New features / improvements

[DavidJ]

How do you mean 'didn't work' ? The user profile is loaded at software launch, and saved at closedown - swapping file whilst Alibre is running won't have any effect.

 

[Marco-IT]

Maybe I hadn't closed the Alibre launch window.

 

[Ex Machina]

Sorry Stefan, it's not the ideal solution though (also for the realization times).

Example: I make a 3D view on the sheet of a large assembly. Usually I also apply 5-6 cuts to eliminate parts to show the ones behind, but all this happens without touching the 3D model but directly on the drawing view.

With your method I would have to take the 3D model and cut everything, which is unthinkable, the finished 3D model shouldn't be modified at all.

But thank you for your availability.

Every drawing view can depict a specific configuration of the model. So, if that is something you cannot do without, add the cuts to a second configuration and in the isometric view depict that configuration.

 

[DavidJ]

You can also hide individual parts in a drawing view.

You can use Broken Out Section view in the 2D drawing as already mentioned earlier in the thread.

 

[Marco-IT]

I think I will use different techniques to get to the final result.

Thank you all so much for these valuable tips.

 

[Marco-IT]

Sorry guys but I have a weird problem: as you can see from the picture, I can't select parts. I try to select any parts you see but nothing happens. If I open the menu with the right key, almost all the items are not active. I can not do anything else.

I have to close the program and restart everything. Is this a known issue?

 

[DavidJ]

Can you select in the Design Explorer?

Did anything unusual precede this?

You could try re-setting user profile - that can resolve some UI issues.

 

[Marco-IT]

I'm contacting my Italian support because there is another problem: replacing a component inserts a different one.

 

[DavidJ]

Did you copy & rename a file outside the Alibre software to use as basis of another part? That's the most common cause of such issues.

Instead use 'Save As' from inside the software to create a new file.

If you copy files you end up with the same GUID value (used internally by Alibre) in different files, and they can be confused.

 

[Marco-IT]

Yes, I copied a file and then renamed it.

I hope they can solve this problem because in my job I often do this.

 

[simonb65]

Did you copy & rename a file outside the Alibre software to use as basis of another part? That's the most common cause of such issues.

Instead use 'Save As' from inside the software to create a new file.

If you copy files you end up with the same GUID value (used internally by Alibre) in different files, and they can be confused.

@DavidJ , having seen this happen so many times over the years, especially with users that are either new or are used to just copying files in windows explorer and editing the copy (i.e. Word, Excel, text files, etc ... we ALL do that!), I think it really needs a simple graphical overview of the Alibre file hierarchy showing how the GUID (Globally Unique ID) is key to the integrity of those inter-file dependencies, and how that gets broken by just file copying, by putting at the start of the documentation with a description/highlight of why this practice is REALLY BAD in Alibre. Maybe a gentle word with the Alibre doc author to try and include this would reduce this pain for many users.

Just a suggestion!

 

[HaroldL]

Maybe a gentle word with the Alibre doc author to try and include this would reduce this pain for many users.

And then get everyone, especially new users, to read it.

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

I was helping @cadtec add a feature to ZDB drawing management and Alibre file database to detect duplicate GUIDs and offer a option to open the file and "Save As" to eliminate them. However we ran into complications. We discovered files sometimes had multiple different GUIDs embedded in them following different schemes (different character count). Additionally doing a "Save As" and attempting to overwrite a file didn't actually overwrite the entire file. Alibre maintained (at least but maybe not only) the old GUIDs inside the file.

 

[DavidJ]

Simon - see first item in

https://alibre.freshdesk.com/suppor...27000053962-best-practices-in-alibre-products

It probably needs to be put somewhere easier to find - it got left behind a bit when the web resources were re-organised.

 

[simonb65]

Simon - see first item in

https://alibre.freshdesk.com/suppor...27000053962-best-practices-in-alibre-products

It probably needs to be put somewhere easier to find - it got left behind a bit when the web resources were re-organised.

That support doc just needs to be in the Getting Started section of the help, so that users can see it before an issue and before they need support! The info is there, doesn't really explain why though and the title best practice, doesn't scream YOU MUST NEVER DO THIS IN ALIBRE!

This is usually put in documents with warning or information symbols to really get the users attention and drive home the importance of reading the note.

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

Yes, that info should be right here:

Articles

help.alibre.com

Warning Sign Emoji

 

[DavidJ]

It is being looked into - can't promise how quickly it'll happen.

 

[Old Geeser]

Would one of you please clearly state just what the problem is. Certainly, I can copy a .AD_PRT file from one directory to another using the file manager without incurring a problem, can't I ? Is the problem when I use it as the basis to create a new part? Trying to follow this thread, I am confused.

 

[albie0803]

This may not be technically accurate, but is basically correct.

Yes, you can copy a file and have several copies in different folders.
No, you can't copy it, change its name OUTSIDE OF ALIBRE and then alter it.

Alibre files have ID numbers imbedded in them which are used for assemblies, not just the file names.
If you copy a part OUTSIDE of Alibre, then alter it with Alibre, it still has the same ID as the original part.
If you happen to use both parts in the same assembly, Alibre can't tell the difference between them because the IDs are the same.

Doing a SAVE AS in Alibre creates a new copy WITH A NEW ID NUMBER which can then be modified to your requirements.

If you already have a drawing of your original part, then doing a SAVE AS from the drawing will give you the option to create a new drawing AND PART which will be linked together already.
Change the part, update the drawing, Done!

 

[simonb65]

This may not be technically accurate, but is basically correct.

Yes, you can copy a file and have several copies in different folders.
No, you can't copy it, change its name OUTSIDE OF ALIBRE and then alter it.

Alibre files have ID numbers imbedded in them which are used for assemblies, not just the file names.
If you copy a part OUTSIDE of Alibre, then alter it with Alibre, it still has the same ID as the original part.
If you happen to use both parts in the same assembly, Alibre can't tell the difference between them because the IDs are the same.

Doing a SAVE AS in Alibre creates a new copy WITH A NEW ID NUMBER which can then be modified to your requirements.

If you already have a drawing of your original part, then doing a SAVE AS from the drawing will give you the option to create a new drawing AND PART which will be linked together already.
Change the part, update the drawing, Done!

You shouldn't even just copy files to different folders. Alibre files store the ABSOLUTE file path to it's constituent parts in the file, so copying or moving to another folder will still make assemblies think it's parts are in the original folder!

The ONLY way to move or copy an Alibre files is via Save As. This will generate new GUID's AND correct the internal constituent part filename references.

The application really needs a file manager to do all this stuff somehow. An open file system that has database like linking, is really not good when things are so interdependent and hard wired.