Toolbox - Excellent start - but some room for improvement?

[bolsover]

So I've been testing out the new toolbox feature and have to say I'm quite impressed. I can see that this will be of great benefit for all users once there is a body of 'standard' part toolbox items available. @Max has already suggested that there may be some dedicated file space available in the future. I know also know that there are a couple of items already in the resources area of the forum.

I've already reported on bug in toolbox - and had a very positive reply from support.

I think there are a couple of other issues with the system that need to be addressed but which are not actually bugs.

Just my view but here are a few possible areas for improvement:

1 When adding a toolbox item to an assembly, having navigated to the toolbox part I want, I then have to click on the 'configure and insert' button. I would make sense if I just had to double click the selected item to open up the insert dialog.

2 If I want to edit an existing toolbox part to add or make changes to the selection criteria, the part 'Save' button is disabled, I have to do a 'Save as' and overwrite the existing part. I understand the rationale behind this - but it seems - well a bit clunky. I would prefer to see a warning dialog 'Are you sure you want to replace toolbox part?'

3 If I design a toolbox part and go though the 'Add Part from Spreadsheet' routine, design the Part and set up everything only to realise I need one more parameter - I need to start all over with a new part design. It would be really helpful If I could save the work in progress, make the necessary changes to the spreadsheet and then re-read the fields into the now existing but incomplete part design.

David

 

[HaroldL]

1 When adding a toolbox item to an assembly, having navigated to the toolbox part I want, I then have to click on the 'configure and insert' button. I would make sense if I just had to double click the selected item to open up the insert dialog.

Looks like I'm not the only one who would prefer a double click to open and insert a toolbox part. I had suggested this behavior before the Beta ended along with moving the Configure and Insert button to the top of the part list window. That would save some travel time if/when you did click on the button.

I was hoping the double click method would have been implemented before Beta ended. Oh, well...

 

[albie0803]

EDIT: Made for Clarity

I don't see why saving the toolbox part needs to be done on creation.

If I add create a new part to in an assembly, I don't have to save it straight away, it gets saved when the assembly gets saved.
If I add create a new part to in an assembly using a script, I don't have to save it straight away, it gets saved when the assembly gets saved.

Why is adding a toolbox part so different? The workflow is not homogenous.

I know that Alibre is working on their own vault so this will have no real priority, but the integration with saving to M-Files is terrible.
I still have the window popping up and asking where to save it, even though I don't.
I have to save the assembly to M-Files before I can add a toolbox part otherwise it fails.
This is annoying to have to remember when I am building a frame out of RHS lengths made from the toolbox.

With the spreadsheet, particularly for things like fasteners, I would have had the length values as a comma separated list that could be read and split into a list of values for a dropbox rather than an individual line for each fastener length. I would have done the same with the thread length and linked the columns, so if the third value was selected in the overall length field, then the third value in the thread length field was automatically chosen.

This way, eg. each bolt size would only have 1 line per class in the spreadsheet, rather than 1 line per length, per class.

David's point 3 really needs addressing. Being able to relink the spreadsheet to the EE table is a needed thing.

But, overall, I do appreciate the toolbox and have been successfully using it with the items I have created myself.

 

[schenman]

I don't see why saving the toolbox part needs to be done on creation.

If I add a new part to an assembly, I don't have to save it straight away, it gets saved when the assembly gets saved.
If I add a new part to an assembly using a script, I don't have to save it straight away, it gets saved when the assembly gets saved.

Why is adding a toolbox part so different? The workflow is not homogenous.

I know that Alibre is working on their own vault so this will have no real priority, but the integration with saving to M-Files is terrible.
I still have the window popping up and asking where to save it, even though I don't.
I have to save the assembly to M-Files before I can add a toolbox part otherwise it fails.
This is annoying to have to remember when I am building a frame out of RHS lengths made from the toolbox.

With the spreadsheet, particularly for things like fasteners, I would have had the length values as a comma separated list that could be read and split into a list of values for a dropbox rather than an individual line for each fastener length. I would have done the same with the thread length and linked the columns, so if the third value was selected in the overall length field, then the third value in the thread length field was automatically chosen.

This way, eg. each bolt size would only have 1 line per class in the spreadsheet, rather than 1 line per length, per class.

David's point 3 really needs addressing. Being able to relink the spreadsheet to the EE table is a needed thing.

But, overall, I do appreciate the toolbox and have been successfully using it with the items I have created myself.

I think it is necessary to save the newly created Tool Box part because it is unique. For example, I am designing a new bathroom and I am modeling it in Alibre and I am using different pipe lengths. I want each pipe size in the BOM to be used to cut the pipes.
Here is a jpg of part explorer with a few pieces of the pipes.

 

[albie0803]

I understand that, but if you created those pieces manually as new parts in the assembly you don't have to save each one as you create it, you can insert them all and then save the assembly which then includes saving each of the new parts.

But with the toolbox you have to manually save them as you add them.

 

[bolsover]

David's point 3 really needs addressing. Being able to relink the spreadsheet to the EE table is a needed thing.

For me this is the big one...
I 'understand' why the Alibre developers chose to start with spreadsheet rather than the Part and then link to spreadsheet. These kinds of two-way linkages are quite difficult to programme (ask me how I know!) but it is possible. In general, a two-way link needs to have some sort of arbitration dialog that shows the fields available on each side (Part and Spreadsheet) and allows the user to drag/drop links between the fields.

One other feature I think needs implementing is to allow the use of formulae in the Spreadsheet fields. TBH, I don't understand why this was not done from the get go - when reading excel cell data, the API used for this generally allow the programmer to choose if it is the formula or the value which is read. I completely understand that you don't want to read the formula - just the resultant value.

David

 

[UGMENTALCASE]

Maybe you could help me? I'm setting up a bunch of things in the toolbox. Mainly, box section, angles and so on. I download the SHCS one from resources and it's great. I tried to apply that to a hex nut set up and I cannot for the life of me get it working.
I've got the sketch figures working that bit is fine, but I cannot get it to do the threaded hole. Using the same excel columns as the SHCS resource it keeps giving me errors saying invalid characters in the cell, or something else equally as vague to me

 

[DavidJ]

There is detailed guidance in Help about using threads in Toolbox spreadsheets

Articles

help.alibre.com

 

[UGMENTALCASE]

Great stuff I'll check through it. I must have something a miss somewhere. Maybe an underscore or something.

Cheers

 

[UGMENTALCASE]

Had an _ instead of a -!!!!! ‍

 

[albie0803]

Glad you found it. I think that sort of thing tripped me up a few times too.

 

[Max]

So I've been testing out the new toolbox feature and have to say I'm quite impressed. I can see that this will be of great benefit for all users once there is a body of 'standard' part toolbox items available. @Max has already suggested that there may be some dedicated file space available in the future. I know also know that there are a couple of items already in the resources area of the forum.

I've already reported on bug in toolbox - and had a very positive reply from support.

I think there are a couple of other issues with the system that need to be addressed but which are not actually bugs.

Just my view but here are a few possible areas for improvement:

1 When adding a toolbox item to an assembly, having navigated to the toolbox part I want, I then have to click on the 'configure and insert' button. I would make sense if I just had to double click the selected item to open up the insert dialog.

2 If I want to edit an existing toolbox part to add or make changes to the selection criteria, the part 'Save' button is disabled, I have to do a 'Save as' and overwrite the existing part. I understand the rationale behind this - but it seems - well a bit clunky. I would prefer to see a warning dialog 'Are you sure you want to replace toolbox part?'

3 If I design a toolbox part and go though the 'Add Part from Spreadsheet' routine, design the Part and set up everything only to realise I need one more parameter - I need to start all over with a new part design. It would be really helpful If I could save the work in progress, make the necessary changes to the spreadsheet and then re-read the fields into the now existing but incomplete part design.

David

If I had to guess for item 2, it’s likely if that’s the only change you make it’s not dirtying the part (marking it as having changed and this becoming save ready) like it should. Could you try something - open a toolbox part and do your changes. Then just move the dog one up and back down. Does save become available?

 

[bolsover]

If I had to guess for item 2, it’s likely if that’s the only change you make it’s not dirtying the part (marking it as having changed and this becoming save ready) like it should. Could you try something - open a toolbox part and do your changes. Then just move the dog one up and back down. Does save become available?

@Max
Yes - you are correct. I must have been attempting some change that did not cause the part to become dirty.
David