UI proposal - feedback requested
- Thread starter Max
- Start date
HaroldL
Alibre Super User
@Max, Any updates on dialogs?
Also, I think this is related to the ribbon and not dialogs but can a method be developed to add favorites or most used scripts to the Script ribbon and give them a one-click start?
Instead of repeating myself, here's a discussion on scripts in another post
Also, I think this is related to the ribbon and not dialogs but can a method be developed to add favorites or most used scripts to the Script ribbon and give them a one-click start?
Instead of repeating myself, here's a discussion on scripts in another post
Polygon over 24 sides hangs = must kill Alibre in TaskMngr
Alibre Design Expert V27 WIN 10, DirectX 12 9th gen Intel Core 5 i5-9400F Processor (2b) 64bit/(32bit) - 2.90GHz Chip type: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti full hardware specs attached... All optimizations per the instructions on the Alibre website Performance section. System was mostly already set...
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Being a previous CATIAv5 user, I miss several things. 1) A graphic representation of assembly restraints. Sketches have it, but assemblies do not. 2) A manual control of mouse / space ball center. Catia allowed the user to select a feature and 3d rotate around it until another was chosen.
HaroldL
Alibre Super User
You can add and set Rotation Points.
Also, If you are using a Space Mouse you can click the Windows mouse to start a rotation then use the Space Mouse to rotate about the point you clicked with the Windows mouse. Kind of a kludge when using the default mouse settings but I have change mine to use the Right mouse button for rotating the view rather than using both right and left mouse buttons together. I find that is much, much easier to coordinate.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++!!!
See posts on:
Spacemouse autocenter
When working with the spacemouse, the object rather quickly leaves the viewing volume. Which makes absolutely no sense. There should be a functionality to suppress that the object leaves the viewing volume.
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3DPrince
Member
My suggestion is to ensure each tool that is selected is highlighed until another is selected.
At the moment on the "2D Sketch" tab/Sketch Figures: The only tools which are highlighted when selected are the "Line", "Rectangle" and "Circle".
Others such as "Arc", "Tangent Arc", "Ellipse" and References: "Line" and "Circle" remain the current tool once selected, but are not highlighted.
I am using Atom 3D - I presume Design is the same.
Eric.
At the moment on the "2D Sketch" tab/Sketch Figures: The only tools which are highlighted when selected are the "Line", "Rectangle" and "Circle".
Others such as "Arc", "Tangent Arc", "Ellipse" and References: "Line" and "Circle" remain the current tool once selected, but are not highlighted.
I am using Atom 3D - I presume Design is the same.
Eric.
bigseb
Alibre Super User
Some thoughts on UI changes:
3D Part:
- I don't mind boss and cut functions being combined eg. extrude boss and extrude cut in the same window and activated by the same button. Same goes for rotate, loft, sweep, helix and boolean functions. It'll free up some space.
- I still think each of the direct editing functions must have their own dedicated button and not be in a dropdown menu.
- For metric users the default values in the value boxes should not be a quarter, eighth, etc numbers. That's an imperial thing and we don't work like that.
- Planes must be listed as a sub-item of a feature (the same way a sketch is).
Sketch:
- Move and rotate should have their own buttons and not be in a dropdown menu.
- The text tool should have an option to create 2D single line based text. Useful for basic engrving of parts.
- Coincident constraints need to be represented by a symbol when applied and need to be deletable.
- Every sketch must have a dialogue box that allows users to select basic sketch parameter like plane (!!!), sketch name, sketch normal (overriding plane normal).
Global:
- All input boxes and/or feature/function windows need an 'apply' button. Most often the only way to see what one's input will achieve is to click back in another field or 'ok' the results only to have to reopen the window to make adjustments.
One last one that has nothing to do with the UI but needs to be addressed: the current surfacing tool is not really usable since surfaces created in AD (for, say, trimming) cannot be saved as Alibre usable data. They must be exported as igs, and then reimported into the file being trimmed. All associativity is lost. Something worth looking into.
3D Part:
- I don't mind boss and cut functions being combined eg. extrude boss and extrude cut in the same window and activated by the same button. Same goes for rotate, loft, sweep, helix and boolean functions. It'll free up some space.
- I still think each of the direct editing functions must have their own dedicated button and not be in a dropdown menu.
- For metric users the default values in the value boxes should not be a quarter, eighth, etc numbers. That's an imperial thing and we don't work like that.
- Planes must be listed as a sub-item of a feature (the same way a sketch is).
Sketch:
- Move and rotate should have their own buttons and not be in a dropdown menu.
- The text tool should have an option to create 2D single line based text. Useful for basic engrving of parts.
- Coincident constraints need to be represented by a symbol when applied and need to be deletable.
- Every sketch must have a dialogue box that allows users to select basic sketch parameter like plane (!!!), sketch name, sketch normal (overriding plane normal).
Global:
- All input boxes and/or feature/function windows need an 'apply' button. Most often the only way to see what one's input will achieve is to click back in another field or 'ok' the results only to have to reopen the window to make adjustments.
One last one that has nothing to do with the UI but needs to be addressed: the current surfacing tool is not really usable since surfaces created in AD (for, say, trimming) cannot be saved as Alibre usable data. They must be exported as igs, and then reimported into the file being trimmed. All associativity is lost. Something worth looking into.
Last edited:
dwc
Alibre Super User
YES !
Frederick
Member
We won't, despite me really wanting toThis is a case where I know it will invoke wraith.
I'm new to Alibre and I find the two kinds of extrusion, just as an example, an odd approach. Though in the long run I may find it is great.
What I'm used to is creating two solids and applying a boolean operation to them, be it union, difference or intersect. When I first got into 3D modeling tools and encountered that approach of acting on two of more solids it made perfect sense to me.
If you went with that approach I would be quite content.
HaroldL
Alibre Super User
That sounds like the old AutoCAD AME approach back with R11 and R12. The issue I had with it is there was no history and to make changes or edit you had to redo the boolean. Not Fun.
Once you get used to the Extrude Boss and Cut method I think you'll like it better.
And Hey, Welcome to the forum.
Labratwizard
Member
This would be a huge frustration reliever all around.
NateLiquidGravity
Alibre Super User
No, IMHO the most user friendly way to do that is a short timer started/extended by TextBox keypress events, so the timer event fires a second or so after the last keypress, which then fires the validation preview event. The timer is stopped if the user leaves the TextBox. Preview should be stopped if the user enters more data. The TextBox control can be subclassed to make any changes universal across the program.
dwc
Alibre Super User
No, I have had to use programs that work like that and one spends all ones time trying to stop the preview updates and/or waiting for preview updates to end. If you want to make several changes all the automatism just stands in your way. An update button does the job, it gives me the power.
It is no wonder that I don't use those programs any more (not even sure they still exist).
NateLiquidGravity
Alibre Super User
Guys, I turned the fancy previews off. As I stated before about it: I would prefer an option that shows the preview button but doesn't preview until clicked. The more options the better - the timer value could be a setting.
But for those who prefer the fancy preview - the modern way to do it is show things as they are typed. Previews are 100% something that could be multithreaded in Alibre Design to prevent them from slowing down the user. And I did say that the preview should be interrupted if the user enters more data - which AFAIK currently doesn't happen - it just freezes until it is done previewing.
To achieve what you want right now all you need to do is tab or click to a different spot so that the TextBox looses focus and the validation preview happens. The devs probably wouldn't even need any more code beyond adding a button because it would just need to get focus.
But for those who prefer the fancy preview - the modern way to do it is show things as they are typed. Previews are 100% something that could be multithreaded in Alibre Design to prevent them from slowing down the user. And I did say that the preview should be interrupted if the user enters more data - which AFAIK currently doesn't happen - it just freezes until it is done previewing.
To achieve what you want right now all you need to do is tab or click to a different spot so that the TextBox looses focus and the validation preview happens. The devs probably wouldn't even need any more code beyond adding a button because it would just need to get focus.