Isolating Parts in Assembly

[Rouge484]

I am new to Alibre. I am an Solidworks user at work and I am wondering if Alibre has a similar feature. When working with Assemblies in Solidworks, I can select parts in the assembly and then Isolate them. When this happens it only shows the parts I selected. Does Alibre have the same function. This is very handy.

 

[idslk]

Hello Rouge484,

welcome to Alibre
As far as i know, it is not a "one click" function.
If your Partlist in the Design Explorer is longer:
Select the first part in the Design Explorer, hold "shift" and select the last part.
Press "right Mouse button" and select "Suppress" or "Hide".
Then select the wanted part(s) in the Design Explorer (hold "Ctrl" to select more than one part), press "RMB" and deselect "Suppress" or "Hide"

Regards
Stefan

 

[Rouge484]

Hello Rouge484,

welcome to Alibre
As far as i know, it is not a "one click" function.
If your Partlist in the Design Explorer is longer:
Select the first part in the Design Explorer, hold "shift" and select the last part.
Press "right Mouse button" and select "Suppress" or "Hide".
Then select the wanted part(s) in the Design Explorer (hold "Ctrl" to select more than one part), press "RMB" and deselect "Suppress" or "Hide"

Regards
Stefan

I wonder if this can be scripted??

 

[idslk]

Hello Rouge484,

Select the first part in the Design Explorer,
hold "shift" and select the last part.
Press "right Mouse button" and select "Suppress" or "Hide".
Press "right Mouse button" and select"unsuppress" one (or more) part(s) ​

in sum 4 (or more) Mouseclicks

open Ribbon Alibre Script (only first time using script in a new part or assembly)
launch alibre script (only first time using script in a new part or assembly)
choose script
run script
select one(or more) part(s) to "isolate"
press ok​

in sum 6 (first time) (or more) Mouseclicks

it might be scriptable...

Regards
Stefan

 

[DavidJ]

OR Ctrl+A (select all) -> Ctrl+H (Hide selected), then select those to show (Shift or Ctrl select or single selection), then Ctrl+H again.

There is an 'Isolate Part' function in 2D drawings of assemblies.

 

[idslk]

If only one component (part or subassembly) has to be "isolated" you can use RMB and "edit here" on the part and the other parts are set to semi-transparent.

 

[bigseb]

I am new to Alibre. I am an Solidworks user at work and I am wondering if Alibre has a similar feature. When working with Assemblies in Solidworks, I can select parts in the assembly and then Isolate them. When this happens it only shows the parts I selected. Does Alibre have the same function. This is very handy.

You want to isolate them to work on them? If so then RC and then choose either 'edit here' or 'edit in separate window'.

 

[Rouge484]

You want to isolate them to work on them? If so then RC and then choose either 'edit here' or 'edit in separate window'.

I know in Solidworks, when I get into a big assembly all I need to do is to select the two or more components I want to work with. I normally do it when I want to use another component as reference when putting in fasteners or other geometry I need to be associative. I will pick the components RMB and select "Isolate" then all I see is the components I selected. I can do this in the tree or selecting the models. It is like a "reverse hide". The components that are selected stay visible while all others are hidden.

 

[bigseb]

Not in Alibre. You'll have to hide the parts you don't want to see first. Then, in order to constrain geometry to other parts in the assembly, you'll need to use the 'edit here' option.

 

[JST]

if the assembly has subassemblies, you can hide entire subassemblies by RMB from the design explorer. Saves a lot of clicking.

If you want just an interface part from the assembly, for instance, RMB and hide the whole thing, then RMB and select hide again for just the part you want to see, and that selected part will be shown again.

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Not in Alibre. You'll have to hide the parts you don't want to see first. Then, in order to constrain geometry to other parts in the assembly, you'll need to use the 'edit here' option.

Sebastian -- I argue that a "Hide from All viewing" version of "Hide" is needed as something that is "Hiden in Model Space" still shows up in the Drawing Space.

 

[DavidJ]

Sebastian -- I argue that a "Hide from All viewing" version of "Hide" is needed as something that is "Hiden in Model Space" still shows up in the Drawing Space.

Lew - that is intended behaviour. You can use 'Suppress' to make it vanish in both model space and drawing space. Personally I feel your suggested 'enhancement' would be dangerous.

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Lew - that is intended behaviour. You can use 'Suppress' to make it vanish in both model space and drawing space. Personally I feel your suggested 'enhancement' would be dangerous.

David -- Suppress incapacitates all Constraints associated with (what should be) Reference Geometry. That is a poorly considered response!

 

[Lew_Merrick]

David -- Let me give you a more detailed explanation. I am currently designing Roller Chain actuated farm equipment. Each Sprocket has a "normally suppressed Feature" that defines the Pitch Diameter path of the Mating Roller Chain. I unSuppress in the UsedOn Assembly and Prject To Sketch thir (circular) Paths. I "connect" the Sprocket Pitch Diameters with Tangent Lines that represent the (straight line) portions of the Roller Chain's Path. The area where the (circular) Chain Tensioner will act upon the Roller Chain is Filleted in. I now have a Path that the "Rollers" of the Roller Chain can be Constrained to that defines the (singly tensioned direction) Path of the Roller Chain. The Path Entity exists only for (shall we say) "Design Convenience" and should not appear in the Drawing. To Suppress it removes the Constraints that make the Roller Chain appear correctly in the Model (and Drawing). It is that simple!

 

[DavidJ]

There is a hide part capability in 2D drawing (by view, and 'in all views'). Having hide in one workspace affect the other will only lead to further confusion and complaint. Of course you may take a different view. I was merely stating my own viewpoint.

 

[bigseb]

Sebastian -- I argue that a "Hide from All viewing" version of "Hide" is needed as something that is "Hiden in Model Space" still shows up in the Drawing Space.

Configurations

 

[JST]

It COULD be useful to be able to hide in exports, without suppressing.

If as stated "suppress" (which I do not use much) suppresses everything about the part, then it is the wrong tool, and so is "configurations".

For instance... you want to hide a part that is a connector between parts, perhaps to see one of them better. If the part and all constraints are suppressed, as is asserted, then the assembly would be unstable and a potential problem. Totally removing the part with a configuration would be wrong also, as that presumably also has the same effect.

You would need to constrain the remaining parts to geometry that is still present in order to make sure things did not move about. Perhaps just being careful would be enough.... but......

Seems a lot of work to go to in order to get a view of an assembly without some part. (I suppose if you argue that ALL parts should be individually constrained to the origin and planes, that won't be a problem).

 

[Rouge484]

I have uploaded a link to a you-tube video I created at work to show how isolating a part in an assembly works in Solidworks. As you notice in the video, I am going across two different sub-assemblies and selecting (1) part out of each sub-assembly. Then I isolate them.

This makes working inside assemblies so much easier than trying to hide.

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

I agree this would be a useful tool.

 

[bigseb]

I have uploaded a link to a you-tube video I created at work to show how isolating a part in an assembly works in Solidworks. As you notice in the video, I am going across two different sub-assemblies and selecting (1) part out of each sub-assembly. Then I isolate them.

This makes working inside assemblies so much easier than trying to hide.

This is the thing with Alibre... its very capable software and you can do a heck of a lot with it and achieve the same thing you would with top shelf software.

but

Often this involves a few extra steps or a different approach.

I will +1 Nate's comment.