Is it possible to include the Revision as part of automatic Part Number generation

Ivan_Deetlefs

Onshape identifies a part uniquely via its part number AND revision. Usually when working with parts in a workshop or a factory, for example, you only use the part number to uniquely identify it. VW is a classic example of using the revision as part of the part number. This is important since a part revision is often a drop-in replacement of the original part but might be lighter or provide improved performance. Both parts perform the same function, but the revision often has some advantage and should, therefore, explicitly be identifiable by its part number only. This requires the revision to be part of the part number. I just want to make double sure that this is not possible in Onshape, i.e. to include the revision as part of the part number autogeneration before I suggest it as an improvement.

romeograham

You can use the custom properties to build the PARTNUM+REV in drawings. However in sketches / features that appear on the geometry, you have to manually enter the information. There may be custom FeatureScripts to help populate sketches with Custom Properties.

Additionally, when doing any export of parts, the filename of the exported file has to be entered manually (including any Revision information you want to include. None of the custom properties are included with exported parts, but all custom properties are available when reviewing Revisions (Released or Versions) of parts.

I would heartily endorse this improvement request!

However, I think I've seen similar IRs in the past.

owen_sparks

We can set custom properties with custom features but we can't read them so custom features are not much help here.

Ivan_Deetlefs

Thanks for your answers. My question is aimed specifically at autogeneration of the part number and having the revision form part of the part number generated. I'm pretty sure after searching again that this is not possible. I think that Onshape has an opportunity to provide an intelligent part number generator that takes a formatted string input from the user, with the possibility of revision number etc.

owen_sparks

Sure thing and I agree this would be nice. 

Thinking about this a little further... 

You are a paid user and as such this gives you access to company wide "custom part properties" that we can set with featurescript.  You can show this properties just like the native ones on BOM's and drawings.  So you could set a new property and call it something like "Manufacturing ID" and populate it with what you're after.

So you could have a custom feature that takes a text entry for Name and Revision, joins them together and squirts them into a part. 

Downsides:-

It's it's less than automatic.

You'd have to have one feature per part.

Cheers,

Owen S.