Naming new Sketches, Extrudes, ....

klaus_krämer

For better documentation, first step when I create a new sketch, extrude or something similiar is to give it a name before doing anything else with it. Sometime I even begin typing - with not so amazing results ...

Opening an new such thing (don't know the word for all the tools together) should result in first naming it. What do you think?

robert_scott_jr_

I can't right now imagine why being led to naming would be a drawback. Seems it would lead to be, in the end, more productive in that it would not require going back in a feature tree to discern the association of an unnamed feature. It might be be more productive in that it would not interrupt a train of thought by having to think of a descriptive name at the end of feature before moving on. On the other hand I can imagine that by the end of working on a feature, a better name might come to mind. Since it should be done it would be better to start with naming. - Scotty

klaus_krämer

I see it in the way, a SW developer has to act when he needs some variables. Even in a "train of thought" you have to name a variable to define it by giving it a meaningful name.

Adding features should be quite similar: Name it first and then go to work with it ...

Lucas_Kuhns

We don't even try naming our features. Maybe a handful like "Main Sketch". Of course variables get names. The way we see it, you can get to that feature so many ways quicker than scrolling through and finding it that giving a name has almost no value to us.

romeograham

I also like to name features - and put them in Named folders too!

You can use the shortcut Shift+N to name a highlighted feature or part. There is no setting to force you to name a feature, but it's pretty easy to do it on the fly.

Also - when the feature dialog is open (Fillet, for instance) you can name the feature before you even complete it. Click the little pencil icon or use the Shift+N shortcut:

klaus_krämer

@romeograham

Yes, it's easy to name features - but that's not the issue. It's about opening a new feature with the cursor ready in the 'Name' input field right after opening.

martin_kopplow

I like the way it works with threaded holes: The feature automatically takes the name composed of the core parameters of the feature, thus providing at least some meaning. I can always rename it, though, when necessary.

That might not be perfect for all cases, though it is way better than "Hole 52". I could imagine that features applied to a named part could do something similar, by adopting maybe the name of the part they're associated with. "Chamfer 2,5mm Left Bezel" would have much more meaning than the simple  "Chamfer 22". (Other CAD solves the problem by grouping features under their owner in the tree)

klaus_krämer

@martin_kopplow
This is quite good for these features, although "ThreadCreator" does not update the name if the dimensions of the according surface are altered - which makes the automatism unreliable.

I'd rather have an option in "Preferences" to activate a mandatory naming of features. You could always press Enter for the default proposal.