ALIBRE ADTutorials2012

Alibre Design 2012
2011
Alibre Design
2011
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Alibre
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2011 Alibre. All rights reserved.

Alibre and the Alibre logo are registered trademarks; Alibre Design and Alibre PhotoRender are trademarks of Alibre
in the United States and/or other countries. Alibre Motion Copyright 2010 Jake Lyall
Alibre Design
Contents
Table of Contents
8
Part I Tutorials
1 Main Tutorial
...................................................................................................................................
Page
8
2 Feedback
................................................................................................................................... 9
3 Level 1 ................................................................................................................................... 9
Overview
.......................................................................................................................................................... 9
General Topics
.........................................................................................................................................................
- Table of Contents
9
General Topics
.........................................................................................................................................................
- Getting Help
10
General Topics
.........................................................................................................................................................
- Workspaces
11
General Topics
.........................................................................................................................................................
- Alibre File Types
12
General Topics
.........................................................................................................................................................
- Workspace Terms
13
General Topics
.........................................................................................................................................................
- Design Explorer
13
General Topics
.........................................................................................................................................................
- Draw ing Explorer
14
General Topics
.........................................................................................................................................................
- Changing the View : Panning, Rotating, Zooming, etc.
15
General Topics
.........................................................................................................................................................
- Modeling Terms
17
General Topics
.........................................................................................................................................................
- Named View s
18
General topics
.........................................................................................................................................................
- Color Scheme
19
Using Alibre Design
.......................................................................................................................................................... 20
Using Alibre.........................................................................................................................................................
Design
20
Sketching ......................................................................................................................................................... 21
Part Modeling
......................................................................................................................................................... 23
Assembly Modeling
......................................................................................................................................................... 24
2D Draw ings......................................................................................................................................................... 26
Sketching
.......................................................................................................................................................... 27
Overview of.........................................................................................................................................................
Sketching
27
Setting Up the
.........................................................................................................................................................
Workspace
28
The First Sketch
......................................................................................................................................................... 30
Adding Sketch
.........................................................................................................................................................
Constraints
34
Moving the sketch
......................................................................................................................................................... 35
Trimming the.........................................................................................................................................................
Sketch
36
Adding Sketch
.........................................................................................................................................................
Constraints and Dimensions
37
Modeling a Sim..........................................................................................................................................................
ple Part
40
Modeling a Simple
.........................................................................................................................................................
Part
40
Creating the.........................................................................................................................................................
initial Extrude Boss feature
42
Creating a Revovle
.........................................................................................................................................................
Cut
44
Sketch Figures
.........................................................................................................................................................
From 3D Geometry
46
Creating Holes
......................................................................................................................................................... 50
Mirrors and Fillets
......................................................................................................................................................... 53
Cylinder Head Cover
.......................................................................................................................................................... 55
Modeling a Cylinder
.........................................................................................................................................................
Head Cover
55
The First Sketch
......................................................................................................................................................... 57
Creating the.........................................................................................................................................................
Initial Extrude Boss feature
59
Creating Fillets
.........................................................................................................................................................
and a Shell
60
Creating Holes
.........................................................................................................................................................
and a Feature Pattern
62
Assem bly
.......................................................................................................................................................... 65
Creating a Simple
.........................................................................................................................................................
Assembly - Objectives
65
Getting Started
......................................................................................................................................................... 67
Saving an Assembly
.........................................................................................................................................................
to the File System
68
Inserting Components
.........................................................................................................................................................
into an Assembly
69
Inserting Components
.........................................................................................................................................................
into an Assembly
70
2011
Alibre Design
Contents
Moving and Rotating

.........................................................................................................................................................
Components
71
Approximate.........................................................................................................................................................
Positioning Along a Specific Direction
72
Anchoring Components
......................................................................................................................................................... 74
Using Constraints
.........................................................................................................................................................
to Position Components
76
Aligning Planar
.........................................................................................................................................................
Faces
78
Inserting More
.........................................................................................................................................................
Components
79
Adding More.........................................................................................................................................................
Constraints
80
Changing Colors
.........................................................................................................................................................
of Components
82
Adding the Cylinder
.........................................................................................................................................................
Head Cover
83
Hiding Components
......................................................................................................................................................... 85
Creating Patterns
.........................................................................................................................................................
of Components
87
Checking for.........................................................................................................................................................
Interferences
88
Creating and.........................................................................................................................................................
Editing Components in the Context of an Assembly
89
Creating Exploded
.........................................................................................................................................................
View s
91
2D Draw ing
.......................................................................................................................................................... 93
Creating a 2D
.........................................................................................................................................................
Detailed Draw ing - Introduction
93
Creating a 2D
.........................................................................................................................................................
Detailed Draw ing - Overview
94
Starting a new
.........................................................................................................................................................
draw ing
95
Selecting Standard
.........................................................................................................................................................
Draw ing View s
97
The Draw ing.........................................................................................................................................................
Explorer
99
Setting the .........................................................................................................................................................
Draw ing Workspace Properties
100
Moving and.........................................................................................................................................................
Scaling View s on the Sheet
102
Moving Dimensions
.........................................................................................................................................................
in a View
104
Adding Dimensions
......................................................................................................................................................... 106
Editing Annotations
.........................................................................................................................................................
and Dimension Properties
107
Creating a Detail
.........................................................................................................................................................
View
109
Adding Information
.........................................................................................................................................................
to the Title Block
111
Saving the .........................................................................................................................................................
Draw ing
112
Changing the
.........................................................................................................................................................
part and updating the draw ing
113
Updating the
.........................................................................................................................................................
associated draw ing
115
AutoCAD
.......................................................................................................................................................... 116
AutoCAD Draw
.........................................................................................................................................................
ings in Alibre Design - Overview
116
AutoCAD Draw
.........................................................................................................................................................
ings - Importing
117
AutoCAD Draw
.........................................................................................................................................................
ings - Identifying the Geometry to Use
118
AutoCAD Draw
.........................................................................................................................................................
ings - Remove Extraneous Geometry
120
AutoCAD Draw
.........................................................................................................................................................
ings - Creating a 3D Sketch
121
AutoCAD Draw
.........................................................................................................................................................
ings - Analyze the Sketch
124
AutoCAD Draw
.........................................................................................................................................................
ings - Creating a 3D Solid
126
Im port
.......................................................................................................................................................... 130
Importing Data
......................................................................................................................................................... 130
4 Level...................................................................................................................................
2
132
Sheet Metal .......................................................................................................................................................... 132
Designing a.........................................................................................................................................................
Sheet Metal Part - Objectives
132
Designing a.........................................................................................................................................................
Sheet Metal Part - Introduction
133
Opening a New
.........................................................................................................................................................
Sheet Metal Workspace
134
Setting Sheet
.........................................................................................................................................................
Metal Properties
134
Modeling the
.........................................................................................................................................................
Base Tab
135
Creating the
.........................................................................................................................................................
Tab Feature
136
Creating Flanges
......................................................................................................................................................... 137
Creating a Partial
.........................................................................................................................................................
Flange Feature
139
Creating Corner
.........................................................................................................................................................
Rounds
141
Creating Dimples
......................................................................................................................................................... 141
Making Punches
.........................................................................................................................................................
Across Bend Lines
143
Creating a Cut
.........................................................................................................................................................
Feature
144
Refolding a.........................................................................................................................................................
Bend
146
Flattening a.........................................................................................................................................................
Sheet Metal Part
147
2011
Alibre Design
Contents
Saving the .........................................................................................................................................................

Part
148
Helix
.......................................................................................................................................................... 149
Creating Helical
.........................................................................................................................................................
Geometry - Overview
149
Creating Helical
.........................................................................................................................................................
Geometry - Getting Started
151
Creating Helical
.........................................................................................................................................................
Geometry - A Simple Spring
152
Creating Helical
.........................................................................................................................................................
Geometry - Compression Spring
155
Creating Helical
.........................................................................................................................................................
Geometry - Conical Compression Spring
158
Creating Helical
.........................................................................................................................................................
Geometry - T-connector and End Cap
160
Creating Helical
.........................................................................................................................................................
Geometry - Internal Threads
165
Creating Helical
.........................................................................................................................................................
Geometry - UNC-threaded Rod
171
Configurations
.......................................................................................................................................................... 176
Creating Design
.........................................................................................................................................................
Configurations - Overview
176
Getting Started
......................................................................................................................................................... 176
Creating the
.........................................................................................................................................................
First Part Configuration
177
Creating the
.........................................................................................................................................................
Second Part Configuration
182
Creating the
.........................................................................................................................................................
Third Part Configuration
187
Changing Lock
.........................................................................................................................................................
Properties
189
Creating a New
.........................................................................................................................................................
Part for the Assembly
190
Using Configurations
.........................................................................................................................................................
of Parts in Assemblies
194
Creating Assembly
.........................................................................................................................................................
Configurations
196
Surfacing
.......................................................................................................................................................... 198
Surfacing ......................................................................................................................................................... 198
Inerting a Surface
......................................................................................................................................................... 198
Moving and.........................................................................................................................................................
Rotating the Surface
200
Scaling the.........................................................................................................................................................
Surface
202
Splitting the.........................................................................................................................................................
Surface
202
Deleting a Surface
......................................................................................................................................................... 203
Thickening .........................................................................................................................................................
the Surface
204
Stitching the
.........................................................................................................................................................
Model
206
Converting.........................................................................................................................................................
a Solid to a Surface
207
Creating a Surface
.........................................................................................................................................................
from a Face
208
Trim
......................................................................................................................................................... 209
Trimming Model
......................................................................................................................................................... 212
Copying and
.........................................................................................................................................................
Pasting Surfaces
214
Booleans
.......................................................................................................................................................... 215
Creating Design
.........................................................................................................................................................
Booleans - Overview
215
Detail Definition
......................................................................................................................................................... 217
Creating Design
.........................................................................................................................................................
Booleans
218
Detail Definition
.........................................................................................................................................................
(continued)
221
Detail Definition
.........................................................................................................................................................
(continued)
223
Shell Definition
......................................................................................................................................................... 224
Cavity Mold......................................................................................................................................................... 226
Cavity Mold.........................................................................................................................................................
(continued)
227
3D Sketching .......................................................................................................................................................... 229
3D Sketch -.........................................................................................................................................................
Overview
229
3D Sketching
.........................................................................................................................................................
Context
230
Creating a 3D
.........................................................................................................................................................
Sketch
232
Creating a 3D
.........................................................................................................................................................
Sketch (continued)
233
Creating a 3D
.........................................................................................................................................................
Sketch (continued)
234
Creating a 3D
.........................................................................................................................................................
Sketch (continued)
239
Creating a 3D
.........................................................................................................................................................
Sketch (continued)
243
Creating the
.........................................................................................................................................................
profile for the sw eep
246
3D guide curves
......................................................................................................................................................... 248
Creating the
.........................................................................................................................................................
first of three sketch profiles
248
Mirroring the
.........................................................................................................................................................
first sketch
249
Creating the
.........................................................................................................................................................
3rd sketch profile
250
3D guide curves
.........................................................................................................................................................
(continued)
252
2011
Alibre Design
Contents
3D guide curves
.........................................................................................................................................................
(continued)
255
Alibre Motion .......................................................................................................................................................... 259
Using Alibre
.........................................................................................................................................................
Motion - Objectives
259
Using Alibre
.........................................................................................................................................................
Motion - Launching Alibre Motion
260
Using Alibre
.........................................................................................................................................................
Motion - Simulation Settings
263
Using Alibre
.........................................................................................................................................................
Motion - Adding Force and Motion Elements
265
Using Alibre
.........................................................................................................................................................
Motion - Inserting Measurements and Traces
267
Using Alibre
.........................................................................................................................................................
Motion - Running Simulations
268
Using Alibre
.........................................................................................................................................................
Motion - Saving Motion Data
270
Index
271
2011
Chapter
Alibre Design
Tutorials
Tutorials
1.1
Main Tutorial Page
Click on an image below to begin a tutorial.
These tutorials will create a couple of parts for a V8 engine and then will insert those parts into a partially
completed V8 engine.
Level 1
Using Alibre
Design
Sketching,
constraints and
dimensions
Modeling a
simple part #1
Overview of 3D
Design
Modeling a
simple part #2
AutoCAD
drawings in
Alibre Design
Creating a simple Creating a 2D

assembly
detailed drawing
Importing Data
2011
Alibre Design
Tutorials
Level 2
Creating sheet
metal parts
Creating helical
geometry
Surfacing
Creating Design
Booleans
Using Design
Configurations
3D Sketching
Using Alibre
Motion
1.2
Feedback
Main Tutorial Page
Feedback
If you have any comments on any of the tutorials and would like to provide feedback, please email
Support. Be sure to reference which tutorial you are referring to and which page and section you feel
could use improvement.
You can also suggest additional tutorial topics you feel would be beneficial.
Main Tutorial Page
1.3
Level 1
1.3.1
Overview
1.3.1.1
General Topics - Table of Contents

RETURN TO GENERAL TOPICS MENU
Table of Contents
Getting Help
2011
Alibre Design
Tutorials
10
Workspaces
Alibre File Types
Workspace Terms
Design Explorer
Drawing Explorer
Changing the View: Panning, Rotating, Zooming, etc.
Modeling Terms
Named Views
Tutorials Color Scheme
Main Tutorial Page
1.3.1.2
General Topics - Getting Help

Getting Help
Help can be accessed numerous ways while you are using Alibre Design:
Within Alibre Design
1. You can access Alibre Design's built-in help system from any workspace from the Help menu or by
pressing the F1 key.
2. When you hover the mouse pointer over a toolbar button, a tool tip appears that identifies the
function of the tool, and the status bar in the lower left corner of a workspace displays a brief
description.
Other Help Documents

3. New documentation materials will be available periodically on the Alibre, Inc. web site in the
Support and Training sections. In order to access some of the materials, you may need to sign
into the web site.
Online Help
4. Click New Incident in the Support area of the Alibre, Inc. web site.
5. Visit the Alibre Design User Forums on the Alibre, Inc. web site where you can interact with other
Alibre Design users. You will need to register in the forums to read or post. Your user name and
password for the user forums will not be the same one you use to run the software.
Real-Time Help
6. If you are active on maintenance, you will see a Contact Support link at the bottom of the Home
Window. You can send messages, e-mails, start a chat conversation, and work in a Design
session in real-time to ask technical questions and resolve issues. This is available from 8:00 AM
to 5:00 PM Central Time, Monday through Friday (holidays excepted).
2011
Alibre Design
Tutorials
11

1.3.1.3
General Topics - Workspaces

Workspaces
All design and modeling work is performed in windows called workspaces. New workspaces can be
opened from the Home window or any other open workspace. Five workspace types are available: part,
sheet metal part, assembly, drawing, and bill of materials. The Alibre Design workspaces (except BOM)
are divided into the following distinct areas.
o The Design Explorer (in part, sheet metal part, and assembly workspaces) and the Drawing
Explorer (in drawing workspaces) are located on the left side of the workspace and list pertinent
information.
o The Work Area is the graphics canvas in which you create all parts, assemblies, and drawings.
o Ribbons are on by default. Each workspace has its own individual ribbon interface that can be used
in conjunction with standard/customizable toolbars.
o Toolbars are located above and to the right of the work area. You can control both the visibility and
position of the toolbars with the Toolbars... command in the View menu. You can also drag toolbars
with the mouse to reposition them.
Opening a New Workspace

You can open a new workspace from the home window or any existing workspace..
To open a new part, sheet metal part, assembly, drawing, or bill of materials (BOM) workspace:
1. From the Gem, mouse over New Part
2. Select Part, Sheet Metal Part, Assembly, 2D Drawing or Bill of Materials.
2011
Alibre Design
Tutorials
12
3. Alternatively, from the Quick Access toolbar, click on the Option Arrow to expand the new
workspace toolset and choose the new Part, Sheet Metal Part, Assembly, 2D Drawing or Bill of
Materials workspace icon.
1.3.1.4
General Topics - Alibre File Types

Alibre File Types

Alibre Design's native file formats can be opened directly from their icons in Windows via doubleclicking. Alibre Design's native file formats are proprietary and generally cannot be accessed by
products other than Alibre Design. Alibre Design's native file formats are forward compatible: older
files can be read by newer versions of Alibre Design. Alibre Design's native file formats are NOT
backwards compatible: new files cannot be read by older versions of Alibre Design.
Alibre Design's primary native file formats include:

.AD_PRT - standard part files
.AD_SMP - sheet metal part files
.AD_ASM - assembly files
.AD_DRW - 2D drawing files
.AD_BOM - bills of material files
Alibre .STP files

2011
Alibre Design
Tutorials
13
Alibre Design assembly files can be exported in the proprietary Alibre .STP file format that packages
all of the part and assembly files into a single file. This has the benefit of enabling users to transfer
assemblies as single files; rather than having to send all of the assembly and part files separately.
1.3.1.5
General Topics - Workspace Terms

Workspace Terms
Alibre Design workspaces (except BOM) are divided into two distinct areas.
The Design Explorer (in part, sheet metal part, and assembly workspaces) and the Drawing
Explorer (in drawing workspaces) are located on the left side of the workspace and list pertinent
information.
The Work Area is the graphics canvas in which you create all parts, assemblies, and drawings.
Ribbons are turned on by default and are located above the work area.
Toolbars (if turned on) are located above and to the right of the work area. You can control both the
visibility and position of the toolbars with the Toolbars... command in the View menu. You can
also drag toolbars with the mouse to reposition them.
Part Workspace with default toolbars

1.3.1.6
General Topics - Design Explorer

Design Explorer
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Alibre Design
Tutorials
14
Each part, sheet metal part, and assembly workspace consists of a Work Area and the Design
Explorer. The Design Explorer tracks and lists the structure of a part or assembly. In addition, you
can use the Design Explorer to accomplish numerous tasks.
Use the Design Explorer to:

Select items in the design by name.
Suppress or hide selected features and parts.
Hide axes, planes, and points.
Temporarily roll the model back to an earlier state by
double-clicking a feature or dragging the rollback bar.
Identify and change the order in which features are
regenerated.
Rename features: right-click a feature and select
Rename.
Delete features and parts.
Toggle the display of section views on and off.
Edit a sketch: double-click the sketch name.
Track and control the display of redline markups.
Manage exploded views in assemblies.
Check the status of a feature or part to resolve errors.
Note: In sheet metal parts, assemblies, and when editing

Boolean features, the Design Explorer will have a slightly
different look.

1.3.1.7
General Topics - Drawing Explorer

Drawing Explorer
2011
Alibre Design
Tutorials
15
Similar to part and assembly workspaces, drawing workspaces consist of a 2D Work Area and the
Drawing Explorer. The Drawing Explorer tracks and lists the structure of a drawing. In addition,
you can use the Drawing Explorer to accomplish numerous tasks.
Use the Drawing Explorer to:
Select items in the drawing by name.
Rename drawing sheets or views.
Move, delete or break the alignment of drawing views.
Change the drawing template or default view scale.
Show hidden lines and/or tangent edges in drawing views.
Display and insert various dimensions and annotations in views, including reprojecting design
dimensions, and inserting centerlines, centermarks, cosmetic threads, hole callouts, and bend
centers for sheet metal parts.
Create broken views.
Delete sheets and views.
Change the scale of views after they are placed.
1.3.1.8
General Topics - Changing the View: Panning, Rotating, Zooming, etc.

Changing the View: Panning, Rotating, Zooming, etc.

In all design and drawing workspaces, you can pan and zoom. These tools are available from the
View toolbar and the View menu.
Pan
Pan dynamically moves the current view around the work area.
Click the icon and then click and drag the cursor around the work
area
Note: In 3D workspaces, you can also pan by pressing the Shift
key and the left and right mouse buttons while moving the cursor
around the work area. In drawing workspaces, you do not need to
hold the Shift key to pan.
Zoom Mode
Zoom Mode dynamically changes the scale of the work area view.
2011
Alibre Design
Tutorials
16
Click the icon, hold the left mouse button down, and move the
cursor up to zoom in or down to zoom out.
Note: If available, you can use the mouse wheel to zoom in and
out.
Zoom to Window
Zoom to Window changes the scale of the view so that a

specified region fills the work area. Click the icon, click and drag
a rectangle around an area with the cursor. Release the mouse
button when the rectangle borders the correct area.
Zoom to Fit
Zoom to Fit restores the view so that the entire design is

displayed in the work area.
Previous View
Previous View reorients the work area to views that preceded the
current view.
Next View
Next View becomes available after the Previous View tool has
been used and reorients the work area to views that follow the
current view.
In part, sheet metal part, or assembly workspaces, these tools are available from the View toolbar
and the View menu.
Rotate
Rotate dynamically rotates a part or assembly around a given

point. Click the icon and then click and drag the cursor around
the work area.
Note: You can also rotate by pressing the left and right mouse
buttons while moving the cursor around the work area.
Also, you can use the Rotation Points tool, described below, to
change the point about which this tool rotates.
Finally, this tool is not available in drawing workspaces.
Orthographic
Projection
Orthographic changes the display of the work area so that parallel

edges, faces, etc. appear as infinitely parallel.
Perspective
Projection
Perspective changes the display so that all parallel edges, faces,

etc. appear to converge into one point.
Wireframe
Wireframe changes the display so that only the edges of the

model are shown.
Shaded
Shaded changes the display so that the faces of the model are
shaded.
Shaded and Visible

Edges
Shaded and Visible Edges changes the display so that the faces
of the model are shaded and visible edges are shown.
Shaded and All

Edges
Shaded and All Edges changes the display so that the faces of
the model are shaded and all edges are shown.
In part, sheet metal part, or assembly workspaces, these tools are available from the Orient View
toolbar and the View menu.
Orient to front
Orients to the front (XY) view.
Orient to back
Orients to the back (YX) view.
Orient to left
Orients to the left (ZY) view.
Orient to right
Orients to the right (YZ) view.
Orient to top
Orients to the top (ZX) view.
Orient to bottom
Orients to the bottom (XZ) view.
2011
Alibre Design
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Orient to isometric
Orients to an isometric view; in the drop down you can select

from the 8 different standard isometric views.
Rotate view
counterclockwise
Rotates the current view counterclockwise by 90 degrees.
Rotate view
clockwise
Rotates the current view clockwise by 90 degrees.
Orient to Plane
Orients to the selected plane.
Rotation Points
Rotation Points stores default rotation points (the origin, model's

center of mass and center of volume) as well as allowing you to
add custom rotation points.
View Orientations
View Orientations stores default views (e.g. front, back, left, etc.)
as well as allowing you to add custom views.
In sketch mode while editing a part or sheet metal part, these tools are available from the Orient
View toolbar and the View menu.
Orient to Sketch
Plane
Orients to the sketch plane. Clicking this twice will orient to the
same sketch plane, but looking from the other side.
Isometric to Sketch
Plane
Orients to the nearest isometric view of the sketch plane. Clicking

this four times will cycle through four of the possible isometric
views.
1.3.1.9
General Topics - Modeling Terms

Modeling Terms
The following terms are used throughout the documentation:
1. Geometric elements in a model:
o faces
o edges
o vertices
2. Reference geometry:
o planes
o axes
o points
o origin
2011
Alibre Design
Tutorials
18

1.3.1.10 General Topics - Named Views
Named Views
In part, sheet metal part, and assembly workspaces, you can use named views to control view
display and manipulation. You can quickly change the display to a default view and add custom views
using the Orientations dialog box. Access the dialog from the View Orientations group in the
Viewing and Analysis tab
To apply a named view to the work area, double-click a named view or select a named view and then
click Set.
2011
Alibre Design
Tutorials
19
You can also add a custom view orientation: use the viewing tools to position the model as desired,
click Add and enter a name for the view.
1.3.1.11 General topics - Color Scheme
Tutorials Color Scheme

If you want your part, sheet metal, and assembly workspaces to use the same colors as in these
tutorials, follow these steps in one of those workspaces.
To begin, save a copy of this file to a convenient location on your computer. After it is saved, double
click on the file named User Profile.zip and unzip the file named User.NET.profile. Depending upon
your operating system, it will need to be placed in one of two locations.
1. XP - C:\Documents and Settings\Windows Login Name\Application Data\Alibre Design\default

user
2. Vista / Windows7 - C:\Users\Windows Login Name\AppData\Roaming\Alibre Design\default
user
If you wish to manually set the options:
1. From the Alibre Gem, go to System Options
2. In the left-hand column, select Color Scheme from Display.
1.
2.
3.
4.
In Scheme, click the New button.

Give this color scheme the name of Very Light Background Scheme.
Click OK in the New Color Scheme dialog.
Select Background Top from the Field menu.
2011
Alibre Design
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20
5. Click the bar under Color.

6. In the Color dialog box, click on the white selection (lower right corner).
7. Click OK in the Color dialog.
8. Select Background Bottom from the Field menu.
9. Click the bar under Color.
10.In the Color dialog box, click on the white selection (lower right corner).
11.Click OK in the Color dialog.
12.Click OK in the Color Scheme dialog.
Now your workspaces will be using the Tutorials color scheme you just defined.
1.3.2
Using Alibre Design
1.3.2.1
Using Alibre Design

Main Tutorial Page
NEXT
Using Alibre Design

The Home window serves as the central launch point for all Alibre Design workspaces and components. It
is the first window that opens when you launch Alibre Design, and remains open as long as Alibre Design
is running.
The Home window menus let you navigate and select product features.
The File menu can be used to start new design workspaces, open existing models, or import data.
The Tools menu provides access to Alibre Design Add-on options, and graphics display settings.
The Help menu can be used to open Alibre Design Help as well as the About Alibre Design window.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.3.2.2
Sketching
Main Tutorial Page
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Sketching
Most 3D modeling work in Alibre Design is initiated through 2D sketches, which are then used as profiles
to create 3D features and geometry.
Sketching is performed on a reference plane or a planar part face. Each part workspace contains three
orthogonal reference planes by default. You can toggle on and off the display of the reference planes from
Viewing and Analysis tab > Viewing Options group > Toggle Planes button.
To begin sketching, click the Activate 2D Sketch tool in the Part Modeling group, then click a visible
plane. The selected plane will change color to distinguish it from the other planes. Any reference plane
can be used for sketching depending on the desired orientation of the feature.
All sketching operations are enabled from the Sketch Figures group in the 2D Sketching group and tools
such as Line, Circle, Circular Arc, Rectangle and Spline are available.
Most sketching operations are performed by clicking in the workspace after selecting a sketch tool. For
example, to sketch a line segment, click once to start the line, move the pointer, then click again to end
the line. Any sketching operation can be terminated by pressing the Escape key.
Sketch entities can also be modified with the Sketch Select, Constraint and Dimension tools.
The Sketch Select tool is used to:

Select sketch entities
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Drag sketch entities and/or endpoints to modify the sketch profile

Drag a selection rectangle around multiple sketch entities
Select a dimension to drag to a new location
Double-click a dimension to modify its value
The Constraint toolbar is used to place 2D constraints on sketch entities. For example, an Equal
constraint can be placed on 2 different lines to ensure that they are the same size.
The Dimension tool is used to place precise dimensions on sketch entities.

To exit sketch mode, click the Activate 2D Sketch tool again on the Sketch toolbar or click the Select
tool on the View toolbar. All sketches will be listed in the Design Explorer under Features. An example of
a completed sketch is shown below.
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Part Modeling
Main Tutorial Page
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Part Modeling
After a sketch is created, 3D part features can be formed. Features are 3D shapes that, together, make
up a part.
Part Modeling tools are used to construct a feature from a sketch. Part Modeling tools are selected from
the various groups in the Part Modeling tab.
Feature shapes can be created including extrusions, revolutions, lofts, drafted surfaces, shells, holes and
cuts. To create a feature, click a Part Modeling tool. A feature dialog appears. To create the feature,
parameters such as depth must be entered in the dialog box.
All features for a part are listed in the Design Explorer under Features; the corresponding sketch is listed
under each respective feature. The image below shows an extrusion created from the sketch shown in the
previous section.
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Additional features can be added until the part is complete. Feature properties can be modified after the
initial creation. Also, properties such as color and reflectivity can be applied to achieve a realistic
rendering effect.
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1.3.2.4
Assembly Modeling
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Assembly Modeling
Parts are inserted into an assembly workspace to create an assembly design. Assemblies in Alibre
Design consist of any combination of native Alibre Design parts and imported parts. New parts can also
be created in the context of existing assemblies.
To create an assembly, open a new assembly workspace. The Insert Part/Assembly dialog appears.
Here, a part or an existing assembly can be selected and inserted into the new assembly workspace. Or,
click Cancel to close the Insert Part/Assembly dialog and create new parts in the assembly workspace.
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All assembly parts are listed in the Design Explorer. To insert additional parts into the assembly, from
the Insert group, select the Part/Subassembly icon. New parts or new assemblies can also be inserted
into the assembly by selecting New Part or New Assembly. Existing assembly parts can be referenced
during the design of new parts and assemblies.
Next, assembly constraints must be applied to properly position assembly parts with respect to each
other. Note that prior to applying assembly constraints, parts can be moved in the workspace by Ctrlclicking the part, then moving the pointer. To apply assembly constraints, from the Insert menu, select
Assembly Constraint or right-click in the workspace and select Insert Assembly Constraint.
In the example below, a new part has been inserted into the assembly and the Quick Assembly
Constraint dialog is open. Six types of constraints can be applied: mate, orient, angle, align, tangent
inside and tangent outside. To select the entities to constrain, left click the edge or surface on one part,
then left click to select the appropriate edge or face on the second part. In the example, a planar face has
been selected on each part and the mate constraint has been selected. Additional constraints can be
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applied until the part has been assembled in the proper orientation and position. All assembly constraints
are listed in the Design Explorer and can be modified after insertion.
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1.3.2.5
2D Drawings
Main Tutorial Page
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2D Drawings
Drawings can be created from existing parts or assemblies. After a drawing is created, changes to the 3D
model will automatically be reflected in the drawing as well. To create a drawing, open a new drawing
workspace. The New Sheet Properties dialog will appear in which the drawing template and scale are
selected. After you select sheet properties, the Fill In Text dialog appears in which standard drawing
information such as the drawing number and date are entered. The Insert Design dialog then opens where
the desired part or assembly is selected. After selecting the part or assembly, the Standard Views
Creation dialog appears, and is used to select views and view orientation.
After the view orientations have been chosen, the primary view is placed in the drawing by clicking within
the drawing borders. Then, the corresponding views can be individually moved and precisely placed.
Once the views have been positioned, dimensions, notes and annotations can be added to the drawing.
Additional sheets can also be added. Any modifications to the corresponding part will be reflected
automatically in the drawing.
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Page 5 of 6
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1.3.3
Sketching
1.3.3.1
Overview of Sketching
Main Tutorial Page
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Overview of Sketching
Sketching is a core capability in Alibre Design which allows you to define lines, circular arcs and
other 2D sketch figures on a specified plane. You will make extensive use of the sketching tools in
Alibre Design to accomplish many geometry creation tasks, such as:
creating the 2D sketched profiles used in most 3D modeling features.
identifying hole locations for 3D hole features.
building 2D technical drawing symbols and templates.
creating section and detail lines in technical drawings.
This first sketching tutorial covers basic sketch and constraint creation techniques in 3D design
workspaces. When you have completed this tutorial, you will have learned about the following sketch
capabilities:
entering and exiting sketch mode in part workspaces.
basic creation techniques for sketch figures.
auto-inferred constraints generated while creating sketch figures.
explicit constraint and dimension creation.
using dimensions and constraints to control sketch modifications.
trimming sketch figures.
reference figures.
orienting the view based on the sketch plane.
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It should take you approximately 30 minutes to complete this tutorial. This tutorial assumes you are
already familiar with the general operation of Alibre Design. If that is not the case, you should read
General Topics before proceeding.
In the course of completing this tutorial you will create the outside sketch for the simple Main Cap design
for a V8 engine. The following tutorial will complete the design.
Before beginning this tutorial, save the completed design to a convenient location on your computer.
Open the model with Alibre Design to gain an understanding of the expected results for this tutorial.
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1.3.3.2
Setting Up the Workspace

Main Tutorial Page
Setting Up the Workspace

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New Part Workspace
The first sketch you create will be used to define a part. So let's first create a new part workspace.
1. Select the New Part tool
. A new part workspace appears.
Setting up Design Properties

In this section, you can either enter the values described in the next 3 sections, or you can close
your part workspace and open this starting workspace. This file consists of an Alibre Design part
workspace with these values already set. Save the file to a convenient location then open the file.
1. In a new part workspace, from the Alibre Gem, go to Design Properties.
2. Select Units > General
a. Show Units for Dimensions should be unchecked.
b. Under the Display Units, Length section, set the following:
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i. Unit should be Inches.

ii. Format should be Decimals.
iii. Precision should be 4.
c. Show Dual Dimensions should be unchecked.
3. On the Apply Options Tab,
a. In the Apply Changes To section, select The Current Document.
b. Select Apply, then Close.
Setting up The Workspace
4. In the View main menu, make sure the following options are toggled on:
a. Design Explorer
b. References > All (or Ctrl+Shift+P)
c. Sketch Display > Sketch Dimensions AND Sketch Display > Constraint Symbols
5. From the View main menu, select Toolbars. The Toolbars dialog appears.
a. In the Toolbars on top field, check the following:
i. Standard
ii. View
iii. Orient View
b. In the Toolbars on right field, check the following:
i. Sketching
ii. Part Modeling
c. Select Close.
6. From the Tools main menu, select Options,
a. On the General tab, in the Design Viewing section
i. Reorient on Extrude should be checked
ii. Snap to working plane should be checked
b. On the Grid tab,
i. Display Grid should be unchecked
ii. Snap to Grid should be unchecked
c. Select OK to apply the changes.
Optional Appearance Setup
7. From the Tools main menu, select Options (or Ctrl+Shift+O)
8. On the Color Scheme tab,
a. In the Scheme section, click the New button
i. In Name, enter Tutorials
ii. Select OK in the New Color Scheme dialog
b. From the Field drop-down menu, select Background Top
i. Click the bar in the Color field
ii. In the Color dialog box, click on the white selection (lower right corner)
iii. Select OK in the Color dialog
c. From the Field drop-down menu, select Background Bottom
i. Click the bar in the Color field
ii. In the Color dialog box, click on the white selection (lower right corner)
iii. Select OK in the Color dialog
9. Select OK in the Options dialog
You have now finished setting up design properties and the workspace views, toolbars, and options.
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The First Sketch

Main Tutorial Page
The First Sketch

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Creating the Basic Shape
In a 3D workspace, the sketching tools operate

on a specified plane in space. This plane can be
one of the primary coordinate planes, some other
reference plane defined by you, or any planar face
on the part. If a planar face is selected when you
activate the sketching tools, they will operate on
that face. If no planar face is selected, then the
sketch tools will operate on the Active
Reference Plane. The active reference plane is
denoted by highlighted text in the Design
Explorer.
1. Select the Activate 2D Sketch tool from the Part Modeling group
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Tutorials
. Click on the XY-Plane in the Design Explorer.

You have now entered Sketch Mode for the XY-Plane. The Activate 2D Sketch icon will
change to the Deactivate Sketch icon indicate that you are in 2D sketch mode.
Note: If the Activate 2D Sketch option is not currently displayed, but rather the Activate 3D Sketch,
you can click the flyout toolbar and select it from the choices.
2. Select the Line tool

changes to
. The Line tool remains depressed and the pointer
to indicate that you are now executing the line command.
3. Click (and release) the left mouse button at a point near (but not on) the origin and move the pointer
horizontally. A horizontal line is displayed and a Horizontal Constraint is displayed to indicate
that the line will be automatically constrained as horizontal.
4. Click and release the mouse button to create the line figure. When sketching, it is not necessary to
have all of the sketch figures entered with the correct values since they can be changed at any
time. The horizontal line is created and second line figure is automatically started from the endpoint
of the first line.
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Note: Constraints and Dimensions (which you'll add in a moment) are used to define the desired
characteristics of the sketch figures. Some constraints are automatically inferred by Alibre Design
when a sketch figure is created. In this case, Alibre Design inferred that you wanted the line to be
constrained horizontally. Due to the constraint, the line will remain horizontal as the sketch is
modified (see below).
If at some point you no longer want the line to be horizontal, select the sketch Select tool
. As you move the cursor over the constraint symbol (shown here in green), the cursor
will change to reflect the constraint.
From
to
Right click on the constraint symbol, and choose Delete from the pop-up menu. This will remove
the selected constraint. You may also simply click on the constraint symbol, and press Delete
from the keyboard.
Note: Constraints are defined in two ways: as above by auto inferencing when sketch figures are
created and by explicit use of the constraint toolset (shown below) and later in this tutorial, you will
use several of these constraint tools to define your sketches.
5. Continue to use the Line tool to create the vertical and horizontal lines (select the Line tool again if
necessary).
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6. At the end of the horizontal line, use the Line tool to create an angled line as shown here (select
the Line tool again if necessary). For this line, use a linear value of 0.500", press the tab key on
the keyboard move the mouse cursor so it is approximately in the correct location and an angle of
110.000 . Press the Enter key to accept the changes.
7. Then create a horizontal line that goes past the Y-axis as shown below. A Parallel Constraint
symbol is displayed to indicate that the line will be constrained horizontal to the first line. Also, a
vertical Alignment Line is displayed from the origin to indicate when the endpoint is vertically
aligned with the starting point of the sketch.
8. Since the sketch figures do not need to be exact, continue sketching so you have the approximate
sketch below.
Note: Alignment Lines are automatically generated by Alibre Design to help you precisely locate the
endpoints of new sketch figures.
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Page 3 of 8
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1.3.3.4
Adding Sketch Constraints

Main Tutorial Page

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Since this part is symmetrical about the Y-Axis, we can use the Equal constraint
so the sketch figures are always the size.

Select the Equal Constraint and when applied you will see the Equal constraint symbol.
1. Select Line #1
2. Select Line #2
3. Click in the workspace to clear the current selection
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4. Follow the above steps and make line 3 equal to line 4

5. Now make line 5 equal to line 6
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1.3.3.5
Moving the sketch

Main Tutorial Page
Moving the sketch

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Moving the sketch
Often times you may want to manually move a sketch to a new location. This is possible if there are
no dimensions or sketch constraints that limit the movement of the sketch to a new location.
1. Go into Select mode by pressing the Select icon

in the sketching toolbar.
2. Click and drag on this node and move it so it is approximately symmetrical about the Y-Axis.
4. The last sketch figure we need to add is the arc. Switch to the Circle sketch tool
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.
5. Place the mouse cursor at the origin (0,0) and the mouse cursor will change to this
6. Click the left mouse button the circle and then type 4.0 for the diameter of the circle. Pressing the
Enter key will accept the value and create the circle.
7. Depending upon how big (or small) you drew your initial sketch figures on Page 3, you may need
to press the Select icon

image shown in step #6.
in the sketching toolbar and drag some of the nodes to get the
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1.3.3.6
Trimming the Sketch

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Trimming the Sketch

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1. Using the Trim tool

circle and the interior arcs.
37
, we want to remove the lower half of the
2. To use the Trim tool, simply left click on the items that you want to remove. When the mouse is
hovering over a sketch item it will turn black.
3. The Trim tool will delete the segments up until the another sketch figure or a reference figure. To
remove the unneeded sketch figures, the Trim tool will have to be used five times.
Note: You can terminate the Line command in several ways: double-clicking the final endpoint;
pressing the ESC key; clicking the depressed Line icon; directly invoking another sketch command;
or invoking a 3D feature command. This last method will cause you to exit sketch mode.
Also, because the XY-Plane was the active plane when you entered sketch mode, all sketching that
you perform occurs on the XY-Plane, regardless of the view orientation in the 3D work area. For
example, if you rotate the view by clicking both mouse keys and moving the mouse, this will not affect
the plane that you are sketching on. All mouse clicks will continue to be interpreted as lying on the
XY-Plane. (After rotating the view, you can go back to your previous view by selecting the Previous
View tool from the View Orientation group in the Viewing and Analysis tab.
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1.3.3.7
Adding Sketch Constraints and Dimensions

Main Tutorial Page
Adding Sketch Constraints and Dimensions

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Inserting a Symmetrical sketch constraint

Sketch constraints allow you to eliminate degree of freedoms (DOF) from sketches without the use of
dimensions.
1. From the 2D Sketching tab, select the Symmetric constraint

from the
Constraints group. In the lower left-hand corner of the workspace you notice that Alibre will tell you
what it is looking for.
a. Select the Y-Axis
b. Select the far left vertical line in the sketch
c. Select the far right vertical line in the sketch
2. This should be the only symmetric constraint that is needed to constrain the sketch in the
horizontal direction. The other sketch constraints and dimensions also help in the definition of the
sketch.
Adding Dimensions
The next step in creating a sketch is to make sure that the figures are sized correctly.
3. Select the Dimension tool

. The pointer changes to
to indicate that you are
now in the Insert Dimension command.
4. Click (and release) on the vertical sketch line. A preview of a linear dimension is displayed and is
repositioned as you move the mouse.
5. Click once to position the dimension text at any convenient location. The Dimension Value dialog
appears
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6. Enter 1.0".
7. Press Enter. The sketch will update itself so that the new dimension value is used and all the
previously defined constraints are satisfied.
8. Repeat steps 2 through 5 for the top and bottom horizontal lines, using values of 0.875" and 6.5"
respectively.
Note: You can reposition the dimension text after it is placed by clicking the Select tool
then clicking on the dimension and dragging it to the desired location.
Adding the Last Sketch Constraint

9. Currently the sketch is almost complete, it just needs to be moved slightly down. The easiest way
is to add a Colinear sketch constraint

. Select the Colinear sketch
constraint and select the 6.5" line and the X-axis. At this point, your sketch should be similar to the
sketch below. All of the sketch figures should be fully defined.
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Congratulations!
You have completed the tutorial on creating sketching and adding dimensions and sketch constraints.
You have now learned how to:
o Add sketch figures
o Add dimensions
o Real Time dimensions
o Adding sketch constraints
o Equal constraints
o Symmetrical constraint
o Colinear sketch constraint
o Moving Sketch figures
o Trim figures
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1.3.4
Modeling a Simple Part
1.3.4.1

Main Tutorial Page

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Objectives
This tutorial guides you through the creation of a part using Alibre Design and introduces some of the
most commonly used features.
Tutorial Conventions
For the best results your system should meet the system requirements for Alibre Design. For the
best experience with the tutorials, we recommend that you set your screen resolution to at least
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1024x768 and color quality to 16-bit.

When available, a hyper link is provided for more detail on a particular topic, such as in Getting Help
shown below. To get back to your last position in the Tutorial just select the BACK link at the
beginning (top) or end (bottom) of that section or use the Back space key. If you are reviewing this
tutorial, you may also jump ahead to the next page by clicking the NEXT link at the beginning of each
page.
Basic concepts and fundamentals
If you are new to Alibre Design, you may find it helpful to review the basic concepts and
fundamentals. You will become familiar with them as you become proficient with Alibre Design. These
topics and others are available in the General Topics tutorial.
Introduction
You will create the following simple part in approximately 30 minutes:
This tutorial covers:

Creating a base feature with a boss.
Creating a revolve cut.
Creating offset sketches from 3D geometry
Creating a hole feature.
Creating a fillet feature.
This tutorial assumes that you are already familiar with basic sketching techniques in Alibre Design. If
that is not the case, please review the tutorial Introduction to Sketching and Constraints before
proceeding.
On the next page you will continue working on the part from Introduction to Sketching and Constraints
. If you do not have the finished sketch it can be downloaded from here. Open up the file and make
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the sketch into a 3D model.

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Main Tutorial Page
1.3.4.2
Creating the initial Extrude Boss feature

Main Tutorial Page
Creating the initial Extrude Boss feature

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The first feature in any part is called the base feature. In this example, you will create the base feature
by extruding the sketch created above.
1. Click Sketch<1> in the Design Explorer.
2. Select the Extrude Boss tool

from the Part Modeling group. The
Extrude Boss dialog appears, the view in the work area changes to isometric, and a preview of the
extrusion is displayed.
3. From the Type drop-down list, select Mid-Plane.

4. In the Depth field, Click and Drag the mouse across the default dimension (1.000")
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Type 1.000, then press the Tab key on your computer. Alternatively, click the spinner
increment
down arrow to change the value to 1.000". You will have to click it many times to
get from 5.000" to 1.000" , since the spinner is set for 0.100" increments.
5. Click OK. The extrusion is created and is displayed in the work area.
Note: To see the entire model, if necessary, you can use the Zoom to Fit tool from the View
Orientation group in the Viewing and Analysis tab
The new feature is also displayed in the Design Explorer as Extrusion<1> in the Features
tree. Sketch<1>, which you used to create the feature, is now listed under Extrusion<1>.
Note: You can edit the properties of a feature (e.g. Type, Length, etc.). Right-click the feature in the
Design Explorer and select Edit from the pop-up menu.
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Creating a Revovle Cut

Main Tutorial Page
Creating a Revolve Cut

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The initial sketch you created was defined on one of the primary coordinate planes (the XY-Plane).
As described earlier, you can also define sketches directly on any planar face of a part.
Creating the base sketch for a revolve cut.
1. Click on the planar face highlighted below. The selected face is highlighted.
a. To rotate the model, press and hold both mouse and slightly move the mouse.
b. To pan the model, press and hold on the mouse scroll wheel button and slightly move the mouse.
c. To zoom in, push the scroll mouse button away from you; and to zoom out push the scroll
mouse button toward you.
1. Select the Activate 2D Sketch htool from the Part Modeling group
. You have now entered 2D Sketch Mode for the selected

face. As before, The Activate 2D Sketch icon will change to the Deactivate Sketch icon indicate
that you are in 2D sketch mode.. Also, the face you are sketching on is now highlighted in a
contrasting color.
2. Sketch the following lines in the approximate location.

3. Insert in the following dimensions and constraints.
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b.
c.
d.
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All of the lines on the edge of the part are collinear to the edge.
The vertical line is collinear to the Z-Axis.
All of the horizontal lines are symmetric to the X-Axis.
To dimension the .750" value you will need to use two mouse clicks. First select the vertical
sketch line (at this point it will give you a preview dimension) but then select on the Z-Axis.
4. Creating the Revolve Cut Feature
5. Select the Revolve Cut icon

a. Use a value of 180 for the angle.
b. Select the Z-Axis.
from Cut group in the Part Modeling tab.
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6. Press the OK button and the sketch will be revolved around the Z-Axis.
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1.3.4.4
Sketch Figures From 3D Geometry

Main Tutorial Page
Sketch Figures From 3D Geometry

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1. Select the side of the part and press the Activate 2D Sketch button
2. Select the Project to Sketch tool from the Sketching Tools group
in the 2D Sketching tab. The Project to Sketch dialog

appears.
Note: The Project to Sketch command is used to create new sketch figures by projecting 3D faces
and edges to the sketching plane. When the sketch plane is a face, as it is in this case, the
command preselects the face for projection. In our case, you should see that Face<17> is already
selected for projecting under Entities to Project.
3. Choose the option Create Reference Figure.
Note: When you create figures by projecting, you have the option to create regular sketch figures or
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reference figures. Regular sketch figures, drawn with solid thick lines, are used by 3D features to
create solid geometry. Reference figures, drawn with dashed thin lines, are used as an aid for
constructing other sketch figures. They do not affect the creation of 3D solid geometry. An existing
regular sketch figure can be converted to a reference figure and vice versa by right clicking on it and
choosing Convert to Reference Figure (or Convert to Regular Figure).
4. Make sure that the option Maintain association to source entity is Unchecked.
Note: Sketch figures created by projecting 3D geometry can maintain an association back to the
original 3D geometry. This association is used to automatically update the projected figures when the
original 3D geometry is changed. In this example, we do not want to maintain this association.
5. Click OK. Sketch reference figures are created for each edge of Face<17>.
Note: In the operation you just performed, the face used to create the figures, Face<17> was already
in the sketch plane (in fact, the sketch plane was defined by Face<17>), so no actual projection was
needed and the resulting sketch figures are geometrically identical to their source. It is also possible
to choose 3D geometry far removed from the sketch plane. In such cases, the resulting sketch
geometry is defined as a projection along the sketch plane's normal.
6. Select the Offset tool

from the Sketching Tools group in
the 2D Sketching tab. The Offset dialog appears.
7. Set the Distance to 1/4".
8. Click in the Figures to offset field.
9. Select all of the reference figures that you created (or they may still be selected from the previous
steps). If you need to manually select the lines then each line is highlighted and displayed in the
Figures to offset field. Alternately, you can either
a. Press Ctrl+A on the keyboard and it will select all of the sketch figures in the current sketch.
b. Window around the sketches with mouse by pressing and holding the left-mouse button
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6. Press the OK button and the offset reference figures will now be regular sketch figures that can be
generated to create features.
7. Select the Extrude Cut icon
and cut out -0.125" of material.
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Creating Holes
Main Tutorial Page
Creating Holes
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1. With the majority of the part complete, we are now going to add some Holes.
2. Select the highlighted face and then press the Hole icon
group in the Part Modeling tab.
tool from the Thread
3. Left click the mouse in the approximate location to place an instance of a hole. In the Workspace,
click where you want the Hole to be placed, later we will use following dimensions and constraints
to precisely located the hole.
4. Press the OK button.
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Note: When the Hole dialog box is open, every time you click in the workspace another instance of
the hole will be added. If you accidentally added too many instances of a hole, enter select mode and
select and delete the unneeded holes.
4. The hole is on the correct surface, but it is not in the correct location.
5. In the Design Explorer, right click on Sketch<4> which was created for Hole<4> and select Edit.
a. The hole will now be represented by a node.
i. Place horizontal dimension between the node and the edge of the top flat surface. For the value
use 0.875/2
ii. Place a coincident constraint between the node and the X-Axis.
b. At this point, the hole should be fully defined.
c. Select the Deactivate Sketch icon and you will exit sketch mode.
6. Add a second hole and follow the same steps. However, in this case, we will add two instances of a
hole instead of just one.
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a. Select the highlighted face and then press the Hole icon
b. Left click in the approximate locations.
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Note: Since multiple holes are being created in the same feature, all of the holes will always have
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the exact same attributes. If you need the holes to have different attributes then they will need to be
created as different hole features.
a. With the Hole dialog still open
i. Dimension both holes 0.875/2 (or 0.4375") from the edge of the part.
ii. Add a collinear constraint between each hole and the X-Axis.
iii. Press the Ok button and the model.
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1.3.4.6
Mirrors and Fillets

Main Tutorial Page
Mirrors and Fillets

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1. There are several different ways that we could create the other needed hole. We could either edit
the original Hole feature and add another instance of a hole, create a new Hole feature and
manually enter in all of the values, or we could mirror the feature.
2. Select the Feature Mirror icon

from the Geometry Transform group in
the Part Modeling tab.
3. When the dialog box is open, select the first Hole feature (Hole<4>) and mirror it about the YZPlane.
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4. Add another Mirror and mirror the cutout (Extrude<3>) about the XY-Plane.
Adding Fillets
5. Select the Fillet icon

Modeling tab.
from the Geometry Transform group in the Part
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6. Select the four edges and use a radius of 0.125"

Congratulations!
This concludes the initial 2D sketching tutorial.
You have completed the tutorial on creating the features for the Main Cap. and you have now learned
how to:
Creating a base feature with a boss
Creating a revolve cut
Creating offset sketches from 3D geometry
Creating a hole feature
Mirror holes and extrusions
Creating a fillet feature
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1.3.5
Cylinder Head Cover
1.3.5.1
Modeling a Cylinder Head Cover

Main Tutorial Page
Modeling a Cylinder Head Cover

NEXT
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Objectives
This tutorial guides you through the creation of a part using Alibre Design and introduces some of the
most commonly used features.
For the best results your system should meet the system requirements for Alibre Design. For the
best experience with the tutorials, we recommend that you set your screen resolution to at least
1024x768 and color quality to 16-bit.
When available, a hyper link is provided for more detail on a particular topic, such as in Getting Help
shown below. To get back to your last position in the Tutorial just select the BACK link at the
beginning (top) or end (bottom) of that section or use the Back space key. If you are reviewing this
tutorial, you may also jump ahead to the next page by clicking the NEXT link at the beginning of each
page.
Basic concepts and fundamentals
If you are new to Alibre Design, you may find it helpful to review the basic concepts and
fundamentals. You will become familiar with them as you become proficient with Alibre Design. These
topics and others are available in the General Topics tutorial.
Introduction
You will create the following simple part in approximately 30 minutes:

Creating a base feature with a boss.
Fillets
Shells
Holes
Feature pattern
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This tutorial assumes that you are already familiar with basic sketching techniques in Alibre Design. If
that is not the case, please review the tutorial Introduction to Sketching and Constraints before
proceeding.
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1.3.5.2
The First Sketch

Main Tutorial Page
The First Sketch

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Creating the Basic Shape

In a 3D workspace, the sketching tools operate on a specified plane in space. This plane can be one
of the primary coordinate planes, some other reference plane defined by you, or any planar face on
the part. If a planar face is selected when you activate the sketching tools, they will operate on that
face. If no planar face is selected, then you will have to select a plane before you can start sketching.
1. Select the Activate 2D Sketch tool from the Part Modeling group
. Click on the XY-Plane in the Design Explorer. You

have now entered Sketch Mode for the XY-Plane. The Activate 2D Sketch icon will change to
the Deactivate Sketch icon indicate that you are in 2D sketch mode.
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Note: If the Activate 2D Sketch option is not currently displayed, but rather the Activate 3D Sketch,
you can click the flyout toolbar and select it from the choices.
2. Select the Rectangle by Two Corners tool
Note: If the Rectangle by Two Corners option is not currently displayed, you can click the flyout
toolbar and select it from the available choices.
The Rectangle tool remains depressed and the pointer changes to

to indicate that you
are now executing the line command.
3. Click (and release) the left mouse button in the second quadrant, somewhere around (-10, 2). The
coordinate values are displayed in the lower right-hand corner of the window.
4. Click the left mouse button again in the forth quadrant, somewhere around (10, -2).
Adding Dimensions

.
2. Click on the top horizontal line.
3. Click on the workspace where you want to place the dimension.
4. Insert a 19.250" dimension.
5. Either press the Enter key on the keyboard or press on the green check mark.
6. Following the same steps above, click on the vertical line and enter a value of 5.000".
a. If you have the Degree of Colors (DOF) turned on then the four lines should be yellow.
At this point, the rectangle is dimensioned but the entire figure can still be moved up and down and
side to side. Since we want the part to be centered about the X-axis and Y-axis we could accomplish
this in a couple of different ways. Using dimensions we could add a horizontal dimension of 9.625"
between a vertical line and the Y-axis. We could then add a 2.500" dimension between one of the
horizontal lines and the X-Axis. Instead of using dimensions we will use sketch constraints.
1. Select the Symmetric constraint

.
2. Click on the X-Axis and then select one horizontal line and then select the other horizontal line.
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a. At this point, the rectangle sketch can only be moved side to side.
b. If you had trouble with this step then look down in the lower left-hand corner of the workspace and
Alibre Design will let you know what item it is expecting next.
3. Follow the same procedure and make the vertical lines symmetric about the Y-Axis.
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1.3.5.3
Creating the Initial Extrude Boss feature

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Creating the Initial Extrude Boss feature

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The first feature in any part is called the base feature. In this example, you will create the base feature
by extruding the sketch created above.
1. Click Sketch<1> in the Design Explorer.
2. Select the Extrude Boss tool

from the Boss group in the Part Modeling
tab. The Extrude Boss dialog appears, the view in the work area changes to isometric, and a
preview of the extrusion is displayed.
3. From the Type drop-down list, select To Depth.

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4. In the Depth field, type 2.000, then press the Tab key on your computer.
5. Click OK. The extrusion is created and is displayed in the work area.
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1.3.5.4
Creating Fillets and a Shell

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Creating Fillets and a Shell

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Creating Fillets
1. Select the Fillet tool from the Geometry Transform tab

.
2. Select either the entire face or select all four of the individual edges. Either method will give you the
same results.
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3. Use a radius of .500:

Crating a Shell
1. Select the Shell tool from the Geometry Transform group

.
2. Rotate the model so the backside it facing you (hold down both mouse buttons and move the
mouse).
3. For the Faces to Remove, select the backside face; this should be the side opposite the of the
radius.
4. Use a Standard thickness of 0.750"

5. Press the OK button
6. At this stage in the process your model should look like the following:
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Page 4 of 6
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1.3.5.5
Creating Holes and a Feature Pattern

Main Tutorial Page
Creating Holes and a Feature Pattern

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Adding a Hole
1. Select the Hole tool from the Thread group

.
2. Click the mouse in the Start Surface text box and then click on the top surface of the Cylinder Head
Cover.
3. At this point, every time you click in the workspace you will add another Hole instance. In this
4.
5.
6.
7.
instance we will add only a single hole and then make a pattern.
Select the Simple Hole option.
Use a value of 0.375" for the diameter of the hole.
For the Depth Condition choose To Limit Geometry.
Click in the Limiting Geometry text box area (it will highlight blue) and select the back side of the
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Cylinder Head Cover.
8. In the first Part tutorial we added the dimensions after the hole was created. In this example we will
add the dimensions with the Hole Dialog box is still open.
a. Select the Dimension tool

. The pointer changes to
to indicate
that you are now in the Insert Dimension command.
b. Dimension the center node of the hole and dimension it to the edges of the model. In both
cases use 0.500".
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c. Click the OK button

Creating a Pattern of the Hole
1. Select the Linear Feature Pattern tool from the Geometry Transform group
.
2. Select the Hole that was just created for the Features to Pattern.
3. For the First Direction, click in the Linear Path text box.
a. Click on a linear edge in the model (alternately you can select on the X-Axis).
b. Use a value of 4.500" for the Spacing.
c. Use a value of 5 for the number of Copies.
4. For the Second Direction, click in the Linear Path text box.
a. Click on a linear edge in the model (alternately you can select on the Y-Axis).
b. Use a value of 4.000" for the Spacing.
c. Use a value of 2 for the number of Copies.
5. If you do not see the preview then you can select the Change Direction for the First Direction and/
or Second Direction.
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Congratulations!
You have completed the tutorial on creating the Cylinder Head Cover. During the course of this tutorial
you:
used the Rectangle by Two Corners
added Design Dimensions
used the Symmetric sketch constraint to center the sketch about the X-Axis and the Y-Axis
created an Extrude boss feature using the Extrude to Depth of the initial sketch
added Fillets
added Holes and dimensioned them with the Hole dialog box still open
created a Linear Feature Pattern
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1.3.6
Assembly
1.3.6.1
Creating a Simple Assembly - Objectives

Main Tutorial Page
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Objectives
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The purpose of this tutorial is to provide you with an overview of the assembly capabilities of Alibre
Design. This tutorial will guide you through the creation of a simplified model of a V8 engine.
Note in some versions of Alibre Design you may have a limited number of unique parts that you are
allowed to insert into an assembly and then save. Regardless of the number of unique parts that your
version allows to be saved in an assembly, you will be able to complete this tutorial.
This tutorial assumes that you are already familiar with basic 3D modeling, part design and sketching
techniques in Alibre Design.
If that is not the case, please review the tutorials Introduction to Sketching and Constraints and
Modeling a Simple Part before proceeding.
Introduction
This tutorial will guide you through the process of building a simple engine assembly starting with a
predefined assembly.

Saving assemblies to the file system.
Creating a new assembly workspace.
Inserting new parts and subassemblies (referred to as "components").
Anchoring components.
Moving and rotating components in an assembly.
Using constraints to position components with respect to each other.
Changing the colors of components.
Edit a part in the context of the assembly.
Hiding components.
Inserting patterns of components.
Checking for interferences between components.
Creating and editing components in the context of an assembly.
Creating an exploded view of an assembly.
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Getting Started
Main Tutorial Page
Getting Started
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To begin, save a copy of this zip file to a convenient location on your computer. The file is actually a
folder. To access the contents, left-click on the link and then select Save... Once extracted, open
the file named v8.AD_ASM.
This model already has all the parts and subassemblies inserted into it with the appropriate
relationships, called Constraints, defined between them. To demonstrate that the constraints are
defined and active, simulate the rotation of the crankshaft as follows.
1. In the work area, position the mouse cursor over the cylindrical face of the protruding portion of the
Crankshaft.
2. Click-and-hold the left mouse button and then move the mouse in a circular motion, as if turning the
crankshaft with handle.
The mouse movement simulates the rotation of the crankshaft which, due to previously defined
constraints, causes the rod subassemblies and pistons to move.
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Page 2 of 20
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1.3.6.3
Saving an Assembly to the File System

Main Tutorial Page
Saving an Assembly
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Save the entire engine assembly so that you can use the components in this tutorial. We will save
these items to the File System. This assumes you do not have Use Vault checked in the Tools >
Options area of the Home Window if you are using a version of Alibre Design that comes with the
Alibre Vault.
1. Select the Save
tool on the Standard toolbar.
The multi-item Save dialog box appears.
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2. For the top level item, LT1_xpress, select the Folder icon to the left of the Save Action column.
The Windows standard save dialog pops up. Select the New Folder icon, and create a new folder
somewhere. In our example, we've created a new folder called Engine on our Desktop.
3. When you are back in the multi-item save dialog, now select the Copy top level location to all
new locations icon to set the path of all the other items in the list to the new path you just made
for the assembly.
4. Press OK.
The assembly and all components are saved in your file system.
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1.3.6.4
Inserting Components into an Assembly

Main Tutorial Page

BACK NEXT
We are finished with the Completed Engine assembly for now. Close that workspace by selecting
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Close from the Alibre Gem.

Now we will build the engine assembly from the beginning. Let's start by creating a new assembly
workspace.
1. In the Home window, Select the New Assembly tool on the New Workspace toolset.
2. A new assembly workspace opens, and the Insert Part/Subassembly dialog box appears.
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1.3.6.5

Main Tutorial Page

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The first step in building an assembly is to identify the parts and subassemblies that will be included
in the assembly.
1. In the Insert Part/Subassembly dialog, navigate to the Assembly Tutorial folder.
2. Click on the file Block.AD_PRT in the item list.
3. Select OK.
The Inserting dialog appears and a preview of the part is displayed in the work area. The
preview of the part moves with the mouse.
4. Click the origin of the work area one time.
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An instance of the block, named Block<1>, is created at the workspace coordinate origin and
appears in the Design Explorer. Another preview of the block is displayed as the mouse moves.
5. Click Finish on the Inserting dialog or press the ESC key.
The preview of the second instance disappears as you exit insertion mode.
6. Select the Insert Part/Subassembly
tool on the Assembly toolbar.
The Insert Part/Subassembly dialog box appears.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 5 to insert the Crankshaft into the assembly. Initially position it in any
convenient location away from the block.
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1.3.6.6
Moving and Rotating Components

Main Tutorial Page
Moving and Rotating Components

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Parts and subassemblies can be positioned using a variety of tools and techniques.
Quick, Approximate Positioning
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Method #1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
You can use the Triad tool to quickly relocate a component.

Select the Triad tool.
Select the crankshaft part in the work area.
Click and drag the crankshaft in the work area.
Select one of the linear arrows.
Click and drag on the crankshaft to move it in a linear direction.
a. Similarly, if you select a circular arrow then you can click and drag on the crankshaft to rotate it.
7. Release the mouse button to place the part.
Method #2
1. Another method to move a part is to simply click and drag it to a new location.
Method #3
1. Another method to rotate a part is to hold the Shift key on the keyboard and click and drag the part.
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1.3.6.7
Approximate Positioning Along a Specific Direction

Main Tutorial Page
Approximate Positioning Along a Specific Direction

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While you have the Triad mode active, you can identify a specific direction in which to move.
1. Select one of the angled faces on the top of the block.
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The selected face is highlighted and a set of local coordinate axes is displayed. In addition, one
of the axes is highlighted (here in yellow). The highlighted axis indicates the direction along
which the part will move.
2. Click one of the unhighlighted local coordinate axes to highlight it instead.
3. Click the crankshaft to activate it as the part to be moved.
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The selected face or of the crankshaft is highlighted, but the local coordinate axes remain in the
original location.
Note: The highlighted face or edge indicates which component will be moved when the mouse
is dragged.
4. Click again and drag the crankshaft to move it.
This time the movement of the crankshaft is constrained along the highlighted direction.
Note: To locate the local coordinate axes to a new face or edge, first click the background of
the work area to unselect all objects and then click the desired face or edge.
5. To exit out of the Triad mode, click the depressed Triad tool icon.
Precise Positioning of Components

You can precisely position components using the Precise Placement command, located in the
Assembly Tools group, or by using constraints. Using constraints will be covered in this tutorial on
following pages.
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1.3.6.8
Main Tutorial Page
BACK NEXT
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An anchored component is locked in its current position. As you define relationships between
components, it is important to note which ones are anchored so that you can predict how
components will move to satisfy each newly-defined constraint. Anchoring components should be
used cautiously and according to your design intent.
Right-click Block<1> in the Design Explorer and select Anchor Part from the pop-up menu.
A small anchor appears on the icon for Block<1> that it is anchored and the word Anchored is
appended to the name of the part.
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Page 8 of 20
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1.3.6.9
Using Constraints to Position Components

Main Tutorial Page
Using Constraints to Position Components

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Use constraints to create permanent relationships between components. Examples include aligning
or mating faces, aligning axes, and so on. For each of the steps that describe selections to make to
create the constraints, one or two images will be shown that best represent the face(s) you need to
select for that step. It may be necessary for you to rotate the model in your work area to select the
face(s) more easily.
Aligning Cylindrical Faces
1. Rotate the model to this orientation:
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2. Select the Insert Assembly Constraint
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tool.
The Assembly Constraints dialog box appears.

3. Select the two faces shown.
4. Choose the Align option in the Assembly Constraints dialog.

5. Set the Offset to 0.0".
6. Select OK.
The crankshaft is repositioned to satisfy the alignment constraint and a new constraint,
Align<1>, appears in the Design Explorer.
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Page 9 of 20
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1.3.6.10 Aligning Planar Faces

Main Tutorial Page
Aligning Planar Faces

BACK NEXT
1. Select the Insert Assembly Constraint
tool.
The Assembly Constraints dialog appears.

2. Select the two faces shown.
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3. Choose the Align option in the Assembly Constraints dialog.

4. Set the Offset to 0.0".
5. Select OK.
Align<2> is added to the Design Explorer and the crankshaft is repositioned so that both
Align<1> and Align<2> are satisfied.
At this point, there is one degree-of-freedom that remains unconstrained: the rotation of the
crankshaft about its axis. To see this, follow the sequence on page 2 of this tutorial to rotate
the crankshaft.
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1.3.6.11 Inserting More Components

Main Tutorial Page
Inserting More Components

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Before proceeding, we need to insert a few more components into the assembly.
1. Select the Insert Part/Subassembly
tool.
The Insert Part/Subassembly dialog appears.

2. Repeat the steps to insert one instance of the following components: Piston, Connecting Rod, and
Center-Rear Main Cap. Position the parts approximately as shown here:
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3. Use the BACK link on the "Inserting Components into an Assembly" page to return to this section
after you have inserted each of the components.
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1.3.6.12 Adding More Constraints

Main Tutorial Page
Adding More Constraints

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Use the Assembly Constraint tool
components.
to define additional constraints to position the new
Define these three constraints to fully constrain the Center-Rear Main Cap part:
1. Align the side face to the rib of the Block part (shown here highlighted in red). Use 0.0" for the
Offset.
2. Mate this planar face to the bottom of the Block part (shown here highlighted in yellow). Use 0.0"
for the Offset.
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3. Align the cylindrical face to the Crankshaft part (shown here highlighted in red). Use 0.0" for the
Offset.
4. The Center-Rear Main Cap moves into place to satisfy the constraints.
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Define an Align constraint between the Piston and the piston cylinder.
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1.3.6.13 Changing Colors of Components

Main Tutorial Page
Changing Colors of Components

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Before defining the remaining constraints, let's change some part colors to improve visualization of the
assembly.
When parts and assemblies are inserted into an assembly, they are displayed using the colors
previously assigned to the parts. In this example, most of the parts are the default color. The pre-set
colors can be overridden.
1. Right-click Block in the Design Explorer and select Color Properties from the pop-up menu, or,
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
click the Block in the work area and select the Color Properties
Tools group.
Click the Color button.
Select an orange color in the palette and Click OK.
Click and drag the Opacity slider to approximately 85%.
Click OK.
Repeat steps 1-4 to assign different colors to the other parts as shown.
tool from the Assembly
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Page 13 of 20
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1.3.6.14 Adding the Cylinder Head Cover

Main Tutorial Page
Adding the Cylinder Head Cover

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Use the Assembly Constraint tool
components.
to define additional constraints to position the new
Define the following three constraints to fully constrain the Cylinder Head Cover part. Of course,
there are many different ways that the parts could be constrained.
1. Mate the bottom face to the rib of the Block part (shown here highlighted in blue). Use 0.0" for the
Offset.
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2. Select a middle cylinder hole of the Cylinder Head Cover and select the corresponding hole on
the Engine Block.
3. To show how the parts are constrained to each other, click and drag on the Cylinder Head Cover
and it should only rotate about the cylinder holes.
4. Align another cylinder hole of the Cylinder Head Cover and select the corresponding hole on the
Engine Block.
Editing a part in the context of the assembly
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5. Right click on the Cylinder Head Cover and select Edit in Separate Window.
6. Select on the top surface (with the radius) and enter into Sketch Mode.
7. In the sketching toolbar, click on the Text tool,
.
8. Change the Size to 2.000"
9. Type in Alibre Design
10.Move the text so it is approximately located in the center of the part.
11.Click Apply and Close.
12.Select the Extrude Cut tool
13.Select the Type to To Depth
14.Use a depth of -.250"
15.Close the part
16.Since the part was edited in the context of the assembly, any changes that are made to the part
will automatically be shown in the assembly.
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1.3.6.15 Hiding Components

Main Tutorial Page
Hiding Components
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In visually complicated assemblies, it is useful, and easy, to temporarily hide unneeded components.
Right-click the Block part and select Hide from the pop-up menu. The Block is no longer displayed
in the work area and is gray in the Design Explorer. To unhide a component, right-click the item in
the Design Explorer and select Hide from the pop-up menu again. This is a Toggle On/Off.
Final Constraints
Now we're ready to place the constraints for the connecting rod.
Define these three constraints:
1. Mate the planar face of the rod and inside face of the piston (Highlighted in the following two
images in Red). Use 0.0" for the Offset.
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2. Align the cylindrical faces of the rod and the piston (Highlighted here in yellow). Use 0.0" for the
Offset.
3. Align the cylindrical faces of the rod and the crankshaft (Highlighted here in Red). Use 0.0" for the
Offset.
Note: Imposing the final constraint causes the piston to shift along with the connecting rod. This
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occurs so that the piston remains aligned with the piston cylinder.
You can verify the constraint relationships by rotating the crankshaft in the same manner as
before. The piston should move smoothly along the piston cylinder.
4. Right-click the Block part in the Design Explorer and select Hide. The Block part reappears in the
work area.
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1.3.6.16 Creating Patterns of Components

Main Tutorial Page
Creating Patterns of Components

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You may create both linear and circular patterns of components.
1. Select the Insert Linear Pattern
tool from the Assembly Modeling toolbar. The Linear Part/
Subassembly Pattern dialog appears.
2. Select the Center-Rear Main Cap in the Design Explorer.
3. Click in the Row Direction field.
4. Select the Z-Axis in the Design Explorer .
5. Set the number of Rows to 4.
6. Set the Row Spacing to 4.5625".
7. Click OK.
Three additional instances of the part are inserted into the assembly and a linear pattern entry
is added to the Design Explorer.
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Page 16 of 20
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1.3.6.17 Checking for Interferences

Main Tutorial Page
Checking for Interferences

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Alibre Design provides powerful tools to check for and highlight interferences among components.
1. Rotate the crankshaft so that the piston is positioned as shown.
2. From the Tools menu, select Check for Interferences. The Interferences dialog appears.
3. Make sure that the Global Check option is selected.
4. Click Check. An interference between Connecting Rod<1> and Block<1> should be displayed in
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the Interferences dialog box. If no interferences are identified, try rotating the position of the piston
until an interference occurs.
5. Click the listed interference. The region of interference is highlighted red in the work area.
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1.3.6.18 Creating and Editing Components in the Context of an Assembly
Main Tutorial Page
Creating and Editing Components in the Context of an

Assembly
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So far you have inserted previously created parts into the assembly. You can also create new
components within an assembly. Creating and editing components within the context of an assembly
allows you to reference the geometry of other parts.
Let's create a gasket for the cylinder head using the block as a reference.
1. From the Insert menu, select New Part.
At this point, in some versions of Alibre Design you may get a warning that the limit of parts has been
reached for your version. This is dependant on the unique parts limit of your version. If this warning
appears, select the OK button. You can continue on with this tutorial, but you will not be able to save
the completed assembly when you have finished this tutorial.
A new part, New Part (1)<1>, is created and added to the Design Explorer.
Alibre Design is now in an "in-context" edit state for the part. This is indicated by the blue part name
in the Design Explorer, by the existing components being rendered transparently in the work area and
by the availability of the part design tools and menus.
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2. Click the planar face along the piston cylinders.
3. From the Sketch menu, select Project to Sketch. The Project to Sketch dialog box appears.
4. Choose Create sketch figure.
5. Check Maintain association to source entity.
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Note: When you project figures, you have the option to maintain the association between the
new sketch figures and the source geometry in the original 3D part. For example, if you reduce
the size of the piston cylinders in the Block part -- and you chose to maintain association -- the
gasket will automatically resize to match the new cylinder diameter.
6. Click OK. This creates a new sketch that contains projected figures from the selected face.
7. Select the Extrude Boss

tool. The Extrude Boss dialog box appears.
8. Set the Depth to 1/32".
9. Click OK. The sketch is extruded and appears in both the Design Explorer and the work area.
10.To resume editing the top-level assembly, right-click New Part (1)<1> in the Design Explorer and
select Edit Root Assembly in the pop-up menu.
-ORRight-click the main assembly in the Design Explorer and select Edit Part/Subassembly in
the pop-up menu.
Note: If you want to edit a different component, simply right -click that component and select
Edit Part/Subassembly from the pop-up menu.
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1.3.6.19 Creating Exploded Views

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Creating Exploded Views

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1. From the Insert menu, select Exploded View. An exploded view, Exploded View(1), is added to
the Design Explorer and the exploded view tools on the assembly toolbar are activated.
2. Select the Manual Explode Mode

tool from the Assembly Modeling toolbar.
3. Click the gasket in the work area, NewPart(1)<1>.
The relative coordinate axes are displayed and the normal direction is highlighted.
4. Click again and drag to move the gasket away from the block.
5. Click the background of the work area to remove the relative coordinates axes.
6. Click the bottom of the Block part to define a new set of axes. Again, the normal of the face is
highlighted.
7. Select one of the Center-Rear Main Cap parts in the Design Explorer.
8. Ctrl-click each of the other three Center-Rear Main Cap parts in the Design Explorer (or Shift-Click
each of them in the work area).
9. Click again and drag the selected parts down and away from the block.
10.Using the same set of coordinates axes, click the Block part and shift-click the gasket part in the
work area (or CTRL+click the NewPart(1)<1> in the Design Explorer).
11.Drag the block and gasket up and away from the crankshaft.
The final exploded view should be similar to this:
12.To exit Exploded View mode, right-click Exploded View(1) in the Design Explorer and select Exit
Exploded View from the pop-up menu. The model will now display in the assembled configuration,
but the Exploded View remains in the Design Explorer. To view the assembly in the Exploded View
again, right-click Exploded View(1) in the Design Explorer and select Edit Exploded View.
Final Tasks
To continue practicing with assemblies, insert the remaining rod assemblies and pistons to replicate
the original assembly. You may open the original assembly in another window for reference.
Congratulations!
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You have now completed the basic assembly modeling tutorial.

Please also review these other introductory tutorials: Introduction to Sketching and Constraints, Part
1, Designing a Sheet Metal Part, and Creating a 2D Detailed Drawing .
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1.3.7
2D Drawing
1.3.7.1
Creating a 2D Detailed Drawing - Introduction

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NEXT
Objectives
The purpose of this tutorial is to guide you through the creation of your first drawing using Alibre
Design. You can very quickly create drawings from parts and assemblies you have already created
and saved.
Because Alibre Design is a parametric modeler, changes made to driving dimensions in a part or
assembly that is used in a drawing are updated automatically. In addition, you can modify driving
dimensions directly in the drawing, and they will be updated in the part or assembly.
When available, a hyperlink is provided for more detail on a particular topic. To get back to your last
position in the tutorial, just select the BACK link at the top or bottom of the page.
There are many ways to get help with Alibre Design; review the General Topics overview for more
details. The two most common ways are through the Alibre Design Help files, which are accessed by
the Help main menu in any workspace, and the Alibre Design User Guide. You can purchase a User
Guide, or you can download a PDF of it from the Alibre web site.
Prerequisites
Each Alibre Design tutorial builds on the techniques covered in a previous tutorial. It is important that
you become familiar with the concepts in each one before moving on. You may also find it helpful to
review basic concepts occasionally. Before continuing this tutorial, please make sure you have
completed the following tutorials:
General Topics
Introduction to Sketching and Constraints
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Main Tutorial Page
1.3.7.2
Creating a 2D Detailed Drawing - Overview

Main Tutorial Page
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You can open this version of an Encloser model and save it to a convenient location. You must save
the model on your computer before you can use it to create a drawing.
This tutorial should take approximately 40 minutes. It covers:
Opening a new drawing workspace.
Selecting a drawing template.
Setting the drawing scale.
Inserting standard views.
Adding dimensions to drawing views.
Adding notes and annotations.
Creating a detail view.
Saving drawings.
Modifying the referenced part and associatively updating the drawing.
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Starting a new drawing

Main Tutorial Page
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Starting a New Drawing

To begin creating a new drawing, you must first start a drawing workspace. To do this:
1. In the Home window, select the 2D workspace tool.
2. The New Sheet Properties dialog appears. When a new drawing workspace is opened, the first
thing you want to do is set properties for the drawing - such as the template or border to be used
and the default view scale.
3. In the New Sheet Properties dialog, choose the Template option.

4. Select the ANSI B template from the pull-down list. (There is also a Browse button here so you
can browse your saved files to locate a custom template that you created. For more information on
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creating custom templates, please see the Alibre Design Help or the Alibre Design User Guide.)
5. Set the Default View Scale to 1.0 : 4.0.
Notice that there are two other options available in this dialog that we are not using. The Blank
Sheet option starts a new drawing workspace with no template. You can use this option to
sketch your own template. The Create Empty Drawing Option starts a new drawing
workspace without prompting you to include a model. You can use this option if you wish to
modify an existing template to customize it for your use.
6. Click OK. The Fill In Text dialog appears. This dialog allows you to enter information for preset
fields in the drawing template. If you want to leave the fields blank, you can simply click OK to
continue. In this tutorial, we will enter information for each field.
7. Click DRAWN in the Select Tag Field list. This will bring up the Drawn text box so you can enter
the author of the drawing. Click in the text box to activate it, than type your initials in the DRAWN
text box.
8. Click DATE in the list, and then click in the Date text box to activate it; then type today's date.
9. Click DWG NO. in the list, and then click in the DWG NO. text box to activate it; then type dwg1.
10.Click OK. A new drawing workspace opens, and the Insert Design dialog appears. This dialog
allows you to select which model you want to create a drawing of.
11.Browse to the location where you saved the Enclosure model and select it from the item list.
12.Click OK. The Standard Views Creation dialog appears. Notice that the model you selected is
listed in the Design field. In the Configurations field, Config<1> is listed. For more information
about Design Configurations, please see the Alibre Design Help or the Alibre Design User Guide.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.3.7.4
Selecting Standard Drawing Views

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1. In the Front View section, a preview is shown of the current front view of the model. You can
change the orientation of the front view by using the arrow buttons next to the preview, or you can
click the Workspace Orientation button below the preview to choose a different model orientation to
use as the front view.
Depending on how you created the Enclosure part, your Front View preview may not match this
image.
2. If your preview does not match the above image, click the Workspace Orientation button. The
Orientations dialog appears.
3. Select the view that matches the Front View image in step 1; (if you do not know which one it is,
you can continue repeating this step until you have the correct preview) then click Set.
The Front View preview will change in the Standard Views Creation dialog box. When the
preview matches, close the Orientations dialog.
4. In the View Selections section of the Standard Views Creation dialog, the Front, Top, and Right
views are selected by default. A view is selected when the corresponding button is depressed.
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8.
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Note that the red face on the symbol corresponds to the front face, the green face corresponds
to the top face, etc. The aqua colored face is the back face.
Select the Isometric view in the upper right corner to include it in the drawing.
Click on the More Options button.
In the View Detailing Options section, check the options for Design Dimensions and Hole
Callouts. These options will automatically place the driving dimensions from the model into the
drawing. Including these driving dimensions will allow you to modify the model by changing the
dimension values directly in the drawing.
In the View Creation Options section, check the option for Use sheet scale. Since we specified
a default view scale when we started this drawing, we want to use that, rather than specifying a
different scale for these views. If you wanted to use a scale other than the default scale of the
sheet, you could enter it in the Scale boxes above this option.
Click OK. The bounding boxes of the four standard views appear in the workspace. Note that the
Sketching and Detailing toolbars are displayed on the right side of the work area.
10.To position the views within the template, move the mouse and the views will move.
11.When you have the views positioned correctly, left click once to place them on the sheet.
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Tutorials
Notice that the lines and dimensions from the design are projected onto the views. These
dimensions are the driving dimensions that were used to create the part geometry. Any
dimension can be deleted and additional dimensions can be inserted as necessary.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.3.7.5
The Drawing Explorer

Main Tutorial Page
The Drawing Explorer

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The Drawing Explorer is located on the left side of the workspace. It lists the sheets associated
with the drawing, as well as the views associated with each sheet. In this example, one sheet and
four views are listed. The corresponding model is listed under each view.
Note: If you move the mouse pointer over a view in the Drawing Explorer, a red boundary will be
displayed around the associated view in the work area.
Renaming Sheets and Views
It may be helpful for you to rename your sheets and views to better describe what each one is. You
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can do this easily in the Drawing Explorer. In this tutorial, we will rename them to describe the
projection of each one.
1. In the Drawing Explorer, right-click New Sheet<1>and select Rename from the pop-up menu.
2. Type dwg1 and press Enter.
3. Right-click View<1> and select Rename from the pop-up menu.
4. Type Front View and press Enter.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to rename View<2> to Top View, View<3> to Right View and View<4> to
Iso View.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.3.7.6
Setting the Drawing Workspace Properties

Main Tutorial Page
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Creating a Dimension Style
In Alibre Design, the dimension properties of a 2D drawing are controlled by the dimension style. You
can have multiple dimension styles in a drawing.
1. From the Drawing Tools tab, select Dimension Styles. The Dimension Styles dialog appears.
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2. Notice in the Dimension Style field, Default is the listed style. This is the only style that exists
until you create others. We are going to modify the properties of this style for use in this drawing.
3. Highlight the name of the style, Default. Type in the new name for this style: Inches-2. This will be
a style using Inches, with a precision of 2 decimal places.
4. Now we can choose the desired settings for this style. On the Units and Tolerance tab, set Unit
to Inches, Format to Decimals, and Precision to 2.
In the Display section at the bottom, check the Length Units option. This option will display
the units symbol on each dimension.
5. Click on each of the remaining tabs to see what other settings are controlled by the dimension
style. All other default options and settings are acceptable for this tutorial.
6. Click OK to accept the new settings. The dimension properties are updated in the workspace.
Additional Notes about Dimension Styles
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Dimension styles are a powerful tool, but can be complex. You can find more detailed information
about Dimension Styles in the Alibre Design Help and the Alibre Design User Guide. We recommend
that you read all of the information available to gain a good understanding of the functionality.
The following includes some of the most commonly used features regarding Dimension Styles:
1. You can create additional dimension styles to use in a drawing. To create a new style:
a. From the Drawing Tools tab, select Dimension Styles
b. Click the New Dimension Style button.
c. In Name, type a name for the new style.
d. In Copy From, select the existing style that you would like to use as the starting values to
modify.
e. Click OK to create the style.
f. Make any necessary modifications on each of the tabs.
g. Click OK to accept the changes and exit the dialog.
2. Newly inserted dimensions are automatically assigned to the default style of the drawing. You can
change the default style of a drawing by going to the Alibre Gem menu and selecting Drawing
Properties. Select Dimensions, in the Default Style drop down list, choose which style you want to
set as the default. Click Apply, then Close.
3. You can change the style of individual dimensions (without changing your default style) by right
clicking on the dimension and choosing Properties. From the Dimension Style drop down list,
select a new style to use. Then click Apply to accept the change, and then Close.
4. Dimension Styles are saved in the individual drawing file, not in your system profile, so you will not
see the styles created in this drawing in future drawings. If you anticipate that you will use the
same styles again, you can save them in a drawing template. Each time you use that template, the
styles will be available for you to use.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.3.7.7
Moving and Scaling Views on the Sheet

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Moving Views
Drawing views can be moved at any time. In this example, the top and right views are initially
dependent on the position of the front view. The isometric view is independent of the other views.
1. Make sure that you are currently out of sketch mode (you should not see the Sketching tab).
2. Select the Zoom to fit
tool to view the entire drawing.
3. Turn the Views selection filter on: From the Analysis tab in the Viewing and Analysis group ,
choose Selection Filters > Views.
4. Left click on the Front view and a blue view boundary is displayed around the view. Move the mouse
pointer over the Move icon
in the upper left-hand corner of the view and the mouse pointer
changes into a hand. Click and drag on the view and move it to a new location.
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5. To reposition the views, click and drag the mouse. Notice when you move the Front view, the Top,
and Right views move with it. They are dependent on the Front view. The Isometric view remains
stationary.
6. Release the mouse button to place the views.
7. Click and drag the Isometric view to move it as well. Note that the other views do not move when
the isometric view is moved.
Note: You can break an individual view s dependence on another view. Right-click the view in
the work area or Drawing Explorer and uncheck Align by selecting it from the pop-up menu.
This can be turned on or off for views that were created simultaneously to break or restore
alignment.
Scaling Views
Each view can also be set to a different scale. By moving views and changing the scale you can
optimize the space provided by the drawing template. Just as with moving views, if the scale of a view
is changed, the scale of all the dependent views are also changed.
1. In the Drawing Explorer, right-click the front view; then select Scale from the pop-up menu. The
Scale dialog appears.
2. Change the scale to 1.0 : 3.0, then click OK to accept the change. The scale of the front, top and
right views change. The top view and front view also move farther away. Reposition the views as
necessary to fit in the template.
3. Scale the Iso view if desired.
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Moving Dimensions in a View

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After placing the views in the sheet, some dimensions in the front view may need to be moved for
clarity.
2. Select the Zoom to Window tool
on the View toolbar.
3. Drag a window around the front view. The front view fills the work area.
4. From the Analysis tab in the Viewing and Analysis group, make sure that the Select
Dimensions filter is checked.
5. To move the dimension, 1.88", first move the mouse pointer over the dimension lines or the value.
The dimension lines highlight red and the pointer changes to show the Dimension symbol.
6. Click and drag the dimension below the view.
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7. Release the mouse button to place the dimension.

Note: The dimension value can be moved inside or outside of the dimension lines.
8. Next, move the hole callout for the eight small holes of diameter 0.25 . Move the cursor over the
annotation and the leader line. A bounding box around the text highlights and the cursor changes to
the Annotation symbol.
9. Drag the hole callout to the left of the view as shown.
Notice that the leader line is attached to the left of the text and passes through the text. This
attachment point can be changed.
10.To change the attachment point, right-click the dimension and select Edit from the pop-up menu.
The Hole Callout dialog appears.
11.In the Position pull-down menu, select Right-Middle.
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12.Click OK. The dimension leader updates.
13.Reposition the other front view dimensions as necessary.

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Main Tutorial Page
1.3.7.9
Adding Dimensions
Main Tutorial Page
Adding Dimensions
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Placing a diameter dimension
Using the Include design dimensions option when creating your views may not give you all of the
dimensions that you want to include on your drawing, so you can add additional dimensions as
necessary. In addition, you may choose to manually place all of your dimensions, and not use
the Include design dimensions option at all.
tool to view the entire sheet.
2. Activate sketch mode for the front view: Right-click the front view in the work area or the Design
Explorer, and select Activate Sketch In View. You must be in sketch mode to place dimensions activating sketch in the view allows you to select the entities of that particular view for
dimensioning.
3. Select Zoom to fit. The front view fills the work area.
Note: In sketch mode, the Zoom to Fit operation will only display the active view in the
work area.
4. From the Analysis tab in the Viewing and Analysis group, make sure that the Segments filter is
checked.
on the Sketching toolbar.

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6. Drag the mouse pointer over the large circle in the front view. The circle highlights red.
7. Left click once, and a 3.0 diameter dimension appears. Move the mouse to drag the dimension
away from the circle as shown.
8. Left click to place the dimension.
9. To exit sketch mode, select Activate 2D Sketch
from the Sketching toolbar.
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1.3.7.10 Editing Annotations and Dimension Properties
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Editing annotation and dimension properties

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2. Move the mouse pointer over the .25 diameter hole annotation. (You may have to zoom or pan the
display to see the annotation.) The annotation highlights red.
3. Right-click the annotation, and select Edit from the pop-up menu. The Hole Callout dialog
appears.
4. In the Callout Note area, type TYP. 8 under the existing text.
5. Click OK. The additional information appears beneath the annotation.
6. Move the cursor over the R.50
radial dimension. The dimension leader line highlights red.
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7. Right-click the dimension, and select Properties from the pop-up menu. The Dimension
Properties dialog appears.
8. Select the Text tab.
9. In the Primary Dimension section, type TYP. in the Lower text box.
10.Click OK. The additional information appears beneath the dimension.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.3.7.11 Creating a Detail View

Main Tutorial Page
Creating a Detail View

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Creating Detail views may not be available in certain versions of Alibre Design. Please contact
Alibre Sales or visit www.alibre.com/store for information on upgrading your version of Alibre
Design, or to add on a package to Alibre Design.
1. Activate sketch mode for the top view: Right-click the top view and select Activate Sketch In View
. (This is important, because if you just choose the Activate 2D Sketch tool, you could be
sketching on the sheet rather than the view, in which case you would be unable to select your
sketch during the detail view creation.)
2. Select the Circle tool
on the Sketching tab.
3. Sketch a circle around the region to be displayed in the detail view. (We are using a circle sketch
for this tutorial, but you could sketch any closed figure to create the detail view.)
4. Select the Deactivate Sketch tool in the Sketching tab to exit sketch mode.
6. Select the Detail View tool
tool to view the entire drawing.

in the Insert group.
The mouse pointer changes to

.
7. Move the mouse pointer over the sketched circle; it highlights red.
8. Click once to select the circle. The detail view is generated and a preview is displayed.
9. Move the mouse pointer to an empty region of the sheet and left click to place the view.
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10.Right-click the new detail view. Select Scale from the pop-up menu.
11.Change the Scale to 1.0 : 2.0.
12.Click OK. The view updates.
Note: You can place dimensions or annotations on the detail view as with any other view. If you
move the circle that defines the detail view, it will update automatically.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.3.7.12 Adding Information to the Title Block

Main Tutorial Page
Adding Information to the Title Block

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1. In the Drawing Explorer, right-click New Sheet<1> and select Activate Sketch On Sheet from the
pop-up menu. A red boundary appears around the drawing sheet.
2. Select the Zoom to Window tool
in the View Orientation group in the Viewing and
Analysis tab, and drag a selection window that encloses the right side of the title block.
3. Select the Note tool
in the Annotations group.

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4. Click the Font button. The Font dialog appears.

5. Select Arial as the font.
6. Set the font size to 24.
7. Click OK.
8. Type Enclosure in the text area.
9. Click in the Location field. The Location label becomes bold.
10.To place the note, click the first box in the title block. The note appears.
Note: You can continue to click and reposition the note until it is centered appropriately.
11.Click OK.
12.Repeat steps 3-7 to place another annotation, Casing Project, below Enclosure.
13.Select the Zoom to Fit

tool in the View Orientation group in the Viewing and Analysis
tab to view the entire drawing.
14.If you have a printer that can print a B size sheet, print the drawing. Select the Print
the Quick Start Menu, or from the Alibre Gem, select Print.
tool on
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Main Tutorial Page
1.3.7.13 Saving the Drawing

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Save your work frequently to prevent loss of data.
1. Select Save
. The Save dialog appears.
2. Choose the File System tab, and specify a convenient location.
3. Create a Tutorial folder if one is not already present.
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a. Click the New Folder button.

b. Type Tutorial in the New Folder dialog box.
c. Click OK to create the Tutorial folder.
4. Select the Tutorial folder.
5. In the Name field, type Enclosure.
6. Click Save. The drawing is now saved in the location you specified.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.3.7.14 Changing the part and updating the drawing

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Changing the part and associatively updating the drawing

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Now that a part and a drawing have been created, one of the most powerful features of a parametric
feature-based solid modeler like Alibre Design is that changes can be made quickly and
associatively. If you edit the part, the drawing will update and vice versa.
To automatically update a drawing when the associated part has been changed, you need to do the
following:
- Save the model after you have made the changes
- Save your drawing at least once
- In the Drawing Workspace, select Reproject Views (Ctrl+R) from the Drawing Tools group in the
Drawing Management tab.
Editing the part model
1. In the Home window, from the File menu, select Open.
2. Browse to the Enclosure part and double-click it. The part opens in a part workspace.
3. In the Design Explorer, right-click Sketch<1> under Extrusion<1> and select Edit from the pop-up
menu.
The view reorients to the sketch plane in which Sketch<1> was created. You may need to use
the Zoom to fit
tool to see the entire sketch and associated dimensions.
4. Move the mouse pointer over the diameter dimension for the center hole labeled 2.50. It highlights
red.
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5. Double-click the dimension value. The dimension control box appears
6. Change the value from 2.50 to 1.50 and press Enter.

7. In the Design Explorer, the blue rollback bar is now positioned directly under Sketch<1>of
Extrusion<1>.
8. Click the Select tool

to exit Sketch Mode.
9. Drag the rollback bar down past the last feature labeled Pattern<5> as shown. The model
regenerates.
10.Click Save
on the Quick Start menu, or from the Alibre Gem, select Save. The Save dialog
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appears.
11.Click the Save button.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.3.7.15 Updating the associated drawing

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1. There are two ways you can reproject your drawing. Opening a drawing that you have saved after
making and saving a change to the part will automatically open the Reproject dialog. Or, you can
proceed to step 2 below to manually update the drawing without closing it and reopening it. Both
ways use the same dialog, pictured below.
2. In the Drawing Workspace, select Reproject Views (Ctrl+R) from the Drawing Tools group in
the Drawing Management tab. The Reproject dialog appears.
3. Select Retain View Mode and click "OK". The Enclosure drawing views update to reflect the
changes. (Note: Selecting "Cancel" in the Reproject dialog will allow the drawing to open in readonly mode, with the views shown as they were when the drawing was last saved, without updating
to reflect the latest saved changes to the model.)
4. Zoom in on the front view and note the diameter of the center hole is now shown as 1.5.
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5. From the Alibre Gem, select Save. The Save dialog appears.
6. Click Save.
Congratulations! This completes the 2D Drawing tutorial.

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1.3.8
AutoCAD
1.3.8.1
AutoCAD Drawings in Alibre Design - Overview

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Overview
With Alibre Design, you can leverage your existing AutoCAD data in several ways.
You can import DWG and DXF drawings into Alibre Design and work with them as you would any
Alibre Design technical drawing. You can learn more about working with technical drawings in the
tutorial Creating a 2D Detailed Drawing.
More significantly, you can use the geometry in your AutoCAD files to build 3D modeling features in
Alibre Design. This tutorial will step you through the process of building a solid model which leverages
existing AutoCAD geometry.
techniques in Alibre Design. If that is not the case, please review the tutorial Part 1.
You should be able to complete this tutorial in about 30 minutes.
You will be working to model this finished part:
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To begin, you should download this DWG file to a convenient location on your computer.
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1.3.8.2
AutoCAD Drawings - Importing

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Importing an AutoCAD Drawing

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The first step in using your AutoCAD drawings is to import the drawing into Alibre Design.
1. Select File > Import from the Home Window. The Import File dialog appears.
2. Set the type of file to AutoCAD DWG files.
3. Browse to the file, Alibre Tutorial.dwg, that you saved above and select it.
4. Click Open.
a. The Import File dialog closes and the DXF or DWG File Units dialog appears. You use this
dialog to indicate the units Alibre Design should use to interpret the file's geometry. The file we
are opening was created using inches.
5. Choose Inches and leave Maintain Projection checked. You can also check Import Only
Visible Layers to only import items on visible layers. It is not necessary for this example.
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6. Click OK.
A new Alibre Design drawing workspace is created based on the imported geometry.
Note: Dimensions with unexpected values are an indication that you selected an incorrect unit of
measure when importing the drawing. If you are uncertain about the correct unit to choose, you can
validate the drawing by placing a dimension whose value you know. If an unexpected value is
displayed, you should re-import the drawing and use a different unit of measure.
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1.3.8.3
AutoCAD Drawings - Identifying the Geometry to Use

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Identifying the Geometry to Use

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The process of leveraging your AutoCAD drawings in Alibre Design is straightforward. The basic
approach you will follow is to build 3D model features by copying geometry from the imported drawing.
In this process it is important that you carefully consider how to best utilize the geometry in the
drawing.
Chose the view that shows the most geometry
For example, the typical orthographic drawing (Top, Front, Right view) shows a part from the three
main views. In this case, the Front view shows the most about the part.
1. Enter into sketch mode
2. Right click in the workspace and select Activate Sketch On Sheet or click on the Activate 2D
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Sketch icon in the Sketch tab

.
3. In some other 2D CAD programs, sketch figures are often grouped together and are known as
blocks. If this is the case then they will need to be exploded.
4. Click on the main circle and the two top horizontal lines and the two vertical lines will also be
selected. Right click on the grouped items and select Explode Symbol. This process may have to
be performed multiple times to fully explode the items. In this example,
5. At this point all of the blocks have been exploded.
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1.3.8.4
AutoCAD Drawings - Remove Extraneous Geometry

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Remove Extraneous Geometry

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You should also eliminate all geometry that will not be used to create the 3D feature. In this example,
there are two types of unnecessary geometry: center lines and hidden lines that define other 3D
features.
1. Select and delete the center lines for the main circle.
2. Select and delete the hidden lines for the bolt holes.
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3. Delete the last segments which are the vertical holes and the their center lines.
Note: To select a sequence of figures simply hold the Shift key when you click on each figure.
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1.3.8.5
AutoCAD Drawings - Creating a 3D Sketch

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Creating a Sketch in a 3D workspace

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We are now ready to copy the geometry into a 3D sketch plane.
Copying the Geometry to a New Part Workspace
1. Right click in the workspace and select Activate Sketch On Sheet or click on the Activate 2D
Sketch icon in the Sketch tab

.
2. Click and drag out a selection box that encloses all of the geometry in the drawing (excluding the
title block and frame).
3. Press Ctrl+C.
The selected geometry is copied to the Windows clipboard.

4. Click New Part
from the Quick Start menu. A new 3D Part workspace appears.
5. From the Alibre Gem, select Design Properties and select Units > General.
6. Set the length unit to Inches.
7. Click Apply and Close.
8. From the Alibre Gem, select System Options.
9. Select Sketching from Parts/Assemblies.
10.Set the Grid Spacing to 1.0" in the X, Y, and Z directions.
11.Click OK.
12.In the Part Workspace, select Activate 2D Sketch
. and select the XY-Plane to enter
sketch mode.
13.Press Ctrl+T. The copied geometry is pasted to the sketch.
14.Click Zoom to Fit
to see the pasted geometry.
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Position the Pasted Geometry

The geometry is pasted based on its location relative to the origin in the drawing, so it might be
initially located some distance from the origin. But pasted geometry can be easily relocated to the
desired location.
1. Click and drag out a selection box that encloses all of the geometry.
2. Select the Move icon from the Sketch Tools group in the in the 2D Sketching tab. The Move
Figures dialog appears.
3. Click on the From
button in the Move Figures dialog.
4. Click on the center node in the sketch.
5. Click on the To
button in the Move Figures dialog.
6. Click on the sketch's origin in the work area.
Note: You might need to zoom out in order to see the origin.
A preview of the moved geometry is displayed.
7. Click Apply and Close.
The geometry should now be located at the origin as shown here:
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1.3.8.6
AutoCAD Drawings - Analyze the Sketch

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Analyze the Sketch

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At this point, the sketch appears to be valid. On casual review, it appears to consist of closed,
simply-connected sketch figures. However, geometry imported from drafting systems often contains
artifacts which prevent it from being used directly as a sketch profile. For instance, the geometry often
has small gaps. overlaps or coincident geometry. Alibre Design has an Analyze Sketch capability
that helps you identify and remove these artifacts.
Initial Analysis of the Sketch
1. Select the Analyze icon from the Sketch Tools group in the 2D Sketching tab. The Analyze
Sketch dialog appears.
2. Make sure that all the Analyze checkboxes are checked.
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3. Click the Analyze button.

A list of results are displayed in the dialog. If you have confirmed all the check points along the
way, confirming the correct number of degrees of freedom showing.
Click on the second Open Loop instance in the Results column.

There is an extra shorter line on the bottom line; this line will need to be deleted.
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4. Select this short line and delete it. You can either click directly on it or you can window around the
line. If you window around the line, if you select it from the left to right direction then it will only
select the items are entirely within the window; if you window from the right to left direction then any
item within the window will be selected.
5. When you Analyze the sketch again you will now only a single Open Loop. Click on the Open Loop
in the Results column and it will put rectangles around the items in question. In this case, since the
open loop is less then the Tolerance value, the Heal button can be used.
6. Other common items

a. Disjoint ends are vertices that are located at the same coordinate but are not constrained to be
coincident. Typically, you want to constrain these vertices as this will allow for more predictable
modifications. But your profile is valid for modeling even if it contains disjoint ends.
b. Click the Heal button to make the disjoint ends coincident. The disjoint ends are made
coincident, the red highlighting is removed, and the Disjoint Ends result is removed from the list
in the Analyze Sketch dialog.
NOTE: You can use the viewing commands such as zoom and pan when the Analyze Sketch dialog is
open. This simplifies the task of reviewing the sketch.
6. At this point, the sketch should not have any issues..
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1.3.8.7
AutoCAD Drawings - Creating a 3D Solid

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Creating a 3D Solid
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Initial Extrusion
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You are now ready to extrude the profile.
1. Click Extrude Boss

icon. The Extrude Boss dialog appears and a preview
of the extruded sketch is displayed in the 3D work area.
2. Set Mid Plane to 2.50".
3. Click OK.
The profile is extruded to form the 3D solid and the feature Extrusion<1> is added to the
feature list in the Design Explorer.
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Adding the Holes

At this point, additional detail can be added by returning to the original drawing and identifying additional
features that need to be added. If the features are sufficiently complex, you should leverage the imported
geometry as you did above. This saves you time by not having to rebuild complex sketch geometry in
Alibre Design. For simple features, such as holes and rectangular pockets, you might want to model them
directly in Alibre Design using the sketch tools and 3D hole feature. At this point you have a native,
parametric model and most of the geometry is completed; just two sets of holes need to be added.
1. To make it easier to dimension/constraint later on, add an axis in the main hole.
a. Select the hole.
b. From the right click menu select Insert Axis.
2. Select the bottom face of the mode and insert four Hole instances. Use a diameter of 0.328' and a
depth of 0.750'.
3. Since the holes are symmetric, make them symmetric about the X-Axis and the recently added
axis. Use a 3.00" and a 1.50".
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1. For the last set of holes, select the side face and insert two Counter Bored Holes. Make the holes
symmetric about the Y-Axis and use the following dimensions to completely remove the degree of
freedom.
Congratulations!
You have now completed the process of transferring design information from an AutoCAD drawing to
an Alibre Design 3D model.
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1.3.9
Import
1.3.9.1
Importing Data
Import Neutral Files from other CAD systems

Alibre Designs interoperability solution provides flexibility in importing data created in other CAD
packages. Alibre Design supports the import of
Neutral: 3D data in STEP, SAT and IGES formats
Native CAD specific: Solidworks, Inventor, Pro/E, Catia, Parasolid, SolidEdge,
2D data in DXF and DWG formats.
Data may be imported into Alibre Design from the Home window or from open workspaces.
1. From the Alibre Gem, go to System Options.
2. In the left-hand column, select General Interoperability.
Determining which import options to select depends primarily on the format of the file to be imported and
its intended use in Alibre Design.
Once the file is imported, it is always a good idea to check the part and see if there are any issues with it.
If it is a part, from the main menu go to Tools > Check Part. Select the Accuracy as Medium and press
the Apply button. If there are no errors listed in the Failed column then you will most likely be able to
add/subtract material away from the imported part.
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Importing STEP Data

Most STEP data consists of solid model data. Typically, the Stitch to Solid option should be selected for
STEP data import.
Depending on the originating CAD application, exporting STEP data could result in varying levels of
inaccuracy. If problems are encountered, the Heal option may also be used to improve import success as
well as improve the quality of the model in Alibre Design.
The Make Tolerant option may be used in situations where known inaccuracies occur to enhance the
ability to perform modeling operations on the imported file.
Importing IGES Data

Most IGES data consists of surface data. Selecting import options for IGES files depends heavily on the
intended use of the data in Alibre Design after import.
The Unstitch to Standalone Faces option can be selected if the primary use of the file will involve only
visualization in Alibre Design. Measurements may still be taken on the model, but modeling operations
may be unsuccessful.
The Stitch to Solid option should be used if modeling operations will be performed on the file. The Heal
and Make Tolerant options may enhance the quality of the imported model and the ability to modify the
model through modeling operations.
Importing SAT Data

SAT Data could consist of both solid data as well as surface data. Consequently, selecting import options
for SAT files depends heavily on the intended use of the data in Alibre Design after import.
Typically, the Convert to Solid Model option should be selected for import. The Heal option may be
used to improve import success for files containing known inaccuracies. The Make Tolerant option may
also enhance the ability to modify the imported file.
For all three formats (STEP, IGES, SAT), the Discard Non-Solid Faces option may be used to import
files that have irregular surfaces associated with the model. For example, many models are created using
various types of reference geometry. The Discard Non-Solid Faces option will essentially remove nonsolid faces or reference geometry on import.
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Import Analysis and Reporting

Alibre Design provides import analysis and reporting tools as aids in importing data.
The Alibre Design Import Advisor analyzes the success of the import, reports any import problems,
checks the part for inaccuracies, and recommends settings to use to improve the import success. A
Healing Analysis report is also included if the Healing option is selected.
Check Part, Healing Analysis, Conversion Log can be used independently from the Import Advisor.
For detailed information on importing data into Alibre Design, please refer to the Importing and
Exporting section of Alibre Design Help.
Native Cad Specific Files

Files saved in the native CAD formats can be imported directly into Alibre Design. As with all files that are
imported, there will not be any editable design features in the Design Explorer.
If the files are saved as assemblies then they will be imported in as assemblies and all of the individual
constituent parts/subassemblies will also be saved. With assemblies, there will not be an assembly
constraints.
Importing DWG/DXF Data

All dwg/dxf will be imported into a 2d drawing. The file will not import if it contains any wireframe data.
Main Tutorial Page
1.4
Level 2
1.4.1
Sheet Metal
1.4.1.1
Designing a Sheet Metal Part - Objectives

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Objectives
The purpose of this tutorial is to provide you with an overview of the sheet metal capabilities of Alibre
Design. This tutorial will guide you through the creation of a simple sheet metal part using Alibre
Design.
This tutorial assumes that you are already familiar with basic part modeling design and sketching
techniques in Alibre Design. If that is not the case, please review the tutorials Introduction to
Sk etching and Constraints and Modeling a Simple Part before proceeding.
Creating sheet metal parts may not be available in certain versions of Alibre Design. Please
contact Alibre Sales or visit www.alibre.com/store for information on upgrading your version of
Alibre Design, or to add on a package to Alibre Design.
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For the best results your system should meet the system requirements for Alibre Design. Set your
screen resolution to at least 1024 x 768 and color quality to 16-bit or better.
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1.4.1.2
Designing a Sheet Metal Part - Introduction

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Introduction
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You will create the following sheet metal bracket in approximately 30 minutes:
You will learn about the following capabilities of Alibre Design:

Creating a new sheet metal workspace.
Setting the document properties for a sheet metal part.
Creating tab features.
Creating flange features.
Creating partial flanges.
Creating corner rounds.
Creating dimple features.
Placing punch operations across bends.
Flattening the part.
Saving designs.
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1.4.1.3
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Opening a New Sheet Metal Workspace

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Opening a New Sheet Metal Workspace

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If a New Sheet Metal Part workspace is not yet open, create one as follows:
In the Home window, select New Sheet Metal Part button.
A New Sheet Metal Part workspace appears.

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1.4.1.4
Setting Sheet Metal Properties

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Setting Sheet Metal Properties

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Sheet metal parts possess several unique properties that affect their design. Among these are
material thickness, minimum bend radius and K-Factor. These properties are accessed through the
workspace properties dialog.
Setting Design Properties
1. In the Sheet Metal Part workspace, from the Alibre Gem, go to Design Properties.
2. In the left-hand column, select Units > General.
a. Check the box for Show Units for Dimensions.
b. In the Display Units, Length area, ensure:
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3. Units is set to Inches

4. Format is set to Decimals
5. Precision is set to 3
6. In the left-hand column select Sheet Metal Parameters, set the parameters as follows:
a. Stock Thickness to 0.048"
b. Minimum Bend Radius to AD_Thickness/2
c. Global Bend Radius to AD_Thickness/2
d. K-Factor to 0.330
e. Global Bend Relief Type to Round
f. Global Bend Relief Width to AD_Thickness -- you must type this text in the field
g. Global Bend Relief Depth to AD_Thickness/2 -- you must type this text in the field
Note: These parameters are also accessible from the Equation Editor.
7. Click Apply, then Close.
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1.4.1.5
Modeling the Base Tab

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Modeling the Base Tab

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Typically, the first feature created in a sheet metal part is a tab. A tab represents a flat piece of stock
shaped by sketching a profile.
To learn more about sketching, see the tutorials Introduction to Sk etching and Constraints, and
Modeling a Simple Part.
Creating the Base Sketch
1. Select the Activate 2D Sketch tool in the Sketch group.
2. Use the Rectangle by Two Corners
tool to generate the following sketch.
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3. Use the Trim Figure
4. Use the Dimension
136
tool to remove the unwanted sketch figures.
tool to size the sketch as follows.
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1.4.1.6
Creating the Tab Feature
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Creating the Tab Feature
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1. Select Tab
in the Base Features group in the Sheet Metal tab. The Tab dialog appears:
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2. If "Sketch<1>" is not automatically displayed in the dialog, you can select from the Design
Explorer or the work area. A preview of the extruded tab is displayed.
3. Click OK to create the tab. The Tab appears in the Design Explorer and in the work area.
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1.4.1.7
Creating Flanges
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Creating Flanges
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Flanges are used to model sheet metal bends in Alibre Design. There are several options that control
the radius, angle and position of the bend; the size of the leg (an adjacent section of flat stock
material); the type and size of bend reliefs; and the behavior of the bend during an unfold operation.
Creating a Flange Feature
1. Click the edge along which the bend will be created:
2. Select the Flange
tool in the Sheet Metal Tools group. The Flange dialog box appears.
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The Edge field in the dialog lists the edge selected above. Also, a preview of the resulting flange is
3. Click Inside Alignment
. This positions the bend to be aligned inside the tab's edge.
4. For Leg Length enter 1.00"; then click Measure to Outside

. This sets the length of the leg
as measured from the bottom of the tab. At this point the Flange dialog should be set as follows:
5. Click OK to create the flange (Flange<2>). This creates a flange feature, as well as an associated
sketch, Sketch<2>, for the leg. You can select and edit the flange's sketch via the Design Explorer.
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1.4.1.8
Creating a Partial Flange Feature

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Creating a Partial Flange Feature

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A partial flange does not extend the full length of the supporting edge. You create a partial flange by
first creating a flange along the entire edge and then editing the sketch of the leg.
1. Use the procedure in the previous page to define a flange with a 0.25" leg as shown here:
2. In the Design Explorer, right-click Sketch<3> and select Edit from the pop-up menu. The sketch
figures used to define the leg of Flange<3> are displayed.
Note: This sketch has three dimensions: one for the length of the leg, 0.25", and two that define
the offset along the length of the supporting edge. Initially, the two offset dimensions are set to
0.00", so the leg extends the entire length of the supporting edge.
3. Use the Zoom to Window
tool to magnify the near end of the sketch.
4. Right-click the offset dimension and select Edit from the pop-up menu. This displays the dimension
control box.
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5. Enter 2.00" and hit Enter.

Note: If a dimension moves in the opposite direction than you wanted, simply edit the
dimension and enter a negative number to reverse the direction.
6. Zoom into the far end of the sketch and change the second offset dimension to 0.20".
7. Choose the Deactivate Sketch

partial flange is generated and displayed.
tool in the 2D Drawing tab to exit Sketch mode. The
Note: The bend reliefs are generated automatically based on the properties you set at the
beginning of this tutorial. These default values can be overridden in the Flange dialog box from
the Advanced tab.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.4.1.9
Creating Corner Rounds

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Creating Corner Rounds

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Corner rounds are used to round off sharp corners on sheet metal parts.
1. Select the Corner Round

tool. This displays the Corner Round dialog box.
2. Select the three corner edges shown below.
3. In the Corner Round dialog, change the Radius to 0.25".

4. Click OK. This rounds the selected corners.
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1.4.1.10 Creating Dimples

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Creating Dimples
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The Dimple feature in Alibre Design is used to model both dimples and drawn cutouts. The shape of
the feature is defined by sketching a profile on a planar face.
1. Select the top flat face and select the Activate 2D Sketch tool.
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2. Use the Circle tool
3. Use the Dimension tool
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to place a circle as shown below.
to set the diameter of the circle to 0.20".
4. Click the Concentric Constraint tool

on the constraint toolset.
5. Click the circle and then the rounded corner to concentrically constrain the circle.
6. Select the Dimple tool

. The Dimple dialog box appears and a preview of the feature is
7. Set the values in the Dimple dialog as follows:
Depth to AD_Thickness*2
Draft Angle to 0.0
Sketch Alignment to Inside
Check Cut Out Material
Check Include Rounding
Die Radius to AD_MinimumBendRadius
Uncheck Round Profile Corners
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8. Click OK. This creates a cutout feature and Dimple<5> appears in the Design Explorer.
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1.4.1.11 Making Punches Across Bend Lines

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Making Punches Across Bend Lines

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In Alibre Design, punch operations may cross over bend lines. In order to model this condition, you
temporarily unfold a bend, place a cut feature while the bend is unfolded, and then refold the bend.
Unfolding a Bend
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First, unfold the bend where you want to place the punch.
1. Select the Unbend

tool. The Unbend dialog box appears.
2. Click the top flat face to select it as the fixed face.
3. Click in the Bends field of the Unbend dialog.

4. In the work area, select the bend that was created by Flange<2>. The selected bend is listed in
the Unbend dialog and the OK button is enabled.
5. Click OK. The selected bend is unfolded.
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1.4.1.12 Creating a Cut Feature

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Creating a Cut Feature

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Next, define the punch. In Alibre Design, punches are modeled using the Cut feature.
1. Click the top flat face.
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2. In sequence, use Line
sketch.
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, Circular Arc
145
, Line, and Circular Arc to generate the following
3. Use Dimension to size the sketch as follows.
4. Select the Cut

tool. The Cut dialog box appears.
5. Click OK. The cut operation is applied to the design.
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1.4.1.13 Refolding a Bend

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Refolding a Bend
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Finally, rebend the unfolded bend.
1. Select the Rebend

tool. The Rebend dialog box appears.
2. Click the Select all unbent bends button.
3. Click OK. The sheet metal part returns to its folded state.
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1.4.1.14 Flattening a Sheet Metal Part

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Flattening a Sheet Metal Part

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You may flatten the entire part in a single operation using the Flat Pattern tool
To return to the folded state of the design, select the Flat Pattern tool again.
Flat patterns are used in technical drawings to dimension and annotate the unfolded state of the part.
The formed portions of dimples are not flattened so that their features can be dimensioned in the
drawing.
To create a technical drawing view in the flattened state, check Project as Flat Pattern in the
Standard Views Creation dialog box when placing your drawing views. (For more information about
creating technical drawings and the Standard Views Creation dialog, see the tutorial Creating a 2D
Detailed Drawing.)
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1.4.1.15 Saving the Part

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Saving the Part

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Save your work to the file system.
1. Select Save
. The Save dialog box appears.
2. Browse to the location you wish to save your tutorial files in, and create a Tutorial folder if one is not
already present.
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Click the New Folder button.

Give the new folder the name Tutorial, and press the Enter key.
3. Click the Tutorial folder to highlight it.
4. In the Name text box, type Mounting Bracket.
5. Click Save. The sheet metal part is now saved.
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1.4.2
Helix
1.4.2.1
Creating Helical Geometry - Overview

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Overview
Alibre Design has a rich toolset for creating helical geometry. With it you can create springs, threads
and other helical features.
In this tutorial, you will create several different designs that highlight the range of capabilities available
to you:
1. A simple open-end compression spring.
2. A closed-, ground-end compression spring.
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3. A simple conical compression spring.
4. A plastic T-connector and end-cap for medical tubing.
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5. A UNC threaded rod
It should take you approximately one hour to complete the entire tutorial. However, the tutorial
consists of four independent subsections that can be studied at different times. Each subsection will
take between 5 and 20 minutes to complete.
For ease of understanding, before proceeding, please make sure that you are already familiar with the
operation of Alibre Design, and have completed the General Topics, Introduction to Sketching and
Constraints and Part 1 tutorials.
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1.4.2.2
Creating Helical Geometry - Getting Started

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Getting Started
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BACK NEXT
When you're ready to begin, create a New Part workspace.
In the New Part workspace, from the Alibre Gem, go to Design Properties.
In the left-hand column select Units > General, and set the following properties:
1. In the Length section: Unit and Precision should be set to Inches and 4, respectively.
2. In the Zero Suppression section: Leading should be Checked.
3. In the Angle section: Angle and Precision should be set to Degrees and 2, respectively.
In the Viewing Options group in the Viewing and Analysis tab, make sure the following display
options enabled (other options can be enabled/disabled and will not affect this tutorial):
1. Design Explorer
2. Sketches
3. References
a. All (Ctrl+Shift+P)
4. Sketch Display
a. Sketch Dimensions (Ctrl+Shift+E)
b. Constraint Symbols (Ctrl+Shift+C)
From from the Alibre Gem, go to System Options (Ctrl+Shift+O).
1. In the left-hand column select Design Interaction from Parts/Assemblies:
a. Check Snap to working plane.
b. Uncheck Reorient on extrude.
2. In the left-hand column select Design Viewing from Parts/Assemblies:
a. Toggle Shade reference planes to No.
3. In the left-hand column select Sketching from Parts/Assemblies:
a. Uncheck Display grid.
b. Uncheck Snap to grid.
4. In the left-hand column select Color Scheme from Display,
a. Select Very Light Background Scheme
If you want a quick reminder, General Topics - Tutorials Color Scheme
5. Click OK.
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1.4.2.3
Creating Helical Geometry - A Simple Spring

Main Tutorial Page
A Simple Spring
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The simplest example of helical geometry is an open-end compression spring, so we will begin with
that case.
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1. In the work area, click on the XY-Plane, then select the Activate 2D Sketch
tool.
2. Create a sketch on the XY-Plane that contains a circle of diameter .125" (1/8") and is located
along the positive X-axis, at a distance of .375" (3/8") from the Y-axis.
Notes: First simply place a circle of arbitrary diameter on or close to the X-Axis, then use the
dimension tool to place a diameter dimension and the two dimensions from the Y-Axis and XAxis respectively.
Also, notice that when you create the dimensions locating the circle from the Y-Axis and the XAxis green reference lines are automatically created lying on these axes.
3. Select the Helix

tool. The Helical Boss dialog appears and a preview of
the helical path is displayed in the 3D work area.
Note: The Axis field in the Helical Boss dialog must be populated by a reference line - axes,
edges, and sketch lines are not accepted. By default, one of the reference figures in the sketch
is used as the axis of the helix. If there is more than one reference line in the sketch (in this
case there may be two, one on the vertical Y-Axis and one on the horizontal X-Axis), then
Alibre Design chooses one to be the default axis of rotation for the helix. If you were using a
sketch that did not have a reference line, you would need to manually place one in the sketch.
Make sure that the reference line lying on the vertical Y-Axis is the one selected. This can be
assured by simply clicking in the field labeled "Axis:" and then selecting the reference line on
the vertical Y-Axis in the 3D work area.
4. Set the direction to Clockwise and check the box labeled Reverse so the helix goes up rather
than down
5. Set Type to Revolution & Pitch.
Note: To completely define a helical path, you must specify two of three parameters: Height,
Number of Revolutions, and Pitch (that is, the axial distance traveled in one revolution). Alibre
Design allows you to specify any two of these parameters and automatically generates the
remaining value.
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7.
8.
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Set Revolutions to 8.
Set Pitch to 0.25".
Set Pitch Type to Constant.
Click OK.
The circular sketch is swept along the helical path to create the spring, as shown here:
Also, the features HelicalBoss<1> and Sketch<1> are added to the Design Explorer.
Changing the Profile Orientation

Now, look closely at the ends of the spring.
1. Select the Orient to right
tool from the Quick Access Menu,
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Note: The capping face lies in the plane of the sketch and NOT normal to the helical path. You
can easily change this by editing the helix feature.
2. Right-click on HelicalBoss<1> in the Design Explorer and select Edit from the popup menu. The
Helical Boss dialog appears and a preview of the helical path is displayed in the 3D work area.
3. Select the Advanced tab.
4. In the Profile Orientation field, choose the Normal option.
5. Click OK.
The helix is recomputed based upon rotating the sketch to be normal to the helical path:
Note: The pitch is the same throughout the length of the spring, including the end sections of
the spring. This is the correct design for an open-end compression spring. Alibre Design also
allows you to define closed-end compression springs by specifying special end conditions for
the helix, as we will demonstrate next.
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1.4.2.4
Creating Helical Geometry - Compression Spring

Main Tutorial Page
Closed-, Ground-end Compression Spring

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Closing the End of the Spring
1. Right-click again on HelicalBoss<1> in the Design Explorer and select Edit from the popup
menu.
2. Select the Advanced tab.
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3. Under Start Condition, change Type to Flat.

4. Set Transition Angle to 10 degrees.
Note: The transition zone corresponds to a length of the helix along which the pitch transitions
linearly from zero (at the end of the helix) to the specified pitch. The transition angle specifies
the size of the transition zone; it is measured in degrees of rotation about the axis. For
example, a transition angle of 180 degrees defines a transition zone of one-half of a revolution of
the helix.
5. Set Flat Angle to 160 degrees.
Note: The flat angle specifies a zone at the end of the helix of zero pitch. It is measured just
like the transition angle: in degrees of rotation about the axis.
6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for the End Condition. Be sure to use the same values.
7. Click OK. The spring is recomputed using the specified start and end conditions, as shown here in
views
Orient to right
and Orient to Isometric
Note: When start or end conditions are specified, the distance of the transition zones are in
addition to the rest of the helix. In the present case, the start and end conditions add almost 1
revolution to the 8 revolutions previously specified.
Grinding the Ends

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Grinding the ends of the springs is easily represented by an extrude cut operation.
1. Activate 2D Sketch on the XY-Plane.
2. Select the two circular edges at either end of the spring (hold the Shift key down to select the
second edge).
3. Select Project to Sketch from the Sketch main menu. The Project to Sketch dialog appears.
4. Choose Create reference figure.
5. Click OK.
6. Create two rectangles that pass through the center of each reference circle using Rectangle by Two
Corners,
and the Coincident Constraint,
7. Select the Extrude Cut

8. Set Type to Mid Plane.
9. Set Depth to 1.00".
10.Click OK.
as shown here:
tool. The Extrude Cut dialog appears.
The result is a closed-, ground-end spring, as shown here in views

Click Orient to right
and Orient to Isometric
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1.4.2.5
Creating Helical Geometry - Conical Compression Spring

Main Tutorial Page
Conical Compression Spring

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Next we will create a variable pitch, conical compression spring. The process is very similar to the
previous spring; however, we will make use of two additional capabilities in Alibre Design.
1. Create a new part workspace and configure it as in the previous example.
2. Create a sketch on the XY-Plane that contains a circle of diameter .0625" (1/16") and is located
along the positive X-axis, at a distance of .75" (3/4") from the Y-axis.
Note: First simply place a circle of arbitrary diameter on or close to the X-Axis, then use the
dimension tool to place a diameter dimension and the two dimensions from the Y-Axis and XAxis respectively.
Also notice that when you create the dimensions locating the circle from the Y-Axis and the XAxis, green reference lines are automatically created lying on these axes.
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3. Select the Helix

tool. The Helical Boss dialog appears and a preview of
the helical path is displayed in the 3D work area.
Note: By default, one of the reference figures in the sketch is used as the axis of the helix. If
there is more than one reference line in the sketch (in this case there may be two, one on the
vertical Y-Axis and one on the horizontal X-Axis), then Alibre Design chooses one to be the
default axis of rotation for the helix.
Make sure that the reference line lying on the vertical Y-Axis is selected. This can be assured
by simply clicking in the field labeled "Axis:" and then selecting the reference line on the
vertical Y-Axis in the 3D work area.
4. Choose the Clockwise option, and check the Reverse option so the helix will go up rather than
down.
5. Set Type to Revolution & Pitch.
6. Set Revolutions to 4.
7. Set Pitch to 0.5".
8. Set Pitch Type to Variable Ratio.
9. Set Ratio to 0.5.
10.Set Taper to -10 degrees.
11.Select the Advanced tab.
12.Set both the Start and End Conditions to Flat, 360 degree Transition Angle and 90 degree
Flat Angle.
13.Click OK.
The following spring is created:
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1.4.2.6
Creating Helical Geometry - T-connector and End Cap

Main Tutorial Page
T-connector and End Cap

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Adding External Threads to the T-connector
Thus far you have created three different types of springs using the helical boss feature. In each case,
a circular cross-section was swept along a helical path.
In this next example -- a T-connector and end cap for medical tubing -- you will use the helical boss
and helical cut operations to create a threaded connection between the two plastic parts.
To begin, save a copy of this zip file. Click on the link and then select Save. Right click on
connector.zip and select Extract All and extract it to a convenient location on your computer. Once
extracted, open the file named Medical Valve.AD_ASM.
Note: This model has been designed in millimeter units.
1. In the Design Explorer, right-click on the model Green Cap<1> and select Hide from the popup
menu.
The model is no longer displayed in the 3D work area.
2. Again in the Design Explorer, right-click on the model Valve Base<1> and select Edit Here from
the popup menu.
You are now in Part Edit Mode for the valve base.
3. Double-click on the first feature in the Design Explorer, Revolution<1>.
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The history of the design is rolled-back to the initial feature (this is indicated by the blue "dogbone" symbol that moves directly under the Revolution<1> feature, indicating that you are now
working at that point in the creation of the model).
4. Select Activate 2D Sketch

tool on the XY-Plane.
5. Create an equilateral triangular sketch as shown here:
You can use the Equal Constraint,
, and the Vertical Constraint,
, to construct the triangle. Notice that a vertical reference line is

automatically created through the origin. Remember that this reference line is required to
complete a helical feature, so if one is not automatically created, you must place one manually.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Select the Helix Cut

Choose the Clockwise option.
Set Type to Height & Revolution.
Set Revolutions to 0.25.
tool.
We set the revolution to 0.25 because we want the thread to be complete in one-quarter of a
revolution. To accomplish this, the height of the helix will need to be the height of the crosssection plus the height of the lip (1.50mm).
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10.Click on the ellipses button,
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, for Height.
The Equation Editor dialog appears and the parameter corresponding to Height is highlighted.
11.Click the Modify button. The Modify Equation dialog appears.
12.Enter the following expression in the Equation field: 1.5+2*0.80*tan(pi/6)mm.
This expression corresponds to the vertical distance we want the sketch to traverse, based on
the comment in step 9 above.
13.Click OK.
14.Click OK for the Equation Editor.
15.Click in the Axis field and select the vertical reference line.
16.If necessary to obtain the correct preview (into the lip as opposed to away from it - as shown in the
second image here), check the Reverse option.
17.Click OK.
The helical cut is created as shown here:
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18.From the Feature main menu, select Pattern > Circular. The Circular Pattern dialog appears.
19.Select the Helical Cut<10> feature you just created as the Feature to Pattern, if it is not already
selected by default.
20.Click in the Center field and select the Y-Axis.
21.Set Copies to 2 (this number includes the original copy).
22.Set Angle to 180 degrees.
23.A preview of the cut is displayed
24.Click OK.
The second helix for the thread is created.
25.Right-click on Pattern<3> in the Design Explorer and select Edit from the popup menu.
The history of the design is evaluated up to Pattern<3> and the Circular Pattern dialog
appears.
26.Click in the Features to Pattern field, and then in the Design Explorer, hold the Ctrl key down and
select the helical cut <10> feature and the pattern <11> features that you just created.
These two features are added to the list of features to be patterned in Pattern<3>.
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27.Click OK.
Pattern<3> is re-evaluated and the threads are added to all three sections of the connector.
28.Double-click on Revolution<9> to complete the evaluation of the design.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.4.2.7
Creating Helical Geometry - Internal Threads

Main Tutorial Page
Adding Internal Threads to the End Cap

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Now we will add the threads to the end cap. We will start with the sketch figures used to make the
valve base threads, which will ensure that the two parts fit together.
1. While still in Part Edit Mode for ValveBase<1>, right click in the design explorer on Sketch<7>
corresponding to the Helix Cut<10> feature.
2. Select Edit from the popup menu.
3. While you are in sketch mode (you will see the Sketching tab), press the Select tool
,
select all of the figures in the sketch by clicking and dragging out a select window, as shown here:
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Note: If the reference lines do not get selected, you can hold down the Shift key and select
each one to add them to the selection.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Press Ctrl-C. The selected figures are copied to the clipboard.

Click the Select tool, and you will exit out of sketch mode.
Double-click on Revolution<9> to complete the evaluation of the design.
In the Medical Valve workspace assembly, in the Design Explorer, right-click on the top level
assembly (Medical Valve), and select Edit Part/Subassembly from the popup menu. You exit
out of Part Edit Mode and return to editing the assembly.
8. In the Design Explorer, right-click on the model GreenCap<1> and select Hide from the popup
menu. (This toggles the visibility of the part.) The Hide toggle is turned off and the model is again
displayed in the 3D work area.
9. In the Design Explorer, right-click on the model ValveBase<1> and select Hide from the popup
menu. ValveBase<1> is no longer displayed in the 3D work area.
10.Again in the Design Explorer, right-click on the model GreenCap<1> and select Edit Here from
the popup menu. You are now in Part Edit Mode for the cap.
11.Select the Activate 2D Sketch

tool and select the XY-Plane.
12.Press Ctrl-V. The sketch figures are pasted from the clipboard.
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Note: Depending on the method you used to create the original sketch, the reference line
coincident with the Y-Axis might not be copied during the copy/paste operation. If it is not
copied, you should explicitly create it now.
13.Convert the three lines of the triangle to reference figures and use a dimension to reposition the
triangle to 0.50mm above the bottom edge of the cap, as shown here:
Note: To convert a line from regular to reference, (or from reference to regular), use sketch select, place the cursor over the line until it highlights the line (Changes to red in this color
scheme), and then right click. From the popup menu, select Convert to Reference Figure.
(or, for reference lines - Convert to Regular Figure.)
14.Create the sketch below using Fixed Constraint, Circle, Tangent Constraint, Line, and Trim Figure,
such that the circular arc is inscribed in the triangle.
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Here are some suggestions for constructing the sketch:
a. First, assign a Fixed Constraint,

, to the vertical leg of the triangle.
b. Second, since dimensions are not transferred by the cut/paste operation, you should
manually recreate the 0.8mm dimension that sets the size of the triangle.
c. Third, use two tangent constraints

, to inscribe the arc within the
triangle. Add a 0.33mm radius to the arc.
d. Fourth, use the tangent constraint between the arc and the horizontal line. Due this for both
of the horizontal lines.
e. Fifth, use Collinear Constraint between the vertical line and the vertical reference line.
f. Sixth, you might want to use the Analyze tool in the Sketch menu to validate the sketch.
g. If you are unfamiliar with this tool, you can learn more about in this here: AutoCAD
Drawings - Analyze the Sketch
h. Finally, make sure that your sketch includes a vertical reference line through the origin. If
you did not copy this figure in the cut and paste operation, you should manually add it now.
15.Select the Helical Boss

16.Choose Clockwise.
17.Set Type to Height & Pitch.
18.Set Height to 8.5 mm.
19.Click on the ellipses button,
tool.
, for Pitch.
The Equation Editor dialog appears and the parameter corresponding to Pitch is highlighted.
20.Click the Modify button. The Modify Equation dialog appears.
21.Enter the following expression in the Equation field: 4*(1.5+2*0.80*tan(pi/6)mm).
This expression corresponds to the pitch used to create the threads in the valve base.
22.Click OK.
23.Click OK for the Equation Editor.
24.Click in the Axis field and select the vertical reference line.
25.If it is necessary to obtain the correct preview (into the cap as opposed to outside of it), check the
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Reverse option.
26.Click OK.
The helical boss is created as shown here:
27.Select the starting face of the thread:
28.Select the Fillet

tool. The Fillet Edges dialog is displayed and is pre-populated
with the selected face.
29.Set Radius to 0.15mm.
30.Press the Tab key to accept the value and update the preview. The fillet edges show a preview like
this
31.Click OK.
The starting face of the thread is smoothed out as shown here:
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32.From the Geometry Transform group in the Part Modeling tab, select Pattern > Circular. The
Circular Pattern dialog appears.
33.Select the helical boss and fillet features you just created.
34.Click in the Center field and select the Y-Axis.
35.Set Copies to 2.
36.Set Angle to 180 degrees.
37.The Pattern shows a preview like this
38.Click OK.
The second helix for the thread is created.
You can exit out of part edit mode to view the entire assembly. To do this, in the Design Explorer,
either right-click on Green Cap <1> and choose Edit Root Assembly, or right-click on the root
assembly, Medical Valve, and choose Edit Part/Subassembly.
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Note that we have not yet defined the assembly constraints to ensure that there is no interference
among the threads. This is something you might want to experiment with on your own.
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1.4.2.8
Creating Helical Geometry - UNC-threaded Rod

Main Tutorial Page
Creating a UNC-threaded Rod

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The final example involves the creation of a standard threaded rod: 3/4 - 10 UNC Class 3A.
Note: Generally, it is poor design practice to geometrically model standard threads with solid
modeling techniques. Helical features are complex features and can slow down regeneration time.
Instead, we recommend that you utilize the built-in thread definitions and callouts for standard holes,
as well as the parts library for standard fasteners. Nevertheless, this example demonstrates how you
can use Alibre Design to easily model standard threads if the need arises in your design.
1. In a new part workspace, create a 3.00"-long, 0.75"-diameter cylinder centered on the origin and
aligned to the positive z-axis.
a. Select the Activate 2D Sketch

tool on the XY-Plane.
b. Create a 0.75 " Diameter Circle Centered on the Origin.
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c. Select the Extrude Boss
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tool and set the Depth to 3.000 "
d. Click OK
2. Activate 2D Sketch on the YZ-Plane, and create the following sketch:
Note: Click Isometric to Sketch Plane
until you see the view below.
In this view, create a reference line from the Origin along the Z-Axis.
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Select the Orient to Sketch Plane

tool in the View Orientation group in the Viewing
and Analysis tab to get back to the side view below. You may need to zoom out slightly; use
the mouse wheel if you have one. Continue the sketch as shown below:
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This sketch is based upon a pitch of 10 threads per inch and the UNC standard for screw forms.
Be sure to add the horizontal reference line through the origin if it is not already there. You will
use this line as the axis of the helix.
3. Select the Helical Cut

tool.
4. Choose Clockwise.
5. Click in the Axis field and select the reference line coincident to the cylinder's axis.
6. Set Type to Height & Pitch.
7. Set Height to 3.25".
8. Set Pitch to 0.10".
9. If necessary to obtain the correct preview, check the Reverse option.
10.Click OK.
The helical cut is created as shown in these images:
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Congratulations!
You have completed the tutorial on creating helical geometry. You have now learned how to create
several types of helical shapes, including springs, threaded features on plastic parts, and UNC
standard threads.
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1.4.3
Configurations
1.4.3.1
Creating Design Configurations - Overview

Main Tutorial Page
NEXT
Overview
You can use Alibre Design to create multiple versions of a part, sheet metal part, or assembly. Each
version is called a Configuration, and all versions of a particular part or assembly are maintained in a
single file. Every part workspace, sheet metal part workspace, and assembly workspace created
contains at least one configuration.
Creating and editing Configurations may not be available in certain versions of Alibre Design.
Please contact Alibre Sales or visit www.alibre.com/store for information on upgrading your
version of Alibre Design, or to add on a package to Alibre Design.
When you complete this tutorial, you will have learned about the following capabilities of Alibre
Design:
1. Creating a new part configuration.
2. Setting and editing lock properties of configurations.
3. Using the equation editor to drive dimension values.
4. Changing the active configuration of a part used in an assembly.
5. Creating a new assembly configuration.
Introduction
In the course of completing this tutorial you will create a model of a hex bolt with 3 different
configurations, as well as a hex bolt holder assembly with 2 different configurations.
Design Configurations is a complex capability, and before you begin using them, you should become
familiar with the sketching, 3D modeling, and part design techniques in Alibre Design. You should
review the tutorials Introduction to Sketching and Constraints and Part 1, before proceeding.
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1.4.3.2
Getting Started
Main Tutorial Page
Getting Started
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When you are ready to begin, you should create a New Part workspace.
In the New Part workspace, from the Alibre Gem, go to Design Properties. If desired, you can open
this starting workspace, which has all of these properties already set.
In the left-hand column select Units > General, and set the following properties:
1. In the Length section: Unit, Format and Precision should be set to Inches, Decimals, and 3,
respectively.
2. In the Angle section: Angle and Precision should be set to Degrees and 3, respectively.
3. In the Zero Suppression section: Leading and Trailing should both be Unchecked.
1. Axes
2. Planes
3. Silhouette Edges
4. Design Explorer
5. Sketches
6. Annotations
7. Coordinate System
8. 3D View Indicator
Finally, you should set the following values from the Alibre Gem, go toSystem Options (Ctrl+Shift+O).
1. In the left-hand column select Sketching from Parts/Assemblies and check Snap to working
plane.
2. In the left-hand column select Design Interaction from Parts/Assemblies and uncheck Reorient
on extrude.
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1.4.3.3
Creating the First Part Configuration

Main Tutorial Page
Creating the First Part Configuration

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Notice that the new part workspace you just opened already has one configuration called Config <1>
listed in the Design Explorer under the Configurations category. All sketches and features you
create at this point will be included in Config<1>. Our first configuration will be a basic hex bolt.
Throughout the tutorial, we will be using the equation editor for dimensioning. When using
configurations, you will find it very useful to name your dimensions and reuse them to drive new
dimensions - this will help ensure that your configurations continue to look the way you want them to
as you make modifications.
1. Right-click on the XY-Plane in the work area, then choose Activate 2D Sketch. Sketch a circle,
making sure to place the center of the circle on the origin.
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Note: If you right-click a plane in the Design Explorer, you will not have Activate 2D Sketch as
an option. If you want to enter sketch mode, you must right-click the plane in the work area.
2. Dimension the circle, giving it a diameter of 0.25".
3. Select the Extrude Boss tool and give the extrusion a depth of 1.250" Click OK to complete the
extrusion.
4. In the work area, click on the face highlighted in red below. You may want to orient the view to the
Isometric view as shown here. (Select the Orient to Isometric tool
toolbar).
from the Orient View
5. Select the Activate 2D Sketch tool. You are now sketching on the end face of the cylindrical
extrusion. In the Sketch Figures group in the 2D Sketching tab, select the Polygon tool. In the
Regular Polygon dialog, enter 6 sides, and select the external diameter measure option.
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Click on the origin of the part workspace to place the center point of the polygon, then drag the
mouse to size the polygon. Click again to complete the polygon approximately as shown.
Click Apply, then Close to accept the polygon figure.

6. Select the Dimension tool. Click on the circle around the polygon figure, then click in the work
area to place the dimension. In this particular example, the initial dimension is
, select the Equation Editor button
. When the Equation Editor
opens, the value we are assigning will be highlighted. We want this value to be 2 times the diameter
of the bolt. The bolt diameter was .250", which is D1 in this example.
7. Click in the Equation field and type D1*2, as shown below.
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Click the OK button to accept the dimension value.

8. Select Extrude Boss and enter a depth of 0.20". Click OK to create the extrusion.
Your model should now look like the following (you may need to rotate your model to put it in
this orientation):
9. Add a chamfer to the bottom of the bolt. First, click once in the work area off of the model to ensure
that nothing is selected. Next, select the Edge Chamfer tool in the Geometry Transform group.
Fill in the dialog as shown below, using the bottom edge of the bolt (highlighted in red in this image
- the light blue outline shown here is the chamfer preview). Click OK to create the chamfer.
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10.Right-click on the ZX-Plane ( in the work area), then choose Activate 2D Sketch. Sketch a
triangle as shown. Make the horizontal and vertical legs equal length using the Equal sketch
constraint.
11.Use the Collinear sketch constraint to align the vertical and horizontal legs of the triangle sketch
to the bolt.
12.Finish dimensioning the sketch as shown:
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.
13.Click on the Revolve Cut tool in the Part Modeling group. In Sketch to revolve, select the
triangle sketch you just created (this should already be populated in the box - if so, you do not
need to select it again). For the Angle, type in 360. In Axis, select the Z-Axis. Click OK to create
the Revolve Cut feature. The resulting model will be our first configuration. It should look like this
(shown here in isometric):
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1.4.3.4
Creating the Second Part Configuration

Main Tutorial Page
Creating the Second Part Configuration

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1. Insert a new configuration: In the Design Explorer, right-click on Configurations and choose New
Configuration. The New Configuration dialog opens. This is where you name the new configuration
and set the lock properties for it. The lock properties of a configuration determine what changes
(made to the active configuration) are applied to it. The active configuration is the one that will be
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shown in the work area, and all modifications/additions made will apply to it.
Note: For detailed information about what each of the lock options means, click the Help
button
in the dialog.
Enter the information in the dialog as shown below:
I have chosen to lock all of the options at the beginning, and when I start modifying my
configurations, I can go back and unlock some or all of them later if necessary.
2. Click OK to create the new configuration. Because we checked the Active box, it will also become
the active configuration, and will be displayed in the work area. The configuration "1.25 threaded" is
identical to Config <1> at this time, because it was copied from Config <1>. Notice in the Design
Explorer that the part name now has the active configuration name appended to it (notice this in the
workspace title bar as well).
3. Next we are going to add threads to "1.25 threaded", so we need to lock Config <1>, since we want
it to be a non-threaded bolt. In addition, we will give Config <1> a more descriptive name. In the
Design Explorer, right-click Config <1> and select Edit. The Configuration dialog appears. In the
Name field, type in 1.25 non-threaded.
Click the Lock All button to check all of the lock options. Do NOT check the Active box at this
time, since we do not want to work on this configuration right now.
Click OK to accept the changes. The Design Explorer now appears as follows (notice the icon
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for 1.25 non-threaded - it is gray, signifying that it is not the active configuration, and has a lock
next to it, signifying that it is locked):
4. Add threads to the configuration "1.25 threaded": Right-click the YZ-Plane and select Activate 2D
Sketch. Create and dimension a sketch as shown. Use the Perpendicular sketch constraint to
make the two angled legs perpendicular to each other, then use the Equal sketch constraint to
make the two angled legs of equal length; and finally, use the Horizontal sketch constraint to
make sure the horizontal line stays horizontal.
5. Next we will name some of our dimensions so we can use them to drive future dimensions. First,
exit sketch mode by selecting the Activate 2D Sketch tool. Enter the Equation Editor: in the
Analysis tab in the Viewing and Analysis group, select Equation Editor. Click on the Name of
each dimension and edit it so that it matches the following image. Use the values in the Result
column to make sure you are naming each dimension correctly.
You will need to manually change the equation D1*2 to BOLTDIAM*2 after you rename
BOLTDIAM, since we have renamed the dimension.
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6. Click OK to accept the changes.

7. Edit the last sketch you created to place the final dimensions. Right-click Sketch<4> in the Design
Explorer and select Edit.
8. Select the Dimension tool. Select the origin, then the horizontal sketch line. Click in the work area
to place the dimension. In the text box, type BOLTDIAM/2, and press Enter. This will ensure that
the sketch distance is always half the bolt diameter, even if the diameter changes. In the image in
the following step, you will see the value of that dimension shown (0.125"), not the equation.
9. Finish dimensioning the sketch: place a dimension of .031" to the end of the bolt as shown:
10.Select the Revolve Boss tool in the Part Modeling group. The sketch you just created should
populate in the Sketch to revolve field. If not, click in that field and select the sketch. In Angle,
enter 360. Click in the Axis field and select the Z-Axis. Click OK to create the revolve boss feature.
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The result will be:
11.Finish the threads with a pattern: in the Geometry Transform group in the Part Modeling tab,
select Pattern > Linear. Fill out the Linear Pattern dialog as shown, then click OK to create the
pattern:
12.Your "1.25 threaded" configuration looks like this:
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1.4.3.5
Creating the Third Part Configuration

Main Tutorial Page
Creating the Third Part Configuration

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Save the bolt part: from the Quick Start menu, select Save As. Browse to a location in your
Windows File System to save the part, and give it the name HexBolt. Click Save to save the file.
You now have one part file saved, and it contains two different configurations of a hex bolt. Before we
create a third configuration, look at the configuration "1.25 non-threaded" to verify that it does not have
the threads that you added to the active configuration "1.25 threaded".
1. In the Design Explorer, double-click the configuration named "1.25 non-threaded". This will make it
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the active configuration. You can also right-click it and select Activate.
Notice that the threads are not visible in this configuration. The threads were not added to this
model because the lock option Feature Suppression is checked (because we checked all of
the lock options previously) in this configuration. However, you will notice that the new features
DO appear in the Design Explorer - they are added here, and suppressed automatically.
From this, you can see that every configuration will have the same feature set - but any features
not needed in a particular configuration will be suppressed. You can unsuppress them as
necessary.
2. Insert a new configuration: In the Design Explorer, right-click on Configurations and choose New
Configuration.
Name this configuration 1.75 non-threaded. Copy it from 1.25 non-threaded. Click the Lock
All button, and check the Active box.
3. Modify the length of the bolt: In the Design Explorer, right-click Extrusion <1> and choose Edit.
For the Depth, enter a value of 1.75". Click OK.
4. To regenerate the model, select Generate to Last Feature in the Part Modeling tab.
You now have one part file with 3 distinctly different part configurations in it.
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1.4.3.6
Changing Lock Properties

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Changing Lock Properties

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Next we will add a feature to the 1.25 non-threaded and 1.75 non-threaded configurations, but not the
1.25 threaded configuration. Since the 1.75 non-threaded is the active configuration, we will add the
feature to that one. In order for the feature to apply to the 1.25 non-threaded configuration, we need to
unlock it.
To unlock it, you can do one of the following:
In the Design Explorer, right-click the 1.25 non-threaded configuration and choose Unlock. This will
uncheck all of the lock options.
In the Design Explorer, right-click the 1.25 non-threaded configuration and choose Edit. This will
allow you to uncheck only the options you want to uncheck.
For this tutorial, choose Unlock to uncheck all of the lock options. The lock symbol disappears from
the 1.25 non-threaded icon in the Design Explorer, and all changes made to the active configuration
will also apply to the 1.25 non-threaded configuration.
1. In the work area, click on the top face of the bolt as shown, and then Activate 2D Sketch.
2. Use the Circle tool to sketch a circle with the center point at the origin. Dimension the diameter of
the circle, and give it a value of BOLTDIAM.
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3. Select the Extrude Cut tool. The sketch you created should populate in the Sketch field, but if it
does not, click in the field and then select the new sketch. For the Depth, enter a value of HEADHEIGHT/3.
4. In the Design Explorer, double-click on each configuration to make it active and look at what
features are displayed in each one. You will see that the new cut feature you created is applied to
1.25 non-threaded, but not to 1.25 threaded.
5. From the Quick Start menu, select Save to save the part file.
This concludes the part configuration portion of this tutorial. The next portion will go through using
configurations in assemblies. Please review the Alibre Design User Guide or the Design
Configurations topics in the online help for more information about part configurations.
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1.4.3.7
Creating a New Part for the Assembly

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Creating a New Part for the Assembly

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You can use the configurations you created for a part model in assemblies as well. We will create a
simple assembly with the HexBolt part. First, let's create one more new part to use in the assembly.
1. Start a new Part workspace. Set the same properties as the previous workspace. In the work area,
right-click on the XY-Plane and choose Activate 2D Sketch. Use the Line tool, Circular Arc 2011
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Start, End, Radius tool, and the Dimension tool to sketch and dimension the following sketch.
Note that the leg of .300" and the leg of .650" each have a leg of equal length on the opposite side
of the Y-axis:
2. Select the Extrude Boss tool. Extrude Sketch <1> to a depth of 1.0". The result will be:
3. Create a new reference plane tangent to the curved face: In the work area, right-click on the face
highlighted yellow here and select Insert Plane.
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In the Insert Plane dialog, Face 1 will already populate the Select Geometry field. Click on the
ZX-Plane to add it to the field, then check the box for Reverse. Click the OK button to create
the new plane.
4. In the work area, right-click the new plane (Plane <1>). Choose Activate 2D Sketch. Sketch and
dimension a circle as shown.
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5. Select the Extrude Cut tool. Extrude Sketch <2> to a depth of -0.5".
6. Finally, we will create a pattern of the new hole. The hole pattern will be a circular pattern, so you
need an axis to revolve about.
7. In the work area, right-click on the curved face of the part, and select Insert Axis.
a. In the Insert Axis dialog, click the OK button to create the axis. The axis will be created at the
center of curvature of the face, so you will have to zoom out to see it.
8. In the Geometry Transform group select Pattern > Circular. Fill out the Circular Pattern dialog
as shown:
5. Click OK to create the pattern.

6. In the Geometry Transform group, again select Pattern > Circular. Fill out the dialog with the
same information again, except this time check the Change Direction box.
7. The bolt holder is now complete. From the File menu, select Save As. Save the new part in the
same location as the HexBolt, and name it HexBoltHolder.
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1.4.3.8
Using Configurations of Parts in Assemblies

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Using Configurations of Parts in Assemblies

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Now we will create a new assembly, and use different configurations of the HexBolt in the assembly.
1. Start a new assembly workspace.
2. The Insert Part/Subassembly dialog box will appear. Browse to find the part HexBoltHolder and
select it. Click OK to accept the part.
3. In the assembly work area, click once to place one copy of the HexBoltHolder part, then click the
Finish button in the Inserting dialog.
4. Select Part/Subassembly from the Insert group in the Assembly tab. Browse to find the part
HexBolt, and select it. Click OK to accept the part.
5. In the assembly work area, click once to place one copy of the HexBolt, then move the mouse
over slightly and click again to place a second part. Move the mouse over again slightly, then click
again to place a third part.
a. After placing three copies of the HexBolt, in the Inserting dialog, click the Finish button.
b. Notice that each copy of the HexBolt is the same configuration. When you insert a part into an
assembly, it will always be inserted as the last saved active configuration.
c. Your model will look something like this (the bolts are labeled in this image for your reference):
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Notice in the Design Explorer that the HexBoltHolder does not have a configuration name
appended to it. This is because that part only contains one configuration. However, the HexBolt
parts each have the active configuration name appended to them, so you know which
configuration is used for that part in this assembly.
6. You can change the set configuration of an assembly component anytime. To do this, expand the
tree next to HexBolt <2> - 1.75 non-threaded.
You can now see the Configurations category for the HexBolt. You can also see that 1.75 nonthreaded is the active configuration for HexBolt <2>.
7. To change the active configuration of HexBolt<2>, double-click on the configuration named 1.25
threaded. You will see that the icon next to it becomes colored, indicating it is the active
configuration. In addition, in the work area, you will see the threaded bolt displayed.
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In the same way, you can set a different configuration for each instance of a part in an
assembly.
8. Save the new assembly: from the Quick Start menu, select Save As. Name the assembly
BoltHolder with Bolts. Click Save to save the assembly. In the Confirm dialog, click OK.
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1.4.3.9
Creating Assembly Configurations

Main Tutorial Page
Creating Assembly Configurations

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Just as you can create multiple configurations of a part, you can also create multiple configurations of
an assembly. We will create a new configuration of the HexBoltHolder assembly that was saved
previously.
1. In the Design Explorer, right-click on Configurations and choose New Configuration. The New
Configuration dialog opens. As with parts, this is where you name the new configuration and set the
lock properties for it.
a. The active configuration is the one that will be shown in the work area, and all modifications/
additions made will apply to it.
b. Enter the following information in the dialog: in the Name field, type 1.25 threaded bolts. In the
Copy From field, select Config <1>. Click the Lock All button to check all of the options.
Check the Active box to make this new configuration the active one.
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Note: For detailed information about what each of the lock options means, click the Help
button
in the dialog.
2. Click OK and the new configuration is added to the Design Explorer.

3. When we change all of the bolts in the new configuration to be 1.25 threaded bolts, we do not want
them to change in the first configuration also, so we need to edit the lock properties of the first
configuration.
a. In the Design Explorer, right-click Config <1> and select Edit.
b. Change the name of the configuration to Bolt Variety, and click the Lock All button to lock all of
the properties. Do not check the Active box, because we do not want this one to be the active
configuration.
c. Click OK to accept the changes.
4. The configuration 1.25 threaded bolts is still active, so expand the tree for each of the HexBolt
parts.
a. Change the active configuration of each of them to 1.25 threaded (HexBolt <2> was done
previously). The Design Explorer will then look like this:
You can see in the work area that all of the bolts in configuration 1.25 threaded bolts are now
in the 1.25 threaded configuration. However, if you double-click on the assembly configuration
called Bolt Variety in the Design Explorer, you will see that configuration still has a variety of
bolt part configurations set.
Congratulations!
This concludes the tutorial on using Design Configurations.
You have now completed the creation of multiple part configurations, multiple assembly
configurations, and modified the active configuration of a part model used in an assembly.
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Design Configurations is a complex capability. You should review the documentation available in the
online help or the Alibre Design User Guide to get familiar with all of the functionality of
Configurations.
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1.4.4
Surfacing
1.4.4.1
Surfacing
Main Tutorial Page
NEXT
Surfaces features may not be available in all versions of Alibre Design. Please contact Alibre
Sales or visit www.alibre.com/store for information on upgrading your version of Alibre Design, or
to add on a package to Alibre Design.
Surfacing is useful in many different scenarios and it allows users to apply surfacing models and surfacing
operations.
This tutorial will take you through the various tools and show you their options and how to use them.
This zip contains the needed files for the tutorial. Left click on the file name and save it to a convenient
location on your computer. Once it is saved, unzip the files to a convenient location on your computer.
Surfaces for Tutorials.zip
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1.4.4.2
Inerting a Surface
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When inserting a file as a surface (*.igs, *.sat, *.3dm) it is inserted into an existing part workspace.
1. Open up the Hammer. This is our initial part.
2. From this workspace we will now insert the Handle, select Insert Surface
from the Surfacing
tab. The Insert Surface dialog box appears.
3. Select the Handle file that you wish to insert (you may have to change your so you are looking for SAT
files), then click Open. Select the following options.
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a. To turn on the Insert Surface Options dialog box (if you have it turned off) - from the Alibre Gem, go
to System Options and in the left-hand column, select General from Interoperability. In the Insert
Options section, check the box beside Show Options When Inserting.
b. Please refer to Insert Surface Options for the different options in the Insert Surface Options dialog
box.
4. You should now see both the base part and also the part that was inserted as a surface. At this point
your workspace should look like the image below.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.4.4.3
Moving and Rotating the Surface

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1. Now that the surface is inserted into the model it can be moved and rotated into the correct orientation.
2. Select the Move/Rotate icon.
3. Highlight the Selection box, and select Handle surface in the design workspace.
a. In the Move Type drop down, select Precise Rotate
b. Select the X-Axis
c. Use a value of 90.0 for the Angle value
d. Click the Add button.
i. The Add button allows you to add multiple transforms without exiting the dialog box.
e. For the Move Type drop down, select Precise Move
f. For the Method select Axis and Offset.
g. Select the Z-Axis
h. Use a value of 7.350" for the Offset value
i. Click the OK button.
4. Edit the Move Surface feature in the Design Explorer
a. In the Move Type drop down, select Precise Move
b. For the Method select Axis and Offset.
c. Select the Y-Axis
d. Use a value of -8.000" for the Offset value
e. Click the OK button
5. Your part should now look like this.
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6. Right click on Move Surface in the Design Explorer and select Edit.
7. In the Move Surface dialog box there should be 4 transforms items (the last item is always New
Transform...).
8. Click on the first Precise Move item. The surface in the workspace will update and the transforms below
it will not be applied.
9. Click the OK button and the surface will not use the transforms below the selected item.
10.To show the other 2 transforms, edit Move Surface in the Design Explorer and click on the New
Transform and press the OK button.
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Scaling the Surface

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1. Now that the surface is in the correct location and orientation it needs to be scaled.
2. Select the Scale icon.
3. In the dialog box, select the surfaces from the design workspace.
4. Choose the About Origin option.

5. Enter a value of 0.750.
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1.4.4.5
Splitting the Surface

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1. Splitting a surface allows you break a surface into multiple surfaces.

2. Currently the surface selected is a single surface, we want to spit it apart so we can perform some
other operations.
3. To show this, in the Design Explorer, right click on Surface<15> and the entire surface will be
highlighted. After we split the surface when it is selected only a portion of it will be selected.
4. Select the Split icon.
5. In the dialog box, select the following surfaces.
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7. In the Design Explorer, left-click on Surface<15>. Since it is now split, only a portion of it is highlighted.
8. In the Design Explorer, left-click on Split Surface<18> and the other portion of the surface is
highlighted.
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1.4.4.6
Deleting a Surface
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1. Now that the surface is split we will delete the section that we do not want.
2. Select the Delete Face icon.
3. Select Split Surface<18> and it should be populated in the dialog box.
4. Press the OK button and the face is deleted from the workspace.
5. In the Design Explorer Delete Face<19> feature is created.
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1.4.4.7
Thickening the Surface

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1. Now that the surface has been split and the unneeded portion has been deleted, we can thicken the
remaining surface.
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2. Select the Thicken icon.

3. Select Surface<15> and use the following values:
a. Thickness = 0.050"
b. Direction = Reverse
4. Press the OK button and the model is now complete.
This concludes this portion of the tutorial. The rest of the topics in this tutorial are individual and do not
rely on any other sections.
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Stitching the Model

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The Stitch operation takes multiple adjacent surfaces and joins them into a single entity. The selected
surfaces cannot overlap each other and each surface must share a collinear edge with its adjacent
surfaces. Trim operations can be applied to get surfaces to fit together properly for a stitch operation.
Scenario #1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Open up Trim Example.AD_PRT

Select the Stitch icon.
In the Stitch dialog box select the two surfaces.
Click OK to apply the Stitch feature.
Since the two surfaces are not adjacent (as shown below) the stitch command will not be able to work
correctly.
6. Click OK on the error message.

7. In the Design Explorer, right-click on Stitch Surface<6> and select Delete.
Cannot be Stitched
Cannot be Stitched
Can be Stitched
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Scenario #2
8. In the Design Explorer, right click on the following items and select Suppress.
a. Extrusion<5>
b. Move Surface<4>
c. Move Surface<3>
9. Select the Stitch icon and select the two surfaces.
10.Since the two surfaces share a collinear edge the Stitch feature will join the two surfaces into a single
item.
11.There are two different options for stitching the surfaces together; Stitch to Single Surface and Stitch
to Solid.
a. The surfaces in this example do not form a "water tight" model, choose Stitch to Single Surface.
12.Click OK to apply the Stitch feature.
13.Since the two surfaces are adjacent (as shown below) the stitch command does work correctly.
14.Close but do not save part.

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1.4.4.9
Converting a Solid to a Surface

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1. The Convert Solid to Surface is a global feature that converts the entire model to a single surface.
2. Open up the Hammer file.
a. You can delete the changes to the model if you had saved them from the first part of the tutorial.
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3. Select the Convert Solid to Surface icon.

4. In the Design Explorer a Convert Solid to Surface feature is created.
5. Close but do not save part.

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1.4.4.10 Creating a Surface from a Face

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1. The Create Surface from Face will create individual surfaces from the selected faces. If the Maintain
Associativity button is selected then when the face changes in the model then the surface will
parametrically update.
2. Open up the Hammer file.
3. Select the Create Surface from Face icon.
4. Select the following faces.
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5. Check the Maintain Associativity button.

7. In the Design Explorer, Face Surface<15> feature will be created.
8. In the Design Explorer, right click on Sketch<1> and select Edit.
9. Change diameter from 1.500" to 1.750"
10.Press the OK button.
11.Press the F5 key on the keyboard and the model and the surface will update automatically. The
surface created in step #7 will maintain its association and automatically change. If the Maintain
Association was not selected then when the model changes the surface will not change.
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1.4.4.11 Trim
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Using other surfaces (and not faces from a 3D model), the Trim tool allows a surface to be split and the
unwanted section deleted in a single step. In the following examples, we want trim away the light blue
highlighted surface faces. For the Trim operation to work as expected,
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Scenario #1
1. Open up Trim Example.AD_PRT
2. Select the Trim icon.
3. In the Trim dialog box:
a. Select the following faces for Surface Selection.
b. Select the following faces for Regions to be Removed.
4. Press the OK button and the items in the Regions to be Removed should be removed.
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Scenario #2
2. Using the Move/Rotate surfacing feature, Free Drag this face so it is approximately in the position
shown below.
a. Since the faces do not line up correctly, when the original faces are tried to be trimmed the results
will be different.
3. Select the Trim icon.

4. In the Trim dialog box
a. Select the following faces for Surface Selection.
b. Select the following faces for Regions to be Removed.
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5. Press the OK button and the items that are removed are drastically different than in the Scenario #1.
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1.4.4.12 Trimming Model

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The Trim Model tool allows a surface to trim away the 3D faces of a model. For this example, we want to
trim away the corner of the model that is on the outside of the surface.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Select the Trim Model icon from the Surfacing tab

.
Select the Surface shown below; this is the surface that will trim the model.
The arrows show the section of the 3D model that will be trimmed and removed.
Check the Reverse box; the model on this side of the surface will be trimmed away.
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6. Click OK to apply the Trim Model feature.

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Main Tutorial Page
1.4.4.13 Copying and Pasting Surfaces

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1. Surfaces are able to copied from 3rd party CAD programs and pasted into a Part or Sheet Metal
workspace.
2. For the following tutorial, we will use MoI (Moment of Inspiration) which is a surfacing program. If you do
not have it, you can download a trial from here: http://moi3d.com.
3. For continence, we will use the Sundburst.3dm file
a. The tutorial is here if you want to make the model.
4. In MoI with the Sunburst model completed
a. From the Edit menu select Copy
b. Window (lasso) all of the items and select Done.
i. When selected, the color of the selected surfaces will turn from gray to yellow.
c. At this point, the surface model has been copied to the Windows clipboard.
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5. In an Alibre Design part

a. You can use one the following techniques to paste the surfaces:
i. Ctrl+v (using the keyboard)
ii. The Paste tool from the Edit group in the Part Modeling tab.
iii. From the menu bar: Edit > Paste.
b. When pasting the surface into Alibre Design, if the file was created without standard units then you
will have to manually override the units in the following dialog box. In our particular case the model
created in centimeters so we do not see this dialog box.
c. The Sunburst will be pasted where you left click the mouse in the workspace.
6. From here, you can use all of the previously described tools to work with the surface as needed.
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1.4.5
Booleans
1.4.5.1
Creating Design Booleans - Overview

Main Tutorial Page
NEXT
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Overview
You can use Alibre Design to create injection molds using the Design Boolean features. Alibre
Design provides the following Boolean operations: Unite, Subtract, and Intersect. Design Boolean
features are fully associative, meaning all parts affected by the Design Boolean feature are
automatically updated when a change is made.
Design Boolean may not be available in certain versions of Alibre Design. Please contact Alibre
Sales or visit www.alibre.com/store for information on upgrading your version of Alibre Design, or
to add on a package to Alibre Design.
When you complete this tutorial, you will have learned about the following capabilities of Alibre
Design:
1. Creating associative Design Boolean features including Boolean Unite and Boolean Subtract.
2. Creating assembly constraints for Design Booleans.
Introduction
In the course of completing this tutorial you will use the Design Boolean features to create the mold
for a cell phone, as shown below.
It should take you approximately 30 minutes to complete this tutorial.

Sketching and Constraints and Modeling a Simple Part before proceeding.
The models for the tutorial can be downloaded from here. Download the file to a convenient location on
your computer and unzip it to a folder.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.4.5.2
Detail Definition
Main Tutorial Page
Detail Definition
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1. Start a new part model workspace.
2. Select the Boolean Unite tool in the Geometry Transform group in the Part Modeling tab and
choose the phone - basic shape file.
3. Click on the Origin point in the workspace to place the part, then select the Finish button in the
Inserting dialog box.
Note: If you need help locating the origin point, move your mouse pointer over Origin in the
Design Explorer. The origin point will highlight in the work area.
4. Notice the workspace has changed. You are still in the New Part workspace, but there is now a
Boolean tab. You are now in a "Dedicated Assembly" workspace, which you will use to create the
Design Boolean feature.
5. Right click on phone - basic shape <1> under Tools in the Design Explorer and left click Show
Reference Geometry. Expand the phone-basic shape <1> tree by clicking the + next to it in
the Design Explorer. You can now see the Reference Geometry for that part.
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6. Select the Standard Assembly Constraint tool in the Constrain group in the Boolean tab. The
Assembly Constraints dialog box appears.
7. Select the New Part YZ-Plane and the phone-basic shape YZ-Plane and choose Align with 0.0"
offset.
a. You can select the planes from the Design Explorer by clicking on the first YZ-Plane, holding
down Ctrl, and clicking on the next YZ-Plane.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 above with the ZX-Planes.
9. Select the Commit option
to apply the Design Boolean.

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1.4.5.3
Creating Design Booleans

Main Tutorial Page
Detail Definition (continued)

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1. Click on the top flat face of the part and select Activate 2D Sketch.
2. Create the following sketch by using the Ellipse tool in the Sketch Figures group in the 2D
Drawing tab:
Note: Make sure that the center of the ellipse is located on the X-Axis.
The width (i.e., length of the semi-minor axis) of the ellipse is 0.090 from the center, and the
height (i.e., length of the semi-major axis) is 0.175 from the center.
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3. In order to place the dimension from the edge of the part, select the Dimension tool. Click on the
center point of the ellipse, then click on the edge of the part.
4. The Slot Dimensions Options dialog box appears.
a. In the Point to Circular drop-down list, select Point to Inside, then click OK.
b. The dimension should be 0.625.
5. Next, create the sketch shown and defined below:
a. The rectangle is 2.160 tall, 1.667 wide and is 0.644 from the center of the ellipse made in step 9.
It is also centered about the X-Axis.
b. The radius of the two fillets on the left side is 0.100, and the radius of the two fillets on the right
side is 0.300 .
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6. Create the following sketch using the Obround Shape tool; it is located in the Sketch Figures
group
.
7. The needed dimensions are shown in the dialog box below. Place the Shape so it is in the
approximate location.
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1.4.5.4

Main Tutorial Page

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1. Make the node of the obround shape coincident to the X-Axis.
2. Place a 0.55" dimension between the node and the origin of the part. At this point the sketch
should be fully constrained.
3. Select the Node tool

.
4. Place it on the X-Axis and dimension it 1.195 from the center of the left most column of ellipses
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created in the previous step.

5. Create a circle that has a diameter of 0.100 and the distance from the center of the circle to the
node is 0.320.
6. Select Circular Repeat from the Linear Repeat drop down in the Sketch Tools group .
7. The Circular Repeat dialog box will appear. Select the circle to be repeated. For the Center
select the node created in step 18. Enter the rest of the options as shown below:
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8. Click OK to apply the pattern.

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1.4.5.5

Main Tutorial Page

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1. Select Extrude Cut. Use the sketch you just created and set the Type to Through ALL. Click OK
to create the Cut feature.
2. Create fillets on the edges of the cuts highlighted in the image below. Click on the Fillet tool and
select the edges (on the top filleted face)highlighted below and define the radius to be 0.040.
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3. From the Quick Start menu, select Save and name the file phone - detail definition.
4. This is the result:
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1.4.5.6
Shell Definition
Main Tutorial Page
Shell Definition
BACK NEXT
1. Start a new part model workspace.
2. Select the Boolean Unite tool and choose the phone - basic shape file.
3. Click on the Origin point in the workspace to place the part, then select the Finish button in the
Inserting dialog.
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4. Right click on the phone - basic shape <1> in the Design Explorer and left click on Show
5. Select the Insert Assembly Constraint tool. The Assembly Constraints dialog box appears.
6. Select the New Part YZ-Plane and the phone-basic shape's YZ-Plane and choose Align with
0.0" offset.
7. Repeat steps 6 and 7 above with the ZX-Planes.
8. Select the Commit
option to apply the Design Boolean .
9. Select the Shell tool

. The Shell dialog box appears.
10.Select the flat face of the part that does not have the fillets.
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a. Set the Standard Thickness to 0.060" and click OK.

11.You should now have a part that looks like this:
12.From the Quick Start menu, select Save and name the file phone - shell definition.
13.This part will be used later in the tutorial.
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1.4.5.7
Cavity Mold
Main Tutorial Page
Cavity Mold
BACK NEXT
1. Create a New Part workspace.
2. Select the XY-Plane, and Activate 2D Sketch.
3. Create the following sketch, while making sure to center it about the origin:
The rectangle is 10.0 wide and 6.0 tall.
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4. Select Extrude Boss. Set the Depth to 1.50, and select OK to create the extrusion.
5. Select the Boolean Subtract tool and choose the phone - detail definition file.
6. Click on the Origin point in the workspace to place the part, then click the Finish button in the
Inserting dialog.
7. Right click on the phone - detail definition<1> in the Design Explorer and left click on Show
8. Select the Standard assembly constraint icon.
9. Select the YZ-Plane and the YZ-Plane reference plane from the part and choose Align with 0.0"
offset.
10.Repeat steps 8 and 9 with the ZX-Plane.
11.Select the Commit
option to apply the Design Boolean.
12.Your model should now look like this (you may need to rotate your model to see the cavity):
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1.4.5.8
Cavity Mold (continued)

Main Tutorial Page
Cavity Mold (continued)

BACK NEXT
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1. Select the Boolean Subtract tool and choose the phone - basic shape file.
2. Click on the Origin point in the workspace to place the part, then click the Finish button in the
Inserting dialog.
3. Right click on the phone - basic shape <1> in the Design Explorer and left click on Show
Reference Geometry.
a. Expand the phone-basic shape <1> tree by clicking the + next to it in the Design Explorer.
You can now see the Reference Geometry for that part.
4. Select the Standard assembly constraint icon.
5. Select the YZ-Plane and the YZ-Plane reference plane from the part and choose Align with 0.0"
offset.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 using the ZX-Plane.
7. Select Insert Assembly Constraint

.
8. Select the flat face of the phone - basic shape and the face of the extrusion from step 2.
a. Choose Align with a -0.1" offset.
Note: The yellow highlighted faces are to be selected for the Align assembly constraint.
9. Select the Commit
10.This is the end result:
option to apply the Design Boolean.
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Congratulations!
This concludes the tutorial on using the Design Boolean feature.
You have now completed the creation of a cell phone mold and learned about Design
Booleans, creating assembly constraints for Design Booleans, and creating an ellipse and
sketch node figures.
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1.4.6
3D Sketching
1.4.6.1
3D Sketch - Overview
Main Tutorial Page
NEXT
Overview
3D Sketching allows you to create guide curves for better control of lofts. In addition, using 3D
sketches allows you to create sweeps that are ideal for modeling piping and cabling systems.
The ability to create 3D sketches may not be available in certain versions of Alibre Design.
Please contact Alibre Sales or visit www.alibre.com/store for information on upgrading your
version of Alibre Design, or to add on a package to Alibre Design.
This tutorial will cover the creation of 3D Sketches and using them for defining the Guide Curve for
Lofts and path object for Sweep.
During this tutorial you will create the following models:
1. Sweep along a path object defined by a 3D Sketch
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2. Loft using 3D Guide Curve
It should take you approximately 40 minutes to complete this tutorial.

For ease of understanding, before proceeding, please make sure that you are already familiar with the
operation of Alibre Design, and have completed the General Topics, and Introduction to Sketching and
Constraints tutorials.
Before beginning this tutorial, you can import the completed Sweep Model and Loft model to gain an
understanding of the design.
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1.4.6.2
3D Sketching Context
Main Tutorial Page
3D Sketching Context
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3D sketching takes place in a separate environment from part modeling, just as 2D sketching does.
The 3D sketch environment has a dedicated toolbar and right click menu, which allow you to access
the 3D sketching functions. You can modify the display of various 3D sketch items from the View
menu.
Setting up Design Properties

1. From the Alibre Gem, go to Design Properties.
2. In the left-hand column select General from Units, and set the following properties:
a. Show Units for Dimensions should be unchecked.
b. Under the Display Units, Length section, set the following:
i. Unit should be Inches.
ii. Format should be Decimals.
iii. Precision should be 3.
c. Under Symbols, Radius should be R.
3. In the left-hand column select Dimension, and set the following properties:
a. Show Equations should be unchecked.
b. Width should be .025" and Length should be .060".
c. Spacing Control Should be (from top to bottom):
i. .063
ii. .063
iii. .250
iv. .063
v. .250
Setting up Workspace
1. Axes
2. Planes
3. Silhouette Edges
4. Design Explorer
5. Sketches
6. Annotations
7. Coordinate System
8. 3D View Indicator
Set the following values from the Alibre Gem, go to System Options (Ctrl+Shift+O). In the left-hand
column select Sketching from Parts/Assemblies:
1. Display Grid should be checked.
2. Snap to Grid should be unchecked.
Note - All of the tools accessible on the 3D Sketching toolbar are also accessible from the 3D Sketch
menu. Keyboard shortcuts may be utilized as well;
E = Elevate
TAB = Cycle Base Plane
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Creating a 3D Sketch
Main Tutorial Page
Creating a 3D Sketch
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Using a series of lines, you can create an overall shape. In this example, we will create a brake line
by cycling thru the available planes.
You must enter 3D sketch mode before you can begin sketching.
To enter 3D sketch mode:
Select the Activate 3D Sketch
tool from the Sketch group.
The activate 3D Sketch is now active and your work area will look like this:
In this tutorial, the sketch grid will be turned on so that it can be used as reference during sketching.
The option to snap to grid points during sketching has been turned off in this tutorial. You can
customize the grid spacing as well as choose to automatically snap to grid points during sketching.
Both grid display and snap to grid are optional and can be turned on or off at any time.
The color scheme used for this tutorial is the one named Tutorials, created in the Introduction to
Sketching and Constraints tutorial.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.4.6.4
Creating a 3D Sketch (continued)

Main Tutorial Page

BACK NEXT
1. To sketch a line, select the Line
tool in the Sketch Figures group in the 3D Sketching tab,
or you can right-click in the work area and select Line from the pop-up menu.
2. Position the mouse pointer at approximately (1.0, 3.0, 0.0). The position of the mouse pointer is
shown in the status bar.
3. Click the mouse button to start the line and drag the mouse pointer roughly parallel to the X-Axis to
preview the figure.
4. Click again to complete the line segment.
Note: As you move the cursor, Guide Lines appear to help you see your position on the
sketching plane relative to the Current Coordinate System. These provide visual clues about the
location of the cursor in 3D space. You can turn the display of guide lines on and off by
selecting View > Sketch Display > Guide Lines.
Note: In the above example a "direction constraint"

symbol is visible in the work area.
When sufficiently close, 3D lines will automatically "snap" to a planes aligned with the primary
axes of the sketch coordinate system. In such cases a direction constraint is also
automatically applied to the line.
Coincident - A point can be constrained so that it lies on a figure, model edge, or planar
face.
Fixed - Figures may be constrained to a fixed position in the sketch. After the constraint is
applied, the point or figure may not be moved without first deleting the constraint.
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Direction - The direction of a 3D line can be constrained so that it is held constant.

Parallel - Lines can be constrained to be parallel to each other. In addition, a line can be
constrained to be parallel to a linear edge, a reference plane, or a planar face. For planes and
faces, the constraint indicates that the line is perpendicular to the normal of the plane or face.
Perpendicular - Lines can be constrained to be perpendicular to other lines, reference
planes, reference axes or planar faces. Splines can be constrained to reference planes and
planar faces.
The behavior of lines and splines differs: Lines will be parallel to the normal of a plane or face.
Splines will be set tangent at the start or end of the spline parallel to the normal of a plane or
face.
Tangent Continuous - An open 3D figure can be constrained to be continuous at its
endpoint to another 3D open figure or an open edge.
Collinear - Figures may be constrained so that they lie in the same line.
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1.4.6.5

Main Tutorial Page

BACK NEXT
1. Select the Line

tool. Create the start of a new the line by clicking on the end point of the line
created in the previous step. Leave your mouse pointer on the start of the line.
2. Now, while holding down the "E" key and the left mouse button, drag the mouse up. A vertical line
will appear. The longer you drag the mouse up, the longer the line.
3. Release the "E" key and mouse button. Click the left mouse button to end the line.
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4. Notice now as you move the cursor, an additional guide line appears (yellow in this snapshot). The
yellow guide indicates the elevation of the cursor above the sketch plane or grid. Any future lines
created in the work area will automatically be placed at this elevation.
Note: You can also set elevation by Select the Elevation

group.
tool in the Sketch Tools
5. The Elevation dialog box appears in the lower right hand corner of the canvas.
.
Enter the desired elevation in the dialog box. This dialog can remain open and in use during other
commands.
6. Click the red square in the upper corner of the dialog box to close when finished.
7. Using the Line command, create one more lines as shown below.
Note: The Elevation is off the Plane and a constraint symbol (Direction Constraint) has
appeared on all three lines.
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8. You can add 3D Dimensions at any time during geometry creation.

9. To add dimensions, select the Dimension tool in the 3D Sketching tab.
10.Add dimensions to the three lines. Select each line and then click on the screen to place the
dimension. A dialog will appear that will allow you to insert a value.
11.Dimension the first line created with a length of 4.500, the second with a length of 3.250 and the
last line with a length of 2.00.
a. You can also select the end points of the lines to add dimensions.
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12.Cycle thru the Sketch Planes by selecting the Cycle Sketch Plane tool
, or by
clicking F on the keyboard until you see the grid in the orientation shown below (along the ZXPlane). The Cycle Sketch Plane tool cycles through the three default planes in order: XY, YZ,
ZX. Clicking the tool 2 times should orient the grid on the ZX plane, if you were sketching on the XY
plane at the beginning of this tutorial.
a. Note: The orientation of your sketch will not change - just the orientation of the grid, which gives
you a visual indication that you are now sketching on a different plane.
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13.Select the Line tool and then click the end point of the last line created in the previous step
(continue from the last point).
a. Change the coordinate system of the sketch. Select the Define Coordinate System tool.
The Define Coordinate System dialog appears.
14.Select the ZX- Plane to define the plane of the coordinate system (it may already be prepopulated).
a. Optionally you may also specify the X-Vector and Origin depending upon the desired result. As
you populate the dialog the grid and Current Coordinate System Indicator automatically
update to provide feedback.
b. Click OK to set the coordinate system of the sketch.
i. Note: When setting the coordinate system the elevation is automatically reset to zero. Any
subsequently placed points will lie on the ZX-Plane.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.4.6.6

Main Tutorial Page

BACK NEXT
1. Click again to define the second point (end point) of the line. The line in the example goes up and is
slightly angled.
a. It may help to see where you are by rotating the model slightly. You can do this while still in the
Line command mode.
2. Hold down the left and right mouse buttons and rotate the model so that you can see that the line
we inserted in the previous step is actually going to the ZX-Plane.
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3. Select the Dimension tool and add a dimension using the Y- Axis and the end point of the line as
shown. Set the value in the dialog box to 10.00.
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4. Add the final line that will define the path of the brake line. Click on the Line icon and from the
endpoint of the last line create a line as shown above. Dimension the line with a value of 2.500.
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5. You can switch view orientations at any step during this tutorial. To do so, select the different
default view orientation icons in the Quick Start menu to quickly to different standard views.
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Main Tutorial Page

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1. 3D sketch figures can be repositioned using dimensions, constraints, or by dragging. Moving a
figure in the sketch can cause other figures will update based on existing constraints. To ensure
that figure relocation happens as intended, all other geometry must be constrained appropriately.
2. To ensure the entire sketch moves as desired, first dimension the angled line highlighted red in the
image below. Note that previously a dimension was created for the distance between the endpoint
of this line to the Y-axis. This time we will dimension the length of the segment Select the
Dimension tool and select the line. In the dialog box, type in a value of 10.
3. Add fillets at the intersections of the created lines (shown below as the two blue lines). Select the
Fillet tool from the Sketch Tools group in the 3D Sketching tab. Set the fillet Radius to 0.25.
4. Select two adjacent lines and click the Apply button.
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6. Let's relocate the start of the 3D sketch at the origin of the part workspace.
7. First, delete the 10.0 dimension that we placed earlier. To do this, choose the Select tool, then
click on the dimension and hit the delete key on your keyboard.
8. Next, select the Coincident Constraint

and then select the end point of the 4.500"
line and then select the Origin from the Design Explorer.
9. After the Constraint has been applied, the geometry will be relocated as shown below.
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10.Exit sketch mode by clicking on the Deactivate Sketch icon. The objects should look similar to
the ones shown below. Note that the first line goes thru the X- Axis.
11.This completes the sketch for the path of the brake line.
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Creating the profile for the sweep

Main Tutorial Page
Creating the profile for the sweep

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1. To define the outside diameter of the brake line, in the work area, right click on the YZ-Plane and
select Activate 2D Sketch.
2. Select the Circle tool. Roll the mouse over the Origin until the constraint symbol appears and
click once on the origin to place the center of the circle. Drag the mouse to increase the circle
diameter. Click to place the circle.
a. Note: You could place the circle anywhere, and then constrain it to the origin.
3. Select the Dimension tool and insert a diameter dimension by clicking on the circle. In the dialog
box, type in .375. This will define the outside diameter of the brake line.
1. Exit Sketch mode by clicking on the Deactivate Sketch icon. You should now have a path (3D
Sketch <1>) as well as a profile to sweep (Sketch <1>). These are displayed in the Design
Explorer.
Creating the sweep
1. Select the Sweep Boss

tool from the Boss group in the 3D Modeling tab. We
will now define the solid shape of the brake line.
2. Since Sketch <1> was the last sketch edited, it will already show in the dialog box.
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3. Click in the Path Objects box and then select the 3D Sketch. The 3D sketch can be picked from
the work area or from the Design Explorer.
4. Click OK in the dialog box to close.
The brake line is now complete.

Note: The Planes and Axes have been turned off for clarity. To do this, in the Viewing Options group
in the Viewing and Analysis tab, uncheck Planes and Axes.
Note: The color of the object has been changed from Grey to Red. To do this, in the work area, right
click on the part and choose Color Properties. You can set the color from here, as well as the
Opacity and the Reflectivity. These settings, if changed, will persist with the part. This is useful for
clarity if the part is inserted into an assembly.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.4.6.9
3D guide curves
Main Tutorial Page
3D guide curves
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Using a Spline or a series of splines, you can control the overall shape generated by a loft operation.
In this tutorial, we will define a 3D B-Spline passing through three cross sections of a loft. This
sketch is subsequently used as a guide curve for controlling a loft.
These are a series of general steps to define a B-Splines interpolating a set of points (we will go
through them step by step later in this tutorial):
Activate 3D Sketching
Select the Spline

tool from the Sketch Figures group in the 3D Sketching tab.
Click the mouse button to start the spline curve.
Move the cursor and click a second time to place an interpolation point.
Move the cursor to shape the curve.
Continue clicking to place additional interpolation points.
Note: One or more interpolation points may be specified via the Direct Coordinate Entry tool
.
Double-click or hit escape to complete the spline curve.
Note: If you place the final interpolation point at the same location as the first interpolation point, the
spline will be completed as a closed spline.
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1.4.6.10 Creating the first of three sketch profiles

Main Tutorial Page
3D guide curves (continued)

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1. The first step in defining the loft is to create three 2D sketches to serve as cross sections.
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a. Start a New Part workspace.

b. Right-click on the ZX- Plane and choose Activate 2D Sketch.
c. Click on the Circle

tool and create a circle with the center point as the origin (You will
see a Constraint symbol appear).
d. Select the Dimension tool, then click on the circle. Click in the work area to place the
dimension text. Type a value of 4.000 in the dialog box.
e. Sketch two horizontal lines on either side of the X-Axis.
f. Use the Trim tool to cut away the unneeded parts of the circle.
g. Create an Arc between the end of the two lines.
h. Make the two horizontal lines symmetric about the X-Axis.
i. Use the Equal sketch constraint to make the second arc the same size as the first arc.
j. Use the Dimension tool and add the 0.500" and the 0.750" dimensions.
k. At this point the sketch should be fully defined to look like the sketch above.
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1.4.6.11 Mirroring the first sketch

Main Tutorial Page

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1. We will now add another 2D sketch to further define the shape. This sketch will be a mirror image of
the first sketch.
2. With the initial sketch still open, window around all of the sketch figures, or use the keyboard
shortcut of Ctrl+a.
3. On the keyboard press Ctrl+c. This will copy the items to the Windows clipboard.
4. Edit out of sketch mode.
5. Select the ZX-plane (this is the same plane as the first sketch) and enter into sketch mode.
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a. You should now be in a new sketch and the dimensions and constraints of the first sketch will
not be visible.
6. Paste the items onto the sketch using Ctrl+v.
7. When the sketch is pasted it is pasted in the exact same location as the original. We want the
sketch to be a mirror image of the original.
8. In the Sketch Tools group, select the Mirror Sketch Figures tool.
9. In the Figures to mirror section, select the four sketch figures that you pasted.
10.For the Mirror axis, select the Z-Axis.
11.Press the OK button.
12.Delete the original four pasted figures.
13.Exit out of Sketch mode.
14.At this point, you will have Sketch<1> and Sketch<2>.
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1.4.6.12 Creating the 3rd sketch profile

Main Tutorial Page

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1. Create a 3rd sketch; this one needs to be on the YZ-Plane.
2. Use the same tools and techniques as before in this tutorial (as well as in the previous tutorials) to
create this last profile sketch.
3. There are many different techniques to come up with the same sketch. In this example
a. The vertical lines are symmetric about the Y-Axis.
b. The vertical lines are equal to each other.
c. The node of the two angled lines is coincident to the Y-Axis.
d. The angled lines are equal to each other.
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4. Exiting out of sketch mode will give you the following results.
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1.4.6.13 3D guide curves (continued)

Main Tutorial Page

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1. Activate 3D Sketch Mode by selecting the Activate 3D Sketch tool
2. Select the Spline tool

to create a curve passing through the three cross sections.
3. Click once on each 2D profile sketch at the locations shown; There will be a total of three clicks.
a. For Sketch<1>, click at the intersection of the inner arc and the X-Axis.
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b. For Sketch<3>, click the lowest node that is on the Y-Axis.
c. For Sketch<2>, double click at the intersection of the inner arc and the X-Axis. Double clicking
will end the sketch.
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4. The spline now interpolates between the three points fixed on the 2D cross sections. For additional
control, we can insert more spline nodes which can be freely positioned.
5. Select the Insert Node Into Spline

tool.
6. In the work area, click on the spline at approximately the mid point between the existing nodes, to
insert two additional interpolation points.
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7. Select Deactivate Sketch

sketch.
255
Tutorials
to exit 3D Sketch mode. This will exit you out of the 3D
Page 13 of 15
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Main Tutorial Page
1.4.6.14 3D guide curves (continued)

Main Tutorial Page

BACK NEXT
1. We now have one 3D Guide Curve associated with Sketches 1, 2 and 3.
2. In the Design Explorer, right click on the 3D Sketch and select Edit.
3. Select the Cycle Sketch Plane tool
, and click repeatedly until you see the grid
in the orientation as shown here. Remember that when you use the Cycle Sketch Plane tool, your
sketch will not change orientation, but the sketch grid will reorient to the new sketch plane, giving
you a visual indication that the sketch plane has changed.
Note: You can also cycle thru the Planes by clicking F on the keyboard.
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4. You can reposition the nodes that we placed manually by dragging them with the mouse. Click on
the Select tool and drag the node placed between Sketch <1> and Sketch<3>; as well as the node
placed between Sketch <3> and Sketch <2>. Move outward as shown.
a. Note: Cursor movement is controlled by the active sketch plane. The spline node will only move
in directions parallel to the sketch plane. If you want to move the node in other directions, you
must cycle the sketch plane.
5. Adding dimensions to the Spline will result in precise placement. You can add dimensions at any
time during geometry creation.
a. To add dimensions, you can select the Dimension tool; or from the 3D Sketch menu select
Dimension.
b. Add two dimensions as shown. The value between the first node and the X-Axis is 1.000" and the
value between the second node and X-Axis is 0.675".
Note: You can add as many Nodes as needed. More nodes typically result in a smoother shape, as
you can apply dimensions for precise placement.
6. Select the Cycle Sketch Plane tool
and cycle through the planes until the grid is
parallel to the ZX-Plane.
7. Go into Select mode and move the Nodes on the Spline so they are off of the X-Axis.
8. Select the Loft Boss tool.

a. For Cross Sections select Sketch<1>, Sketch<3> and Sketch<2>. If selecting from the Design
Explorer hold down the Control key for multiple selections. Check the Guide Curves box to
enable it and select the 3D Sketch.
b. Click OK.
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9. The end result is a initial shape similar to this one.
10.You can add more than one guide curve to control the shape of the loft but each guide curve must
be in its own sketch.
11.Delete the Loft feature and enter in 2D sketch mode on the XY-Plane.
12.Create a 2" arc that is centered at the origin. Since this sketch intersects all three sketches it can
be used as a guide curve.
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13.Select the Loft Boss tool and choose the three profile sketches and also the 3D sketch curve and
the 2D sketch guide curve. The completed part is shown below.
Congratulations!
You have completed the 3D sketch and 3D guide curve tutorials.
Page 14 of 15
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Main Tutorial Page
2011
Alibre Design
1.4.7
Alibre Motion
1.4.7.1
Using Alibre Motion - Objectives
Tutorials
259
Main Tutorial Page
Objectives
NEXT
This tutorial introduces the simulation analysis add-on, Alibre Motion. This tutorial will guide you
through the creation of a basic simulation using the common features of the Alibre Motion Add-on.
Introduction
In order to complete this tutorial, you must have a license for Alibre Motion. Alibre Motion may
not be available in all versions of Alibre Design. Please contact Alibre Sales or visit www.alibre.
com/store for information on upgrading your version of Alibre Design, or to add on a package to
Alibre Design.
Ways you can define motion
There are two types of motion definitions in Alibre Motion. The first, prescribed motion, deals with
constant motions. Examples of this include constant rotation in degrees per second or a constant
velocity in feet per second. With prescribed motion, you are not taking into account what forces are
causing the motion, just that the motion is happening.
The other way you can define motion is by using forces. Examples of this would include linear forces
in foot pounds or torques in foot pounds.
Note: You define all motions directly onto assembly constraints. If your assembly does not have any
constraints, or does not have the appropriate types of constraints, you will be unable to define
motions.
There are two types of motion analysis: kinematic and dynamic. Which one you will use will depend
on which of the two ways you used to define your motion and the desired outcome.
Types of Simulations
Kinematic
Kinematic simulation excludes the consideration of any force or mass during analysis. For example,
a force such as gravity or a torque definition would be ignored during a kinematic analysis. With this
type of analysis, you must use the prescribed motion definitions mentioned above.
Dynamic
On the other hand, dynamic simulations include all constant and oscillating torques, linear forces,
springs, dampeners, and masses when analyzing.
This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating a dynamic assembly simulation.
Activation of the Motion Explorer and a description of its elements
Setting up Simulation Settings and a description of its elements
Inserting Forces
Taking/Plotting/Exporting Measurements
Running the simulation and adding a Trace
Controlling the Simulation Playback
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Saving Motion Simulation Data within your assembly

This tutorial assumes that you are already familiar with sketching, modeling, and assembly
Sketching and Constraints, Part 1, and Creating a Simple Assembly before proceeding.
Page 1 of 8
NEXT
Main Tutorial Page
1.4.7.2
Using Alibre Motion - Launching Alibre Motion

Main Tutorial Page
Launching Alibre Motion

BACK NEXT
Note: Before beginning, you must first install the Alibre Motion Add-On.
1. Once you have installed Alibre Motion installed, save a copy of this zip file to a convenient location
on your computer. After downloading and saving the file, to access its contents, right-click on the
icon and then select Extract All... Once extracted, open the file named small motor.AD_ASM.
This model contains all the parts and subassemblies with appropriate relationships, called
assembly constraints, defined between them. These critical relationships, the assembly
constraints, will determine the motions that will be generated by Alibre Motion in dynamic and
kinematic simulations.
2. The units used by Alibre Motion will be the units set in the properties of the assembly.
3. From the Viewing Options group in the Viewing and Analysis tab, select Shaded & Visible
Edges from the flyout.
4. From the Viewing Options group in the Viewing and Analysis tab, select the Toggle
Reference icon to unselect the display of all the Reference Geometry. Turning off the display of
reference geometry can improve the performance of the simulation.
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5. To activate Alibre Motion, from the Add-Ons tab select Motion Explorer. If you do not have the
Alibre Motion option, you need to make sure that you have installed AND enabled the Alibre
Motion. See the Alibre Design Help for information on how to do this.
6. You will notice that the Design Explorer now reads Motion Explorer.
7. Toggling the Motion Explorer option will display or hide the Motion Explorer. There are also tabs at
the bottom of the Explorer on the left side, allowing you to transfer between the Design Explorer
and the Motion Explorer. Use whichever way is most convenient for you.
(You may need to widen the Explorer section to see both tabs.)
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8. The Motion Explorer - Definitions

The Motion Explorer is very similar to the Design Explorer. The Motion Explorer is a data tree
that contains the applicable data of the assembly model, constraints and simulation
information.
The Config section at the top of the motion explorer allows you to define several simulation
scenarios, similar to Design Configurations you would use for a part or assembly.
The Fixed Parts section shows you all of the parts in your assembly which cannot move. Note
that this does not mean "may not move during a simulation". This more or less means all the
parts that you have anchored.
The Moving Parts section shows you all of the parts that can move. This does not mean that
they all will move since you will be defining all the movement yourself. If your motion definitions
do not end up affecting some parts during a simulation, those parts will not move even though
they are in the Moving Parts section.
The Constraints section shows you all of the applicable constraints that can be used to define
a motion. It will likely not show all of your constraints because it is likely that some of your
constraints are inappropriate for motion (such as an Angle constraint). More detail on which
constraints are applicable for which types of motion will follow in more advanced motion
tutorials.
The Actuators, Springs, and Dampers sections will show you what kinds of motions you have
defined. Until you define motions, these will be empty.
The Gravity section will tell you whether or not you have enabled gravity. If it is grayed out,
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gravity is not enabled. To enable, simply right click on the word and click "enable".
The Measurements section shows you what dynamic measurements you have set up. For
example, if you have set up a measurement to follow the angular velocity of a part, the definition
of that would show up here.
The Traces section will show you all of the motion traces you have assigned to the simulation.
For example, a position trace that follows the motion of a part would show up here.
9. The Simulation Control Box
The Motion Explorer also contains the simulation control box. Your control box will show all of
the buttons inactive at this time (as in the above image) because you have not yet enabled
simulation mode. Note the difference between being in the motion explorer and being in
simulation mode. When you are ready to simulate your part after defining motions, you will then
enter into simulation mode.
At the top of the control box is a frame scroll bar. The field on the left just under the scroll bar
shows the current frame / total frames. The field on the right side shows current time in
seconds / total time in seconds. Note that the total time simply represents how many
seconds you have already simulated. Below that, you'll find in order from left to right: the Play
in Reverse, Move Back One Frame, Stop/Pause, Move Forward One Frame, and Play
buttons. The bottom row from left to right consists of the Record, Loop Playback, Show/Hide
X-Y Plots, Show/Hide Interferences , and the Settings button. Note that you can also
access Settings from the Motion menu on the toolbar.
The first time the Motion Explorer option is selected from the motion pull down menu, Alibre
Motion loads the physical properties of the model. You will notice that subsequent toggling of
the Motion Explorer is much faster.
Page 2 of 8
BACK NEXT
Main Tutorial Page
1.4.7.3
Using Alibre Motion - Simulation Settings

Main Tutorial Page
Simulation Settings
BACK NEXT
1. From the Motion main menu, select Settings. The Motion Options dialog appears.
2. On the Simulation tab of the Motion Options dialog:
a. In Simulation frame interval, type .001.
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b. In Simulation type, make sure Dynamic is selected, as we will be using forces and masses in
this simulation.
c. Leave all the other options in the default state.
d. Click OK to accept the options and close the dialog.
Definitions
The Start Simulation Time box enables you to define when in time you would like to start the
simulation.
The Simulate Indefinitely While Playing and End at a Specified Time area allows you to
define the ending of the simulation. You can choose to let it run indefinitely (until you press the
Stop button), or to end at a specified moment in time.
The Simulation Frame Interval area allows you to decide how big each "frame" will be. When
you click the Next Frame button after simulating for a bit, this will be the step that it takes.
Important: This does more than just control the Next Frame step. This is tightly integrated into
the actual simulation. Setting this to too high a level will make the simulation run very slowly or
not at all. The more complex the simulation, the lower the frame interval needs to be.
Complexity in this case means the number of parts, types of parts, complexity of individual
parts, and the number and types of motions you have made. You do not need to try to assess
this in a quantitative way. Simply be aware that if you are trying something very complex, you
should be aware of this setting. While the effects of this setting vary depending on your
computer configuration (i.e. ram, processor), it is a best practice to keep it low. If you are
having trouble during simulation, try lowering the frame interval by a power of ten. For example,
if the simulation is running very slowly with .01 as the frame interval, try .001 instead. Each
simulation may require tweaking of this interval for the desired outcome and desired speed.
The Error Tolerance section allows you to define the amount of error that is acceptable.
Lowering the tolerance will make the simulation more precise but may decrease performance.
The initial settings are usually quite adequate for the majority of applications.
The Simulation Type section allows you to define whether or not you want a dynamic or
kinematic simulation. As per the previous sections of the tutorial, you will select this based on
which types of motions you have created.
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Tutorials
Page 3 of 8
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Main Tutorial Page
1.4.7.4
Using Alibre Motion - Adding Force and Motion Elements

Main Tutorial Page
Adding Force and Motion Elements

BACK NEXT
Now that the assembly model and simulation settings are in order, we are going to begin adding force
and motion elements to our simulation.
Adding Force Elements
1. Expand the Moving Parts branch in the Motion Explorer.
2. Under the Moving Parts branch, expand the part rotor <1> and also expand its constraints.
3. Right-click on Align (7).
4. Select Insert > Rotary Motor and the Motor dialog appears.
5. On the General tab of the Motor dialog, in the Type section, select Specify motor torque.
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6. On the Motor Torque tab, make sure Constant Torque is selected.
7. In Torque, enter 1.
8. Click OK. A Motor will be added to the Actuators branch in the Motion Explorer.
9. Again under the rotor<1> part, right-click on Align(6) and select Lock Rotation. By Locking
Rotation on those constraints that do not need to be considered in the analysis, you can improve
the performance (speed) of the simulation.
10.Gravity is disabled by default in Alibre Motion (noted in the Motion Explorer by a grayed-out icon),
so we need to turn it on: right-click on Gravity in the Motion Explorer and select Enable Gravity.
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Gravity acts in a negative direction along the Y axis by default.

Page 4 of 8
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Main Tutorial Page
1.4.7.5
Using Alibre Motion - Inserting Measurements and Traces

Main Tutorial Page
Inserting Measurements and Traces

BACK NEXT
Insert a Dynamic Measurement

Dynamic Measurements are the outputs of your simulation results. You can collect measurements
such as Position, Velocity, and Acceleration of any of your moving parts during a simulation.
1. Under the Moving Part branch, right-click on the part piston<1> and select Dynamic
Measurement.
2. In Name, type in Piston Accel. It is a good idea to name your Dynamic Measurements if you
intend to collect many of them, so you can distinguish between them in the Motion Explorer.
3. In Measurement, select Acceleration from the drop-down list.
4. In Component, select Y.
5. Check the Show in X-Y plot checkbox.
6. Click OK. The measurement appears under the Measurements branch in the Motion Explorer.
Add a Trace
Traces enable you to see at a glance in the work area how a part moves during a simulation. These
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are 3D reference geometry objects that move with the model as you move and rotate it following a
simulation.
1. Right-click on pushrod<1> under the Moving Part branch.
2. Select Trace > Position . Notice under the Traces branches of the Motion Explorer that this trace
has been added.
Page 5 of 8
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Main Tutorial Page
1.4.7.6
Using Alibre Motion - Running Simulations

Main Tutorial Page
Running Simulations
BACK NEXT
We are now ready to run our first simulation.
1. From the Motion main menu, select Enable Simulation Mode. You will notice that the
Simulation Playback Control box now has active buttons in it, letting you know you are in
Simulation Mode.
2. To begin the Simulation, press the Play button
in the Control Box . The Alibre Motion Status
dialog opens. Press the Play button again to start the simulation. (If the Play button is grayed out,
make sure that Enable Simulation Mode is checked on in the Motion main menu.)
3. Allow the simulation to collect 50 frames and then press Pause and then Stop. Click on the Loop
Icon
. When you press play again, the simulation will play back the 50 frame loop. You can
see in the Current frames/ Total frames section when it is finished collecting the data and is simply
playing back the loop of the simulation.
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4. To pause the simulation, press the Pause button

end the simulation/playback.
Tutorials
in the Control Box, then push Stop
269
to
5. To step forward and backward frame by frame press

or
. You can also click and drag the
frame scroll bar to jump to a particular frame in the simulation.
6. To read the current values of a trace in the simulation, right-click on pushrod<1> under the Traces
branch and select Current Values. This gives you the value of the data type you choose for that
trace at that particular frame. If you choose another data type, the values will update automatically.
7. To see the values for another frame, close the Current Values dialog, move the frame scroll bar to a
new frame, and open the Current Values dialog again.
8. Press the Show/Hide XY-Plots button
to bring up the Dynamic Measurements dialog, then
drag the scroll bar to the end of the playback. The graph of the acceleration of the piston will be
plotted. You can also open this dialog during simulation to get real time results as the simulation is
running.
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By clicking on the data line on the graph, you can read the values of these measurements
throughout the simulation. You can also copy or export this data out of Alibre Design for reports
and presentations. To do this, right-click in the graph area and select Copy or Export chart
data. You can close the Dynamic Measurements box when you are finished.
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Main Tutorial Page
1.4.7.7
Using Alibre Motion - Saving Motion Data

Main Tutorial Page
Saving Motion Data

BACK NEXT
Alibre Motion Data can be automatically saved with the assembly file in Alibre Design. The actual
simulation will not be saved with the file; however, the settings, measurements, traces, force and
motion elements will.
To toggle this option on and off:
1. From the Motion main menu, select Settings.
2. On the General tab, check Save Simulation Data in Assembly File to save your simulation
data, and uncheck it if you do not want to save the simulation data.
Page 7 of 8
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Main Tutorial Page
2011
Alibre Design
Index
-22D Detailed Drawing
creating
93, 94
-33D guide curves

248, 249, 250, 252, 255
3D Sketch
121, 229, 232, 233, 234, 239, 243
context
230
-AAdding Force
265
Alibre Design
116
file types
12
aligning
planar faces
78
analyze
sketch
124
anchor
74
annotations
107
assembly
65, 190, 194, 196
Context
89
inserting components into
69, 70
saving
68
assembly constraints
adding more
80
associated
updating
115
associated drawing
updating
115
AutoCAD
116, 117, 118, 120, 121, 124, 126
-Bbase Tab
Modeling
bend
Refolding
135
146
-Ccavity mold
226, 227
Index
271
changing
15, 82
part
113
changing Lock properties
189
checking
interferences
88
color
82
Color Scheme
19
components
69, 70, 71, 74, 76, 79, 82, 85, 87, 89
configurations
177, 182, 187, 194, 196
conical compression spring
158
connector
160
constraints
27, 28, 30, 46, 76
context
assembly
89
corner
141
Corner Round
141
creating
87, 89, 91, 109, 121, 136, 141, 144, 176,
187, 196, 215, 218, 232, 233, 234, 239, 243
2D Detailed Drawing
93, 94
3D Solid
126
Dimples
141
First
177
Flanges
137
helical geometry
149, 151, 152, 155, 158, 160,
165, 171
initial feature
46
new Part
190
Partial
139
profile
246
second configuration
182
Simple Assembly
65
cut
144
-Ddesign boolean
215, 218
design configurations
176
Design Explorer
13
designing
132, 133
Detail definition
217, 221, 223
Detail view
109
dimensions
104, 107
adding
106
Dimple
141
drawing
saving
112
setting
100
updating
113
Drawing Explorer
14, 99
drawing view
97
2011
Alibre Design
Drawing workspace
100
drawings
116, 117, 118, 120, 121, 124, 126
-Eedit
89, 107
editing annotations
107
editing components
89
end cap
160
exploded views
91
-Ffaces
78
features
46, 136, 139, 144
file system
68
files
68
Flange
137, 139
Flatten
147
-Ggeneral topics
9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18
get
10, 67, 176
Getting Started
67, 151, 176
-HHelp
10
hiding components
85
Home Window
20
-Iimport
130
importing
117
importing data
130
importing DXFDWG
130
initial feature
creating
46
inserting components into
assembly
69, 70
inserting measurements
267
interferences
checking
88
Internal Threads
165
introduction
46, 93, 133
Sketching
27, 28, 30
Index
272
-Llaunching Alibre Motion

lines
143
260
-MMain Tutorial Page

8
making punches across bend lines
143
modeling
135
modeling terms
17
Motion
259, 260, 263, 265, 267, 268, 270
Motion Elements
265
moving
71, 102
moving dimensions
104
-NNamed Views
18
new
95, 134, 190
new Drawing
Starting
95
new Part
190
-Oobjectives
65, 132, 259
open
134
overview
94, 116, 149, 176, 215, 229
-Ppart
changing
113
Partial
139
parts
132, 133, 147, 177, 182, 187, 190, 194
saving
148
patterns
87
position
components
76
profile
creating
246
properties
100, 107, 134
property
189
2011
Alibre Design
Index
Splitting a Surface
202
Stitching a Surface
206
Thickening a Surface
204
Trim
209
Trimming Model
212
Tutorials
198
sweeps
246
-Rrefolding
Bend
146
remove extraneous geometry
rotating
15
rotating components
71
Running Simulations
268
120
-T-
-Ssaving
148
assemblies
68
drawing
112
saving Motion data
270
Scale
102
selecting Standard Views
97
setting
134
drawing
100
setting Up
28
sheet metal
132, 133, 134, 147
sheets
102, 132, 133, 134, 147
Shell definition
224
simple
65, 152
Assembly
65
spring
152
simulation
263, 268
Simulation Settings
263
sketch
analyze
124
intro
28, 30, 46
sketches
30, 46
introduction
27
sketching
30
springs
152, 155, 158
starting
new drawing
95
surfaces
inserting a surface
198
Surfacing
Converting
207
copy
214
Creating a Surface from a 3D model
Deleting a Surface
203
Moving a Surface
200
Pasting
214
Rotating a Surface
200
Scaling a Surface
202
273
Tab
135, 136
threaded rod
171
threads
171
Title Block
adding information
111
traces
267
Tutorials
2D Drawing
26
Adding dimensions
37
Adding sketch constraints
37
Assembly
24
Extrude Boss
42
Feature Pattern
62
Fillet
53
Holes
50, 62
Mirror
53
Modeling a simple part
40
Moving Nodes
35
Part Modeling
23
Revolve Cut
44
Sketch Constraints
34
Sketching
21
Trimming sketch figures
36
-U-
208
UNC
171
updating
associated
115
associated drawing
115
drawing
113
using
194, 259, 260, 263, 267, 268, 270
using Alibre Design
259, 260, 263, 265, 267, 268,
270
using Alibre Motion
259, 260, 263, 265, 267, 268,
270
using configurations
194
2011
Alibre Design
Index
274
-Vviews
18, 102, 104
changing
15
-Wworkspace
11, 13, 100, 134
-Zzoom
15
2011

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Moving and Rotating

Saving the .........................................................................................................................................................

Main Tutorial Page

Click on an image below to begin a tutorial.

Creating a simple Creating a 2D

General Topics - Table of Contents

General Topics - Getting Help

Other Help Documents

RETURN TO GENERAL TOPICS MENU

General Topics - Workspaces

Opening a New Workspace

General Topics - Alibre File Types

Alibre File Types

Alibre Design's primary native file formats include:

Alibre .STP files

General Topics - Workspace Terms

Part Workspace with default toolbars

General Topics - Design Explorer

Use the Design Explorer to:

Note: In sheet metal parts, assemblies, and when editing

RETURN TO GENERAL TOPICS MENU

General Topics - Drawing Explorer

General Topics - Changing the View: Panning, Rotating, Zooming, etc.

Changing the View: Panning, Rotating, Zooming, etc.

Zoom to Window changes the scale of the view so that a

Zoom to Fit restores the view so that the entire design is

Rotate dynamically rotates a part or assembly around a given

Orthographic changes the display of the work area so that parallel

Perspective changes the display so that all parallel edges, faces,

Wireframe changes the display so that only the edges of the

Shaded and Visible

Shaded and All

Orients to the front (XY) view.

Orients to the back (YX) view.

Orients to the left (ZY) view.

Orients to the right (YZ) view.

Orients to the top (ZX) view.

Orients to the bottom (XZ) view.

Orients to an isometric view; in the drop down you can select

Rotates the current view counterclockwise by 90 degrees.

Rotates the current view clockwise by 90 degrees.

Orients to the selected plane.

Rotation Points stores default rotation points (the origin, model's

Orients to the nearest isometric view of the sketch plane. Clicking

General Topics - Modeling Terms

RETURN TO GENERAL TOPICS MENU

Tutorials Color Scheme

1. XP - C:\Documents and Settings\Windows Login Name\Application Data\Alibre Design\default

In Scheme, click the New button.

5. Click the bar under Color.

Using Alibre Design

Using Alibre Design

Using Alibre Design

Main Tutorial Page

The Sketch Select tool is used to:

Drag sketch entities and/or endpoints to modify the sketch profile

The Dimension tool is used to place precise dimensions on sketch entities.

Setting Up the Workspace