Using a fillet type command to apply shape to an edge/face

[chiefshoe]

Using a fillet type command to apply shape to an edge/face

I build things from wood (i.e. clocks, tables, picture frames, etc.). I use Alibre Design Professional to design my projects before I attempt to build them. A common practice in woodworking is that of creating complex shapes on a face or edge with a router or spindle shaper. Typically a high speed cutting head manufactured with a specific form is used to shape the narrow edge of a piece of wood. Reproducing these shapes and applying them to objects created within Alibre is time consuming and in some cases problematic for the program. I was wondering if an Alibre command could be added or an existing command could be modified to allow applying this detail in a fashion similar to the way the “part” fillet command works.

I would like to be able to design specific detail or duplicate the existing detail of industry common shapes (i.e. Roman ogee, dovetail, keyhole, ogee), using the 2D sketch tools. Than pass that detail on to a tool similar to the Fillet (or chamfer type) Command for application of the detail to a 3D part just like the Fillet command places a fillet radius on the edges of a face. Perhaps a library of these shapes could be saved and selected for use at anytime during the design process.

Typically in wood working the basic part is cut into a desired shape and then the edge detail is applied using a router or spindle shaper. I would like to duplicate this process within Alibre in exactly the same manor.

Is this type of feature of interest to any other Alibre users??

Gary Shulman

 

[MilesH]

Hi Gary,

This is something I've dreamed about as well... Whilst it's not quite as straightforward as the method you propose, there is, presently, the ability to save a Feature as a Catalogue Feature. Extrude Boss/Cuts are accepted, but Sweeps are not, unfortunately The alignment can be problematic, though... You can also save a Sketch (router profile) as a Catalogue Feature. Anyway, probably you've already experimented with this way.....

Certainly, the functionality you describe would be very useful for me.


Miles

 

[indesign]

Had thoughts of this while doing the Captain's bed on the Xpress winners list.....It was very time consuming to model the edges.

A feature like the fillet with a special fillet shape would work great.

Count me in for the request!

 

[moyesboy]

You do realise you can select the edge as the sweep path if that suits, you don't need to create a path sketch...

 

[MilesH]

Well, I certainly do....

One thing that I don't know, maybe someone could explain it - Why is it not possible to Move a Sketch which has been inserted as a Catalogue Feature? Sure, you can "position" it when you insert it, but not precisely, with reference to anything else....

Miles

 

[jemmej]

I've moved one before. Its all in how you define your sketch in the first place. Plus, once it has been entered into the new part, its really not a catalog feature. Think of it as placing a block in AutoCAD which automatically explodes. Once the sketch has been placed, it is editable just like anything else. If it needs moved and is imovable, it needs some DOF removed. Admittedly it can be tricky to see. Another engineer had a similar problem. It turned out to be easier to reconstrain the origianl catalog feature than to decipher why it could not be moved once placed. I also find that creating reference lines for symmetry and other pertinent axes are very useful for locating a freshly inserted catalog featuere (i.e. I put the reference lines into the catalog feature itself).

Jim

 

[MilesH]

Thanks Jim!

You're absolutely right, I realise what I was doing wrong now

Sorry about the false alarm, folks....

I still think life would be much easier if you could choose an insertion point when you save a Sketch as a Catalogue Feature. It's a bore to have to move it after insertion.

Adding Reference Lines to the Catalogue Feature is a good idea, though.

Thanks.

Miles

 

[jemmej]

No problem. And I certainly second the idea of being able to set an insertion point!

Jim

 

[alexfranke]

Hi Gary,

I'm into woodworking, too, as a hobby. Professionally I'm a software engineer, so when I discovered Alibre had an API (programming interface) I naturally started tinkering.

Anyway I wrote a dovetail jig that models dovetail pins and tails, both through and half-blind, with settings for numbers of pins, pin width, blind inset, angle, joint width and length. I even timed it -- pefect pins in 15 seconds =)

There are still a couple of issues I need to work through to make it more usable, but if you like to model your dovetails, this will certainly save you some time.

Tutorial and download instructions at http://plans.thefrankes.com/Tutorials/DovetailJig/ (pardon the incomplete site) I added a couple of images below.

From what I've explored so far (admittedly not too much), the Alibre API doesn't really accommodate full integration at this point (maybe version 9?) -- it's more suited to allowing a separate application to hook into it and control some of its features.

I've started work on a router tool, too, (ideally select an edge, select a profile, click OK to apply) but working through this has been a bit slow at home here with a toddler, and I've run into some integration difficulties with the API -- hopefully just learning curve. =)

Anyhow, I'll keep you in the loop as I progress if you're interested.

Cheers,
Alex

A couple images (I've made a couple changes since the screenshot):

 

[MilesH]

Hi Alex,

Look forward to playing with your dovetail module - brilliant idea!

I've been woodworking for 30 years and somehow managed to avoid dovetails :wink:

Many of us are hoping for integrated scripting in Alibre, soon.....

 

[fitzbond]

Nice work Alex I'm sure you will getting a call from Alibre.