Parallel constraints in assembly model

[concept]

This is one of the things that throws me off if I don't use it in a while. In many MCAD programs, you can easily choose to make flat surfaces of separate components in an assembly, parallel by simply selecting this type of constraint (relation). However, Alibre doesn't allow me to easily do this using the constraint feature.
I believe I figured this out a while back but I forgot to jot it down.
So what is the easiest way to do this?
Thanks.

 

[JST]

In Alibre, a simple parallel constraint, not any other linkage, is under "offset". There are three choices, "offset" with a dimension, "limits" and "free". "Free" is what you want.

The program will probably preselect "coincident", but you can use the drop-down to select "offset" and then the button for "free".

 

[concept]

Thanks, JST. When I click on each of the surfaces, the "Constraint Over Defined" window pops up. This is a bit odd because I can rotate the component which contains a male threaded post assembled through a hole in a sheetmetal part. If I close the window and click on the Free option I see the same window.
I tried it three times and then all of a sudden, it accepted my Free constraint. I'll have to play around with this but at this time, there may be a bug in the software.

 

[JST]

Yes, you have to go through 2 or 3 of those , but it works.

It's a bug in Alibre, which evaluates at every step of the process. The first couple steps may actually conflict, so it pops up the message.

When you finally get to selecting "Free", you should have no more of the messages, assuming the alignment is actually possible. Naturally, if there is a conflicting alignment, it will continue to complain about "over defined".

 

[concept]

It was confusing the heck out of me, as I could freely rotate the part with a flat side surface, yet it was telling me "Constraint over defined".
Thanks again for the advice.