Drawing automatically update after assemble configuration changes

aleksandr_oleinik

I want to use Onshape for design automation. So I made an assembly and added configurable variables. After I change configuration of the assembly I cannot easily update the drawings. The only way I can do that is to change configuration of every part in the drawing. It seems that I miss something. What is the pattern for design and drawings automation in Onshape?

tim_hess427

@aleksandr_oleinik - Your goal is a little unclear. Are you trying to create assembly drawings? Or update many drawings of individual parts? What do you want the organization of your drawings to be? 

It sounds like you want onshape to automatically re-create drawings of individual parts when you change the assembly configuration. Is that right? I don't think onshape can do that, exactly. 

aleksandr_oleinik

@tim_hess427 - you are right. I want to to automatically re-create drawings of subassemblies and individual parts when I change the top assembly configuration. But Onshape can't do it, you are also right. 

john_mcclary

When you change the configuration in the assembly, you are not 'changing the configuration' instead you are 'viewing' the results of your configuration choices. 

So when you create a view in drawings, you are also choosing which configuration you are 'viewing'

Depending on how complex your configuration is, you may want to try using display states if you are simply hiding parts with suppression.

Otherwise, try changing what your configuration default is.. I haven't tried this and it likely won't work. But it should if you are creating a new view for the drawing.

This last one probably won't work for you if you want BOM structure. But create a higher level assembly that doesn't have a config, then import your configured assembly into that. Then when you change the configuration in your top assembly, the drawing views will update 

john_mcclary

How about an improvement request for making configuration presets.. That work just like display states. 

Having named configurations would solve this and other heavy configuration issues. This is the main reason I avoid config variables when it's a real design that needs a drawing. Too easy to forget to go update the drawing view config. 

I imagine the named config tool would be created and updated just like display states. All it does is save the values of the current config. 

Then when choosing a view in a drawing, you can choose a named config, or set your config the manual way we do today.

Also this should be true for importing into other assemblies, partstudios, and documents