Section view radius center mark

[concept]

I know this baffled me, sometime previously, but clicking on section view and right-clicking on its radius brings up a "center" selection but that appears to assume you need a center line, not a center mark for the radius defined by the arc. Can someone explain the "trick"? I tried the "manage view" within the box that appears after clicking on the view, but adding centers there does nothing related to center marks.
Thanks

 

[HaroldL]

Can you post a screen shot of the issue?
If you are referring to the Insert Centers in the pop up menu then Alibre should insert center lines or center marks depending on the geometry in the view.

You should be able to apply center marks for individual arcs by RMB clicking on the arc and select Insert Center from the pop up.

 

[concept]

Hello, Harold. It's for the R18 radius (actually there are two, one upper, one lower). I temporarily drew a center for the upper R18 radius.
Thanks. When I right-click on the arc and select "Insert center" it creates a horizontal center line that is in the middle of the entire part shape.

 

[HaroldL]

I was able to recreate the issue by making a part similar to your drawing. When I click on the arc and select insert center it does insert a horizontal center line. I wonder if making the part with a Revolve Boss it has anything to do with it.

This looks like a candidate for Support to look at.

 

[concept]

You are correct in that it is made from revolving a sketch. I'll send it to support. Thanks for looking at it.
Dave

 

[DavidJ]

Nothing to do with how the feature is modelled - all to do with where the centre of the 3D feature is.

If the projected arc was from a feature running along a straight edge, then a centre mark would be inserted at the 2D arc centre.

 

[concept]

Thanks, David. For the benefit of others, I'm posting your workaround.

If you wish to mark the centre of the projected arc, that is possible but not with a standard centre mark.

First dimension the arc. Next 'Activate sketch in view' - yellow/orange nodes resulting from the dimension operation will be visible at ends of arc and at its centre. You can add a Point to mark the centre of the arc, this will remain visible after exiting sketch mode.

 

[HaroldL]

Thanks for the workflow, although it is extra work it will do when center marks are needed. To me this looks like something that should be addressed with the v26.

Just to confirm for myself, I did some testing with a trio of scenarios. Two of them inserted center lines and one did not when Insert Centers was enabled for the view.

 

[concept]

Typically, if the fillet is small in relation to the OD, a center mark and location is not needed. It may be possible that large radii like those in my drawing, do not need to have centers shown and dimensioned if the CAM program figures that out when it analyzes the solid model for tool paths, but I seem to remember Solidworks being able to apply a center to a radius in a section view. I may email this question to one of my former coworkers.

 

[HaroldL]

I seem to remember Solidworks being able to apply a center to a radius in a section view.

I think you're right about that. I think it's just how different programs function.

 

[DavidJ]

To me this looks like something that should be addressed with the v26.

To be clear - it is far too late now to be adding items to the v26 sprint.