Variable Assembly Configurations

Cris_Bowers

I'm struggling with creating configurations in this assembly. I have a panel that can vary in height from 1 to 12 feet depending on where it's used. It will contain between 1-3 "ribs" depending on the height. I'm able to configure the panel height by linking variables between the assembly and the part studio, but I'm struggling with the ribs. The best I have been able to come up with is to create a sketch with the pattern in the part studio, insert it into the assembly, mate each rib to points on the sketch, and configure the suppression with a variable in the assembly. It would be very helpful if assembly patterns had an "up to" option, because it gets around the problem of having to insert, mate, and suppress each instance. This is one of those times where this was easier in Solidworks and things are extra time consuming for me to complete in Onshape. Can anyone think of a better way to do this? 

There is a front and back panel configuration. The bottom rib has 2 different dimensions it can be mounted for either side; 10" and 36" for the front, or 14" and 40" for the rear. The top rib has two different dimensions it can be mounted from the top; 10" for front and 14" for rear. The middle rib will be centered between those. As the panels gets shorter, to where there would only be 60" between the bottom and top rib, the center rib will be suppressed. And when the panel is less than 36" tall I will only have the bottom ribs.

john_mcclary

Agreed, an up-to option is my very most used type of pattern.

Thankfully there is a feature script for this

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/25c5ccb6a4d02f0be468071d/v/eb4faab0fc6209aee5674b81/e/6d5ae391574d2083c40e19a0

Cris_Bowers

john_mcclary said:

Agreed, an up-to option is my very most used type of pattern.

Thankfully there is a feature script for this

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/25c5ccb6a4d02f0be468071d/v/eb4faab0fc6209aee5674b81/e/6d5ae391574d2083c40e19a0

That's fine for a part studio. My issue is I need this at the assembly level. The "ribs" that I'm speaking of are actually a series of angles that are welded/glued to the inside walls of the panels. So currently I'm left having to insert each one and suppress for the different configs. It just gets a little tedious because I have to manage the configs for each instance.

john_mcclary

What kind of config are you using for height?
If it is a variable, you should be able to make the pattern count automatic


Distance: (ceil((#height/inch-X)/(ceil((#height/inch-X)/Y)-1))) in
Instance Count: ceil((#height/inch-X)/Y)

Where
X = Lower Offset + Upper Offset
Y = Distance Between Gussets

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/3b091f4f0c3e78d0b2d11ac2/w/b630b13c0e851596c1ed491a/e/ae35e35f28fd0ba3f71bacab

you can add logic to the lower mate connector to center everything up, and clean up the math, but I'm out of time at the moment.

Cris_Bowers

Calculating the height of the panel isn't really a straight forward affair either. I have structure height, cabinet height, and then each panel can only be so tall, so I will generally have a lower panel and an upper panel. I have all that calculated easily enough in the part studio. It would be nice if I could transfer those variables over to the assembly. If there is a way I'm not sure how to do it.

But, I have it figured out well enough at this point that if someone else needs to come along and use the file it's pretty self explanatory. If I had the option of the "linear pattern up to" in the assembly I would have had it completed in a few minutes and could move on to the next piece of the puzzle. It was getting frustrating because I ended up spending nearly 5 hours coming up with a solution that still isn't perfect; I made a sketch with a linear pattern in the part studio and placed mate connectors at the 3 points. In the assembly I mated and configured the first set of angles to the lowest connector. Then I copied and mated them to the other two connectors. It helps somewhat that copies of configured parts maintain the configuration settings of the originals. I then have the middle and top angles suppression configured depending on the number of ribs I determine.