v27 Status?

[thomasqm]

It is perhaps a bit premature, but here are a few of the biggest things on the docket for v27:

Disassociated Dims
A few scenarios have been identified that are addressable that should prevent this from happening in those cases.

3Dconnexion
Some upgrades to the 3Dconnexion interface are happening. We do not have time right now to move to the full new shiny SDK, however we are able to address a few things such as some button mapping issues for views and rotation speed etc. Depending on how much noise is (or is not) made after those adjustments are made, we may prioritize moving to the new SDK in a subsequent release.

Grouping / Reordering Stuff in DE
Note this does not mean dynamic subassembly generation/dissolution. Reorder configs, reorder constraints, create folders containing groups of items.

Patterning Features along paths
We believe this is doable in v27 and will try. It may get cut. Today you can feature pattern in a direction - imagine being able to chain select edges and using that edge chain as the "direction" so it flows cleanly along a spline or along an edge profile etc. For example:
View attachment 38783

Deform text along a path
Some kind of input will be added to the Text box that allows the resulting text to be laid about a path, for example around a circle.

Chain and Paint Select (Sketching)
The ability to rightclick a sketch figure and select the whole chain. The ability to hold the mouse down and "paint" over figures, selecting any that the cursor moves over.

API Related
Some changes related to points and potentially SMP, primarily in service of NateLiqGrav's issues related to the structural assembly script.

Native Part Library Infrastructure
A new Excel-driven approach to designing part families shall exist. It is primarily suited for part families where data can be easily represented in Excel and requires no front-end business logic to occur - read another way, each excel line must fully define the part's properties/dims.

Along with this infrastructure, we have entered into an agreement with a 3rd party to generate a complete native part library including ANSI, ISO, DIN, GB, and some others. This library will be native and will contain all the usual suspects - structural members, fasteners, bearings, yadda yadda. It is hoped that along with v27 we will release ANSI - the rest would be released over time over the next year or so as they are completed. It is unknown if ANSI will be released in conjunction with 27 at this time.


There's a few other things in flux but this is a high level of something you can look forward to (hopefully) until we get more granular in our information, videos, etc.

There was a post from the Alibre team (perhaps yourself) about a PDM for v27. Is there any news about this?

For me, a huge improvement would be the cosmetic threads that are cut in 3D (like when making a relief on a screw) are also cut in the 2D drawing.

 

[Max]

PDM will not be in v27. That's a very large, evolving project for us and the current internal target to start thinking about what a release might look like is near the end of the year. We will have a much better read on that probably Aug. / Sept. of this year, but that remains to be determined.

 

[Max]

Updates to the API would be most welcome.
As you probably know, I have done some work on a gear generator add-on written in C#. I would like to continue this work but there are some real challenges because of features missing from the API in particular:

Ability to add Feature Patterns - particularly circular.
Ability to Add and edit Planes and Axes.
Ability to Add Helical Cut/Loft features.

To date, I have overcome these issues for straight cut and helical gears by using a template file that contains the required features and editing these. However it is far from satisfactory and for some more advanced gear geometries (worm, bevel and helical bevel) this approach may not be viable.

David

Hi David,

Email max@alibre.com and please be explicit and exhaustive about what you need from the API. I will pass this along to dev. 27 is full, but perhaps this stuff can make it into 28.

Thanks!

 

[jasonmburns]

The last two upgrade versions were pretty good, but I am not sure that overall product is worth the price of the annual maintenance. Yes, I am thankful for many improvements in V25 and V26, but I want a lot more features implemented in V27.

I am considering putting a hold on my upcoming annual maintenance until they get a physical threads/visual threads toggle. I have paid every year since my initial purchase in hopes that this feature would be released soon. Looking back, I could have saved a lot of money by waiting to renew. I would also like the ability to import mesh files the way Free CAD and Fusion 360 can, so I can import 3D scans for reverse engineering, but I don't think that is a goal of Alibre. I am not knocking Alibre. I love the Alibre software and I hate subscription software plans like Fusion 360 has. That is the reason I bought Alibre vs. using Fusion 360 to begin with. I just don't like jumping back and forth between apps to accomplish things because then I need to learn two or three apps instead of one when other apps have had these same features built in for years. I also would like to get away from online web converter tools. If I need to use a tool to convert a mesh to a solid, I would like it to be a downloadable standalone application, not a web app. I really hope Alibre adds some of these features in the near future. I think it might be wise for the developers to download and try some other CAD software that are out there to get some ideas as I don't want them to fall behind.

 

[kritoke]

I am considering putting a hold on my upcoming annual maintenance until they get a physical threads/visual threads toggle. I have paid every year since my initial purchase in hopes that this feature would be released soon. Looking back, I could have saved a lot of money by waiting to renew. I would also like the ability to import mesh files the way Free CAD and Fusion 360 can, so I can import 3D scans for reverse engineering, but I don't think that is a goal of Alibre. I am not knocking Alibre. I love the Alibre software and I hate subscription software plans like Fusion 360 has. That is the reason I bought Alibre vs. using Fusion 360 to begin with. I just don't like jumping back and forth between apps to accomplish things because then I need to learn two or three apps instead of one when other apps have had these same features built in for years. I also would like to get away from online web converter tools. If I need to use a tool to convert a mesh to a solid, I would like it to be a downloadable standalone application, not a web app. I really hope Alibre adds some of these features in the near future. I think it might be wise for the developers to download and try some other CAD software that are out there to get some ideas as I don't want them to fall behind.

I'm hopeful they will get there, I suspect they still are doing away with a lot of old legacy code trying to get things up to where other stuff is. I am keeping a watchful eye on some of the NURBS CAD programs lately, a new beta of the new Moi3D just came out and Plasticity3D now out of beta is very tempting. With it having the price point of Atom3D and easy interface, it might target some potential customers of Alibre, though it still seems to be a way off for certain features and modifying dimensions/sizing easily. I think the more recent software development trend of iterate quickly and not be afraid to break stuff is something not every company has adapted to yet. There is something to be said for it to just work most of the time and not rapid changes. It's a delicate balance.

 

[jasonmburns]

I'm hopeful they will get there, I suspect they still are doing away with a lot of old legacy code trying to get things up to where other stuff is. I am keeping a watchful eye on some of the NURBS CAD programs lately, a new beta of the new Moi3D just came out and Plasticity3D now out of beta is very tempting. With it having the price point of Atom3D and easy interface, it might target some potential customers of Alibre, though it still seems to be a way off for certain features and modifying dimensions/sizing easily. I think the more recent software development trend of iterate quickly and not be afraid to break stuff is something not every company has adapted to yet. There is something to be said for it to just work most of the time and not rapid changes. It's a delicate balance.

I have Moi3D, but I am not the artistic type so I don't use it much. I also have SelfCAD which I find to be a lot more useful for the type of work I do, but I still prefer Alibre. I bought SelfCAD as a companion to Alibre for the ability to easily make physical threads and gears. I have to use FreeCAD or Fusion 360 if I want to use reverse engineer parts or make custom accessories that contour mesh shapes using my 3D scanner. I could do all of this using Fusion 360 including physical threads, but I refuse to pay to borrow software that I will never own. This is the same reason I will pay to purchase Corel Draw and not pay to lease Adobe Illustrator.

 

[bolsover]

Hi David,

Email max@alibre.com and please be explicit and exhaustive about what you need from the API. I will pass this along to dev. 27 is full, but perhaps this stuff can make it into 28.

Thanks!

Hi Max. Thanks - I'll respond by email next week when I get back from holiday.
David

 

[nopick]

It is perhaps a bit premature, but here are a few of the biggest things on the docket for v27:

Disassociated Dims
A few scenarios have been identified that are addressable that should prevent this from happening in those cases.

3Dconnexion
Some upgrades to the 3Dconnexion interface are happening. We do not have time right now to move to the full new shiny SDK, however we are able to address a few things such as some button mapping issues for views and rotation speed etc. Depending on how much noise is (or is not) made after those adjustments are made, we may prioritize moving to the new SDK in a subsequent release.

Grouping / Reordering Stuff in DE
Note this does not mean dynamic subassembly generation/dissolution. Reorder configs, reorder constraints, create folders containing groups of items.

Patterning Features along paths
We believe this is doable in v27 and will try. It may get cut. Today you can feature pattern in a direction - imagine being able to chain select edges and using that edge chain as the "direction" so it flows cleanly along a spline or along an edge profile etc. For example:
View attachment 38783

Deform text along a path
Some kind of input will be added to the Text box that allows the resulting text to be laid about a path, for example around a circle.

Chain and Paint Select (Sketching)
The ability to rightclick a sketch figure and select the whole chain. The ability to hold the mouse down and "paint" over figures, selecting any that the cursor moves over.

API Related
Some changes related to points and potentially SMP, primarily in service of NateLiqGrav's issues related to the structural assembly script.

Native Part Library Infrastructure
A new Excel-driven approach to designing part families shall exist. It is primarily suited for part families where data can be easily represented in Excel and requires no front-end business logic to occur - read another way, each excel line must fully define the part's properties/dims.

Along with this infrastructure, we have entered into an agreement with a 3rd party to generate a complete native part library including ANSI, ISO, DIN, GB, and some others. This library will be native and will contain all the usual suspects - structural members, fasteners, bearings, yadda yadda. It is hoped that along with v27 we will release ANSI - the rest would be released over time over the next year or so as they are completed. It is unknown if ANSI will be released in conjunction with 27 at this time.


There's a few other things in flux but this is a high level of something you can look forward to (hopefully) until we get more granular in our information, videos, etc.

We desperately need deform text along path. It's especially good if that path can be a spline!

 

[Max]

We desperately need deform text along path. It's especially good if that path can be a spline!

 

[lamar]

Good job Alibre Teem !

 

[JimCad]

View attachment 39010

Brilliant! Thanks.
Jim

 

[simonb65]

@Max, is that just splines (which in itself is awesome) or does that also include circles/arcs and lines? Lines not so much, but I include for completeness. I personally would use this feature more around circles and arcs than specifically splines (not taking away the importance of splines though).

 

[Ken226]

I took this post from Max's reply in post #13 to mean that circles will definitely be on the list.

" Deform text along a path
Some kind of input will be added to the Text box that allows the resulting text to be laid about a path, for example around a circle."

I'm also looking forward to "patterning features along a path".

 

[Max]

@Max, is that just splines (which in itself is awesome) or does that also include circles/arcs and lines? Lines not so much, but I include for completeness. I personally would use this feature more around circles and arcs than specifically splines (not taking away the importance of splines though).

It's basically any sketch figure or combination of connected sketch figures. In the below example, we show text traversing a line, arc, elliptical arc, into a spline.



As you point out, lines are not necessarily interesting. However, combinations of lines can be:

 

[JimCad]

Thanks Max

Getting a CEO to interact with "mere mortals" is something very rare.
I'm new to Alibre but I'm very impressed with what I've seen so far.
From yourself, from the moderators, and all the Alibre users that take part and help each other on here.
Jim

 

[danwrnr11]

v27 release is still some way off. I'm sure once we get close to beta phase there will be information posted about new features and changes. Close to actual release a new version page is usually added to the Alibre web site, which will include videos.

Some fixes for particular issues are already done, and a few of these have been mentioned in response to specific subjects on the forum.

Please take your time and make it as smooth as the V26 release, as it was well done and executed

 

[GIOV]

It's basically any sketch figure or combination of connected sketch figures. In the below example, we show text traversing a line, arc, elliptical arc, into a spline.

Hello Max,
1.-To divide curve path in equal segments magnitude with points in Part Workspace 2D and 3D Sketches or in Assemble Workspace Curves will be feasible? (With eq. Editor).
2.-Also offset the curve as show in the image below.
Thanks in advance!
GIOV

 

[Stuart]

It is perhaps a bit premature, but here are a few of the biggest things on the docket for v27:

Disassociated Dims
A few scenarios have been identified that are addressable that should prevent this from happening in those cases.

3Dconnexion
Some upgrades to the 3Dconnexion interface are happening. We do not have time right now to move to the full new shiny SDK, however we are able to address a few things such as some button mapping issues for views and rotation speed etc. Depending on how much noise is (or is not) made after those adjustments are made, we may prioritize moving to the new SDK in a subsequent release.

Grouping / Reordering Stuff in DE
Note this does not mean dynamic subassembly generation/dissolution. Reorder configs, reorder constraints, create folders containing groups of items.

Patterning Features along paths
We believe this is doable in v27 and will try. It may get cut. Today you can feature pattern in a direction - imagine being able to chain select edges and using that edge chain as the "direction" so it flows cleanly along a spline or along an edge profile etc. For example:
View attachment 38783

Deform text along a path
Some kind of input will be added to the Text box that allows the resulting text to be laid about a path, for example around a circle.

Chain and Paint Select (Sketching)
The ability to rightclick a sketch figure and select the whole chain. The ability to hold the mouse down and "paint" over figures, selecting any that the cursor moves over.

API Related
Some changes related to points and potentially SMP, primarily in service of NateLiqGrav's issues related to the structural assembly script.

Native Part Library Infrastructure
A new Excel-driven approach to designing part families shall exist. It is primarily suited for part families where data can be easily represented in Excel and requires no front-end business logic to occur - read another way, each excel line must fully define the part's properties/dims.

Along with this infrastructure, we have entered into an agreement with a 3rd party to generate a complete native part library including ANSI, ISO, DIN, GB, and some others. This library will be native and will contain all the usual suspects - structural members, fasteners, bearings, yadda yadda. It is hoped that along with v27 we will release ANSI - the rest would be released over time over the next year or so as they are completed. It is unknown if ANSI will be released in conjunction with 27 at this time.


There's a few other things in flux but this is a high level of something you can look forward to (hopefully) until we get more granular in our information, videos, etc.

How about before adding another feature to text, that you fix it so that constrained (positioned) text can be extruded without having to explode it and make it non-editable? It hasn't worked for several releases.

 

[HKOCH]

Where can we volunteer as Beta Tester for the V27?

 

[DavidJ]

How about before adding another feature to text, that you fix it so that constrained (positioned) text can be extruded without having to explode it and make it non-editable? It hasn't worked for several releases.

That is more down to the font used. Many fonts are badly formed.