Is there a way to create a customize mate?

Javier_López_del_Pueyo

In OnShape, mates are defined so that they resemble mechanical connections. However, they are limited to specific kinematic combinations (for each mate, certain DOFs are restricted).

I'm trying to use OnShape to model a specific kinematic behaviour that does not correspond to any of the existing mates. (eg. Rx, Ry, Rz, Z are free | X, Y are restricted)

Is there a way to define something like a customized mate for which you can specify which degrees of freedom are restricted and which ones are free?

Thanks!

eric_pesty

Short answer is no, but you can often achieve this using limits...
Or using an intermediate "dummy part"  and two separate mates: for example a sketch surface as a slider and a ball mate to that surface would provide what you are looking for (I think?)

Javier_López_del_Pueyo

Thanks Eric! That's what I was afraid of, there is a need for intermediate parts (or sketches as you mentioned) to create that custom mate. 

What I did was exactly that, I created three different parts, each one of them with an associated mate connector. Then I used a slider mate fom the first to the second MC, and a ball mate from the second to the third MC. Is there a way to simplify this process?

eric_pesty

That's pretty much it...
You could use the "fake mate connector" FS to create your "dummy" intermediate part a little bit faster: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/c17cc15051561f01e2fc6d0d/v/13b76dd8f102481f2f21857a/e/81e13b859e7facbfb47d1355

Javier_López_del_Pueyo

Ok. thanks for the answer. I might create an IR for universal custom MC

martin_kopplow

I second that. For example, there should be a rotate mate that only rotates one way, or a custom mate that can generally restrict movement in one direction! Where can I find your IR so I can vote for it?

Javier_López_del_Pueyo

I'll link it here once I create it! 

Javier_López_del_Pueyo

If you want to vote for the IR, here it is:

https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/23797/universal-custom-mates/p1?new=1