Alibre 2012

[Tin Falcon]

Alibe 2012 is out. Seems like a nice upgrade from the 2011 version. and there are deals if you catch them . I know $200 is a lot of hobby money, I was able to get mine when it was still $99 and they did have a good deals on black Friday. I guess the best thing to do is try a free trial and or get your name on the e-mail list for special deals.
Tin

 

[Tin Falcon]

Albre just announced $ 99 PE Annual maintenance superscription the added a few perks lie a tutorial PDF . I need to download mine and try it.
Tin

 

[mgbrv8]

I tied it and it didn't seem as intuitive as 2011. Maybe they have made improvements sense I downloaded it and tried 2012.

Dave

 

[Tin Falcon]

IIRC the previous version kind of lacked something and seemed harder to use. seems like there are almost too many ways of accessing features on this one. I really need to dive into this and get used to it . I now have access to the videos and the exercise manual.
Tin

 

[mgbrv8]

Thank you Tin the version of 2012 that I downloaded. Seem to be a little difficult to initiate drawing. I appreciate any insight you can provide.

Dave

 

[Tin Falcon]

I admit there is a bit of a learning curve. to make a sketch you have seect a plane and activate sketch mode . when extruding etc you have have a closed sketch.

 

[Tin Falcon]

OK fun with Alibre. today I worked on my Alibre skills. And with success but not without some frustration.
As mentioned earlier that upgrades/subscription includes among other things an exercise pdf. I go to alibre sign on to download such pdf and there is a note: password protected contact your sales rep for a password. OK this is Sunday is there anyone in the office likely not. So I check my email and low and behold there was a pass word for the pdf file in my subscription conformation . Good for Alibre. so I decide to do the exercises. open my Alibre and it don't open nada no go , fail, error message aaarg. again this is Sunday support not likely. So now what ? do a reboot no jy. do a re-install under repair mode. again no fix. wait till Monday and call ????? so thinking. well i figure one of the first questions will be what version do you have. Hmm mmmm. So I download the latest one and install it. it works!!! super!!!. now into the exercise I find out the Exercise was written for a previous version and the screen no lookie like mine . Alibre is going to hear about that one.
The good thing is I was the guy who read pages of the dictionary when looking up words in grade school. so working hard to find things I learn more . yes looking at the bright side.

I made a ton of mistakes and muddles through the first two stages of the exercise.
My impression of the exercise is it was done by someone who knows more or less how to draw but not how to make or build stuff. IF one made the parts as drawn no way could one assemble them in the real world.
I am learning . I feel successful the parts are drawn IMHO better than the examples. And life goes on.
The more I Use alibre the more I like it. It is a good tool.
Tin

 

[JorgensenSteam]

I put a lot of 3D stuff here:
http://www.classicsteamengineering.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=ga934socs294p3djjcencp5b01&board=141.0

I made some 3D tutorials here, but they were done early in my learning curve, and some of the actual model engine designs may be better learning tools.
Edit: Note, the tutorials below are not really that good, and they were all created before I had a good grasp of 3D modeling. The 3D models created for engines in the link above are much better I think as far as useful information for modeling engines.

http://www.classicsteamengineering.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=ga934socs294p3djjcencp5b01&board=2.0

I use Solidworks, but it is exactly the same process, select a plane, draw a sketch, extrude or cut the sketch, go to the next plane, etc.

This stuff is all open-source, anyone can see it regardless of whether you are a member or not. (Members and non-members see exactly the same posts and photos).

My first 3D models were not very good, and I have since learned that it is generally best to start a sketch on one of the standard planes (front, top, or side) and then extrude from the center out. That way, if you add on to the ends of say a cylinder, and then later go back and lengthen the cylinder, then most of the associated objects such as cylinder flanges, etc. automatically stretch with the cylinder. I also extrude flywheels from the center out.

Jumping back and forth onto and off the various planes confused me to no end in the beginning. Here is what you have to remember.
Sketch planes are only for drawing 2D sketches on.
All sketches have to be completely closed, and represent the outline of some section cut through a part. Once you finish a sketch, you generally use the extrude boss or extrude cut feature, and when that feature is done, you generally are no longer on the sketch plane that you started on.

Think of sktech planes as datum surfaces, and you are setting up a piece of metal in the milling machine. Obviously, to cut on various planes, you have to rotate the piece of metal so that the correct plane is facing the cutter, or in the case of 3D, the correct plane is facing you so you can sketch on it.

You only return back to a particular sketch if you want to modify the shape of it, otherwise your 2D sketches are hidden from view so that you can see the 3D model. In 3D mode (not on a sketch plane) you can strech existing extrusions, mirror extrusions or cuts, etc.

Sketch plane is for sketches only, and only for drawing 2D sketches.
When you are in 3D mode (not on a sketch plane), you are manipulationg 3D solids by streching them, mirroring them, mirroring holes, and other manipulations of 3D objects.

Another very valuable trick is to toggle the view from a 3D solid to a transparent "lines only" isometric view, so that you can see surfaces that occur in the background. You can actually start a sketch on a plane in the foreground, and use the lines which show up in the background on the isometric as starting/ending points. This feature is worth its weight in gold.

 

[Tin Falcon]

thanks pat
Tin

 

[JorgensenSteam]

Your welcome.

3D was absolutely terrible, until I learned it, and now I would never consider using anything else.

It is also pretty easy to use once you know it.

Edit:
I did the TB5 engine in 3D here:

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/index.php?topic=12053.210

(I am still working on TB5, and made some progress the other night.)

 

[Tin Falcon]

It is all easy when you know how. Or any 5 year old can do it with 10 years experience. LOL
Tin

 

[JorgensenSteam]

3D was a very awkward thing for me to learn, I gave up several times ("I give up for good this time!!!" I would shout about once a month for a year, tossing the book across the room.)

Having learned it, I wonder what all the fuss is about.

If you can, find someone to sit down with you for 30 minutes to get you started. Otherwise it takes a while to get the concepts down.
I learned it with just a little input from others.

Most of the guys who use 3D either don't want to explain it, or can't come up with a simple explanation. Some on HMEM did help me with some good 3D pointers when I was first learning it, thanks guys.

And don't be fooled by the cost of Alibre, it will do the same design as Solidworks, some of the tools may not be as delux, but the end result of Alibre is every bit as good as Solidworks.

 

[JorgensenSteam]

3D modeling is very much like machining, and like machining, you have to know which tool to use, when to use it, how to use it, and the correct sequence of steps/tools.

I have pulled my hair out for a year learning 3D, but I have a pretty good handle on it now.

If someone has a picture of a part, or a sketch, and they can't quite figure out how to make a 3D model, I can show you the sequence to create that part. There were many times when I got stuck trying to make a part, or got partially done with a part, only to screw it up completely. I don't screw up 3D models very much any more, and if I do, I know how to fix them easily.

I am glad to help with 3D if anyone gets stuck on something.

 

[Tin Falcon]

Most of the guys who use 3D either don't want to explain it, or can't come up with a simple explanation. Some on HMEM did help me with some good 3D pointers when I was first learning it, thanks guys.

I do not know how many have read Drawing on the Right side of the brain by Betty Edwards. but cheap and available and recommended reading. And do the exercises !!
IMHO machining and 3d drawing are best done in R mode. That can make it difficult to put into words. guys are acused of not wanting to share. Sometime they just cant or it is difficult to put into words .L mode.
Visual activities need to be shown and seen to be learned.

One of my difficulties now is finding the right tool.. like getting a bigger new tool box more drawers duplicates of the common tools but one still needs to learn where to find them.
I need to dive in and do.
Tin

 

[JorgensenSteam]

3D is exactly like machining in that unless you dive in and start cutting some "virtual metal", and break a few bits, you will never learn the process.

But if you can machine, then you can model in 3D because 3D modeling is nothing more than virtual machining, and the steps are almost identical.

The hurdle is is learn which toolbar button is analogous to which real machining tool and bit. Once you get past that and understand what the planes are for, it is just like machining.

 

[Admiral_dk]

I bought Alibre Design Pro 2012 last year and are still on the learning curve. There's a few things that annoys me, like the fact that the boring tool in Alibre most of the time doesn't allow "drilling" any thing at other angles than 90 degree, gears can't be told to turn correctly together and followers to follow a cam profile during rotation - it would also be nice to be allowed to make a sketch on a curved surface to use with the Loft function - how does Solid Works do in that respect ?

 

[Tin Falcon]

I must be learning something. I went through about 2/3ds of the exercise "book" last evening. Time flew.
tonight I drew up three fly wheels a couple different ways. I know I have a heck of a lot to learn.
when my wife saw the fly wheels she said it was too easy . I offered her a turn she declined.
Tin

 

[miner49r]

Tin,
I downloaded the trial version last week. At the same time I downloaded the .pdf tutorial. It must be from the previous version because the visual format was completely different. There is a tutorial in the current version of Alibri. Click Help. It's all the way at the bottom in the contents pane.
Alan

 

[JorgensenSteam]

I bought Alibre Design Pro 2012 last year and are still on the learning curve. There's a few things that annoys me, like the fact that the boring tool in Alibre most of the time doesn't allow "drilling" any thing at other angles than 90 degree, gears can't be told to turn correctly together and followers to follow a cam profile during rotation - it would also be nice to be allowed to make a sketch on a curved surface to use with the Loft function - how does Solid Works do in that respect ?

I am not sure what you mean by drilling at other than 90 degrees.
I can drill holes at any angle into any surface, any depth.
You have to create a new plane, rotate the plane to the angle you want, and then drill off of that plane, just like rotating the piece in the vice jaws.

As far as how to make a sketch on a curved surface, I consider myself still a novice as far as understanding 3D, so I am scratching my head on that.
I recall an example of creating lettering on a flat surface, and then projecting that to a sphere or cylinder, but can't remember all the ins and outs of it. I suppose you could project anything onto a surface, but I am not sure what for, maybe a pattern on a curved surface, such as the lagging around a steam engine cylinder.

 

[Admiral_dk]

I'll agree on creating a new plane that you always drill at 90 degrees, but sometimes Alibre doesn't allow me to place the boring tool (centre of circle) on a plane I created .... like when Alibre doesn't "feel" that I will be drilling though part parallel to the plane - it's not consistant, sometimes it will and sometimes it won't.

In my case I was trying to make "perfect" two-stroke transfer ports and here I fell that the only way to logically do it (in my mind) is to create all the different shapes on the cylinder surface and differens cut-throughs and do a Loft Boss (I create a boolean subtract model). The Loft Boss does nothing less than the perfect porting of the exhaust, but can't be used for the main transfer ports. Since they are twisted from the crankcase, up along the the cylinder and again away from the exhaust and 87 degrees from it's previous direction, it would have been nice to be able to sketch the portshape directly on the cylinder surface.
I found an OK solution - not good, but OK and I posted it here a week ago.

My biggest disappointment is problem with gears don't track each other and followers that can't follow a cam profile - how well does Solid Works do in this case ?