Within a Sketch, is there an easy way to see exactly why a line is blue?

john_smith077

Hello

Within a Sketch, is there an easy way to see exactly why a line is blue?

Background
Sometimes if you left-click on a line and try to move it you can then see how it needs to be constrained... but not always.

Thanks

J

NeilCooke

This is one of the reasons why we keep sketches simple click-drag is all you can do

john_smith077

NeilCooke said:

This is one of the reasons why we keep sketches simple click-drag is all you can do

Thank you.

I am new to OnShape. There is much to like, but this sort of thing where the user is compelled to work in specific ways is really, really bad. 

:^[



J   

john_mcclary

It's just best practice.
Every tool in the universe has a 'formally correct' way to use it.

Even a hammer: Don't grip it too close to the head or else you're going to work harder.
Channel locks can grip a bolt head, but the correct way would be to use a spanner wrench.
You wouldn't use a small flat head screwdriver to undo a Phillips head screw would you? Sure, it fits the hole, but it just aint right.

You can put tones of information in a single sketch, but less is more.

I mean, in your other post you had a complex folded box with a very over complicated sketch to define the flat pattern.
Whereas I showed you how to do it with only 4 lines.
Reduce things down to smaller bites and debug/editing will be much simpler.

steve_shubin

john_smith077 said:

… compelled to work in specific ways 

I’m curious to know what program it is that allows a person to work in any fashion and or manner? Closest thing I found to that so far is Onshape.

Just the other day somebody wanted to know how to do a knob with draft & ribs and instantly there’s four different ways. And like @mahir  said, ‘there really is too many ways that Onshape could do it’

A while back somebody wanted to know how to put a groove into a rolling surface. I kept playing with it and got up to 10 different ways and I finally said to myself — enough is enough. I could keep going on this thing for who knows how long.

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/99f6268ff6f2fdab48956e49/w/8d8060ee3e7d269899840f80/e/a378bab9c424b2676fe88efb

No — I don’t think it’s a matter of the programs limitations

Now I could be wrong, but upon seeing your work, and after reading a number of your posts, It seems to me as if your wanting something like a 2D program like illustrator or a 2D drafting program

When I was using 2D drafting programs, instead of putting line on top of line, I would break it out into layers.

The user manuals of the 2D CAD apps instruct you to use MULTIPLE layers.

Having elements distributed across layers can make it more manageable because even in a 2D drafting program, having a ton of lines close together, all on the same layer, is not easy to work with. I think you’re finding that out for yourself with this project

Onshape is able to mimic the multi-layer approach, by breaking things out into NUMEROUS SKETCHES (read layers)

And the first sketch could be just the basic outline of the book. In other words, just a rectangle that has two dimensions, one for width and one for height, and that’s it. 

In fact where it says Sketch 1 in the features list on the left side of the screen, well you can change that. You can call it Layer 1 if you want.

And, if you desire, you could link one sketch to another. In other words, you can specify that one element on one sketch, is to act as an anchor point for another sketch.

But even more important than the above, you should take the time to go through the learning courses to learn BEST PRACTICES (sheetmetal in this case), as @john_mcclary has pointed out. It really will make things easier for you. A whole lot easier

Also, take some time to go through the public documents. Do some word searches for different types of parts. You’ll soon realize that this program allows you to do a heck of a lot.

If you think this is a setback for you, just imagine how many setbacks I had within the 37 years of using a lot of CAD programs that had their limitations or drawbacks. Count your blessings and chalk it up to one learning experience