Anyone here using Alibre? 1

[frankreid]

I will have a need soon to produce drawings that can be opened with SolidWorks but I can't afford that software and it isn't enough work to justify buying it. I've searched on the Internet and found a "look-alike" called Alibre and have tried it out. I have used SolidWorks at other customer sites and Alibre works much like it.

Customers in this area are very much attached to their paper drawings and don't make any CAM use of the 3D model. They just want the drawing to look like all their former drafting work. I would like to know if anyone uses it and how good are the drawing manipulation tools. SolidWorks has poor drafting tools because it is mainly used to create a 3D model and they are content to have a generic looking paper drawing. I need more.

Many people I know here work with SolidWorks for modeling then they output the model into drawing views. Then they do a conversion and can open it with AutoCad or some other 2D drafting package and have a full set of tools for producing the drawing the way they like it. I wondered if Alibre could do it all.

Frank Reid
Reid Engineering Services of Utah

 

[berkshire]

I use Alibre Pro.
You can export or import step AP 203 or 214 files or IGES files, Solidworks SLDPRT files, or if you make a drawing of the part in Alibre, you can export it as an ACAD 14 to ACAD 2007 DWG or DFX file. Alibre has some of the same failings as Solidworks when you work with drawings and the ability to export a DWG or DXF file to Auto CAD is a useful feature for cleaning up a drawing.
You can also import ACAD files into Alibre, work on them, then re-export them.
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor

 

[frankreid]

Thanks for your comment. That is a help.

How do you notice the change when Alibre was taken over by another company?

I noticed this week that Eng-Tips has added a forum group for Alibre. I didn't see it before but the comments are old. Where were they? Anyway it's good to see it singled out. I hope the new ownership of Alibre doesn't make it into just a 3D printing tool and ignore the engineers who need it as a solid modeler.

Frank Reid
Reid Engineering Services of Utah

 

[berkshire]

Frank,
The Alibre forum was started by Scott Swertel in 2003.
It was active for a while, then Alibre started their own forum so most of the participants go there now. I put a link to that, in your other post on the Alibre forum. It has alway been on the Eng tips Forum, right above the autodesk AutoCAD forum.
You most likely did not have it turned on.

Other than the fact, that they cut out the Alibre express feature which was a gutted out free version, and a foot in mouth comment on licencing, with a quick retraction when the mob started stirring, there has been no real change since the takeover.

Their forum is at least as good as the Solidworks forum on here, their online help is good and promp.

I used to use Solidworks up to version 2006 And I still use AutoCAD.
While the two interfaces with solidworks and Alibre look the same there are differences. The best way to describe it, is like playing Tennis and Badminton, they are both played on a court with a raquet, and there the similarity ends.

B.E.



The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor