Learning CAD with Alibre Atom3D

Yep, I had that already when I said "Defaults to 1st angle which is fine" I meant that's what I want it to do!

Fair enough I will have to add my own cone.

(Cut and paste commands would be nice to have, I note that -C and -V work as expected but I'm lazy and want to use the mouse only so I can stir my tea with my left hand

Knocked this up yesterday evening, as something I can print out for as an accessory for various models. Not super detailed but dimensionally accurate (taken from one of Savage's original drawings - the US maker).

Believe it or not there doesn't seem to be a decent representation on Thingiverse.

Neil

Forgot pic!

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 10/05/2020 14:26:05

Neil,

Cut/Copy/Paste via mouse alone are restricted, not because of any particular desire to prevent Atom3D users having access, but simply because opening up that 'chunk' of user interface would also give access to a whole load of other things. It would require a total re-structuring of the user interface to be able to give some of the 'expected' tools in Atom3D. That won't happen short term just for Atom3D, but may happen in the longer term as part of a wider overhaul of the technology and structure of the user interface.

I am trying to draw up a fixture plate for use on the mill. This will be dual purpose, in that the primary use will be to hold a Bison 200mm indexer so it fits across the mill table (Bridgeport clone). As I was able to source a large piece 330mm x 423mm of 7/8" aluminium tooling plate, I though it would make good fixture plate.

I have created an extruded block of the requisite size and a single extrude hole 10mm dia and then used the linear pattern tool to create a matrix of holes. What I cannot see how to do is select them all so that I can then extrude them all. I will then need to align them in correct position.

Any help gratefully received.

Colin

If you have drawn your 10mm circle in a sketch and then used the linear pattern there then you should just end up with a series of circles all in the same sketch, deactivate the sketch and then use extrude cut which will do it to all the circles in that sketch no need to select them all.

If you have extruded a single circle so the hole is showing through your plate and used the linear pattern there selecting the extrude from the list down the left side then that will just copy the extrude cut to them all.

In both cases the alignment can be done when entering details into the linear pattern box by specifying the spacing and direction, I'm assuming you just want a grid of holes.

Here you go, two methods with a bit of faffing about between the two.

Colin,

As Jason shows, you can use pattern in 2D sketch, or on a 3D feature (hole in this case). One important thing to note, if you change your mind about the spacing or number of repeats - it's easy to edit the 3D feature pattern afterwards, but if you patterned in the sketch you'll have to delete and start again (the pattern there is a 'one shot' and can only be edited during the original creation session).

That's caught me a couple of times, you need to plan patterns in a sketch with some care.

Neil

Jason, David, Neil,

Thanks for your support. Hopefully will have a another look at this over the weekend.

Colin

I have managed to get the linear patterns of holes onto the fixture and also the slots for tenons.

If I put reference lines (construction lines ?) on the drawing to simplify location of holes, why is it every time I go back to make a change the reference lines have disappeared. Should I be able to switch the reference lines on and off?

Colin

Reference lines are specific to a sketch, so anew sketch doesn't have any reference lines.

If you edit existing sketches the line should still be there.

Neil

I'm not sure if Atom has all the copy/paste features of Pro but if you select and copy all the ref lines etc in one sketch you can then paste them into another.

Jason, Neil,

Thanks for your help. I ran through the MEW course when first had the software but not used for the last year due to other issues getting in the way. Need to try and use it every week.

Going back to the existing sketches I can now see them. I think I was expecting to see them on subsequent sketches. I was extruding a hole and then going back to extrude another hole around it (in a subsequent sketch) to produce a counterbore.

I will try and see if can copy and past them from sketch to sketch. If not is is maybe better to add fixed lines as references and then delete them at the end.

Just want to add some threads now into some of the holes, in particular the two in the slot.

Should this be as simple as selecting the sketch of the hole and using Cut Helix and setting pitch to thread pitch and the depth to the thickeness of material.

Colin

If you have separate sketches and extrude cuts for the hole and counter bore you can select both of those when you do the linear patterns.

You should be able to see the initial hole when you go back to sketch a counter bore and simply make you CB sketch concentric to the hole.

How do I add the picture shown in image above to the printed drawing. I can get it to show as an isometric line drawing in whichever aspect I want but not as a shaded picture.

The viewing type shows Standard, Draft and Shaded but will not select shaded option

Thanks,

Colin

First you have to snip it as a JPG image or whatever you did to get the image you posted. Then when doing the drawing go to "sheets & Views" and withing the "insert views" group there should be an icon for an image. Again this is with Pro so Atom may be different, this may also be why you can't select the shaded option which will put the image straight there.

If shaded views are not showing in 2D, you may have a very old graphics card, or 'Advanced 2D rendering' may have been disabled in System Options -> Display -> General.

Also check that the correct graphics adapter is selected in that screen, if your computer has more than one adapter.

A bit more involved, create an axis concentric to the inside of the hole.

Create a plane through the axis.

Draw a thread profile above the hole (for metric use an equilateral triangle with sides one pitch long) and finish by extruding a helical cut at the right pitch.

Easier to do than describe.

I would make one threaded hole and then pattern it.

Only do it if you want to slow down any further editing of the part, it's not really needed except for looks, easier to just use Note to add a thread call out on the drawing as you don't have threads in ATOM..

David,

My graphics card is an AMD Radeon HD 7770 and Advanced 2D Rendering is enabled.

Colin

Colin,

Are you seeing this symptom with all models, or just some? Has it ever worked on this computer?

The HD 7770 should cope, if not spectacularly well (my laptop has a HD 7500 and is usable but slow).

You could try the 'reset user profile' link on the Utilities Tab of the Home Window - a damaged profile can cause a wide variety of display issues.

Also worth checking for Windows updates (particularly .NET related), and for more recent graphics drivers.