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I hate the hole tool.

Ken226

Alibre Super User
Am I the only one who thinks the hole tool is pretty bad?

I try to avoid having to use it. It makes my PC run sluggishly, and it requires too much work to do the simplest things.

An example:

So, I want to transfer a screw hole pattern of about 30 holes from one part to another. I open part A, activate the sketch containing the pattern and copy it with base point. Then I open the second part, create a sketch, then use the paste stamper to locate/create the pattern. Now I gotta use the hole tool to drop threaded holes, one-by-one, onto the part and try to figure out how to constrain each, to it's pasted sketch counterpart. Usually I create the sketch holes undersize, extrude cut, then edit the hole tool associated sketch and constraints them to the previously cut holes.

It would be great if the hole tool was just a Thread tool. If I could just skip the hole tool altogether, extrude cut the pasted sketch to create the holes, then use a "thread tool" to thread the extrude cut holes. Basically, doing the job once instead of twice.

Having access to the constraint and sketch tools while using the hole tool would be almost as good.




Maybe you guys disagree, or maybe there's a better way I could be doing this, but so far, I'm not a big fan of Alibre's workflow for creating big screw hole patterns.
 
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idslk

Alibre Super User
Hello Ken,

i've
- created a part
- selected a face
- chosen the hole tool and placed randomly holes:

1652460569256.png

Then i created a second part
- selected a face
- chosen the hole tool
- chosen a threaded hole and placed one hole out of the face (to find it easily later...)

Then i entered the hole sketch from the first part
- CTRL + A
- CTRL + C

went back to the 2nd part hole sketch and pressed CTRL - P

1652460547073.png

deleted the starting hole and that was it.
One bad: the "patterns" are not associated to each other...)

Regards
Stefan
 

Ken226

Alibre Super User
If I'm understanding correctly, your saying that copy/paste works just as well for transferring patterns between parts.

That works as long as the first pattern was created using the hole tool, but not if the first pattern was created using sketch/extrude cut?

I'll have to adjust my way of thinking and stop using extrude for holes. I guess the habit comes from the fact that the hole tool makes my PC lag, but sketch/extrude doesn't.

Thanks Stefan.
 

DavidJ

Administrator
Staff member
At first use in a design session the hole tool loads up the thread information file - that is why you'll notice a pause.

You can 'project to sketch' one sketch into an existing hole tool sketch - choose normal or reference figures depending upon circumstance.

If projecting hole sketch (nodes) into a cut sketch, or reference circles (from cut) into a hole sketch, concentric sketch constraints can be used to line things up.

You can create ordinary (unthreaded holes) using the hole tool, so with a bit of thought you should be able to use the same tool for both patterns to minimise the amount of work.
 

Ken226

Alibre Super User
Thanks for the info. I'll try the methods you guys mentioned and see which works best for me.

I've been working with lots of hole patterns this morning, and most of the parts I'm copying patterns from have the holes made with sketch/extrude ops. This little project has lots and lots of hole patterns, so I've been getting frustrated and looking for shortcuts.

Thanks for the advice.

Untitled.jpg
 
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HaroldL

Alibre Super User
Since the question has come up here and will likely come up again, I thought I'd take this opportunity to record a short 'how-to' on projecting holes from one part to another. Just so you know, this is done in the context of an assembly.


BTW, that's a good looking model Ken. can't wait to see the completed assembly.:)
 

Ken226

Alibre Super User
Since the question has come up here and will likely come up again, I thought I'd take this opportunity to record a short 'how-to' on projecting holes from one part to another. Just so you know, this is done in the context of an assembly.


BTW, that's a good looking model Ken. can't wait to see the completed assembly.:)

Thanks for the video. I was aware of that method and used it alot early in the project.

The reason I'm not using it much now is that the assembly has so many parts and constraints that it's really taxing my computer and lags pretty bad. Time from the mouseclick to the hole appearing is about 5 seconds, then another 3 or 4 while it's processing before I can click for the next hole.


Working on the individual parts, each in its own window, keeps the computer running smooth and fast.



Oddly, it runs the assembly butter smooth with no lag whatsoever, until I start the hole tool. With the hole tool active, it lags alot! Not just a little, and not just at first, but the whole time the hole tool is open, its bogged down. As soon as I close the hole tool, it goes back to normal.



Transparency.jpg
 
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HaroldL

Alibre Super User
It's too bad that Alibre doesn't have an 'isolate' option like SolidWorks, You could then select the item or items you want to work on, isolate them. and get on with your work.
You may be able to simulate that by Suppressing everything except what you need to work on. Then unsuppress them when you're done. That might free up some system resources for youl
 

simonb65

Alibre Super User
Oddly, it runs the assembly butter smooth with no lag whatsoever, until I start the hole tool. With the hole tool active, it lags alot! Not just a little, and not just at first, but the whole time the hole tool is open, its bogged down. As soon as I close the hole tool, it goes back to normal.
Most performance problems with Alibre arise when individual sketches are big (I've found it doesn't scale sketch complexity well ... it used to half a dozen or more version ago). Are your holes all in one sketch or are you creating just a few holes in a feature, then patterning the feature? The latter is much faster.

If there is a specific area that performance if perceived as bad, drop support a ticket, I know they are actively improving performance and it may be an area they haven't looked into yet.
 

Ken226

Alibre Super User
Most performance problems with Alibre arise when individual sketches are big (I've found it doesn't scale sketch complexity well ... it used to half a dozen or more version ago). Are your holes all in one sketch or are you creating just a few holes in a feature, then patterning the feature? The latter is much faster.

If there is a specific area that performance if perceived as bad, drop support a ticket, I know they are actively improving performance and it may be an area they haven't looked into yet.

My hole pattern sketches contain nothing but the holes. I tend to try and keep sketches as simple as I can. When using the hole tool, I'm just randomly dropping each hole, individually in the vicinity of it's final position, with the intent of editing the sketch later to constrain the holes to their final positions.

It handles the significantly more complex sketches fine when doing other stuff, even the hole tool sketch. It only lags when the hole tool is actually active, clicking and dropping holes.

Oh, forgot to add, the hole tool didn't start lagging until the assembly started getting big. Like, a few hundred parts big, and still only when using the "edit here" or "edit in separate window" methods.

If I open the part separately instead of from within the assembly, the hole tool and all else run great.
 
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NateLiquidGravity

Alibre Super User
It's too bad that Alibre doesn't have an 'isolate' option like SolidWorks, You could then select the item or items you want to work on, isolate them. and get on with your work.
You may be able to simulate that by Suppressing everything except what you need to work on. Then unsuppress them when you're done. That might free up some system resources for youl
I made a script to isolate back in 2019:
https://www.alibre.com/forum/index.php?threads/script-release-isolate-v4.21245/
 
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