Ability to call arbitary custom subfeatures for a fields of the feature.

konstantin_shiriazdanov

Once I've seen a proclamation that Onshape is built in a single command at the time paradigm, but then a feature like Create selection become avaliable. We now can make a parametric measured parameters with all kinds of measuring features and pass them as variables to the built in commands. We have the idea to be able to deal with query parameters in the same way:
https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/comment/31674#Comment_31674
https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/10299/associative-and-multyconditional-entity-selection-for-create-selection-tool
So generally the idea to be able to preprocess query and numeric parameters, passed to the built in features with some custom functions is flying in the air, if only we could call custom subfeatures just like dealing now with Create selection utility. In this case the problem I see is defining which subfeature should be called for each type of input fields of the built in features, it possibly would requare context-sensitive menu of associated subfeatures in the input field for the main command and a special tag for subfeature definition, which says that it can interact with an input fields of a certain types.
What you think about it?

MBartlett21

ilya_baran

We're definitely thinking along these lines.  I can say that a parametric version of create selection will happen at some point.  No idea of how customizable with FS it would be yet.  We're also going to be doing more with subfeatures soon, though I think not to the extent you've described.

A challenge with this type of functionality is that it makes it easy to create parametric dependencies that are so clever that no one will be able to figure them out.  I (as I'm sure you guys realize) tend to think of parametric models as programs, and I want to be sure that the "code" is not just powerful, but also "readable".

konstantin_shiriazdanov

@ilya_baran thanks for explanation, often you just want for example all the edges of the cut to be passed to the fillet command, but now the only solution is to go and make an FS for this - doesn't look as clever as it could be)

ilya_baran

Yes, that's why that part we plan to have.  I was more referring to things like custom functions hidden away in feature parameters doing who knows what.