Working with Imported Models in Onshape: Strategy for import and part studio tricks?

martin_kopplow202

Check out Tips and Tricks for Working with Imported Models in Onshape on Onshape Learning Center: https://learn.onshape.com/learn/video/tips-and-tricks-for-working-with-imported-models-in-onshape

Dear Onshape Team,

during the past hours or so I have listened to and worked though some of the material related to working with imported geometry. Most of this material discusses the tools, but not the strategy. I still have not figured out how to actually access imported models for editing beyond the direct editing tools and also keep them in the assembly structure (or adequately reintroduce them). It appears I missed some important point, since there seems no way to access the parts like them being not transferable into part studios or do not import within the places in the structure they were meant to be. Obviously, in my sample case, all non-solid parts went into an assembly now named "Non-Solid parts" which neither was in the parasolids source data, not did I create it.

Could someone point me to a tutorial or training material that addresses the aspect of 'strategical importing for editing', please?

Best,

Martin

MichaelPascoe

You can edit the parts in a Part Studio. This will only work well if the imports are solid part files.

Onshape mainly uses solid parts:
SLDPRT or Parasolid

You can use other file types, but you may not be able to easily edit them like solid parts.


Importing solid parts

martin_kopplow202

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the explanation, though it unfortunately just not solves my specific problem. I am moving from Spaceclaim CAD to Onshape and have a half finished project. I have already imported my model (kind of an air vent, assembled with some filter cartridge and other stuff), from the file dialogue, and now I have it all there, in an assembly, but no part studio. I can create a part studio solo or in context, but then my geometry is still not inside that part studio, but in the assembly. In the top left corner a line of text says "Versions are read only", wherever that comes from. If I create a new version and a subassembly, that goes away, though.

What I was expecting (maybe the concept is wrong?) was that I could put the part or a copy of it inside a part studio and then edit it with the required tools. I need to delete part of an air duct, keep one portion of it, and recreate a modified version (it needs a different bend radius and attachment flange), and rearrange the other parts of the assembly accordingly. 

I have a suspicion I should have started differently, so my imported parts end up in part studios and are immediatly accessible for editing. Where did I possibly go wrong?

Best,

Martin

MichaelPascoe

Can you link share your document so that we can see what is going on?

NeilCooke

Sounds like you chose the option to "split into multiple documents"? If this is the case, your top level doc will only contain the assembly and all the parts will be in separate versioned docs (docs must be versioned in order to link them together). When it says "versions are read only" there should be a button that says "return to main" - click that, make your edits, then create a new version in order for the changes to be seen at the top level.

martin_kopplow202

Neil, Michael, 

yes, I chose the 'split into multiple documents' option since I wanted to keep the assembly structure. There are some parts in it I cannot share here, though. 
The 'return to main' option is there, and if I followed that path and made a new version, which is okay, but still leaves me without the parts being transferrable into any part studios. The option to create a part studio solo or in context is there, but they come into life as empty, and once I go to a part studio, I can't find any way to transfer a part there for editing. It's kind of strange, since this must be a common thing to do, right? Can't I just create a part studio for a selected part, drag and drop the part into it, send or copy it there, or so? 

So what I did was: 
- Import a parasolid assembly via a zip file.
- opened the root assembly
- all (nearly) my parts are there, most as sub assemblies, some as parts, in original order, except non-solids, which are now found in a "Non-Solid Parts" section that is not even a proper subassembly*. 
- created a part studio (tried in context and solo). 
- tried to move geometry there. The only way to do so appears to offset every face by zero, so a copy appears in the part studio? Does not work for curves, though, and looks like a dirty workaround to me.  

Is there a tutorial that describes the process of importing assemblies for editing in part studios? I haven't found any. All I found was how to do it with a single part, and that is not an option for me, for I have too many nested subassemblies. 

I will try again, but this Issue needs to be resolved, for I have other projects coming, which include a few hundred subassemblies or parts, and require a more or less automated process when importing from Catia. 

Best,
Martin 


*Strange, kind of! Though the non-solid elements were originally unfinished elements of parts that had their place in the tree. 

NeilCooke

Have you tried the Derived feature?

martin_kopplow202

Yes, that works well for sketch planes, not for 3D curves, If I understood it right. Or does it in fact work for all sorts of gometry? If so, I certainly missed that, will try ASAP!