What's the "right" way to make a bunch of separate parts that reference each other?

declan_oller

Hi everyone,

when I'm working on a project in Onshape, I frequently end up in situation where I have a ton of parts that reference each others dimensions, or need to share information between parts.

I often use variables, and have the sketches/extrudes for different parts reference the same variables, but that becomes somewhat chaotic and hard to keep track of when I have a bunch of parts in the same Parts Studio. It's easier for me to use projected elements (from another part) in a sketch, but I've found that that often breaks, if I change the part that is being projected, for example.

Is there a better way to do this? Specifically: a way to deal with having a bunch of separate parts that need to rely on the same dimensions/variables, and need to be designed together, without it becoming really complicated?

thanks in advance!

dirk_van_der_vaart

I don't think that there is one right way to do it, but one way is use the derived feature and derive a base-sketch or part to the next part-studio.
https://cad.onshape.com/help/Content/derived.htm?Highlight=Derive

eric_pesty

Variables are good but it seems to me that a "layout sketch" (or a few of them) approach would help a lot.
I would also check the top down learning pathway in the learning center as it covers different approaches.