Another approach to assembly solver (A2plus)

Discussion about the development of the Assembly workbench.
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triplus
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Re: Another approach to assembly solver (A2plus)

Post by triplus »

Good job @fc_tofu one the menu work.
kbwbe
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Re: Another approach to assembly solver (A2plus)

Post by kbwbe »

Hi people,

i like to demonstrate how to use some new features of A2plus V0.42.

Now it is possible, to design things with A2p using the mastersketch approach. Everything is still within separate files.

phpBB [video]


The workflow was roughly this:
1) create a file "master.FCStd" and do sketch within this and save it.
2) create a file "Part-1". Import the sketch of the masterdoc by using this button:
icon.png
icon.png (1.19 KiB) Viewed 2339 times
3) switch to PartDesign WB, create a body and use the imported sketch as basefeature
4) Design your part, having the geometry of the imported sketch as external geometrie. Save your part.
5) Do the same things for the second part
6) create an assembly file
7) import the sketch from the masterdoc with this command again
icon.png
icon.png (1.19 KiB) Viewed 2339 times
8) Import the 2 parts and constraint them against the imported sketch
9) Assure that "master.FCStd" and "assembly.FCStd are opened.
10) start the script.

Very interesting is, that everything is in a separate file. The mastersketch can be used both for design of the parts and for the simulation.
P.S. The script animates the mastersketch. It's Shape is transferred by the script to the assembly. Solving the assembly moves the parts.

Have Fun.

Files are attached.
Attachments
a2p-master-sketch-approach.zip
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KBWBE

https://github.com/kbwbe/A2plus
latest release: v0.4.56, installable via FreeCAD's addon manager
Tutorial: gripper assembly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMxcQ5tssWk
Documentation: https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/A2plus_Workbench
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uwestoehr
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Re: Another approach to assembly solver (A2plus)

Post by uwestoehr »

kbwbe wrote: Sat Feb 01, 2020 9:16 pm Have Fun.
Cool! :+1:
Turro75
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Re: Another approach to assembly solver (A2plus)

Post by Turro75 »

kbwbe wrote: Sat Feb 01, 2020 9:16 pm Hi people,

i like to demonstrate how to use some new features of A2plus V0.42.
Great! this is a powerful enhancement!
m.cavallerin
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Re: Another approach to assembly solver (A2plus)

Post by m.cavallerin »

kbwbe wrote: Sat Feb 01, 2020 9:16 pm Now it is possible, to design things with A2p using the mastersketch approach. Everything is still within separate files.
Hi kbwbe,

that's for sure an useful tool, but it seems a clone of the "Link" function, am I wrong?
If the same functionality could be covered by Link, It would be useful to think this tool revisited with link functionalities.

That's only a suggestion, just for standardization; in any case you made a great work so far!

Regards.

Michele
triplus
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Re: Another approach to assembly solver (A2plus)

Post by triplus »

m.cavallerin wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2020 8:01 pm that's for sure an useful tool, but it seems a clone of the "Link" function, am I wrong?
There were some discussions in the past, but AFAIK currently App::Link doesn't support linking to Sketcher geometry from an external docment.
kbwbe
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Re: Another approach to assembly solver (A2plus)

Post by kbwbe »

m.cavallerin wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2020 8:01 pm that's for sure an useful tool, but it seems a clone of the "Link" function, am I wrong?
If the same functionality could be covered by Link, It would be useful to think this tool revisited with link functionalities.
Hi Michele,
before creating this tool, i tried to use links for that. But i didn't success. (Perhaps my lack of experience with links). I am wondering if standard FC0.19 (not Asm3) is capable to do the same example by using links. E.g. i was not able to use a linked sketch as basefeature for PartDesign. Any hint is appreciated.

Klaus

P.S. this post overlaped with @triplus' one.
KBWBE

https://github.com/kbwbe/A2plus
latest release: v0.4.56, installable via FreeCAD's addon manager
Tutorial: gripper assembly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMxcQ5tssWk
Documentation: https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/A2plus_Workbench
triplus
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Re: Another approach to assembly solver (A2plus)

Post by triplus »

The way i see it App::Link was merged, that much is true, but only now use cases and feedback will come. Therefore hopefully development wont stop just yet and better to be vocal about your needs.

P.S. Ask first, develop latter. ;)
m.cavallerin
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Re: Another approach to assembly solver (A2plus)

Post by m.cavallerin »

triplus wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2020 8:17 pm
There were some discussions in the past, but AFAIK currently App::Link doesn't support linking to Sketcher geometry from an external docment.
I knew there was a reason, but I didn't know the technical difficulties to get the result, now it's all clearer to me.

Thank you both.

Regards Michele.
Last edited by Kunda1 on Mon Feb 03, 2020 9:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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ppemawm
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Re: Another approach to assembly solver (A2plus)

Post by ppemawm »

kbwbe wrote: Sat Feb 01, 2020 9:16 pm Now it is possible, to design things with A2p using the mastersketch approach. Everything is still within separate files.
This is a useful enhancement for bottom-up modelling.

I am not so familiar with A2plus. Is it possible to also create all of the parts/bodies and final assembly in the same file similar to Assembly4 ?
That approach is critically necessary for top-down, in-context modelling, especially for larger more complicated assemblies.
"It is a poor workman who blames his tools..." ;)
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