Custom Feature: Design Intent

DavisCCR

Link to Design Intent

During design reviews I am often asking or being questioned as to why a model was formed the way it was. Usually the answer is in someone's head or personal notes and lacking from any formal documentation. If it is in documentation, then it is likely far from the CAD (unless you keep that in Onshape somehow) and took a long time to do properly.

I wrote this custom feature to allow designers to link their thoughts and decisions right where the geometry is being created. I think it is a good practice especially if other people are looking at your models or you are taking long breaks from them. This feature combined with folders could really make for a highly concise feature tree.

 

The feature itself does nothing. You could actually replicate this using comments if you're OK with one linked object at a time. I see comments as more of a temporary communication tool rather than something that lives with the model. I think the next step in this journey is keeping design notes right in the document as a rendered markdown tab.

I hope this feature fits into other user's workflows as well and please let me know any improvements you suggest.

MichaelPascoe

Brilliant! @DavisCCR

nick_papageorge_dayjob

Wow that's a great idea. I could never figure out the built-in notes myself.