v27 Status?

[Stuart]

In the interim, until or unless they fix this bug, or unintentional limitation , is there a reason you cant constraint it using the coincident constraint, to a mid-sketch horizontal reference line?

It works, and gives the same result. Like this:

Thanks, that seems to work. I'll try to carefully use it (explanation to follow).

Look at this attatchment. It's the original but with the midpoint removed and the spelling fixed. I added a center line with a midpoint and constrained it to the text = still broken. Not the same as you I realize, but when the centerline is deleted so I can do your version, an extra "point" stays with the center of the text and I can never delete them. This has also been reported a long time ago.

Do you see the problem?

 

[Stuart]

Thanks, that seems to work. I'll try to carefully use it (explanation to follow).

Look at this attatchment. It's the original but with the midpoint removed and the spelling fixed. I added a center line with a midpoint and constrained it to the text = still broken. Not the same as you I realize, but when the centerline is deleted so I can do your version, an extra "point" stays with the center of the text and I can never delete them. This has also been reported a long time ago.

Do you see the problem?

The point can be deleted if you select the correct point in the advanced selector, or by breaking the constraint with ctrl-drag, but if you have other lines/points for constraining, you don't know which point to delete. If you guess the wrong one, you have repairs to do. This is the specific issue that's been reported.

 

[Ken226]

The point can be deleted if you select the correct point in the advanced selector, or by breaking the constraint with ctrl-drag, but if you have other lines/points for constraining, you don't know which point to delete. If you guess the wrong one, you have repairs to do. This is the specific issue that's been reported.

So, you've submitted support tickets on this and Alibre never followed up with you?

In the past, every time I've submitted a ticket I was contacted by Alibre pretty quickly.

 

[Stuart]

So, you've submitted support tickets on this and Alibre never followed up with you?

In the past, every time I've submitted a ticket I was contacted by Alibre pretty quickly.

They followed up and acknowledged the problem, but it never gets fixed.

 

[Stuart]

So, you've submitted support tickets on this and Alibre never followed up with you?

In the past, every time I've submitted a ticket I was contacted by Alibre pretty quickly.

Just checked my email. Support logged this as a bug 16 months ago, several months before V25 was released.

 

[DavidJ]

Stuart, first I apologise for only skim reading your post yesterday evening, I made an incorrect assumption about your issue.

I haven't previously been aware of this issue, so I don't think it has been widely reported.

To centre the text I was able to be successful with a diagonal reference line across the face, then midline constraint from that to centre node of the text.

 

[Stuart]

Stuart, first I apologise for only skim reading your post yesterday evening, I made an incorrect assumption about your issue.

I haven't previously been aware of this issue, so I don't think it has been widely reported.

To centre the text I was able to be successful with a diagonal reference line across the face, then midline constraint from that to centre node of the text.

David, FYI, the bug was "logged" by Christina on 2022-02-04. Do you have the status of it?

To be clear, the problem isn't just with centering the text. There are ways around that. Placing a node anywhere on the sketch, even just out in the middle of nowhere will cause the problem. The bug should be titled "text fails when Node exists in same sketch"

 

[DavidJ]

Stuart, the function is currently working as intended, so 'bug' is not a correct description. Whether the design intent is appropriate or not is another matter. An enhancement request was logged, to which I've also tagged this conversation to provide more background.

In what circumstance would you need to add a node into a text sketch? Details might result in more weight for the requested change.

 

[Stuart]

I might have the concept of a node wrong. What are nodes meant to be used for? I'm using them as reference points *in* in sketch.

 

[DavidJ]

That isn't laid down anywhere that I can see. Main actually useful purpose of nodes is to add additional instances of holes into the sketch associated with a hole feature, when editing after creation (which needs the node to be 'regular sketch figure').

The oddity you found where nodes mixed with Text cause features to fail was logged from your report - maybe a 'reference node' is needed or a way to place a reference point that doesn't need to use a node as an intermediary.

To make any argument as to which would be best, and even if it is worth doing, it helps to have details of the purpose for which it would be used. As you mention there are often workarounds possible.

 

[Stuart]

I've read your explanation several times and I can't understand what you mean about the hole needing a node. Could you provide a file?

I don't have another use case other than the one I've mentioned. I'll try to avoid using that method.

 

[DavidJ]

Create a Hole feature in any part, with just a single hole. Note there is a Sketch associated with the hole feature.

Edit that sketch, you'll see there is no hole, just a node. Insert another node or two, then exit the sketch. Note the extra holes.

This can be useful if you need to add an extra hole, or if relative positions of holes gets complex, it's can be easier to sort it out by editing the sketch later, rather than trying to do it all with the hole tool dialogue active.

 

[Stuart]

Create a Hole feature in any part, with just a single hole. Note there is a Sketch associated with the hole feature.

Edit that sketch, you'll see there is no hole, just a node. Insert another node or two, then exit the sketch. Note the extra holes.

This can be useful if you need to add an extra hole, or if relative positions of holes gets complex, it's can be easier to sort it out by editing the sketch later, rather than trying to do it all with the hole tool dialogue active.

Ok, now I see it. Never done that before.

 

[Max]

I might have the concept of a node wrong. What are nodes meant to be used for? I'm using them as reference points *in* in sketch.

A few points here.

1) "Node" is used interchangeably as "the things at the ends of lines / center of circles / etc" and also the more formal "Node" from the Node tool:


2) Internally these are not quite the same thing. Your issue relates to having a formal sketch node from the Node tool in the same sketch as unexploded text.
3) While you don't actually need a formal sketch node to achieve what you are trying to achieve, and centering can be done with other arguably better methods, it is also true that this seems like it should work. I am personally on team "this should not error".
4) I've pinged development about it to see if this is something that can easily be addressed. There is possibly some arcane technical reason this is the way it is.

In the meantime, either:

1) Instead of making a node on the midpoint, create a reference line starting on the midpoint instead. This results in a node getting created at the midpoint just the same, just not a high and mighty "Sketch Node" ™, that you can successfully constraint to:



or

2) Center both vertically and horizontally at once by creating diagonal ref. lines and constraining the text's midpoint node to the intersection:

 

[Stuart]

Hi Max,

I've realized I need to use reference lines more (as you suggest).

Would it be possible to get some (more) tutorials on techniques, best practices, etc? Most of the turtorials I've seen show how a feature works, but not how or why to use it a particular way. I think many times the problems I encounter come from thinking like a software developer and not a mechanical design engineer. When I ask tech support something, often the response includes "I've never done it that way"

-Stuart

 

[Max]

Would it be possible to get some (more) tutorials on techniques, best practices, etc? Most of the turtorials I've seen show how a feature works, but not how or why to use it a particular way. I think many times the problems I encounter come from thinking like a software developer and not a mechanical design engineer. When I ask tech support something, often the response includes "I've never done it that way"

We have some plans to increase our tutorial / video quantity shortly.

 

[UGMENTALCASE]

What would be nice is if the dual dimension worked in the other way as well. Let's say you have put a sketch on a face and you want the extrude to start 10mm from the edge, set the first dimension to 10 and the second to 20 and you get like an offset 10mm thick extrude. That make sense?
I know you can copy and paste a sketch onto a plane and move the plane about, but as another option might be nice.

 

[HaroldL]

If you have Pro or Expert have you tried the Thin Extrude features?

 

[NateLiqGrav]

I think that @UGMENTALCASE is looking for the ability to create a gap of 10mm from the sketch and then the 10mm extrusion. I've never tested to see if such a thing is possible with dual direction extrusion but does using positive/negative numbers work?

 

[Cator]

I think that @UGMENTALCASE is looking for the ability to create a gap of 10mm from the sketch and then the 10mm extrusion. I've never tested to see if such a thing is possible with dual direction extrusion but does using positive/negative numbers work?

Don't work.....