Multi-Body Parts
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Sascha Uncia
Member
I know this post is a bit old, but I am new to Alibre and have a similar question.
Right now I am working on a printer enclosure made from acrylic panels with several brackets to hold it together. Here's one showing the inner corner.
To make the outer corner bracket I literally just duplicated and renamed the inner-bracket alibre file, built the bracket over it, then suppressed all the inner-bracket features before export. Is there a better way to use reference geometry? For example to see the rest of a model while working on an individual part? Maybe a way to reference/derive sketch details from another part, so I could for example have one part's feature automatically update when I modify the corresponding feature in another part.
Right now I am working on a printer enclosure made from acrylic panels with several brackets to hold it together. Here's one showing the inner corner.
To make the outer corner bracket I literally just duplicated and renamed the inner-bracket alibre file, built the bracket over it, then suppressed all the inner-bracket features before export. Is there a better way to use reference geometry? For example to see the rest of a model while working on an individual part? Maybe a way to reference/derive sketch details from another part, so I could for example have one part's feature automatically update when I modify the corresponding feature in another part.
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Sascha - I hope that you didn't 'duplicate and rename' the file - I hope that instead you used 'Save As'. If you duplicated the file outside Alibre, the two files will have the same GUID and may be randomly substituted for each other when used in assemblies.
I think that you need to look at 'Edit Here' within context of an assembly - and the use of 'project to sketch', also check 'inter-design relations'.
help.alibre.com
help.alibre.com
I think that you need to look at 'Edit Here' within context of an assembly - and the use of 'project to sketch', also check 'inter-design relations'.
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help.alibre.com
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Sascha Uncia
Member
I did exactly that, thanks for the warning; I'll avoid duplicating the files in explorer from now on.
The edit here option in assemblies looks like part of what I need, though I still have questions about setting up relations between parts. Some are a bit off topic so I'll leave them for another post. Here is one example where I was experimenting in assemblies and got geometry referencing working, but also locked the part from moving.
Example 1:
In assembly mode I create a simple part with a slot and hole cut perpendicular along the floor plane. Then I create another part in edit here mode. I offset the front plane, created an axis using the floor plane and offset plane, then created a 45 degree plane based on those two (not sure if there's a simpler way).
After this I just created a thin sheet using this new plane as a sketch plane. So what I want to do now is bore a hole referencing the one in the first part. If I attempt the project to sketch or use any constraints on the angled face/plane I get strange results, ovals or it just doesn't let me do anything. I ended up setting up a sketch on the front plane instead, and it let me project properly while maintaining relations. But now I can't move the part in the assembly any more.
Is there a way to have the objects free and have another shape be booleaned out of them, kind of like how you can set up a boolean modifier on multiple objects in blender and still move things around. eh... not sure if I'm making sense... Trying to learn how geometry can reference itself from part to part basically and best practices. Drilling a hole through multiple parts, referencing features from another part while keeping them 'live', etc.
The edit here option in assemblies looks like part of what I need, though I still have questions about setting up relations between parts. Some are a bit off topic so I'll leave them for another post. Here is one example where I was experimenting in assemblies and got geometry referencing working, but also locked the part from moving.
Example 1:
In assembly mode I create a simple part with a slot and hole cut perpendicular along the floor plane. Then I create another part in edit here mode. I offset the front plane, created an axis using the floor plane and offset plane, then created a 45 degree plane based on those two (not sure if there's a simpler way).
After this I just created a thin sheet using this new plane as a sketch plane. So what I want to do now is bore a hole referencing the one in the first part. If I attempt the project to sketch or use any constraints on the angled face/plane I get strange results, ovals or it just doesn't let me do anything. I ended up setting up a sketch on the front plane instead, and it let me project properly while maintaining relations. But now I can't move the part in the assembly any more.
Is there a way to have the objects free and have another shape be booleaned out of them, kind of like how you can set up a boolean modifier on multiple objects in blender and still move things around. eh... not sure if I'm making sense... Trying to learn how geometry can reference itself from part to part basically and best practices. Drilling a hole through multiple parts, referencing features from another part while keeping them 'live', etc.
Not really following you. When using project to sketch, maintain association will cause the parts to be linked, not selecting that will have the projection be a one shot operation.
Boolean operations are available in Pro & Expert.
To bore hole in sloping part, you should perhaps project hole from slotted part onto the plane parallel to XY plane, then cut ' through all'.
Boolean operations are available in Pro & Expert.
To bore hole in sloping part, you should perhaps project hole from slotted part onto the plane parallel to XY plane, then cut ' through all'.
Sascha Uncia
Member
That's what I did, all I'm saying is it wouldn't let me move the part in assembly mode after.
I have Design/Pro, I'm just new to Alibre so I'm trying to figure out how everything works. There's lots of little things that behave differently than I expect. Sometimes its hard to find an answer by googling. Like the 'edit here' feature, until now I've just been using multi-body objects in solidworks when I needed to see/project geometry from previous parts. I managed to project the hole at the correct angle after some fiddling, derived from part A to part B I mean, so it changes the hole size on both if I change the one on A, but now I can't move the part any more in assemblies
Wanting to know if there are better ways than what I did.
I have Design/Pro, I'm just new to Alibre so I'm trying to figure out how everything works. There's lots of little things that behave differently than I expect. Sometimes its hard to find an answer by googling. Like the 'edit here' feature, until now I've just been using multi-body objects in solidworks when I needed to see/project geometry from previous parts. I managed to project the hole at the correct angle after some fiddling, derived from part A to part B I mean, so it changes the hole size on both if I change the one on A, but now I can't move the part any more in assemblies
Wanting to know if there are better ways than what I did.
If you 'maintain association' size shape and position remain linked to the original. Because position is linked, you can't move the feature. Consider carefully when to use 'maintain association' in Project to sketch.
Rather than tell us what you did - tell us what you want to achieve. There are usually several ways to achieve any goal. Alibre has a lot of similarity with SW, but some aspects/details are different.
Try the Help in Alibre - it has a good search capability. Not all topics are equally well covered, but it's not bad - now it is web based, we can update it between releases if problems are highlighted.
Rather than tell us what you did - tell us what you want to achieve. There are usually several ways to achieve any goal. Alibre has a lot of similarity with SW, but some aspects/details are different.
Try the Help in Alibre - it has a good search capability. Not all topics are equally well covered, but it's not bad - now it is web based, we can update it between releases if problems are highlighted.
Sascha Uncia
Member
Sorry, I am not always great at communicating ideas. Trying to learn Alibre at 5am doesn't help.
I wanted to see If it was possible to reference geometry from other parts without locking them. I'll keep watching videos and check out the help some more to see what I can learn about assemblies.
HaroldL
Alibre Super User
Yes it is, just do not select the Maintain Associativity option. Be aware that you then need to dimension the sketch within the new part and constrain the new part within the assembly. With constraints applied you can them edit them to reposition the part as needed. It take some practice but once you understand the workflow it will become easier to achieve your desired results.