Converting 3D models in Alibre Design to sheet metal parts

[Roger]

I've just discovered a really handy feature in Alibre Design that I wished I'd known about before. Alibre Design has a separate dedicated Sheet Metal module that doesn't support CAM outputs, so that's a bit of a pain. It's not very convenient to design sheet metal parts where you know what the bends should look like on edge.

The back plate of the side steps on 1501 is a classic example. I know the extent of the joggle and how much it is. I'd drawn this on edge as a 3D model, but that's not convenient when you need to know what the profile would be like when it's unbent.

One solution is to draw it on edge, but then use the 'Convert to Sheet Metal' from the Part Modelling tab. What this does is to prompt you to say which part is considered the base and where the bends are. You can just click on those to select them.

This is how it looks when it's defined as a 3D model...

Back plate 3D by Roger Froud, on Flickr

... and this is how it looks after conversion. You can see that it keeps a handle to the original 3D part and redefines the bent part as proper sheet metal bends.

Back sheet metal by Roger Froud, on Flickr

Finally, I've added an Unbend operation which then shows it flat. The outline and holes can then be copied into a new part which has all the CAM operations for machining it.

Back sheet metal flat by Roger Froud, on Flickr

I suspect more sophisticated packages fully integrate Sheet Metal with the 3D so this isn't an issue. For me, this is a real help. Trying to redefine a 3D model as a flat piece is possible but fiddly and easy to mess up. So now I have the best of both worlds. If the 3D model is altered, the Sheet Metal part follows suit when it's opened up again.

[Jo]

By "Add-on" do you mean opportunity to pay more: It did not come with my copy of Cubify Design 2014.

Jo

[Roger]

Jul 29, 2018 15:39:20 GMT Jo said:

By "Add-on" do you mean opportunity to pay more: It did not come with my copy of Cubify Design 2014.

Jo

Hi Jo,
The whole Alibre Design/Cubify/Geomagic Design debacle demonstrates precisely how not to run a business. As I understand it, Alibre Design was sold to a holding company that was mopping up many different software products. I believe they had a 3D printer that needed a 3D package to accompany it, and that resulted in Alibre Design being frozen in time and renamed Cubify.

Those of us with an Alibre Design license were transferred to the Geomagic Design product with a huge hike in price if I recall! I don't know if the Sheet Metal module was ever available in the original Alibre Design incarnation. It was bundled into my Design Expert license at some point, I don't know if others are charged for it. I somehow doubt it now they're under pressure from Fusion360


I understand that the holding company ended up in a law suit and the software budget was slashed. They also fell out with Mecsoft who have the plugin for the CAM part. In the end, the original creators of the software have regained control of the product and it's now called Alibre Design again. The license servers had to change, so yet another expensive upgrade was the result of that.

So it's very muddy water indeed. Was your copy of Cubify a free one?

The sheet metal package is pretty good, I'm using it more now I understand it's advantages. Would I pay for it.... I doubt it, you can work around things one way or another.

[Jo]

I paid for my original copy of Alibre and then when I brought a new computer and they would not connect my new machine to my remote license and stung me for another full License fee

I made a point of getting a stand alone license the second time around by then the software they had renamed cubify and drawings were not backwardly compatible .... and of course recently anyone without their own license code has just lost use of their software when they took the license servers off line 

I am trying to finish drawing sets and store then as .PDFs in case it finally fails already you can no longer add text to 2D drawings if running windows 10   .

Jo

[kipford]

Roger
Alibre not having a cam package for sheet metal, may be down to the software used in CNC punches, laser or water jet. We used Trumpf cnc punches with additional laser heads at work. The programming was done using an offline software called Radan. The input to radan was a dxf file, so no need for a dedicated module.
Dave

[Roger]

Jul 29, 2018 16:46:08 GMT Jo said:

I paid for my original copy of Alibre and then when I brought a new computer and they would not connect my new machine to my remote license and stung me for another full License fee

I made a point of getting a stand alone license the second time around by then the software they had renamed cubify and drawings were not backwardly compatible .... and of course recently anyone without their own license code has just lost use of their software when they took the license servers off line 

I am trying to finish drawing sets and store then as .PDFs in case it finally fails already you can no longer add text to 2D drawings if running windows 10   .

Jo

Hi Jo,
I've had all sorts of licensing issues over the years. It seems to me that upgrading every couple of years is just a fact of life, due to one reason or another.
Alibre did have a reduced maintenance fee, recognising the fact that customers have been forced to upgrade due to the licence server issue.
I haven't had any issues with Windows 10

[Roger]

Jul 29, 2018 16:52:55 GMT kipford said:

Roger
Alibre not having a cam package for sheet metal, may be down to the software used in CNC punches, laser or water jet. We used Trumpf cnc punches with additional laser heads at work. The programming was done using an offline software called Radan. The input to radan was a dxf file, so no need for a dedicated module.
Dave

I suspect that there aren't enough customers using the sheet metal module to justify Mecsoft putting the work in. Their business is to add CAM to 3D modelling software from many suppliers. I'm sure they would do it if there was a commercial case.