File Management

[eric@velmex]

I am having some troubles keeping Alibre from making mess of my windows file structure.

I have an assembly with parts from multiple directories and many times Alibre decides to move or save all these already made parts as new copies in the assembly parent folder.

Is there a way to make this less annoying?

 

[DavidJ]

Can you be more specific? I presume you perform a Save As - in which case you should see a dialogue which allows you to customise the Save.

 

[bigseb]

As David says the 'save as' method is the only way to do this.

 

[eric@velmex]

example I build a complex assembly with parts from many different directories.

I go to save as and it brings up the dialog and puts all the components into one directory.

I then have to manually change them all, and it seems to stick with subsequent openings of the assembly.

 

[Ralf]

Eric, if you use: Save
all existing files remain in the same directory / folder.

 

[DavidJ]

Like Ralf says - Save As is for when you WANT to change name or location of files. Otherwise use Save.

 

[eric@velmex]

Eric, if you use: Save
all existing files remain in the same directory / folder.

Meaning the directory which the originated in ?

 

[Ralf]

Yes, Eric.

Here is an additional hint:
Before you create a new assembly/subassembly

New -> Assembly -> PRESS Chancel (DO NOT insert a part or assembly, before you have saved this assembly)

Save As... and choose YOUR desired location (directory / folder) and name for your new assembly.
Now you can insert existing subassemblies, parts ...

Next time you press Save, all existing files remain in the same directory / folder,
also your new assembly, because YOU have saved it in your desired location (directory / folder).

 

[eric@velmex]

Thanks for the tips!

As a tangent but related point, when I mirror components in a assembly why does it have to save another instance of the part adding the "mirror" suffix.

Again I thank you for your help and most of my questions are derived from coming to Alibre after 7yrs of Inventor.

 

[bigseb]

As a tangent but related point, when I mirror components in a assembly why does it have to save another instance of the part adding the "mirror" suffix.

Whether you save it save it as 'partname_a_mirror' or 'partname_b' isn't really relevant as you will be be saving it as a separate part so it will need to be named something.

From your question though it seem like you want to add a part to the assembly and just mirror it without saving it as a new part. If that is the case then you need to uncheck 'create other handed copy'.

 

[eric@velmex]

Thats exactly what I wanted, thank you!

 

[Alexander]

Okay I must be missing something here but I can't find the button to mirror part/sub-assembly. I didn't even know this was possible!
Please can anyone direct me to this feature.

Cheers

 

[Alexander]

Found it !
It's my age.....