Welcome to the Onshape forum! Ask questions and join in the discussions about everything Onshape.

First time visiting? Here are some places to start:

Looking for a certain topic? Check out the categories filter or use Search (upper right).
Need support? Ask a question to our Community Support category.
Please submit support tickets for bugs but you can request improvements in the Product Feedback category.
Be respectful, on topic and if you see a problem, Flag it.

If you would like to contact our Community Manager personally, feel free to send a private message or an email.

Best Of

Caching of context state through feature regeneration.

Some features combine a few requirements: to perform a quite expensive operations like boolean/ split and then be responsive to some frequent user interface edits, which are not changing the result of previously invoked operations and can be quite cheap but because they trigger the full evaluation of the feature body the responsiveness of that code is pretty bad overall.

Today we can do some caching of computational data via editing logic function and hidden definition parameters, which is nice but can't preserve context changes. So I propose we consider some mechanism of context-level caching where the context-changing operation itself would take care about that during user edit "session". That mechanism can be disabled during automatic regeneration if the overhead of cache validation on feature bounds is high, and can work only if the feature dialog is open. If something like that be available we could even store some expensive computational data in context variables instead of evaluating it in editing logic.

Konst_Sh

Re: How do I convert from surface to a part?

Here is the model as a part.

There was an 'open' section that was preventing the surface becoming a part.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5022071/uploads/editor/08/1izg29fm1kic.png

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/3ea65f25053bd9d55bef6189/w/b1a36d33a30fc385c9ad95fd/e/c067ff590abb44c4de9af93f

A helpful way to locate these open areas is to extrude a surface and use it to perform a split in the imported surface and then use the enclose command to see if one side of the split will then become a solid part. By moving the splitting surface to different locations you can then isolate the offending area. (See Part Studio 2 TAB)

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5022071/uploads/editor/qg/ezahmlz35ovn.png

I hope this makes sense

GWS50

New Feature: Regional pattern

When I have some complex transition between a boss or pocket and a main face, I sometimes run into limitations of the pattern features. face/feature patterns each have there limitations in how robust they replicate onto other faces or parts. Part patterns with cuts afterwards don't work well with transitions where material may be added and removed at the same time.

So I regularly ended up using a way of working where i'd create a defined region, and then intersect, cut transform/pattern and unite it elsewhere.
Each time I had to think hard about what to cut/intersect/unite where and when. And it always required me to create the region definition manually first.

So i figured i'd create a custom feature out of it and share it with the world.
Please feel free to play around with it. It's crude, but that also makes it robust.

Looking forward to your feedback!

Have fun with it!
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/c075acc6fb32c0edf21a3124/w/ddb79a252f789ff122711f0c/e/9503197b5e028d194950179d

I used a lot of the onshape native code for the definition and creation of the patterns. So Kudos to Onshape!

jelte_steur814

Re: Suppress a feature if config variable is equal to 1..

@robert_stiles totally agree and it is a highly requested feature.

NeilCooke

Re: Designing my own desktop for a desk

If the company is asking you for a dxf, that means they can only cut in 2 dimensions. And all the cut edges will have straight 90 deg edges. All the curves you are putting on the edges with the sweep and the fancy surfaces you are modeling are a waste of time.

Rule #1 in product design is to design for the manufacturing process. Talk to the company with the CNC and find out what their capabilities are. Then come back and change your design to match, or find another company.

To be honest, one-off projects like you are designing for your family and your friend are probably cost prohibitive to send to a cnc shop, unless the owner is your friend and doing it for some beers. You are probably better off getting hardwood plywood from your local lumber dealer and cutting this by hand with a jig saw.

IMO:)

nick_papageorge073