Hi Brian!

Welcome to the forum.

Objects wandering? Yes they do 'wander' around. We were supposed to have that fixed, but this little 'problem' seems to have crept back again :eek:

Tim?

Good Morning!

TTRW and JDI000- Thanks for the welcome to this forum. It is a good sign when there are passionate users who will dedicate some valuable time to help a newbie over a hump - it speaks well for the software product and says volumes about the quality of people who are the users.

So, to answer JDI000's reply, I am trying to move two solid objects by dragging them in a Top, Front or Right view. My snaps are the default, and I snap to grid as a rule to place the objects. For "grins", I have attached a very simple file with the two solids - one a tall extruded "C" ring, and the other a arc-wise contoured tall extruded rectangle. The rectangle hang over the c-ring by a 1mm at the edges to avoid a bisected edge or face at a quadrant point or endpoint on the c-ring - this was essential to successfully blend the edges completely around the c-ring later.

If I nudge the tall rectangle around in the Front and Right views, and them nudge the c-ring around in the top view, I frequently close in on the desired alignment fairly quickly. If I nudge one part or the other exclusively, I can go in circles for quite a time...

Well, that's it for now on this problem. I assume that Tim is the VP at Punch who will collect problems and issues and address them as the company is able with maintenance releases. Tim - this is a "groaner" of a problem. On the whole, though, this is tremendous software.

Again, if there is something that I can do to work around this, it would be valuable for me to know!

Thanks again for your time.

Brian

In addition to Art's tips you can also hold down x, y or z to lock transform to x, y or z axis.

All the best
Nick

Thanks for those tips, fellows. As I look at this problem (with my software design hat on), it would seem that the issue indeed lies with unanticipated snaps that are active in planes other than the work plane. I can see this is the problem now when I have multiple viewpoints displayed. I will tinker with the snaps and the behavior while holding the X, Y or Z keys while I drag an object. This will require some "play time"...

I can see value in active snaps simultaneously in all three planes that would move an object to another object for example, another reference plane or the origin. I think I would have a 2D snap profile and a 3D snap profile that were differently maintained, activated and overridden (and assumed based on the context of the user action). The snaps feature is one of the powerful features of ViaCAD that makes creation "quick", but I think it makes movement and placement in 3D really difficult in the current implementation. Here is a rich opportunity for improvement for Punch to focus on in the next product spin.

Hi Ian -

Thanks for your reply! I hadn't thoroughly explored the Connect tools you mentioned. A quick "spin" with these Connect tools this morning had some very promising results for me - the Connect (pt to pt) tool in particular proved a very quick way to move objects the way I want to for some scenarios. THANKS!

Tim - if you are reading - I don't come from the CAD world at all, so I may have preconceptions for this software that aren't "rational"... I expect that when I have a very particular View displayed - a Top view, for example, I should be able to move any object in that plane, and I somehow should be able to assure that their relative depths should never change - an object shouldn't arbitrarily move along the axis perpendicular to the view plane to a snap point that is in front of or behind the plane if I don't want that movement - I somehow should be able to limit all movement to two dimensions. However, there is real value moving in three dimensions instead of two, too, and I want that capability in certain circumstances. Holding an x, y or z key to enforce movement along a certain axis is convenient, but also convenient (and elusive to me right now) is an ability to exclude movement along a certain axis. I am sure that ability is in ViaCAD 2D/3D (this software seems to be SO complete with regard to features and controls), and it is most likely associated with the Working Plane and the Snaps elections - it just isn't obvious to me how to control this, yet - I am still learning.

A scenario that has been tough for me to work through successfully involves positioning a rectangular block against a cylinder - I want an edge of the block to meet the wall of the cylinder intimately. I am trying to maintain the x-y-z location and orientation of the block, and drag the cylinder until the wall of the cylinder "kisses" a particular edge of the block. The connect tool works well for snap points on the cylinder and block. If I simply drag the cylinder to the block, the cylinder tends move radically along the axis that is perpendicular to my plane of view without my notice (until I change views...). The Connect tool helps.

I tried the Mate Face tool for this scenario, and it fails with the cylinder because both faces must be planar - pooh. If a block is edge-wise is tangential to the cylinder wall, it should connect to the nearest line projected on the cylinder wall or to a snap on the wall... Maybe that is asking too much for a product in this price-class. This capability is "almost within reach"... Maybe I Can do that, too, and I don't see how to do that, yet.

Well, thanks Ian - Connect tools help me!

Brian

Tom

Yes the mate/align/insert tools work on different part faces.

Tim

Hi, Brian

You were describing a cylinder moved and attached to a block, is the attached picture what you are referring to? Try drawing a line on the edge of the cylinder from quadrant of top to quadrant of bottom. Translate tool pick cylinder and midpoint of line drawn on cylinder then the midpoint of the edge on the block you what to attach to. You can translate the cylinder up / down where you need it with translate tool by entering distances in the data entry box. Then use rotate one point and pick cylinder and the midpoint of the block edge, pick the axis to rotate in the drop down box and you can enter the angle of rotation for the cylinder. All of this without switching views, is this what you are trying to do?


Jason

Hello Brian,

Care to elaborate on that statement, im not sure if you meant to refer to a CAM system here ??:confused:

Hi

The method that works for me is to, simply, use the translate tool. For example to move one of your objects say minus 1mm in X ..

Select the object to move, click the 'Translate' icon, pick a convenient reference point. Now with the appropriate snaps selected move the cursor, say 'along x', doesn't mater + or -, now you should see the move and the deltas of the move in the info pane. You will often see some small (or large depending on snaps!) unintended y or z, so just zero these and adjust x to the exact amount required. When you get the hang of snaps this works just fine with moves in 1,2 and 3D either referenced to objects or not.

What's more if you go to the Features dialog with the moved object selected expand the tree. You can then select the Translate feature .. then Object Info .. Data. Where you will see and can adjust the translation data. Or just remove it.

A useful tip is to put your geometry in a different layer to that of your solids. You should then turn your geometry layer off ... Because unintentionally moving the geometry can also move the solids generated form it. Confusing, to say the least. Also there seems to be no way to get at and edit the Translate for geometry other than Undo which is gone after a save and exit.

Hope this helps.

Admin this is in reply to the original thread subject "Why do solids wander"

Good Morning!

The more I use ViaCAD, the more impressed I am with the scope and flexibility of this software. Brad and Mark's advice to me are both highly effective. As has been said before, there is more than one way to skin a cat. And, I am still climbing the learning curve...

Thanks Brad and Thanks Mark. I learned valuable techniques from you both.

Best regards,

Brian