Took the Plunge - Bought Alibre Standard

[deere_x475guy]

Hey! We're the same age. Careful. You become what you say. ;D

I bought Alibre too. It'll be a while before I do anything with it. Just seemed too good to pass up. Thanks for the PMs to help me Bob.

Yea I see that and I also see we both got married in 1975....haha...she still loves me I think.

 

[deere_x475guy]

This "Old Guy" will be following along before too long ............... thanks for paving the way Bob, please feel free to leave a few hints here and there 8)

CC

I have been printing all the modules out as PDF's then following along with them. I should be able to draw out my D1-4 chuck reciever and pins soon. I had the reciever started but ran into a snag. I see the Disk Brake rotor module should get me the hang up.

You guys are welcome and I hope your still thanking me after you have gotten into it.)

BTW: I found the forums helpful, I wasn't getting the dimension lines coming in when I brought the part into the drawing program. I needed change a setting with the video display and it cleared it right up.

 

[Tin Falcon]

I played around with the express version a couple years ago that was back when you could download the demo version then upgrade later. There is a bit of a learning curve and I am seriously thinking of taking advantage of the current special. IMHO it is useless if it does not generate prints and if you can not assemble more than a couple of parts.
Tin

 

[NickG]

Tin,

I used for a couple of small engines but as you say it was very frustrating not being able to save assemblies of more than 9 parts or something. I had to do sub-assemblies then mate them up and create the assembly drawing ... then just lose all that work once printed! Having said that, it was possible to export it as a .jpg so I still have hard copies of the assembly drawing etc. The other main limitation I remember was producing cross-sectioned views.

I've just taken the plunge. It should prove to be an absolute bargain at that price. Downloaded it, will try installing tonight at home.

Nick

 

[NickG]

Tried Alibre, started designing a rocking engine on it - fantastic.

It worked out at £63.08 with the exchange rate ... probably won't get a better deal than that for the rest of my life!

Nick

 

[putputman]

I have some dumb questions about Alibre;

1) Is this an on line program or does it reside in your computer?
I am on-line in the house but not in my hobby shop. I have stayed offline in the shop to protect my 2D cad system.

2) What is meant by "no maintenance"? If you have a computer crash, are you out or do you download another copy?

3) Are 2D drawings (working drawings with dimensions) automatically drawn by this program? Maybe someone could post a sample.

 

[deere_x475guy]

I have used it off line myself and so that I don't have to download it again the install file has been burned to a CD. You will need to be connected to the internet when you change license status. 2d drawings are auto generated. Once I get home I will try to be mor complete in my response. On my blackberry right now.

 

[CrewCab]

Arv, you only need to be on line to download it, as stated above, I'd also burn a copy to CD so you have a backup.

No support means you haven't paid for telephone support, iirc that cost's about another $400 bucks a year.

CC

 

[crankshafter]

Hi all.
Like many others here on the forum *discussion*: I hit the button Thm:, now downloading.
CS

 

[putputman]

Thanks guys. I went ahead & hit the button also. Things didn't go as I thought they would. I dead ended when I got my account info back. Couldn't move any farther, so call Alibre sales.

I have had the free Express version on my PC for some time now, but haven't used it. That prevented me from setting up a new account. I ended up purchasing it over the phone and the next time I open up the Express and log in with my account info, it will automatically upgrade me to the Standard version.

I did order the $15.00 disk also. With my computer skills, I felt it might come in handy. I grew up with a lathe & a mill, but these P.C.'s can get to me now & then.

With all the people on this forum that have perchased this CAD program, there should be plenty of help & info available.

 

[CrewCab]

With all the people on this forum that have perchased this CAD program, there should be plenty of help & info available.

Well ............... I'm hoping so too ................

CC

 

[NickG]

It's great, been messing around on it every night burning the midnight oil since I got it!

 

[deere_x475guy]

Nick it's pretty much the same here. I have even been taking my laptop to work for the past two days and going to the lunch room to try to get some more tutorials done....hasn't worked to well so far. I seem to get a lot of visitors even when I am tucked in a corner at a table by myself :

I was telling Weston this evening that I use TeamViewer to connect to my Mom and Dad's laptop so that I can help them while I am 80 miles away. There are lots of other similar programs that do the same thing, this one just happens to be free and it works well. Both host and guest can control the mouse, open and close files and such. Anyway I offered to help him this way when he gets ready. It does require a phone call though because it doesn't have voice. I am extending the same offer here once I get more up to speed...or even now if someone is stuck on something that I know how to do. Sometimes it's easier for me to show rather than explain it via text. Not sure how well this would work along with Skype...I don't think I have tried that yet.

 

[deere_x475guy]

BTW here is a link to the online modules I have been doing incase someone hasn't found these yet.
http://webservices.alibre.com/OnlineTutorials/adtutorial.htm

 

[steamer]

Hi guys,

I'll try to help if I can...been busy...

Dave

 

[deere_x475guy]

Steamer thanks!
Guys here is a jpg of the disk brake rotor tutorial I just finished up.

Here is the drawing:

The link to the tutorial is here:

http://webservices.alibre.com/OnlineTutorials/adtutorial.htm

I still have lots to learn. Doing the tutorial is one thing. Drawing your own part it gets a little more interesting.

 

[Tin Falcon]

well just paid out the 99 bucks for the license. this is about as catchy as the rocky engine bug.
Tin

 

[Tin Falcon]

well like I said I played with alibre express a little a couple years back. I may have actually remembered something. The other day at work I had to pull a worn corroded part out of a piece of equipment. A simple bushing sleeve type of thing about 1- 3/4 diameter by 2-1/8 long a 5/8 through hole and a 1-1/4 counter-bore.
After installing alibre Cad fired it up and in a couple hours figured out how to draw it up and redraw it up and got a usable drawing. yea I know this should take about 15 minutes but I have a lot to learn and a bit rusty. kind of like the part.

I am happy though the only thing I ever accomplished with trying autocad type programs was frustration. Yes I fumbled my way through this but did learn and actually made a drawing yeaah!!!
Looks like the sheet metal feature is disabled on the standard version but cant expect everthing for a 90 % discount!!
Tin

 

[deere_x475guy]

Tim I actually don't think that the sheet metal module ever came with Alibre standard, I see that it comes with the next two steps up though. I know the feeling about frustration with Auto Cad....been there done that. I am getting real comfortable with Alibre now but I learn how to do something new everyday. Just spent the morning doing a drawing of a pin with a hex head, grove around the outside of it...a place where the grove has a spot drill and an arc cut into it. I have Ian using Team Viewer so he could watch my desk top and also take control of the cursor. We both did a little learning this morning at the same time. Gotta love technology...

 

[putputman]

deere or any one else who has this program:

I am trying to go through the tutorials, and do not get the same screens as the tutorials. I have been through the 2nd tutorial 14 times ( the one that builds the bearing race) and can not get it mirrored. I get messages telling me that some details are not closed, I loose the ref line & can not mirror the image, & on & on.

Does anyone else have a problem with this, or am I just getting too old to learn a new trick?