Learning CAD with Alibre Atom3D

Don't worry, you are not alone Mick, I have just started to look at the tutorial myself and I am also feeling the steepness of the learning curve. What I am having problems with is returning to a previous step if I make a mistake. Is there a simple key step to undo a step that goes wrong, I can't seem to see one. Perhaps we need a new topic for total dummies like me.

Doug

Not an expert, and enjoying learning with this package - I have found that the standard Windows 'Undo' key combination of Ctrl and Z seems to work and lets you step back through a number of changes.

Rob

Douglas, top left next to the save Icon you have Undo and redo, two curved arrows. You can click multiple times to take you back right through a sketch.

Another thing while learning is to save regularly then if you really do muck up close the part without saving and then when you open it again it will be back at the last saved position.

You can also right click any of the items in the list down the left side of the page which will allow you to go back and edit them or even delete. Once you start drawing more complicated items the items on the list can be renames by right clicking which makes it easier to go back to the sketch you need

Edited By JasonB on 09/11/2018 10:06:31

+1 - absolutely essential!

Andrew

Today's problem. I've got to the stage of the 6mm through hole. The extrude Boss dialogue box doesn't have the option 'Through All' in the 'Type' drop down box as shown in Fig 13, the only option that looks remotely like it says 'duel depth' which doesn't work. When I type 'Z' into the draft angle it becomes red and disappears when I click okay. Graph paper and G code still looks pretty good!!

You need to use the CUT extrude not BOSS extrude.

Edited By JasonB on 09/11/2018 17:39:47

Beaten to it.

Andrew

I've downloaded Atom 3d and done the drawing in the 1st tutorial. After doing this drawing i tried to start a new drawing and the program stopped working. I've tried shutting the program down and starting it up agan which didn't work so i unistalled the software and reinstalled it. When i open the program and try to start a new sketch i get a message saying Alibre has stoped working and Windows is going to shut it down. Has anybody else had any issues?

Martin

Martin - if Atom3D has worked, but now won't - it tends to suggest something has changed on your system. It might be best to contact Alibre support for help resolving this; mail [email protected] , provide as much information as you can about the problem - especially any error messages.

The loud noise you may have heard was a large penny dropping! I've been designing some multi diameter, multi counter bored components all afternoon, I now want to know how to create threaded sections!! Thanks for holding my hand for the first nervous steps.

Mick - the current Atom3D doesn't support helical features. The next release (v2018.2 due this month) will add helical features. You should be able to update to v2018.2 when it becomes available.

Then you'll be able to either use helical cut - rather like you would on a lathe, or use helical boss to add threads on. There are a few potential pitfalls with the helical tools - you have to avoid adjacent turns clashing.

Helical features are computationally very intensive, so only use them if really needed (say if 3D printing an item with threads). Otherwise, simply model cylinder at appropriate diameter and add a note to your drawings with thread details. Just like how you typically don't draw a thread fully in a conventional 2D drawing.

Sweet! Your 6 month license is ready.

Here's the details:

1. Download Alibre Atom3D for Microsoft Windows
2. Install and start the software
3. Choose Enter License Code
4. Enter

The email to download AlibreAtom3D did not include a license key, so cannot extend trial period. Has anyone else found this problem?

Melv

Melv, e-mail Alibre support ( [email protected] )- they can check your account based on your e-mail address and can re-send code. The activation code is just a long string of digits.

It seems there was an issue with the registration system - hopefully now resolved. All registrants from today and yesterday have been manually mailed their codes. Going forward, codes should be automatically mailed out one hour after registration.

If anyone has not received a code after registering for the trial, please e-mail [email protected] - the codes are in the accounts and can be looked up and re-sent.

When I used Geomagic a few years ago, I discovered that it wasn't possible to add a thread feature to a revolved surface, only an extruded one. That's all very well if you have got to that point by extruding a series a cylindrical features one after the other, end to end but often it's easier to create a section and revolve it. When I mentioned that to the rep (in the US), he made some snidey comment like why would you want to do that. Ok, so why offer a modelled thread in the first place came to mind. Have they fixed that yet?

Murray

Yep, works now as I just tried it. Drew a 20 x 10 rectangle, revolved about its long edge to get a 20mm dia. Used the external thread icon and chose a M20 coarse thread x 10mm length. Came out on a drawing as it would an extruded cylinder.

This is the first time I have really felt at home with a 3D drawing package and have now done several designs of a lathe chuck back plates and some brackets for my kit car. I have one question and one problem.

The question is how do you draw screw threads or is that a function only supported in a more advanced version of Alibre?

The problem is as soon as I ask Alibre to export an STL file it locks up and I have to restart Alibre. It produces an STP file just fine. Is this a software bug? I am using Windows 7.

Mike have a look at David's reply 10th Nov at 16.31 further up the page regarding threads. The more advanced versions do have a thread feature but that only shows the thread as it would on a 2D drawing and there is a file with common thread data to use.

He should be able to help with the STL problem and will be along soon.

Edited By JasonB on 12/11/2018 08:03:23

Mike,

STL export should not cause any problem with the software. Do you get as far as the settings dialogue for STL export? One possibility is that the dialogue could be hidden behind something else, or even off-screen (if PC has had multiple monitors).

When Atom3D 'locks up' on STL export, can you close it down normally or do you have to use Task Manager?