What types of files can be edited using Onshape?

Kirbyfire73

I'm trying to edit a file from Thingiverse, and I'm in the process of changing it from an STL to something else. The only problem is I can't find anywhere as to what files are editable with Onshape. If anyone can answer this question, that would be much appreciated.

NeilCooke

Any geometry that has B-Rep faces, such as those from STEP files, can be modified using Onshape's direct editing tools. Faceted data such as STL cannot be modified, it is used for reference only (to model around).

MBartlett21

If you are interested, you can boolean STLs with my Boolean feature if you want (but not much else )
http://onsha.pe/documents/84d939daceef6a928b8abcba

Kirbyfire73

MBartlett21 said:

If you are interested, you can boolean STLs with my Boolean feature if you want (but not much else )
http://onsha.pe/documents/84d939daceef6a928b8abcba

Could you make a tutorial for this? I'm a high school student so I don't really understand this.

john_mcclary

@Kirbyfire73
if you open mbartlett's document, there will be 2 PDFs that show how to use it.

A boolean in CAD is the resulting body given at least 2 input bodies.
the resulting body will be based on the boolean method you use: add (union)/subtract/intersect

If you look at the boolean icon, you get an Idea of what is happening..


Add (Union) will "glue" or "combine" the bodies together, outputting a single part (Shaded in red)


Subtract will "erase" the intersecting geometry. Kind of like a cookie cutter.
Imagine the light gray sphere and the  dark gray sphere.
The light gray is input 1 (the part you want to keep)
Dark gray is input 2 (the tool you want to remove from input 1)
because they intersect in the white space, that portion will be eaten up and you will be left with the red shaded area only.
Furthermore, if you check the option to keep tools, than it will not delete the dark gray part, and you will be left with both the red area AND the blue area.


If you use Intersect, than you will be left with only the area that both bodies occupy,  in this case it will be the red area here:


Now if you look at his chart
You can see what kind of body you will be left with after the boolean feature is finished.
"Part" in Onshape is a "solid body" which means you can edit it with little to no limits.
"Surface" is a zero thickness "Skin" or "Face" of what could become a body, they can only be edited with compatible surface features.
"Mesh" is a body that is made up of triangles. There is not much you can do with meshes in Onshape, at least not yet. So they are only good to build off of.
"N/A" means there is no support to output any type of body, so the command will fail (turn red in the tree)




If you are new to CAD by all means keep asking questions! We are here to help
In the mean time it will benefit you to to go through the tutorials at https://learn.onshape.com/ 
Lots of good stuff there that will get you going in no time.

MBartlett21

@john_mcclary
You forgot Subtract Complement.
It leaves the area that both sets of tools occupy, like Intersect, except that the end result is the same part that was originally the target.

@Kirbyfire73

PS:I'm a high school student too!

john_mcclary

@MBartlett21 is a highschooler?



Your going places dude.