parametric 2D program

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Black Forest
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parametric 2D program

Post by Black Forest »

I have downloaded Inkscape, Coraldraw, Draftsight. Lets just say we are not having a meaningful relationship! I want to be able to draw out a rectangle lets say and have two input boxes pop up and I then input the height and width I want it to be. Then I would like to be able to go back and make changes if the need be. That is what I am used to doing in the 3D CAD programs I have experience in using.

I use Fusion and Alibre now. Fusion doesn't allow an export of a .dxf from a drawing. Alibre works but I for other reasons I would like to get away from Alibre.

What would you all suggest?
beefy
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Re: parametric 2D program

Post by beefy »

I've also got Alibre Design and can't understand why you'd want to get away from it unless price is an issue. I wouldn't choose if for freeform type 2D though. For mechanical 2D drawing it's got to be the most powerful and easiest of the lot.

As for Coreldraw, when you draw a shape, there are 2 boxes up the top where you can enter the XY dimensions. You can lock the XY dimen. ratio so that if you alter say X then Y alters proportionately. Or you can alter them independently. And you can alter them in any way be dragging. You've got all your snaps to, including to objects and to guideline (which can also be precisely placed by entering a number).

I use Coreldraw most of the time for non-complex mechanical cad and freeform arty work. Like most software though you have to invest time in learning it. It's the easiest I've found so far, and the way you can manipulate shapes is awesome. Most other cad is too rigid in that respect.

Look also into SolidEdge2d by Siemens (free). I think it's quite powerful and easy BUT like Coreldraw it needs to be learned. I contacted the company once saying they offer free cad yet give very little tutorials in how to use it. No doubt their aim it to entice user to move up to the paid 3d version. They actually responded to my surprise, saying they do need to improve in that regard. Quite a few years later and nothing has changed. Cnczone has a section for this software but it's all but dead now.
2500 x 1500 water table
Powermax 1250 & Duramax torch (because of the new $$$$ync system, will buy Thermal Dynamics next)
LinuxCNC
Sheetcam
Alibre Design 3D solid modelling
Coreldraw 2019
Black Forest
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Re: parametric 2D program

Post by Black Forest »

I don't know if you are aware of it but any previous license of Alibre will end this year. If you don't upgrade to the new Alibre you won't be able to use it anymore at some time in the near future. This doesn't sit well with me!

Can you go back into a file in Coral and change the size of a rectangle once it has been drawn?
beefy
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Re: parametric 2D program

Post by beefy »

Ah, you must have a much older version of Alibre then. I kept up maintenance until a got sick of that crap 3DS company that bought out Alibre. When the original employees bought it back from 3DS I immediately got the new Alibre version for free (uninstalled Geomagic Design as 3DS stupidly named it, then installed Alibre Design 2017). You had to have a relatively recent version of Geomagic Design to be entitled to the free upgrade to Alibre 2017. This is a perpetual license but of course I'm not entitled to upgrades unless I get back on maintenance. Are you sure your version of Alibre does not have a perpetual license. I thought all versions of Alibre would keep on working indefinitely because they had a perpetual license.

EDIT:
just been over to the Alibre forum
https://www.alibreforum.com/forum/index ... uct.19970/
and read the post there about this matter. The Alibre company now is not the Alibre company from before. The original one sold out to 3DS, then some years later the old Alibre employees got together and bought it from 3DS. So really the present "Alibre" company is the 2nd company to buy out the product. Personally I'm going to hold out for quite some time and see how Alibre develops and what sort of pricing they stabilise at. The Alibre forum today is quiet compared to what is was before 3DS bought them out and did a great job of killing off everyones interest in the product. It's not the cheap product it used to be and free cloud cad like Fusion 360 has probably hurt Alibre too, so waiting to see if it bounces back, and you get some decent upgrades for your maintenance payments.

In Coreldraw you can change the size of any object at any time, unless you lock the object. But then you can unlock it whenever you want. You can resize freely with the grab handles, or precisely by entering new values in the width and height boxes. You can rotate the object, stretch it, skew it, whatever you feel like doing to it. I find it a good balance of accurate 2D mechanical ability and freeform ability.
2500 x 1500 water table
Powermax 1250 & Duramax torch (because of the new $$$$ync system, will buy Thermal Dynamics next)
LinuxCNC
Sheetcam
Alibre Design 3D solid modelling
Coreldraw 2019
Black Forest
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Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2013 11:40 am

Re: parametric 2D program

Post by Black Forest »

I have version 16 of Alibre. I also stopped maintenance two years after 3DS bought Alibre. The new owners do not impress me at all. They couldn't get things right before 3DS bought Alibre. Lots of problems behind the scenes with Johathan and Max.
dmedeiros250
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Re: parametric 2D program

Post by dmedeiros250 »

You can save your sketches in fusion as a dxf. After you draw your part click on the arrow next to sketches on the left side of the screen. Then right click on the sketch you you want and there is an option to save as dxf.
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