Basic Sketch and Feature Change Strategy Within a Part Studio

larry_hawes

On the most basic level and for simple parts I think just moving the feature bar up to exclude a sketch and feature in order to experiment with different sketches and features on the part makes sense, but in some part studios there are many features with the sketch and features in question occurring in the middle of the feature tree.

If one were to want to change those sketches and features and experiment with a different sketch is 'suppress' the best strategy? And add the sketch in the suppressed sketches place? I would rather not use a version as there are already too many for my little brain to handle.

Are there other Strategies?

THANKS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj_EjZRSyq8

romeograham

I think that suppressing groups of features for this type of quick exploration is an OK workflow.
Two things that would make this workflow easier:

1. put each group of features (1 sketch, extrude, pattern) in a Folder. That way, when you want to, each of the concepts would only take up 1 line on your Feature List. You can give the folders descriptive names to help organize your thoughts. 
2. Select all features at once for each suppress/unsuppress operation. You can use Shift+click (click the first item, hold shift, and click the last item - everything in between will also get selected. Then right-click on one of the selected features, and choose Suppress. All features will get suppressed at the same time (or unsuppressed).

As you're exploring, this could be the quickest, most flexible workflow. You could then easily add configurations later, and set the suppression state for each group of features for each configuration.
Of course, once you choose a direction, you have to promise to delete all the non-used features so that your Feature List and design intent has the best clarity.

(Versions and branching could aslo do this very effectively - once you have selected a design you like, you'd Merge that branch into Main, and complete the design with a clean and organized Feature List).

romeograham

I think that suppressing groups of features for this type of quick exploration is an OK workflow.
Two things that would make this workflow easier:

1. put each group of features (1 sketch, extrude, pattern) in a Folder. That way, when you want to, each of the concepts would only take up 1 line on your Feature List. You can give the folders descriptive names to help organize your thoughts. 
2. Select all features at once for each suppress/unsuppress operation. You can use Shift+click (click the first item, hold shift, and click the last item - everything in between will also get selected. Then right-click on one of the selected features, and choose Suppress. All features will get suppressed at the same time (or unsuppressed).

As you're exploring, this could be the quickest, most flexible workflow. You could then easily add configurations later, and set the suppression state for each group of features for each configuration.
Of course, once you choose a direction, you have to promise to delete all the non-used features so that your Feature List and design intent has the best clarity.

(Versions and branching could aslo do this very effectively - once you have selected a design you like, you'd Merge that branch into Main, and complete the design with a clean and organized Feature List).

larry_hawes

THANK YOU Romeo!! LOVE the folder idea. I will experiment immediately. Doesn't look like the folder can be suppressed with one selection but it's easy to open and shift select each feature as you suggest above.

romeograham

You're right - you can't use the folder itself to suppress (there's an IR around here somewhere to be able to do things to folders), but  you can easily (shift-select) 20 or 30 features all at once. Just keep them adjacent to one another in the List and it will be easy.

sam_christie

When I attempt this, I see all of the features individually in the Configuration table for individual suppression control. While I can select each check box, I was hoping to only expose one macro attribute in my configurations to my users, and control many features from that one selection.

romeograham

@sam_christie you should see the Configuration selector (1) above your Feature List (2). If you share the document as View only, people will be able to select the different configurations, but not mess about with the individual suppression states that create each configuration (3).
When you create another row in the config table, that creates the options in the Selector ("small", "big").