Variables and driver/ driven dimensions

Ste_Wilson

So I've been playing with funicular polygon sketches and it would be amazing if I could take the dimensions from the diagram which are all dependent on the F1 and F2 and display these.
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/30632144ce1febd02d23f53f/w/279fa6d817d5712f10a41d7a/e/758d3241e9b203083846ed97

I can set a dimension to be driven by a variable, I like this!
Can I then get dimensions dependant on those variables to display anywhere/to appear in a table?

Is this feature script territory?

john_mcclary

You can use 'equal' constraints, but they will measure the length of the object relative to the sketch plane you are projecting to. So only works if they are on the same parallel plane.

Unfortunately there is no built-in ability to 'link' dimensions.

Measure value is a good feature to use here
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/77baa8153589a7fc5f289829/v/ceb4a03e4ac77173bf6d0074/e/181cb871f3008e6b885df46a

john_mcclary

No way to extract it to a table, but they do create variables.

So you can do a lot with them once they are created, including importing them into other part studios/documents

john_mcclary

You can use 'equal' constraints, but they will measure the length of the object relative to the sketch plane you are projecting to. So only works if they are on the same parallel plane.

Unfortunately there is no built-in ability to 'link' dimensions.

Measure value is a good feature to use here
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/77baa8153589a7fc5f289829/v/ceb4a03e4ac77173bf6d0074/e/181cb871f3008e6b885df46a

Ste_Wilson

That's good, that's really good!  Thank you
So there is no way plonk that into a dynamic table/ spreadsheet type thing?
But thanks, that's really helpful!
I can use that this now as an example for my students on how to graphically analyse a simple frame!

Putting the 'fun' in funicular!

john_mcclary

No way to extract it to a table, but they do create variables.

So you can do a lot with them once they are created, including importing them into other part studios/documents

Ste_Wilson

Cheers for that.  I think that's set up now to analyse a simple frame and reaction forces as well as the force in each member of the structure and the entire thing is driven by the load value F_1 and F_2.  For a full house, it needs to say if each member is compression or tension but as another teaching diagram, it'll do for now.  

john_mcclary

Well if you want to spit out engineering calculations based off of the measured values...

You could create a custom table and read all of the variables from the part studio, then export that table however you want

here is some sample code for a custom table you can copy and experiment with
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/ae128fca39a1d825a3c5d427/v/c5a2dfaa44fa712f8445f53f/e/3068316aed3ce312a6d15462