Composite Parts & Mate Connectors

Michael_Coffee

There is a line of text in the help section for Onshape when it comes to Composite Parts and Mate Connectors.

My question is: why? For our configured assemblies, using an explicit mate connector to mate to has saved us so much heartache and headaches when it comes to configurations. I have one assembly where instead of a dozen or more mates for a configured model, I put in one and I never have to worry about if it will explode on me, because it has an explicit mate connector and that is the only thing I mate to. So long as it doesn't move, I have no issues. I cannot overstate how powerful they are.

So, same concept here. I am making a configured model and it's output will be a composite part. Problem is that I cannot assign it a mate connector and thus it throws all of my plans out the window. To me, both are exceptional features of Onshape and they can't be used together.

While writing this, I'm thinking I'll probably submit an improvement request for it and see where it leads. I just wanted to know the reason for why I cannot use connectors on composite parts. The potential is there, so I'm hoping it might be a simple thing to implement (maybe I'm a little overly optimistic =P).

Please excuse my venting.

NeilCooke

Venting is OK. The mate connector will be owned by one of the parts that make up the composite part - is that not workable in your scenario?

NeilCooke

Venting is OK. The mate connector will be owned by one of the parts that make up the composite part - is that not workable in your scenario?

Michael_Coffee

@NeilCooke

Kinda. Yes, it is workable, because when you mentioned the mate connector owned by the part making up the composite, I tested it and it does work like I want it (yay! =D), but I have realized that in order to have it configured the way I want, I am going to have to do a similar workaround like what I did with our hardware model.

What ended up happening when I modeled it is that we wanted one model for hardware and be able to switch entirely within it. The problem was initially it would be backed up to the beginning (with no parts) and then make each one as we go. Doing that caused the part properties to disappear for each specific configuration and we did not want to configure the owner of the mate connector. Doing so made releases appear in an undesired state, switching from one to the next (made inserting by part number almost impossible unless you knew where to look), so we figured out a "dummy" part could be placed in to start the initial part. This would be overridden or used by every configuration and the part properties wouldn't need to be split among different models.

Anyway, point is, I'll do the same here. Not sure where yet, but I'll figure out something =P

Thank you for your help!

marshall_poland

This doesn't work for me. I've got a composite part made up entirely of curves, and I cannot assign a mate connector to it at any stage (before or after combining the curves into a composite part).

NeilCooke

marshall_poland said:

This doesn't work for me. I've got a composite part made up entirely of curves, and I cannot assign a mate connector to it at any stage (before or after combining the curves into a composite part).

It has to be a solid or surface. MCs need an owner Part and curves are not considered as Parts.