What are you looking forward to in Drawings?

christopher_quijano

I had a modeling issue and I ended up going to the help file to solve it. While in the help file I noticed it covered the upcoming Drawings. I know Drawings is in closed beta right now, so I am sure it has lots of improvements ahead, but the documentation left me very underwhelmed in its capabilities.

So other than inserting a view and adding a simple dimension, what drawing capabilities do people need or use the most.

Here is my list of top items
1.  Being able to use my own template.
2.  Full support of GD&T.
3.  Ability to add inspection numbers to dimensions including the boarder around the number.
4.  Ability to custom symbols in views and in notes.
5.  Robust note editing and management.

Lots of things would be nice, but for me these are the capabilities that I need to make it useful.

andrew_troup

My top item is smooth, fast, non-laggy responsiveness, and fast, relaxed and unambiguous picking up of inference points for adding dimensions.
Regardless of what bells and whistles there are: if I can't sprinkle and manipulate dimensions like pixie dust, I quickly start to feel like an unwilling slave to drudgery. And productivity collapses, particularly on intricate parts.

Too many drawing packages are designed to meet the checklist mentality of the person who signs checks/cheques, and that checklist was developed in consultation with the head of Design. These guys don't have to drive the frigging thing... and generally, it shows!

_Ðave_

+1 for smooth, fast, non-laggy responsiveness.
+1 for fast, relaxed and unambiguous picking up of inference points for adding dimensions.

michael3424

Hole callouts, cross-sections, dimension tolerances, hole tables, and I like @andrew_troup "s "unambiguous picking up of inference points".  I don't usually use GD&T but it seems like that would be essential for Onshape.

3dcad

My top5 list:
- @andrew_troup 's "smooth, fast, non-laggy responsiveness, and fast, relaxed and unambiguous picking up of inference points for adding dimensions"
- Smart dimension tool (like we have in sketch mode) which can handle also Iso/Dimetric views.
- Easy integrated template modification / copying
- Same functionality what we are used to have in 3D (full co-operation with follow-me etc.)
- Perfect dwg/dxf handling and dimensioning for imported files.

brucebartlett

My Top 5
- @andrew_troup 's "smooth, fast, non-laggy responsiveness, and fast, relaxed and unambiguous picking up of inference points for adding dimensions"
-Smart dimension tool
-Easy copy and change of drawings for fast creation of reducing repetitive tasks. (ideally also a replace part feature)
-BOMs 
-Auto propagation of properties to Template

viru

My Top 5
- User defined template with auto propagation of properties
- Smart dimension tool along with auto dimensioning and arrange tool like autodesk inventor
- GD & T
- Bill of material
- Perfect dwg/dxf handling and dimensioning for imported files.

shashank_aarya

I would like to give my top 10
1. Fully associative dimensioning in drawing with model:- Typically whenever part is changed drawings get updated. But that flow should also be reverse. Whenever I create any model it should possible to bring required feature dimensions on drawings so that whenever I change any dimension on drawing it will automatically update in model.
2.  GD and T
3. Fully parametric BOM
4. Easier template creation with auto propagation of part properties such as material, weight, part name etc.
5. All symbols needed for manufacturing processes such as machining, welding, casting, forging etc. with ability to customize them
6. Easier ECN management
7. Similar real time collaboration, version management as in part/assembly mode
8. Sketch tools in drawings to create customized shapes
9. All ranges of limits and fits
10.Availability of easier methods for creation of notes

oleg_shilovitsky

@shashank_aarya what is fully parametric BOM for you? can you elaborate, please/ 

shashank_aarya

@oleg_shilovitsky Generally in most of the CAD tools when properties of parts used in assembly are changed (part number, description etc) it automatically propagates into the BOM placed on the drawing sheet. This is one type of parametric nature. Second type could be from Creo in which we can even go vice a versa when BOM is not manual but populated from existing part parameters. This works as updating the information in BOM table will update the part properties automatically. So, it is not required to open each part/sub-assembly to change the properties whenever required.
Any product built up in Onshape may contain many number of part studios and assembly tabs. Even some of the part studios may contain multi body parts. It makes difficult to search them in whole document. So, the provision as mentioned above in second type would be helpful.

oleg_shilovitsky

@shashank_aarya thanks for clarification! our new openbom.com product (will be released later this month) creates and updates BOM from Onshape models and it will be placed on a separate Onshape tab in the same document. Although, it is not drawing yet (we will come there too), but it gives you full association between model and BOM. We will also allow to update metadata. For the moment, I'm not aware about ability to update parts based on parameters. If you can point me on such ability of Onshape, please let me know- we would be happy to check it out.

More information about coming openBoM release is here.
https://medium.com/@openbom/onshape-openbom-integrated-app-a-sneak-preview-of-how-it-works-ccab4bd5a7cb 

wayne_jayes

A good BoM system
Weld symbols!

oleg_shilovitsky

Hi @wayne_jayes

This Oleg, co-founder of openBoM. Have you had a chance on what are we doing? There is openBoM connected app we released 1.5 months ago. These days, we're at final stages to deliver "integrated app". Take a look for more details here https://medium.com/@openbom/a-new-way-of-managing-bom-sharing-and-collaboration-in-the-openbom-integrated-app-for-onshape-d79a7e915eae

If you're interested to test it in private beta, please let me know. I will send you an invite.  
Thanks, 
Oleg [at] openbom [dot] com. 

jeremy_bryant

1. parametric BOM (an absolute must)
2. fractional dimensions
3. weld symbols
4. broken views
5. exploded views

oleg_shilovitsky

shashank_aarya said:

@oleg_shilovitsky Generally in most of the CAD tools when properties of parts used in assembly are changed (part number, description etc) it automatically propagates into the BOM placed on the drawing sheet. This is one type of parametric nature. Second type could be from Creo in which we can even go vice a versa when BOM is not manual but populated from existing part parameters. This works as updating the information in BOM table will update the part properties automatically. So, it is not required to open each part/sub-assembly to change the properties whenever required.
Any product built up in Onshape may contain many number of part studios and assembly tabs. Even some of the part studios may contain multi body parts. It makes difficult to search them in whole document. So, the provision as mentioned above in second type would be helpful.

@shashank_aarya

openBoM integrated app is available on App Store now and it can update part and assembly information (version, state, description, part number) from BOM. The opposite direction works as well - when you change the geometry - add / remove parts, the updates will be automatically done in BOMs. 

We don't allow to put BOM in Onshape in drawings, but we are working on this feature. It will come later. 

lloyd_snell

1. Bring datums into drawing from part model.
2. Full manufacturing notation and symbols Drawings are probably the biggest consumer of time, not assemblies. Your focus seems to be on assemblies and if you were to do a time study you would find the real effort is creating appropriate drawing support for manufacturing requires great effort. Sure you can just send the model off and they throw it into a CAM and process. Just wait until you do a 30 piece Cp, Cpk and without the correct definition of the required capability you will have junk. Like Finite Element Analysis, a lot of people can create beautiful pictures, but very few have the ability to interpret the results. CAD can be the same way, lots of pretty parts that cannot be manufactured.
3. GD&T
4. Maybe some one on the development team with manufacturing experience.
5. Bring design information used to create features in the model (Tapped Holes) automatically into the drawing. What would be nice is a right click on a feature and select show modeling dimensions. Talk about working smart.
6. Custom templates. 
7. Dual dimension, with priority
8. Always better help menus. Most look like someone wrote them on a weekend on an I-phone.

GWS50

Global fields, Notes with headers, Notes as a Legend, Bullet list in notes, Set text in notes within Properties, ability to draw circles to better help with snap points when dimensioning, colour rendering, any angle of view (snapshot) of 3d object, dimensioning from hidden line (so section view not required), dimensioning elliptical objects.

Drawings is halting my productivity and communication with engineers, I have even had to export to other CAD to create the necessary information.
Please spend as much time on this very important part of any CAD software as you do on other areas.
I really like Onshape but drawings really lets it down

lloyd_snell

GWS50 said:

Global fields, Notes with headers, Notes as a Legend, Bullet list in notes, Set text in notes within Properties, ability to draw circles to better help with snap points when dimensioning, colour rendering, any angle of view (snapshot) of 3d object, dimensioning from hidden line (so section view not required), dimensioning elliptical objects.

Drawings is halting my productivity and communication with engineers, I have even had to export to other CAD to create the necessary information.
Please spend as much time on this very important part of any CAD software as you do on other areas.
I really like Onshape but drawings really lets it down

I agree, drawings are halting my productivity and communication. Drawings are always the longest part of product development, even when all the necessary tools are there. It seems that drawing function was completely overlook, a common thought in today's, wizbang I can model anything anywhere. Without communication to manufacturing, your not going to get what you want. Currently in Onshape, you can design, with valid dimensional structure, but when you get to the drawing, you have to repeat your work. Not productive at all.

brian_brady

I'll add a to the requests:

• Multiple balloons with the same leader; i.e. detail part, washer, screw
• Multiple leaders with a single balloon; point to multiple instances of the same part/detail
• Draw reference geometry (circles and lines) with snaps to model geometry
• Dimension references to hidden lines and reference geometry (I know, "don't dimension to hidden lines", except when you don't have much of a choice.)
• Edit detail bubble names/letters
• Hide detail bubble circle
• Hide/show parts in assembly drawings (easier creation of subassembly drawings from main assembly)
• Show/hide dimensions from sketches and extrudes/fillets/chamfers

In all, I have been disappointed by drawings in its current state.

engineer_one

[quote] Easier template creation with auto propagation of part properties such as material, weight, part name etc.[/quote]

I second that, specifically I'm looking for the weight to be automatically propagated.

francois_boulet

Here are our musts;

1-        Having the possibility to hatch different materials with different hatching symbols.

2-      Improving the hatching automatic spacing. Sometimes you get just one line of hatching for a surface.  If you cannot get the software to do it right, please give us the possibility to adjust it ourselves.

3-      Break view on sections.

4-      Local sections on an external view. We have to do it several times in a project.  (see provided example)

5-      The possibility to break a part in a drawing  (not for real) to show what is under it. (see provided example). This could possibly be done with the “local section” tool I mention on point   4-