Learning CAD with Alibre Atom3D

I may have to defer to David as my version is not quite the same but I just click apply and then close.

This shows me opening a new part and drawing a circle while set to imperial, I then change to metric, apply and close. The next new part I start will still be imperial, had I ticked to save as default then subsequent new parts will all be metric.

J

Edited By JasonB on 11/12/2018 12:11:42

John - Apply should do just that. A couple of things to try - first try using TAB to move out of last altered field.

If that doesn't help, it may be that your user profile is damaged - there is a link to re-set this on the Utilities tab of the Home Window. Re-setting User Profile can fix various oddities with the user interface.

After each attempt to change the units, they reverted to inches. This morning when I opened the program I found it had reset to metric.

David, I have noted your instructions for future use.

thank you both

When using gears in an assembly is there a way to have them mesh and revolve as you turn one part? I'm currently drawing up an IC engine and it would be nice if the timing gears would actuate the eccentric that operates the exhaust valve.

Also can a ratchet wheel be assembled so that the pawl will move it one notch at a time?

Edited By JasonB on 13/12/2018 17:20:25

Jason,

Not simply, no. There might be some 'dodges' possible to do some of this using hidden parts, but nothing simple.

I'm struggling to remember if I've seen a dodge for reduction gearing. Ratchet, I'm sure I haven't seen.

Some of the guys over on the Alibre forum come up with some sneaky methods - could be worth posing the question there.

Thanks David.

If I do an Extrude Cut and the sketch goes outside the material, I am left with some red lines in the Part display. What are they for, please, and can I switch them off?

They show the outline of the sketch that was used for the cut, should be able to switch off in system options as I don't think Atom has a tab but worth clicking the Viewing & analysis tab first to see if there is a toggle

John, probably the outline of your sketch visible - you can toggle off sketch visibility for the display. Check the Viewing Options portion of the Viewing & Analysis tab of the Ribbon. Ctrl+Shift+K will also toggle sketch visibility.

Edited By David Jupp on 14/12/2018 11:08:47

Thanks, both.

You need to restart the program if you change the default settings.

Neil

I found this unbelievable vehicle today after getting lost down a Wikipedia Wormhole (I started with Karman Limit and went via V2 and a whole load of strange WW2 German weapons). It turns out it is real and there is one in a Russian tank museum, although with only 5mm plate it's probably not meant as an attack vehicle, and it's only 1.5 metres in diameter.

I will be 3D printing one of these!

www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2-german-prototypes/kugelpanzer/

Took about an hour to draw this up, hardest bit was getting the tail to look about right playing with fillets and dimensions. It's an assembly of 3 parts, body and 2 wheels.

Fascinating. The wheels remind me of the Shepherd ball castor.

Made some more progress with my engine design after a short break to let my brain cool down. It's by no means finished but it's coming on slowly and I'm getting in lots of practice with "inserting new planes".

There will be cast iron valve seats shrunk into the head - that's why the valve locations look a bit big.

Anyone know why I can't re-size the photos in a post anymore. Are they too big?

John

Album images are resized to 1024 pixels in the longest dimension and automatically adjusted for display, usually to 512 across.

Neil

Thanks for the information, Neil.

John

I am trying to model pipework with bends and twists (not always at right angles). It seems like I should be using the 3D sketching feature and then Sweep but 3D sketching is greyed out - is it available in Atom?

Thanks in advance. Andy

Not sure if Atom has all the features shown but this may help

3D sketching isn't available in Atom3D - the button was accidentally left visible. Sorry.

There are ways this can be worked around, but they become quite complex for anything beyond fairly simple geometry.