How can I edit a single part, without affecting the other identical ones in the assembly?

horia_tamas

I think the title says it all.
I come from different software, and I'm forced to using onshape for this project I'm working on. I want to edit a single object within my assembly, without affecting the other identical objects. They're all previously modelled (STEP) files. Do I need to edit them outside of onshape and make variations to then import within my project?

alnis

Welcome to Onshape & the Onshape forums!

Configuration approach (more appropriate if you may have multiple edited variants and/or if you might be switching between edited/non-edited variants):

1. Edit the part (in context if needed, but be sure to hide irrelevant parts in the assembly before making the context to keep things neat & high performance)
2. Create a configuration checkbox for the imported part studio
3. Configure suppression for all of the edit features
4. Set the default to the one with all of them suppressed
5. Change the configuration in the assembly of the unique one to have the features unsuppressed

You may want to use a table and/or a variable configuration depending on the type of edit you are doing and if you have multiple variants.

Derive approach (more appropriate for one-off things where there's a single edited variant and you aren't switching between edited and non-edited versions):

1. Create a new part studio
2. Derive the imported part into it
3. Edit the part as needed
4. Replace the part in the assembly with the edited part using the replace tool

If you want to edit the part in context, derive it, but then replace it first in the assembly and then you can do the edit in context.

I can put together an example of each if you'd like, or ideally, I could show you in your document if you send a public link so that I can make a copy.

Good luck with your project, and I hope this helped!

horia_tamas

alnis_smidchens said:

Welcome to Onshape & the Onshape forums!

Configuration approach (more appropriate if you may have multiple edited variants and/or if you might be switching between edited/non-edited variants):

1. Edit the part (in context if needed, but be sure to hide irrelevant parts in the assembly before making the context to keep things neat & high performance)
2. Create a configuration checkbox for the imported part studio
3. Configure suppression for all of the edit features
4. Set the default to the one with all of them suppressed
5. Change the configuration in the assembly of the unique one to have the features unsuppressed

You may want to use a table and/or a variable configuration depending on the type of edit you are doing and if you have multiple variants.

Derive approach (more appropriate for one-off things where there's a single edited variant and you aren't switching between edited and non-edited versions):

1. Create a new part studio
2. Derive the imported part into it
3. Edit the part as needed
4. Replace the part in the assembly with the edited part using the replace tool

If you want to edit the part in context, derive it, but then replace it first in the assembly and then you can do the edit in context.

I can put together an example of each if you'd like, or ideally, I could show you in your document if you send a public link so that I can make a copy.

Good luck with your project, and I hope this helped!

Thanks a lot for your help! It worked wonderfully!

alnis

No problem! Happy to help. A bonus quick tip that I just remembered: if you edit the imported part in the original program you made it in and update the onshape import (here's how to do that: https://www.onshape.com/en/resource-center/tech-tips/tech-tip-updating-imported-geometry), all of your secondary edits should update automatically/parametrically to adjust to the shape of the new part.

For example, if the imported part has a bolt circle of 4" diameter that you edited for one instance (using either a configuration or derived part) to be rotated 45 degrees with the "move face" feature, if you were to change that diameter to 6" in the original part in, say, Inventor, the rotation should still all update parametrically. I can put together an example if you'd like.