In Part One we created a 17mm A/F, ½-inch drive deep socket. This Part Two shows how to use the work already done to create a slightly different socket. This is one of the advantages of digital drawing. There is no need to start from scratch. By modifying an existing file we can quickly create similar, but slightly different parts. If changes to a part need to be made, then it is easy too. No rubbing out required!
The objective, for this article, is to change the socket already created so we have a new 12-point (or double-hex) version. Once the change is made we can save the file as a different part. Then there will be two digital drawings on our file — both the same size sockets, but one is single-hex while the other is double-hex. Same, but different.
Opening up
On the Alibre home page there are icons for recently used files. Click on the icon for the 17mm A/F socket to be directed to its file location, then double click on the file to bring it into the Alibre workspace.
Before starting to make changes to the socket, there is some housekeeping to do. So you do not ruin the file just opened, you should save it as a new file, renamed to be the new part. Click on “File” in the top left-hand corner of the screen, then click on “Save As” in the drop-down box. Give it a name that identifies the socket as being double-hex and also state the size (eg 17mm A/F Double Hex Socket). This will prevent any mistakes caused by clicking