INTERESTING Gotcha

[mrehmus]

I have a simple steam engine that I've just finished the drawings on and am now tweaking dimensions to make everything come out 'right.'

So I have the assembled engine open and the 2D drawings open.

If I use the 'Edit 3D' from the 2D drawing, it brings up the standalone part and I can edit and save it. Good enough. The changes are noted on the 2D drawing.

However, if I also modify something else on the part starting from the assembled 3D model and then save it, the first modification gets overwritten.

Handy, eh? I guess not everything is held in a single database but must be held in separate databases representing each open item.

 

[Giecon.nl]

Yep happened to me a couple of times. Alibre keeps the entire assembly in memory en and doesn't notice if you change a separate part file. When I fist bought Alibre it took me almost a week to figure this out. I kept changing part file and wondered why the assembly dit not update. This is the only CAD program that works this way and it is a very very very tricky way of working. Now they introduced the edit model from drawing feature it might backfire on themselves ........

 

[DavidJ]

I can see why that might happen - not sure if there is an easy answer...

Initially assembly and drawing open - edit via drawing and save. NOTE assembly is still open from original file.

Next edit from 3D assembly (which is the original version), when you save this it overwrites the file you just saved from drawing.

 

[wathavy4]

Yep happened to me a couple of times. Alibre keeps the entire assembly in memory en and doesn't notice if you change a separate part file. When I fist bought Alibre it took me almost a week to figure this out. I kept changing part file and wondered why the assembly dit not update. This is the only CAD program that works this way and it is a very very very tricky way of working. Now they introduced the edit model from drawing feature it might backfire on themselves ........

You said it.
CoCreate also does the same as you mentioned.
Both 3D and 2D coexist in the same software working on a PC handles both simultaneously.
So, it works seamlessly between 2D and 3D.
Well, actually you have to update views in 2D though. Still, especially in CoCreate case, you can modify each part within the same GUI as assembly. Or in other way of saying, there is no software change while you work on part and assembly.
Very useful, to me...
I hope Alibre would someday come up with better solution than today.
:|

 

[mrehmus]

I don't understand, since it really is a database, why they have more than one instance of a database of a part.

 

[wathavy4]

Well, they basically have two. One on H.D. the other on memory till you overwrite it on H.D.
Thus you have two.
Other CAD software (which I know only CoCreate) has one in memory and both 2D and 3D work on the one on memory.
And till you save the one on the H.D. is intact.
I hope it helps.