Mirror & Replace? (Alibre Atom)

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

How would I create a model, hence drawing, that is a mirror image of the original – but to replace the original, please.

The Manual seems to assume I want to keep the original as well. I do, but on a separate drawing. I had taken the precaution of trying this on a new file with the word “mirror” after the name.

I tried:

Deleting the original (A) in the twin model. That deleted its offspring (B) too.

Treating the entire thing as a drawing, but it imported only the original A version in the orthographic views, though it gave me both A and B in the isometric image.

Selecting the reflection (B) then selecting [Drawing]. That didn’t work either: it still gave me (A).

 

I’d like to do this for both parts of a 2-part assembly, so don’t really want to have to draw the reflected versions from scratch (although that would mean I can make a small modification that so far resists me).

I’m sure it must be possible – after all, any number of machines have mirrored parts identical to their parent form, sometimes with some detail differences made to one later.

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

This is what I would do with my Pro version and I am fairly sure Atom does the same.

 

Open the original part file. Along the top bar you should have a tab for “Scale/Mirror part”, click that.

Then in the top box click the drop down arrow and select Mirror, select th eplane you want to mirror the part in and it will show the new part in outline.

When you click OK the part will be mirrore dbut the sketches used stay as original. Click File and then Save AS top left and give the mirrored part it’s own name eg Bracket left. You could then make modifications to the “left” file without affecting the original right hand one.

Regarding your drawing only opening one part. It sounds like you had an assembly which had two of the same part but one orientated as a mirror of the first so only that one part would have come in. You can also select an assembly file which will bring all the parts in that assembly into the 2D drawing so that may be another option but not a one part on one sheet option.

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

As Jason points out there are 2 different tools which can mirror in 3D mode in the Part workspace.

Feature Mirror adds mirror images of individual features (or even the entire part), leaving the original in place.

Part Scale/Mirror can be used to flip the part over – it does not leave the original in place.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Thankyou: I’ve just paused to experiment with that Part Scale / Mirror tool.

It does seem the one I should have used. (I didn’t know what it does.)

In the meantime I re-drew the Part from scratch – simply copying the original but facing the other way. It’s a bit of an optical illusion problem because I have to try to visualise which way round to draw features that will be facing away from me in the Assembly! It took me some hours to get it right.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

It should not really matter which way things face as the part is orientated in the assemby. If as you say it is almost identical then there was no need to redraw, just add the additional feature you mention and “save as”  Then when you come to assemble use the constraints to correctly orientate it.

I know you have problems getting things right in an assembly but these answers are not just for you, there are others who remain silent who find them helpfull so best to explain the correct ways so they can work efficiently.If anyone wants an example of how to modify a part and place it then speak up.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Thankyou Jason.

I had to re-draw this one because the second version is a not a full mirror; as well as not knowing how at the time.

 

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