X-Y-Z directions

[mmtech]

Hello Alibre Design gurus,

I come from a profession (ocean engineering and ocean science) where the +Z axis is up. I suppose that's true for the planet in general.

Alibre wants us to all start with the +Z axis to the right.

I would like to design something where +Z is up. How do I do this? Or do I simply ignore it and make a note on my drawings?

I did try to make my sketches according to +Z is up, and I'm now fighting with Alibre all the time to display +Z up in views.

I am on version 22.

Thoughts and pointers appreciated.

 

[bigseb]

Z is just a name. All axis are up and done and left and right.

 

[jfleming]

yes it stinks when you import into your CAM package and have to reorient the part Every. Single. Time.

 

[mmtech]

@bigseb, yeah, I get that, and I'm enough of a space cadet I will forget that X should be Z and all that when I'm in the part design. Then there's the drawings.

Well, so I made parts where Z was up and that's where I had to keep rotating the part to fit my world (e.g. the earth) visually.

Then I pulled those parts into and assembly, and for the assembly... Z is up and all looks fine. Weird.

 

[HaroldL]

I come from a profession (ocean engineering and ocean science) where the +Z axis is up. I suppose that's true for the planet in general.

Alibre wants us to all start with the +Z axis to the right.

Alibre is set up to start with +X axis pointing to the right, +Y axis pointing up and +Z axis pointing out of the screen toward the user and I don't recall it ever changing. How did your system get +Z axis to the right or is that a typo?


Here is the current v23 start screen as an ISO orientation.

 

[mmtech]

Alibre is set up to start with +X axis pointing to the right, +Y axis pointing up and +Z axis pointing out of the screen toward the user and I don't recall it ever changing. How did your system get +Z axis to the right or is that a typo?


Here is the current v23 start screen as an ISO orientation.
View attachment 34012

Typo... this is what I see when I open a new part in V22, Z pointing out at me. Must be someone else's convention.

 

[DavidJ]

Just lay your monitor down on the desk as though it was a piece of paper, then Z is 'UP'. If you are using a tablet computer, you may naturally think like that...

 

[mmtech]

There's a wise guy in every crowd

 

[DavidJ]

And another wise crack - if using CAM software for lathe operations, Z is most often horizontal. Most of the claimed 'universal' conventions are not universal at all.

 

[HaroldL]

Typo... this is what I see when I open a new part in V22, Z pointing out at me. Must be someone else's convention.
View attachment 34038

That's how Alibre starts for me too, and always has. I just happened to set the ISO view before I did the screen grab.

Just lay your monitor down on the desk as though it was a piece of paper, then Z is 'UP'. ...

And that is how I was taught when I was introduced to AutoCAD v10 for 2D design back in technical college. That convention carried over into the 3D when we used CadKey for 3D work in TC. At work when we used I-DEAS and SolidWorks it followed the same as does Alibre.

The discussion about the "correct" screen orientation has been going on for a while.

 

[mmtech]

"if using CAM software for lathe operations, Z is most often horizontal"
OK, this makes total sense as to why Alibre starts like that.