more assembly functionality
Here's some suggestions for improving the assembly feature in Alibre. Some are pretty far-out, but others I'd really like to see.
1) Feature creation in assemblies. For example, if a weldment need machining, you could make a cut in an assembly. Similarly, if you really wanted to be precise you could model a weld bead in an assembly to imitate a weldment.
2) Create mirror part. This isn't necessarily an assembly issue, but that's where it would be used. Correct me if there's already something available to do this, but I loathe the idea of having to create a part twice when simply mirroring it would do. How about automatically driving the mirrored part off the original, so they both change? How about automatically mirroring over features included in the original part after the mirror has been done?
3) Constraints dialogue stays open until cancelled!!! This is the one I really really want. I find it rather annoying to have to click the constraints button three times to place a part. Just keep it open until I cancel it. That way I can bring in all my parts, and then constrain them all without having to go back to that same button over and over and over again.
4) Point or line on surface constraint. When I pick on a line and a curved surface, it wants to align the two concentrically. I just want the line to be on the surface I picked. There are ways around this, I know... but it would be nice.
Here's some suggestions for improving the assembly feature in Alibre. Some are pretty far-out, but others I'd really like to see.
1) Feature creation in assemblies. For example, if a weldment need machining, you could make a cut in an assembly. Similarly, if you really wanted to be precise you could model a weld bead in an assembly to imitate a weldment.
2) Create mirror part. This isn't necessarily an assembly issue, but that's where it would be used. Correct me if there's already something available to do this, but I loathe the idea of having to create a part twice when simply mirroring it would do. How about automatically driving the mirrored part off the original, so they both change? How about automatically mirroring over features included in the original part after the mirror has been done?
3) Constraints dialogue stays open until cancelled!!! This is the one I really really want. I find it rather annoying to have to click the constraints button three times to place a part. Just keep it open until I cancel it. That way I can bring in all my parts, and then constrain them all without having to go back to that same button over and over and over again.
4) Point or line on surface constraint. When I pick on a line and a curved surface, it wants to align the two concentrically. I just want the line to be on the surface I picked. There are ways around this, I know... but it would be nice.