Can my configured assembly be set to be a "Master" assembly?

jmccormick

I have spent days setting up a configurable assembly that works great.  BOMs update, Properties change accordingly, the works...

Here is my problem -  when I use the assembly to review or discuss the product with someone, I am hiding and suppressing parts all over the place.  The next time I go to the configured assembly, the parts are not viewable.  My Configuration table changes when I suppress something and will not unhide the parts I have hidden.   Of course, Onshape has conveniently saved everything so I have no way to exit without saving. 😁

Can I somehow lock the configuration table so it does not permanently change?  Can the configuration be the Master assembly no matter what was changed outside of the configurator?  

lana

@jmccormick
See if you can use a version or a recent state in document history for demo. You should be able to hide parts and change configurations while viewing a version, none of those changes will be saved.

EvanReese

I'm not sure I totally follow the question here, but if you're saying that when you demo the thing you're swapping configs, suppressing parts, and changing other stuff willy nilly in the interest of your viewer's time, but at the expense of messing up your model a bit, then I can recommend a few things:

1. Look at Display States, which can hide and show sets of parts. This would help you prepare your model to be presented ahead of time.
2. Look into setting up Named Views ahead of the CAD tour so you can move the camera to perfect spots (it even captures a section view, so you don't have to make them on the fly).
3. Make sure your configuration defaults are what you want.
4. To restore it to the pre-meeting state, consider just restoring back to the microversion right before you got in there and changed stuff. It's kind of like just ctrl-z-ing it all the way back, but easier and more reliable. If you really want to make sure you find the right model state, make a new version and restore that. Learn about versions here. or just go here and right click the moment you want to restore back to.
5. 

jmccormick

Thanks, Evan.  These meetings are more impromptu than planned.  I can see just making a branch or setting a version before I start.  I guess it is just a matter of getting used to doing things in a different way.  

Still, it would seem that once the configuration table is set, it should not be editable outside of the configuration UI.  When I select a configuration, I want THAT configuration to be displayed the way it was originally configured.  

(When are you going to make more YouTube videos?  I really like your explanations. )

tim_hess427

That's weird - I never noticed that behavior before. That does seem a little odd... but I guess it's consistent with how configurations work in part studios. 

I think this will actually be helpful for me. Sometimes in complex assemblies it can be difficult to scan through complex configuration tables and make sure I'm setting things correctly, so it may be helpful to just open up the configuration I want to change and make the changes in the model space. 

 

EvanReese

For some reason, I'm just now understanding what problem you're talking about. I personally really like that supressing/unsupressing things updates the active configuration. It makes it much easier to set up configurations to begin with, and makes them easier to edit. As a plan A, I recommend finding a demo workflow that doesn't involve suppression, like using "shift+t" and "shift+i" to make parts transparent or isolated, or like using "y" and "ctrl+z" to hide  parts and undo the hide, or, if you have the luxury of a bit of prep, set up some display states and named views. As a plan B, just restore to the micro-version from before the demo.

Glad you're watching the videos. I've got a big list of ideas, but not the time to do 'em lately. Hopefully soon.

shawn_crocker

@Evan_Reese I think is suggesting the right thing. For demonstration you probably want to use hide rather than suppress. I usually create a display state when everything is visible. If I start hiding tons of stuff I just have to select that initial display and everything comes back. If you do your demoing from a version the auto saving thing isn't an issue.

lana

@jmccormick
See if you can use a version or a recent state in document history for demo. You should be able to hide parts and change configurations while viewing a version, none of those changes will be saved.