Drawing environment

[Lukin]

Hello to the Alibre software development team and users of the software.

I would like to ask if there are any plans to improve the Alibre drawing environment in the near future?

I would like to work as a freelancer and I like Alibre very much, that's why I'm paying maintenance since I discovered Alibre. I don't have big problems in the classic model, sheet, or assembly environment. But I feel time consuming working in a drawing environment.

I believe PDM development takes a large amount of development time. However, if the PDM works solidly and the libraries of standardized components are released, this is definitely an excellent step that will be appreciated by existing users. In addition, I think it will also attract many new users.

However, the drawing is an important part of the manufacturing documentation for me and for many users in my area. Because it lists all the important information that is critical to the proper function of the parts (various surface roughnesses, tolerances, heat treatment methods, etc.), it is simply not as easy to enter into a 3D model. I've previously described some delaying things here on the forum, such as the derived view from the broken view, I think it should be scaled automatically according to the preview and not manually by the user.

I have even recommended Alibre to other users several times, but just because of the more time consuming work in the drawing environment, they decided to go with other software.

So I want to ask other users if they also feel it is more tedious to work in the drawing environment?

The question for the development department is whether there are any plans for a bigger modification of the drawing environment that would make the work of users of this great software faster and easier?

Finally, I would like to thank the entire Alibre team. For great software, at a favorable price and with the option of a lifetime license.

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

I agree drawings are generally slow. Copy and Paste of views and Duplicate Sheets are very important new features in V28 and can save people who use configurations a lot of time (myself included), but it is kind of a niche use.

A few things I have been asking for are:
Baseline and Continued dimensions. Those two things would drastically cut down on repetitive clicks for people that don't use ordinate dimensions. See AutoCAD for how it works.
Arc length dimensions.
Rotate a view to align an edge horizontal or vertical or a user specified angle.

What specific things do you think should be improved?

 

[Cator]

1) A user had asked for the possibility of using a customizable background (at least dark) so as not to strain the eyes with white...
2)Importing dxf drawings is only easy with very simple drawings. This function should be improved, at least in the 2D environment with the possibility of creating blocks and exploding them without this operation lasting a quarter of an hour each time.

These are my observations on the matter....

 

[stepalibre]

API - more but preferably full access. The drawing environment is by far the least updated and is in need of an overhaul. I use QCAD and its API as a go between.

Support for libraries and the toolbox is another area that needs attention.

 

[Cator]

API - more but preferably full access. The drawing environment is by far the least updated and is in need of an overhaul. I use QCAD and its API as a go between.

Support for libraries and the toolbox is another area that needs attention.

I also use qcad, but when I open a dxf or dwg created by alibre the queries are taken out of the sheet.. the qcad developer replied to me that it is a rendering translation problem of alibre, do you also have this problem?

 

[stepalibre]

I also use qcad, but when I open a dxf or dwg created by alibre the queries are taken out of the sheet.. the qcad developer replied to me that it is a rendering translation problem of alibre, do you also have this problem?

No. My drawings look like this:


I do all the title block and text work in QCAD or Rhino. I use QCAD mostly for the API, Rhino is where the QCAD file is imported for more work if needed. I'm probably not the typical user for the drawing environment.

 

[DeadKahunaFL]

Just my 2½ cents…

1. Add the ability to change the "paper" (background) color.
2. Add dimension text justification options (e.g. centering, right justified, etc.) on entire value, not just default numeric value.
3. Allow "word-wrapping" in data fields (e.g. extra long file path or Drawing Title to wrap to two or three lines).
4. Allow dimension "flipping" (See Image #1)
5. Add the ability to create new categories for custom drawing templates. (See Image #3)
6. "All-Around" symbol for dimensions/features.
7. Better text options in callouts. (See Image #2)
8. Add the ability to EDIT custom symbols.

 

[DavidJ]

4. Allow dimension "flipping" (See Image #1)

Not sure of your specific case, but that seems to already be possible by dragging the dimension.

 

[jfleming]

While not a daily Alibre user any longer due to change in jobs, I do follow the forum still. The drawings were always something that I felt needed an overhaul. I agree with everything that @BigKahunaFL just posted above. Especially dimension flipping. And similar control with leader lines for Radius/Diameter dimensions and text callouts.

 

[DeadKahunaFL]

Not sure of your specific case, but that seems to already be possible by dragging the dimension.

Not exactly; it flips at the whim of the software. Looking at the provided image, If I place the dimension at the blue-bordered position, the dimension text might be over-lapping something else, perhaps another view, or drawing border, so I need to have the dimension text "flipped" to the other direction, as depicted in the green-bordered image.

 

[Joseph_L]

Just my 2½ cents…

1. Add the ability to change the "paper" (background) color.
2. Add dimension text justification options (e.g. centering, right justified, etc.) on entire value, not just default numeric value.
3. Allow "word-wrapping" in data fields (e.g. extra long file path or Drawing Title to wrap to two or three lines).
4. Allow dimension "flipping" (See Image #1)
5. Add the ability to create new categories for custom drawing templates. (See Image #3)
6. "All-Around" symbol for dimensions/features.
7. Better text options in callouts. (See Image #2)
8. Add the ability to EDIT custom symbols.

Hey BikKahunaFL,
I'd like to understand your point 6 a little better. Are you talking about an all around symbol for linear dimensions, not just GDT or welding applications? Could I get an example of what that would look like? Would any specific drafting standards apply here that I should look at for point 6?

 

[DeadKahunaFL]

Hey BikKahunaFL,
I'd like to understand your point 6 a little better. Are you talking about an all around symbol for linear dimensions, not just GDT or welding applications? Could I get an example of what that would look like? Would any specific drafting standards apply here that I should look at for point 6?

I've never seen the symbol used on linear dimensions, but it is certainly valid for fillets and/or chamfers. I do not believe that is an "official" usage according to ASME standards, however, it is important to remember is that they acknowledge that they don't document everything. Non-inclusion in the standard doesn't mean it's prohibited. In this case, the all-around symbol can be applicable to any control, label, or feature that is shown on an edge view and is contiguous and/or continuous.

 

[Joseph_L]

Just my 2½ cents…

1. Add the ability to change the "paper" (background) color.
2. Add dimension text justification options (e.g. centering, right justified, etc.) on entire value, not just default numeric value.
3. Allow "word-wrapping" in data fields (e.g. extra long file path or Drawing Title to wrap to two or three lines).
4. Allow dimension "flipping" (See Image #1)
5. Add the ability to create new categories for custom drawing templates. (See Image #3)
6. "All-Around" symbol for dimensions/features.
7. Better text options in callouts. (See Image #2)
8. Add the ability to EDIT custom symbols.

Got it- I believe you're right that it's not listed in the standards, but it makes sense the way you are portraying it here. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[HaroldL]

I've never seen the symbol used on linear dimensions, but it is certainly valid for fillets and/or chamfers. I do not believe that is an "official" usage according to ASME standards, however, it is important to remember is that they acknowledge that they don't document everything. Non-inclusion in the standard doesn't mean it's prohibited. In this case, the all-around symbol can be applicable to any control, label, or feature that is shown on an edge view and is contiguous and/or continuous.

It has been my experience that fillets and chamfers on cylindrical objects are understood to be continuous about the parts' circumference and not just at the arrow point of the callout. However, it could be part of a company spec to use the all around symbology when indicating fillets or chamfers as shown on your example. Just another part of making the design intent clear to manufacturing. Sometimes someone not well versed in drawing symbology needs clarification of manufacturing requirements. (for and example, I once had a press brake operator that kept forming parts wrong simply because he didn't understand the meaning of the hidden lines on the part drawing. I had a short training session with him to get the parts made correctly.)

 

[HaroldL]

Just my 2½ cents…

1. Add the ability to change the "paper" (background) color.
2. Add dimension text justification options (e.g. centering, right justified, etc.) on entire value, not just default numeric value.
3. Allow "word-wrapping" in data fields (e.g. extra long file path or Drawing Title to wrap to two or three lines).
4. Allow dimension "flipping" (See Image #1)
5. Add the ability to create new categories for custom drawing templates. (See Image #3)
6. "All-Around" symbol for dimensions/features.
7. Better text options in callouts. (See Image #2)
8. Add the ability to EDIT custom symbols.

This is a good list. I seem to recall submitting an enhancement request for #4. As good as Alibre is I agree, the drawings need some improvement.
I know that there has been some work done on aligning dimensions by snapping arrows together and that has been improved for dimensions that are close and share the same extension line location. There is a problem yet to be resolved with dimensions that are not sharing the same extension line location. And that works hand-in-hand with dimension flipping.

There should be 'control points' on the dimension geometry/figures that will effect the flipping of dimension text and arrows as well as suppression of arrows and extension lines.

 

[Cator]

No. My drawings look like this:
View attachment 42112

I do all the title block and text work in QCAD or Rhino. I use QCAD mostly for the API, Rhino is where the QCAD file is imported for more work if needed. I'm probably not the typical user for the drawing environment.

As you can see I export something similar to this from Alibre, then when I open it with qcad I find what you see in the dark screen.... I also attach the dxf generated by Alibre if you want to check it.... as you can see the dimensions they are moved off the sheet when I visualize with qcad

 

[stepalibre]

As you can see I export something similar to this from Alibre, then when I open it with qcad I find what you see in the dark screen.... I also attach the dxf generated by Alibre if you want to check it.... as you can see the dimensions they are moved off the sheet when I visualize with qcadView attachment 42123View attachment 42124

Ok, I was able to reproduce the dimension issue:
QCAD:

AD:

PDF:


This is an obvious bug. I don't create dimensions in drawings so I never seen this but I'm sure this wasn't happening under older versions before v26. Or was it for someone? It appears to be a bug where some dimension lines are moved to the orgin 0,0. The dimension extension lines are at the correct positions but the dimension line is positioned some where on 0,0 ( X and/or Y). Every dimension appear to have changed position in some way. PDFs export dimensions correctly so this is an issue with DXF and DWG exporting.

Edit:
You can import a PDF inside QCAD. This will explode everything, but is an option:

 

[jfleming]

DXF exporting was always like that for me @stepalibre I used it only for part geometry (i.e. laser cutting, etc.)