Move face to line, or extend face to surface, or something...

robert_stiles

I am sure that once I could pick a series of faces, and extend them to surface or a plane, just like the move faces feature ,when you select a control vertex, but selecting a line or surface instead - I thought it it moved multiple faces until they hit this boundary geometry. I can't remember how I did it or if I dreamt it. I'm not talking complex surfaces or curves, just moving the faces of multiple cuboids to chase a profile line or surface. 
 
Any thoughts?

Thanks
Rob

steve_shubin

robert_stiles said:

… moving the faces of multiple cuboids to chase a profile line or surface. 

MichaelPascoe

@steve_shubin is right.

If you want the selected ends to fit to the trim line you could Extrude up to a part or you could Move face past the part then use Split to remove half. I recommend Moving past the part then using split or boolean. This will be a more robust workflow as your parts might not always be this flat in the future. 

The key point here is to use a surface or part as your splitting tool or "up to" tool.

Or if you prefer the ends stay the same angle they currently are, you may have to Move face one at a time up to a vertex on a sketch.
 

steve_shubin

@MichaelPascoe

I like what Michael shows here

So what software are you using Michael to get ‘for lack of better words’ THE OUTER LIMITS effect, at the point of the loop in your GIF. I like that

I use to love watching that show

https://youtu.be/8CtjhWhw2I8

eric_pesty

I think "replace face" is what you want... Won't work up to a line but it will work for a surface. Although it would have to be a "continuous" face so if you have an angle that won't work.
The "extrude up to part" option would do it though...

MichaelPascoe

eric_pesty said:

I think "replace face" is what you want... Won't work up to a line but it will work for a surface. Although it would have to be a "continuous" face so if you have an angle that won't work.
The "extrude up to part" option would do it though...

Oh right! Replace face would be great here. I forget it exists.

S1mon

I really wish replace face would work with a surface input instead of just a face input.

steve_shubin

Just for clarity sake — Replace Face does work with compound angle planes, and it also will work with finite surfaces at an angle, where the elements being extended or contracted, do not have to intersect or touch the finite surface

MichaelPascoe

The problem here is that there is more than one face. Not sure replace face will be the most efficient in this case.

steve_shubin

@MichaelPascoe

You are absolutely right I!!!
Thanks for bringing that to my attention
And all along, I thought I was looking at a plan, as viewed from a 3D perspective point of view, like in this GIF
Thanks for that insight

Now are you going to give up the secret for the SCRAMBLED TV effect in your GIF
Or are you just going to relegate me to boring old FADE TO BLACK between loops
That scrambled effect is more with the times. And I want to stay relevant LOL

Is it CAMTASIA ???
SCREENFLOW ???

robert_stiles

Thanks for all this. I will try all the options. Replace face looks interesting, I thought there was a standard feature I had missed. I'll get back to you in 5.... 

robert_stiles

Ah right, the reason the Extrude was not working for me was because before I tried taking it to a plane (did not work), and to a surface, created from the lines in the sketch (did not work) - but I had not gone so far as to create a solid part as a tool. This must have been how I did it before - because I know I had something like this working on another model once. 

If I'd tried the replace face I would have got there also, but @MichaelPascoe is right, ideally I want it to follow more than one surface, so extrude to part results in less steps, as I have to create the surface in the replace face strategy in any case, I may as well create the part.

I'm not sure replace face is the best name for this feature. I'd never thought to try it before. I don't have a better name though. Trim to face? It does not rhyme though.

@MichaelPascoe you are also correct that we want the face to remain at the same angle. Manually it works as you suggest by using lots of move faces to multiple vertex in the sketch. The problem arises because the number of fins is controlled by a pattern, the mechanics of which which is controlled by a length parameter.  So, there is a possibility the number of fins will change, and this manual exercise will need to be tweaked as we push to fabrication.

I'm now going to try extend to part approach on the first fin, then apply a reverse draft thing to the end to make the end at perpendicular again, then add all this to the pattern as feature and see where it gets to !


  

MichaelPascoe

@steve_shubin Yep, Camtasia is the secret. Its extremely well made and its not subscription based so its a one time purchase. 
Here are some transition examples that it comes with. There are about 100 more or so.



@robert_stiles If you find yourself doing this in most of your daily workflows, consider writing a custom feature for it. It looks like there are quite a few things you could automate to save time. Feel free to reach out to me if you or your company is interested in automating your Onshape workflow to get rid of those repetitive tasks. This is one of the things I do with CADSharp

eric_pesty

You might also be able to achieve what you want by making the parts "sheet metal". You could just do a cut to trim all the bottom along that "slope" but it if they are sheet metal it should keep the ends "straight" like this:

robert_stiles

Ha! now thats good @eric_pesty. Very nice. Thanks. I have to start getting into the sheet metal features. I think there are a lot of "not intended usage" type usages for us. 

@MichaelPascoe thanks for the offer. We do a lot with feature script already (but not me personally!). But sometimes, if it feels like a use-case which is not that idiosyncratic, it feels there is a ready baked feature hiding in Onshape already. I think eric has found one in this case!

Thanks again everyone, great responses. 

MichaelPascoe

Excellent find @eric_pesty!

steve_shubin

@MichaelPascoe

thanks for that info about Camtasia

i’ve got to give them a call because it looks like I could buy the program for half price if I go through the Mac store.

so I wanna make sure I’m getting the full version. From what I read it sounds like I basically am but I still have to wonder why it’s so much cheaper through the Mac store

robert_stiles

We built this in the end by the way. Thanks everyone.

and here