Welcome to the Onshape forum! Ask questions and join in the discussions about everything Onshape.

First time visiting? Here are some places to start:
  1. Looking for a certain topic? Check out the categories filter or use Search (upper right).
  2. Need support? Ask a question to our Community Support category.
  3. Please submit support tickets for bugs but you can request improvements in the Product Feedback category.
  4. Be respectful, on topic and if you see a problem, Flag it.

If you would like to contact our Community Manager personally, feel free to send a private message or an email.

Positioning of sketch in assembly relative to part

Evan_Zalys_GellerEvan_Zalys_Geller Member Posts: 8

The sequence of events is like this:

  1. I create a part studio
  2. I create some parts in the part studio
  3. I insert those parts into an assembly. I move them around arbitrarily.
  4. In the assembly, I realize I need a sketch to define the location of a mate connector
  5. I go back to the part studio, and define the sketch
  6. I go back to the assembly, and attempt to insert the sketch
  7. The sketch has seemingly no association to the originally inserted parts. They're free to drag arbitrarily, and if grouped, would be grouped in this imprecise arbitrary relative positioning.

How do I use a sketch in a part studio to define a mate connector well after the parts have been inserted?

Comments

  • robert_scott_jr_robert_scott_jr_ Member Posts: 482 ✭✭✭

    Hello Evan. You can place mate connectors on the sketch (they will belong to the sketch) in the part studio. - Scotty

  • Oliver_CouchOliver_Couch Member Posts: 160 PRO

    The parts from part studio, if designed in the correct place, can be mated with their origins.

    In the assemby, try right click on a part and choosing - add mate connector at origin, then mate the parts to the assembly origin using that mate connector

  • Evan_Zalys_GellerEvan_Zalys_Geller Member Posts: 8

    It seems a little inconsistent to me that you can use group to hold a part studio together when you insert it early on, and you need to add mate connectors at the origins of the parts should you decide to add more stuff later.

  • glen_dewsburyglen_dewsbury Member Posts: 774 ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 17

    If you're just looking to keep thing at a fixed location so it doesn't move around arbitrarily pick one of the initial parts and apply a fixed mate. Normally this would be my default so that things don't keep shifting around in an arbitrary way while mating other parts. No need for a sketch with a mate connecter unless it's needed for some other purpose. The sketch can be the fixed item too. Doesn't matter what sequence parts or sketch's are brought in. Most times I don't arbitrarily place parts in the assembly, I select the part or parts and click the green check box to place in original position from part studio.

    Ps. If you start your initial parts relative to the origin of the part studio this also helps when placing in assembly. Keeping orientation common as well. (speed tip)

  • rick_randallrick_randall Member Posts: 324 ✭✭✭
    edited October 17

    Question - this is kind of a stretch, but are the parts and assemblies in the same document? If not, you could be experiencing an "update version" scenario (parts outside of the assembly document don't show edit changes in the assembly, until parts have a new version). If they are in the same document, just ignore this advice.

  • Evan_Zalys_GellerEvan_Zalys_Geller Member Posts: 8

    I don't feel like people are fully reading my original post.

    If you insert part A, move it, do some stuff, then insert part B from the original part studio, then A and B will have lost their relation in the part studio. You therefore have to stick mate connectors on A and B's origins and mate them together. This is redundant with inserting the two parts and then grouping them, which, as far as I can tell, you can only do when you first insert the part.

  • NeilCookeNeilCooke Moderator, Onshape Employees Posts: 5,671

    Try this

    Senior Director, Technical Services, EMEAI
  • Oliver_CouchOliver_Couch Member Posts: 160 PRO

    Grouping locks parts together as they are when you group them. So if you do it at the start when they are already in the correct position (as drawn in the part studio) it's a great time saver.

    If you have moved them you can mate their origins for a next best time saver. If inserting parts from multiple part studios, or if you haven't drawn them in their final location, you can mate the more traditional way.

  • glen_dewsburyglen_dewsbury Member Posts: 774 ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 17

    Hey Evan

    Can you post a link to your document? If you are a free user like me it will already be public. Might help to view what you're trying to accomplish. There are implicit mates at several locations on every part and explicate mates can be applied to parts with out any sketch. I'm quite uncertain as to why you feel the need to move the initial part in assembly when it can be viewed in any position needed without moving in around?

  • MDesignMDesign Member Posts: 146 ✭✭

    Put your mate connectors in the original part studio where you want them. then in the assembly define the mate relationship as you see fit in the assembly..

  • rick_randallrick_randall Member Posts: 324 ✭✭✭

    Groups can be added at any time - but will conflict with any mates, that those parts have. Therefore it's usually best to group before you do your mates. Always exceptions to every rule though.

  • joshtargojoshtargo Member Posts: 230 EDU

    maybe skip step 3b "I move them around arbitrarily"

Sign In or Register to comment.