[Apples]

How do you use alibre?

Say I want to draw a trailer frame.

I need say 2 chassis rails and 4-5 cross runners over the top. I drew my two chassis rails in sketch view then extruded them. Then I went to draw one cross runner but I could not center it properly between the two rails.

Then I remembered the assemble part of alibre...

So now I am wondering if I have to draw the individual bits of box steel in the parts function of the program. One at a time. Then go into the assembly part of alibre and build the trailer there?

Peter

[Caprirs]

The assembly method is the way these parametric CAD systems work. Create the "sticks" of tubing or channel you will use, then assemble them into the trailer. Alibre, Solidworks, Pro-E, Inventor, etc. are all pretty similar in this regard.

Using something like AutoCAD, you would draw all the pieces in the same sketch. Using these 3D CAD packages, you draw all the components separately, then put them together in another file.

[Apples]

Righto, this makes sense so far. Thanks for your help.