Dimensions turns red

[TwinStar]

Hi TwinStar and welcome to the forum.
Are you clear with the workflow? (I don't want to be insulting, but it happens often for people coming from 2D packages, I don't know anything about Sketchup, that there are problems getting used to the 3D workflow. But once you have caught on you will not look back. I say that from my own experience.)
For example 1) make a sketch to define your 3D objects outlines -> extrude that so you have a 3D object -> project a drawing from your 3D object.
Note that red in a sketch means that the lines are not completely constrained, red in a drawing means that the corresponding features of the drawing no longer exist on the 3D part. That can happen when your 3D modeling changes the numbering for the edges, for example.
If you already have a drawing finished of a 3D part you want to modify, be sure that for existing features that you modify the existing, but don't delete and remake them. In the first case the feature numbering remains, in the second the features will have new numbers and will not be found by the drawing, causing them to go red in the drawing, even those things that you have remade exactly as they were before.

Thanks dwc. Your question isn't insulting and a legitimate one. Skecthup is a 3D product and something that I've used for the last several years to create 3D printed products. There's a group of us collaborating on a few projects and I was using Sketch, another AutoCAD, and the other Fusion360. We all elected to migrate to Alibre to eliminate errors we were having in file sharing.

To start off, this is night and day different from Sketchup. I'm working to grasp the 'grammar' of this program and seem to be doing ok so far after several false starts. Dimensioning everything from a set point is different than being able to snap to.

So, I'm not sure if I have an issue now or not. I drew, extruded (both boss and cut), and then repeated to get my basic car side. Every sketch was a solid gray (defined) prior to extruding. Now, in sketch mode (Light Background Scheme) my car side is shades of purple (both planes and lines). It isn't until I hover over a line/plane that it turns red now and the corresponding cube next to the cursor shows the edge or face that corresponds. When I deactivate sketch there's no 'error or analyze pane' (can't remember the correct term from the tutorial) and the edge and planes behave the same when moving the cursor over them.

 

[TwinStar]

As a test, I drew an undefined rectangle. It appears that my magnitude/position undefined 'red' is blood red and my lines in question are more of a maroon. I guess this is a function of the chosen color scheme instead of an actual error.

 

[HaroldL]

So which flavor of Alibre are you using Expert, Pro, or Atom 3D? I didn't notice if you mentioned it.

So, I'm not sure if I have an issue now or not. I drew, extruded (both boss and cut), and then repeated to get my basic car side. Every sketch was a solid gray (defined) prior to extruding. Now, in sketch mode (Light Background Scheme) my car side is shades of purple (both planes and lines). It isn't until I hover over a line/plane that it turns red now and the corresponding cube next to the cursor shows the edge or face that corresponds. When I deactivate sketch there's no 'error or analyze pane' (can't remember the correct term from the tutorial) and the edge and planes behave the same when moving the cursor over them.

When you hover over an item it will change color to show that the mouse is over it. When you select it and move the mouse off of it, it will change to the "selected" color. ( I personally don't use the Light Background scheme.) The analyze tool will only come up if you have it selected to automatically inspect the sketch in System Options and there is a problem with the sketch. You will first get a warning dialog stating there is a problem and presents a Show Me button. The analyze tool comes up when that button is selected. You can select the tool from the sketch ribbon if the option is turn off.

As a test, I drew an undefined rectangle. It appears that my magnitude/position undefined 'red' is blood red and my lines in question are more of a maroon. I guess this is a function of the chosen color scheme instead of an actual error.

That seems correct, I changed to Light Background for this case so I could experience the same results you are seeing. (I am using the Default 2016 setting.) If the colors are too much for you, you can select a different color scheme or create and name your own custom color scheme.

 

[TwinStar]

So which flavor of Alibre are you using Expert, Pro, or Atom 3D? I didn't notice if you mentioned it.

When you hover over an item it will change color to show that the mouse is over it. When you select it and move the mouse off of it, it will change to the "selected" color. ( I personally don't use the Light Background scheme.) The analyze tool will only come up if you have it selected to automatically inspect the sketch in System Options but you can select the tool from the sketch ribbon if the option is turn off.
View attachment 38421


That seems correct, I changed to Light Background for this case so I could experience the same results you are seeing. (I am using the Default 2016 setting.) If the colors are too much for you, you can select a different color scheme or create and name your own custom color scheme.

I'm using Atom 3D V26. The learning curve is steep but there's little else to do here in frozen North Texas.

The color scheme is something that I'm still playing with. Haven't found a favorite yet.

Thanks for the information. I'm still stubbing my toe in the dark more than not with this program.

 

[HaroldL]

I'm using Atom 3D V26.

That's good to know and will help in tailoring the help you get on the forum because of the limited tool set Atom has.

You mentioned that you worked through the tutorials. Was that the ones on the Alibre web site?

Alibre Atom3D Training & Resource Guides

Alibre's Atom3D training resources include PDF guides, walkthroughs, tips and tricks on how to use Atom3D. View our Atom3D training resources.

www.alibre.com

It may help if you put that info in your forum signature or at least mention in the title of any posts you start on the forum.

 

[TwinStar]

That's good to know and will help in tailoring the help you get on the forum because of the limited tool set Atom has.

You mentioned that you worked through the tutorials. Was that the ones on the Alibre web site?

Alibre Atom3D Training & Resource Guides

Alibre's Atom3D training resources include PDF guides, walkthroughs, tips and tricks on how to use Atom3D. View our Atom3D training resources.

www.alibre.com

It may help if you put that info in your forum signature or at least mention in the title of any posts you start on the forum.

Yes, that is the tutorial package that I worked through.

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

My drawing is essentially rectangles inside of a larger rectangle at this point (railroad passenger car). I was working on a layer to extrude when all of the previous work went red borders.

You mention red borders in drawings. Red borders on drawing views usually indicates something has changed in the model and that view needs to be updated to show the change. It is not automatic - likely for people who need to control that for saving drawings of old versions.

This link tells how to update views:

Articles

help.alibre.com