Can I make multiple parts imported from the same studio follow a single configuration?

msystems

The issue I'm having is like this:

Main part studio has configs and references needed by other parts. Controlling the main part (Lets call this "Part A") from Assembly config is no problem. 

Now I want to make "Part B" which is created using "Part A"s geometry and configuration variables.

I can create the part successfully in the same studio, and it will configure itself correctly within that studio's configuration.

But when Importing it to Assembly, it requires duplicating the configuration data from "Part A", because now it is a separate instance.

How can I just have "Part B" (from the same studio) follow the same configuration from "Part A"s Instance when in Assembly?

So far I have tried making a new part studio from assembly "In Context" which works BUT requires updating the context each time manually, so that's not a solution any better than just manually copying all the configuration columns from Part A to Part B.

EvanReese

I'm not seeing why configuring Part B and Part A separately at the assembly level is an issue. Do you have like 20 parts in your real life case or something? Do you know you can configure them all at once? If they're from the same studio, you can select them all in the assembly, right click -> "change configuration" -> set the part studio config variables to match the assembly ones. This will set them all up at once.

eric_pesty

I can't think of a way to do this...
As far as Onshape goes, parts A and B are completely independent in you assembly so they need to be configured separately.

A composite part would bring the two parts at once but then they are fixed relative to each other so probably not what you want...

You might be able to create a composite part that has a configuration for being either partA or partB, then you can insert it in its "partA" configuration, configure it properly, then if you copy and paste it it should carry over the configuration and you can then switch it to be the "partB" configuration.
A bit convoluted but might help if you have a lot of configuration inputs, note that it won't be "linked" so any further changes to the partA configuration input would have to be manually copied over (or do the copy/paste again).

EvanReese

I'm not seeing why configuring Part B and Part A separately at the assembly level is an issue. Do you have like 20 parts in your real life case or something? Do you know you can configure them all at once? If they're from the same studio, you can select them all in the assembly, right click -> "change configuration" -> set the part studio config variables to match the assembly ones. This will set them all up at once.

msystems

Thanks this is helpful.  I didn't know about selecting multiple parts with the change configuration interface. This is probably what i'll do if the number of parts gets to be a large #.

The reason for this is that I am designing parametric 3d printed designs which need to be split up post-configuration due manufacturability (print orientation) or build plate size. So the multiple parts with identical configuration originate from a single configured part.

The workflow I prefer is to design it as a single part, configure it, then split it up for production (with some holes for attachment added to the parts post-split).

I did try the composite part idea also. Fusing the split parts back to a composite part seems like it does respect a single configuration, but unfortunately, then I can't seem dissolve the composite part back to individual parts for export purposes.

eric_pesty

msystems said:

Thanks this is helpful.  I didn't know about selecting multiple parts with the change configuration interface. This is probably what i'll do if the number of parts gets to be a large #.

The reason for this is that I am designing parametric 3d printed designs which need to be split up post-configuration due manufacturability (print orientation) or build plate size. So the multiple parts with identical configuration originate from a single configured part.

The workflow I prefer is to design it as a single part, configure it, then split it up for production (with some holes for attachment added to the parts post-split).

I did try the composite part idea also. Fusing the split parts back to a composite part seems like it does respect a single configuration, but unfortunately, then I can't seem dissolve the composite part back to individual parts for export purposes.

This seems like the right approach for sure. Note that if you leave the composite "open", the individual parts are still available in the part studio for export. Alternatively you could have a configuration checkbox to toggle the composite feature (off for exporting, on for use in your assembly).