Fixture
Plugin AVC_Fixture for AutoCAD and BricsCAD.
Arrangement of fixtures along joints of solids. RTA fittings, Fasteners, Furniture hinges, Shelf holders, Hardware
This fixture placement program is primarily aimed at accelerating the design of furniture and products made from particleboard, MDF, etc. The program will insert the fasteners and fixtures for flat parts that are connected at right angles. If you use solid modeling in AutoCAD, then this program will allow you to radically decrease the effort spent on joining parts or adding hardware. This program does not require the overhead of learning to use and/or paying for a very complex specialized furniture program. It is a very user friendly application that will save time and reduce the number of errors that would have been made by doing the work manually.
Read about downloading and installing the program here.
To run the plugin, you will have to register account and top up your account balance by making a donation or receiving bonuses.
Then you can activate one of the licenses:
Annual license - 15 EUR.
Unlimited license - 75 EUR. Free updates for 1 year.
The trial period is 20 days.
Features
The program can itself find the joints of two flat parts (solids). You can choose several details at once. Fixtures will be placed at all suitable joints.
The program will discard details that are not suitable for the connection. The parameters of suitable parts can be adjusted for each type of fixtures.
With the program comes a small library of popular fixtures: RTA fittings, Fasteners, Furniture hinges, Shelf holders, Hardware, Confirmat, Minifix, Häfele Rafix, Angle Bracket, Catches, Wood Dowel and Biscuits, Door Locks and Latch, Intersection Sleeve and Tapping screw... These elements - blocks containing solids, it is convenient to use for further subtraction of fixing holes using the command Drill.
You can create new fixtures yourself. Fixtures must be pre-created as blocks, with properly deployed solids inside.
The fixture-block, drawn in the millimeter drawing, can be inserted into inch drawings. The program itself will take care of scaling and converting settings. Just set up the units of your drawing (INSUNITS = 4 or 1).
A convenient dialog box allows you to quickly select the required fixtures and adjust the settings of the arrangement.
You can select the fixture-blocks from a template file or from other drawings. The program itself copies the block to the current drawing.
For the selected parts, the program finds two adjacent flat surfaces and arranges the fixture-blocks along a straight line along the long side of this joint.
You can customize the program to find the joints of the parts, even if there is a gap between the parts.
It does not matter how the joint in space is unfolded. In any case, the program will rotate fixture for parts.
The program can check whether the selected parts for the dimensions of this fixture are not too small.
You can adjust the distance from the edge of the joint to the first part and the maximum step of repeating the fixtures.
You can use two different fastener spacing methods: Fixed margin from the edge and Fixed step.
You can try to create symmetrical details. For this, there is the Even number of fasteners option and the option Mirror blocks on the second half of the joint.
You can limit the length of the fixture installation with the width of the drilling machine. In this case, the program will try to arrange the fasteners from both ends of the joint.
You can force the program to adjust the distance from the corner of the part to the fixture to the furniture standard 32 mm additive step.
You can adjust the depth of mounting furnitures or set the alignment in the middle of the thickness of the end piece.
The settings for alignment are stored in invisible attributes of the fixture-block and copied together with the block. You can create as many identical fixture-blocks with different alignment settings. Copies of blocks are done in 1 click.
You can easily rename the fixture-blocks right in the settings dialog.
The program remembers the name of the last used block and can use the same fixture on the next call without unnecessary requests.
The command has command-line options, thanks to which you can create your own buttons and palettes to arrange different fixtures.
Video instructions:
Restrictions
The program can save you from 90% of routine operations, but still you have to check and optimize the results of work. Complex cases of the program will leave for you, recognizing the superiority of the human intellect ... while recognizing ...
Perhaps, over time, the program will learn how to handle more complex cases. For this you will have to send problem drawings and be patient.
The program does not work with 2D drawings.
Use solid modeling. The program does not work with meshes and surfaces.
The joint surfaces must be flat. The program uses an explosion of solids and expects to get the Region, rather than the Surface.
The program has nothing to do with the installation of handles and other decorative accessories. The pieces to be joined must be two.
The program is oriented to work with the joints of the narrow end of one part with the large surface of another part at a right angle. The end-to-end joints and the plane-to-plane joints can be tried to process, but there is no guarantee that you will get what you want. For this reason, there may be difficulties with fixtures such as Bolt+Nut, Pie Cut Corner Hinge, Intersection Connector and Connector for countertops. Perhaps we will someday make separate programs for these cases.
There must be a right angle between pieces. Angular Hinges and Miter Joint Connector can not be arranged. ... At least in this version.
Details can not connect "Miter Joint" at 45°
Details should have a contact area (even with a gap). An "open angle" connection will not be found by the program.
Perhaps you can use the program to install triple corners in a corner of three parts, but the program has not been tested for these purposes.
It will not be possible to fasten the parts with the molded corners or a Piano Hinges or other fasteners that require a length cut.
The program does not attempt to make the part symmetrical. Each side of the part is processed separately and the result is unlikely to be symmetrical.
To the door locks and other single elements the program applies exactly like to other fixtures - it tries to put 2 fixtures on the joint. One extra lock should be removed manually.
The program does not know where the product has the outside. To arrange the fixtures on the right side of the end piece, the program focuses on most of the second part. Also can be mistaken. In this case, you can cancel the command and call it again by setting the reverse direction of the Z axis of the fixtures.
Each joint of each pair of parts is processed completely independently of other joints. Because of this, the number of fixtures can be excessive in the corners of the product. Also, sometimes there are collisions of fixtures with each other.
The program does not understand the logic of opening doors and can set up hinges on all four sides of the door. In such cases, run the program separately for each door-to-frame connection.
Usually the program does not try to make the part symmetrical. Each side of the part is processed separately and the result is unlikely to be symmetrical. But you can try to turn on the "Fixed step" mode, in which there is a chance to get a symmetrical part.
The program does not take into account the pocket in the details, holes, dadoes, and can put the fixtures in the empty space.
The program does not take into account third parts, possible interference. Fixtures may intersect with other parts or other fixtures. Check and move the failed fixtures.
The program can not in any way check access to fixtures during assembly; ease of installation, product adjustment. You should think about it.
The program can arrange details at close or equal settings of the Maximum step and Minimum step. But at the same time, almost always the last fastener will be installed in violation of the "maximum step" rule. To avoid this, follow the rule max > min * 2.
Preparing the fixture-blocks
Before starting work, you should prepare special fixture-blocks. There can be any objects and other nested blocks, but only solides are used to control the dimensions, except for the solids of the Hole layer. When creating block, it is important to correctly position and correctly deploy the drawing. Zero of the coordinate system of the block will be used by the command as an insertion point (like pick-point of Insert command). The X axis of the block will be deployed along the plane of the end piece. The Y-axis is along the joint line of the parts. And the Z axis is outward or inward of the assembly.
Fasteners, which are required to be placed from the bottom of the parts (for example shelf supports) are required to be drawn upside down, because the Z axis of the block will be rotated against the Z axis of the drawing.
To create new block, it's easiest to create a copy of the customized fixture-block and edit it in the block editor (_-bedit).
Strongly recommended that you use the simplest representation of fixtures, in no case do not draw chamfers, fillets, countersinks, threads, spirals. Fixtures will be many, draw them fast AutoCAD can not. Save your brain and the money of your employer. It is important only to overall the dimensions of the fixtures to check whether they intersect with other parts. And accurately arrange the cylinders of the future holes. All the rest is out in the furnace! Beauty and photorealism should be left for artists.
Do not forget that objects inside the blocks should be located on layer 0, so that they change their properties when changing the layer of the block.
For the convenience of subtracting holes with the command of the Drill, it is desirable to place the cylinders of the future holes in the "Holes" layer.
The "Fixture.dwg" file supplied with the program contains examples of popular fixtures optimized for 16mm thick plates. Each fixture already contains the alignment settings. Surely you will want to change these blocks to adapt to your company's standards. Do not recommended editing the Fixture.dwg file, since it will be replaced when updating the program version. It is better to insert blocks into your template and there modify.
In the block editor, you will see a list of "fix_" attributes. They store the fixture settings. You can move them if they interfere, but do not delete them, do not rename or edit them.
Autocad is a lazy beast. He does not want to update the icons of the blocks. To see the preview image of the block in the Insert dialog or in the Fixture dialog, you need to call _blockicon in advance. In the Fixture dialog, there is a button for calling this command for the blocks of the current drawing. The background color of the icons depends on the current background of the drawing. Therefore, recommended that you call _blockicon from the sheet (paper space), not the model. Then the background will be white (unless of course you have reconfigured the colors of AutoCAD)
Preparation of the product model
Draw a product from the details - solid. Check that the joints of the parts are made exactly, the planes of the parts coincide. If the surface of the part is not flat - cut it with _slice. Strongly recommended designing products starting from the box and cutting off the panel-box with the _slice or AVC_Slice (ASL) command, and draw as little as possible the flat sketches for the extrusion. This method accelerates modeling a furniture and any products from flat panels.
To join the details with the Fixture command, it is necessary that one part should approach the other flat face at a right angle. A piece that fits to the joint with a thin end is usually part of the frame of the product. Further in the text, we call it the "end part". Often this part has to drill the end-holes (for confirmations, minifix fixture). Cheap CNC milling machines can not make such holes and it hole are made on multi-spindle drilling machines, which have clearly set the drilling step (32mm) and the length of the drilling part - 800mm. Therefore, fitting to step 32 is done only for the end piece. The second piece to be joined is usually a front panel, a door, a shelf, and a countertop. In it, the holes are made in main large face.
Operating procedure
If you not need command options you can select the parts to be connected before the Fixture command is called.
Call the Fixture command.
The program will not open the dialog for selecting fixture if the last used fixture are already in the drawing. But you can set the show the dialog each time.
In the dialog box, select the file with the mounting blocks
Select the fixture in the list. If the list does not contain the required block, check the box "Show all blocks"
Click the "Insert block" button if you need to edit the settings, and the block is taken from a other file.
If you need the same fixture, but with different settings, click the "Copy"
Edit the settings and the name of the block
Click OK or click on the block in the list twice
Select all parts to be connected, if they have not been selected before the command is called
Check the intersections of fixture and parts, the direction of the arrangement, remove excess fixtures, move the unsuccessfully located ones.
Subtract the holes with the command Drill
Make details drawings and contours for milling with the commands Lay and NC_Prepare
Dialog of choice and settings
All settings and the name of the block are saved automatically when the current block is changed or when you click OK.
Block Library File
When you open the dialog, the current drawing is always selected in it. In the list there is always a Fixture.dwg file with a fixture library and your template file. And also the last 20 used files are saved in the list. Other files can be selected with the "Open file" button.
Fixture list
contains all the fixture-blocks from the selected file. The fixture that you used the last time will be selected automatically. Click on the required fixture to edit the alignment settings. Click twice to select the fixture and close the dialog immediately. When the selected block appears in the list, the alignment settings appear in the right part of the window.
Use current layer
the program will place the blocks on the current layer (selected before the command is called), and not on the default layer "Fixture"
Request every time
causes the program to open this dialog even when the fixtures have already been selected the last time and are present in the current file.
Show all blocks
allows you to show all blocks of the drawing. By default, only the blocks with the "Fix_" attributes are shown in the list. Check the box when creating new fixture-blocks from zero.
Button "Insert block"
loads a block from the selected file into the current file. All settings can be edited only in the current file. Therefore, to edit the settings, you must first click the "Insert" button.
Button "Copy"
makes a copy of the selected block. Adds "Copy" to the name of the block. Use it for insertion the same fixtures with different settings. Works only in the current file.
Button "Update Icons"
updates all the icons of blocks in the list. This option does not work in BricsCAD as the BLOCKICON command is missing.
Field "Block"
shows the name of the selected fixture-block. You can edit the block name directly in this window.
Group "Connection filter"
The group contains the settings for selecting pairs of parts suitable for this fixture. When you select a lot of details, the program will place the fixtures only on the joints that fit under these conditions.
Minimum and maximum thickness of the parts - set thickness values to discard the joints of too thick and too thin parts. Write 0 if the thickness does not matter.
Check block size - The program will measure all the solids inside the block and the nested blocks. Solid on Holes layer are ignored. The program will check that the length of the end-part is greater than the size of the fixture from the zero coordinate system of the block to the size of the positive side of the X axis. And that the size of the second part from the fixing point is larger than the block size in the positive side of the Z axis. The block size in the negative sides of the axes is not checked. Restrictions on the Y axis are not checked, because you can limit the minimum distance between fixtures.
Horizontal shelves only - Place fasteners only if the joint line is horizontal and the joint plane is vertical in the current coordinate system UCS. That is, the horizontal shelf fits with its end to the vertical wall. Suitable for placing shelf supports. But not for the hinges on the lids.
Vertical joint only - will be selected connections in which the joint line is vertical (parallel to the Z axis of the current UCS coordinate system). Suitable for placing hinges on doors.
Group "Y Positions"
Specifies the number and position of fixtures along the joint line. This is the main setting for the placement of fixtures.
Fixed step - the option switches the fastener placement mode from the fixed distance from the edge mode to the fixed step mode (see below).
Step 32mm - in the furniture industry it is customary to make a holes in positions multiple of 32mm from the edge of the part. If you check this option, the program will adjust the alignment positions to the 32mm step. The distance from the corner of the end-part is taken into account. In this case, the distances from the beginning of the joint and from the corner of the second part can be obtained not by multiples of 32 mm. This is not a program error. So it is more convenient to work on multi-spindle drilling machines, used for drilling into the end. When placed from one end, the program will prefer to start the alignment from the end of the joint where the end-part has a right angle. When arranged from both ends, a multiple of 32 mm will be the distance from each end to the "furthest" fixture. Recalculation in inches is automatic.
Even Number - always arrange an even number of fasteners. The option is available only for the "Fixed step" mode. This option is useful for obtaining symmetrical parts when placing non-symmetrical fasteners. For example, for a pair of dowel+minifix.
Start - the position of the first fixture from the end of the joint. The program tries to put at least two fixtures on the joint. The second fixture will be installed at the same distance from the second end. You can set 0 to place the mount at the very end of the joint. But if the value is greater than zero, then it should not be less than the minimum step. Joints shorter than two "starts" are ignored. At joints shorter than 2 * Start + Min. Step only 1 block will be installed.
Min step - is to limit the distance between the fixtures and from the fixture to the edge of the joint. You can write 0 to ignore this restriction.
Max step - specifies the number of fixtures at the joint. The program tries to arrange the fixtures evenly, but no further than the Max. Steps from each other. If set to 0, the program will insert the blocks only at the ends of the joint. If the maximum step is too small, almost equal to the minimum, then the program will not always be able to fulfill both requirements. Then it will give a warning and leave the last interval of fastenings more than the maximum. You can set the maximum step equal to the minimum. Then the program will arrange the fixtures strictly following this step, but the last interval will always be more than the maximum. If at the same time the "Step 32mm" option is also enabled, then the configuration dialog itself will adjust the step to a multiple of 32.
Furthest - If you use a multi-spindle drilling machine for drilling into the end, you may need to limit the installation of fixtures from the corner of the end-part to the width of the machine (usually 800mm). Note that this figure is calculated from the corner of the part, and not from the beginning of the joint. And to the center of fixture, not to the far hole. The distance from the center of this fixture to its far hole should be subtracted from the width of the machine (usually 800 - 16 = 784mm). If the width of the machine is not enough for the entire joint, the program will put a maximum of fixtures from one corner and begin to arrange the fixtures from the second. If the parts are too long, large non-fixed spaces may appear in the middle of the part. Specify 0 to always set the fixtures from one corner to the end of the joint.
Trim on the face part, not the end - it often happens that the parts are shifted relative to each other and the length of the joint is less than the length of the parts. In these cases, the program usually places fasteners from the edge of the end part. But you can also switch to the arrangement from the edge of the part of the joined face (facade). A 32mm step will be calculated from the edge of this part. And in the fixed step mode, this detail can turn out to be symmetrical (but only if the shift of the parts is not more than the minimum placement step)
Mirror blocks on the second half of the joint - perform the operation "mirror" with all blocks of fasteners on the second half of the joint. If the fasteners are not symmetrical (for example, a pair of Minifix + dowel), then this option will help to make a symmetrical part, put minifixes at the edges, and dowels to the middle of the part.
Group "Z orientation"
Specifies the location of the fixture relative to the end-part.
Inside the assembly - the Z axis of the block will be deployed bigger portion of the front panel (from the joint). Suitable for minifix and most fixtures that need to be placed inside a product.
Outside the assembly - the Z axis of the block will be deployed smaller portion of the front panel (from the joint).
Upward - the Z axis of the block will be deployed closer to the Z direction of the current user coordinate system (UCS).
Downward - the Z-axis of the block will be deployed closer to the direction opposite to the Z axis of the current user coordinate system (UCS). This option is convenient for the arrangement of all shelf holders under the shelves. The fixed panel does not have to be strictly vertical.
Group "Z Position"
You can arrange fixtures in the middle of the end-part, regardless of its thickness. And you can set the depth of installation, including zero - fixtures will be installed on the surface of the parts.
If there is a gap
If there is a gap in the joint, the fixtures can be placed "On End" of the end-part or "On Face" of front panel.
Command-line options
Reset the selection of objects before calling the command to see the command line options (twice Esc).
TUNE - the option allows you to open the dialog for selecting fixture and adjust all the settings. Use the option if the checkbox "Request every time" is not checked in the settings.
BLock- the option allows you to enter the name of the fixture-block directly on the command line. The block must be loaded in the current drawing in advance. Use the option to customize your buttons with frequently used fixtures. In the button macro, write "^C^C_Fixture BL Minifix;" or "^C^C_Fixture BL Angle Bracket Steel 30x30x30;". Do not forget to reset the selection at the beginning of the macro (^C^C) and add a semicolon at the end (because the block name allows spaces, you can not end the macro with a space). Turn off the "Request every time" checkbox.
Algorithms for placing fasteners
There are two very different spacing methods programmed into the FIXTURE command: Fixed margin from the edge and Fixed step.
Fixed margin from the edge
In this variant of operation, the program places fasteners with a fixed distance from the joint edge (Start option). If it is made with a step of 32mm, then this step will be clearly defined from one edge of the part (you can choose which part it will be - joined by the end or face). And then the fasteners are spaced evenly until the width of the drill is reached (Furthest option) or until the end of the part. When fitting to a 32mm step, the fasteners may not fit quite evenly. And the distance from the last fastener to the end of the joint will turn out to be a random number (greater than the starting indent). If only 2 fasteners are installed, then the second one is placed at the same Start distance from the second end of the joint, and the distance between the fasteners will be random, not a multiple of 32mm.
This spacing algorithm is used by default.
The algorithm is optimized for drilling on a manual multi-spindle drilling machine. The machine will be able to fix the side stop at a given distance (option Start) and no longer change the position of this stop. Flipping the part allows you to use the same stop for drilling from the other end. This ensures accurate and fast manual drilling.
The details made therefore to the algorithm usually turn out to be asymmetric. Asymmetry will not allow the assembler to turn the part over and expose the side with chips from the saw to the public.
Fixed step
In some industries, it is considered important to make an absolutely uniform and symmetrical arrangement of fasteners. In this case, the "Fixed step" option should be enabled. Then the program will distribute the fasteners completely evenly, but the distances from the edges of the joint will be random (greater than specified in the Start option).
In this mode, you can exclude the installation of the central fastener (Even Number option) and set up mirror the fasteners on the second half of the joint. These options will allow you to get symmetrical parts even if the fasteners require non-symmetrical drilling, such as Minifix + dowel.
If the joint is shorter than the part (that is, one part is short or the parts are shifted), then the program will move the fasteners so that you still get a symmetrical part. But this trimming is performed only if the shift is not large, not more than the specified minimum step. At the same time, you can choose which part of the two joined, you should try to make symmetrical (option "Smooth from the edge of the plate, not the end").
In this mode, the Furthest option is ignored.
When using this method, the distance from the edge of the part to the first fasteners will be different for all parts. The end stop on a multi-spindle machine will have to be reconfigured for each part and drilling will turn out to be long and not accurate. It is recommended to use this method only if all drilling, including face drilling, is performed on the CNC.