Save All As Problem?

[LewisA]

I just finished a fairly large project using Alibre Design Expert 2012. Maybe not a good thing to do, but I was learning Alibre Design as I completed this project. Not a lot of thought was given to organization of the project during that time and now I want to archive the project with a save all as.

In the assemblies, I used standard components, like screws and washers. Now when I do a save all as, if there are more than one of the screws, etc in the assembly with the same name, It will not save those until the file name is changed. This then screws up the BOM for the drawing. First question to Alibre: why is that? Second, does anyone have a way to fix it?

I am starting a new project and will be giving a lot of thought on organization. Any suggestions?

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Lewis,

I am not clear on your description of the problem. I use standard hardware components all the time. I have never run into a problem when doing a Save All As with multiple copies of the same base component file. I have gone out of my way (you can look up under my name at http://www.GrabCAD.com) to create libraries of standard hardware components. My (alloy steel default) SHCS_0-2500-20UNC_X_1-000_Long.AD_PRT may be used 250 times in an installation (aka top assembly), but only one copy of that file gets saved using the Save All As command.

1) Are you sure all your standard hardware (identical) components come from the same file?

2) Are you sure you are not misreading the matrix save list from the Save All As command?

3) Why are you not using the Export -> Alibre STEP format to save your project record?

 

[LewisA]

This is too difficult to put into words. I don't know whether we could do a screen sharing session, but I could show you if that is possible.

 

[jhiker]

Lewis,

3) Why are you not using the Export -> Alibre STEP format to save your project record?

Lew - could you elaborate - you use 'Export' routinely instead of 'Save' or 'Save All' when a project is complete?
Why would you do that - I might be missing a trick here.

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Lewis,

3) Why are you not using the Export -> Alibre STEP format to save your project record?

Lew - could you elaborate - you use 'Export' routinely instead of 'Save' or 'Save All' when a project is complete?
Why would you do that - I might be missing a trick here.

jhiker -- An Export -> Alibre STEP creates a single (for storage purposes) custom Alibre STEP file of the assembly. When you Import it, it opens into a complete set of AD_PRT & AD_ASM component files complete with sketches & constraints! If you look at my libraries of mounted bearings (i.e. pillow blocks) & unmounted bearings posted over at GrabCAD, you will see this approach being used.