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How to reuse a sketch or pattern of features across multiple projects and designs
zain_saidin877
Member Posts: 2 PRO
in General
Suppose I have a set of holes and features, removing material in a part, up-to-next-surface.
Suppose this set is a standard feature for mating some assembly that will be used in many designs across many projects. And they need to be standardized.
Suppose I want one master version of this set to be managed by one engineer, and for all other engineers to just be able to use it. With versioning working.
Suppose I would like the aforementioned 'other engineers' to be able to place sketch point on their part, and be able to import/copy/reuse/derive everything from the master.
How can this be done?
- Onshape doesn't let multiple users cut and paste sketches easily. And even if it did, it would be a klunky and error prone way to do this.
- What I'm describing isn't really a part, since it's actually a set of multiple instructions for making various holes of various shapes and sizes. So importing or making a derived part doesn't do the job.
- I could make a "negative" of the set of holes and features, lets other engineers use derive and then a boolean. But that is klunky in a few ways, including loss of up-to-next, and inability to drop the set of features in specific locations at will.
Being able to take a set of *instructions* referencing the origin in *one* project, and then being able to apply those instructions, in *another* project, relative to a *point* in that project really seems like something Onshape could do. And it would really leverage the group collaboration nature of the product.
I have not explored Feature Script. Is that the way to do this? Or, more likely, what feature am I missing that accomplishes something like the above?
I've attached a link to a simple example of the above. Contrived, for simplicity, from some parts used on a kids robot ream I coach.
I'd like multiple users to be able to re-use the features in the Xpattern, any place, in any design.
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/7e7ffc23b46d46930ca7a21e/w/64a29a550dc021ab97a658da/e/6d5bdfd1a119a7e15863ff12
Suppose this set is a standard feature for mating some assembly that will be used in many designs across many projects. And they need to be standardized.
Suppose I want one master version of this set to be managed by one engineer, and for all other engineers to just be able to use it. With versioning working.
Suppose I would like the aforementioned 'other engineers' to be able to place sketch point on their part, and be able to import/copy/reuse/derive everything from the master.
How can this be done?
- Onshape doesn't let multiple users cut and paste sketches easily. And even if it did, it would be a klunky and error prone way to do this.
- What I'm describing isn't really a part, since it's actually a set of multiple instructions for making various holes of various shapes and sizes. So importing or making a derived part doesn't do the job.
- I could make a "negative" of the set of holes and features, lets other engineers use derive and then a boolean. But that is klunky in a few ways, including loss of up-to-next, and inability to drop the set of features in specific locations at will.
Being able to take a set of *instructions* referencing the origin in *one* project, and then being able to apply those instructions, in *another* project, relative to a *point* in that project really seems like something Onshape could do. And it would really leverage the group collaboration nature of the product.
I have not explored Feature Script. Is that the way to do this? Or, more likely, what feature am I missing that accomplishes something like the above?
I've attached a link to a simple example of the above. Contrived, for simplicity, from some parts used on a kids robot ream I coach.
I'd like multiple users to be able to re-use the features in the Xpattern, any place, in any design.
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/7e7ffc23b46d46930ca7a21e/w/64a29a550dc021ab97a658da/e/6d5bdfd1a119a7e15863ff12
2
Best Answers
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nick_papageorge073
Member, csevp Posts: 825 PRO
I ran into the same thing trying to use a "skeleton sketch" downstream. The built in Derive does not allow you to locate it at all. I'd suggest making a help request to allow positioning of derived features. You are a paid user and Onshape tallies requests from paid users highest.
In the meantime, there is a featruescript that allows placement to a mate connector. It is called "SuperDerive". Look it up it might be what you are after. I used it on my project. It allows placing in the target document by a mate connector. But I think from the source document it limits its positioning point to the origin of the source document. So make your sketch on the origin.0 -
NeilCooke
Moderator, Onshape Employees Posts: 5,686 
There are no library feature capabilities in Onshape. A custom feature (FeatureScript) may take more time to set up but they are much more powerful.Senior Director, Technical Services, EMEAI0 -
NeilCooke
Moderator, Onshape Employees Posts: 5,686
No, they are not. But you can vote on this improvement request: https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/6933/user-defined-feature-lists-with-gui-interfaceSenior Director, Technical Services, EMEAI0
Answers
In the meantime, there is a featruescript that allows placement to a mate connector. It is called "SuperDerive". Look it up it might be what you are after. I used it on my project. It allows placing in the target document by a mate connector. But I think from the source document it limits its positioning point to the origin of the source document. So make your sketch on the origin.