Can anyone use Onshape by iPad Pro? Not App, but safari or chrome with Keyboard+Mouse?

KMmaker

I beleive the performance of latest iPad Pro is better than a lot of PC.

However, I still need to use PC web brower. So sad……

Oliver_Couch

Have you tried setting the browser to desktop mode?

fst

It is a pity that Apple tries to prevent proper virtualization of capable desktop OSes by all means. With the keyboard and touchpad it IS technically a notebook - just the software is lacking.
My workaround was to buy a Raspberry Pi with Linux, connect that via USB to the iPad for power and set up my phone as hotspot to which I connect both the iPad and the Raspberry Pi, so both have internet - or use your local Wifi when you are at home. (If no internet is needed one can also configure the Raspbi for ethernet-over-USB - but you will want internet for Onshape. I was not able to configure the iPad in a way that it forwards traffic between wifi and the usb-ethernet interface unfortunately - Apple considers such features unnecessary.) Then run a remote desktop solution like (Real)VNC or NoMachine server on the Raspbi and the respective client on the iPad to have access to the desktop where you can install all Linux applications, including proper web browsers .
The Raspbi is slower than the M2/M4 chip in recent iPads, but magnitudes faster than e.g. UTM SE…

Or (what I strongly considered at some point…) sell the iPad and buy a lightweight notebook…

fst

Btw., what is the reason that FeatureStudios and other FeatureScript related features are not part of the Onshape iPad app?
Is it Apple forbidding "scripting" in any way shape or form? (Which would be really silly, because Featurescript is a very focussed DSL that cannot be used for anything but transforming CAD data).
Or is it because JIT would be necessary to gain proper execution speed? Which would bring us back to square one: The most secure device is one that cannot be switched on. Totally secure, totally useless. If a device prevents users from getting their tasks done then it's not fit for the task. Just forbidding JIT is not an option these days anymore, imho - too many usecases just need this.

But I guess it's more the first in this case? Because Onshape does all the calculation part server side anyways…

MichaelPascoe

Here is an improvement request that would allow Onshape in the browser to support touch screen devices:

https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/5308/ability-to-use-load-mobile-ui-on-the-browser-support-touch

Paul_J_Premakumar

Some Onshape features are not available on mobile devices, because the number of users who request it isn't high enough or most users use the web client for some of the workflows. This is likely why we haven't gotten around to implementing this.. The mobile platforms do not restrict implementation & FeatureScript does run on servers, so the type of client does not matter. Please do create an improvement request.

fst

Thanks for the feedback! Opened two related improvement requests.
"most users use the web client for some of the workflows."
Is this possible on the iPad? For me Safari is always opening the native app when logging in on the onshape.com website. (Desktop mode is active for this website)

KMmaker

I always use the iPad Chrome private mode to login Onshape and use the desktop mode.
The 3D performance is very good but not all the short-cut key can work. Mouse also has minor problem.

Perhaps, I really need to abandon my iPad and bring the heavy mobile workstation to coffee shop.

#I don't need touch screen but need a slim iPad for creative everywhere.

Ste_Wilson

In the raspberry pi side of things, I've a Pi 5 which runs very nicely, including onshape. For accessing your pi there is a new bundled package:

https://connect.raspberrypi.com

Sign up, leave pi on, connect with browser.

MichaelPascoe

@KMmaker It runs great on the Macbook Air's. You can pick up a used one for a couple hundred $.