggling with.

To try a answer a few specifics.

2D fillet - you have to select lines before the tool becomes active. I don't understand your comment about 3D fillets - the fillet is applied to whichever edge(s) you choose on the solid.

Moving circle or changing its size - you have to edit the sketch that contains the circle. RMB on sketch that is used in the 3D feature -> Edit.

Are you sure that you've watched the videos?

 

[alan-bc]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I watched the videos, over and over, perhaps too many times, ending up confused. I was able to figure out the 3D fillet .. I was selecting the wrong "items", a throwback to a different CAD program.

As to the RMB Edit, I was attempting this after 2D sketching was activated. Doing so left the Edit option greyed out. I've got it now, it just seems counterintuitive to do one GUI action to add to a 2D face and a different GUI action to edit an existing object on that same face.

This is just a workflow thing I'll need to develop, I suppose.

Thanks again for the time and the patience.

Alan

 

[HaroldL]

As to the RMB Edit, I was attempting this after 2D sketching was activated. Doing so left the Edit option greyed out. I've got it now, it just seems counterintuitive to do one GUI action to add to a 2D face and a different GUI action to edit an existing object on that same face.

This is just a workflow thing I'll need to develop, I suppose.

Alan,
You stated that the you were attempting to edit after the sketching was activated, Were you starting a new sketch on your part or already in edit mode of the existing sketch?

One thing to be aware of is that you can double-click on a feature and it will open the sketch for that feature for editing. So if you double-click on the hole you should see the sketch for that hole and be able to edit it.

 

[alan-bc]

One thing to be aware of is that you can double-click on a feature and it will open the sketch for that feature for editing. So if you double-click on the hole you should see the sketch for that hole and be able to edit it.

Thanks for the tip!

The key here (which took me a couple of minutes to clue in to) is to double-click on the feature, which in this example is not the circle but the cylinder.

Good tip.


Alan

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Hi Alan -- Wht not use Equation Editor values for the "Dimensions" (etc) you may wish ti change? -- Lew

 

[JST]

The simpler way to edit the part is to move the cursor along the design explorer of the part, looking for the feature you are interested in to highlight (assuming you did not name it). Then RMB on the sketch and select edit, from the design explorer.

I say this because it is easy to end up selecting the wrong thing on the model itself that wastes time at the least.

if you name the sketch, then you can select it directly

 

[Nick952]

When I started using Alibre (Geomagic at that time) the Automatic Constraints caused me no end of frustration. Once I turned that off and started to use (and to delete) the Constraints myself, it was a lot easier.

Another thing I found useful when starting out, was to sketch Circles and the like, off to one side of the main sketch and then use Dimensioning or Constraints to move them into position, until I became a bit more competent.

 

[Alanka]

Dear Alan b-c,
Has your question been answered to your complete satisfaction?
If it hasn't, I can explain step by step exactly how to do what you wanted to do (in Alibre Atom3D, at anyrate).

 

[JST]

.......

Another thing I found useful when starting out, was to sketch Circles and the like, off to one side of the main sketch and then use Dimensioning or Constraints to move them into position, until I became a bit more competent.

Always a good plan. Confirms that your constraints are used. And, if the actual position drawn is too close to the desired position, then it is hard to put in the dimension you want.

 

[HaroldL]

And, if the actual position drawn is too close to the desired position, then it is hard to put in the dimension you want.

That does not make sense. And it has not been my experience.

 

[JST]

That does not make sense. And it has not been my experience.

Of course it does, and yes, you have seen it (or should have by now). No need for "crazy eyes".

It just becomes difficult to do certain things, like set a zero dimension. You have to set up the dimension, then enter the number. if the line or circle etc is too close, then you may have trouble selecting that distance, the cursor must be moved carefully to select the correct direction of dimension or you must zoom in to get that "X" distance as opposed to the S/W assuming you want the "Y" distance, just because of the way the graphics work when entering dimensions.

look at below sketch. The right hand circle is to be zero dim from axis, but is put so close that the dimension tool cannot determine that direction of dimension is what you want. If you put the circle farther from the desired position, it is easy to make the distinction.

 

[idslk]

Hello JST,

if you are near to an axis with your point to dimension, use + or - to move along the axis vector...
in this sample the axis vector points upwards, so the position of the circle center moves 1mm down from origin


the same circle in the same sketch but with a positive dimension moves upwards from the origin


Regards
Stefan

 

[JST]

Much simpler to get the move tool and drag the sketch somewhere else so that the dimension will show clearly. "Click, pull click done".

Even easier to make sure you draw the sketch well out of position so you clearly see that it moved to where you want it, and that you can easily put in dimension.

I like the simple direct way when I have a lot to do. Every "workaround" takes extra time, so better to avoid the need.

 

[alan-bc]

Dear Alan b-c,
Has your question been answered to your complete satisfaction?
If it hasn't, I can explain step by step exactly how to do what you wanted to do (in Alibre Atom3D, at anyrate).

Yes, I would have to say that I know at least one way, and likely two ways, to do the thing I want to do. Thanks to all who've replied.

 

[alan-bc]

Hi Alan -- Wht not use Equation Editor values for the "Dimensions" (etc) you may wish ti change? -- Lew

The Equation Editor seems, on the surface, to be a good thing. But having played with it for a couple of minutes, I'm less sure of the value.

For example, when I opened it up on my simple test drawing, I found 5 things with a dimension of 1" named D1, D2, D4, D7 and D23. One of them was the value I needed to edit, but there was no obvious way to determine which one it was.

When I figured it out (by directly editing the drawing and seeing what changed), I'd already changed it.

The EE seems useful if you create meaningful names as you create the dimension, but that's a lot of work JUST IN CASE you want to change a dimension in the editor.

Or am I missing something?

 

[idslk]

I like the simple direct way

me too.
It was only to show that there is a way if needed. As well as if the center of the Circle is drawn at the origin, you can hold down the "CTRL" key and then click on the center and drag it away from the origin...
Regards
Stefan

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Hi Alan -- The "defaults" in the Equation Editor are D1, D2, D3, etc. for Dimension values, A1, A2, A3, etc. for Angle values, S1, S2, S3, etc. for Scale (read: Real Number) valies, and C1, C2, C3, etc. for Count (read: Integer) values. [They are exceptionally strongly typecast, so be aware of this!] However, you can name them like unto "a0_a0_Offset_C1" (where the "prefix" "a0_a0_" keeps them at the "top: of the Equation Editor "value list." Naming your "EE variables" and noting them in a "text" file is quite helpful. -- Lew

 

[idslk]

Or am I missing something?

maybe...
here is one way:
If you draw something without using the direct dimension entry, you get a flag, that shoes you, that there is a dimension needed...

if you click on it, you will be promted to enter a dimension

if you click on the button with the "function" symbol on it, you get into the Equation Editor


Then click on "edit selected parameter" and you get the following window


You can edit the name to something meaningful...


pressing OK brings you back to the EE where your parameter has a "better" name to find...


Regards
Stefan

 

[idslk]

here is one way:

here's another one:
open your file properties and activate the option "show equations"


you get following result for example:


Regards
Stefan