Project file

[aughey]

Project file

Currently, parts contain features, assemblies contain parts and other assemblies, and drawings contain assemblies and parts. But there is no file that contains all of these. This file would be a project. This way a single file would contain all the parts, assemblies, and drawings for a project.

Additionally, this project file could contain variables/equations that the parts and assemblies contained in the project would use. For example, an angle that is common between several parts could be defined in the project and used in each part. This way, a design change would only require a single project variable to change and the parts contained within that project would change as a result.

This would be in between top down design and bottom up design. It would allow the ease of bottom up design, with the part relationship benefits of top down design.

Similar to my part template suggestion, this could allow common parts to have different characteristics when used in different projects. A default value would need to be used when the part is used outside of a project.

John

 

[rbrian]

Project file

Hi I like this idea, even for building tutorials which I do, as it would be great for re-using items from various projects, as well as keeping the package all together.

I first saw this kind of idea in an engineering program called Mechanicla Engineering Workbench from a Pittsburg company called Iconnex - which has been bought out by Algor. They had worksheets, geometries, equations, and reports - all as seperate but linked modules. My manual says Copyright 1989.

You could drive a geometry size, angle, position from formulas, worksheets, or both. You could do iterative design functions in determining part sizes, critical points, edges, ends, etc.

I still look for this kind of functianality in a current tool CAD, Analysis, Motion, or whatever - today at a acquirable price point to my budget.

I believe the Excel works in a fashion like this in that a workbook contains worksheets.

Robert Weekley

 

[mr.ska]

Wouldn't a repository at least get everything together in one place for you? Why would you specifically need to put everything in one file? Are you going to transfer the file to other users? Why not just set them up to see the repository? If you need to transfer it, I think taking a repository snapshot would work.

Your idea of a file that contains project data IS interesting, however. As I haven't taken the tutorial on it yet, I'm not sure, but I have a sneaking suspision that you can do what you're hoping to with a simple spreadsheet.

 

[aughey]

Spreadsheet driven design helps with having parameters driven from a different data source, but there are many benefits to having a single project file to hold everything related to a design.

I've worked with spreadsheet driven design, and I've found it very cumbersome to use. At least in my use, the spreadsheet is only really used to hold variables. If the design driven variables could be integrated with Alibre, it would take a lot of the complexities of running excel just to supply variables. Perhaps there are more compelx applications where the spreadsheet is more useful, but more than likely the equation editor can handle it.

As far as using a repository, a respository or storing files in different directories only help with organizing parts that are not shared between projects. I may reuse a part (or generic part driven by parameters) in several projects, and have the single part in a common directory or repository. But when I'm dealing with project X, I would like to see all of the parts, assemblies, drawings, etc all grouped together for quick access. Additionally, I may want to organize the drawings and parts into logical groups so that it's easier to find.

A project might also have the option to bundle all the dependices into a single file for easy transfer to a third party. By default, I would expect the project file to simply reference the part, assemblies, and drawings in a repository or file system, but given teh option to bundle everything into a single archive when needed.

John

 

[cclark440]

I definitely see the advantage of using a single file for a project, My only concern is that by adding all the information into one file could cause sped issues, since Alibre would have to sift through the whole file to find the parts you are currently working with.

 

[aughey]

I don't think it would cause speed issues since it's just contains a collection of filenames for the parts, assemblies, and drawings that are associated with a project. Each part, assembly and drawing would still be in their own files, just the project file would logically group them into a single entity. Just as an assembly doesn't actually contain the parts, but rather pointers to part files and their respective positions in space.

John