v23 - Request Thread

[Max]

V23 is an "annoyance fixing" release - bugs, usability, UI weirdness, etc.

Along those lines - please list your top 3 in the following format:

1. In this workspace when I do this etc.
2. In the Equation Editor clicking on blah does blah and it should do blah.
3. We need lasso select tools in sketch

Please keep it short, concise, and to only your top 3. Also please do not make comments on other people's stuff or general discussion here - please make one post here and only one and only with a list of three things. Makes it much easier for us.

 

[simonb65]

1. Selected/hover over face 'z-order' rendering mess when a precision section is active.
2. Editing 3D splines and the pain in the butt having to manually swap active planes and second guess where your nodes are going (should be auto activated based on your view).
3. Position of Apply button in constrains dialog needs moving to the bottom. Makes the workflow ... flow!

 

[TonyF]

1. Real modeled threads (with actual faces that can be manipulated - push pull, etc.)
2. Automatically add reinforcing ribs and gussets.
3. Visualize the center of mass.

Hope this isn't beyond the intent of v23

Thanks!

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

1. Functionality to create, edit, rename, and copy large projects with multiple drawing files, multiple level assembly files, multiple BOM files, multiple part files.
2. More dimension abilities in sketch and drawings (circumference, arc length, baseline, chain).
3. Change configuration in views in drawings.

I have a long list of smaller but important things too. I'll post it's own thread.

 

[IonSteve]

1. Remember last action or set default for extrude cut. Specifically, I almost always use “through all” for extrude cuts, and it’s an extra few clicks Every. Single. Time.

<you have 2 more - admin>
(I had to go collect myself, this is very exciting)

2. Automatically go to part in explorer upon clicking it in assembly space. Currently a right click, but it would be nice if this were click-less. If it got annoying perhaps it could be an option.
3. Allow creation & edits of constraints without having to close and reopen constraint dialogue every time. Very non-flowy work flow.

 

[MikeHenry]

1) Come up with an easy way to migrate or copy a project (parts, assemblies, sub-assemblies, drawings, sheet metal, BOM, etc) to a new folder or project.
2) Make the reference plane for a sketch editable
3) I'll think of something else if the 1st two are implemented...

 

[HaroldL]

Okay, here's three:

1. In the drawing while dimensioning make it so you can align dimensions as you create them. Having to exit sketch mode then align dimensions just adds to the work. AND fix the alignment so the dimension lines are aligned not the text. ( see my post here.)
   
2. While your at it make the Smart dimension setting actually smart. They do not compensate for the arrow and the dimension line in order to flip from an inside arrow to the outside. (see images below.)
   
3. Add svg as an export file type.

 

[AlexB]

1. Show all hidden components – a button or shortcut key, extremely useful for me.
2. Show part in explorer with click on model part – is currently a command in right button click menu, would be great if happens on click or even middle mouse button click.
3. Item in selection box indicated on model – certain dialog boxes such as chamfer don’t show you what edges or faces you’re going to delete when selected, it’s a bit ‘Russian roulette’.

Thanks and great work with v22

 

[Drutort]

1. Ability to key map just about every function (you know like rename etc)
2. Constraints that are broken, maybe make ghost past history snap of last working state and parts associated (very hard to guess and go and figure out some broken constraints, at least would be nice to know past 2 parts the constraint belonged to) Also make a way to "jump to" the part or parts the constraint belongs maybe expand them?

3. more features for selected items, for example in asm selected in tree show/hide/expand/

bonus: more editing features of sheets in 2D (duplicate, copy, paste)

 

[bigseb]

1. An improved loft tool that is more user-friendly and robust than the current one
2. tangent tangent splines for 2D and 3D sketches
3. STL import and conversion to solid.

I have more...

 

[jc-s]

1. Pressing F2 on the design explorer doesn't take you into rename (like everywhere else in Windows). This would make renaming that bit faster (and more intuitive).

2. Component placement free-drag triad. There should be an option to allow this to show: (a) only movement along axes; (b) only rotation; (c) as-is now both rotation and movement. Too many times I have accidentally rotated something while trying to move it and not noticed (because the rotation was slight), then spend quite a while later trying to fix this. Depending on the view angle, rotate often obscures the axis movement selection, so this would help with that too.

3. Component placement free-drag triad (again). When you first activate this it appears on-screen. If you then zoom/scroll and select something else to move, the triad remains in the last position, often off-screen which is not much use. You then have to cancel the operation and enable it again just to get the triad to appear correctly.

 

[JST]

1) Please move the constraint "apply" button to the bottom of the window, and have it in the SAME PLACE for ALL of the constraints.

2) Please provide a means to have ALL the "save" operations default to a settable arbitrary location (Exports, drawings, PDFs, whatever. Every save should default to the selected place). Preferably a "set to current directory" option so that we do not have to type out the full path. This to be the default, which can be over-ridden for a single save, then returns to the default.
Defaulting to the current open directory could be an OK interim step. (This is a step towards "project directories", and hopefully eventually real, protected, part libraries)
As part of that, show the FULL path for saves at the top where just the project name is now shown

3) Show the FULL path for the recently opened files when hovering the cursor on the "icons".

 

[Dave Machock]

1. In the Part Library, the ability to assign a parent parameter to thread selection for a value driven drop down.
2.
3.

<admin - you have 2 more>

 

[jfleming]

I'd be down for a "Drawings" focused upgrade, with more attention paid to the items folks have pointed out about wanted/necessary improvements to the drawing mode.

<Admin - Please make a 1) 2) 3) list>

1> Rotate a view... I find many times It would make more sense to have a view rotated 45 or 90 degrees, but even with it not "aligned" there is no way to rotate it.

2> General improvements to the Note tool... i.e. if I change the font size from 9 to 12, it changes it for all of it as a 'blanket' vs currently if i type in a string of text, i have to then highlight the text and change the font size. Also it's not obvious where the note is being placed... on the sheet, or with a specific view. The process for getting the note to be "attached" to a view is not obvious.

3>In sketch mode for creating a part, it would be nice if the sketch scaled, based off of the first placed dimension. Instead of the thing going all wonky and only

4> Dimension Lines don't "Gap" across leader lines

 

[Hunter]

I firstly want to say that I'm very pleased with V22, keep up the good work.

1. A Project Definition file setup (AD_PRJ ???) in which you can set up a project with default templates, materials, save locations/directories for Alibre files and PDFs. This will enable you to copy/move whole designs from one location to another, currently there is no way to do this safely.
2. The possibility to create and insert subassemblies in an assembly file. Similar to inserting a new part in an assembly, but instead select a bunch of files in the Design Explorer (if you're working in an assembly), right-click and "Create and insert new assembly here" (or whatever), give it a name, and you're done. The result is a new AD_ASM file, consisting of the part and assy files you selected, but already inserted in the assembly file you were working in. Even just the ability to drag and drop part/assy files into an assembly file would be great.
3. EDIT: Deleted "Change configuration in views in drawings", it's already listed. New: RMB click on dimension in a drawing and have options to change display precision and option to change to a reference dimension, maybe some other options too.

 

[sz0k30]

In a former life, I spent many years as a designer working on Unigraphics. One of the things I found really easy with UG and I find extremely difficult with Alibre is the handling of planes and axis.

1. In UG you simply place a WCS (Work Coordinate System) anywhere you want. This WCS is a collector for and includes the 3 planes and
3 axis, and once you locate it you can rotate it in any direction.

Get rid of individual Planes & Axis and replace them with an all in one WCS.


2. What’s the deal with “Nodes”? They’re like wannabe points. Get rid of Nodes and lets just have “Points” that function as real 3d points. And let those points transfer to Drawings for use in dimensioning to theoretical intersections.

3. Post #4 mentioned more dimension capabilities such as: Arc length, circumference etc.

 

[TimoCAD]

In a former life, I spent many years as a designer working on Unigraphics. One of the things I found really easy with UG and I find extremely difficult with Alibre is the handling of planes and axis.

1. In UG you simply place a WCS (Work Coordinate System) anywhere you want. This WCS is a collector for and includes the 3 planes and
3 axis, and once you locate it you can rotate it in any direction.

Get rid of individual Planes & Axis and replace them with an all in one WCS.


2. What’s the deal with “Nodes”? They’re like wannabe points. Get rid of Nodes and lets just have “Points” that function as real 3d points. And let those points transfer to Drawings for use in dimensioning to theoretical intersections.

3. Post #4 mentioned more dimension capabilities such as: Arc length, circumference etc.

+1000!

 

[Bartek S]

1. Fix the calibration size of the underlying photo (tracing images).

(I can't set the horizontal distance correctly. When I want to save the change, the photo becomes smaller horizontally. Checked on two computers)

------
Bartek

 

[jasonmburns]

Add real thread cutting options/tools in Atom3D and above for 3D Printing.

 

[NigelL]

1. Improve the measurements available on imported parts. Currently one can only measure the center-to-centre distance between two circular features - it would be great to have the ability to measure "inside to inside" and outside-to-outside etc. (similar to Slot Dimensions in sketches).
2. Add a hyperlink/lookup to cryptic error messages, that points to a help file or online info that describes the error in more detail and possible ways to fix the error.
3. Add an option to the "Paste Stamper" in Sketch mode to rotate the copied sketch in 45 or 90-degree increments - e.g. by pressing the spacebar.