But frequently, the application didn't work as I expected it to. One of the most important concepts in 3D design is the idea of establishing "constraints"--defining the way parts or pieces relate to each other, to an axis, or to a plane. I tried to set the pieces of my lamp vertically around the Y axis so that they would line up consistently, and I "mated" the underside of one piece to the top of the piece below it, which means that they would stick together when constructed. Unfortunately, when I rotated the view, the pieces often unmated, flying off to distant reaches of the canvas, where I'd have to go to retrieve them. The Alibre rep I spoke to explained that I needed to activate a setting for each piece in my lamp assembly and then align each of their axes with the master assembly's Y axis. It makes sense once you try it--but small, crucial details like that often threw me.
Design PE has several work modes, including new part, new sheet-metal part, new assembly (composed of multiple parts files), multiview drawing (suitable for printing), and bill of materials. When I tried to insert multiple parts into an assembly, the application let me select them from a window; but then it reported that the parts weren't "found," and asked whether I would like to replace my selection(s). This time, the Alibre rep explained that I had erred by creating copies in the Windows file system; I was supposed to use Save As within the application. The copying approach doesn't seem to cause problems for other applications, though.
When I made mistakes, I usually retreated from them via the undo command--but that command often was grayed out because the app limits undos to stacks of operations. For example, if you stay in 2D sketch mode, you can readily undo anything you've been doing within that mode; but once you leave 2D sketch mode, your ability to undo any earlier work there is gone. Alibre says that the application is far more complicated than applications like , and I see the point--but Adobe Photoshop is pretty darn complicated, and it offers many levels of undo and the ability to remove individual operations nonlinearly. An application that involves using many steps to create fine details would benefit from supplying a more typical undo scheme.
One of Design PE's new features is an in-place editing framework. You can right-click to gain access to context-sensitive commands, freeing you from having to use the menus for some work. But you'll still have to click lots of icons (which are tiny and unlabeled), enter data into dialog boxes, and switch and enable editing modes frequently. Once you get used to the program, you'll have a better sense of how and when to use all these commands and boxes, but it's still a symphony of many small operations.
In addition to exercising your math skills, you can use Design PE to produce printable designs to guide you in your own workshop; or you can send your finished creations to a business that accepts one of the app's exportable file formats and have it machine your design. Alibre suggested and .