Controlling MC Orientation

matthew_stacy

When placing a mate connector on the origin, in a Part Studio, the orientation defaults to z-axis up.  Is it possible to orient the mate connector along the global x-axis using only mouse gestures, without explicitly editing the mate connector?  An example use case is using the Spur Gear feature script.  By default the axis of the gear is aligned with the global y-axis (no vertex or mate connector selected).  Placing a mate connector at the origin aligns the axis of the gear along the global z-axis.  How do you orient the gear along the global x-axis, without explicitly rotating 90 degrees about y?

In an Assembly Studio studio environment a mate connector defaults to global z-axis alignment but can readily be oriented along x or y with just mouse gestures (best accomplished from a top view).

Does Onshape provide this same level of control in the Part Studio environment?  If so, any tips or tricks for reorienting mate connectors would be greatly appreciated.

S1mon

I don't know the answer to your question, but somehow I had missed the ability to reorient assembly MCs so easily. Thanks.

eric_pesty

matthew_stacy said:

When placing a mate connector on the origin, in a Part Studio, the orientation defaults to z-axis up.  Is it possible to orient the mate connector along the global x-axis using only mouse gestures, without explicitly editing the mate connector?  An example use case is using the Spur Gear feature script.  By default the axis of the gear is aligned with the global y-axis (no vertex or mate connector selected).  Placing a mate connector at the origin aligns the axis of the gear along the global z-axis.  How do you orient the gear along the global x-axis, without explicitly rotating 90 degrees about y?

Does Onshape provide this same level of control in the Part Studio environment?  If so, any tips or tricks for reorienting mate connectors would be greatly appreciated.

Shift dragging to re-orient would be nice to have in the part studio environment for sure. For what you are describing I do find using the "realign" (eg: set the primary axis to the top plane) faster than applying a rotation (where you have to pick the axis and enter a value).

steve_shubin

@matthew_stacy

I have not tried this on my MacBook Pro yet

I mostly use the iPhone and on the iPhone it’s a pretty easy thing to do

Hopefully, I’ll be able to do the same thing on my MacBook Pro — hopefully

And that is too —

1) once you bring up the tool
2) then click on the edge of the plane to select it
3) and then click at the origin

S1mon

@steve_shubin

Wow. This works completely differently than in the web version. I just tried it to make sure I was understanding what you're demonstrating. On the desktop, it won't let you create a MC without an "owner part" being an actual part and it will not let you select the plane first. On iOS it's happy to make a MC with the Front Plane as an owner part.

This is pretty surprising that the two platforms are so different. I know that there are some tools that just don't work or exist on mobile, and I fully accept that, but to have the ability to create something on mobile that I can't do on the desktop seems very broken.

steve_shubin

@S1mon

I hear what you’re saying

I do like the logic behind this DEFAULT implementation of MC in Part Studio on mobile. That is, pick the plane, and Z is going to be NORMAL TO.

It’s easy. It’s no hassle

Makes a lot of sense to me for a default.

Someone that knows how to do IR’s should write this one up so people can vote it up for the desktop 

And if somebody likes, they could copy and paste this GIF into the IR. And they should let people know that what I did in the GIF is being shown in real time. It’s that fast and easy to use

S1mon

@steve_shubin

Here's an improvement request.

nick_papageorge073

S1mon said:

I don't know the answer to your question, but somehow I had missed the ability to reorient assembly MCs so easily. Thanks.

After I saw your comment, I tried to reorient for 5 minutes from the top view before I finally figured out the mouse position and movement. Wow, it finally makes sense. I've been struggling reorienting the assy MC for months.

SethF

@S1mon It's not the greatest work around.. But you CAN do something similar in the desktop version.

Select the Origin as your "Origin entity"
Click "Realign"
Assign the plane that you want to become the "Owner part" as the "Primary axis entity"

I'm pretty sure this only works with new mate connector features, and won't work if you've already set some actual part as the "Owner part"

eric_pesty

SethF said:

@S1mon It's not the greatest work around.. But you CAN do something similar in the desktop version.

Select the Origin as your "Origin entity"
Click "Realign"
Assign the plane that you want to become the "Owner part" as the "Primary axis entity"

I'm pretty sure this only works with new mate connector features, and won't work if you've already set some actual part as the "Owner part"

You can go back and edit any mate connectors after the fact to realign.

For realigning the one in the assembly, remember to hold the shift key to "lock" yourself on the origin, then you can drag your mouse around to set the orientation (without having to worry about staying very close to not "loose" the origin)....

nick_papageorge073

eric_pesty said:

...snip...
For realigning the one in the assembly, remember to hold the shift key to "lock" yourself on the origin, then you can drag your mouse around to set the orientation (without having to worry about staying very close to not "loose" the origin)....

Thank you, that's a huge help.

Axel_Kollmenter

@oliver_august