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Resources for Learning More Complicated Feature Designs?

kritoke

Member
For those who are more self taught and not working in the industry, how have you learned complicated or more difficult concepts? I’m trying to figure out hinges for instance and soon to figure out dovetails with screw holes. Aside from trying to find videos on other products and figuring out how to translate the way to build it, any other tips? I heard some folks might have got old design books on eBay but just trying to see what is the best avenue to go down.
 

HaroldL

Alibre Super User
I’m trying to figure out hinges for instance and soon to figure out dovetails with screw holes
What version/level of Alibre are you working with,v24, 25 or 26 and Expert, Pro, or Atom3D?

What is it about hinges and screw holes that you need to figure out?
Dovetails do take a bit of modeling, I think I have some files that I worked on to create an accurate dovetail model. I'll look to see where I put it and upload an example.

I put a link in the Tip and Tricks section that will get you a lot of drawings to practice modeling with

 

Ken226

Alibre Super User
Modeling and design are two different things. Trying to learn both at the same time would be pretty tough.

If you learn enough about modelling in CAD that you're no longer struggling with it, the design part of it will be very much easier.



Find a project that's a little over your head, and get started. Tackle it one bite at a time, and never, ever give up.

Every time you run into a roadblock, think outside the box for solutions, log in here and ask questions, watch videos, and keep working on it untill it's solved. Don't ever give up.

Then, do another one, and another.

Look at the T. Carreras Soto drawings that Harold turned me onto awhile back. I found them to be excellent learning tools. Pick one, then turn the drawing into a solid model.

 
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kritoke

Member
I'm using Alibre Design Pro v26. Dovetails I think I can figure out if I play with it enough, just leaving gaps and making stuff kind of hook in. I did some initial attempts with hinges, but pretty much having to scrap it. I have done a pretty decent amount of learning the program. If I know what I need to do, I don't struggle so much to implement it so far anyway. I have released some semi-complicated stuff, but mechanical things are out of my wheel house at the moment. I have built several part designs that I verify connect with the assembly side of Alibre.
 

HaroldL

Alibre Super User
Here's the dove tail design I worked out while modeling a chest-of-drawers that I inherited, It had dove tails on the drawers, at least it could be something to start with.

1679585326623.png

As far as hinges are concerned check out McMaster-Carr and down load hinges of various designs. They will be STEP files with no history to examine but they should be enough to see how they are modeled.

Another thing you can do is just look around your office or home, there must be something that you can take some measurements off and create models, at least for practice.
 

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NateLiquidGravity

Alibre Super User
Start with the Alibre training page here:

There are videos on the official Alibre YouTube here but some are outdated:

Joko Engineering has a bunch of recent videos on Alibre here:

There is also a new book (one version old now I think) available for purchase (or inquire with support - they gave it free to many current users when it was released) here:
 

Serenity

Alibre Support
Staff member
I would recommend checking out at least the Modeling Exercise videos on our Training page that Nate linked above. While these videos may not help directly with things like dovetails or hinges, they will help familiarize you with core modeling concepts and maintaining design intent when edits are needed.
 

kritoke

Member
I’ve used those videos to learn the system well. I also have the very long ebook that’s been quite helpful. I am fairly comfortable moving around Alibre for decent amount of stuff. It’s mostly just trying to understand concepts when things get mechanical like hinges and gears and all that. So just trying to conceptualize best ways to do them in what would be 3d printed parts. I have actually started taking pictures of stuff in stores and around the house to try to reverse engineer some of the things. I think the studycadcam blog is the closest thing to what I’m looking for.

Drawings that I can kind of work with to better understand proper design of stuff. I’ll look through some of it this weekend to see if it has closer to what I am trying to make. I plan on making larger things that will slide into each other like a dovetail that screws together since I’m limited on print size. If anyone uses the bambu lab printer, the new AMS hydra model is close to what I want in terms of an inner locking setup to achieve this. I haven’t attempted that reverse engineering yet, but first my few hinge attempts I threw in the towel until I figure out a better method/design.

Seems most tutorial stuff for Alibre specific is pretty good to get you to intermediate level. I’ve actually found random videos on YouTube that have helped in some areas as well that are in addition to the training stuff. Joko’s stuff has been quite useful in this regard.
 

HaroldL

Alibre Super User
Another resource is drawings created by Julius De Waal. (copy and paste his name into an internet search.) He has a lot of drawings that he recreated from old Home Machinist magazines that are in PDF format and can be downloaded for free. He packs a lot of parts on each sheet so it takes a bit to decipher the drawings but you end up with a completed assembly. They range from simple machine shop projects to scaled steam traction engines. ( I used them to create the Ransomes, Simms and Jefferies model that got me 3rd place in the design contest a few years ago.
 

Ken226

Alibre Super User
If designing for 3d printed parts interests you, Prusa has an online course that is regarded as being pretty good. The price is about 10$


 

Ken226

Alibre Super User
I found some of Prusa Researche's online training stuff to be helpful when it comes to designing print in place (PIP) moving parts.

I design and 3d print parts with internal hinges, cams, etc occasionally. Here is an example. A design for some bag clips.

It has several examples of different PIP features. It has two hinges, a cam and two breakaway supports.



Untitled.jpg


img_20221020_182327197.jpg



Just the "Staggered Bridging" technique alone, in the "Applied Design" part of that course is worth the 10$. I've used that technique thousands of times when I need to print a counterbored hole, with the counterbore facing down. It always produces a flawless hole with no post processing required.
 
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kritoke

Member
I went ahead and ordered the prusa one. I also found a collection for auto cad of around 200 3d exercises I’ll work on as well to improve my skills and also get an idea of how to do certain things. It’s very generic/platform angnostic and pretty cheap. Just has dimensions in the various axises.

Wish there were more like the original tutorial that came with Alibre Atom3D. To me, that is really what got me hooked and gave me confidence and skills to make my own stuff. Didn’t have to go through a video and well done enough illustrations to get me through the design. There is some stuff in the longer form book but having a guide to multipart mechanical parts that work together really highlights the power of the program.

Hope the prusa one can get me to a good starting point, I saw mention of a few other things I want to know how to do as well in it.
 

HaroldL

Alibre Super User
also found a collection for auto cad of around 200 3d exercises I’ll work on as well to improve my skills and also get an idea of how to do certain things. It’s very generic/platform angnostic and pretty cheap. Just has dimensions in the various axises.
If I may make an observation about some of the CAD exercises for sale that state they are CAD agnostic. They seem to have a long list of CAD software but rarely list Alibre. It's almost as if it doesn't exist for them. Even some of the "Best CAD for 2000-whatever year" I have yet to see Alibre listed. It's like they don't want to admit Alibre is a viable, competitive CAD platform.

Just sayin'.
 

kritoke

Member
If I may make an observation about some of the CAD exercises for sale that state they are CAD agnostic. They seem to have a long list of CAD software but rarely list Alibre. It's almost as if it doesn't exist for them. Even some of the "Best CAD for 2000-whatever year" I have yet to see Alibre listed. It's like they don't want to admit Alibre is a viable, competitive CAD platform.

Just sayin'.
I completely agree with this. I try if there is a comment area in different places to at least mention Alibre especially if people are looking for options. I had been looking for alternatives for the longest time to the main CAD platforms. I only stumbled upon this package because All3DP had it in a list of CAD Professional software and it sparked my interest because I had never heard of it before. If they could score one or two of the maker oriented YouTubers to do a review or even some minor tutorials, they could probably get some new interest. A lot of people dislike the major few companies that make CAD software just because of how they ignore or abuse their customers because they have dominant market positions. Not to mention when all these expensive or even the "free/cheap to makers" software packages are all online only or require you to be online to run go down for extended periods of time or are sluggish when you need it. People would love to have the option to have something they can buy once and have the option to keep current or not and not need internet to run it.
 

JimCad

Senior Member
I tried Freecad and it works but the interface and workflow were "alien" to me.
Joko Engineering was doing tutorials on Freecad and I watched a few. He kept going on about Alibre but a quick Google showed I would need to pay for it. :confused:
In the end I watched a couple of his videos and the "WOW" factor kicked in. I bought Atom but not really used it much due to lack of time with a house move & major building works. (And a puppy)
I joined this forum and checked the specs for "Expert". I will purchase this within the next few weeks.
I feel it is a great product and a fair price. Ideal for hobbyists or like me: (semi retired) and even full time professionals.
I've seen on here that the workflow and interface is different between Atom & Expert so not using Atom very much as I don't want to confuse myself (easily done).
The things I have done so far with it I'm very impressed.;)
Jim
 

kritoke

Member
Any reason for Expert instead of just Pro? I went from Atom3D to Pro and it’s been pretty decent, not sure I need or know what I would gain in Expert. I saw the comparison on website, but aside from rendering it doesn’t look like much beyond a lot of workflow improvements. I’m more likely going to foot bill for Moi3D to gain a little bit of features to do more organic type shapes and the like with their Nurbs based modeling app. Some editions of Alibre at one point came with it.
 

DavidJ

Administrator
Staff member
In addition to Keyshot Expert gives useful extras such as
Sheet Metal
Design Configurations
Global Parameter Files
Dynamic Part Library
Mechanical assembly constraints (Gear/Pulley, Screw, Rack)
Assembly Features

Which of those, if any, you feel would be important in your work is your decision.
 

JimCad

Senior Member
I used all of those within Inventor so thought it would be nice to have them all again.
The decision was simple. If I'm going to be "killed" by my wife it may as well be for the full version :D
Seriously though: I still think it's a fair price although more than I'd like to be Shelling out.
I can't discuss it with Mrs. Jim as she has no Idea of the pros & cons of it.
Yes I've tried but had to give up.
Really looking forward to mid April when I get my sticky little hands on it.
Jim
 

JimCad

Senior Member
Never heard of Moi3D so I googled it.
Yes looks good but no good for me as I'm no good at art. Also too old to start learning again. Alibre is similar to what I'm used to so if I put in the effort I should pick it up. It's all down to becoming familiar with it I should think.
Jim
 
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