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Manufacturing

Alibre Options: Modifying Auxiliary Views in Alibre Design

14 May, 2005 By: Michael Todd Cadalyst

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Broken, Detail and Section views help you clarify your design and conform to company standards

Alibre Design supports the creation of several types of auxiliary views in drawings including Broken, Detail and Section. This month's tech tip will focus on several of the changes you can make to these three view types after they are created. This function allows you to modify the way the views appear to clarify design intent or to ensure the drawings conform to company standards.

Alibre Design associates all views with a 3D model. Even if you modify a view as described in this tech tip, any change to the model is reflected correctly in the auxiliary view after you reopen the drawing.

To simplify this tech tip, a sample drawing has been provided.

1. Download the zipped drawing file by right-clicking this link and selecting Save Target As 200502-tip-drawing.zip.

2. Extract the drawing file, VIEWS DRAWING.STP, and import it through the File menu in the Alibre Design Home window. 3. In this drawing file you will see the three default views: Front, Right and Isometric (figure 1). I already created the Detail, Broken and Section views.

Modifying Detail Views
1. Use the Zoom to Window tool so that the Right view and its Detail view fill the window as shown in figure 2. The Detail view of the Right view is labeled "Detail A." In the Right view, the note "A" is too close to the part (figure 2).

You can use one of three options to modify the Detail view through the parent view.

A. Left-click the Detail view circle to reposition.

B. Right-click the Detail view circle to access a pop-up menu of options.

C. Double-click the Detail view circle to directly access the Detail View Annotation dialog box.

Option A
1. Roll the mouse over the Detail view circle in the Right view.

2. When it is highlighted, click the edge and drag the mouse to move the circle.

The Detail view, Detail A, updates to reflect the new position of the circle (figure 3).

Option B
1. In the Right view, right-click the detail circle and choose Edit from the pop-up menu. The Detail View Annotation dialog box then appears, in which you can change the view name (figure 4).

2. While the dialog box is open, you can also change the size of the circle. Just click one edge of the circle and drag the mouse to resize (figure 5).

3. You can also relocate the circle. Click the node in the center of the circle and drag the mouse.

4. To change the position of the detail annotation text as well as the leader, click the circle and drag the mouse around the circumference of the circle.

5. Click OK. The final leader placement will be where you release the mouse button. In figure 6, the mouse was released to the upper right of the detail circle.

Note: if you drag the circle center to reposition the detail circle, the leader will attach at the top of the circle.

Option C
You may also double-click the Detail view circle in the parent view to access the Detail View Annotation dialog box.

Modifying Section Views
You may modify Section views using the same methods. You can click the section line to reposition and double-click or right-click to access the Section View Annotation dialog box and modify the line placements (figure 7).

1. Double-click the section line, highlighted in blue, and the Section View Annotation dialog box appears, in which you can change the view name.

In this mode, you may reposition any segment of the Section view line by clicking and dragging the mouse until the desired position is achieved. After you click OK, the Section view updates to reflect the changes.

Note: For precise placement, you can use constraints and/or dimensions to define a section line, or a detail circle.

2. Right-clicking the section line in the Front view also gives you the ability to change its layer. Right-click and select Set Layer from the pop-up menu. In figure 8, I moved the section line to the Bend Centers layer, which changes its line pattern and color.

Modifying Broken Views
You can modify Broken views in a similar manner.

1. Double-click the broken view lines (either the left or the right) to reposition each line independently, or to change parameters such as Style, Angle and Gap Width.

2. Double-click and reposition the left and right broken view lines approximately as shown in figure 9; then change the gap width to 1.000" in the dialog box.

3. Click OK to apply the changes.

Note: Although the Broken view replaces the original Top view, other views created from the original Top view will not contain the Broken view.

Customizable auxiliary views let you show just what is important for manufacturing and to follow company-mandated formats. Next month we'll explore using Excel spreadsheets to drive your designs. Until then, look for me as the Alibre Assistant online in Alibre Design.