Experience with tutorial introducting assembly

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zensunni
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2022 5:57 pm

Experience with tutorial introducting assembly

Post by zensunni »

I started going through the FreeCAD tutorials, and ran into several problems on the following Tutorial:
https://wiki.freecad.org/Manual:Modelin ... uct_design

When I get to the Assembling section, I found that the Assembly2 workbench is no longer supported and not available via the Addon Manager.

I tried installing Assembly4 which was successfully installed, but I wasn't able to find a button labeled "Import a part from another FreeCAD document", or anything that seems similar (but maybe I missed it?).

I tried installing Assembly3, and this required the python library py-slvs. Understandable, as this is the SolveSpace python component Assembly3 uses.

But when installing, I get the following dialogue box text:
Installation of Python package py-slvs failed
See report view for detailed failure log
The report view shows the following:

Code: Select all

12:08:59  b'pip 22.1.2 from /snap/freecad/66/lib/python3.8/site-packages/pip (python 3.8)\n'Nonepip 22.1.2 from /snap/freecad/66/lib/python3.8/site-packages/pip (python 3.8)
I installed the library manually with pip, and chose ignore the library install when installing assesmbly3, and when I selected the assembly3 workbench I still couldn't find a way to import a part from another FreeCAD document (though I was able to export/import a STEP document).

I then found that the A2plus addon seems to be the closest successor to assembly2, and was able to find the option to add a part from an external file. After this, I was able to finish the tutorial.

My feedback would be to either update the article to mention A2plus and possibly update it's steps specifically for that plugin, or do the same with another plugin if it's generally considered better. I'd be happy to do this, if I had access to the wiki but it might be easier for someone else to make the update too.

As a side note, all the icon styling changes when installing any of these addons.
chrisb
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Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2015 9:14 am

Re: Experience with tutorial introducting assembly

Post by chrisb »

The successor of Assembly is A2Plus. That and Assembly3 and Assembly4 follow different approaches and are not successors of the lower numbered workbenches.
Please try if the tutorial works with A2+ and report back. We can then improve the tutorial.
A Sketcher Lecture with in-depth information is available in English, auf Deutsch, en français, en español.
zensunni
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2022 5:57 pm

Re: Experience with tutorial introducting assembly

Post by zensunni »

Yea, I was able to finish the tutorial with A2Plus. (It was oddly satisfying importing arranging all the Lego to snap together)

Some minor differences/changes for the assembly section:
  • Installed A2Plus instead of Assembly 2 workbench (obviously)
  • The application required me to save the new document before doing an import of the part
  • Import button was "Add a part from an external file" instead of "Import a part from another FreeCAD document"
Assembly 2 is also mentioned repeatedly while describing it at the start of the section, so that whole paragraph could be updated. It could also have mention of Assembly 3/4, but that may be too much for an intro tutorial.
chrisb
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Re: Experience with tutorial introducting assembly

Post by chrisb »

zensunni wrote: Tue Jul 05, 2022 1:10 am Some minor differences/changes for the assembly section:
  • Installed A2Plus instead of Assembly 2 workbench (obviously)
  • The application required me to save the new document before doing an import of the part
  • Import button was "Add a part from an external file" instead of "Import a part from another FreeCAD document"
Assembly 2 is also mentioned repeatedly while describing it at the start of the section, so that whole paragraph could be updated. It could also have mention of Assembly 3/4, but that may be too much for an intro tutorial.
Would you be so kind and ask for Wiki permission and make these changes?
A Sketcher Lecture with in-depth information is available in English, auf Deutsch, en français, en español.
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Zolko
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Re: Experience with tutorial introducting assembly

Post by Zolko »

zensunni wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 7:18 pm I tried installing Assembly4 which was successfully installed, but I wasn't able to find a button labeled "Import a part from another FreeCAD document", or anything that seems similar (but maybe I missed it?).
it's called "Insert Link to a Part"
Image
Hum ... may-be should it be renamed "Import Part" ?
try the Assembly4 workbench for FreCAD — tutorials here and here
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Jolbas
Posts: 327
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2022 7:48 am
Location: Sweden

Re: Experience with tutorial introducting assembly

Post by Jolbas »

Zolko wrote: Tue Jul 05, 2022 10:02 am Hum ... may-be should it be renamed "Import Part" ?
Yes, I think that would be better.
zensunni
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2022 5:57 pm

Re: Experience with tutorial introducting assembly

Post by zensunni »

Would you be so kind and ask for Wiki permission and make these changes?
Yea, for sure!

I sent a request to yorik and jmaustpc a few days ago, and just sent a message today to Kunda1 today, as per this post:
https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic. ... 156#p55156

Let me know if I've missed something in the process.
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