Assembly 3 - Center aligning along a single axis

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Mikeosaurus
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Assembly 3 - Center aligning along a single axis

Post by Mikeosaurus »

Hi guys,

I feel like I was doing so well with ASM3, but have been pulling my hair out for hours now.

I've got two parts (A+B). I want...
  • one side/surface on A to be 5mm from a surface on B - can do with PlaneAlignment
  • one side on A to be 15mm from a surface on B - can do with PlaneAlignment
  • the other axis to be center aligned with each other - totally stuck with!
I've added centre lines to the surfaces of both parts in the hope that I could find a constraint with those and maybe the edges which would make them equal... but just can't find anything.

I've uploaded a video where I try explaining the problem here (link in case embed doesn't work):
phpBB [video]


Can anybody help?
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bambuko
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Re: Assembly 3 - Center aligning along a single axis

Post by bambuko »

Have you tried "Symmetric Line" (to make two points symmetric about a line) ?
You could use two end points of one line symmetric about other line (times two, to get both centre aligned).
PS how big is your file? have you thought about attaching it? so that someone might have a go at trying it?
I am using Link branch and Assembly3
you can also download ... and try it here
excellent Assembly3 tutorials here
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Mikeosaurus
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Re: Assembly 3 - Center aligning along a single axis

Post by Mikeosaurus »

bambuko wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:37 pm Have you tried "Symmetric Line" (to make two points symmetric about a line) ?
You could use two end points of one line symmetric about other line (times two, to get both centre aligned).
PS how big is your file? have you thought about attaching it? so that someone might have a go at trying it?
That does make sense... but tried... and nope... FreeCAD says nah. :(.

Sounds a good approach though, will keep on poking and prodding along those lines.

Files now attached too.
Attachments
Exporting.zip
(159 KiB) Downloaded 35 times
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bambuko
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Re: Assembly 3 - Center aligning along a single axis

Post by bambuko »

Looking at your model, your centrelines are sketches?
For the constraint I am suggesting the 3rd element needs to be an edge/face with a planar surface, so this will not work :oops:

Simplest way would be "Plane Alignment" with an offset?
Like so?:
Exporting(bambuko).files.zip
(155.57 KiB) Downloaded 51 times
I am using Link branch and Assembly3
you can also download ... and try it here
excellent Assembly3 tutorials here
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Mikeosaurus
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2021 7:12 pm

Re: Assembly 3 - Center aligning along a single axis

Post by Mikeosaurus »

bambuko wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:23 pm Looking at your model, your centrelines are sketches?
For the constraint I am suggesting the 3rd element needs to be an edge/face with a planar surface, so this will not work :oops:

Simplest way would be "Plane Alignment" with an offset?
Like so?:
Exporting(bambuko).files.zip
Yup, centerlines are sketches.

The PlaneAlignment is as far as I got... but for that, you'd have to manually calculate the midpoint to centre align. I was hoping there was a constraint to ensure the part was centered along one of the axis (but not the other two, as one is for specific 5mm risers and the other to push the battery box up to one side where I can punch holes for the risers).

Thanks for trying though, I appreciate you taking the time!
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bambuko
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Re: Assembly 3 - Center aligning along a single axis

Post by bambuko »

I don't give up that easily :lol:
Here is your symmetric solution:
Exporting(bambuko-symmetric).files.zip
(156.24 KiB) Downloaded 59 times
Let me know if this works for you?
I am using Link branch and Assembly3
you can also download ... and try it here
excellent Assembly3 tutorials here
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Mikeosaurus
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2021 7:12 pm

Re: Assembly 3 - Center aligning along a single axis

Post by Mikeosaurus »

Woooo!

Got it!!!

Taken me all my free weekend time to do this one thing, but got it... think you led me to it...

SymmetricHorizontal

Two points at the edge of one part... and a face of the other I want them to be centered on!

And now I need to stop to eat... whole weekend spent on that... arrrrgh!
Attachments
Exporting-2.zip
(160.02 KiB) Downloaded 35 times
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Mikeosaurus
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Re: Assembly 3 - Center aligning along a single axis

Post by Mikeosaurus »

bambuko wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:59 pm I don't give up that easily :lol:
Here is your symmetric solution:

Exporting(bambuko-symmetric).files.zip

Let me know if this works for you?
Lol, you beat me to it by 2 minutes!

Yup, it was all about points and symmetry!

Think I quite like your version... I never thought to add a workplane and use it as a constraint, so will add that idea to my toolbox!

Cheers dude! :)
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bambuko
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Re: Assembly 3 - Center aligning along a single axis

Post by bambuko »

You are welcome - enjoyed this little challenge :D
and learned something from it as well...
It is very powerful workbench... I like it very much.
I am using Link branch and Assembly3
you can also download ... and try it here
excellent Assembly3 tutorials here
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Mikeosaurus
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2021 7:12 pm

Re: Assembly 3 - Center aligning along a single axis

Post by Mikeosaurus »

bambuko wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:14 pm You are welcome - enjoyed this little challenge :D
It is very powerful workbench... I like it very much.
Same... nice to learn a few things here and there.

Even exporting was a bit of a learning exercise, as I try to keep re-usable parts in a totally different folder tree, so uploading initially seemed a bit of a nightmare... but found its actually quite easy to re-reference a file if it's moved :).

Assemblies are definitely the way forward... why redraw a battery box that you've ordered a few of when you can just reuse it :)
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