TUTORIAL: Single Speed Gearbox with Python Scripting

[NateLiquidGravity]

As it is a spline it will be nearly impossible to edit once in Alibre. I think it would be quicker for the user to have those variables in the script and they just make a new gear.

 

[albie0803]

While this in itself is a great function, remember that unless you are CNCing a gear or maybe 3Ding it, if you are only making gear models to suit an assembly, then this accurate tooth detail is only eye candy.

What about minor and major diameter change on construction? by indesign

Addendum diameter change ability is very important as often gears are tweaked up and down to get a desired centre distance rather than the proper centre distance for the gear set. Also, we often oversize the large gear and undersize the pinion gear so that later the large gear can be "tickled up", normally by grinding the teeth back, and then a new pinion gear can be made, this time on size.

 

[indesign]

While this in itself is a great function, remember that unless you are CNCing a gear or maybe 3Ding it, if you are only making gear models to suit an assembly, then this accurate tooth detail is only eye candy.

While the eye candy is nice I asked because we use a wire edm to actually manufacture special gears and gauges. Many times the customer is requesting out of norm specs and that was the reason for my questions.

 

[ajayre]

I'm looking for a couple of beta testers that have some spare time to try out ADScript and give me some feedback.

If you are interested please PM me. Thanks.

Andy

 

[bemfarmer]

I will be watching further developments of the python scripting program.
It is hard to grasp it, without access to the program.
Is this to be a commercial product, or be free?

- Brian

 

[ajayre]

Free.

 

[TimoCAD]

Hi Andy,

I'm interested in ADScripting.

What about a ChainDrive-generator?

I'm very confused about the Alibre-API, I tried to work out a simple File-Based-database with Automatic Numbering and Versioning.

Do You think this would also be possible with ADScripting?

Everyone would like to have a proper and easy to use file management.

Thanks for your effort and your capability of listening to us.

 

[ajayre]

One of the aims of ADScript is to make the API easier to use.

Via ADScript you can open, save and close AD_PRT files. Can you please give me an example of what you mean by file database, versioning and numbering?

If you mean never overwrite a file, instead always append an incrementing number to the filename then yes, that should be possible provided you only save using ADScript.

For versioning I use subversion and for open source projects I use subversion via github.

It should be possible to use ADScript to generate sprockets for chains.

Andy

 

[TimoCAD]

Hi Andy,

yes, something like that. With a GUI and extended search functions and also a where used search for Parts and assembly files. A filesystem based EDM/PDM.

About the chaindrive generator, sprockets are ok, but what about the chain itself? I have a sketch with the chaindrive layout consisting of circles, lines and splines. Now I want to place the lines on the hole sketch representing the chain polygons. After that I need the endpoints of those lines to put the chain Parts on them in an assembly.

Do you think this is possible? In other CAD Systems there is the possibility to place a point pattern on a closed sketch with a defined distance, of course parametric. That's what I miss in Alibre.

 

[bemfarmer]

I have a sketch with the chaindrive layout consisting of circles, lines and splines. Now I want to place the lines on the hole sketch representing the chain polygons. After that I need the endpoints of those lines to put the chain Parts on them in an assembly.

Hi TimoCAD,
Would you post a picture or sketch of the above, and the chain polygons please?

- Brian

 

[Giecon.nl]

Andy,

This looks very very promising. There is so much potential for this kind of scripting. I have looked at the example scripts on your web page, this looks like something even I can understand. Thumbs up for your efforts!

 

[TimoCAD]

Hi Brian,

you can even get the Assembly and the Part.

Maybe you have another good idea how to design a (nearly...) parametric chain drive. It's also a "Parametric-CAD-System" so this should be possible with less effort.

Otherwise I want to write an AddOn for that, but I think the Alibre-API is still very less explained and filled.

 

[TimoCAD]

Last Picture CloseUp - Chain Drive

 

[ajayre]

I will take a look at these and see how ADScript could be used.

Andy

 

[TimoCAD]

Hi Andy, this would be cool. Just take care of going over a border from a line to a circle and visa versa. The chain elements have all the same distance. So sometimes the reflines are lying on two different geometries, the startpoint in a line and the endpoint on a circle. Also the complete length off the chain should be an integer value and the first element should lie on the last element so that the chain is closed.

Thanks very much, I'm glad that someone who is a software developer is listening.

 

[ajayre]

Attached is the preliminary manual. There is a separate reference manual that lists all the functions available.

 

[ajayre]

Now released for free with a new name: http://www.wizotools.com/wizoscript.

Andy

 

[Kiseyob]

Here is my first trial to make a model using only WizoScript.
Though I'm very newbie for Python, I could follow the manual easily and start to tweak some code by myself.

Nice work, Andy.

 

[albie0803]

........ There is a separate reference manual that lists all the functions available.

Where do we get this from? I want to have a browse through the available commands before asking specific "Can you do?"

Something to think about. I do helical gears by sketching the cutout shape of one tooth on the "front" plane and then copying and rotating the sketch to a "middle" and "back" plane and then doing a loft cut using the 3 sketches and then doing a circular pattern for the correct number of teeth. This way my blank starts at the correct size and material is removed rather than material being added.

What would be good is something like your "generate single tooth" function that would create a "single tooth cutout sketch" that I could do the above function on.

 

[albie0803]

I tried your gear example and all went well until the first save. Where it bombed due to me using the vault.