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Improvements to Onshape - August 12th, 2024

NeilCookeNeilCooke Moderator, Onshape Employees Posts: 5,647
edited August 29 in New in Onshape
Onshape delivers new updates every three weeks, but some of these projects take months to complete and it's exciting when we can finally reveal what we've been working on. Starting with my favorite...

CONFIGURATIONS

EXCLUDE FROM PROPERTIES

A new Configuration input option, Exclude from properties, ignores an input for the purposes of BOMs and Release Management. This is useful for flexible parts like seals, springs, and belts where the Part number and Part count do not change based on how the part is used in the assembly.

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/nj9vqfuw98?embedType=async&seo=true&videoFoam=true&videoWidth=1280


VERSIONS AND HISTORY

SELECTIVE RESTORE

Individual tabs or the entire document may now be restored to a branch.

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/0b5owjdrjc?embedType=async&seo=true&videoFoam=true&videoWidth=1280


IMPROVED BRANCH NAVIGATION

Tooltips and context menus make branch navigation simple.

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/0dga57mxih?embedType=async&seo=true&videoFoam=true&videoWidth=1280


VISUAL CUES FOR ONSHAPE SUPPORT 

An Onshape logo now appears next to any branches modified by Onshape Support. The Documents page also shows the same logo in the Modified by column if any branches within the Document were last modified by support. For Enterprise customers this behavior is present in the activity feed.

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/eup1kt8bq6?embedType=async&seo=true&videoFoam=true&videoWidth=1280


SKETCH

MIDPOINT LINE

A symmetric line entity can now be easily created by selecting a midpoint first, then dragging the extent of the line in one direction.

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/737tr6maoz?embedType=async&seo=true&videoFoam=true&videoWidth=1280


ASSEMBLIES

DEFAULT TYPE FOR BOM TEMPLATES

Set a BOM template’s default to either Structured or Flattened view. This setting can be overridden by the user in the Assembly BOM.


NAMED POSITION MATE LIMIT WARNING

If a Named position places a Mate outside of its defined limits, a new error message highlights the issue immediately, before trying and failing to apply the Named position.



DRAWINGS

DATUM SYMBOLS ON RADIUS AND DIAMETER DIMENSIONS

Datum symbols can now be attached directly to the leader line of a radius or diameter dimension.

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/6e3fd3baep?embedType=async&seo=true&videoFoam=true&videoWidth=1280


HORIZONTAL TEXT JUSTIFICATION

A new option in the Drawing properties panel controls the justification of dimension text.

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/7rt2hfoeor?embedType=async&seo=true&videoFoam=true&videoWidth=1280


ATTACH GEOMETRIC TOLERANCE TO FACES

Geometric tolerance feature control frames now support region references (part faces) in drawings. By default, the leader's attachment point is a dot, but it can be changed to an arrowhead in the Styles panel.


INSPECTION PANEL AUTO-SCROLL

The Inspection panel now scrolls the selected dimension or annotation into view for easier access and navigation.



EXCLUDE CALLOUTS 

Automatic inspection items are added to callouts by default. This behavior can now be prevented with a new Drawing property to Exclude callouts.




FOLDERS

CONTEXT MENU FOR OPEN FOLDERS

The context menu for a folder on the Documents page can now be accessed while inside the folder by right-clicking the folder name in the breadcrumbs at the top.



FEATURESCRIPT

IMPORT TEXT FILE

Text files uploaded to an element within a Document can now be imported and parsed in a custom feature, following the standard BLOB data import syntax. Imported text file size is limited to 100KB.

<namespace>::import();
...
println(<namespace>::BLOB_DATA.textData);

VECTOR EVALUATION PERFORMANCE

Vector expression evaluation gets a performance boost.

https://onshape.wistia.com/medias/vouw8dw5wd?embedType=async&amp;seo=true&amp;videoFoam=true&amp;videoWidth=1280


RENDER STUDIO

IMPROVED VIEWPORT INTERACTION

For faster interactive viewport performance, shadows are removed and rendering is simplified when zooming, panning, and rotating a model.



UNASSIGN APPEARANCE FROM ELEMENT

Unassign appearances from individual or multiple parts or faces.



DELETE INDIVIDUAL APPEARANCES

Individually delete unused appearances.



BACKGROUND FIT IN RENDER PREVIEW

Background images set to Fill now fill the preview window in the Render scene dialog while maintaining the correct aspect ratio.




Please take a moment to try out these new features and improvements and leave your comments below. For a detailed list of all the changes in this update, please see the changelog.

Remember: The updates listed here are now live for all users when creating new Documents. Over the next few days, these features will also be available in Documents created before this update.
Senior Director, Technical Services, EMEAI
Tagged:
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Comments

  • eric_pestyeric_pesty Member Posts: 1,820 PRO
    I think the exclude from configurations has to be the winner for us! But I will use most of these immediately, looking forward to the branch navigation improvements especially on large doc I'm working on!

    Render studio appearance management should really help clean things up to. And some more "quality of life" stuff (like the midpoint line)!

    Was hoping to see some sheet metal stuff but judging from the changelog it looks like there were/are still a bunch of bugs so probably wise to iron these out before adding new functions!
  • sean_llewelyn353sean_llewelyn353 Member Posts: 1 PRO
    Best update yet! Configurations exclude from properties is a game changer for us! Saves so much time to not have to use featurescript for managing part numbers and other properties.
  • billy2billy2 Member, OS Professional, Mentor, Developers, User Group Leader Posts: 2,056 PRO
    edited August 15
    A+ for configuration updates

    Version & history I'm using a lot and it's getting really good, I merged a tab a couple of days ago and didn't realize it was a new feature

    Midpoint line I love that, everything's symmetrical in this world and it's going to be a real time saver. I did check, construction mid-lines work. Using it a lot, it would be nice to bind it to the keyboard for rapid access.

    Feature script vector math, I didn't realize it was slow, will create a cable and will check for improvement

    This was a really good release, thanks
  • Cary_BettenhausenCary_Bettenhausen Member Posts: 43 PRO
    edited August 12
    Sketch: Midpoint Line, Assemblies: Default Type BOM for BOM Templates, and Drawings: Horizontal Text Justification for Dimensions seem like little things, but I will be putting them to good use immediately. I hve been avoiding situations where Configurations: Exclude from Properties was necessary to avoid incorrect BOMs due to flexible parts resulting in multiple part numbers. Now I can be model flexible parts properly and have a proper BOM.

    Thanks to the hard working team at Onshape for another great update.
  • Alex_PittAlex_Pitt Member Posts: 65 PRO
    Thanks for the updates! Especially "Exclude configuration from properties". I love the midpoint line too!
  • rick_randallrick_randall Member Posts: 294 ✭✭✭
    It's simple, but I think I'm going to like the mid-point line.
  • Chris_D_Mentes_001Chris_D_Mentes_001 Member, csevp Posts: 101 PRO
    Happy Birthday to me!!! Holy smack there is soooo many goodies here! I've been waiting for the "exclude from properties" option using work arounds to have different colours on a product that has a variable config option. This is spectacular! Love the revert history for one tab, Mid line and auto adjust dimension updates!!! Uter brilliance thank you!!
  • SebastianMaklarySebastianMaklary Member Posts: 6 PRO
    Ooooh! Applying geometric tolerances directly to faces is a great improvement! It makes it much easier to read when there's faces that are offset by 0,1mm to be the contact face or if it is just a small area on a surface that is the contact area and thus needs tighter tolerances. 

    Thanks an incredible amount! 
  • rasmus_holm418rasmus_holm418 Member Posts: 3
    Great addition! "Exclude from Properties" will help a lot here a make our management of parts a lot easier.
  • sebastian_glanznersebastian_glanzner Member, Developers Posts: 422 PRO
    @NeilCooke
    "Exclude from Properties" is a great and welcome improvement! Now I can get rid of my workarounds 
    :smile:

    That "Squeeze" FeatureScript you use for the o-rings looks very interesting, is this public?
  • john_allen289john_allen289 Member Posts: 37 PRO
    Great updates, the exclude Configurations from Properties is a big shift, until now Onshape has seen every configuration as a new Part Number. If I understand it right, we can now have different geometrical configurations for the same Part Number which is a big win for the types of examples shown as well as other parts that have a 'before & after' geometry that we need to represent in models/drawings (i.e. pop rivets, nutserts, solid rivets, pressure sensitive adhesive tape, cable ties, etc.). I hope this message gets across loud and clear as the name 'Exclude from properties' does not tell the whole story of this improvement for Configurations. 

    Lots of other really good stuff in here, keep it up Onshape.
  • john_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,933 PRO
    This is huge, Exclude from Properties! Selective Restore! Onshape now more than ever, truly is like no other!

    Automatic Horizontal Text Justification is going to save me a lot of time. I've always been anal about this.

    These are all major quality of life improvements.
    Thank you Onshape team
  • john_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,933 PRO
    STEG said:
    Can't wait to install the new service pack on all our computers and use these incredible new and improved features! 🤪

    What? It's already available on all our licences without installing anything? 😮


    More seriously, GREAT release! Really... 👏
    yeah, that's been my struggle single last week.
    I tried to download it starting 8/8
    The SW site won't let me log in because it doesn't think I have an account. (Who F*ing cares... I have a serial number, just give me the DL!!)
    So, I had to contact our distributor, thankfully they have a download page with the latest service packs that they hold on to. (only up to 2024SP3 currently)
    My plan was to just go to 2025 and be done with it for a couple years, since we only use it part time now

    But now my problem is I have a new employee starting soon, and I still can't log in to manage the licenses. They have been "trying" to give me access this whole time, filling my email inbox with dozens of notifications from the DSx system (so obviously my account is somewhat active)

    every link they send me ends up with me repeating this same error to support:


    All I want to do is transfer my license (I'm un-install SW for good finially!) to the new guy. He starts soon, but his first 3 projects are all SW re-release jobs to get him acclimated with our drawing structure, while he learns Onshape in the mean time.

    Right now, it is a race between SW support and his start date. He may have nothing to do at this rate...

    F SolidWorks
  • Kyler_WalkerKyler_Walker Member Posts: 202 PRO
    Finally!  I have been waiting for "Exclude from properties" for years!  Thank you! 
  • _anton_anton Member, Onshape Employees Posts: 394
    I hope this message gets across loud and clear as the name 'Exclude from properties' does not tell the whole story of this improvement for Configurations.
    We had a lot of internal debate about the One True Name for this feature. :P I'm curious what you'd name it?
  • john_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,933 PRO
    Argg!

    Exclude from properties only works on PartStudios not assemblies.
    That sucks! assemblies are where I need this more often.

    When will this be extended to Assemblies?
  • eric_pestyeric_pesty Member Posts: 1,820 PRO
    Argg!

    Exclude from properties only works on PartStudios not assemblies.
    That sucks! assemblies are where I need this more often.

    When will this be extended to Assemblies?
    I had missed that fact until I tried to do it a few minutes ago... Still very useful but definitely needed for assemblies as well...
    I'm sure it's just a matter of time and an "artifact" of agile development.

    Maybe it was even supposed to be included but they ran into issues during testing on Friday which delayed the release to Monday (I'm just making stuff up obviously but that's my very rough understanding of how they operate)!
  • ilya_baranilya_baran Onshape Employees, Developers, HDM Posts: 1,210
    Really good guess, @eric_pesty, although that's not quite what happened.  The real story is that we realized that we need more time to understand all of the implications of having an assembly or subassemblies in non-default excluded-from-properties configs, and then you try to make a release and you see something very different than what's in the graphics area.  So, help us: could you describe how and for what you would like to use exclude-from-properties in assemblies?  Others too, of course @john_mcclary.

    Thanks!
    Ilya Baran \ VP, Architecture and FeatureScript \ Onshape Inc
  • S1monS1mon Member Posts: 2,889 PRO
    @ilya_baran
    One possible situation is one I struggled with a lot at my last position - how to manage multiple colorways for a product. Some would argue that this should be done with different part numbers for each colorway, others use variants, which could be done as a "dash number" (e.g. <part number>-<variant>). I've also seen colorways managed more at the PLM level, and then the CAD model wouldn't want to be burdened with new part numbers, but we might want to have the ability to configure the assembly to show how the colorway would look.

    See: https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/17941/variants-in-enterprise

    The other common thing I could see is having an assembly with a flexible part (e.g. a spring) that needs to be shown in two (or more) positions. These positions wouldn't be done with Named Positions since configs (with exclude from properties) would need to be swapped for the different amounts of compression/extension of the springs. The positions would need to use configs (at least until there are true flexible parts like in some other CAD systems), and we wouldn't want there to be new part numbers for them.
  • eric_pestyeric_pesty Member Posts: 1,820 PRO
    @ilya_baran
    Like @S1mon says, one common use case is an assembly shown with a door open or closed where some parts are flexible so named positions don't cut it. With "exclude from properties" the parts don't show as different items anymore which is great.
    There might also be sub-assemblies that are affected in the same way like an OTS component that can be in two different positions, a limit switch for example. Even if named positions could work for this, if you need a separate "door closed" and "door open" config, you want to include the switch position in the config (not have to also pick a named position).

    Another use case is when you have a top level assembly that can be assembled in different ways: for example a reversible bracket that the customer can install one way or another (or when a part is installed a specific way during shipping and gets re-positioned for installation). It's still the same assembly and part number but requires different configurations.

    As far as the release is concerned, the process shouldn't be different from parts with excluded properties. A warning in the release dialogue would be a good idea if that's not already there (haven't tried that yet...).

    Maybe a related question: does a part released with excluded properties allow switching its config in the released state (i.e. effectively releases all the config permutations as one PN) or does it only release the "Default"? I could see how this could be an issue if only the "default" is released...


  • john_mcclaryjohn_mcclary Member, Developers Posts: 3,933 PRO
    Mainly we model cylinders in extended/retracted/floating (slider with limits) configs. 

    When you have one cyl extended and one retracted etc. Then you end up with duplicate rows on the bom


    With sensors, we have sub assemblies with swivel brackets, sometimes you need to flip the swivel around to get a different angle. So today we have to make a whole assembly just for this. I'd like to just configure that since it is all the same parts, just assembled one part upside down. 
  • eric_pestyeric_pesty Member Posts: 1,820 PRO
    edited August 13
    Just did some more testing and found an issue...

    I released a test assembly with a part with an "excluded" config variable:
    - I had two parts with different values of the excluded config variable
    - I was able to release them as one part number/item as expected
    - However if I want to insert a new instance of the released part I can only pick the default with no option to change the "excluded" value
    And I can't change the config of the ones already in the assembly.

    Basically the release only "creates" the permutations of configurations that were explicitly in the release but only the default is "accessible" after that.

    We need to be able to change any of the "excluded" properties of a released part after the fact (since we've decided they are all the same part number anyway)...
    I think this might also resolve the questions about sub-assembly behavior?

    EDIT:
    I found a workaround of sorts: insert the part with the excluded property from the workspace (or version should work as well presumably) and set the config to what you want. You can then "change to version" and pick the released version and you end it adds one count to the BOM row for that part. 

    See example: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/d2d3382aa18189471db96624/w/bfdb4819bc7e743e462a92ad/e/6f9f5e6d135f553ea7e3a3df?configuration=default&bomType=flattened&renderMode=0&tangentEdgeStyle=1&rightPanel=BOMPanel&uiState=66bbadc0de9c134b5f7663bd

    The good news is that this shows it's technically possible to "add" new permutations after the fact already, all we need is the UI to allow it! i.e. allow "change configuration" in the context menu for released parts with excluded properties and show the excluded config inputs in the list when instances are selected through "Configure assembly features".
  • MichaelPascoeMichaelPascoe Member Posts: 1,952 PRO

    Careful... with quality improvements like this, no other software will be able to keep up!

    I especially appreciate the FS improvements. Thank you team!


    Learn more about the Gospel of Christ  ( Here )

    CADSharp  -  We make custom features and integrated Onshape apps!   cadsharp.com/featurescripts 💎
  • e_g_ee_g_e Member Posts: 14 PRO
    @ilya_baran

    In addition to what @S1mon and @eric_pesty mention, we also tend to use configurations in assemblies to hide(suppress) different components. Fasteners, complex OTS parts, etc. Excluding these configurations from affacting BOM would also be great. I know using configuration to hide parts is not best practice, but currently this method is more user friendly than the Display state dialogue.

    Another point is assemblies of linked parts, like e-chains or roller chains, where the different positions of the chain are controlled by suppressing and unsuppressing parts. Especially in bends and loops.

    I can see that excluding configurations controlling suppressions is more difficult in terms of what to show in the BOM. But if we at least could have the "Set Default" functionality from the video above, then we would not have to worry about the suppression configurations being in the wrong state during release.
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