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Silhouette Outline

philip_thomasphilip_thomas Member, Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 1,381
edited February 2019 in FeatureScript
In my CAD career, this has come up several times. Most commonly, the need is to make blister packaging, but has appeared in several guises.

In principle, the desire is to shine a (collimated) light on a part and draw an outline around the shadow.
This is actually quite difficult.
I was discussing this need around the coffee machine and Paul Chastell piped up that we had a function that did this! WOW!
So, for what it's worth, here's a ONE CALL custom feature that does magic :)



https://cad.onshape.com/documents/447c6fe48283e84c4c382e67/w/21976dd0fa3c061779d3d951/e/952b0a5aee92f9251ac36bcc

The inputs are:
1) The (single) part that you wish to project.
2) A FACE (must be a face), that you wish to project onto.

Have fun! :)
Philip Thomas - Onshape

Comments

  • owen_sparksowen_sparks Member, Developers Posts: 2,660 PRO
    edited January 2019
    Very nice, I could have used that this afternoon 😀
    Business Systems and Configuration Controller
    HWM-Water Ltd
  • NeilCookeNeilCooke Moderator, Onshape Employees Posts: 5,695
    Yes, @philip_thomas, get with the times...

    Senior Director, Technical Services, EMEAI
  • MBartlett21MBartlett21 Member, OS Professional, Developers Posts: 2,050 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2019
    Mine also accepts faces to project.

    @konstantin_shiriazdanov
    PS: This feature is what Onshape uses to help cut sheet metal.
    mb - draftsman - also FS author: View FeatureScripts
    IR for AS/NZS 1100
  • paul_chastellpaul_chastell Onshape Employees Posts: 126
     :D Awwwww, and @philip_thomas was so excited when I told him about this operation yesterday! By the way, being added for sheet metal is why its flagged as internal: I tested it very thoroughly for the somewhat narrow set of cases we would get there but no further. Happy to see it working on much more complex examples though! 

    Paul Chastell
    TVP, Onshape R&D
  • philip_thomasphilip_thomas Member, Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 1,381
    I give you cake, and you hang me.
    I give you pearls, and you root in the mud.
    I am nice to everyone, and Owen wishes the entire company "Merry Christmas except Philip!"

    That's it, i am going on a road trip for a week and then on vacation for 10 more days.
    See you all later :)

    Image result for minion with suitcase
    Philip Thomas - Onshape
  • owen_sparksowen_sparks Member, Developers Posts: 2,660 PRO
    Yeah, can't remember exactly why I said that. I think it was jealousy centred around you being Welshish but having escaped to live in the US and getting to play with aeroplanes, whilst I was sitting at work in the sodding rain again! 

    Anyway happy travels :+1:

    Cheers, Owen-Grumpy-Git S.
    Business Systems and Configuration Controller
    HWM-Water Ltd
  • philip_thomasphilip_thomas Member, Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 1,381
    Owen - I knew you were kidding obviously!
    Heading to Chicago (-10C) and then to Costa Rica :)
    Philip Thomas - Onshape
  • michael3424michael3424 Member Posts: 689 ✭✭✭✭
    Owen - I knew you were kidding obviously!
    Heading to Chicago (-10C) and then to Costa Rica :)
    Yeah, Chicago should warm up to -10 °C by next week.  We hit -27°C here yesterday.  Mind the snow, though.
  • philip_thomasphilip_thomas Member, Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 1,381
    ^^^ OMG!!!
    Philip Thomas - Onshape
  • guillaume_martinguillaume_martin Member Posts: 9
    This seems to be great ! It is exactly what I need !
    I need to search for the "Cross Sectionnal Area" to have the "Drag force" of an assembly ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_(physics) )

    Excuse me I am a newby : What are the steps to use your function ??

    Thanks a  lot !

    Guillaume
    New OneShape fan :-) !

  • Jake_RosenfeldJake_Rosenfeld Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 1,646
    @guillaume_martin

    You can use Philip's custom feature by just going to the link he provided and pressing the "+ custom features" button in the toolbar of that document (No need to copy the document or do any work on your part besides adding his tool to your toolbar).

    If you are specifically interesting in making your own similar custom feature, you can take a look into the FeatureScript tab of his document to see how the feature is written.  It is based on the `opCreateOutline` operation.
    Jake Rosenfeld - Modeling Team
  • tony_459tony_459 Member Posts: 206 ✭✭✭
    Wow, that's awesome. Thanks for sharing!
  • Ron_van_DijkRon_van_Dijk Member Posts: 13 PRO
    Hi Philip,

    Exactly what I needed! Great for checking the projected area for moldmakers and injection molders in calculating the clamping forces of the injection molding machine needed.

    Ron van Dijk
  • NeilCookeNeilCooke Moderator, Onshape Employees Posts: 5,695
    Senior Director, Technical Services, EMEAI
  • christopher_dziubachristopher_dziuba Member Posts: 57 ✭✭

    Incredible that this is hidden! It's saving me A LOT of time.

  • christopher_dziubachristopher_dziuba Member Posts: 57 ✭✭

    What else isn't documented?

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