Part Design scale
- Thread starter DonR
- Start date
Ken226
Alibre Super User
There's no need to worry about scale with these types of CAD programs. Model everything 1:1. A 6 inch long part should be modeled at 6 inches in length.
When you create a 2d drawing from your model, there will be an option for setting the drawing scale when you insert the part views.
Or, are you trying to directly draw your part in the 2d drawing workspace?
When you create a 2d drawing from your model, there will be an option for setting the drawing scale when you insert the part views.
Or, are you trying to directly draw your part in the 2d drawing workspace?
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Ken,
Thank you for the response. As you anticipated what may be behind my post, I am trying to directly draw the part in the 2d drawing workspace. I design and build Cypress Outdoor furniture. My Alibre launch project is a 62" Octagon Picnic Table with attached seats. The overall footprint and longest part are 92".
Thank you for the response. As you anticipated what may be behind my post, I am trying to directly draw the part in the 2d drawing workspace. I design and build Cypress Outdoor furniture. My Alibre launch project is a 62" Octagon Picnic Table with attached seats. The overall footprint and longest part are 92".
Ken,
Thank you for the response. As you anticipated what may be behind my post, I am trying to directly draw the part in the 2d drawing workspace. I was aware of the Scale feature in the Drawings Workspace and is where I read the recommendation for 1:1 scale in design. I design and build Cypress Outdoor furniture. My Alibre launch project is a 62" Octagon Picnic Table with attached seats. The overall footprint and longest parts are 95" and 92" respectively. Am I even able to use Alibre for this project?
Of course you can use Alibre software - but design the parts / assembly in the 3D workspace (at actual size). The final 2D drawings can easily be produced from the 3D model at any chosen scale.
Alibre isn't intended as a 2D drafting tool, and to use it that way throws away all the advantages of 3D CAD.
Alibre isn't intended as a 2D drafting tool, and to use it that way throws away all the advantages of 3D CAD.
Ken226
Alibre Super User
Since
Personally, I think the advantages of 3d modeling are worth the effort. I started out using 2d drafting in college, at first with paper, later with AutoCAD. I'll never go back.
With Atom, you'll be able to model a product in the 3d modeling workspace, then create scaled technical drawings for manufacturing. You'll also be able to use free Simlab Lite to create photorealistic images of your products, and show customers before ever turning a screw.
I put together and consolidated list of Alibre Atoms tutorial videos for beginners here on the Hobby Machinist forum. I think I may even have got the order right.
Look in the Alibre subforum.
www.hobby-machinist.com
Personally, I think the advantages of 3d modeling are worth the effort. I started out using 2d drafting in college, at first with paper, later with AutoCAD. I'll never go back.
With Atom, you'll be able to model a product in the 3d modeling workspace, then create scaled technical drawings for manufacturing. You'll also be able to use free Simlab Lite to create photorealistic images of your products, and show customers before ever turning a screw.
I put together and consolidated list of Alibre Atoms tutorial videos for beginners here on the Hobby Machinist forum. I think I may even have got the order right.
Look in the Alibre subforum.
ALL ABOUT DRAWING, LAYOUT & CAD
bigseb
Alibre Super User
This!! Don't even waste your time in 2D. Do it all in 3D and use those models to create your drawings. It makes later changes so much easier plus it allows you to add materials and create renders.
Thanks Ken. I chose the Picnic table because I needed something simple as I began the journey into CAD. I will pick a project more suited to Atom3 and use the tutorials to help on the journey. Have a Blessed Weekend.Since
Personally, I think the advantages of 3d modeling are worth the effort. I started out using 2d drafting in college, at first with paper, later with AutoCAD. I'll never go back.
With Atom, you'll be able to model a product in the 3d modeling workspace, then create scaled technical drawings for manufacturing. You'll also be able to use free Simlab Lite to create photorealistic images of your products, and show customers before ever turning a screw.
I put together and consolidated list of Alibre Atoms tutorial videos for beginners here on the Hobby Machinist forum. I think I may even have got the order right.
Look in the Alibre subforum.
ALL ABOUT DRAWING, LAYOUT & CAD
Ken226
Alibre Super User
I don't see a reason a picnic table wouldn't be perfectly suited for Alibre Atom.
From the 2021 Alibre competition. Designed with Atom:
2021 Contest Winners - Alibre
Winners of Alibre's 2021 3D modeling contest. Entries from Alibre Design and Alibre Atom3D users.
www.alibre.com
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BobSchaefer
Senior Member
Don,
There's nothing wrong with the project you've chosen, its something that you want/need and its not super complicated. The problem that you're running into is one of understanding a different design process from what you're used to. There have been several topics about design flow whether top-down or bottom-up when it comes to design. Personally, given that I hate doing a bunch of math, for your piece, I'd start with creating a part that is the octagon with sides set to the largest dimension, then start making progressively smaller octagons within it at given intervals (the width of a 2x4 plus a gap, I'm assuming) then extrude that to a thin depth, so that I can then pull it up in the drawings view so that I can find out what the lengths of the boards I need to make the top are. Then I'd go back and make a whole bunch of 2x4 boards of those lengths inside Alibre and then start building the table that way. Now, that's just one way of doing things and I'm sure others are now beating their heads against their monitors because I'm probably doing something way wrong, but it works for me.
Basically instead of thinking along the lines of an old school CAD program, think more along the lines how you'd be doing it if you were out in the shop, just building it.
Bob
Thanks Bob for insight. I am making the parts and assembling the subassemblies then going into Alibre and trying to replicate what I have made and assembled. I have successfully designed the tabletop Rim Boards and am trying to find out how to assemble them in Alibre Atom3 V24.
BobSchaefer
Senior Member
Glad to hear it sounds like you're starting to grasp how to work with alibre! I will say that getting the mental adjustment over to how it wants you to think is probably the hardest part of getting everything going. Once you get over that hurdle, then things get way more fun and interesting!
Plus, from what it sounds like, your current design is perfect and completely doable in alibre, especially for a first real project!
Bob